2015-02-19
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 2 pm.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Nhulunbuy
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Nhulunbuy for today on account of personal business. Gove airport was reopened this morning, and we wish Lynne, her family and all residents the best.
Leave granted.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I would like to make a brief statement on the situation with the cyclone along the north Arnhem coast. I want residents in the affected area to know our thoughts are with them as they bunker down in preparation for the cyclone’s arrival.
Cyclone Lam has taken a southerly turn overnight and is currently tracking towards the Northern Territory coast near Elcho Island. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that the cyclone is continuing to intensify. A cyclone warning is in place for Goulburn Island to Numbulwar, including Nhulunbuy, Groote Eylandt and adjacent inland areas, to Bulman. A cyclone watch continues from Numbulwar to Port Roper with adjacent inland areas.
Firstly, I would like to update the Assembly on the situation at Goulburn Island. All residents of the Goulburn Island community of Warruwi, including surrounding outstations, are being asked to evacuate by air for their own safety. This is a precautionary measure, but we would rather not take any chances given the size and intensity of the cyclone.
The first aircraft left Darwin at 5.15 am this morning and the last flight is expected to arrive back in Darwin at 5 pm this afternoon. There are 18 fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters involved in the evacuation operation. The Warruwi controller advises that so far 318 people have been evacuated, with 112 remaining on the island. We expect all those remaining will be leaving this afternoon.
There are 120 children among those who have been airlifted so far. The Department of Education is making plans for the schooling of children evacuated from Warruwi while they remain in Darwin. They will be accommodated at an evacuation centre at the Darwin showgrounds where a range of government agencies are working together to ensure appropriate services are available.
I take the opportunity to thank the Northern Territory Emergency Service volunteers and the public employees who have been working since the early hours of this morning to make this happen.
I will briefly run through the main centres to give you an update on what is happening elsewhere in the region.
I can confirm that shelters on Elcho Island are open. The shelter at Shepherdson College on Elcho Island currently has 400 people in it. A second section of the college has been opened, with capacity for a further 300. Marthakal workshop currently has 250 people, with capacity for 50 more.
The shelter at Milingimbi is open and has capacity for 300 people. Backup shelters are ready if required at Milingimbi. People living at camps near the barge ramp have also been advised to move to shelter overnight, ahead of a possible storm surge. Approximately 50 residents from outstations have evacuated into the town.
At Ramingining the shelter is now open as well as the local police station. Most houses in Ramingining are built to code, and most residents are choosing to shelter at home. At 4 pm today the power supply at Ramingining will be turned off and this will affect water supply and flow.
At Gapuwiyak the community store closed at midday today. There are approximately 55 cyclone coded houses in the community. Residents of outstations have chosen not to evacuate. Power is expected to be cut off when winds reach dangerous levels.
In Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala the local emergency management committee is continuing to meet regularly and monitor the situation for the Nhulunbuy region, including Yirrkala. The shelter at Gove District Hospital remains open for the 90 people who are currently sheltering there.
Yirrkala Laynhapuy homelands centre closed last night as a cyclone shelter, and no residents were using the facility. It reopened this morning with a small number of people present. As a precaution, most residents of Wallaby Beach have relocated to shelter in Nhulunbuy.
Schools remain closed as well as most businesses. The Nhulunbuy Corporation, which is the operator of the Gove Airport, has reopened the airport, but please check flights with the airline directly before travelling because the airport may close again later today.
Rio Tinto is undertaking risk assessments to consider when to begin a staged reopening of the mine. The Gove District Hospital continues to operate with reduced services, and the emergency department continues to operate on a 24/7 basis.
A number of Arnhem Land schools remain closed today and tomorrow: Yirrkala School, Yirrkala Homelands School, Nhulunbuy High School, Nhulunbuy Primary School, Nhulunbuy Christian school, Baniyala school, Shepherdson College at Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak School, Milingimbi School, Ramingining School, and I closed the school at Warruwi earlier today. In addition, Maningrida school will be closed tomorrow. I know the member for Arafura is very interested in those parts of his electorate.
It is a very big and unpredictable cyclone. We have been tracking it for several days. It has been building in intensity over very warm water. Many residents of north Arnhem Land are in for a rough night tonight. I want them to know we are thinking of them and putting the preparations in place to keep them safe.
I urge everyone to take this cyclone very seriously and to listen to the advice of emergency services. Please listen to your local emergency stations and look for advice through secureNT for updates. If anything changes I will keep the Assembly updated as new information comes to hand.
Thank you for the opportunity of making a statement to the parliament.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for updating the House on the cyclone.
This cyclone is having a big impact on my electorate. I understand that Warruwi has been evacuated, and this is a very stressful time for the residents. They are leaving their homes and all their belongings behind, not knowing what they will return to.
I urge everyone in the affected areas to stay safe, look after each other and do what they are asked to do by the police and emergency services.
I want the people of Warruwi, Maningrida and all other areas affected by this cyclone to know they are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the cyclone update. On behalf of the opposition, I also thank, for the hard work being done, police and emergency services, the community organisations and the churches.
Our prayers and thoughts are with the communities of Arnhem Land. It is a trying time but we know the people are strong and have always had a very strong culture of supporting each other. Our prayers will be for the best possible, and safest, outcome for all of these communities.
Chief Minister, we welcome the updates you have been providing us.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I present a petition from 970 petitioners praying that the eradication program is stopped and the banana plants saved. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate and it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. I move that the petition be read.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STYLES (Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Construction Industry Long Service Leave and Benefits Act to enhance the benefits to workers in the NT Build scheme, to provide greater certainty and clarification on the way the levy will be calculated for major construction projects, and streamline and simplify the provisions relating to the constitution of the NT Build board.
The Northern Territory’s portable long service leave scheme for building and construction industry workers enables eligible workers to qualify for long service leave entitlements based on service in the industry, rather than service to a single employer.
The act currently requires a worker registered with the scheme to work 260 days to qualify for a year of service in the industry. This effectively means that a Territory construction industry worker must work the equivalent of 52 weeks by five days each week. This requirement is excessive when compared to similar schemes in other jurisdictions, and to the normal requirements of long service provisions in the public or private sectors.
Under the current scheme, workers are not given service credits for periods of unemployment. Construction is an industry where casual employment and turnover between jobs is a regular feature. Those frictional periods of unemployment result in lower long service leave credits or workers having to work considerably longer than 10 years to qualify for a benefit. Seasonal weather variability limits the capacity of Territory construction workers to achieve 260 working days a year to receive a year of service credit.
The lower 220 day threshold recognises that frictional unemployment is part of construction industry participation, even for full-time workers. A worker who exceeds 220 days of qualifying service in a year will still be able to exceed the maximum long service leave credit of six-and-a-half days. The requirement under the portable long service leave schemes in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia is 220 days.
One of the principle reasons for introducing the act in the Territory was to ensure there was no disincentive on long service leave grounds for attracting construction workers to the Territory. The majority of interstate workers registered in the Northern Territory scheme come from Queensland and New South Wales. Parity with the benefits accrued under those state schemes is desirable.
Under the proposed bill the lower 220 day threshold replaces the 260 day requirement. This brings long service leave entitlements for Territory construction workers on par with interstate building and construction industries, and other Northern Territory long service leave standards.
The Northern Territory’s portable long service leave scheme is self-funded through a levy on eligible construction work undertaken in the Territory of at least $1m or more in value, excluding single detached residential dwellings, and from investment earnings.
A two-tier levy regime applies for construction projects with construction costs in excess of $1bn. The prescribed levy rate, which applies to all eligible construction projects under the scheme, applies to the first $1bn. A project-specific levy rate determined by me, after consideration of a report prepared by the scheme actuary, is then set for the project costs in excess of the $1bn threshold.
The act currently does not provide any clear guidance to the actuary for the preparation of such a report. Also, the factors that I may take into consideration in determining a percentage rate for the excess amount are ambiguous.
The amendments in the proposed bill ensure the project-specific levy percentage rate for the over $1bn threshold will be sufficient to meet the assessed liabilities accrued to the scheme by the particular project. That is, the amount the project’s workforce will be entitled to claim through the scheme – no more and no less.
In April 2014 the government announced a number of changes to the scheme. These included a reduction of the levy rate required to fund the scheme from 0.3% to 0.1%, and the raising of the threshold for when the levy applies from projects costing from $200 000 up to $1m. In July 2015 the scheme will have completed 10 years of operation. As a result, the maturing of workers’ benefits will see long service leave payments progressively increased. The mix of these issues will require prudent oversight by the NT Build Board as the scheme moves forward.
The current provisions in the act relating to the constitution of the board require the appointment of two representatives each from organisations representing the interests of employers and employees in the Territory. This restricts my capacity to appoint members to a broader balance of qualification, skills or knowledge relevant to managing the future challenges facing the operation of the scheme.
The amendments contained in this proposed bill substitute the mandated representation requirement with a simplified and more streamlined general requirement. This will enable future board appointments to be based on relevant qualifications or skills or knowledge in areas such as financial management, investment, legal, corporate governance and Northern Territory construction industry knowledge.
No change has been made to the existing overall membership provisions requiring a minimum of five members, including the chairperson, and a maximum of seven members. This proposed bill will cap the number of public sector employees that may be appointed to the board to a maximum of two. This restriction ensures majority industry participation in the administration of the NT Build scheme and keeps the scheme established for the benefit of industry at arm’s length from government.
The Construction Industry Long Service Leave Amendment Bill 2015 will enhance the benefits to workers in the scheme, provide certainty on the calculation on the levy for major project constructions, and strengthen the governance framework underpinning the administration of the scheme.
I consider the amendments before the House today, in addition to the levy rate changes previously amended in April 2014, amount to significant fine-tuning of the scheme.
These changes will keep the Territory competitive and reduce impediments to investment in the development of the Territory. The changes also preserve the financial viability of the scheme and its ongoing capacity to attract and retain workers in the Northern Territory construction industry.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House and table the explanatory statement to accompany this bill.
Debate adjourned.
Continued from 23 October 2014.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, the member for Nhulunbuy has a leave of absence for today. She is our shadow Police minister and she has asked me, as the former shadow Police minister, to deliver her speech in the House today. It is one acting shadow Police minister to an acting Police minister at the moment.
I thank the former Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services for bringing this bill forward to parliament, and I look forward to hearing from the new Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and former Deputy Chief Minister, the member for Brennan, who now has carriage of this important bill through the House today. The member for Nhulunbuy thanks the former minister for Police and his office for facilitating a briefing for her in her suite on 14 November, which was provided to her by senior members of NT Police.
The bill was introduced in the October sittings and the member for Nhulunbuy was briefed on 14 November last year in anticipation of the second reading debate coming before the House in the last week of November, the final sittings week for 2014.
We are not sure why the bill has been delayed for three months. We have not received any formal advice; there is some speculation that the Chief Minister might have been enjoying the end-of-year Speaker’s Christmas drinks, the bill was adjourned until this sittings. Or perhaps by the end of November the Chief Minister was aware of the Cabinet reshuffle he announced on 12 December – the 13th reshuffle – knew he would lose the Police portfolio in that reshuffle and thought, for whatever reason, he would leave this for the new minister to handle. Today we are debating this bill, which could have reasonably been passed in the November sittings.
On that note, the member for Nhulunbuy congratulates the member for Brennan on his new ministerial responsibilities and can only say he has got off to a good start; he has clearly made a positive impression on the members of the NT Police Association, given they have welcomed him warmly and express a strong desire to have a cooperative working relationship and, at the same time, have rejected outright the return of the Chief Minister to the role.
On behalf of the 1400 members of the NT Police Association – the men and women in uniform who, day in, day out work hard to keep Territorians safe — Mr Vince Kelly made it quite plain they welcome minister Chandler as someone they can work with. In an interview on ABC radio on 11 February Mr Kelly said of the minister:
Member for Brennan, that is a positive start for you, and I wish you well in maintaining a positive relationship with the Northern Territory Police Association.
For whatever reason, I suspect the delay of the passage of this bill comes as a great disappointment and frustration to police, who I know, from the November briefing, were keen to see this legislation passed in order to strengthen police powers to fight and solve crime.
The opposition fully supports this bill which will bring the Northern Territory into line with other jurisdictions and make the work of NT Police in cracking down on organised criminal networks easier, with new special investigative powers. I understand the genesis of this bill is from the joint working group of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council, which has as one of its aims the alignment provision between jurisdictions to enable more seamless investigative powers across boarders and what I have read described as legal sequenicity.
The bill brings the NT into line with the rest of Australia to provide additional powers and options for law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations and intelligence gathering in relation to criminal activity.
I note from the minister’s second reading speech that the bill is divided into three parts: controlled operations; assumed identities; and witness identity protection. Through the briefing I received and feedback from stakeholders, including the NT Police Association and the Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory, the need for this bill and additional special investigative powers of police is very apparent. Based on the model law for cross-border law enforcement operations and investigations, this bill will authorise and permit police to more easily obtain the necessary paperwork they need to use assumed identities when conducting undercover work.
For example, this bill will enable police, through a process outlined in the draft legislation, to get access to documents such as birth certificates from Births, Deaths and Marriages, and drivers licences, and to acquire the proper authentic paperwork to show they have a specific skill set appropriate to their assumed identity such as an electrician or a plumber. Obviously the creation of evidence of an assumed identity through fictitious documentation is central to enabling undercover operatives to conduct their investigation and the acquisition of such evidence documents is only granted in, as the minister described, appropriate circumstances.
It is the use of an assumed identity that, in a controlled operation, an undercover operation, as the minister said in the second reading speech:
And went on to say:
I note this bill not only allows NT Police these powers, but also other members of Australian police forces when they are undertaking cross-border operations. As was highlighted in the briefing the member for Nhulunbuy received, it is the special investigative powers which will better assist police to get criminals. By way of example – a very notable example provided to me – it was these powers that brought about conviction in the Daniel Morecombe case.
The opposition, in supporting this bill, is satisfied it has in place the necessary checks and balances to protect against any potential for abuse of an assumed identity. Indeed, authorised officers, as the second reading speech points out, are not immune from certain liabilities simply because they have an assumed identity, and nor are they excused from criminal or civil liability if they engage in conduct that oversteps the role of their assumed identity.
I note the bill contains a mechanism for accountability in ensuring special powers and assumed identities are compliant with the proposed legislation to ensure there are no breaches. The conduct and monitoring of patrolled operations and the acquisition and use of assumed identities for operatives both within the NT and in other jurisdictions will be reported on by the Ombudsman. Clearly the oversight role of the Ombudsman is an important and necessary step to ensure the practice of these extra powers is not abused.
This legislation is necessary now as we are the only jurisdiction that does not have these powers, and more sophisticated criminal elements, like organised crime and terrorist groups, do monitor laws in countries, states and territories. We need to act now before these groups realise there are weaker laws in the Territory and exploit them.
We do not want these groups setting up shop in the Territory because of a legislative weakness. There is also a firm belief within NT Police that when this law passes they can move quite swiftly on organised criminal networks like Internet child pornography offenders. In the current climate around the heightened awareness about the threat of terrorist activities, these special investigative powers can only strengthen police capacity to ward of such threats.
It will come as no surprise that the Northern Territory Police Association supports the legislation. They support anything that protects their members, and this is an obvious set of protections for not only members of the police, but their families as well.
I am also glad to see that this bill makes it easier to provide a comprehensive witness protection. The Criminal Lawyers Association said, ‘The bill represents a significant intrusion on civil liberties, but our tentative view is that it should be supported. It is part of a national legislative scheme which has been developed to respond to the challenge of sophisticated organised crime. However, we have not yet checked to see if there has been significant debate about the equivalent legislation in other jurisdictions.’
Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the bill. We welcome the new minister to this role. Both I, as a former shadow Police minister, and the current shadow Police minister look forward to working with him on other things on a positive NT Police agenda, like the blood legislation, the review of the NT Police Act and the need for the reintroduction of chaplaincy and welfare support for police. A number of things are important to police, but these things are definitely important to police. Perhaps with a new Police minister in the role we can work on those things and discuss them, in good faith with the NT Police Association. With his good relationship with the NT Police Association, maybe we can get some progress on them.
We support this bill and commend it to the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I rise to strongly support the passage of this legislation and place on the record my thanks to the opposition for seeing the wisdom of this legislation in a number of areas. No doubt the Criminal Lawyers Association would be critical of a legislative instrument of this nature.
Hello Eleanor, how are you today, sweetheart?
Over the Christmas break I took advantage of the Legislative Assembly’s capacity to enable members to go on a study tour. I found myself in the United States, and I will be reporting in much greater length on that in the not so distant future.
During that trip I managed to speak to the District Attorney of Los Angeles, Jackie Lacey, the District Attorney of New York, Cyrus Vance, and whilst I was in Los Angeles I also managed to speak to Detective Jorge Luis Martinez of the gangs and narcotics division in the Los Angeles area.
These are people who know their stuff. I wanted to talk to these people because the organisations this legislation is targeted at are exactly the sort of organisations that have no regard for international boundaries, state jurisdictions or the law.
One of those organisations we are seeing come out of the United States at the moment, and which is patching over in other jurisdictions in Australia, is the Mongols motorcycle group. I was aware of this before I went on my study tour, but my study tour has reinforced some of my nervousness about some of these organisations.
Whilst Detective Martinez dealt with the Spanish crime gangs coming out of Mexico, I also had a discussion with him about one particular organisation. I will use that organisation as an example as to why this sort of legislation is necessary and cross-border jurisdictional powers have to be extended to our police forces.
I draw honourable members’ attention to a United States District Court for the Central District of California indictment in front of a grand jury. It was lodged in February 2008 and is an indictment against a list of members of an organisation called the Mongols motorcycle group. Inter alia, I will quote from that indictment to give you an idea of the type of things we ask our police to restrain.
Paragraph 8 of that indictment reads:
Paragraph 9 of the indictment says:
This I find astonishing, but I will read it out to give you an idea of the depth of character we are dealing with in these types of organisations. Paragraph 12 – for those who have a weak stomach leave the room now – of the indictment says:
The indictment goes on to read:
Madam Speaker 17(a) of that indictment reads as follows:
It goes on and on talking about defendants named in the indictment who would obtain firearms, knives, bulletproof vests and explosives to be used to enforce the authority of the Mongols against rival gang members, the general public and law enforcement. I do not need to read out the rest of the indictment as the picture is becoming pretty clear: individuals in outlaw motorcycle gangs, just by way of example, in this instance the Mongols, have scant, if any, regard for the law whatsoever, and the only law they respect is the law of the jungle.
We, however, as a civilised society, require certain processes to be followed so we can make sure the rule of law is properly maintained, and we represent the will of the people we serve rather than enforce an environment which would have these gentlemen putting their law out, not as an object of service, but enslavement. That is what separates us, as a society, from these sorts of characters. We legitimise what we do because we have the endorsement of the public through an electoral process. These are self-appointed thugs who would establish their own system of government to pursue their enslavement of people through thuggery, brutality and, quite frankly, savagery.
However, as a society – and this is what I understand about the comments from the Criminal Lawyers Association – we have to measure and temper the powers we authorise through reflection. That is what we are doing. Upon reflection on this bill, I am quite comfortable that the powers we offer are nothing more than an honest and reasonable response to organisations that despise national boundaries, or simply do not give them any consideration.
That is also true for those boundaries within a country where we have jurisdictional differences. It is clear that the United States struggles with this issue. They have some 18 000 police forces, by virtue of the way they construct themselves. Policing in the United States is often an extension of local government. We are lucky to have no more than seven or eight police forces in our jurisdiction, which means we can more effectively and comprehensively build arrangements between those police forces. But those arrangements need to be legitimised, not just by way of agreement but in the legislation of each of the jurisdictions so the people who are governed in each of those jurisdictions are properly protected by their representative government.
This bill is about due process being created around a set of authorities which will then be used by a highly accountable police force in a highly accountable way. To stand in the way of good law would be remiss of us in the extreme. The legislation before us in no way intrudes or extends itself in any negative fashion in relation to the good and law-abiding burghers who live in the Northern Territory, as well as other jurisdictions in this country. But they do find a way and seek to intrude upon the lawless thugs who make up the criminal organisations at which this legislation is targeted. To that end, one can not only support this legislation but applaud it as it passes this House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I do not have any of those colourful examples the member for Port Darwin has presented in supporting the case for the introduction of this legislation. I also support this important bill.
I will go through some of the details, but I have a letter from the member for Fong Lim’s favourite Police Association President, Mr Vince Kelly. He wrote to the member for Port Darwin as the Attorney-General. He raised a number of issues, and we should have on record in Hansard the government’s response to those issues. He said in that letter:
Meaning the Police Association:
The association also asked that clause 6 of the bill be amended so clause 79A 3(a) does not exclude the answers and information provided by an impugned member to be used in appeal proceedings under Part VI of the act, which would appear to be the effect of the current wording of that amendment.
My feeling from reading this letter from the Police Association was that they felt they were not consulted adequately in relation to this bill. They wrote to the Attorney-General with their concerns about what they thought should be changed. I cannot argue a case for or against their submission or say if they have valid complaints about a number of clauses in this bill, but I am interested to hear, and presume the Police Association would also, what the minister has to say in relation to the issues raised. The Police Association represents police on the ground, and it would be interesting to hear what the minister has to say in relation to those matters.
Notwithstanding the Police Association has raised a number of concerns, I understand the importance of this bill. I understand it is operating in all other states, and we are the last state to introduce this legislation. The Attorney-General mentioned the importance of disrupting organised crime networks and motorcycle gangs, and it is important we make sure, if we are to fight crime and criminal networks, we are able to do it without the limitations of the borders of states and territories, which may get in the way of making sure we get better outcomes in reducing this type of behaviour.
Mr CHANDLER (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Fannie Bay, Nelson and Port Darwin for their support and contributions to this important legislation.
This legislation will certainly strengthen the government’s commitment to law and order in the Northern Territory. I am advised that the questions you specifically asked, member for Nelson, would not really apply in this legislation because it would be covered in the normal disciplinary side of things when dealing with police officers. If a police officer does the wrong thing they will be caught and disciplined.
This legislation has been in operation in other jurisdictions for many years now, and those issues have not come to the fore. I can only assume that is because they would be covered off in any disciplinary actions against a police officer, if they did the wrong thing.
The Police (Special Investigative and other Powers) Bill is another measure to provide additional operational powers for the Northern Territory Police Force and authorised Commonwealth law enforcement agencies to conduct cross-border operations and investigations.
The bill is based on the model law developed by the National Joint Working Group of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council. While some tools exist for the police to tackle serious criminal enterprise, this bill will provide the capacity for a coordinated and collaborative response to cross-border operations and the mutual recognition of similar legislation in other states.
I hope members will support this legislation; it would appear that we do have support today.
The public expects of our government a commitment to law and order, and legislation that will assist the police in achieving our government’s commitment to a 10% reduction in crime.
I know that today honourable members will support this bill. As was said by the Attorney-General, the member for Port Darwin, this kind of legislation should be applauded, not just supported.
The message is clear that we are protecting community safety through the implementation of effective legislation and sending the message that police will now have an effective law enforcement tool to target offenders involved in serious criminal enterprise.
The key features of this bill were: to create a new police power to conduct a controlled operation without the limitation of state and territory borders; allow police and other nominated national bodies to access, under strict guidelines, the use of assumed identities and witness identity protection; and to mutually recognise similar legislation in place in all other jurisdictions.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr CHANDLER (Police, Fire and Emergency Services) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motional agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, for and on behalf of the Treasurer, I will present the Power and Water Corporation – Journey towards Building a First-class Utility Sector statement.
Building the north and laying the foundation for a prosperous future requires that we have a responsive, reliable, efficient and first-class utilities provider. I rise today to share with the House the important work the government is doing to ensure the Northern Territory meets this challenge now and into the future.
The electricity and water journey over the past 18 months has been a challenging one. Structural changes to the Power and Water Corporation were needed to bring it in line with national reforms in the utility sector which started 20 years ago in all other states and territories.
These reforms are not the first to the Northern Territory utilities market or to Power and Water particularly. Fifteen years ago, retail competition started and new regulations were introduced which allowed other generators and retailers to access Power and Water Corporation’s electricity network, while at the same time the independent regulator, the Utilities Commission, was established. Despite all other states continuing with the Council of Australian Governments’ – COAG – reform process, including the federal government, under the Northern Territory Labor government the reforms stalled.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the minister has now entered the Chamber. Perhaps he would like to carry on from page 2, paragraph 3.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I put on the record my thanks to the Leader of Government Business; he is certainly doing my job well.
The NT Labor government’s lack of reform commitment allowed the Power and Water Corporation to operate as a monopoly with little or no competition. This led to Territory taxpayers subsidising electricity supply operations and infrastructure to the point where debt was becoming unsustainable. Under Labor’s so-called stewardship, the debt increased from $290m in 2003-04 to $1.2bn in 2011-12. The taxpayer-funded subsidies increased from $95m per annum to $136m over the same period. In this nine-year period the taxpayer-funded subsidies amounted to $1.1bn.
Given the government’s limited borrowing capacity, courtesy of the opposition’s reckless mismanagement of the books, the question for the Giles government was whether we wanted to continue pouring money into what was clearly an ailing organisation, or to move the Power and Water Corporation to a sustainable footing which could serve the needs of a growing Territory. To this end, the Giles government restarted the reform process, which was a key to achieving the government’s overriding objectives for the provision of safe, reliable and low-cost electricity to Territorians.
For the information of members, I highlight some facts about the Power and Water Corporation. By any measure, the Power and Water Corporation is a big business in the Northern Territory. It is an important business to get right, both in government spending and serving the people of the Northern Territory. There can be no room for complacency or poor governance. There can be no room for poorly-targeted and wasteful investment. Ensuring the best for the Northern Territory demands careful management of our utilities, with an eye on value for money.
The Power and Water Corporation has around 90 000 customers across 1.3 million square kilometres of the Northern Territory. This includes 72 remote communities and 66 outstations. Power and Water also employs 895 staff and is one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory.
The electricity network is managed by Power Networks Business Unit and has around 10 000 km of regulated electricity transmission and distribution lines. This includes 5600 km of overhead lines, 1690 km of underground cable and 37 500 poles and towers. There are more than 400 km of 132 kV line connecting Darwin to Katherine. This infrastructure is maintained by 160 staff and 21 contractors. A total of $38m is spent on repairs and maintenance, with $75m on capital expenditure.
The electricity network endures a lot and receives damage from a wide range of impacts, including the climate, flora and fauna and, of course, human error. In the last 12 months, the power network has received damage from 12 car accidents; 38 animals, including snakes, bats and birds; one fire; 117 lightning strikes; 433 weather events; 33 trees blown into mains; six incidents of vandalism; and six incidents of wind-borne debris. That is a total of 646 external factors that have impacted on the power network and caused interruptions to electricity supply.
It is clear from this that it is a mighty task to keep the network in good shape. Power and Water crews are on call every hour of the day, every day of the year. No matter the weather, they are out there repairing the network for customers.
Power and Water’s Water Services Business Unit manages three surface reservoirs, including Darwin River Dam; 42 pump stations; and 227 bores that service remote communities and produce over 10 000 ML of water. Power and Water also maintains 52 water storage tanks and 2915 km of water mains. It may surprise you to learn that Territorians consume around 48 billion litres of water each year, with over 1200 L consumed by the average household every day in the Darwin region. That water is still sourced and managed by the Power and Water Corporation.
Then there is waste water, not very glamorous but entirely essential. Power and Water provides sewerage services to the Northern Territory’s five major centres, maintains over 1000 km of sewerage pipes and treats around 23 billion litres of waste water every year. Most of this waste water is treated using water stabilisation ponds, but in Alice Springs there is also a water re-use project. This project recycles 600 million litres of water a year and is the first project of its kind in Australia. The treated waste water is pumped 6.2 km to infiltration basins at the Arid Zone Research Institute where it recharges underground aquifers.
That brings me to the Indigenous Essential Services side of the business. As part of remote operations, IES has 52 people working in communities across the Northern Territory to keep 180 generators running 24/7, ensuring electricity and water services are provided to those communities. About 31 million litres of diesel are delivered to communities across vast terrains to keep those generators running.
Making changes in such a big business is difficult. There is resistance because everyone – management, staff, customer and voters – are naturally used to the way things have always been done. The challenge can but put into the too-hard basket year after year, as the previous Labor government demonstrated. But that is not our style. Our government stepped up and took on this task. We want the very best from this important utility sector.
The Giles government grasped the challenge to reshape and redefine the utilities industry in the Northern Territory, to breathe new life into the Power and Water Corporation and to ensure our future growth and development is not shackled by the inadequacies of the past. Today the Power and Water Corporation is a vastly more efficient business than it was 18 months ago. It is more accountable and professional.
Power and Water aspires to be a leading utilities business that is valued and respected in the community. This aspiration is not lightly held. Today and every day, Power and Water is working to be commercially sustainable, meeting service standards and maintaining a professional, capable and accountable workforce within a positive and safe environment.
Today the Power and Water Corporation has a blueprint for the future which details key strategies, plans and performance indicators for network reliability and the delivery of an efficient, low-cost network service. This plan is consistent with the Government Owned Corporations Act objectives to operate at least as efficiently as any comparable business and to maximise a sustainable return to the Northern Territory on its investment in the corporation.
Our plan for the future of electricity and water services for the Northern Territory did not happen by accident. It took place because the Giles government had the courage to make strong decisions for the future of the Northern Territory. We did not shirk the difficult questions or run from the challenges. We may have had a few squabbles and fights, but there is no too-hard basket here. We put policies into place that deliver for the Northern Territory.
What is the foundation of this change, this renewal of the Power and Water Corporation? Structural separation and regulatory reform, the initiative by this government that has inspired a remarkable reshaping and revitalising of this most important of industry sectors. The structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation into three government owned corporations continues to drive the change needed to create a vibrant utilities industry in the Northern Territory. Structural separation is providing a more transparent and competitive industry. Separation is continuing to drive innovation and accountability so the whole utilities sector has the capacity to change and grow with the Northern Territory into the future.
Today, with structural separation as the foundation and catalyst for change, the Power and Water Corporation is smarter, leaner and more efficient. Today the corporation has a clear vision for the future and a plan to get there.
It is clear to me that the Power and Water Corporation of today is a vastly different entity than it was 18 months ago. It has taken some significant steps forward and has delivered efficiencies which include: improved planning scheduling in Power Networks and Water Services, ensuring the maintenance happens when it is needed so systems are more reliable; extensive vegetation management programs that remove troublesome trees and plants to prevent damage to water mains and power lines; and efficiencies in the stores area. Power and Water has established a corporately-centralised warehouse store function and an electrical parts supply panel contract. The panel contract introduces greater competition into parts supply and has significantly lowered prices on some items.
Power Networks has also invested in the establishment of warehouses and storerooms to manage spare parts, consumables and replacement assets. This ensures parts and replacement assets are correctly stored and are easy to locate whenever required.
A dedicated Essential Spares Coordinator is embedded within the asset management team and works closely with standards and asset engineers to identify the required spares and procure them. These parts are then managed by the corporate stores function.
These improved procurement processes have already delivered. Over $0.5m has been saved by improving an electrical parts supply contract. There have been savings of $36 000 in freight consolidation, $20 000 in improved forklift hire processes, and thousands of dollars by simply consolidating freight costs to and from the stores depot. Simple changes made are delivering big efficiency impacts now and into the future.
Right across the Power and Water Corporation efficiencies have been implemented in all areas. A new Power and Water Board consisting of highly-qualified capable people is providing strong leadership in strategy, goals and objectives. This leadership has helped set the corporation on a path of improved performance and increased capabilities and technologies. With a strong and focused leadership in place, Power and Water has set about making the important changes needed. Teams have been revitalised and appropriate workforce planning has been undertaken to ensure the best outcome for the corporation in all areas. Important considerations about critical roles and competency, as well as recruitment and succession planning, is under way to ensure short, medium and long-term workforce requirements are delivered.
Governance, financial systems and business processes have been improved and streamlined. A new financial management program is being implemented, and this will further increase the transparency of costs across Power and Water as well as the two other government owned corporations of Jacana Energy and Territory Generation.
Red tape is being slashed through the introduction of a one-stop shop for developers. Based at Power and Water’s Ben Hammond Complex, this one-stop shop ensures engagement with stakeholders can be managed well and that development processes are streamlined.
One of the jewels in the crown of our achievements is the creation of Power and Water’s own procurement framework. This framework is already paying dividends by ensuring tenders are better advertised and selection processes are transparent. Perhaps more importantly, Power and Water’s new procurement framework is designed to build the skills and capacity of local business to compete with interstate and overseas companies for important electricity and water infrastructure tenders. This not only supports this government’s goals of a more efficient and reliable utility, it also provides a platform for local business to compete outside the Northern Territory in other utilities industry markets. This has the capacity to grow business here, which is, of course, good for everyone.
Another significant area is the aligning of safety and environment frameworks within Power and Water to the national standard. Initiatives and programs have been identified and implemented to improve safety leadership, culture and behaviours across the Power and Water workforce, including a strong focus on proactive health and wellbeing.
These changes have required a strong commitment from the leadership at Power and Water, and I am pleased that this process has been driven from the highest level.
Upgrades to a security management system and an emergency management system are currently being developed, with foundation work under way to ensure Power and Water follows best practice in these areas. And it does not stop there. Records management is undergoing a process of improvement, and audit and risk initiatives are being strengthened.
The Power and Water call centre is going from strength to strength with some remarkable statistics. In the 12 months of 2013-14, 160 000 customer calls were taken, which is a monthly average of 14 000. However, in the current year to date the Power and Water call centre has taken 117 000 calls, a monthly average of nearly 17 000 calls. In October 2014 alone, 20 370 calls were answered. That is an average of 885 calls a day. Eight-four per cent of these calls were answered within 30 seconds. Most calls were resolved within four minutes and 30 seconds. Clearly these figures show an increase on the annualised 2013-14 figures and demonstrate just how committed Power and Water staff are to improving customer service.
I have spoken at length about the dedicated people and process improvements at Power and Water, but I have only just touched on infrastructure. Investment in infrastructure is vital for the security and reliability of any utility. However, that investment must always be appropriately targeted and represent value for money. Over the past 18 months there has been carefully targeted investment in Power and Water infrastructure across the Northern Territory. This investment is designed to deliver value for money and high-quality outcomes for Territorians whether they live in an urban, regional or remote area.
The replacement of three 132 kV circuit breakers at the Hudson Creek Switchyard occurred during the 2014 Dry Season. This substantive piece of work was brought forward following the System Black event of 12 March last year. As with all crises, there is an opportunity to learn. Clearly Power and Water has used this unacceptable event as a catalyst for a renewed commitment to best practice. Replacing another three 132 kV circuit breakers is scheduled during the 2015 Dry Season.
Other substantial infrastructure upgrades that have taken place over the last 18 months include rebuilding of zone substations that are at their end of life. Snell Street zone substation – as I mentioned earlier – is one of those. City Zone, McMillans, Berrimah, Humpty Doo and Casuarina Zone substation replacements are all either under way or part of Power and Water’s five-year upgrade plan.
Improvements in metering are seeing a decrease in equipment malfunctions and inconsistencies. An accelerated inspection program of metering installations is under way to ensure these comply with national electricity industry rules. There is also a pilot program looking at smart meters that provide real time usage information, with a view to evaluating their appropriateness and impact on the distribution network. This is an area I am particularly keen to see results in, because if smart meters work as suggested, there are significant benefits to Territory households.
Remote communities are not forgotten in this ongoing infrastructure enhancement plan, which includes upgrades to the Kintore power station, water filtration upgrades at Robinson River and construction of a new gas-fired regional power station at Wadeye. This $12.8m power station is situated well out of town and will not only provide safer and more reliable electricity supplies 24 hours a day every day of the year, the generation process is quieter and environmental hazards are reduced because diesel is no longer needed for power generation, with a saving of over two million litres of diesel every year.
The benefits of this new power station are even more far reaching. It means that hard lines can be run from Wadeye to Peppimenarti and Palumpa so those diesel power stations can be closed, which will save another 700 000 L of diesel fuel every year.
There are plans for a regional power station on the Tiwi Islands. Nguiu is benefiting from a trial of 90 new prepaid metres, designed to show customers how much electricity they are using so they can make informed usage decisions.
Making informed decisions is also at the heart of the Manymak project, which is rolling out to Indigenous communities across the Top End. Manymak provides for a range of relevant energy efficiency retrofits for homes of the Yolngu people in East Arnhem Land. These retrofits include oven timers, solar and heat pumps, hot water systems and ceiling insulation. These are being installed in Yirrkala and Gunyangara. A total of 440 homes in East Arnhem Land will receive energy saving upgrades throughout the project. There are potential savings of up to $1700 a year per resident.
Water headworks planning is seeing network upgrades for Angurugu, Gunbalanya and Lajamanu, as well as Galiwinku. Sewerage pond upgrades are taking place in Maningrida. Advance water treatment plants are in operation across three remote communities – Ali Curung, Kintore and Yuelamu – with a capital investment of over $6m drilling and equipping bores in Yuendumu. Fluoridation is now in five communities, and Yirrkala has two new steel water tanks at double the community’s previous water storage capacity.
As Darwin continues to grow, securing ongoing water supply takes a high priority. One of Darwin’s water sources, the Howard East bore field, is being refurbished to better meet demand. Construction of a new elevated 4 ML water tank in Palmerston will provide supply to the suburbs of Zuccoli, Johnston, Bellamack and Palmerston south, allowing increased development in that area.
Works are under way for an Australian first: a biological water treatment facility at Adelaide River. That is scheduled to be functioning in July this year. A new continuous chlorination facility for Tennant Creek has been commissioned, ensuring that drinking water supply is at the same high quality as other towns across the nation. New sewer and waste water stabilisation ponds will be established to service growth in the East Arm and Berrimah areas. The Living Water Smart project is well under way and aims to reduce Darwin’s water consumption by a quarter, or 10 million litres, over five years.
While this list of projects and initiatives may seem expansive, it is simply a snap shot. There is much more going on, with plans in place for continued efficiency and reliability at every level of the Power and Water Corporation.
Structural separation was pivotal to reform the Power and Water Corporation. However, regulatory reform has been pursued in conjunction with structural separation in order to promote competition in generation and retail sectors. Despite the reforms that started in the year 2000, Power and Water Corporation remained the dominant electricity supplier in the Territory market. Power and Water Corporation and, subsequently, Territory Generation have operated as monopoly providers of electricity generation to households and industries.
As a result there are no private generators operating in competition with Territory Generation in the Territory’s regulated markets of Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. Both potential and new entrants have been concerned about differences, real or imagined, between the Territory’s regulatory regime and the national one. The lack of price transparency in the Territory is due mainly to the absence of a wholesale trading market in electricity and the current arrangements for regulating and subsidising retail electricity tariffs.
While several private electricity retailers are licenced to operate in the Territory, only one is active and has managed to sign a few medium to large customers, including this place, Parliament House. However, the design of the Territory market represented a significant impediment to the further growth of private retail operations. The government’s regulatory reform program has tackled these remaining barriers to competition head on. The Giles government is adopting laws and rules relating to electricity networks which apply under the national regime and will encourage greater third-party access to these networks because potential applicants are more familiar and comfortable with the national law and rules, and we will see a regulator with greater resources and expertise – the Australian Energy Regulator – bringing more effective pressure to bear on PWC’s networks.
We are establishing a wholesale electricity market which will allow generators and retailers to trade electricity through an independent market operator or exchange in real time. The establishment of a wholesale electricity market provides for price transparency as market prices are published at regular intervals. It also allows decisions to be made on how to most efficiently use a generation plant to meet market demand.
Wholesale electricity markets currently operate in the national electricity market and in Western Australia. The wholesale electricity generation market, termed the Northern Territory electricity market, will be established for the Darwin/Katherine power system. The interim NTEM is a two-part market comprised of an energy trading mechanism and a capacity investment mechanism.
The specific arrangements for trading, despatch, metering and settlement are currently being finalised between the relevant parties, and trading and despatch trials between system control and Territory Generation have commenced. The project is on track to have the interim energy training arrangement in place by 1 April 2015 with a view to full implementation by 1 July this year.
Fostering actual competition in the generation sector will result in greater efficiency in the supply of electricity and more timely investment in, and take-up of, new technology. As a result, more effective competition will put downward pressure on retail tariffs by putting downward pressure on the generation cost component, which is around two-thirds of all electricity tariffs. Finally, facilitating entry of new electricity retailers will both promote competition among retailers and encourage greater choice for consumers.
While I have spoken today about all the important changes and improvements undertaken by the Power and Water Corporation over the past 18 months, something significant has not changed: the important contribution Power and Water staff make to the community.
Members of this House might not be aware of the long-term commitment that Power and Water staff have made to volunteering. Staff regularly volunteer their time and energy to local sporting groups; special events, such as the Finke Desert Race; the Special Children’s Christmas party; the Clontarf academy; and the important charity work of Foodbank NT. This ongoing commitment to making a difference in the community demonstrates the kind of dedication that stands Power and Water staff in such good stead. It is these excellent qualities of service and commitment that have helped staff produce the excellent outcomes of the past 18 months during a particularly challenging period of change.
The improvements undertaken by the Power and Water Corporation over the last 18 months are clear evidence of this government’s commitment to our people, our industries and the prosperity and future of the Northern Territory. These achievements within the corporation, including its structural separation into three government owned corporations, have only been possible because of the leadership foresight of this government.
Is there a way to go? Certainly, there is still much to do, particularly in relation to regulatory reform and further separations. However, the emerging track record reveals Power and Water’s strong commitment to change, to doing things better and to being more accountable to Territorians. It is only the Giles government’s determination to improve the utilities service, our commitment to all Territorians, and most importantly our vision for a thriving future for the Northern Territory, which has seen these improvements take place.
The ongoing improvements at Power and Water Corporation are inextricably linked to this government. I am committed to ensuring this foundation of change and progress continues to be built upon into the future. I personally thank the hard-working people in these three new corporations for their commitment and persistence in tackling these challenges and providing the benefits which ultimately flow to all Territorians.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Essential Services): Madam Speaker, I support the statement outlining the journey towards building a first-class utility delivered by the shareholding minister for the Power and Water Corporation, the Treasurer.
It is widely acknowledged that the success of any company, whether privately or publicly owned, can be directly credited to the quality of staff found within that organisation. Today, as Minister for Essential Services, I ask this House to consider for a moment the hard work and tireless effort put in by Power and Water staff to keep our lights on and our water flowing.
It is sometimes easy to take for granted that we all have light when we flick a switch or have clean running water when we turn on a tap. Generally speaking, we appreciate the creature comforts of electricity and running water a lot more when our air conditioners, televisions and computers are not switching on or when we have no access to water.
The Northern Territory is one of the harshest environments in which to run a utility. Consider the extreme weather conditions, including cyclones and massive lightning storms in the Top End, to the seriously hot months experienced in Central Australia.
When there is a direct lightning strike on the electricity network, it is the network crews who leave home, regardless of the time, brave the weather and work hard to restore our power.
It is the generation crews that work shifts around the clock to ensure generators at Channel Island, Weddell, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Alice Springs are running smoothly. It is the remote operations crews that travel to our remote communities and help the essential service operators keep the electricity, water and sewerage services running. Of course, there are so many more within that organisation who work hard hand-in-hand to support the operational crews.
The shareholding minister spoke about the highly-successful replacement of the 132 kV circuit breakers at the Hudson Creek Switchyard which took place during the 2014 Dry Season. This program was successful on a number of levels, not just through the smooth and methodical approach to the replacement process, but through Power and Water’s engagement with stakeholders. A range of engagement tools were used to inform and update customers and other stakeholders about the process.
The replacement of such large and vital infrastructure means fewer risks to the system, and that means fewer power interruptions. Right through the risk period Power and Water kept customers informed through the media and social media. It also kept important groups like the Darwin Waterfront Corporation and the Darwin Festival, for example, informed in case there was an issue. Stakeholders were invited to make contact with Power and Water if they had any questions or concerns. The smooth replacement of these three pieces of vital infrastructure and the way in which customers and stakeholders were informed was outstanding.
Power and Water is also a proud sponsor of many Territory events and charities. The shareholding minister also mentioned Power and Water’s sponsorship and volunteer support at Foodbank NT and the Special Children’s Christmas party. However, there are also many other organisations that have benefited and continue to enjoy support from Power and Water and its staff.
There is the Clontarf Foundation; Power and Water provides support with career pathway development through workplace visits and work experience placements along with community volunteering opportunities. The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and, by doing so, equips them to participate meaningfully in society.
Power and Water is also a proud sponsor of Variety NT’s Goanna Park Adventure Camp, which is designed for special needs children. It is often the first opportunity these children get to go on a camp, and it is always a life-changing experience. These are just some of the events that Power and Water gets involved in every year.
The shareholding minister has already spoken about the important water demand management program, Living Water Smart, and a range of other initiatives driven by water services that improve water supply across the Northern Territory. Power and Water also supports education around the supply of water. This week is safe water week, and Power and Water sponsored this week’s Ensuring Safe Drinking Water workshop.
In 2012-13 the power network’s reliability was benchmarked in the top third of utilities in Australia in the Electricity Supply Association of Australia’s benchmarking report. As I said earlier, given the climatic conditions in which they must operate compared to most other utilities, this is a remarkable achievement. When compared to other Australian utilities, the Northern Territory experiences more outages due to storm and lightning activity, but the fast response by crews results in efficient customer restoration times.
There are some very challenging maintenance tasks undertaken by Power and Water crews. Recently a challenging job was undertaken on the top of the eastern MacDonnell Ranges to upgrade the 22 kV overhead line that goes up and over the range. This work required good planning and preparation to be completed efficiently and safely. The work entailed changing old disc insulators and line hardware. Everything had to be airlifted by helicopter, and all work was performed using ladders. A number of poles required upgrading, and all the work was completed within the day as planned, although it was an early start and was a very long day. Linesmen, tradesmen and several apprentices combined their skills, and through good planning and preparation this challenging job was completed safely and on time.
Power and Water crews regularly deal with significant and complex tasks at all times of the day or night, in all weather. Careful integration is often required between specialist areas of the business as the process to restore power is often complex, time consuming and labour intensive. Last year there was a cable fault on an overhead power pole in Bees Creek in Darwin’s rural area. The high-voltage line operations at system control isolated the fault and switched it around so power was restored to as many customers as possible. Line crews were then called in to repair the damaged pole, cables and cable joiners and then had to re-terminate the cable on the pole. Once the safety checks were conducted on the repair work, the system had to be re-energised and switching had to occur again to ensure regular supply to all customers in the area. The hard work, dedication and expertise of our Power and Water crews should be congratulated.
Often, as the Essential Services minister, I will hear examples of work that was necessary to upgrade electricity infrastructure being done in record time in order that the least number of customers has electricity interrupted for the least possible time.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Power and Water on its exemplary safety record. Through a focus of heightened awareness around safety, Power and Water has recently achieved the lowest number of lost-time injuries for workers in over 12 months. Its corporate goal of zero harm to workers and the public is to be commended. So too is its commitment to recognising staff achievements. Quarterly staff recognition awards are an opportunity for colleagues to congratulate and celebrate the achievements of their peers. There are also annual awards that recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals and teams to Power and Water throughout the year. These are wonderful initiatives that honour the staff and say much about the general spirit of Power and Water.
On behalf of all Territorians I say a heartfelt thank you to the almost 900 staff who work in Power and Water for their efforts in keeping our lights on and our water flowing in a manner that also keeps the community safe. I support this statement and I commend the Treasurer for bringing it to the House. I look forward to being able to report to this House on many more of the wonderful initiatives, the safe work and the good work our Power and Water workers do every day of the week.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Treasurer for bringing this statement to the House on the Power and Water Corporation and how important it and essential services are to every Territorian.
I have had very little time to prepare for this because I received this statement, under the new process, as the minister was delivering it. I am on the run a bit and would have liked to have done more research and come back with a bit more.
What came through very loud and clear in the statement was a whole new tone in how you speak about Power and Water staff. Since coming into government we have heard you trash Power and Water staff. Words like ‘bloated’ and ‘basket case’ are some of the terms you have used. I believe it was April last year when, after handing down a System Black report, the Treasurer went straight at Power and Water employees saying:
I am delighted to hear a new tone from members across this Chamber when they speak about Power and Water employees, because they are fantastic. They do an amazing job. They work hard in extremely tough conditions, particularly during the Wet Season. During storms they are out there trying to get the power back on for people as quickly as possible. We have seen them do that in places like Katherine, for example.
Years ago, when I had the privilege of working at Power and Water, the flood waters rose. Power and Water staff were in there straightaway trying to get the power on and doing a tremendous job. They do dangerous work and are a very dedicated group of people. I had the good fortune to see it firsthand, and I applaud them for the work they do because it is essential. I am happy to see the government is recognising this in the statement and placing praise on the record for the staff, because they deserve it. Thank you for that. I am glad to hear the Minister for Essential Services singing their praises and to hear the Treasurer putting it on the record.
With regard to Power and Water, we have seen some challenging times. We know they have a very big job and it is an essential service. Everybody needs it in the Territory, and we appreciate they have some big challenges delivering it.
The minister touched on wild weather, and that is one of the issues they are often up against. We have a vast land mass and a relatively small population and are delivering power, water and sewerage services to some of the most isolated and remote locations. We also have a vast amount of infrastructure within Power and Water; however, we are faced with the challenge of trying to keep that infrastructure running, because it is ageing and it costs a lot to have your power and water infrastructure up to scratch. That is why you need a thorough repairs and maintenance program and need to know when to invest the capital to get new equipment when things are ageing or the population is growing.
Power and Water has seen substantial changes. We all remember the Casuarina Zone Substation problems when Labor was in government. It made the government take a good hard look at the Power and Water Corporation, the infrastructure and how it was ageing. It looked into Power and Water thoroughly through the Mervyn Davies report, which saw through successive governments there needed to be more investment into Power and Water repairs and maintenance and capital. That is why the Labor government invested in Power and Water, and we saw a $1.8bn five-year program into Power and Water capital and repairs and maintenance.
That was a big investment into infrastructure for the Power and Water Corporation. There was no doubt that work needed to be done, because without it we were going to have issues. We would have had the lights going out, and that was something that was to be addressed. It was very clear it was a big challenge and you had to put the appropriate investment in to do it. It was a big job. The investment and commitment were made to do it.
We have seen, since we have had a change in government, some very big changes to the Power and Water Corporation. We now have the Power and Water Corporation and, since structural separation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy.
We also have seen some serious changes to the tariff structures within Power and Water, despite the commitments of the CLP government going into the 2012 election to reduce the cost of living. Lowering the cost of living was at the forefront of commitments they made to Territorians. Territorians put their faith in them by giving them government and believing they would fulfil that promise when, in fact, they did quite the opposite. They broke their promise.
After their Renewal Management Board exercise huge leaps in the tariffs for power and water were announced by the government. They announced that power prices would increase by 30%, water by 40% and sewerage by 25%. They were massive price hikes to essential services which affect everyone’s cost of living here. You have to keep the lights on, keep the water running and pay your power and water bill. It is a direct cost-of-living pressure on all Territorians.
One of the first moves of the CLP in its new role as government was to put those prices through the roof, despite the promises and commitments it made to Territorians. The fall-out of that was pretty loud and clear; there is no doubt about that. We saw the former member for Blain lose his job as Chief Minister. That was a significant event considering he had only been in for about six months. The power and water price hike was one of the central reasons for that.
We also saw some huge change within Power and Water. We saw the board sacked and the Chief Executive go. The senior managers – some really experienced long-term senior managers within the Power and Water Corporation – are all pretty much gone. They have either been sacked or moved on. As part of changing Power and Water there were some huge internal changes, to say the least, and you lost a lot of good corporate knowledge.
Another element within the Power and Water Corporation we have seen under the new government since it was elected is a reduction within the repairs and maintenance budget. In the budget books in Budget 2012-13, repairs and maintenance was $86.6m, in Budget 2013-14 it was $77.7m, and in Budget 2014-15 it was $81m. It is a worrying trend when you see it reduce because if you do not invest in repairs and maintenance reliability goes down. It also creates more issues for the staff who are on the job having to deal with faulty and dangerous equipment and conditions. We want to keep the workplace as safe as possible, so repairs and maintenance are critical.
The Treasurer has said the price increases we have seen with the Power and Water Corporation are in the best interests of the Territory. But the cost-of-living pressures on Territorians are pretty high as it is, and by putting the tariffs through the roof you are directly taking money out of the budgets of Territory families. This is one of the biggest bills they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it hurts family budgets. As a government that said it would reduce the cost of living, you have instead added to Territory families’ cost-of-living pressures by increasing the tariffs for power and water.
You rammed the increases through and are putting profits before people. You are making it tougher for people to live in the Territory and, as I have said before, it does not discriminate; it hits people in the urban centres and the bush, singles, couples and families. This has impacted everyone.
After the change of leadership one of the first acts of the new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister at the time was to reduce the power and water price increases temporarily. You brought them back to 20% for power, 30% for water and 15% for sewerage. However, on 1 January in the following years they would go up by 5%. Therefore, you would be back to the original price hike increases anyway, and on 1 January we saw another 5% increase in power, water and sewerage prices. We have heard much debate from people who are now having to cop those new bills and find the money to pay them. That is hurting Territory families.
As I said last night, when you look into some of the previous annual reports and financial statements of the Power and Water Corporation you can see how much those tariff increases are attributing to Power and Water’s revenue. That money is being stripped out of the pockets of Territorians. You can see in the 2013 annual report alone – there is a 2.8% tariff increase included so I will be up front with that, and there was, for electricity, a 4.6% increase in kilowatts sold to franchise customers. However, from the first year of that 20% hike we are talking about $70.4m of improved revenue from electricity sales. We saw $10.5m as a result of increased tariffs for water and $6.5m from increases in tariffs for sewerage.
The following year we saw, for the corporation’s electricity sales, $44.7m resulting from some extra kilowatts sold to customers and from the 5% increase in tariff on 1 January 2014. Water sales revenue increased to $12.6m and sewerage to $7.3m.
That is what you have taken out of the pockets of Territorians already, due to the tariff increases, and that is not including what happened on 1 January where power and water bills went up again by another 5%. You have now passed on the full tariff increases and put people’s bills right through the roof. On average, for a household of two adults and two children it equates to an extra $2000 a year for power and water bills. That is $2000 a year they could be spending on their kids, a family holiday or investing in their family’s future, but instead they have to pay those bills, on top of rent, rates and the flow-on effects from those tariff increases.
We are still struggling to grasp exactly how much that meant to people because when business bills increase and businesses have to find the money to cover the bills, it is the customers who pay the price, so it flows right through.
We have seen huge increases under the CLP, and you have put profits before people. It has hit families hard. There have been several flow-on effects, but this is a choice you made as a government. You felt it was the best way to manage the Power and Water Corporation, but you made a decision that you knew would directly impact on Territorians, making it harder for them to live here. That is a decision that you made and they are paying for it now.
When people’s Power and Water bills go right through the roof, people look for efficiencies. They try to reduce their usage and lower their bills. They are looking for any way in which to do it. However, I think most families were already pushed to that point where they had tried to reduce their consumption. What has not helped this process is when you, as a government, cut funding to an organisation like COOLmob. COOLmob helps families, households and residents look at their power and water usage.
Generally you paid a relatively low service fee; I do not think it was much. I think in some cases the fee was about $10. People could engage the services of COOLmob to look at how they could further reduce their bills, but you cut funding to that as the same time you put people’s power, water and sewerage prices through the roof. It was not a good move or a sound decision at a time when people needed all the help they can get to make sure they are using their utilities as efficiently as possible.
Under this government we have seen the structural separation process go through. Again, that was rammed through. The government certainly did not go into the 2012 election saying that once in government it would put power and water prices through the roof and would split Power and Water. Structural separation is not new; it has happened in many other jurisdictions. When it does happen, it tends to lead to higher prices, less reliability and fewer jobs within those utilities. That is what has happened.
We have gone down that pathway of structural separation. It was certainly an interesting process to watch, siting on this side of the Chamber trying to ask some of those hard questions about why we are going down this path, what evidence you had to show us as to why this is a better option for the Territory, and where efficiencies would be made and how they would be gained. At the time, the only way we were able to get a little extra scrutiny on this – because I believe the government was going to try to ram the bills through very quickly – was because they had a crisis with their numbers at the time, another episode of dysfunction and instability.
We had members walking across to the other side, and there were some serious questions about whether or not they could get those bills up. Fortunately, at that time they were trying to get in the member for Nelson’s good books, and they gave us some self-referral powers for the PAC, which was at least able to look at those bills and hold an inquiry into the structural separation of Power and Water.
Mind you, I believe the inquiry into the structural separation of Power and Water Corporation is still on the Notice Paper; we have not debated it. The bills were passed before we could look at that in this Chamber anyway. It was something they were determined to ram through with very minimal consultation. When we had the opportunity to sit with Treasury, Power and Water Corporation and NewCo – which was the body that was set up in the Department of the Chief Minister to coordinate the structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation – asking the really simple questions, ‘What is the benefit?’ Have you done any cost benefit analysis to see what the benefit is?’ ‘Have you added the numbers up?’ ‘Have you seen how this will actually work?’
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Ms MANISON: Going back to the structural separation, we asked those questions and were not given answers. It was October last year when we finally got to sit down with Power and Water Corporation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy. They were unable to do it as we do it in the traditional process of estimates in June due to the statements of corporate intent not being available at that time.
When we did sit down with them later on in the year after they had been structurally separated on 1 July, the SCIs were not complete. The new government owned corporations did not yet have the full financial information or the full information about their assets base. It tells you the work had not been done, it was not ready to happen, and it was rammed through.
We will see how things go this year when we get an opportunity to sit down together again and look at those statements of corporate intent and the performance of the three government owned corporations. It was a fast and big process.
There are still some questions asked about whether or not this is, deep down, a privatisation agenda for the future, particularly with Territory Generation assets, and retail. There have been many questions and they still linger.
I agree wholeheartedly that we have some amazing people working for the Power and Water Corporation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy. They do a very tough job in the Territory. They are put into some pretty tough situations and do their very best and a wonderful job trying to keep our power on and the water running. They do a remarkable job and should be valued.
We will see how serious this government is about how much it values those employees going into the EBA processes. I understand negotiations have started. As we saw, the final round of the Power and Water Corporation EBA was negotiated very swiftly, before the structural separation agenda became clear. I believe they just rolled over their existing conditions and did it for a few years, which is generally not how EBA processes are conducted. It raised a few alarm bells at the time about what the government was trying to get to. As we saw afterwards, the structural separation agenda came through and now they are trying to move out that bargaining process into the three different areas. We will see how that goes. If you are serious about your commitment to the staff, we will see what is on offer through those EBAs and how much the staff are valued.
We have seen huge changes to the tariffs. They are hurting families, which are finding it harder to deal with the cost of living in the Territory. It is a lot of pressure for families to bear. It is not just families, it is singles, couples – everybody. We all have to pay those bills.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Treasurer for making this statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will make some comments on this ministerial statement. Even though I get it a fraction earlier than the opposition, it is still not a lot of time to look at a fairly detailed statement and do it justice.
The statement deals with structural separation and some issues in relation to the normal day-to-day running of Power and Water. It also leaves some things out.
There is an issue I have raised a number of times in relation to the move by Power and Water to charge local government councils for the power poles and infrastructure on their roads. The minister will remember he was also minister for Local Government. I have raised this with you before, because there needs to be a balance in this.
If Power and Water wants to be a commercial organisation that charges for the provision of services such as street lighting, then it should be willing to pay rates on its facilities.
You cannot hit the local government on one hand, saying, ‘We have changed the rules. The power poles are yours. We will charge you a fee for future repairs and maintenance to those poles.’ I have seen some fairly high amounts of money being floated that Power and Water wants to charge councils. You have to remember if councils have to absorb that money, they will either have to reduce their services or increase their rates. If that is the case, then they should be entitled to rate the land Power and Water uses to provide the services. You cannot have a one-sided approach to this; it has to be fair and balanced.
It is a matter I have raised before. I have raised it with Power and Water. It is somewhere up in the clouds at the moment because no one has come back with an answer.
I will throw something out of left field. I know the fundamentalists in Power and Water will have a heart attack. You might know there is supposed to be a Palmerston South – I call it Howard Springs as it is about 10 m off the boundary – elevated water tank on the corner of Lambrick Avenue and the Stuart Highway. I asked someone why do you not put a restaurant on that tower? That position would be one of the highest positions in the whole of Darwin. You can see for miles even on the flat country. You are going to put in a 40 m water tank. Surely there is some potential for others to use that tower.
The fundamentalists will say, ‘Oh, you cannot do that on top of a water tower’. Why not? Why can you not use if for tourism? Why can you not use it for something besides a static piece of concrete which only provides water to give you a head so we have decent water pressure in our houses? I put it to you, minister, why can we not look at something like that on one of the best sites you would see in the Darwin region? It is on the Stuart Highway so you have access for people – it might be tourists – who would like a view of the Darwin region. There is also the possibility that people can get a meal. At night time it would be fantastic to look over Darwin Harbour and the lights of the city.
Palmerston lost that ability when it stuck so many things on the water tower it looks like something out of an old science fiction movie. It is not really that great an idea. I know there is talk about a telecommunication tower nearby. I am sure if you put that in the right place it would not be blocking the view. I put that to you as an idea I raised once before. All I got was, ‘Horror, horror, it cannot be done’. There is an opportunity there to value-add on a piece of government property.
Minister, there are many things in this statement. As I said, there was not a lot of time to dig into it. I was interested to see whether you would touch on the water strategy. Unfortunately I have been trying to download the water strategy in my office from the website, and I get the usual thing. It is 3.5 MB, and it gets to 2.6 MB and stops as a blank screen. If you can tell me what happens to some of these things when you want them urgently – I do not know. I have the smaller version, The Darwin Water Story, which is for people who do not want to read the detailed information.
If you are making a statement about Power and Water, water supply is an important area we need to discuss. I raised the issue yesterday about water saving devices by planting native plants. That is all good, but the government needs to come back to parliament and say what its long-term strategy is. There are the dam plans. They have been around a long time, 20-odd years at least. But do we have a plan to build dams?
One option is a new in-stream dam on the Adelaide River, which sounds good. The idea is that you pump water from the Adelaide River and put it in an off-stream dam. It would be good to see if that can work because it is one of the options we have for developing agriculture in the Territory without wrecking our rivers. But you have high evaporation, and that issue is also raised here because you did not mention climate change.
Power and Water does. Power and Water talks about a reduction in our water supply caused by climate change. It expects climate change to affect the amount of water in our dams by something like 10%. The Darwin Water Story says:
Power and Water is saying climate change will have an effect. Although we might have raised the walls at Manton Dam and Darwin River Dam, offsetting that could be an issue of climate change. Obviously the issue of future water supplies for Darwin is important, and in opposition the CLP was going crook at the government for not building Warrai dam. I know that would be an expensive dam, so it would be interesting to hear what you have to say about that.
Augmentation of Manton Dam storage – last night at Howard Springs the DCA had an evening meeting, which was good in the sense it allowed workers to turn up. Some of us wrote e-mails to the minister asking had that happened, which meant I had to stay here while there was a meeting there, but that cannot be helped. I understand many people turned up who are concerned about the future of Manton Dam from a recreational point of view.
I e-mailed the Minister for Sport and Recreation about it because some of the sporting people were concerned. Obviously no answer got back to those people because they turned up at a meeting which was really not about Manton Dam but about the Darwin regional plan. That is an issue the government needs to be wary of. I am not a Facebook person, but I am told by those who love Facebook that there was a lot of commentary. That is why many people turned up to that meeting.
If the government is looking for some good PR it should tell people involved in water sports where the government intends to go with Manton Dam.
There is also the potential of desalination. That is part of The Darwin Water Story. Governments go ‘Oooh’ when they remember some of the desalination plants in Victoria which the Labor Party introduced. They have only been used very sparingly, but that does not mean we do not look at that issue. Power and Water has raised the issue and we should not shy away from it.
It would be good to debate those issues because the future of the Darwin water supply is the real key if you are talking about developing the north and Darwin growing. None of that can happen if the water supplies are not planned for in the future.
Minister, I would have liked you to say more about Indigenous communities. You talked about some good things like Wadeye power station now being on gas and the potential to put Palumpa and Peppimenarti on the same line, reducing the amount of diesel. That is great. There must be other things we need to look at in relation to reducing the use of diesel. The statement says a substantial amount of diesel is used.
Mr Tollner: Thirty-nine million litres, I think.
Mr WOOD: That is a fair swag of diesel. I could go around the Territory a few times in my vehicle on that amount.
The previous government installed wind generation plants at Alpurrurulam, and solar is part of the hybrid system there. There has been some talk from the Chief Minister about a solar program. That seems to have disappeared. I am not saying it has actually disappeared, but I remember the Chief Minister saying the government would go down the path of a solar program. I am interested to know where that program is at; I think there was some funding for it.
I am also interested in knowing the views of the government in relation to trying to expand renewables. Renewables are not as cheap as running diesel, but that does not mean we should not, even in incremental changes, bring some of these things in. Renewables will get cheaper and more efficient as time goes on.
I am a great fan of the concept of tidal power. The company Tenax Energy wants to look at putting tidal power in Clarence Strait. It would be good to get an update if you know where that program is at the moment. What is Power and Water’s policy in relation to that type of development occurring, and if it comes online, how will that affect Power and Water in relation to its normal generation of power?
They are some of those bigger issues we sometimes avoid discussing. I am not saying we avoid them for the wrong reason, but we do not include them in some of these statements.
The other issue is that Power and Water owns a network; I think it is in New South Wales. They are talking about privatising the network. I admit that at times I wonder how you do that. I am not a great fan of the idea. It is a bit like privatising the air, which is the thing planes fly through. Will you cut it up into bits and each company can own a bit of it? If we get two generators of power – we already have two generators – everybody uses that network. How you then try to cut a network up – I think the network is privatised in Victoria, but it must be fairly complex to work out which bit and how much of the network I have to pay for.
I do not know how that works, but I get the feeling that privatising the network is a bit of a silly idea. The government owns the roads. We do not say, ‘Let us privatise our roads. Tiger Brennan belongs to that company and Dick Ward Drive belongs to that company’, and then you have to pay tax …
A member: Toll roads.
Mr WOOD: Yes, that is right, and when you top up your fuel you will pay a levy to the companies according to how much of the road you used. I am interested to know whether the government thinks privatising the network is a good idea. After all, this government certainly thinks down that path. Other states have done it, and I wonder if in reality it is a good idea or just another way for governments to make a few more dollars by selling an asset. I am certainly interested in what the minister thinks of that.
You mentioned the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant. I have been through Adelaide River a couple of times and noticed there was work going on there. I thought they might have just been putting in a new water tank. Perhaps the minister should expand on the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant upgrade; there is a good story. Why not tell people that this is Australia’s first biological filtration system. I do not know how much it costs. I do not know whether you mentioned that in your statement, but if it is a good thing and is an improvement on present systems, it is certainly something the government should talk about.
The statement says that works are under way for Australia’s first biological water treatment facility at Adelaide River and it is scheduled to be functioning in July this year. There are details on the website; it gives a fairly detailed description of what that system does. I do not know whether there are benefits for people in the rural area. It says here it is for the removal of iron and manganese. Minister, you have lived in the rural area for a while; you know that in certain parts of the rural area iron is a major problem. Some houses look like they have not been painted for a long time because the water from the sprinklers leaves a brown mark over everything. Nurseries have problems with water quality; they have to aerate their water.
I am interested to know whether this filtration system is applicable to people with iron in their bores and if it could reduce that problem.
There is some good stuff in this statement, minister. I do not know if the member for Barkly will talk on it. It mentions a new continuous chlorination facility for Tennant Creek, which has always been an issue in Tennant Creek. I am interested to hear what the people in Tennant Creek think about it.
I have mentioned the Living Water Smart project, which is a fine thing, but make sure we grow native plants where we can instead of high water usage plants. I am not being silly. I you want to do something to save water …
Mr Tollner: We could grow something productive, Gerry, like GM cotton.
Mr WOOD: I am happy to support GM cotton; it reduces chemical use and soil compaction, but we digress.
You also said:
That is different to simply swiping their card. One of our committees has looked at that, but it would be good, perhaps in your response, for you to give this an indication of how that is going. Do people understand and is it making a difference to the way they use electricity? It is a good program. If you reduce the amount of electricity you reduce the amount of diesel used, which is great.
Something close to my heart is the plan for a regional power station on the Tiwi Islands. When I first went to the Tiwi Islands the power station was smack in the middle of the main street. The member for Arafura was probably not alive then, because he is a bit younger than me; I went there when I was about 23. The first power station was right in the middle of town before they moved it towards the airport.
Power stations are pretty noisy things. If it is possible to have a regional power station, it would be good. Again, more information on that would be good. How much it would cost and how would it work, because you have the Apsley Strait between Melville and Bathurst Island? What is the feasibility and will it happen?
I am not trying to be negative; you have some good things in this statement, and it would be good to expand on some of it so we can know what is happening in the regions. If we think we should ask more questions about them, this would give us the chance to.
Minister, I appreciate the statement, although there is not enough time to look at it because my computer is still trying to download the water strategy for Power and Water. You might like to take on some of the matters I have raised in this debate.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing this express lane statement to the House. For once we can accept why it is in the express lane. It is because you are reactionary to the figures published by the Auditor-General showing significant profits made by the Power and Water Corporation.
We had the question in the House and then this statement rushed in. It is completely reactionary, because you know what Territorians are saying outside.
Let me verbal a minister, using the Giles technique of verballing. I studied you guys in opposition, and I study you in government. The Giles technique of verballing is to twist it around and then bang on and on. When asked – this will be clean for Hansard – ‘Why don’t you give us time to study and research the statements?’ the minister said, ‘Because you leak them’. I said, ‘What? You do not want to tell Territorians?’ So I will verbal you using the Giles arrogance. The minister said they do not want Territorians to know what is in the statement. That is verballing the minister, and that is what Giles does. That is what I detest in this House ...
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, will you please refer to the Chief Minister by his title.
Mr McCARTHY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will clear it up for Hansard. The minister actually said, ‘No, we are not going to give you any statements so you can properly research and debate them, because you will leak them’. In other words, we might do some research with Territorians.
When we are talking about power and water price hikes, Territorians are very interested. I am surprised you guys are not paying power, water and sewerage bills, because I do. Everybody is talking about it.
Let us get to this statement, because I enjoyed listening to it. I did not get a chance to read it. I thought I had better use auditory processing skills.
Let us take the member for Fong Lim back a bit in the Territory. He goes back a long way, but not this far. Any analysis of the Power and Water authority in the Northern Territory defines over 30 years of underinvestment. That is the real story. The spin coming from the fifth floor about Labor is rubbish. We all know that. We all should accept our responsibilities for Territory history because it has been documented that over 30 years there has been an underinvestment in the Power and Water infrastructure in the Northern Territory to match the Northern Territory’s growth.
To put it on the record for the CLP, you guys had a 27-year run, and when Labor got in, in 2001, the Territory was broke. If you do not remember that, we can get some Treasury figures. There are even serious legends around the Territory that you guys fudged the books big time when the Labor government finally got in to open them, and that there were dastardly deeds done by some of your current friends who fudged the books.
When I talk to people around the Territory about why you guys – the ‘born to rule’ CLP – were thrown out, they say it was because you sent the Territory broke. The contractors could not get bread on the table, the construction programs had ceased – a similar episode to what you are doing now – so they decided to throw you out. In those days in the Territory – I go back a long way – it was always a government elected by the northern suburbs of Darwin. It was the Darwin fraternity that changed. The foundation stones of the bush remain, and we are doing a lot of work to regain those foundation stones in the bush that turned the last election.
However, this issue around underinvestment should be acknowledged for what it is. As economic managers, we had a history of eight surplus budgets under Labor. When Labor took government, it had to address the underinvestment, and it inherited a turbo-charged Northern Territory that was growing at a rate of knots. It meant looking at significant investment.
When I was new to the job as a parliamentarian I participated in the briefings that represented the Reeves report. Andrew Reeves was one of the smartest guys I had ever met. He briefed the government on the 30 years of underinvestment. He also set a roadmap for significant investment that was needed. The Labor government took that in its policy development and started that process, that journey.
I refute all the spin in the minister’s statement. We can accept the fact, but we will take out all the spin and political hype you guys read into Hansard. The Reeves report gave the Power and Water Corporation the roadmap to the future, and that is what they are working on now. It is as simple as that. If it was not a hard enough lesson to learn in the theoretical sense, it certainly was with the failure of the Casuarina substation and the blackout that was one of the most significant, if not the most significant, in the Territory’s history.
You guys have experienced your own, because when you got into government, acted on the Renewable Management Board’s advice and started to cut, cut, cut, it applied to the Power and Water Corporation.
We saw the loss of jobs, a reduction in repairs and maintenance schedules and a pull-back on the investment recommended by the Reeves Report. You had your own substation collapse and you worked out that this is serious business. Politically it is very unpopular when people go to the fridge and it is hot.
You have had your own experience – once again a bipartisan experience – the Casuarina Zone Substation explosion and collapse, your own Hudson Creek issue and the issue with Weddell Power Station and, therefore, you have had a significant learning curve.
When the Treasurer spins the bad news story about Power and Water debt, it was money borrowed to rebuild the network that had been neglected over 30 years. That is the reality of the money. When you trace that money across the books throughout the years of the Labor government, particularly in the last term of the Labor government, you can see it was borrowed to start the reinvestment program that was needed as a result of 30 years of neglect in the Northern Territory with a turbo-charged economy, with radical and accelerated land release programs and with a significant construction budget that was moving the Territory forward, as the politicians like to say.
That fills in the blanks of what the Treasurer spun in the statement. It gets us to a common ground point of the Auditor-General putting the facts on the table to show the significant increase in profits made over the past year. However, the Labor opposition aggregated two years because you guys announced those massive increases – 30% to power, 40% to water and 25% to sewerage – then you knifed the Chief Minister; you backed off because you were getting that much pressure, with the petitions and the good work of a very diligent opposition. As we explored today, with the Chief Minister’s twisting of semantics, you backed off but have brought back in another 5% increase to power prices, which takes us to 30%. It was always to be 30%, and we achieved 30% in January. Not only do we have two significant years of profits – fine, we can read that in the books; the Auditor-General has laid out the last lot of profits – we will also see more profits because of the last increase of 5% in January 2015.
The Leader of the Opposition outlined in parliament recently some of the higher-level Labor policy we will be developing with stakeholders across the Northern Territory to present a clear alternative. Part of that announcement was that we will conduct an immediate review into these increases, because we are listening to people; we hear people. I do not know if you get a power, water and sewerage bill, but I do. The biggest bill of the year, which was always the Wet Season bill in my household, has increased by about $600.
We have done economic modelling to suggest a large family is paying an additional $2000 a year due to these hikes. From a Treasury perspective, it is not just power, water and sewerage; there is $81m in new taxes in other areas that you have raked from the pockets of Territory families and businesses. We have a parallel running here. Big price hikes are a neo-Liberal agenda and you guys have gone down that road, but the Territory is hurting. We are the voice of Territorians asking for a review of the road you are travelling.
We are talking about motor vehicle registration price hikes and increases in food prices which relate to power, water and sewerage price increases – 50% more in the remote areas, member for Arafura. We guys – you, me and our families – are paying 50% more for food than these guys in Darwin. That is a significant impost on families that live in regional and remote areas; particularly families that are on fixed incomes.
Okay, we have to fix a 30-year underinvestment. We have to invest in network infrastructure and generation. We have to invest in power, water and sewerage. We have to match the growth of the Northern Territory, but we cannot afford to persecute our people and risk Territorians saying ‘Enough is enough’ and packing their trailers and leaving. It is not like New South Wales where people will shift around the state. In the Territory we see cross-border migration; we lose people. Essentially what I am saying is that punitive policy, like these massive price hikes, will hurt Territorians. They will leave; they will suffer.
If we talk about people in the bush – I have lived and worked with Aboriginal people for a long time. I tell great stories around Australia, and wherever I go, about those experiences. I have had the privilege and honour of being shown ceremonial law, taken through ceremonies with the Alyawarr people. I have been with the Garawa and the Yanyuwa, and I can tell you stories until the cows come home. I know what humbugging is and I have to deal with humbugging all the time. In the last 18 months the humbugging has really turned into a plea for help. One of the areas I am most consistently asked to help with is power cards.
People will present to me with a fair and reasonable request. They know I will pay for grog. I will not give out cash and run amok. They were the good old days, but not anymore. In the position I have now it is more important than ever that I set these hard standards. But I will support people with power cards, and I will supply fuel vouchers to help them to get to funerals and ceremonial activities – important activities and occasions. Power cards are a real issue in the bush, and it relates to people’s livelihood in the sense of food security.
I feel devastated dealing with constituents who have a fridge that goes on and off. In regional remote Aboriginal homes you see lots of little children, and when you have erratic management of power and refrigeration – the basics to keep that family’s food – then you have trouble. It is a food security issue, and people can get sick. I am forever lecturing ex-students, their families and people I know about how important it is to manage this.
When you have massive hikes in power, water and sewerage prices, registration cost increases, food prices increases, and now the Abbott Liberal government indexation of fuel where we will see two more increases each year, then you have serious pressure on families.
We have presented a clear alternative. The verballing of the member for Braitling with this ‘no policy’ rubbish makes me laugh every time I hear it. It makes me remember a previous parliamentary strategy I learnt from our side. That is why I smile.
We have a very good dialogue going with Territorians. We are articulating a very clear alternative and they are verballing their concerns. They are making their concerns heard and part of it is about cost of living. There are many areas they are concerned about but I suppose the most aggressive area in the dialogue is the cost of living. It seems to be ramping up and up.
We are starting to see the balance sheets with big profit returns, which is why the Treasurer has raced in here to get this statement through. That is why the fifth floor has been burning the midnight oil to put all the spin between the lines, but I am telling a story which well and truly spans over 30 years.
We need some balance, Treasurer. We need to look at whether a policy you are running is seriously damaging Territorians and, ironically, will damage the economy in the long run. That is the fear. In the couple of years pre-2001, that is exactly the situation the CLP got itself into, which caused it to lose the Territory election after the famous rule of 27 years.
It was interesting to hear about the infrastructure projects the Treasurer spoke about in the statement. It was music to my ears because I was a participant in some of those projects. Some of those projects were great but I did not hear about closing down a sewage outfall in Darwin Harbour. I am sure it was in there; did somebody miss it? As a member of the previous government I used to stand proud and tell stories wherever I could. The declaration of the Limmen River National Park and the Maria Island Marine Reserve in the Barkly electorate is something I will tell till the cows come home.
I used to like to tell the stories about that modern urbanism and where a Labor government invested significant funds to shut down a sewage outfall into Darwin Harbour. My hometown is Sydney. If anybody knows what a Bondi cigar is – it was the laughing stock of the eastern suburbs, now multibillion dollar real estate with one of the best tourist attractions in the world, Bondi Beach. As a kid I learnt that story. I saw progressive governments ignore it, and then I saw a determined progressive government deliver it and change that outfall. It invested to make that significant change.
A Labor government did that in Darwin Harbour for the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory. That sewage now is secondary-treated at Ludmilla. It was a massive project that cost significant funds, but look at the outcome across all the ministries in government that could talk about that as an outcome: fisheries; tourism; education; health; and local government; it does not stop.
Minister, thank you for the express train, once again, through this parliament. I am really sorry I did not get a chance to read it all. I had to use advanced auditory processing skills to try to keep up with it. Statements are pushed through so fast these days, but I am glad I have had an opportunity to take you guys back – I do not know how long you have been around – over 30 years to really identify the challenges, and to support you, minister, on the way forward.
We have a clear policy alternative for Territorians if a Labor government is elected in 2016, or in March 2015 should you turf that guy out. Use your imagination guys on Tuesday, a bit of creativity. If the Labor government is re-elected we will immediately initiate a review because we believe this is hurting Territorians, and the ultimate irony is it will hurt our economy and the CLP.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, to everybody who has spoken on this statement, thank you very much. I have enjoyed listening to all the commentary. I pay tribute to my colleague, the Minister for Essential Services. He is doing a great job in that portfolio. He has held that portfolio almost since we came to government, and it is an area in which he has done a fabulous job. It is a difficult job because that is the portfolio that really has to deal with the public. At this point in time it is clearly a difficult job. I also thank my friends and colleagues, the members for Wanguri and Nelson, and the ever-entertaining member for Barkly.
In addressing some of the issues raised, I will start with the member for Barkly. He has an interesting take on history. Member for Barkly, if you think I am not somewhat critical of things that have happened, you are deluded. Let us put things into context. You talked about 30 years of underinvestment. I agree with you that there has been, in years gone by, a big underinvestment in utility services. That underinvestment was not just in the Northern Territory, it was right around Australia.
About 20 years ago, through the COAG process, state and territory governments, and the federal government, met and came up with a series of reforms for the utilities industry to put it on a sustainable footing for the future development and growth of Australia. That, fundamentally, recognised that governments could not continue to provide the necessary investment and backup to utility services around Australia. They brought in a range of reforms to attract private entrants into the marketplace so, where there was a need, the private sector could start to invest in services, which was simply beyond the capability of governments.
What happened in the Northern Territory when the Country Liberals were last in government was a pretty sore lesson for the Country Liberals. You might recall that NT Power came here. Paul Everingham, former Chief Minister, was the front man for that organisation. He attempted to build a power station; I think it was in Pine Creek. He wanted to put electricity into the Northern Territory network. Then there was a horrendous fight between NT Power and the Northern Territory Country Liberals government. The Northern Territory government lost because it found it was in breach of national competition policy and there was no way, as a government, it could stop another party putting electricity onto our network. It cost the Northern Territory government significant money to have that point shown in court.
I give credit to the Labor government, because when it came into power it quickly started the COAG reform process which was taking place around the rest of the country. Member for Barkly, you might recall that was when the Power and Water Authority was made the Power and Water Corporation. That is when the Northern Territory started to embark on those big reforms that had been taking place around Australia.
I am critical of the former Labor government because that is as far as it went. It introduced some competition into the retail sector, but it never had the ticker to continue that reform process. Around 2003 it stopped dead in its tracks and there was nothing more done. You might wonder why it is called the Power and Water Corporation and not the Power and Water Authority. It was the Martin government which transformed it into a corporation and started that reform process.
The ball was dropped, for better or worse, for that period of time. It does not matter how much you pour into that organisation, the fact is the taxpayer cannot keep up with the investment that was made. The member for Wanguri talked about the massive cash splurge Power and Water had when the Casuarina Zone Substation blew up, and the amount of money poured in then. Then, lo and behold, a few short years later we had the biggest System Black in Territory history. Was it because Labor never put enough money into the Power and Water Corporation? I do not think so.
The whole system was wrong. The member for Wanguri started saying there has been no cost-benefit analysis. This issue has been done to death around Australia for 20 years now. The idea of structural separation, market reform and introducing private competitors into our market is not my idea.
I have been very fortunate though. I have spent time not just in the Northern Territory but in the federal parliament. I have travelled throughout Europe and looked at transmission systems while I was in the federal parliament. I have looked at coal-powered stations and nuclear reactors, and I have been very interested in gas and renewables. I had a greater exposure to what was going on around the rest of the country and the world than most people in the Northern Territory. I do not blame people for that, because the reality is if a utility is working well and delivering services, most people take it for granted. You plug your toaster in in the morning and you expect the toast will pop out three minutes later, nice and brown. You do not think about how that electricity has arrived in your toaster through the power socket.
The reality is, member for Barkly, when we came to government the Power and Water Corporation was ailing. We were pouring enormous amounts of taxpayers’ money into the organisation. Labor, when in government, increased Power and Water’s debt from $290m to $1.2bn in a very short period of time. It becomes obvious to anybody who pays a bit of attention that things cannot go on that way, and sooner or later something will be irreparably broken to the point where we do not have utility services in the Northern Territory.
That is why we have embarked on restarting that reform process which Labor started in 2003 but did not have the ticker to keep going. It is not an easy decision to say we will structurally separate the Power and Water Corporation. The punch-ups we had in the Cabinet room over the decision to increase electricity prices by 30% - that was not an easy decision to make and there was a lot of fallout amongst our people. However, ultimately I am proud of the fact the government made that decision because to do otherwise would have allowed things to continue down that path which would have led to destruction.
When Adam Giles took over as Chief Minister there were enormous calls – you will remember at the time people were saying, ‘We cannot afford a 30% hit all in one go, why not stagger it?’ We did that; we listened to the community. The Chief Minister, I am proud to say, listened to the community. Those increases were decided on when our Chief Minister first became Chief Minister, so people have been aware that on 1 January this year there would be a 5% increase in their power bill. It is not something we wanted to do, but this is the Power and Water Corporation on life support at the moment.
We do not know what the cost of electricity will be once we have completed this reform process. My great hope is somewhere down the track we will see a reduction in electricity prices, but the reality is we need to get the Power and Water Corporation onto a firm financial footing to make sure it can continue into the future. That is why we are doing this. It is not that we want to hurt people.
I understand people who work at the Power and Water Corporation have worked this way for a long time and they do not like change. I understand nobody wants to see an increase in their power bill. I will pull you up on one thing, member for Barkly. There is no average $2000 increase in power bills. When we put the price rise in place the average power bill was $1900. A 30% increase on $1900 is not $2000, so you cannot …
Mr McCarthy: I get $1900 in one quarter.
Mr TOLLNER: Well you are not the average person. When you say the average bill has gone up by $2000 all you do is alarm people. It is like when the member for Wanguri and the Leader of the Opposition say we are ripping massive profits out of the Power and Water Corporation because it has posted a $51m pre-tax profit. That does not take into account the $167m of taxpayer money that has gone into the organisation. The reality is there is $115m loss. This is what we are trying to get away from, member for Barkly, because these things snowball. Year after year they get slightly bigger, to the point where somewhere down the track they bankrupt government.
We can all play politics over the amount of notice you got on the statement I made today, but the fact is I have given a broad-brush view of all the things going on with the Power and Water Corporation. As I said, we are not privatising anything. The member for Nelson asked about privatisation, and it is interesting to listen to the misinformation, or the lack of understanding, that people have in relation to utilities and how they operate. I heard the former member for Casuarina say, ‘The best bit of the lot is the generator. They will privatise that first, or will privatise the retail.’
Everybody disregards the network. The network is the most valuable, easily sold part of the whole business. It is worth about $2 bn, and there are probably about 20 super funds who would buy the thing tomorrow because it is what they call a regulated asset. It is regulated by the Utilities Commission and they know in advance what they will earn as a return on it. As a long-term investment it is gold for any super fund, but we are not interested in selling it.
We have said from the word go that we are not selling Power and Water. We are trying to, and what this whole exercise is about, attract and allow more private operators to come here, because as the Territory grows, we as a government do not have the money in the bank to continually build new generation and all this other stuff that requires building.
You talk about a long-term view, something that can grow and develop with the Territory, and that is exactly what we are putting in place. That is why we are doing what we are doing. It does not take a cost-benefit analysis to understand that; it simply requires people to open their eyes and look what has gone on around the rest of the country for the last 20 years with the COAG reform process. The most difficult thing to privatise is a 30-year-old generator at Channel Island, but people seem to think that is the easiest thing to sell. It is not. I am not suggesting we have any thoughts at all of selling any of these assets.
I do not have a lot of time left, but I would like to respond to a couple of the things the member for Nelson said. The member for Nelson obviously has a great interest in council matters. That is great. He is concerned about the cost of street lighting. The fact is, member for Nelson, somebody has to pay the cost of street lighting. The rationale for putting it onto councils to pay is that councils can actually maintain those street lights for a lot less than the Power and Water Corporation can.
Palmerston council, Darwin City Council, Alice Springs and Katherine all have maintenance crews available all the time. They are the first to know when a light goes out and when there is a problem. They have cherry pickers and all that stuff. For them to maintain street lighting is a lot cheaper than it is for Power and Water Corporation to maintain those street lights. We have said to councils that we are not necessarily suggesting they should use PWC to maintain street lights. For PWC it is a big deal to send a cherry picker to Palmerston to change one bulb, but for council, which is around the area all the time, it becomes a lot more efficient and cheaper to do it.
Member for Nelson, I love your lateral thinking. You come out with wonderful things all the time. I had not even thought of sticking a restaurant on top of that 40 m-high tank. Mate, I have to say you have me intrigued. I will make some inquiries. I imagine the stumbling block might be trying to find a private owner who wants to operate a restaurant 40 m up on the corner of Lambrick Avenue. Who knows? There are some creatively thinking people in the hospitality industry and maybe it appeals to them.
Our dam is a priority, and I agree with you about Manton Dam recreational area. I want to see that improved. I want to see a bit more shade and more areas where skiers can sit. Although someone in my office told me they used to work with Power and Water in the water division, and they know exactly what is in Manton Dam and would not go swimming there.
I love the place. When I was a bit younger I was there all the time, I even got up on one ski, which I thought was a wonderful achievement. It is a great spot, and I would hate to see it banned from recreational use. If there is a reason it should not be used recreationally, I would like to find that out before we stop people using it.
In relation to remote communities, solar wind and renewables, I am open for that. The big problem is that I can go around town and probably find a thousand people who can fix a diesel generator, but I would struggle to find five who could fix a solar array.
These things sound great in principle, but unless you have the skills and technology on the ground, they can lead to ruin. I am dead keen to explore tidal power, other solar options, wind options and that sort of thing, but when you start looking into it you see it is hard to beat the old diesel generator and it is easy to find someone who can fix it. With the price of oil dropping from $110 a barrel to under $50 a barrel, all of a sudden it will be hard to compete commercially with the trusty diesel generator.
Member for Nelson, the statement was long. I would love to have gone into detail about a range of things, but it was meant to give a broad snapshot of the enormity of work the Power and Water Corporation and associated entities undertake. At times we underestimate the size and complexity of the organisation, and people can underestimate the size and complexity of the job of the structural separation. One problem we have at the moment is getting our financial management systems going. The financial separation of the Power and Water Corporation has been a very difficult task, but I am assured it is on track and within the next month or so we should start to see some outcomes.
Again, that was one problem with the organisation; there was very little transparency between operations. With the structural separation, just from an accountability point of view, it is important to understand where the money is going.
I want to respond to all of the things raised. I do not think I can get an extension; I will not bother because people are keen to get into adjournment. I thank everybody very much for responding to the statement. I am glad people have thought about it as it is a big issue.
I put on the record my deep thanks to the Power and Water staff. They have all had a trying time over the last 18 months. Change is not easy, but they have risen to the challenge, and I am over the moon with the efforts they have gone to in following through on government policy.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table two travel reports from the members for Fannie Bay and Johnston in accordance with paragraph 4.12 of the Remuneration Tribunal Determination.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Deputy Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, this evening I pay tribute to one of my constituents and her family. It was a very sad day when Lyn Horner passed away.
Lyn Horner was a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, auntie and great auntie, and a friend and colleague to so many people in the rural area and elsewhere.
Lyn was named Lynette Shirley Wade and was called Lindy in her younger years. She was born on 1 December 1952 at the Bethlehem hospital in South Caulfield in Victoria. Her father said she had very big ears when she was born, a legacy she carried all her life, and was adamant they should be covered at all times by her hair, and they were. Apparently she did not smile much as a baby and always had a serious look on her face.
Colin was the first child born to Harvey and Shirley Wade, followed by Lyn, Peter, Jenny, Karen and Andrew. Her home for the early years was in Argyle Street, Chadstone; then they moved to the family home their father built in 1957 at Russell Crescent, Mount Waverley. Lyn grew up in a loving family environment which included playing with her brothers and sisters. She was good at organising her brothers and sisters and being in charge. Her sister related at the funeral that she remembered many times walking up the street with Lyn to buy groceries for her mother, and all of them walking to and from school being bossed around and organised by Lyn.
Family outings consisted of going on Sunday drives, going to the beach, going to their grandmother’s at McCrae, spending many hours splashing around in the seawater and visiting their aunts, uncles and cousins.
Lyn attended Mount Waverley state school and Mount Waverly high school. Last October Lyn flew to Melbourne with her sister and went to the Mount Waverley high school 50-year reunion. It was a big walk down memory lane for both the sisters.
Lyn achieved good marks and excelled at her school work. She participated in gymnastics at the Mount Waverley youth club and later enjoyed ballroom dancing. I am told she did it very well.
Lyn had beautiful natural blonde hair. If she had collected a coin for every time a person asked her, ‘Are you naturally blonde or is that peroxide?’ she would have made a lot of money and probably been very wealthy.
Lyn left school at the end of fourth form and got her first job working in an office doing administrative duties and answering telephones for a company in Huntingdale called Foldaway Furniture. It became apparent to her employer that Lyn was very efficient at what she did and was a good worker, and she was very well-respected by her co-workers. They were very upset when she left the company.
She left that job and obtained another job for a company called Briner Ads in Moorabbin working as an accounting machinist operating a machine known as a National 32. Lyn was in charge of the debtors/creditors ledgers and doing a monthly trial balance. Once again, she was very efficient at what she did and was very well-liked and respected.
Lyn left that position when she went to join her husband, Kevin, who was living in Darwin. Lyn was introduced to her husband by his cousin, Robyn, who was also Lyn’s girlfriend, and they started dating. The parents were a bit doubtful at first about Kevin. Was he good enough for their daughter – the usual and familiar thoughts of a mother about her daughter. It did not take them long to realise that Kevin loved Lyn very much, was very protective of her and would look after her. The mother was a little contrary at times, but when Kevin came to visit the first thing he would do was offer her a beer, then everything settled down and she thought he was an okay fellow.
Lyn and Kevin married on 14 April 1973. A few weeks before the wedding Lyn and Kevin were involved in a nasty car accident and Lyn ended up in hospital with a punctured lung, bruising to her face and a cut on her leg. Lyn, being the kind of person she was, was determined not to let her injuries spoil their wedding plans and she walked down the aisle on Sunday 14th as previously planned. They had a photo of their wedding day at the funeral and it was stunning.
They made their home in Bonbeach, Victoria. The sisters remember many occasions when they went to her place on Sunday to have the ubiquitous Sunday roast which Lyn cooked superbly with all the usual roast vegetables and trimmings.
Later that year was Lyn’s 21st birthday. Family and friends gathered to celebrate, and the family recalls it being a very memorable occasion.
Kevin was a carpenter by trade, and after Cyclone Tracy he came here for work like so many young fellows did in those days, just with their ute and a trailer. After he found permanent accommodation, Lyn followed a month or so later. Darwin then became their home. They bought their first home in Millner and the family was very excited when they heard the news that Lyn and Kevin were expecting their first child, Peter, who was born on 28 June 1977. Almost four years later, Jenny was born on 30 April 1981.
Over the passing of the years they moved from town to the rural area. Lyn developed a passion, knowledge and love of birds which continued to grow and grow. They purchased a block of land at Noonamah which had lots of mango trees on it, and Kevin built their family home and the various and many aviaries they needed to house all of Lyn’s birds. Lyn then added to her collection ducks, chooks, roosters, chickens, rabbits, mice and rats.
Lyn set up breeding pairs of her birds, rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, chooks and roosters, and would collect the birds’ eggs and hatch them in an incubator. Then it was off to the market where she would sell her stock every Saturday. She became very popular and well known, not only for her dedication in supporting the markets, but also the variety of poultry she had available for people to buy. She became known as the bird lady.
Lyn enjoyed going to bird club meetings and sharing her knowledge. Recently she became a life member of the Avicultural Society of the Northern Territory. Many visitors from down south visited Lyn and Kevin’s family on holidays, which included annual visits from Harvey, Shirley and Andrew. Whenever Lyn could she went to stay with them.
Lyn will be sadly missed by her sisters and mostly by Kevin, her husband, her son, Peter, and Jenny, her daughter. She was a stalwart of the Coolalinga markets with her poultry display, both in its current and past locations, and she was very active and popular in the poultry and the bird exhibitions at the Royal Darwin Show.
I pay tribute to Lyn and express my sympathies to the family on the loss of a great mother, a great person and a much loved community member of the rural area.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I also want to put some facts on the table, (1) to ensure the correct facts are known, and (2) to dispel any misunderstandings that have circulated in the public domain and may be circulating still.
Over the last couple of weeks it has been reported that I threatened to leave the Country Liberal Party. This is not correct. At no time in any wing meeting or in any other meeting, private or public, have I stated that.
During the recent political upheaval it became apparent to me, from my clear and concise understanding, that a person or persons unknown had talks, if not written correspondence, with the member for Namatjira in regard to assisting the government with numbers on the floor. This situation alarmed me, and I advised my colleagues if it occurred I could not work in a team with the member for Namatjira and would resign from the party.
That is the true and accurate description of what I said.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about my grandfather, Frank, an Anzac.
Francis John Geelan was my mother’s father, my grandfather, a legendary citizen of our nation and a true larrikin of the Australian bush.
The Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad documents No. 382 Private Francis John Geelan, 14th Light Horse Regiment, as a natural born originating near the town of Braidwood, New South Wales and aged 21 years when he voluntarily agreed to serve in the military forces of the Commonwealth of Australia within or beyond the limits of the Commonwealth on 15 April 1915.
Frank, as his family and friends knew him, lied about his age, as he was young, brazen and fearless in the company of his beloved older brother while working on and about the stations and settlements around Captains Flat, Majors Creek and Braidwood in southern central New South Wales.
Frank was no stranger to controversy as he asserted himself in all manner of work and play throughout the district that often involved fun and frivolity, however, on occasion, required a pugilistic prowess, where Frank reportedly was quite proficient.
The life-changing plan was hatched in an isolated part of the country when Aussie brothers Frank and Robert agreed to serve King and Country in what was perceived by most at that time as nothing more than one hell of a blue shaping up against the Germans that should not take long or be of too much consequence as to have the boys home by Christmas.
From this infantile rumour and innuendo set around the campfire the harsher reality of their decisions kicked in when Frank and Robert rode station horses to town, progressing their official military enlistments in the Australian Imperial Force that saw them separated for the first and last time, placing Frank in Liverpool, New South Wales on 14 April 1915 for enlistment and embarking out of Sydney for active service abroad on 26 June 1915.
As stated in the war records, Frank proceeded to join MEF at Gallipoli on 16 August 1915 where he was subsequently launched into a desolate world of death, destruction and insanity on a scale never before witnessed by mankind, let alone the wild colonial boy from rural New South Wales. For Frank this surreal environment must have become purely a quest for survival among the constant danger from Turkish snipers, artillery shells and bomb throwers, where death and wounding became commonplace in an impossible geographic position pinned down between the jagged cliffs of the Gallipoli peninsula and the Aegean Sea.
Our family oral history shares very little of Frank’s struggle at Gallipoli as he never spoke much about the horrors he endured there, albeit his intense dislike of British officers was reported to be the result of witnessing their harsh brutality inflicted upon young, shell-shocked Australian soldiers who were too physically and mentally shattered to continue on the battlefield.
Frank’s service with the 14th Light Horse Regiment after Gallipoli saw him disembarking at Alexandria ex Mudross on 9 January 1916, placing him in the last major evacuations of the Gallipoli campaign, one of many soldiers who found the admission of defeat and leaving dead colleagues buried throughout the cemeteries located all over the Anzac positions as both soul-destroying and untenable.
Frank’s war records document a transfer to the Camel Corps at Abbassia on 26 January 1916, which supports the family legend of Frank telling his wife and children years later that the 14th Light Horse Regiment ran low on its prized Australian horses during the Middle East operations, and they were ordered to ride camels, of which our wily Frank became the little lord and master.
My mother regaled my subsequent generation with rowdy tales of her father Frank commanding the camels at Taronga park zoo in Sydney from outside the fence, showing off shamelessly for the crowd of onlookers and his adoring young wife, Cecilia, who in a beautiful family legend dared to place her name and address in a pair of soldier’s socks she had knitted in the war effort, resulting in meeting and marrying Francis John Geelan after the war.
Grandfather Frank’s war service in the Middle East reads of a plethora of ‘Marched Out’ to exotic-sounding locations such as Abbassia, Bur-el-Abd, Moascar and Richon, where he re-joined the 14th Light Horse Regiment on 6 August 1918.
However, I struggle with the stereotypical Club Med image of such geographic regions today while trying to conceptualise the absolute horror of these postings with the slaughter of hand-to-hand combat he endured, and survived, characterising a brutal war widely acknowledged as the worst war in history: the Great War 1914-1919.
Frank certainly had some surviving to do on the battlefields, and thank God that living remained high on his agenda, as the more imaginative entries on his war service records testified, defining our young Frank as earning an impressive array of offences and awards pertaining to overstaying leave and drunkenness that ended up depriving him of many days pay, and, ironically, during the research into his military history, me incurring the wrath of an elderly aunt by daring to unearth such embarrassing elements of his distinguished service.
Francis John Geelan disembarked in Sydney on 28 August 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on 28 October 1919 and, like so many others, rebounded back into a world that had few services and little understanding of the horrors he and his fellow service personnel had experienced.
He established himself back into Australian society with only the support of family, while immediately facing the harsh reality of his brother’s death, Private Robert Michael Geelan, 18th Battalion AIF, killed in action on 20 September 1917 in Belgium, and of his father’s physical disability from the war after enlisting in the AIF late in 1915 and embarking for active service at the age of 44.
Frank battled on back home despite the major challenges of social, emotional and physical life, continually living in the shadow of the killing fields, yet choosing wisely to raise a family of his own, with a gifted and loving wife, a son and four daughters in the thriving state of New South Wales.
Frank settled into employment with the New South Wales Government Railways and, typical of a bushman, joined the remote construction gangs camped out while laying new track both south and west of Sydney. I believe this choice of working lifestyle must have suited a post-war Frank, his new assault on survival both connecting him with his earthy roots in the bush, and grounding his incredible grief and sorrow from the past four years into the hard, cold steel track.
Frank continued with his wild colonial ways after the war, and the family celebrated this true blue Australian son as a person who made a real difference to the future of his country, but not without sadness during the dark times that continued to haunt a generation of diggers who had lived and fought their way through savagery, depicting the lowest and most barbaric forms of mankind.
Frank was an Aussie by birth from Irish stock and a digger from the First World War. He liked his family, his country, the bush, a drink with his mates, a good yarn with friends and a song, but for some undisclosed reason he never drank alcohol on Anzac Day, choosing instead to attend the Dawn Service, breakfast, the march and two-up at the local hotel.
That was gospel and tradition for Frank Geelan, and I believe it allowed him to deal with his demons on such an auspicious national celebration of Anzac, while supporting his measured release of those complex memories and emotions etched into his psyche.
My mother, Norah Cecilia McCarthy, the youngest daughter of Francis John Geelan, was two years old when the police called at her family home on Anzac Day in 1936 to inform my grandmother that her husband had been killed on a footpath outside the Croyden Park Hotel in Sydney.
It was revealed in the subsequent coronial inquest and court cases that, as a result of a drunken pub argument, a third person became involved from behind and used a beer bottle to hit Frank Geelan on the head while Frank defended his mate from two other attackers in the melee.
As fate would have it, all charges were dropped against the three men involved in the fatal assault, leaving my grandmother and her children with their own war – alone, with no husband, no father and no justice.
Francis John Geelan left a massive family legacy in life and death, which has stood the test of time, with my grandmother bestowing on me grandfather Frank’s war service medals, including the Gallipoli Medallion, wisely inducting me as the new custodian of our heritage, which encouraged and motivated me to discover more about this incredible Australian and his fascinating part in our history.
In my opinion, grandfather Frank’s legacy relates to courage, determination and conviction, representing generations of Australians who gave their service and lives for the freedom of our modern Australian society, the camaraderie of our shared community values as Aussies and the protection of our land by unselfishly defending our way of life so courageously on a world stage.
Anzac Day holds bittersweet memories for my family and, as time heals all wounds, over time and generations we must continue to remember and reflect on our privileged positions in a colourful and dynamic Australia, which did not come about without the supreme sacrifice of those who had gone before us. At the end of each day we stand united in prayer. Lest we forget.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I send my congratulations and best wishes to the people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly on what will be an occasion of national significance when the Borella Ride commences, another fascinating Australian story of a Territorian who also embarked on this campaign and was awarded the highest honour possible.
It will be a great event and I am sorry I will not be there, but I will be there on Anzac Day. I know you like my speeches, and I will give you another couple. I look forward to spending the Centenary of Anzac with the community of Tennant Creek and the people of the Barkly, in true recognition of the great people of the Northern Territory.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise with regret to pass on the sad news about the passing of a long-term resident of my electorate. On 28 January this year, beside her long-time partner and their son, Julie Therese Wells finally succumbed to the disease she had been diagnosed with nearly four years earlier.
It is an honour for me to stand here and remember the life of Dr Julie Wells as a loved friend, academic, historian and teacher and, for 27 years, a resident of Rapid Creek. Julie was born at Maffra in Victoria on 26 December 1952.
She and her partner, Peter Quinn, came to the Territory more than 30 years ago. Julie’s first job in the Territory was teaching at the Casuarina High School. In 1984 Julie and Peter had their son, Tom, at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Peter found work as an editor with the ABC and their son, Tom, finished Year 12 at Darwin High School as the top student.
Following the birth of their son, Julie worked for a number of years at the Darwin Institute of Technology – now the Charles Darwin University – in adult education tertiary entrance programs and the Aboriginal Task Force. She completed her history doctorate on Commonwealth policy in the Territory in the post-war period, The Long March: Assimilation Policy and Practice in Darwin in 1995, and her thesis remains a landmark work on this topic.
Julie moved on to university administration, first in the faculty of education, and then as an executive assistant to the Vice Chancellor, a role she held for several years, working for Professor Ron McKay, Professor Ken McKinnon and Professor Helen Garnett.
Julie held these roles during the formative years of the transition from the then Northern Territory University, to the Charles Darwin University. Julie was recruited to the position of Director of the Northern Territory Teacher Registration Board in the Northern Territory Public Service. She continued to publish history and contribute to public life in Darwin. For a number of years she was a judge for the Jessie Litchfield Award for Literature. She also served on the board of Relationships Australia NT.
During minor and unrelated surgery at Royal Darwin Hospital, Julie’s illness was discovered, and it was already well advanced and untreatable. After more than 30 years in the Territory, Julie and Peter made the difficult decision to sell their house in Rapid Creek and travel south to spend her remaining time close to family.
Julie died peacefully at The Bays Hospital on the Mornington Peninsula in the company of her beloved partner of 40 years, Peter Quinn, and their much loved son, Tom Wells-Quinn. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed. I pass on my sincere condolences to her family and friends.
It is also with great regret that I speak about another Rapid Creek resident, Peter Mahony. Peter was well known and very well respected within the Nightcliff and broader Darwin community. He became a quadriplegic in 1978 and advocated for people with disabilities at a state, national and international level for more than 35 years.
When he moved to Darwin in 1991 he brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience, including memberships of the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of New South Wales and Disabled People’s International Australia, 10 years volunteering with the Guide Dogs association, and coordinating and managing Liverpool and Fairfield community transport.
Peter’s impact on the Darwin community was immediate and his legacy will be long-lasting. In the 22 years he was in Darwin he spent time as an adviser and volunteer with Total Recreation, he was the President of the Northern Territory touch football association, he spent five years as the NT representative for national information and communications, he was the Chairperson of the national recreation network, he co-founded Northern Territory Integrated disAbility Action, and he became a member and then Chairperson of the City of Darwin’s Disability Advisory Committee.
Peter was the recipient of Rotary’s international Shine On Award for outstanding community service, the 2012 and 2013 Ambassador for Disability Awareness Week, and in 2014 he received the Chief Minister’s Medal for Volunteering Achievement.
The leadership displayed by Peter in the 13 years he was the Chairperson for the Disability Advisory Committee was outstanding, and his passionate advocacy for addressing access and equality matters, as well as his professionalism, was integral to the committee’s excellent reputation within the City of Darwin council and the community.
In the 22 years he spent with the Disability Advisory Committee, he helped achieve many significant outcomes for people living in and around, or visiting, Darwin. Some of these include: the development of the Community Access Plan 2012 to 2017; the installation of two Liberty Swings, one in the Jingili Water Gardens and one at the Lake Alexander playground; the installation of an aqualift in each of the three council pools; painting disability parking bays blue to increase visibility and raise awareness of their position and purpose; the In the Blue television campaign to raise awareness of the issues impacting people with a disability, especially parking and access; he advocated for improved access to the Parap shopping centre, Nightcliff Shopping Centre, Casuarina shopping square; and, as I hear it, he even advocated for access to the Nightcliff Electorate Office when it was being built in the late 1990s. He advocated for improvements to the Rapid Creek bridge to allow inclusive access; the installation of the new electronic toilets the council installed throughout Darwin and the suburbs, which provided easy disability access; and the construction of the Rapid Creek fishing platform was specifically designed for wheelchair access.
Pete dedicated much of his life to improving access services and the quality of life for people with a disability. He was a man of action who willingly devoted his time to working within the community and organisations in the pursuit of equality. His legacy, particularly from his time with the City of Darwin’s Disability Advisory Committee, raised awareness and fought for better services for communication and opportunities for all Territorians.
I first met Peter during the 2012 election campaign. He was an early morning visitor to the Nightcliff Markets. He made sure there was clear access for everyone – wheelchairs and mums with prams. That was Peter’s job every Sunday. He would pop down and whizz around. He started questioning me and I quickly learnt to enjoy those chats. Once I was elected, Peter continued to visit me and pass on thoughts and share ideas. I was extremely honoured when he asked if he could have one of my campaign corflutes on the back of his electric wheelchair. That was a great delight. I would be out flogging the streets, doorknocking and letterboxing, and I would often see Pete with my picture on the back of his wheelchair. People talked about it.
We shared a view about the importance of equality and access for all. I was pushing a pram, he was in a wheelchair. He taught me so much.
The wheelchair accessible fishing platform that was a passion of Peter’s was completed by the NT government in 2013. I was proud, earlier this year, to be at the official opening where it was named by the Place Names Committee as the Peter Mahony Fishing Platform, a tribute to a truly remarkable man who was an exceptional advocate for people with disabilities. It is a wonderful way for our community to acknowledge his efforts. We were greatly saddened when he was suddenly taken from us. But that fishing platform reminds us in our community that we need to advocate for all and ensure everyone can have access to the simplest of things, such as fishing.
My thoughts are with Peter’s family and friends at this sad time, and with Julie Wells. It is particularly sad. As a member of parliament you get a number of honours and privileges, but it is a very sad time. It is a great honour to speak of these two wonderful Rapid Creek residents who have sadly left our community but whose memory will live on.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak about Lyn Horner.
Lyn and Kevin are long time rural people, and I will mention a little story. They, of course, were one of the main suppliers of chickens and ducks in the rural area and, as the member for Goyder said, they used to sell them at the markets every Saturday morning.
I was in a play named Fiddler on the Roof. If anyone has seen Fiddler on the Roof they would know there is a part where there is a wedding and everybody has to bring gifts. I was the butcher and had to bring some chickens. We ummed and ahhed about whether to bring pretend or real chickens. We decided to give bantams a go because they looked a lot better than pretend chickens.
We went to Lyn’s place and she gave us some chickens. We tested them out, because if you know the play the Russians come in and destroy the wedding. They throw everything everywhere. Tables go flying and gifts go flying, and Lyn’s chickens stood up to all that every night; I think we had eight performances, and those chickens did not blink an eyelid. I recall taking them back and thanking her very much for being part of that play. It made it a bit more real that we had Lyn’s chickens in the play.
She will be missed because she was very much part of the rural area. I know Kevin very well. He has a big metal chicken out the front of his house to let you know where to go. We have that common bond of a certain two-legged animal which we all love. My deepest sympathy to Kevin and his family.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the member for Barkly is on the other side of politics, but I feel there could have been a little more cooperation. We are, as members of parliament, down the bottom of the scale at the moment in the eyes of the public, and something that may have lifted us a bit would have been the Chief Minister offering to help the member for Barkly go back to his electorate for the beginning of the important Borella Ride. That would have been something above party politics, because we all represent different electorates and we all are members of this parliament.
The public does not have much time for us. People tell me what they think the state of affairs is, and it is not nice. It would have been a kind gesture for the Chief Minister to offer a ride to the member for Barkly, because it is in his electorate. I do not know who else the Chief Minister is taking, but I thought the local member would have been of a higher priority than some of the other people going. It is not my decision, but I feel I have to make that comment.
When it came into power, one thing I asked the government to do was set up a task force to look at where some of the Aboriginal communities, especially in my electorate, are going. I wanted a task force to look at a range of things, because there appears to be no vision for these places. I have Knuckey Lagoon community and the 15 Mile community. There are Aboriginal communities in Darwin itself, such as One Mile Dam and Bagot, but my original concern was Knuckey Lagoon and the 15 Mile community.
There seems to be no policy which sets out where these communities are going into the future. I asked to be part of the committee to look at these issues, and when I asked questions in this parliament – as the member for Stuart would know – I was told, ‘I only look after one part of it and Lands and Planning are looking after another part of it’. I ask the Chief Minister, who has reintroduced Indigenous Affairs as a portfolio of government, to forget what happened previously and look at the issues in relation to these communities.
There is a range of issues that need to be looked at. For instance, the land in Knuckey Lagoon and 15 Mile is owned by the Aboriginal Development Foundation, which gets some money, but not much. The houses are owned by Yilli Rreung, so houses owned by one body are sitting on land owned by another, and that brings in complications with removing people who are causing social disharmony in that community. How do you enforce those laws, especially when you do not own the land? You could get someone evicted from the house, but they are not evicted from the land.
What opportunities are there for the people in those communities to buy their houses? Some of the houses in those communities are miles better than mine; they are good houses. Is there opportunity, instead of people paying rent, to get ownership of those houses?
I have heard plans to increase the number of houses at Knuckey Lagoon, but they are just plans, ideas. Larrakia Nation tried to put a bid in to take over some of the ownership of those communities. I am not sure whether they want to take over the land, the houses, or both, but there was some reaction from members of those communities who felt they did not want to be managed by Larrakia Nation, and there were reasons for that. That is not to say Larrakia Nation does not do a good job, but in this case there was some resistance to that occurring.
However, if we are to have a discussion they should be part of it. I would like the Chief Minister to look where we are going with those communities. Are we just rolling along and not really trying to give them some direction; that direction also has to come from them. People live there who have never really had a direct say in who will represent them. We have a couple of good people, Phil Goodman and Ronnie Agnew, who are sort of de facto leaders of those communities, but they have never been elected and have never been appointed by their community. The community has not had any real say, and they might not want these people to continue in that role.
There are issues of governance, house ownership, land ownership and who looks after the infrastructure. There are questions about whether some of those properties should have public roads and come under the local council. Then there are the social issues. There is no doubt these places have issues with drugs and alcohol, and have people who drift in from other communities and cause conflict.
There is a range of issues. These communities are sitting on Darwin’s doorstep but we do not seem to be able to put together a way forward. I have not heard anything from the committees that were set up. I am not sure where they went. Portfolios have changed and ministers have changed, and I have not seen a report to parliament about what happened in relation to the bodies that were formed. I want to be part of that discussion, not to say I will be telling people what to do, but as the local member it would be nice to be part of some of those discussions. I do not know if it is because I do not belong to government that I was not invited, appointed or allowed to be an observer to the original discussions.
Chief Minister, you have set up a portfolio of Indigenous Affairs, which is a good idea. As the minister for this portfolio, I am happy to sit down with you. I want you to ensure the community is part of it, and that it is not run from above but is run from the bottom up. You must make sure, if you set up a task force, that the community in these places are part of that discussion.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to update the House on what the Department of Housing is doing to support government’s actions in regard to Cyclone Lam.
Our call centre will be operating 24/7 for the next five days, or as long as required. Staff with suitable experience will assist call centre staff on a roster system to run four shifts every 24 hours. Additional Public Housing Safety Officers will be deployed tonight to assist any tenants in Darwin who may be impacted by visitors from the evacuation centre if they cause any antisocial behaviour at public housing dwellings. We will implement a post-event recovery management plan which will deploy staff to assess damages in affected communities once safe to do so.
We will deal with tenants unable to return to their homes, dependent on damage, or find alternative housing options, and identify contractors who can assist with critical repairs and maintenance. We are also drafting communication material for tenants leaving shelters and returning to community, reminding them of the call centre contact numbers and the need to advise the Department of Housing of works identified upon return to their public housing dwellings. Reinforcing the safety of our tenants is paramount. My thoughts go out to the people of Warruwi who were flown in today.
In regard to a question raised earlier by the member for Arnhem about housing in Elliott, yes, the Barkly Regional Council had organised a meeting on 2 February in Elliott to discuss the status of community housing at North Camp, Gurungu; South Camp, Wilyugu; and Marlinja outstation. My department was represented by senior officers from Darwin and Alice Springs. Others who attended included representatives of the Australian government, the Northern Land Council, the Barkly Regional Council and community residents.
The issues raised related to the state of housing and the need for additional housing. The Northern Territory government has been clear, for some time now, that there is no money for new houses on homelands, outstations and town camps.
The homelands program provides a contribution towards the cost of delivering municipal and essential services, and housing maintenance services to homelands, outstations and town camps. This program is not a housing construction program. Barkly Regional Council is funded to provide municipal and essential services and housing maintenance to Gurungu, Wilyugu and Marlinja through the homelands program, and employs staff to deliver these services.
The Northern Territory government has no tenure over any parcel of land within these locations. Barkly Regional Council is aware of the process required to seek consideration by the Territory and Commonwealth governments for social housing. Let us not forget, Labor ignored Elliott for eleven-and-a-half years; it totally ignored them and did not care. Labor signed the Northern Territory up to SIHIP and forgot to include Elliott. Member for Arnhem, you should ask Labor members why they did not look into that or why they forgot Elliott existed.
Last, I want to talk a bit on my community of Yuendumu. There was a loss there recently. The Yuendumu community lost a fellow by the name of Rick Berry who was working at the swimming pool with the community. The community felt lost without him. They have been grieving and have met his family; they came to Yuendumu and had a memorial service. They want to make sure people know that none of the people at Yuendumu or their relatives were running away to other communities to seek somewhere else to live where it was safe. They said they knew this fellow, they had high regard for him, and he was loved by the whole community. The community wanted to make sure the message got out there that he was a good bloke. Yes, they will miss him.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Nhulunbuy
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, I seek leave of absence for the member for Nhulunbuy for today on account of personal business. Gove airport was reopened this morning, and we wish Lynne, her family and all residents the best.
Leave granted.
STATEMENT BY CHIEF MINISTER
Cyclone Lam
Cyclone Lam
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I would like to make a brief statement on the situation with the cyclone along the north Arnhem coast. I want residents in the affected area to know our thoughts are with them as they bunker down in preparation for the cyclone’s arrival.
Cyclone Lam has taken a southerly turn overnight and is currently tracking towards the Northern Territory coast near Elcho Island. The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that the cyclone is continuing to intensify. A cyclone warning is in place for Goulburn Island to Numbulwar, including Nhulunbuy, Groote Eylandt and adjacent inland areas, to Bulman. A cyclone watch continues from Numbulwar to Port Roper with adjacent inland areas.
Firstly, I would like to update the Assembly on the situation at Goulburn Island. All residents of the Goulburn Island community of Warruwi, including surrounding outstations, are being asked to evacuate by air for their own safety. This is a precautionary measure, but we would rather not take any chances given the size and intensity of the cyclone.
The first aircraft left Darwin at 5.15 am this morning and the last flight is expected to arrive back in Darwin at 5 pm this afternoon. There are 18 fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters involved in the evacuation operation. The Warruwi controller advises that so far 318 people have been evacuated, with 112 remaining on the island. We expect all those remaining will be leaving this afternoon.
There are 120 children among those who have been airlifted so far. The Department of Education is making plans for the schooling of children evacuated from Warruwi while they remain in Darwin. They will be accommodated at an evacuation centre at the Darwin showgrounds where a range of government agencies are working together to ensure appropriate services are available.
I take the opportunity to thank the Northern Territory Emergency Service volunteers and the public employees who have been working since the early hours of this morning to make this happen.
I will briefly run through the main centres to give you an update on what is happening elsewhere in the region.
I can confirm that shelters on Elcho Island are open. The shelter at Shepherdson College on Elcho Island currently has 400 people in it. A second section of the college has been opened, with capacity for a further 300. Marthakal workshop currently has 250 people, with capacity for 50 more.
The shelter at Milingimbi is open and has capacity for 300 people. Backup shelters are ready if required at Milingimbi. People living at camps near the barge ramp have also been advised to move to shelter overnight, ahead of a possible storm surge. Approximately 50 residents from outstations have evacuated into the town.
At Ramingining the shelter is now open as well as the local police station. Most houses in Ramingining are built to code, and most residents are choosing to shelter at home. At 4 pm today the power supply at Ramingining will be turned off and this will affect water supply and flow.
At Gapuwiyak the community store closed at midday today. There are approximately 55 cyclone coded houses in the community. Residents of outstations have chosen not to evacuate. Power is expected to be cut off when winds reach dangerous levels.
In Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala the local emergency management committee is continuing to meet regularly and monitor the situation for the Nhulunbuy region, including Yirrkala. The shelter at Gove District Hospital remains open for the 90 people who are currently sheltering there.
Yirrkala Laynhapuy homelands centre closed last night as a cyclone shelter, and no residents were using the facility. It reopened this morning with a small number of people present. As a precaution, most residents of Wallaby Beach have relocated to shelter in Nhulunbuy.
Schools remain closed as well as most businesses. The Nhulunbuy Corporation, which is the operator of the Gove Airport, has reopened the airport, but please check flights with the airline directly before travelling because the airport may close again later today.
Rio Tinto is undertaking risk assessments to consider when to begin a staged reopening of the mine. The Gove District Hospital continues to operate with reduced services, and the emergency department continues to operate on a 24/7 basis.
A number of Arnhem Land schools remain closed today and tomorrow: Yirrkala School, Yirrkala Homelands School, Nhulunbuy High School, Nhulunbuy Primary School, Nhulunbuy Christian school, Baniyala school, Shepherdson College at Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak School, Milingimbi School, Ramingining School, and I closed the school at Warruwi earlier today. In addition, Maningrida school will be closed tomorrow. I know the member for Arafura is very interested in those parts of his electorate.
It is a very big and unpredictable cyclone. We have been tracking it for several days. It has been building in intensity over very warm water. Many residents of north Arnhem Land are in for a rough night tonight. I want them to know we are thinking of them and putting the preparations in place to keep them safe.
I urge everyone to take this cyclone very seriously and to listen to the advice of emergency services. Please listen to your local emergency stations and look for advice through secureNT for updates. If anything changes I will keep the Assembly updated as new information comes to hand.
Thank you for the opportunity of making a statement to the parliament.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for updating the House on the cyclone.
This cyclone is having a big impact on my electorate. I understand that Warruwi has been evacuated, and this is a very stressful time for the residents. They are leaving their homes and all their belongings behind, not knowing what they will return to.
I urge everyone in the affected areas to stay safe, look after each other and do what they are asked to do by the police and emergency services.
I want the people of Warruwi, Maningrida and all other areas affected by this cyclone to know they are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the cyclone update. On behalf of the opposition, I also thank, for the hard work being done, police and emergency services, the community organisations and the churches.
Our prayers and thoughts are with the communities of Arnhem Land. It is a trying time but we know the people are strong and have always had a very strong culture of supporting each other. Our prayers will be for the best possible, and safest, outcome for all of these communities.
Chief Minister, we welcome the updates you have been providing us.
PETITION
Petition No 43 – Stop Eradication Program and Save our Banana Plants
Petition No 43 – Stop Eradication Program and Save our Banana Plants
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I present a petition from 970 petitioners praying that the eradication program is stopped and the banana plants saved. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate and it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. I move that the petition be read.
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, this petition of banana growers in the Red Zones of the NT brings to the attention of the House that the Banana Freckle Eradication Program in the NT is causing significant hardship and trauma in that we have been assured that our banana plants are free of banana freckle. We declare we will not take our banana materials out of the Northern Territory and we are concerned for the loss of biodiversity if our heritage-style banana plants are destroyed. Banana freckle has been classified in other parts of the world as a low-risk pest if regulated adequately.
We, the undersigned, humbly petition you to stop the eradication program and save our banana plants.
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LONG SERVICE LEAVE AND BENEFITS AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 112)
(Serial 112)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr STYLES (Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Construction Industry Long Service Leave and Benefits Act to enhance the benefits to workers in the NT Build scheme, to provide greater certainty and clarification on the way the levy will be calculated for major construction projects, and streamline and simplify the provisions relating to the constitution of the NT Build board.
The Northern Territory’s portable long service leave scheme for building and construction industry workers enables eligible workers to qualify for long service leave entitlements based on service in the industry, rather than service to a single employer.
The act currently requires a worker registered with the scheme to work 260 days to qualify for a year of service in the industry. This effectively means that a Territory construction industry worker must work the equivalent of 52 weeks by five days each week. This requirement is excessive when compared to similar schemes in other jurisdictions, and to the normal requirements of long service provisions in the public or private sectors.
Under the current scheme, workers are not given service credits for periods of unemployment. Construction is an industry where casual employment and turnover between jobs is a regular feature. Those frictional periods of unemployment result in lower long service leave credits or workers having to work considerably longer than 10 years to qualify for a benefit. Seasonal weather variability limits the capacity of Territory construction workers to achieve 260 working days a year to receive a year of service credit.
The lower 220 day threshold recognises that frictional unemployment is part of construction industry participation, even for full-time workers. A worker who exceeds 220 days of qualifying service in a year will still be able to exceed the maximum long service leave credit of six-and-a-half days. The requirement under the portable long service leave schemes in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia is 220 days.
One of the principle reasons for introducing the act in the Territory was to ensure there was no disincentive on long service leave grounds for attracting construction workers to the Territory. The majority of interstate workers registered in the Northern Territory scheme come from Queensland and New South Wales. Parity with the benefits accrued under those state schemes is desirable.
Under the proposed bill the lower 220 day threshold replaces the 260 day requirement. This brings long service leave entitlements for Territory construction workers on par with interstate building and construction industries, and other Northern Territory long service leave standards.
The Northern Territory’s portable long service leave scheme is self-funded through a levy on eligible construction work undertaken in the Territory of at least $1m or more in value, excluding single detached residential dwellings, and from investment earnings.
A two-tier levy regime applies for construction projects with construction costs in excess of $1bn. The prescribed levy rate, which applies to all eligible construction projects under the scheme, applies to the first $1bn. A project-specific levy rate determined by me, after consideration of a report prepared by the scheme actuary, is then set for the project costs in excess of the $1bn threshold.
The act currently does not provide any clear guidance to the actuary for the preparation of such a report. Also, the factors that I may take into consideration in determining a percentage rate for the excess amount are ambiguous.
The amendments in the proposed bill ensure the project-specific levy percentage rate for the over $1bn threshold will be sufficient to meet the assessed liabilities accrued to the scheme by the particular project. That is, the amount the project’s workforce will be entitled to claim through the scheme – no more and no less.
In April 2014 the government announced a number of changes to the scheme. These included a reduction of the levy rate required to fund the scheme from 0.3% to 0.1%, and the raising of the threshold for when the levy applies from projects costing from $200 000 up to $1m. In July 2015 the scheme will have completed 10 years of operation. As a result, the maturing of workers’ benefits will see long service leave payments progressively increased. The mix of these issues will require prudent oversight by the NT Build Board as the scheme moves forward.
The current provisions in the act relating to the constitution of the board require the appointment of two representatives each from organisations representing the interests of employers and employees in the Territory. This restricts my capacity to appoint members to a broader balance of qualification, skills or knowledge relevant to managing the future challenges facing the operation of the scheme.
The amendments contained in this proposed bill substitute the mandated representation requirement with a simplified and more streamlined general requirement. This will enable future board appointments to be based on relevant qualifications or skills or knowledge in areas such as financial management, investment, legal, corporate governance and Northern Territory construction industry knowledge.
No change has been made to the existing overall membership provisions requiring a minimum of five members, including the chairperson, and a maximum of seven members. This proposed bill will cap the number of public sector employees that may be appointed to the board to a maximum of two. This restriction ensures majority industry participation in the administration of the NT Build scheme and keeps the scheme established for the benefit of industry at arm’s length from government.
The Construction Industry Long Service Leave Amendment Bill 2015 will enhance the benefits to workers in the scheme, provide certainty on the calculation on the levy for major project constructions, and strengthen the governance framework underpinning the administration of the scheme.
I consider the amendments before the House today, in addition to the levy rate changes previously amended in April 2014, amount to significant fine-tuning of the scheme.
These changes will keep the Territory competitive and reduce impediments to investment in the development of the Territory. The changes also preserve the financial viability of the scheme and its ongoing capacity to attract and retain workers in the Northern Territory construction industry.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to the House and table the explanatory statement to accompany this bill.
Debate adjourned.
POLICE (SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE AND OTHER POWERS) BILL
(Serial 100)
(Serial 100)
Continued from 23 October 2014.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, the member for Nhulunbuy has a leave of absence for today. She is our shadow Police minister and she has asked me, as the former shadow Police minister, to deliver her speech in the House today. It is one acting shadow Police minister to an acting Police minister at the moment.
I thank the former Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services for bringing this bill forward to parliament, and I look forward to hearing from the new Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and former Deputy Chief Minister, the member for Brennan, who now has carriage of this important bill through the House today. The member for Nhulunbuy thanks the former minister for Police and his office for facilitating a briefing for her in her suite on 14 November, which was provided to her by senior members of NT Police.
The bill was introduced in the October sittings and the member for Nhulunbuy was briefed on 14 November last year in anticipation of the second reading debate coming before the House in the last week of November, the final sittings week for 2014.
We are not sure why the bill has been delayed for three months. We have not received any formal advice; there is some speculation that the Chief Minister might have been enjoying the end-of-year Speaker’s Christmas drinks, the bill was adjourned until this sittings. Or perhaps by the end of November the Chief Minister was aware of the Cabinet reshuffle he announced on 12 December – the 13th reshuffle – knew he would lose the Police portfolio in that reshuffle and thought, for whatever reason, he would leave this for the new minister to handle. Today we are debating this bill, which could have reasonably been passed in the November sittings.
On that note, the member for Nhulunbuy congratulates the member for Brennan on his new ministerial responsibilities and can only say he has got off to a good start; he has clearly made a positive impression on the members of the NT Police Association, given they have welcomed him warmly and express a strong desire to have a cooperative working relationship and, at the same time, have rejected outright the return of the Chief Minister to the role.
On behalf of the 1400 members of the NT Police Association – the men and women in uniform who, day in, day out work hard to keep Territorians safe — Mr Vince Kelly made it quite plain they welcome minister Chandler as someone they can work with. In an interview on ABC radio on 11 February Mr Kelly said of the minister:
- He has been working hard to rebuild a relationship with the Northern Territory Police Association. I know he’s been working closely with the interim Commissioner of Police and other senior police to try and keep the police force on track so I guess it’s just an acknowledgement of that. But of course the flip side is it’s an acknowledgement by the Chief Minister that his relationship with both the police force and in particular senior management of the police force who he has insulted in the last week by his initial comments in that press conference last week and by his half-hearted apology a couple of days ago is at an all-time low and what I think is what the police force needs is strong, stable ministerial leadership and I would urge the Chief Minister not to be changing the Police minister in a couple of months’ time when these inquiries are finished but if minister Chandler is doing a good job and delivering on behalf of the community and members of the police force and has put, has been able to work with the Commissioner of Police whether that might be to rebuild stability and faith in the police force then he should stay.
Member for Brennan, that is a positive start for you, and I wish you well in maintaining a positive relationship with the Northern Territory Police Association.
For whatever reason, I suspect the delay of the passage of this bill comes as a great disappointment and frustration to police, who I know, from the November briefing, were keen to see this legislation passed in order to strengthen police powers to fight and solve crime.
The opposition fully supports this bill which will bring the Northern Territory into line with other jurisdictions and make the work of NT Police in cracking down on organised criminal networks easier, with new special investigative powers. I understand the genesis of this bill is from the joint working group of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council, which has as one of its aims the alignment provision between jurisdictions to enable more seamless investigative powers across boarders and what I have read described as legal sequenicity.
The bill brings the NT into line with the rest of Australia to provide additional powers and options for law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations and intelligence gathering in relation to criminal activity.
I note from the minister’s second reading speech that the bill is divided into three parts: controlled operations; assumed identities; and witness identity protection. Through the briefing I received and feedback from stakeholders, including the NT Police Association and the Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory, the need for this bill and additional special investigative powers of police is very apparent. Based on the model law for cross-border law enforcement operations and investigations, this bill will authorise and permit police to more easily obtain the necessary paperwork they need to use assumed identities when conducting undercover work.
For example, this bill will enable police, through a process outlined in the draft legislation, to get access to documents such as birth certificates from Births, Deaths and Marriages, and drivers licences, and to acquire the proper authentic paperwork to show they have a specific skill set appropriate to their assumed identity such as an electrician or a plumber. Obviously the creation of evidence of an assumed identity through fictitious documentation is central to enabling undercover operatives to conduct their investigation and the acquisition of such evidence documents is only granted in, as the minister described, appropriate circumstances.
It is the use of an assumed identity that, in a controlled operation, an undercover operation, as the minister said in the second reading speech:
- … authorises a law enforcement officer to engage in what would otherwise be unlawful conduct for the purpose of obtaining evidence of a serious criminal offence.
And went on to say:
- An assumed identity is a false identity that protects an authorised officer or civilian who is engaging in investigating criminal activity …
I note this bill not only allows NT Police these powers, but also other members of Australian police forces when they are undertaking cross-border operations. As was highlighted in the briefing the member for Nhulunbuy received, it is the special investigative powers which will better assist police to get criminals. By way of example – a very notable example provided to me – it was these powers that brought about conviction in the Daniel Morecombe case.
The opposition, in supporting this bill, is satisfied it has in place the necessary checks and balances to protect against any potential for abuse of an assumed identity. Indeed, authorised officers, as the second reading speech points out, are not immune from certain liabilities simply because they have an assumed identity, and nor are they excused from criminal or civil liability if they engage in conduct that oversteps the role of their assumed identity.
I note the bill contains a mechanism for accountability in ensuring special powers and assumed identities are compliant with the proposed legislation to ensure there are no breaches. The conduct and monitoring of patrolled operations and the acquisition and use of assumed identities for operatives both within the NT and in other jurisdictions will be reported on by the Ombudsman. Clearly the oversight role of the Ombudsman is an important and necessary step to ensure the practice of these extra powers is not abused.
This legislation is necessary now as we are the only jurisdiction that does not have these powers, and more sophisticated criminal elements, like organised crime and terrorist groups, do monitor laws in countries, states and territories. We need to act now before these groups realise there are weaker laws in the Territory and exploit them.
We do not want these groups setting up shop in the Territory because of a legislative weakness. There is also a firm belief within NT Police that when this law passes they can move quite swiftly on organised criminal networks like Internet child pornography offenders. In the current climate around the heightened awareness about the threat of terrorist activities, these special investigative powers can only strengthen police capacity to ward of such threats.
It will come as no surprise that the Northern Territory Police Association supports the legislation. They support anything that protects their members, and this is an obvious set of protections for not only members of the police, but their families as well.
I am also glad to see that this bill makes it easier to provide a comprehensive witness protection. The Criminal Lawyers Association said, ‘The bill represents a significant intrusion on civil liberties, but our tentative view is that it should be supported. It is part of a national legislative scheme which has been developed to respond to the challenge of sophisticated organised crime. However, we have not yet checked to see if there has been significant debate about the equivalent legislation in other jurisdictions.’
Madam Speaker, the opposition supports the bill. We welcome the new minister to this role. Both I, as a former shadow Police minister, and the current shadow Police minister look forward to working with him on other things on a positive NT Police agenda, like the blood legislation, the review of the NT Police Act and the need for the reintroduction of chaplaincy and welfare support for police. A number of things are important to police, but these things are definitely important to police. Perhaps with a new Police minister in the role we can work on those things and discuss them, in good faith with the NT Police Association. With his good relationship with the NT Police Association, maybe we can get some progress on them.
We support this bill and commend it to the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I rise to strongly support the passage of this legislation and place on the record my thanks to the opposition for seeing the wisdom of this legislation in a number of areas. No doubt the Criminal Lawyers Association would be critical of a legislative instrument of this nature.
Hello Eleanor, how are you today, sweetheart?
Over the Christmas break I took advantage of the Legislative Assembly’s capacity to enable members to go on a study tour. I found myself in the United States, and I will be reporting in much greater length on that in the not so distant future.
During that trip I managed to speak to the District Attorney of Los Angeles, Jackie Lacey, the District Attorney of New York, Cyrus Vance, and whilst I was in Los Angeles I also managed to speak to Detective Jorge Luis Martinez of the gangs and narcotics division in the Los Angeles area.
These are people who know their stuff. I wanted to talk to these people because the organisations this legislation is targeted at are exactly the sort of organisations that have no regard for international boundaries, state jurisdictions or the law.
One of those organisations we are seeing come out of the United States at the moment, and which is patching over in other jurisdictions in Australia, is the Mongols motorcycle group. I was aware of this before I went on my study tour, but my study tour has reinforced some of my nervousness about some of these organisations.
Whilst Detective Martinez dealt with the Spanish crime gangs coming out of Mexico, I also had a discussion with him about one particular organisation. I will use that organisation as an example as to why this sort of legislation is necessary and cross-border jurisdictional powers have to be extended to our police forces.
I draw honourable members’ attention to a United States District Court for the Central District of California indictment in front of a grand jury. It was lodged in February 2008 and is an indictment against a list of members of an organisation called the Mongols motorcycle group. Inter alia, I will quote from that indictment to give you an idea of the type of things we ask our police to restrain.
Paragraph 8 of that indictment reads:
- Mongols crimes typically include acts of violence, ranging from battery to murder, drug trafficking offenses, money laundering, weapons-trafficking, extortion and, very frequently, hate crimes directed against African-American persons who might come into contact with the Mongols.
- Members often commit their crimes and acts of violence with the conviction that they cannot be prosecuted because they believe victims and witnesses are afraid to testify against them or to cooperate with law enforcement for fear of retaliation by the larger Mongols organization.
Paragraph 9 of the indictment says:
- The Mongols gang is actively engaged in drug-trafficking, especially the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine.
- Persons in conflict with, or who might be perceived to have shown disrespect to, Mongols may be beaten severely or even killed by being kicked repeatedly with steel-toed boots, stabbed or shot. The organization also directs attacks against law enforcement officers and witnesses who would be willing to cooperate with law enforcement for the prosecution of crimes committed by members of the Mongols, and the organization frequently pays for the legal representation of members who commit crimes, such as assaults and murders, on behalf of the Mongols.
This I find astonishing, but I will read it out to give you an idea of the depth of character we are dealing with in these types of organisations. Paragraph 12 – for those who have a weak stomach leave the room now – of the indictment says:
- Mongols are also encouraged and expected to engage in sex acts at Mongols functions or when pre-arranged ‘wing parties’ are held. They then are rewarded with different-colored wings patches. The different colours of the patches identify specific sex acts performed by the member in front of the organization, such as green wings to represent sex with a woman who has a venereal disease and purple wings to represent sex with a woman who is dead.
- The Mongols ‘Mother Chapter’ may award a specific Mongols members a ‘skull and crossbones’ or a ‘Respect Few Fear None’ patch to those members who have committed murder or engaged acts of violence on behalf of the Mongols.
The indictment goes on to read:
- The Mongols maintain a ready supply of firearms, including handguns, shotguns, automatic assault rifles, and machine-guns, in order to enforce the authority of the gang. Such weapons are often stolen or unregistered so that the use of the weapons cannot be readily connected to the gang member who either used the weapon or maintained it.
Madam Speaker 17(a) of that indictment reads as follows:
- Members of the Mongols commit, attempt, and threaten to commit acts of violence, including murder, to protect and expand the enterprise’s criminal operation, which includes assaults, murder, intimidation, robbery, drug-trafficking and threats of violence directed against rival gang members, law enforcement, and potential witnesses to the crimes of the enterprise.
It goes on and on talking about defendants named in the indictment who would obtain firearms, knives, bulletproof vests and explosives to be used to enforce the authority of the Mongols against rival gang members, the general public and law enforcement. I do not need to read out the rest of the indictment as the picture is becoming pretty clear: individuals in outlaw motorcycle gangs, just by way of example, in this instance the Mongols, have scant, if any, regard for the law whatsoever, and the only law they respect is the law of the jungle.
We, however, as a civilised society, require certain processes to be followed so we can make sure the rule of law is properly maintained, and we represent the will of the people we serve rather than enforce an environment which would have these gentlemen putting their law out, not as an object of service, but enslavement. That is what separates us, as a society, from these sorts of characters. We legitimise what we do because we have the endorsement of the public through an electoral process. These are self-appointed thugs who would establish their own system of government to pursue their enslavement of people through thuggery, brutality and, quite frankly, savagery.
However, as a society – and this is what I understand about the comments from the Criminal Lawyers Association – we have to measure and temper the powers we authorise through reflection. That is what we are doing. Upon reflection on this bill, I am quite comfortable that the powers we offer are nothing more than an honest and reasonable response to organisations that despise national boundaries, or simply do not give them any consideration.
That is also true for those boundaries within a country where we have jurisdictional differences. It is clear that the United States struggles with this issue. They have some 18 000 police forces, by virtue of the way they construct themselves. Policing in the United States is often an extension of local government. We are lucky to have no more than seven or eight police forces in our jurisdiction, which means we can more effectively and comprehensively build arrangements between those police forces. But those arrangements need to be legitimised, not just by way of agreement but in the legislation of each of the jurisdictions so the people who are governed in each of those jurisdictions are properly protected by their representative government.
This bill is about due process being created around a set of authorities which will then be used by a highly accountable police force in a highly accountable way. To stand in the way of good law would be remiss of us in the extreme. The legislation before us in no way intrudes or extends itself in any negative fashion in relation to the good and law-abiding burghers who live in the Northern Territory, as well as other jurisdictions in this country. But they do find a way and seek to intrude upon the lawless thugs who make up the criminal organisations at which this legislation is targeted. To that end, one can not only support this legislation but applaud it as it passes this House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I do not have any of those colourful examples the member for Port Darwin has presented in supporting the case for the introduction of this legislation. I also support this important bill.
I will go through some of the details, but I have a letter from the member for Fong Lim’s favourite Police Association President, Mr Vince Kelly. He wrote to the member for Port Darwin as the Attorney-General. He raised a number of issues, and we should have on record in Hansard the government’s response to those issues. He said in that letter:
- We …
Meaning the Police Association:
- … remain concerned that the protections included in the bill do not adequately assist our members in ensuring self-incriminating statements and materials are quarantined from use in any other jurisdiction. Had we been properly consulted on the draft bill before it was tabled in parliament our association would have raised our concerns over the ability of civil plaintiffs being able to obtain discovery of transcripts of disciplinary hearings when making claims in tort against the Northern Territory and individual members of the police force, as determined by the Chief Magistrate, Mr Lowndes SM in the matter of Huddleston v Northern Territory of Australia NTMC039. By extension of that decision, it is also likely that any testimony and documentary evidence disclosed in disciplinary hearing could also be used against an impugned member in criminal prosecutions.
- We would seek that it be amended …
- … to provide protection to a member who has been charged with a disciplinary offence pursuant to section 84A of the act by inserting a new subsection under section 84B stating that hearings under that section are to be conducted in camera and that evidence, both oral and documentary, produced in such a hearing, and the transcript of the hearing, may not be used in any other proceedings against a member under the act other than in an appeal pursuant to Part 4 or in any civil or criminal proceedings in any court or tribunal other than the Police Appeals Board.
The association also asked that clause 6 of the bill be amended so clause 79A 3(a) does not exclude the answers and information provided by an impugned member to be used in appeal proceedings under Part VI of the act, which would appear to be the effect of the current wording of that amendment.
My feeling from reading this letter from the Police Association was that they felt they were not consulted adequately in relation to this bill. They wrote to the Attorney-General with their concerns about what they thought should be changed. I cannot argue a case for or against their submission or say if they have valid complaints about a number of clauses in this bill, but I am interested to hear, and presume the Police Association would also, what the minister has to say in relation to the issues raised. The Police Association represents police on the ground, and it would be interesting to hear what the minister has to say in relation to those matters.
Notwithstanding the Police Association has raised a number of concerns, I understand the importance of this bill. I understand it is operating in all other states, and we are the last state to introduce this legislation. The Attorney-General mentioned the importance of disrupting organised crime networks and motorcycle gangs, and it is important we make sure, if we are to fight crime and criminal networks, we are able to do it without the limitations of the borders of states and territories, which may get in the way of making sure we get better outcomes in reducing this type of behaviour.
Mr CHANDLER (Police, Fire and Emergency Services): Madam Speaker, I thank the members for Fannie Bay, Nelson and Port Darwin for their support and contributions to this important legislation.
This legislation will certainly strengthen the government’s commitment to law and order in the Northern Territory. I am advised that the questions you specifically asked, member for Nelson, would not really apply in this legislation because it would be covered in the normal disciplinary side of things when dealing with police officers. If a police officer does the wrong thing they will be caught and disciplined.
This legislation has been in operation in other jurisdictions for many years now, and those issues have not come to the fore. I can only assume that is because they would be covered off in any disciplinary actions against a police officer, if they did the wrong thing.
The Police (Special Investigative and other Powers) Bill is another measure to provide additional operational powers for the Northern Territory Police Force and authorised Commonwealth law enforcement agencies to conduct cross-border operations and investigations.
The bill is based on the model law developed by the National Joint Working Group of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council. While some tools exist for the police to tackle serious criminal enterprise, this bill will provide the capacity for a coordinated and collaborative response to cross-border operations and the mutual recognition of similar legislation in other states.
I hope members will support this legislation; it would appear that we do have support today.
The public expects of our government a commitment to law and order, and legislation that will assist the police in achieving our government’s commitment to a 10% reduction in crime.
I know that today honourable members will support this bill. As was said by the Attorney-General, the member for Port Darwin, this kind of legislation should be applauded, not just supported.
The message is clear that we are protecting community safety through the implementation of effective legislation and sending the message that police will now have an effective law enforcement tool to target offenders involved in serious criminal enterprise.
The key features of this bill were: to create a new police power to conduct a controlled operation without the limitation of state and territory borders; allow police and other nominated national bodies to access, under strict guidelines, the use of assumed identities and witness identity protection; and to mutually recognise similar legislation in place in all other jurisdictions.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Mr CHANDLER (Police, Fire and Emergency Services) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motional agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Power and Water Corporation – The Journey towards Building a First-class Utility Sector
Power and Water Corporation – The Journey towards Building a First-class Utility Sector
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, for and on behalf of the Treasurer, I will present the Power and Water Corporation – Journey towards Building a First-class Utility Sector statement.
Building the north and laying the foundation for a prosperous future requires that we have a responsive, reliable, efficient and first-class utilities provider. I rise today to share with the House the important work the government is doing to ensure the Northern Territory meets this challenge now and into the future.
The electricity and water journey over the past 18 months has been a challenging one. Structural changes to the Power and Water Corporation were needed to bring it in line with national reforms in the utility sector which started 20 years ago in all other states and territories.
These reforms are not the first to the Northern Territory utilities market or to Power and Water particularly. Fifteen years ago, retail competition started and new regulations were introduced which allowed other generators and retailers to access Power and Water Corporation’s electricity network, while at the same time the independent regulator, the Utilities Commission, was established. Despite all other states continuing with the Council of Australian Governments’ – COAG – reform process, including the federal government, under the Northern Territory Labor government the reforms stalled.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the minister has now entered the Chamber. Perhaps he would like to carry on from page 2, paragraph 3.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I put on the record my thanks to the Leader of Government Business; he is certainly doing my job well.
The NT Labor government’s lack of reform commitment allowed the Power and Water Corporation to operate as a monopoly with little or no competition. This led to Territory taxpayers subsidising electricity supply operations and infrastructure to the point where debt was becoming unsustainable. Under Labor’s so-called stewardship, the debt increased from $290m in 2003-04 to $1.2bn in 2011-12. The taxpayer-funded subsidies increased from $95m per annum to $136m over the same period. In this nine-year period the taxpayer-funded subsidies amounted to $1.1bn.
Given the government’s limited borrowing capacity, courtesy of the opposition’s reckless mismanagement of the books, the question for the Giles government was whether we wanted to continue pouring money into what was clearly an ailing organisation, or to move the Power and Water Corporation to a sustainable footing which could serve the needs of a growing Territory. To this end, the Giles government restarted the reform process, which was a key to achieving the government’s overriding objectives for the provision of safe, reliable and low-cost electricity to Territorians.
For the information of members, I highlight some facts about the Power and Water Corporation. By any measure, the Power and Water Corporation is a big business in the Northern Territory. It is an important business to get right, both in government spending and serving the people of the Northern Territory. There can be no room for complacency or poor governance. There can be no room for poorly-targeted and wasteful investment. Ensuring the best for the Northern Territory demands careful management of our utilities, with an eye on value for money.
The Power and Water Corporation has around 90 000 customers across 1.3 million square kilometres of the Northern Territory. This includes 72 remote communities and 66 outstations. Power and Water also employs 895 staff and is one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory.
The electricity network is managed by Power Networks Business Unit and has around 10 000 km of regulated electricity transmission and distribution lines. This includes 5600 km of overhead lines, 1690 km of underground cable and 37 500 poles and towers. There are more than 400 km of 132 kV line connecting Darwin to Katherine. This infrastructure is maintained by 160 staff and 21 contractors. A total of $38m is spent on repairs and maintenance, with $75m on capital expenditure.
The electricity network endures a lot and receives damage from a wide range of impacts, including the climate, flora and fauna and, of course, human error. In the last 12 months, the power network has received damage from 12 car accidents; 38 animals, including snakes, bats and birds; one fire; 117 lightning strikes; 433 weather events; 33 trees blown into mains; six incidents of vandalism; and six incidents of wind-borne debris. That is a total of 646 external factors that have impacted on the power network and caused interruptions to electricity supply.
It is clear from this that it is a mighty task to keep the network in good shape. Power and Water crews are on call every hour of the day, every day of the year. No matter the weather, they are out there repairing the network for customers.
Power and Water’s Water Services Business Unit manages three surface reservoirs, including Darwin River Dam; 42 pump stations; and 227 bores that service remote communities and produce over 10 000 ML of water. Power and Water also maintains 52 water storage tanks and 2915 km of water mains. It may surprise you to learn that Territorians consume around 48 billion litres of water each year, with over 1200 L consumed by the average household every day in the Darwin region. That water is still sourced and managed by the Power and Water Corporation.
Then there is waste water, not very glamorous but entirely essential. Power and Water provides sewerage services to the Northern Territory’s five major centres, maintains over 1000 km of sewerage pipes and treats around 23 billion litres of waste water every year. Most of this waste water is treated using water stabilisation ponds, but in Alice Springs there is also a water re-use project. This project recycles 600 million litres of water a year and is the first project of its kind in Australia. The treated waste water is pumped 6.2 km to infiltration basins at the Arid Zone Research Institute where it recharges underground aquifers.
That brings me to the Indigenous Essential Services side of the business. As part of remote operations, IES has 52 people working in communities across the Northern Territory to keep 180 generators running 24/7, ensuring electricity and water services are provided to those communities. About 31 million litres of diesel are delivered to communities across vast terrains to keep those generators running.
Making changes in such a big business is difficult. There is resistance because everyone – management, staff, customer and voters – are naturally used to the way things have always been done. The challenge can but put into the too-hard basket year after year, as the previous Labor government demonstrated. But that is not our style. Our government stepped up and took on this task. We want the very best from this important utility sector.
The Giles government grasped the challenge to reshape and redefine the utilities industry in the Northern Territory, to breathe new life into the Power and Water Corporation and to ensure our future growth and development is not shackled by the inadequacies of the past. Today the Power and Water Corporation is a vastly more efficient business than it was 18 months ago. It is more accountable and professional.
Power and Water aspires to be a leading utilities business that is valued and respected in the community. This aspiration is not lightly held. Today and every day, Power and Water is working to be commercially sustainable, meeting service standards and maintaining a professional, capable and accountable workforce within a positive and safe environment.
Today the Power and Water Corporation has a blueprint for the future which details key strategies, plans and performance indicators for network reliability and the delivery of an efficient, low-cost network service. This plan is consistent with the Government Owned Corporations Act objectives to operate at least as efficiently as any comparable business and to maximise a sustainable return to the Northern Territory on its investment in the corporation.
Our plan for the future of electricity and water services for the Northern Territory did not happen by accident. It took place because the Giles government had the courage to make strong decisions for the future of the Northern Territory. We did not shirk the difficult questions or run from the challenges. We may have had a few squabbles and fights, but there is no too-hard basket here. We put policies into place that deliver for the Northern Territory.
What is the foundation of this change, this renewal of the Power and Water Corporation? Structural separation and regulatory reform, the initiative by this government that has inspired a remarkable reshaping and revitalising of this most important of industry sectors. The structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation into three government owned corporations continues to drive the change needed to create a vibrant utilities industry in the Northern Territory. Structural separation is providing a more transparent and competitive industry. Separation is continuing to drive innovation and accountability so the whole utilities sector has the capacity to change and grow with the Northern Territory into the future.
Today, with structural separation as the foundation and catalyst for change, the Power and Water Corporation is smarter, leaner and more efficient. Today the corporation has a clear vision for the future and a plan to get there.
It is clear to me that the Power and Water Corporation of today is a vastly different entity than it was 18 months ago. It has taken some significant steps forward and has delivered efficiencies which include: improved planning scheduling in Power Networks and Water Services, ensuring the maintenance happens when it is needed so systems are more reliable; extensive vegetation management programs that remove troublesome trees and plants to prevent damage to water mains and power lines; and efficiencies in the stores area. Power and Water has established a corporately-centralised warehouse store function and an electrical parts supply panel contract. The panel contract introduces greater competition into parts supply and has significantly lowered prices on some items.
Power Networks has also invested in the establishment of warehouses and storerooms to manage spare parts, consumables and replacement assets. This ensures parts and replacement assets are correctly stored and are easy to locate whenever required.
A dedicated Essential Spares Coordinator is embedded within the asset management team and works closely with standards and asset engineers to identify the required spares and procure them. These parts are then managed by the corporate stores function.
These improved procurement processes have already delivered. Over $0.5m has been saved by improving an electrical parts supply contract. There have been savings of $36 000 in freight consolidation, $20 000 in improved forklift hire processes, and thousands of dollars by simply consolidating freight costs to and from the stores depot. Simple changes made are delivering big efficiency impacts now and into the future.
Right across the Power and Water Corporation efficiencies have been implemented in all areas. A new Power and Water Board consisting of highly-qualified capable people is providing strong leadership in strategy, goals and objectives. This leadership has helped set the corporation on a path of improved performance and increased capabilities and technologies. With a strong and focused leadership in place, Power and Water has set about making the important changes needed. Teams have been revitalised and appropriate workforce planning has been undertaken to ensure the best outcome for the corporation in all areas. Important considerations about critical roles and competency, as well as recruitment and succession planning, is under way to ensure short, medium and long-term workforce requirements are delivered.
Governance, financial systems and business processes have been improved and streamlined. A new financial management program is being implemented, and this will further increase the transparency of costs across Power and Water as well as the two other government owned corporations of Jacana Energy and Territory Generation.
Red tape is being slashed through the introduction of a one-stop shop for developers. Based at Power and Water’s Ben Hammond Complex, this one-stop shop ensures engagement with stakeholders can be managed well and that development processes are streamlined.
One of the jewels in the crown of our achievements is the creation of Power and Water’s own procurement framework. This framework is already paying dividends by ensuring tenders are better advertised and selection processes are transparent. Perhaps more importantly, Power and Water’s new procurement framework is designed to build the skills and capacity of local business to compete with interstate and overseas companies for important electricity and water infrastructure tenders. This not only supports this government’s goals of a more efficient and reliable utility, it also provides a platform for local business to compete outside the Northern Territory in other utilities industry markets. This has the capacity to grow business here, which is, of course, good for everyone.
Another significant area is the aligning of safety and environment frameworks within Power and Water to the national standard. Initiatives and programs have been identified and implemented to improve safety leadership, culture and behaviours across the Power and Water workforce, including a strong focus on proactive health and wellbeing.
These changes have required a strong commitment from the leadership at Power and Water, and I am pleased that this process has been driven from the highest level.
Upgrades to a security management system and an emergency management system are currently being developed, with foundation work under way to ensure Power and Water follows best practice in these areas. And it does not stop there. Records management is undergoing a process of improvement, and audit and risk initiatives are being strengthened.
The Power and Water call centre is going from strength to strength with some remarkable statistics. In the 12 months of 2013-14, 160 000 customer calls were taken, which is a monthly average of 14 000. However, in the current year to date the Power and Water call centre has taken 117 000 calls, a monthly average of nearly 17 000 calls. In October 2014 alone, 20 370 calls were answered. That is an average of 885 calls a day. Eight-four per cent of these calls were answered within 30 seconds. Most calls were resolved within four minutes and 30 seconds. Clearly these figures show an increase on the annualised 2013-14 figures and demonstrate just how committed Power and Water staff are to improving customer service.
I have spoken at length about the dedicated people and process improvements at Power and Water, but I have only just touched on infrastructure. Investment in infrastructure is vital for the security and reliability of any utility. However, that investment must always be appropriately targeted and represent value for money. Over the past 18 months there has been carefully targeted investment in Power and Water infrastructure across the Northern Territory. This investment is designed to deliver value for money and high-quality outcomes for Territorians whether they live in an urban, regional or remote area.
The replacement of three 132 kV circuit breakers at the Hudson Creek Switchyard occurred during the 2014 Dry Season. This substantive piece of work was brought forward following the System Black event of 12 March last year. As with all crises, there is an opportunity to learn. Clearly Power and Water has used this unacceptable event as a catalyst for a renewed commitment to best practice. Replacing another three 132 kV circuit breakers is scheduled during the 2015 Dry Season.
Other substantial infrastructure upgrades that have taken place over the last 18 months include rebuilding of zone substations that are at their end of life. Snell Street zone substation – as I mentioned earlier – is one of those. City Zone, McMillans, Berrimah, Humpty Doo and Casuarina Zone substation replacements are all either under way or part of Power and Water’s five-year upgrade plan.
Improvements in metering are seeing a decrease in equipment malfunctions and inconsistencies. An accelerated inspection program of metering installations is under way to ensure these comply with national electricity industry rules. There is also a pilot program looking at smart meters that provide real time usage information, with a view to evaluating their appropriateness and impact on the distribution network. This is an area I am particularly keen to see results in, because if smart meters work as suggested, there are significant benefits to Territory households.
Remote communities are not forgotten in this ongoing infrastructure enhancement plan, which includes upgrades to the Kintore power station, water filtration upgrades at Robinson River and construction of a new gas-fired regional power station at Wadeye. This $12.8m power station is situated well out of town and will not only provide safer and more reliable electricity supplies 24 hours a day every day of the year, the generation process is quieter and environmental hazards are reduced because diesel is no longer needed for power generation, with a saving of over two million litres of diesel every year.
The benefits of this new power station are even more far reaching. It means that hard lines can be run from Wadeye to Peppimenarti and Palumpa so those diesel power stations can be closed, which will save another 700 000 L of diesel fuel every year.
There are plans for a regional power station on the Tiwi Islands. Nguiu is benefiting from a trial of 90 new prepaid metres, designed to show customers how much electricity they are using so they can make informed usage decisions.
Making informed decisions is also at the heart of the Manymak project, which is rolling out to Indigenous communities across the Top End. Manymak provides for a range of relevant energy efficiency retrofits for homes of the Yolngu people in East Arnhem Land. These retrofits include oven timers, solar and heat pumps, hot water systems and ceiling insulation. These are being installed in Yirrkala and Gunyangara. A total of 440 homes in East Arnhem Land will receive energy saving upgrades throughout the project. There are potential savings of up to $1700 a year per resident.
Water headworks planning is seeing network upgrades for Angurugu, Gunbalanya and Lajamanu, as well as Galiwinku. Sewerage pond upgrades are taking place in Maningrida. Advance water treatment plants are in operation across three remote communities – Ali Curung, Kintore and Yuelamu – with a capital investment of over $6m drilling and equipping bores in Yuendumu. Fluoridation is now in five communities, and Yirrkala has two new steel water tanks at double the community’s previous water storage capacity.
As Darwin continues to grow, securing ongoing water supply takes a high priority. One of Darwin’s water sources, the Howard East bore field, is being refurbished to better meet demand. Construction of a new elevated 4 ML water tank in Palmerston will provide supply to the suburbs of Zuccoli, Johnston, Bellamack and Palmerston south, allowing increased development in that area.
Works are under way for an Australian first: a biological water treatment facility at Adelaide River. That is scheduled to be functioning in July this year. A new continuous chlorination facility for Tennant Creek has been commissioned, ensuring that drinking water supply is at the same high quality as other towns across the nation. New sewer and waste water stabilisation ponds will be established to service growth in the East Arm and Berrimah areas. The Living Water Smart project is well under way and aims to reduce Darwin’s water consumption by a quarter, or 10 million litres, over five years.
While this list of projects and initiatives may seem expansive, it is simply a snap shot. There is much more going on, with plans in place for continued efficiency and reliability at every level of the Power and Water Corporation.
Structural separation was pivotal to reform the Power and Water Corporation. However, regulatory reform has been pursued in conjunction with structural separation in order to promote competition in generation and retail sectors. Despite the reforms that started in the year 2000, Power and Water Corporation remained the dominant electricity supplier in the Territory market. Power and Water Corporation and, subsequently, Territory Generation have operated as monopoly providers of electricity generation to households and industries.
As a result there are no private generators operating in competition with Territory Generation in the Territory’s regulated markets of Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. Both potential and new entrants have been concerned about differences, real or imagined, between the Territory’s regulatory regime and the national one. The lack of price transparency in the Territory is due mainly to the absence of a wholesale trading market in electricity and the current arrangements for regulating and subsidising retail electricity tariffs.
While several private electricity retailers are licenced to operate in the Territory, only one is active and has managed to sign a few medium to large customers, including this place, Parliament House. However, the design of the Territory market represented a significant impediment to the further growth of private retail operations. The government’s regulatory reform program has tackled these remaining barriers to competition head on. The Giles government is adopting laws and rules relating to electricity networks which apply under the national regime and will encourage greater third-party access to these networks because potential applicants are more familiar and comfortable with the national law and rules, and we will see a regulator with greater resources and expertise – the Australian Energy Regulator – bringing more effective pressure to bear on PWC’s networks.
We are establishing a wholesale electricity market which will allow generators and retailers to trade electricity through an independent market operator or exchange in real time. The establishment of a wholesale electricity market provides for price transparency as market prices are published at regular intervals. It also allows decisions to be made on how to most efficiently use a generation plant to meet market demand.
Wholesale electricity markets currently operate in the national electricity market and in Western Australia. The wholesale electricity generation market, termed the Northern Territory electricity market, will be established for the Darwin/Katherine power system. The interim NTEM is a two-part market comprised of an energy trading mechanism and a capacity investment mechanism.
The specific arrangements for trading, despatch, metering and settlement are currently being finalised between the relevant parties, and trading and despatch trials between system control and Territory Generation have commenced. The project is on track to have the interim energy training arrangement in place by 1 April 2015 with a view to full implementation by 1 July this year.
Fostering actual competition in the generation sector will result in greater efficiency in the supply of electricity and more timely investment in, and take-up of, new technology. As a result, more effective competition will put downward pressure on retail tariffs by putting downward pressure on the generation cost component, which is around two-thirds of all electricity tariffs. Finally, facilitating entry of new electricity retailers will both promote competition among retailers and encourage greater choice for consumers.
While I have spoken today about all the important changes and improvements undertaken by the Power and Water Corporation over the past 18 months, something significant has not changed: the important contribution Power and Water staff make to the community.
Members of this House might not be aware of the long-term commitment that Power and Water staff have made to volunteering. Staff regularly volunteer their time and energy to local sporting groups; special events, such as the Finke Desert Race; the Special Children’s Christmas party; the Clontarf academy; and the important charity work of Foodbank NT. This ongoing commitment to making a difference in the community demonstrates the kind of dedication that stands Power and Water staff in such good stead. It is these excellent qualities of service and commitment that have helped staff produce the excellent outcomes of the past 18 months during a particularly challenging period of change.
The improvements undertaken by the Power and Water Corporation over the last 18 months are clear evidence of this government’s commitment to our people, our industries and the prosperity and future of the Northern Territory. These achievements within the corporation, including its structural separation into three government owned corporations, have only been possible because of the leadership foresight of this government.
Is there a way to go? Certainly, there is still much to do, particularly in relation to regulatory reform and further separations. However, the emerging track record reveals Power and Water’s strong commitment to change, to doing things better and to being more accountable to Territorians. It is only the Giles government’s determination to improve the utilities service, our commitment to all Territorians, and most importantly our vision for a thriving future for the Northern Territory, which has seen these improvements take place.
The ongoing improvements at Power and Water Corporation are inextricably linked to this government. I am committed to ensuring this foundation of change and progress continues to be built upon into the future. I personally thank the hard-working people in these three new corporations for their commitment and persistence in tackling these challenges and providing the benefits which ultimately flow to all Territorians.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Essential Services): Madam Speaker, I support the statement outlining the journey towards building a first-class utility delivered by the shareholding minister for the Power and Water Corporation, the Treasurer.
It is widely acknowledged that the success of any company, whether privately or publicly owned, can be directly credited to the quality of staff found within that organisation. Today, as Minister for Essential Services, I ask this House to consider for a moment the hard work and tireless effort put in by Power and Water staff to keep our lights on and our water flowing.
It is sometimes easy to take for granted that we all have light when we flick a switch or have clean running water when we turn on a tap. Generally speaking, we appreciate the creature comforts of electricity and running water a lot more when our air conditioners, televisions and computers are not switching on or when we have no access to water.
The Northern Territory is one of the harshest environments in which to run a utility. Consider the extreme weather conditions, including cyclones and massive lightning storms in the Top End, to the seriously hot months experienced in Central Australia.
When there is a direct lightning strike on the electricity network, it is the network crews who leave home, regardless of the time, brave the weather and work hard to restore our power.
It is the generation crews that work shifts around the clock to ensure generators at Channel Island, Weddell, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Alice Springs are running smoothly. It is the remote operations crews that travel to our remote communities and help the essential service operators keep the electricity, water and sewerage services running. Of course, there are so many more within that organisation who work hard hand-in-hand to support the operational crews.
The shareholding minister spoke about the highly-successful replacement of the 132 kV circuit breakers at the Hudson Creek Switchyard which took place during the 2014 Dry Season. This program was successful on a number of levels, not just through the smooth and methodical approach to the replacement process, but through Power and Water’s engagement with stakeholders. A range of engagement tools were used to inform and update customers and other stakeholders about the process.
The replacement of such large and vital infrastructure means fewer risks to the system, and that means fewer power interruptions. Right through the risk period Power and Water kept customers informed through the media and social media. It also kept important groups like the Darwin Waterfront Corporation and the Darwin Festival, for example, informed in case there was an issue. Stakeholders were invited to make contact with Power and Water if they had any questions or concerns. The smooth replacement of these three pieces of vital infrastructure and the way in which customers and stakeholders were informed was outstanding.
Power and Water is also a proud sponsor of many Territory events and charities. The shareholding minister also mentioned Power and Water’s sponsorship and volunteer support at Foodbank NT and the Special Children’s Christmas party. However, there are also many other organisations that have benefited and continue to enjoy support from Power and Water and its staff.
There is the Clontarf Foundation; Power and Water provides support with career pathway development through workplace visits and work experience placements along with community volunteering opportunities. The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and, by doing so, equips them to participate meaningfully in society.
Power and Water is also a proud sponsor of Variety NT’s Goanna Park Adventure Camp, which is designed for special needs children. It is often the first opportunity these children get to go on a camp, and it is always a life-changing experience. These are just some of the events that Power and Water gets involved in every year.
The shareholding minister has already spoken about the important water demand management program, Living Water Smart, and a range of other initiatives driven by water services that improve water supply across the Northern Territory. Power and Water also supports education around the supply of water. This week is safe water week, and Power and Water sponsored this week’s Ensuring Safe Drinking Water workshop.
In 2012-13 the power network’s reliability was benchmarked in the top third of utilities in Australia in the Electricity Supply Association of Australia’s benchmarking report. As I said earlier, given the climatic conditions in which they must operate compared to most other utilities, this is a remarkable achievement. When compared to other Australian utilities, the Northern Territory experiences more outages due to storm and lightning activity, but the fast response by crews results in efficient customer restoration times.
There are some very challenging maintenance tasks undertaken by Power and Water crews. Recently a challenging job was undertaken on the top of the eastern MacDonnell Ranges to upgrade the 22 kV overhead line that goes up and over the range. This work required good planning and preparation to be completed efficiently and safely. The work entailed changing old disc insulators and line hardware. Everything had to be airlifted by helicopter, and all work was performed using ladders. A number of poles required upgrading, and all the work was completed within the day as planned, although it was an early start and was a very long day. Linesmen, tradesmen and several apprentices combined their skills, and through good planning and preparation this challenging job was completed safely and on time.
Power and Water crews regularly deal with significant and complex tasks at all times of the day or night, in all weather. Careful integration is often required between specialist areas of the business as the process to restore power is often complex, time consuming and labour intensive. Last year there was a cable fault on an overhead power pole in Bees Creek in Darwin’s rural area. The high-voltage line operations at system control isolated the fault and switched it around so power was restored to as many customers as possible. Line crews were then called in to repair the damaged pole, cables and cable joiners and then had to re-terminate the cable on the pole. Once the safety checks were conducted on the repair work, the system had to be re-energised and switching had to occur again to ensure regular supply to all customers in the area. The hard work, dedication and expertise of our Power and Water crews should be congratulated.
Often, as the Essential Services minister, I will hear examples of work that was necessary to upgrade electricity infrastructure being done in record time in order that the least number of customers has electricity interrupted for the least possible time.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate Power and Water on its exemplary safety record. Through a focus of heightened awareness around safety, Power and Water has recently achieved the lowest number of lost-time injuries for workers in over 12 months. Its corporate goal of zero harm to workers and the public is to be commended. So too is its commitment to recognising staff achievements. Quarterly staff recognition awards are an opportunity for colleagues to congratulate and celebrate the achievements of their peers. There are also annual awards that recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals and teams to Power and Water throughout the year. These are wonderful initiatives that honour the staff and say much about the general spirit of Power and Water.
On behalf of all Territorians I say a heartfelt thank you to the almost 900 staff who work in Power and Water for their efforts in keeping our lights on and our water flowing in a manner that also keeps the community safe. I support this statement and I commend the Treasurer for bringing it to the House. I look forward to being able to report to this House on many more of the wonderful initiatives, the safe work and the good work our Power and Water workers do every day of the week.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Treasurer for bringing this statement to the House on the Power and Water Corporation and how important it and essential services are to every Territorian.
I have had very little time to prepare for this because I received this statement, under the new process, as the minister was delivering it. I am on the run a bit and would have liked to have done more research and come back with a bit more.
What came through very loud and clear in the statement was a whole new tone in how you speak about Power and Water staff. Since coming into government we have heard you trash Power and Water staff. Words like ‘bloated’ and ‘basket case’ are some of the terms you have used. I believe it was April last year when, after handing down a System Black report, the Treasurer went straight at Power and Water employees saying:
- It highlights lax and lazy work practices, a poor regard for policy and procedures.
I am delighted to hear a new tone from members across this Chamber when they speak about Power and Water employees, because they are fantastic. They do an amazing job. They work hard in extremely tough conditions, particularly during the Wet Season. During storms they are out there trying to get the power back on for people as quickly as possible. We have seen them do that in places like Katherine, for example.
Years ago, when I had the privilege of working at Power and Water, the flood waters rose. Power and Water staff were in there straightaway trying to get the power on and doing a tremendous job. They do dangerous work and are a very dedicated group of people. I had the good fortune to see it firsthand, and I applaud them for the work they do because it is essential. I am happy to see the government is recognising this in the statement and placing praise on the record for the staff, because they deserve it. Thank you for that. I am glad to hear the Minister for Essential Services singing their praises and to hear the Treasurer putting it on the record.
With regard to Power and Water, we have seen some challenging times. We know they have a very big job and it is an essential service. Everybody needs it in the Territory, and we appreciate they have some big challenges delivering it.
The minister touched on wild weather, and that is one of the issues they are often up against. We have a vast land mass and a relatively small population and are delivering power, water and sewerage services to some of the most isolated and remote locations. We also have a vast amount of infrastructure within Power and Water; however, we are faced with the challenge of trying to keep that infrastructure running, because it is ageing and it costs a lot to have your power and water infrastructure up to scratch. That is why you need a thorough repairs and maintenance program and need to know when to invest the capital to get new equipment when things are ageing or the population is growing.
Power and Water has seen substantial changes. We all remember the Casuarina Zone Substation problems when Labor was in government. It made the government take a good hard look at the Power and Water Corporation, the infrastructure and how it was ageing. It looked into Power and Water thoroughly through the Mervyn Davies report, which saw through successive governments there needed to be more investment into Power and Water repairs and maintenance and capital. That is why the Labor government invested in Power and Water, and we saw a $1.8bn five-year program into Power and Water capital and repairs and maintenance.
That was a big investment into infrastructure for the Power and Water Corporation. There was no doubt that work needed to be done, because without it we were going to have issues. We would have had the lights going out, and that was something that was to be addressed. It was very clear it was a big challenge and you had to put the appropriate investment in to do it. It was a big job. The investment and commitment were made to do it.
We have seen, since we have had a change in government, some very big changes to the Power and Water Corporation. We now have the Power and Water Corporation and, since structural separation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy.
We also have seen some serious changes to the tariff structures within Power and Water, despite the commitments of the CLP government going into the 2012 election to reduce the cost of living. Lowering the cost of living was at the forefront of commitments they made to Territorians. Territorians put their faith in them by giving them government and believing they would fulfil that promise when, in fact, they did quite the opposite. They broke their promise.
After their Renewal Management Board exercise huge leaps in the tariffs for power and water were announced by the government. They announced that power prices would increase by 30%, water by 40% and sewerage by 25%. They were massive price hikes to essential services which affect everyone’s cost of living here. You have to keep the lights on, keep the water running and pay your power and water bill. It is a direct cost-of-living pressure on all Territorians.
One of the first moves of the CLP in its new role as government was to put those prices through the roof, despite the promises and commitments it made to Territorians. The fall-out of that was pretty loud and clear; there is no doubt about that. We saw the former member for Blain lose his job as Chief Minister. That was a significant event considering he had only been in for about six months. The power and water price hike was one of the central reasons for that.
We also saw some huge change within Power and Water. We saw the board sacked and the Chief Executive go. The senior managers – some really experienced long-term senior managers within the Power and Water Corporation – are all pretty much gone. They have either been sacked or moved on. As part of changing Power and Water there were some huge internal changes, to say the least, and you lost a lot of good corporate knowledge.
Another element within the Power and Water Corporation we have seen under the new government since it was elected is a reduction within the repairs and maintenance budget. In the budget books in Budget 2012-13, repairs and maintenance was $86.6m, in Budget 2013-14 it was $77.7m, and in Budget 2014-15 it was $81m. It is a worrying trend when you see it reduce because if you do not invest in repairs and maintenance reliability goes down. It also creates more issues for the staff who are on the job having to deal with faulty and dangerous equipment and conditions. We want to keep the workplace as safe as possible, so repairs and maintenance are critical.
The Treasurer has said the price increases we have seen with the Power and Water Corporation are in the best interests of the Territory. But the cost-of-living pressures on Territorians are pretty high as it is, and by putting the tariffs through the roof you are directly taking money out of the budgets of Territory families. This is one of the biggest bills they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it hurts family budgets. As a government that said it would reduce the cost of living, you have instead added to Territory families’ cost-of-living pressures by increasing the tariffs for power and water.
You rammed the increases through and are putting profits before people. You are making it tougher for people to live in the Territory and, as I have said before, it does not discriminate; it hits people in the urban centres and the bush, singles, couples and families. This has impacted everyone.
After the change of leadership one of the first acts of the new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister at the time was to reduce the power and water price increases temporarily. You brought them back to 20% for power, 30% for water and 15% for sewerage. However, on 1 January in the following years they would go up by 5%. Therefore, you would be back to the original price hike increases anyway, and on 1 January we saw another 5% increase in power, water and sewerage prices. We have heard much debate from people who are now having to cop those new bills and find the money to pay them. That is hurting Territory families.
As I said last night, when you look into some of the previous annual reports and financial statements of the Power and Water Corporation you can see how much those tariff increases are attributing to Power and Water’s revenue. That money is being stripped out of the pockets of Territorians. You can see in the 2013 annual report alone – there is a 2.8% tariff increase included so I will be up front with that, and there was, for electricity, a 4.6% increase in kilowatts sold to franchise customers. However, from the first year of that 20% hike we are talking about $70.4m of improved revenue from electricity sales. We saw $10.5m as a result of increased tariffs for water and $6.5m from increases in tariffs for sewerage.
The following year we saw, for the corporation’s electricity sales, $44.7m resulting from some extra kilowatts sold to customers and from the 5% increase in tariff on 1 January 2014. Water sales revenue increased to $12.6m and sewerage to $7.3m.
That is what you have taken out of the pockets of Territorians already, due to the tariff increases, and that is not including what happened on 1 January where power and water bills went up again by another 5%. You have now passed on the full tariff increases and put people’s bills right through the roof. On average, for a household of two adults and two children it equates to an extra $2000 a year for power and water bills. That is $2000 a year they could be spending on their kids, a family holiday or investing in their family’s future, but instead they have to pay those bills, on top of rent, rates and the flow-on effects from those tariff increases.
We are still struggling to grasp exactly how much that meant to people because when business bills increase and businesses have to find the money to cover the bills, it is the customers who pay the price, so it flows right through.
We have seen huge increases under the CLP, and you have put profits before people. It has hit families hard. There have been several flow-on effects, but this is a choice you made as a government. You felt it was the best way to manage the Power and Water Corporation, but you made a decision that you knew would directly impact on Territorians, making it harder for them to live here. That is a decision that you made and they are paying for it now.
When people’s Power and Water bills go right through the roof, people look for efficiencies. They try to reduce their usage and lower their bills. They are looking for any way in which to do it. However, I think most families were already pushed to that point where they had tried to reduce their consumption. What has not helped this process is when you, as a government, cut funding to an organisation like COOLmob. COOLmob helps families, households and residents look at their power and water usage.
Generally you paid a relatively low service fee; I do not think it was much. I think in some cases the fee was about $10. People could engage the services of COOLmob to look at how they could further reduce their bills, but you cut funding to that as the same time you put people’s power, water and sewerage prices through the roof. It was not a good move or a sound decision at a time when people needed all the help they can get to make sure they are using their utilities as efficiently as possible.
Under this government we have seen the structural separation process go through. Again, that was rammed through. The government certainly did not go into the 2012 election saying that once in government it would put power and water prices through the roof and would split Power and Water. Structural separation is not new; it has happened in many other jurisdictions. When it does happen, it tends to lead to higher prices, less reliability and fewer jobs within those utilities. That is what has happened.
We have gone down that pathway of structural separation. It was certainly an interesting process to watch, siting on this side of the Chamber trying to ask some of those hard questions about why we are going down this path, what evidence you had to show us as to why this is a better option for the Territory, and where efficiencies would be made and how they would be gained. At the time, the only way we were able to get a little extra scrutiny on this – because I believe the government was going to try to ram the bills through very quickly – was because they had a crisis with their numbers at the time, another episode of dysfunction and instability.
We had members walking across to the other side, and there were some serious questions about whether or not they could get those bills up. Fortunately, at that time they were trying to get in the member for Nelson’s good books, and they gave us some self-referral powers for the PAC, which was at least able to look at those bills and hold an inquiry into the structural separation of Power and Water.
Mind you, I believe the inquiry into the structural separation of Power and Water Corporation is still on the Notice Paper; we have not debated it. The bills were passed before we could look at that in this Chamber anyway. It was something they were determined to ram through with very minimal consultation. When we had the opportunity to sit with Treasury, Power and Water Corporation and NewCo – which was the body that was set up in the Department of the Chief Minister to coordinate the structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation – asking the really simple questions, ‘What is the benefit?’ Have you done any cost benefit analysis to see what the benefit is?’ ‘Have you added the numbers up?’ ‘Have you seen how this will actually work?’
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Ms MANISON: Going back to the structural separation, we asked those questions and were not given answers. It was October last year when we finally got to sit down with Power and Water Corporation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy. They were unable to do it as we do it in the traditional process of estimates in June due to the statements of corporate intent not being available at that time.
When we did sit down with them later on in the year after they had been structurally separated on 1 July, the SCIs were not complete. The new government owned corporations did not yet have the full financial information or the full information about their assets base. It tells you the work had not been done, it was not ready to happen, and it was rammed through.
We will see how things go this year when we get an opportunity to sit down together again and look at those statements of corporate intent and the performance of the three government owned corporations. It was a fast and big process.
There are still some questions asked about whether or not this is, deep down, a privatisation agenda for the future, particularly with Territory Generation assets, and retail. There have been many questions and they still linger.
I agree wholeheartedly that we have some amazing people working for the Power and Water Corporation, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy. They do a very tough job in the Territory. They are put into some pretty tough situations and do their very best and a wonderful job trying to keep our power on and the water running. They do a remarkable job and should be valued.
We will see how serious this government is about how much it values those employees going into the EBA processes. I understand negotiations have started. As we saw, the final round of the Power and Water Corporation EBA was negotiated very swiftly, before the structural separation agenda became clear. I believe they just rolled over their existing conditions and did it for a few years, which is generally not how EBA processes are conducted. It raised a few alarm bells at the time about what the government was trying to get to. As we saw afterwards, the structural separation agenda came through and now they are trying to move out that bargaining process into the three different areas. We will see how that goes. If you are serious about your commitment to the staff, we will see what is on offer through those EBAs and how much the staff are valued.
We have seen huge changes to the tariffs. They are hurting families, which are finding it harder to deal with the cost of living in the Territory. It is a lot of pressure for families to bear. It is not just families, it is singles, couples – everybody. We all have to pay those bills.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Treasurer for making this statement.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will make some comments on this ministerial statement. Even though I get it a fraction earlier than the opposition, it is still not a lot of time to look at a fairly detailed statement and do it justice.
The statement deals with structural separation and some issues in relation to the normal day-to-day running of Power and Water. It also leaves some things out.
There is an issue I have raised a number of times in relation to the move by Power and Water to charge local government councils for the power poles and infrastructure on their roads. The minister will remember he was also minister for Local Government. I have raised this with you before, because there needs to be a balance in this.
If Power and Water wants to be a commercial organisation that charges for the provision of services such as street lighting, then it should be willing to pay rates on its facilities.
You cannot hit the local government on one hand, saying, ‘We have changed the rules. The power poles are yours. We will charge you a fee for future repairs and maintenance to those poles.’ I have seen some fairly high amounts of money being floated that Power and Water wants to charge councils. You have to remember if councils have to absorb that money, they will either have to reduce their services or increase their rates. If that is the case, then they should be entitled to rate the land Power and Water uses to provide the services. You cannot have a one-sided approach to this; it has to be fair and balanced.
It is a matter I have raised before. I have raised it with Power and Water. It is somewhere up in the clouds at the moment because no one has come back with an answer.
I will throw something out of left field. I know the fundamentalists in Power and Water will have a heart attack. You might know there is supposed to be a Palmerston South – I call it Howard Springs as it is about 10 m off the boundary – elevated water tank on the corner of Lambrick Avenue and the Stuart Highway. I asked someone why do you not put a restaurant on that tower? That position would be one of the highest positions in the whole of Darwin. You can see for miles even on the flat country. You are going to put in a 40 m water tank. Surely there is some potential for others to use that tower.
The fundamentalists will say, ‘Oh, you cannot do that on top of a water tower’. Why not? Why can you not use if for tourism? Why can you not use it for something besides a static piece of concrete which only provides water to give you a head so we have decent water pressure in our houses? I put it to you, minister, why can we not look at something like that on one of the best sites you would see in the Darwin region? It is on the Stuart Highway so you have access for people – it might be tourists – who would like a view of the Darwin region. There is also the possibility that people can get a meal. At night time it would be fantastic to look over Darwin Harbour and the lights of the city.
Palmerston lost that ability when it stuck so many things on the water tower it looks like something out of an old science fiction movie. It is not really that great an idea. I know there is talk about a telecommunication tower nearby. I am sure if you put that in the right place it would not be blocking the view. I put that to you as an idea I raised once before. All I got was, ‘Horror, horror, it cannot be done’. There is an opportunity there to value-add on a piece of government property.
Minister, there are many things in this statement. As I said, there was not a lot of time to dig into it. I was interested to see whether you would touch on the water strategy. Unfortunately I have been trying to download the water strategy in my office from the website, and I get the usual thing. It is 3.5 MB, and it gets to 2.6 MB and stops as a blank screen. If you can tell me what happens to some of these things when you want them urgently – I do not know. I have the smaller version, The Darwin Water Story, which is for people who do not want to read the detailed information.
If you are making a statement about Power and Water, water supply is an important area we need to discuss. I raised the issue yesterday about water saving devices by planting native plants. That is all good, but the government needs to come back to parliament and say what its long-term strategy is. There are the dam plans. They have been around a long time, 20-odd years at least. But do we have a plan to build dams?
One option is a new in-stream dam on the Adelaide River, which sounds good. The idea is that you pump water from the Adelaide River and put it in an off-stream dam. It would be good to see if that can work because it is one of the options we have for developing agriculture in the Territory without wrecking our rivers. But you have high evaporation, and that issue is also raised here because you did not mention climate change.
Power and Water does. Power and Water talks about a reduction in our water supply caused by climate change. It expects climate change to affect the amount of water in our dams by something like 10%. The Darwin Water Story says:
- Modelling has identified the potential for a 13% reduction in yield from Darwin River Dam and a 3% reduction in yield from Manton Dam by 2030.
Power and Water is saying climate change will have an effect. Although we might have raised the walls at Manton Dam and Darwin River Dam, offsetting that could be an issue of climate change. Obviously the issue of future water supplies for Darwin is important, and in opposition the CLP was going crook at the government for not building Warrai dam. I know that would be an expensive dam, so it would be interesting to hear what you have to say about that.
Augmentation of Manton Dam storage – last night at Howard Springs the DCA had an evening meeting, which was good in the sense it allowed workers to turn up. Some of us wrote e-mails to the minister asking had that happened, which meant I had to stay here while there was a meeting there, but that cannot be helped. I understand many people turned up who are concerned about the future of Manton Dam from a recreational point of view.
I e-mailed the Minister for Sport and Recreation about it because some of the sporting people were concerned. Obviously no answer got back to those people because they turned up at a meeting which was really not about Manton Dam but about the Darwin regional plan. That is an issue the government needs to be wary of. I am not a Facebook person, but I am told by those who love Facebook that there was a lot of commentary. That is why many people turned up to that meeting.
If the government is looking for some good PR it should tell people involved in water sports where the government intends to go with Manton Dam.
There is also the potential of desalination. That is part of The Darwin Water Story. Governments go ‘Oooh’ when they remember some of the desalination plants in Victoria which the Labor Party introduced. They have only been used very sparingly, but that does not mean we do not look at that issue. Power and Water has raised the issue and we should not shy away from it.
It would be good to debate those issues because the future of the Darwin water supply is the real key if you are talking about developing the north and Darwin growing. None of that can happen if the water supplies are not planned for in the future.
Minister, I would have liked you to say more about Indigenous communities. You talked about some good things like Wadeye power station now being on gas and the potential to put Palumpa and Peppimenarti on the same line, reducing the amount of diesel. That is great. There must be other things we need to look at in relation to reducing the use of diesel. The statement says a substantial amount of diesel is used.
Mr Tollner: Thirty-nine million litres, I think.
Mr WOOD: That is a fair swag of diesel. I could go around the Territory a few times in my vehicle on that amount.
The previous government installed wind generation plants at Alpurrurulam, and solar is part of the hybrid system there. There has been some talk from the Chief Minister about a solar program. That seems to have disappeared. I am not saying it has actually disappeared, but I remember the Chief Minister saying the government would go down the path of a solar program. I am interested to know where that program is at; I think there was some funding for it.
I am also interested in knowing the views of the government in relation to trying to expand renewables. Renewables are not as cheap as running diesel, but that does not mean we should not, even in incremental changes, bring some of these things in. Renewables will get cheaper and more efficient as time goes on.
I am a great fan of the concept of tidal power. The company Tenax Energy wants to look at putting tidal power in Clarence Strait. It would be good to get an update if you know where that program is at the moment. What is Power and Water’s policy in relation to that type of development occurring, and if it comes online, how will that affect Power and Water in relation to its normal generation of power?
They are some of those bigger issues we sometimes avoid discussing. I am not saying we avoid them for the wrong reason, but we do not include them in some of these statements.
The other issue is that Power and Water owns a network; I think it is in New South Wales. They are talking about privatising the network. I admit that at times I wonder how you do that. I am not a great fan of the idea. It is a bit like privatising the air, which is the thing planes fly through. Will you cut it up into bits and each company can own a bit of it? If we get two generators of power – we already have two generators – everybody uses that network. How you then try to cut a network up – I think the network is privatised in Victoria, but it must be fairly complex to work out which bit and how much of the network I have to pay for.
I do not know how that works, but I get the feeling that privatising the network is a bit of a silly idea. The government owns the roads. We do not say, ‘Let us privatise our roads. Tiger Brennan belongs to that company and Dick Ward Drive belongs to that company’, and then you have to pay tax …
A member: Toll roads.
Mr WOOD: Yes, that is right, and when you top up your fuel you will pay a levy to the companies according to how much of the road you used. I am interested to know whether the government thinks privatising the network is a good idea. After all, this government certainly thinks down that path. Other states have done it, and I wonder if in reality it is a good idea or just another way for governments to make a few more dollars by selling an asset. I am certainly interested in what the minister thinks of that.
You mentioned the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant. I have been through Adelaide River a couple of times and noticed there was work going on there. I thought they might have just been putting in a new water tank. Perhaps the minister should expand on the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant upgrade; there is a good story. Why not tell people that this is Australia’s first biological filtration system. I do not know how much it costs. I do not know whether you mentioned that in your statement, but if it is a good thing and is an improvement on present systems, it is certainly something the government should talk about.
The statement says that works are under way for Australia’s first biological water treatment facility at Adelaide River and it is scheduled to be functioning in July this year. There are details on the website; it gives a fairly detailed description of what that system does. I do not know whether there are benefits for people in the rural area. It says here it is for the removal of iron and manganese. Minister, you have lived in the rural area for a while; you know that in certain parts of the rural area iron is a major problem. Some houses look like they have not been painted for a long time because the water from the sprinklers leaves a brown mark over everything. Nurseries have problems with water quality; they have to aerate their water.
I am interested to know whether this filtration system is applicable to people with iron in their bores and if it could reduce that problem.
There is some good stuff in this statement, minister. I do not know if the member for Barkly will talk on it. It mentions a new continuous chlorination facility for Tennant Creek, which has always been an issue in Tennant Creek. I am interested to hear what the people in Tennant Creek think about it.
I have mentioned the Living Water Smart project, which is a fine thing, but make sure we grow native plants where we can instead of high water usage plants. I am not being silly. I you want to do something to save water …
Mr Tollner: We could grow something productive, Gerry, like GM cotton.
Mr WOOD: I am happy to support GM cotton; it reduces chemical use and soil compaction, but we digress.
You also said:
- Nguiu is benefiting from a trial of 90 new prepaid meters, designed to show customers how much electricity they are using so they can make informed usage decisions.
That is different to simply swiping their card. One of our committees has looked at that, but it would be good, perhaps in your response, for you to give this an indication of how that is going. Do people understand and is it making a difference to the way they use electricity? It is a good program. If you reduce the amount of electricity you reduce the amount of diesel used, which is great.
Something close to my heart is the plan for a regional power station on the Tiwi Islands. When I first went to the Tiwi Islands the power station was smack in the middle of the main street. The member for Arafura was probably not alive then, because he is a bit younger than me; I went there when I was about 23. The first power station was right in the middle of town before they moved it towards the airport.
Power stations are pretty noisy things. If it is possible to have a regional power station, it would be good. Again, more information on that would be good. How much it would cost and how would it work, because you have the Apsley Strait between Melville and Bathurst Island? What is the feasibility and will it happen?
I am not trying to be negative; you have some good things in this statement, and it would be good to expand on some of it so we can know what is happening in the regions. If we think we should ask more questions about them, this would give us the chance to.
Minister, I appreciate the statement, although there is not enough time to look at it because my computer is still trying to download the water strategy for Power and Water. You might like to take on some of the matters I have raised in this debate.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing this express lane statement to the House. For once we can accept why it is in the express lane. It is because you are reactionary to the figures published by the Auditor-General showing significant profits made by the Power and Water Corporation.
We had the question in the House and then this statement rushed in. It is completely reactionary, because you know what Territorians are saying outside.
Let me verbal a minister, using the Giles technique of verballing. I studied you guys in opposition, and I study you in government. The Giles technique of verballing is to twist it around and then bang on and on. When asked – this will be clean for Hansard – ‘Why don’t you give us time to study and research the statements?’ the minister said, ‘Because you leak them’. I said, ‘What? You do not want to tell Territorians?’ So I will verbal you using the Giles arrogance. The minister said they do not want Territorians to know what is in the statement. That is verballing the minister, and that is what Giles does. That is what I detest in this House ...
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, will you please refer to the Chief Minister by his title.
Mr McCARTHY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will clear it up for Hansard. The minister actually said, ‘No, we are not going to give you any statements so you can properly research and debate them, because you will leak them’. In other words, we might do some research with Territorians.
When we are talking about power and water price hikes, Territorians are very interested. I am surprised you guys are not paying power, water and sewerage bills, because I do. Everybody is talking about it.
Let us get to this statement, because I enjoyed listening to it. I did not get a chance to read it. I thought I had better use auditory processing skills.
Let us take the member for Fong Lim back a bit in the Territory. He goes back a long way, but not this far. Any analysis of the Power and Water authority in the Northern Territory defines over 30 years of underinvestment. That is the real story. The spin coming from the fifth floor about Labor is rubbish. We all know that. We all should accept our responsibilities for Territory history because it has been documented that over 30 years there has been an underinvestment in the Power and Water infrastructure in the Northern Territory to match the Northern Territory’s growth.
To put it on the record for the CLP, you guys had a 27-year run, and when Labor got in, in 2001, the Territory was broke. If you do not remember that, we can get some Treasury figures. There are even serious legends around the Territory that you guys fudged the books big time when the Labor government finally got in to open them, and that there were dastardly deeds done by some of your current friends who fudged the books.
When I talk to people around the Territory about why you guys – the ‘born to rule’ CLP – were thrown out, they say it was because you sent the Territory broke. The contractors could not get bread on the table, the construction programs had ceased – a similar episode to what you are doing now – so they decided to throw you out. In those days in the Territory – I go back a long way – it was always a government elected by the northern suburbs of Darwin. It was the Darwin fraternity that changed. The foundation stones of the bush remain, and we are doing a lot of work to regain those foundation stones in the bush that turned the last election.
However, this issue around underinvestment should be acknowledged for what it is. As economic managers, we had a history of eight surplus budgets under Labor. When Labor took government, it had to address the underinvestment, and it inherited a turbo-charged Northern Territory that was growing at a rate of knots. It meant looking at significant investment.
When I was new to the job as a parliamentarian I participated in the briefings that represented the Reeves report. Andrew Reeves was one of the smartest guys I had ever met. He briefed the government on the 30 years of underinvestment. He also set a roadmap for significant investment that was needed. The Labor government took that in its policy development and started that process, that journey.
I refute all the spin in the minister’s statement. We can accept the fact, but we will take out all the spin and political hype you guys read into Hansard. The Reeves report gave the Power and Water Corporation the roadmap to the future, and that is what they are working on now. It is as simple as that. If it was not a hard enough lesson to learn in the theoretical sense, it certainly was with the failure of the Casuarina substation and the blackout that was one of the most significant, if not the most significant, in the Territory’s history.
You guys have experienced your own, because when you got into government, acted on the Renewable Management Board’s advice and started to cut, cut, cut, it applied to the Power and Water Corporation.
We saw the loss of jobs, a reduction in repairs and maintenance schedules and a pull-back on the investment recommended by the Reeves Report. You had your own substation collapse and you worked out that this is serious business. Politically it is very unpopular when people go to the fridge and it is hot.
You have had your own experience – once again a bipartisan experience – the Casuarina Zone Substation explosion and collapse, your own Hudson Creek issue and the issue with Weddell Power Station and, therefore, you have had a significant learning curve.
When the Treasurer spins the bad news story about Power and Water debt, it was money borrowed to rebuild the network that had been neglected over 30 years. That is the reality of the money. When you trace that money across the books throughout the years of the Labor government, particularly in the last term of the Labor government, you can see it was borrowed to start the reinvestment program that was needed as a result of 30 years of neglect in the Northern Territory with a turbo-charged economy, with radical and accelerated land release programs and with a significant construction budget that was moving the Territory forward, as the politicians like to say.
That fills in the blanks of what the Treasurer spun in the statement. It gets us to a common ground point of the Auditor-General putting the facts on the table to show the significant increase in profits made over the past year. However, the Labor opposition aggregated two years because you guys announced those massive increases – 30% to power, 40% to water and 25% to sewerage – then you knifed the Chief Minister; you backed off because you were getting that much pressure, with the petitions and the good work of a very diligent opposition. As we explored today, with the Chief Minister’s twisting of semantics, you backed off but have brought back in another 5% increase to power prices, which takes us to 30%. It was always to be 30%, and we achieved 30% in January. Not only do we have two significant years of profits – fine, we can read that in the books; the Auditor-General has laid out the last lot of profits – we will also see more profits because of the last increase of 5% in January 2015.
The Leader of the Opposition outlined in parliament recently some of the higher-level Labor policy we will be developing with stakeholders across the Northern Territory to present a clear alternative. Part of that announcement was that we will conduct an immediate review into these increases, because we are listening to people; we hear people. I do not know if you get a power, water and sewerage bill, but I do. The biggest bill of the year, which was always the Wet Season bill in my household, has increased by about $600.
We have done economic modelling to suggest a large family is paying an additional $2000 a year due to these hikes. From a Treasury perspective, it is not just power, water and sewerage; there is $81m in new taxes in other areas that you have raked from the pockets of Territory families and businesses. We have a parallel running here. Big price hikes are a neo-Liberal agenda and you guys have gone down that road, but the Territory is hurting. We are the voice of Territorians asking for a review of the road you are travelling.
We are talking about motor vehicle registration price hikes and increases in food prices which relate to power, water and sewerage price increases – 50% more in the remote areas, member for Arafura. We guys – you, me and our families – are paying 50% more for food than these guys in Darwin. That is a significant impost on families that live in regional and remote areas; particularly families that are on fixed incomes.
Okay, we have to fix a 30-year underinvestment. We have to invest in network infrastructure and generation. We have to invest in power, water and sewerage. We have to match the growth of the Northern Territory, but we cannot afford to persecute our people and risk Territorians saying ‘Enough is enough’ and packing their trailers and leaving. It is not like New South Wales where people will shift around the state. In the Territory we see cross-border migration; we lose people. Essentially what I am saying is that punitive policy, like these massive price hikes, will hurt Territorians. They will leave; they will suffer.
If we talk about people in the bush – I have lived and worked with Aboriginal people for a long time. I tell great stories around Australia, and wherever I go, about those experiences. I have had the privilege and honour of being shown ceremonial law, taken through ceremonies with the Alyawarr people. I have been with the Garawa and the Yanyuwa, and I can tell you stories until the cows come home. I know what humbugging is and I have to deal with humbugging all the time. In the last 18 months the humbugging has really turned into a plea for help. One of the areas I am most consistently asked to help with is power cards.
People will present to me with a fair and reasonable request. They know I will pay for grog. I will not give out cash and run amok. They were the good old days, but not anymore. In the position I have now it is more important than ever that I set these hard standards. But I will support people with power cards, and I will supply fuel vouchers to help them to get to funerals and ceremonial activities – important activities and occasions. Power cards are a real issue in the bush, and it relates to people’s livelihood in the sense of food security.
I feel devastated dealing with constituents who have a fridge that goes on and off. In regional remote Aboriginal homes you see lots of little children, and when you have erratic management of power and refrigeration – the basics to keep that family’s food – then you have trouble. It is a food security issue, and people can get sick. I am forever lecturing ex-students, their families and people I know about how important it is to manage this.
When you have massive hikes in power, water and sewerage prices, registration cost increases, food prices increases, and now the Abbott Liberal government indexation of fuel where we will see two more increases each year, then you have serious pressure on families.
We have presented a clear alternative. The verballing of the member for Braitling with this ‘no policy’ rubbish makes me laugh every time I hear it. It makes me remember a previous parliamentary strategy I learnt from our side. That is why I smile.
We have a very good dialogue going with Territorians. We are articulating a very clear alternative and they are verballing their concerns. They are making their concerns heard and part of it is about cost of living. There are many areas they are concerned about but I suppose the most aggressive area in the dialogue is the cost of living. It seems to be ramping up and up.
We are starting to see the balance sheets with big profit returns, which is why the Treasurer has raced in here to get this statement through. That is why the fifth floor has been burning the midnight oil to put all the spin between the lines, but I am telling a story which well and truly spans over 30 years.
We need some balance, Treasurer. We need to look at whether a policy you are running is seriously damaging Territorians and, ironically, will damage the economy in the long run. That is the fear. In the couple of years pre-2001, that is exactly the situation the CLP got itself into, which caused it to lose the Territory election after the famous rule of 27 years.
It was interesting to hear about the infrastructure projects the Treasurer spoke about in the statement. It was music to my ears because I was a participant in some of those projects. Some of those projects were great but I did not hear about closing down a sewage outfall in Darwin Harbour. I am sure it was in there; did somebody miss it? As a member of the previous government I used to stand proud and tell stories wherever I could. The declaration of the Limmen River National Park and the Maria Island Marine Reserve in the Barkly electorate is something I will tell till the cows come home.
I used to like to tell the stories about that modern urbanism and where a Labor government invested significant funds to shut down a sewage outfall into Darwin Harbour. My hometown is Sydney. If anybody knows what a Bondi cigar is – it was the laughing stock of the eastern suburbs, now multibillion dollar real estate with one of the best tourist attractions in the world, Bondi Beach. As a kid I learnt that story. I saw progressive governments ignore it, and then I saw a determined progressive government deliver it and change that outfall. It invested to make that significant change.
A Labor government did that in Darwin Harbour for the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory. That sewage now is secondary-treated at Ludmilla. It was a massive project that cost significant funds, but look at the outcome across all the ministries in government that could talk about that as an outcome: fisheries; tourism; education; health; and local government; it does not stop.
Minister, thank you for the express train, once again, through this parliament. I am really sorry I did not get a chance to read it all. I had to use advanced auditory processing skills to try to keep up with it. Statements are pushed through so fast these days, but I am glad I have had an opportunity to take you guys back – I do not know how long you have been around – over 30 years to really identify the challenges, and to support you, minister, on the way forward.
We have a clear policy alternative for Territorians if a Labor government is elected in 2016, or in March 2015 should you turf that guy out. Use your imagination guys on Tuesday, a bit of creativity. If the Labor government is re-elected we will immediately initiate a review because we believe this is hurting Territorians, and the ultimate irony is it will hurt our economy and the CLP.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, to everybody who has spoken on this statement, thank you very much. I have enjoyed listening to all the commentary. I pay tribute to my colleague, the Minister for Essential Services. He is doing a great job in that portfolio. He has held that portfolio almost since we came to government, and it is an area in which he has done a fabulous job. It is a difficult job because that is the portfolio that really has to deal with the public. At this point in time it is clearly a difficult job. I also thank my friends and colleagues, the members for Wanguri and Nelson, and the ever-entertaining member for Barkly.
In addressing some of the issues raised, I will start with the member for Barkly. He has an interesting take on history. Member for Barkly, if you think I am not somewhat critical of things that have happened, you are deluded. Let us put things into context. You talked about 30 years of underinvestment. I agree with you that there has been, in years gone by, a big underinvestment in utility services. That underinvestment was not just in the Northern Territory, it was right around Australia.
About 20 years ago, through the COAG process, state and territory governments, and the federal government, met and came up with a series of reforms for the utilities industry to put it on a sustainable footing for the future development and growth of Australia. That, fundamentally, recognised that governments could not continue to provide the necessary investment and backup to utility services around Australia. They brought in a range of reforms to attract private entrants into the marketplace so, where there was a need, the private sector could start to invest in services, which was simply beyond the capability of governments.
What happened in the Northern Territory when the Country Liberals were last in government was a pretty sore lesson for the Country Liberals. You might recall that NT Power came here. Paul Everingham, former Chief Minister, was the front man for that organisation. He attempted to build a power station; I think it was in Pine Creek. He wanted to put electricity into the Northern Territory network. Then there was a horrendous fight between NT Power and the Northern Territory Country Liberals government. The Northern Territory government lost because it found it was in breach of national competition policy and there was no way, as a government, it could stop another party putting electricity onto our network. It cost the Northern Territory government significant money to have that point shown in court.
I give credit to the Labor government, because when it came into power it quickly started the COAG reform process which was taking place around the rest of the country. Member for Barkly, you might recall that was when the Power and Water Authority was made the Power and Water Corporation. That is when the Northern Territory started to embark on those big reforms that had been taking place around Australia.
I am critical of the former Labor government because that is as far as it went. It introduced some competition into the retail sector, but it never had the ticker to continue that reform process. Around 2003 it stopped dead in its tracks and there was nothing more done. You might wonder why it is called the Power and Water Corporation and not the Power and Water Authority. It was the Martin government which transformed it into a corporation and started that reform process.
The ball was dropped, for better or worse, for that period of time. It does not matter how much you pour into that organisation, the fact is the taxpayer cannot keep up with the investment that was made. The member for Wanguri talked about the massive cash splurge Power and Water had when the Casuarina Zone Substation blew up, and the amount of money poured in then. Then, lo and behold, a few short years later we had the biggest System Black in Territory history. Was it because Labor never put enough money into the Power and Water Corporation? I do not think so.
The whole system was wrong. The member for Wanguri started saying there has been no cost-benefit analysis. This issue has been done to death around Australia for 20 years now. The idea of structural separation, market reform and introducing private competitors into our market is not my idea.
I have been very fortunate though. I have spent time not just in the Northern Territory but in the federal parliament. I have travelled throughout Europe and looked at transmission systems while I was in the federal parliament. I have looked at coal-powered stations and nuclear reactors, and I have been very interested in gas and renewables. I had a greater exposure to what was going on around the rest of the country and the world than most people in the Northern Territory. I do not blame people for that, because the reality is if a utility is working well and delivering services, most people take it for granted. You plug your toaster in in the morning and you expect the toast will pop out three minutes later, nice and brown. You do not think about how that electricity has arrived in your toaster through the power socket.
The reality is, member for Barkly, when we came to government the Power and Water Corporation was ailing. We were pouring enormous amounts of taxpayers’ money into the organisation. Labor, when in government, increased Power and Water’s debt from $290m to $1.2bn in a very short period of time. It becomes obvious to anybody who pays a bit of attention that things cannot go on that way, and sooner or later something will be irreparably broken to the point where we do not have utility services in the Northern Territory.
That is why we have embarked on restarting that reform process which Labor started in 2003 but did not have the ticker to keep going. It is not an easy decision to say we will structurally separate the Power and Water Corporation. The punch-ups we had in the Cabinet room over the decision to increase electricity prices by 30% - that was not an easy decision to make and there was a lot of fallout amongst our people. However, ultimately I am proud of the fact the government made that decision because to do otherwise would have allowed things to continue down that path which would have led to destruction.
When Adam Giles took over as Chief Minister there were enormous calls – you will remember at the time people were saying, ‘We cannot afford a 30% hit all in one go, why not stagger it?’ We did that; we listened to the community. The Chief Minister, I am proud to say, listened to the community. Those increases were decided on when our Chief Minister first became Chief Minister, so people have been aware that on 1 January this year there would be a 5% increase in their power bill. It is not something we wanted to do, but this is the Power and Water Corporation on life support at the moment.
We do not know what the cost of electricity will be once we have completed this reform process. My great hope is somewhere down the track we will see a reduction in electricity prices, but the reality is we need to get the Power and Water Corporation onto a firm financial footing to make sure it can continue into the future. That is why we are doing this. It is not that we want to hurt people.
I understand people who work at the Power and Water Corporation have worked this way for a long time and they do not like change. I understand nobody wants to see an increase in their power bill. I will pull you up on one thing, member for Barkly. There is no average $2000 increase in power bills. When we put the price rise in place the average power bill was $1900. A 30% increase on $1900 is not $2000, so you cannot …
Mr McCarthy: I get $1900 in one quarter.
Mr TOLLNER: Well you are not the average person. When you say the average bill has gone up by $2000 all you do is alarm people. It is like when the member for Wanguri and the Leader of the Opposition say we are ripping massive profits out of the Power and Water Corporation because it has posted a $51m pre-tax profit. That does not take into account the $167m of taxpayer money that has gone into the organisation. The reality is there is $115m loss. This is what we are trying to get away from, member for Barkly, because these things snowball. Year after year they get slightly bigger, to the point where somewhere down the track they bankrupt government.
We can all play politics over the amount of notice you got on the statement I made today, but the fact is I have given a broad-brush view of all the things going on with the Power and Water Corporation. As I said, we are not privatising anything. The member for Nelson asked about privatisation, and it is interesting to listen to the misinformation, or the lack of understanding, that people have in relation to utilities and how they operate. I heard the former member for Casuarina say, ‘The best bit of the lot is the generator. They will privatise that first, or will privatise the retail.’
Everybody disregards the network. The network is the most valuable, easily sold part of the whole business. It is worth about $2 bn, and there are probably about 20 super funds who would buy the thing tomorrow because it is what they call a regulated asset. It is regulated by the Utilities Commission and they know in advance what they will earn as a return on it. As a long-term investment it is gold for any super fund, but we are not interested in selling it.
We have said from the word go that we are not selling Power and Water. We are trying to, and what this whole exercise is about, attract and allow more private operators to come here, because as the Territory grows, we as a government do not have the money in the bank to continually build new generation and all this other stuff that requires building.
You talk about a long-term view, something that can grow and develop with the Territory, and that is exactly what we are putting in place. That is why we are doing what we are doing. It does not take a cost-benefit analysis to understand that; it simply requires people to open their eyes and look what has gone on around the rest of the country for the last 20 years with the COAG reform process. The most difficult thing to privatise is a 30-year-old generator at Channel Island, but people seem to think that is the easiest thing to sell. It is not. I am not suggesting we have any thoughts at all of selling any of these assets.
I do not have a lot of time left, but I would like to respond to a couple of the things the member for Nelson said. The member for Nelson obviously has a great interest in council matters. That is great. He is concerned about the cost of street lighting. The fact is, member for Nelson, somebody has to pay the cost of street lighting. The rationale for putting it onto councils to pay is that councils can actually maintain those street lights for a lot less than the Power and Water Corporation can.
Palmerston council, Darwin City Council, Alice Springs and Katherine all have maintenance crews available all the time. They are the first to know when a light goes out and when there is a problem. They have cherry pickers and all that stuff. For them to maintain street lighting is a lot cheaper than it is for Power and Water Corporation to maintain those street lights. We have said to councils that we are not necessarily suggesting they should use PWC to maintain street lights. For PWC it is a big deal to send a cherry picker to Palmerston to change one bulb, but for council, which is around the area all the time, it becomes a lot more efficient and cheaper to do it.
Member for Nelson, I love your lateral thinking. You come out with wonderful things all the time. I had not even thought of sticking a restaurant on top of that 40 m-high tank. Mate, I have to say you have me intrigued. I will make some inquiries. I imagine the stumbling block might be trying to find a private owner who wants to operate a restaurant 40 m up on the corner of Lambrick Avenue. Who knows? There are some creatively thinking people in the hospitality industry and maybe it appeals to them.
Our dam is a priority, and I agree with you about Manton Dam recreational area. I want to see that improved. I want to see a bit more shade and more areas where skiers can sit. Although someone in my office told me they used to work with Power and Water in the water division, and they know exactly what is in Manton Dam and would not go swimming there.
I love the place. When I was a bit younger I was there all the time, I even got up on one ski, which I thought was a wonderful achievement. It is a great spot, and I would hate to see it banned from recreational use. If there is a reason it should not be used recreationally, I would like to find that out before we stop people using it.
In relation to remote communities, solar wind and renewables, I am open for that. The big problem is that I can go around town and probably find a thousand people who can fix a diesel generator, but I would struggle to find five who could fix a solar array.
These things sound great in principle, but unless you have the skills and technology on the ground, they can lead to ruin. I am dead keen to explore tidal power, other solar options, wind options and that sort of thing, but when you start looking into it you see it is hard to beat the old diesel generator and it is easy to find someone who can fix it. With the price of oil dropping from $110 a barrel to under $50 a barrel, all of a sudden it will be hard to compete commercially with the trusty diesel generator.
Member for Nelson, the statement was long. I would love to have gone into detail about a range of things, but it was meant to give a broad snapshot of the enormity of work the Power and Water Corporation and associated entities undertake. At times we underestimate the size and complexity of the organisation, and people can underestimate the size and complexity of the job of the structural separation. One problem we have at the moment is getting our financial management systems going. The financial separation of the Power and Water Corporation has been a very difficult task, but I am assured it is on track and within the next month or so we should start to see some outcomes.
Again, that was one problem with the organisation; there was very little transparency between operations. With the structural separation, just from an accountability point of view, it is important to understand where the money is going.
I want to respond to all of the things raised. I do not think I can get an extension; I will not bother because people are keen to get into adjournment. I thank everybody very much for responding to the statement. I am glad people have thought about it as it is a big issue.
I put on the record my deep thanks to the Power and Water staff. They have all had a trying time over the last 18 months. Change is not easy, but they have risen to the challenge, and I am over the moon with the efforts they have gone to in following through on government policy.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
TABLED PAPERS
Travel Reports for Members for Fannie Bay and Johnston
Travel Reports for Members for Fannie Bay and Johnston
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table two travel reports from the members for Fannie Bay and Johnston in accordance with paragraph 4.12 of the Remuneration Tribunal Determination.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Deputy Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, this evening I pay tribute to one of my constituents and her family. It was a very sad day when Lyn Horner passed away.
Lyn Horner was a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, auntie and great auntie, and a friend and colleague to so many people in the rural area and elsewhere.
Lyn was named Lynette Shirley Wade and was called Lindy in her younger years. She was born on 1 December 1952 at the Bethlehem hospital in South Caulfield in Victoria. Her father said she had very big ears when she was born, a legacy she carried all her life, and was adamant they should be covered at all times by her hair, and they were. Apparently she did not smile much as a baby and always had a serious look on her face.
Colin was the first child born to Harvey and Shirley Wade, followed by Lyn, Peter, Jenny, Karen and Andrew. Her home for the early years was in Argyle Street, Chadstone; then they moved to the family home their father built in 1957 at Russell Crescent, Mount Waverley. Lyn grew up in a loving family environment which included playing with her brothers and sisters. She was good at organising her brothers and sisters and being in charge. Her sister related at the funeral that she remembered many times walking up the street with Lyn to buy groceries for her mother, and all of them walking to and from school being bossed around and organised by Lyn.
Family outings consisted of going on Sunday drives, going to the beach, going to their grandmother’s at McCrae, spending many hours splashing around in the seawater and visiting their aunts, uncles and cousins.
Lyn attended Mount Waverley state school and Mount Waverly high school. Last October Lyn flew to Melbourne with her sister and went to the Mount Waverley high school 50-year reunion. It was a big walk down memory lane for both the sisters.
Lyn achieved good marks and excelled at her school work. She participated in gymnastics at the Mount Waverley youth club and later enjoyed ballroom dancing. I am told she did it very well.
Lyn had beautiful natural blonde hair. If she had collected a coin for every time a person asked her, ‘Are you naturally blonde or is that peroxide?’ she would have made a lot of money and probably been very wealthy.
Lyn left school at the end of fourth form and got her first job working in an office doing administrative duties and answering telephones for a company in Huntingdale called Foldaway Furniture. It became apparent to her employer that Lyn was very efficient at what she did and was a good worker, and she was very well-respected by her co-workers. They were very upset when she left the company.
She left that job and obtained another job for a company called Briner Ads in Moorabbin working as an accounting machinist operating a machine known as a National 32. Lyn was in charge of the debtors/creditors ledgers and doing a monthly trial balance. Once again, she was very efficient at what she did and was very well-liked and respected.
Lyn left that position when she went to join her husband, Kevin, who was living in Darwin. Lyn was introduced to her husband by his cousin, Robyn, who was also Lyn’s girlfriend, and they started dating. The parents were a bit doubtful at first about Kevin. Was he good enough for their daughter – the usual and familiar thoughts of a mother about her daughter. It did not take them long to realise that Kevin loved Lyn very much, was very protective of her and would look after her. The mother was a little contrary at times, but when Kevin came to visit the first thing he would do was offer her a beer, then everything settled down and she thought he was an okay fellow.
Lyn and Kevin married on 14 April 1973. A few weeks before the wedding Lyn and Kevin were involved in a nasty car accident and Lyn ended up in hospital with a punctured lung, bruising to her face and a cut on her leg. Lyn, being the kind of person she was, was determined not to let her injuries spoil their wedding plans and she walked down the aisle on Sunday 14th as previously planned. They had a photo of their wedding day at the funeral and it was stunning.
They made their home in Bonbeach, Victoria. The sisters remember many occasions when they went to her place on Sunday to have the ubiquitous Sunday roast which Lyn cooked superbly with all the usual roast vegetables and trimmings.
Later that year was Lyn’s 21st birthday. Family and friends gathered to celebrate, and the family recalls it being a very memorable occasion.
Kevin was a carpenter by trade, and after Cyclone Tracy he came here for work like so many young fellows did in those days, just with their ute and a trailer. After he found permanent accommodation, Lyn followed a month or so later. Darwin then became their home. They bought their first home in Millner and the family was very excited when they heard the news that Lyn and Kevin were expecting their first child, Peter, who was born on 28 June 1977. Almost four years later, Jenny was born on 30 April 1981.
Over the passing of the years they moved from town to the rural area. Lyn developed a passion, knowledge and love of birds which continued to grow and grow. They purchased a block of land at Noonamah which had lots of mango trees on it, and Kevin built their family home and the various and many aviaries they needed to house all of Lyn’s birds. Lyn then added to her collection ducks, chooks, roosters, chickens, rabbits, mice and rats.
Lyn set up breeding pairs of her birds, rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, chooks and roosters, and would collect the birds’ eggs and hatch them in an incubator. Then it was off to the market where she would sell her stock every Saturday. She became very popular and well known, not only for her dedication in supporting the markets, but also the variety of poultry she had available for people to buy. She became known as the bird lady.
Lyn enjoyed going to bird club meetings and sharing her knowledge. Recently she became a life member of the Avicultural Society of the Northern Territory. Many visitors from down south visited Lyn and Kevin’s family on holidays, which included annual visits from Harvey, Shirley and Andrew. Whenever Lyn could she went to stay with them.
Lyn will be sadly missed by her sisters and mostly by Kevin, her husband, her son, Peter, and Jenny, her daughter. She was a stalwart of the Coolalinga markets with her poultry display, both in its current and past locations, and she was very active and popular in the poultry and the bird exhibitions at the Royal Darwin Show.
I pay tribute to Lyn and express my sympathies to the family on the loss of a great mother, a great person and a much loved community member of the rural area.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I also want to put some facts on the table, (1) to ensure the correct facts are known, and (2) to dispel any misunderstandings that have circulated in the public domain and may be circulating still.
Over the last couple of weeks it has been reported that I threatened to leave the Country Liberal Party. This is not correct. At no time in any wing meeting or in any other meeting, private or public, have I stated that.
During the recent political upheaval it became apparent to me, from my clear and concise understanding, that a person or persons unknown had talks, if not written correspondence, with the member for Namatjira in regard to assisting the government with numbers on the floor. This situation alarmed me, and I advised my colleagues if it occurred I could not work in a team with the member for Namatjira and would resign from the party.
That is the true and accurate description of what I said.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about my grandfather, Frank, an Anzac.
Francis John Geelan was my mother’s father, my grandfather, a legendary citizen of our nation and a true larrikin of the Australian bush.
The Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad documents No. 382 Private Francis John Geelan, 14th Light Horse Regiment, as a natural born originating near the town of Braidwood, New South Wales and aged 21 years when he voluntarily agreed to serve in the military forces of the Commonwealth of Australia within or beyond the limits of the Commonwealth on 15 April 1915.
Frank, as his family and friends knew him, lied about his age, as he was young, brazen and fearless in the company of his beloved older brother while working on and about the stations and settlements around Captains Flat, Majors Creek and Braidwood in southern central New South Wales.
Frank was no stranger to controversy as he asserted himself in all manner of work and play throughout the district that often involved fun and frivolity, however, on occasion, required a pugilistic prowess, where Frank reportedly was quite proficient.
The life-changing plan was hatched in an isolated part of the country when Aussie brothers Frank and Robert agreed to serve King and Country in what was perceived by most at that time as nothing more than one hell of a blue shaping up against the Germans that should not take long or be of too much consequence as to have the boys home by Christmas.
From this infantile rumour and innuendo set around the campfire the harsher reality of their decisions kicked in when Frank and Robert rode station horses to town, progressing their official military enlistments in the Australian Imperial Force that saw them separated for the first and last time, placing Frank in Liverpool, New South Wales on 14 April 1915 for enlistment and embarking out of Sydney for active service abroad on 26 June 1915.
As stated in the war records, Frank proceeded to join MEF at Gallipoli on 16 August 1915 where he was subsequently launched into a desolate world of death, destruction and insanity on a scale never before witnessed by mankind, let alone the wild colonial boy from rural New South Wales. For Frank this surreal environment must have become purely a quest for survival among the constant danger from Turkish snipers, artillery shells and bomb throwers, where death and wounding became commonplace in an impossible geographic position pinned down between the jagged cliffs of the Gallipoli peninsula and the Aegean Sea.
Our family oral history shares very little of Frank’s struggle at Gallipoli as he never spoke much about the horrors he endured there, albeit his intense dislike of British officers was reported to be the result of witnessing their harsh brutality inflicted upon young, shell-shocked Australian soldiers who were too physically and mentally shattered to continue on the battlefield.
Frank’s service with the 14th Light Horse Regiment after Gallipoli saw him disembarking at Alexandria ex Mudross on 9 January 1916, placing him in the last major evacuations of the Gallipoli campaign, one of many soldiers who found the admission of defeat and leaving dead colleagues buried throughout the cemeteries located all over the Anzac positions as both soul-destroying and untenable.
Frank’s war records document a transfer to the Camel Corps at Abbassia on 26 January 1916, which supports the family legend of Frank telling his wife and children years later that the 14th Light Horse Regiment ran low on its prized Australian horses during the Middle East operations, and they were ordered to ride camels, of which our wily Frank became the little lord and master.
My mother regaled my subsequent generation with rowdy tales of her father Frank commanding the camels at Taronga park zoo in Sydney from outside the fence, showing off shamelessly for the crowd of onlookers and his adoring young wife, Cecilia, who in a beautiful family legend dared to place her name and address in a pair of soldier’s socks she had knitted in the war effort, resulting in meeting and marrying Francis John Geelan after the war.
Grandfather Frank’s war service in the Middle East reads of a plethora of ‘Marched Out’ to exotic-sounding locations such as Abbassia, Bur-el-Abd, Moascar and Richon, where he re-joined the 14th Light Horse Regiment on 6 August 1918.
However, I struggle with the stereotypical Club Med image of such geographic regions today while trying to conceptualise the absolute horror of these postings with the slaughter of hand-to-hand combat he endured, and survived, characterising a brutal war widely acknowledged as the worst war in history: the Great War 1914-1919.
Frank certainly had some surviving to do on the battlefields, and thank God that living remained high on his agenda, as the more imaginative entries on his war service records testified, defining our young Frank as earning an impressive array of offences and awards pertaining to overstaying leave and drunkenness that ended up depriving him of many days pay, and, ironically, during the research into his military history, me incurring the wrath of an elderly aunt by daring to unearth such embarrassing elements of his distinguished service.
Francis John Geelan disembarked in Sydney on 28 August 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on 28 October 1919 and, like so many others, rebounded back into a world that had few services and little understanding of the horrors he and his fellow service personnel had experienced.
He established himself back into Australian society with only the support of family, while immediately facing the harsh reality of his brother’s death, Private Robert Michael Geelan, 18th Battalion AIF, killed in action on 20 September 1917 in Belgium, and of his father’s physical disability from the war after enlisting in the AIF late in 1915 and embarking for active service at the age of 44.
Frank battled on back home despite the major challenges of social, emotional and physical life, continually living in the shadow of the killing fields, yet choosing wisely to raise a family of his own, with a gifted and loving wife, a son and four daughters in the thriving state of New South Wales.
Frank settled into employment with the New South Wales Government Railways and, typical of a bushman, joined the remote construction gangs camped out while laying new track both south and west of Sydney. I believe this choice of working lifestyle must have suited a post-war Frank, his new assault on survival both connecting him with his earthy roots in the bush, and grounding his incredible grief and sorrow from the past four years into the hard, cold steel track.
Frank continued with his wild colonial ways after the war, and the family celebrated this true blue Australian son as a person who made a real difference to the future of his country, but not without sadness during the dark times that continued to haunt a generation of diggers who had lived and fought their way through savagery, depicting the lowest and most barbaric forms of mankind.
Frank was an Aussie by birth from Irish stock and a digger from the First World War. He liked his family, his country, the bush, a drink with his mates, a good yarn with friends and a song, but for some undisclosed reason he never drank alcohol on Anzac Day, choosing instead to attend the Dawn Service, breakfast, the march and two-up at the local hotel.
That was gospel and tradition for Frank Geelan, and I believe it allowed him to deal with his demons on such an auspicious national celebration of Anzac, while supporting his measured release of those complex memories and emotions etched into his psyche.
My mother, Norah Cecilia McCarthy, the youngest daughter of Francis John Geelan, was two years old when the police called at her family home on Anzac Day in 1936 to inform my grandmother that her husband had been killed on a footpath outside the Croyden Park Hotel in Sydney.
It was revealed in the subsequent coronial inquest and court cases that, as a result of a drunken pub argument, a third person became involved from behind and used a beer bottle to hit Frank Geelan on the head while Frank defended his mate from two other attackers in the melee.
As fate would have it, all charges were dropped against the three men involved in the fatal assault, leaving my grandmother and her children with their own war – alone, with no husband, no father and no justice.
Francis John Geelan left a massive family legacy in life and death, which has stood the test of time, with my grandmother bestowing on me grandfather Frank’s war service medals, including the Gallipoli Medallion, wisely inducting me as the new custodian of our heritage, which encouraged and motivated me to discover more about this incredible Australian and his fascinating part in our history.
In my opinion, grandfather Frank’s legacy relates to courage, determination and conviction, representing generations of Australians who gave their service and lives for the freedom of our modern Australian society, the camaraderie of our shared community values as Aussies and the protection of our land by unselfishly defending our way of life so courageously on a world stage.
Anzac Day holds bittersweet memories for my family and, as time heals all wounds, over time and generations we must continue to remember and reflect on our privileged positions in a colourful and dynamic Australia, which did not come about without the supreme sacrifice of those who had gone before us. At the end of each day we stand united in prayer. Lest we forget.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I send my congratulations and best wishes to the people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly on what will be an occasion of national significance when the Borella Ride commences, another fascinating Australian story of a Territorian who also embarked on this campaign and was awarded the highest honour possible.
It will be a great event and I am sorry I will not be there, but I will be there on Anzac Day. I know you like my speeches, and I will give you another couple. I look forward to spending the Centenary of Anzac with the community of Tennant Creek and the people of the Barkly, in true recognition of the great people of the Northern Territory.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise with regret to pass on the sad news about the passing of a long-term resident of my electorate. On 28 January this year, beside her long-time partner and their son, Julie Therese Wells finally succumbed to the disease she had been diagnosed with nearly four years earlier.
It is an honour for me to stand here and remember the life of Dr Julie Wells as a loved friend, academic, historian and teacher and, for 27 years, a resident of Rapid Creek. Julie was born at Maffra in Victoria on 26 December 1952.
She and her partner, Peter Quinn, came to the Territory more than 30 years ago. Julie’s first job in the Territory was teaching at the Casuarina High School. In 1984 Julie and Peter had their son, Tom, at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Peter found work as an editor with the ABC and their son, Tom, finished Year 12 at Darwin High School as the top student.
Following the birth of their son, Julie worked for a number of years at the Darwin Institute of Technology – now the Charles Darwin University – in adult education tertiary entrance programs and the Aboriginal Task Force. She completed her history doctorate on Commonwealth policy in the Territory in the post-war period, The Long March: Assimilation Policy and Practice in Darwin in 1995, and her thesis remains a landmark work on this topic.
Julie moved on to university administration, first in the faculty of education, and then as an executive assistant to the Vice Chancellor, a role she held for several years, working for Professor Ron McKay, Professor Ken McKinnon and Professor Helen Garnett.
Julie held these roles during the formative years of the transition from the then Northern Territory University, to the Charles Darwin University. Julie was recruited to the position of Director of the Northern Territory Teacher Registration Board in the Northern Territory Public Service. She continued to publish history and contribute to public life in Darwin. For a number of years she was a judge for the Jessie Litchfield Award for Literature. She also served on the board of Relationships Australia NT.
During minor and unrelated surgery at Royal Darwin Hospital, Julie’s illness was discovered, and it was already well advanced and untreatable. After more than 30 years in the Territory, Julie and Peter made the difficult decision to sell their house in Rapid Creek and travel south to spend her remaining time close to family.
Julie died peacefully at The Bays Hospital on the Mornington Peninsula in the company of her beloved partner of 40 years, Peter Quinn, and their much loved son, Tom Wells-Quinn. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed. I pass on my sincere condolences to her family and friends.
It is also with great regret that I speak about another Rapid Creek resident, Peter Mahony. Peter was well known and very well respected within the Nightcliff and broader Darwin community. He became a quadriplegic in 1978 and advocated for people with disabilities at a state, national and international level for more than 35 years.
When he moved to Darwin in 1991 he brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience, including memberships of the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of New South Wales and Disabled People’s International Australia, 10 years volunteering with the Guide Dogs association, and coordinating and managing Liverpool and Fairfield community transport.
Peter’s impact on the Darwin community was immediate and his legacy will be long-lasting. In the 22 years he was in Darwin he spent time as an adviser and volunteer with Total Recreation, he was the President of the Northern Territory touch football association, he spent five years as the NT representative for national information and communications, he was the Chairperson of the national recreation network, he co-founded Northern Territory Integrated disAbility Action, and he became a member and then Chairperson of the City of Darwin’s Disability Advisory Committee.
Peter was the recipient of Rotary’s international Shine On Award for outstanding community service, the 2012 and 2013 Ambassador for Disability Awareness Week, and in 2014 he received the Chief Minister’s Medal for Volunteering Achievement.
The leadership displayed by Peter in the 13 years he was the Chairperson for the Disability Advisory Committee was outstanding, and his passionate advocacy for addressing access and equality matters, as well as his professionalism, was integral to the committee’s excellent reputation within the City of Darwin council and the community.
In the 22 years he spent with the Disability Advisory Committee, he helped achieve many significant outcomes for people living in and around, or visiting, Darwin. Some of these include: the development of the Community Access Plan 2012 to 2017; the installation of two Liberty Swings, one in the Jingili Water Gardens and one at the Lake Alexander playground; the installation of an aqualift in each of the three council pools; painting disability parking bays blue to increase visibility and raise awareness of their position and purpose; the In the Blue television campaign to raise awareness of the issues impacting people with a disability, especially parking and access; he advocated for improved access to the Parap shopping centre, Nightcliff Shopping Centre, Casuarina shopping square; and, as I hear it, he even advocated for access to the Nightcliff Electorate Office when it was being built in the late 1990s. He advocated for improvements to the Rapid Creek bridge to allow inclusive access; the installation of the new electronic toilets the council installed throughout Darwin and the suburbs, which provided easy disability access; and the construction of the Rapid Creek fishing platform was specifically designed for wheelchair access.
Pete dedicated much of his life to improving access services and the quality of life for people with a disability. He was a man of action who willingly devoted his time to working within the community and organisations in the pursuit of equality. His legacy, particularly from his time with the City of Darwin’s Disability Advisory Committee, raised awareness and fought for better services for communication and opportunities for all Territorians.
I first met Peter during the 2012 election campaign. He was an early morning visitor to the Nightcliff Markets. He made sure there was clear access for everyone – wheelchairs and mums with prams. That was Peter’s job every Sunday. He would pop down and whizz around. He started questioning me and I quickly learnt to enjoy those chats. Once I was elected, Peter continued to visit me and pass on thoughts and share ideas. I was extremely honoured when he asked if he could have one of my campaign corflutes on the back of his electric wheelchair. That was a great delight. I would be out flogging the streets, doorknocking and letterboxing, and I would often see Pete with my picture on the back of his wheelchair. People talked about it.
We shared a view about the importance of equality and access for all. I was pushing a pram, he was in a wheelchair. He taught me so much.
The wheelchair accessible fishing platform that was a passion of Peter’s was completed by the NT government in 2013. I was proud, earlier this year, to be at the official opening where it was named by the Place Names Committee as the Peter Mahony Fishing Platform, a tribute to a truly remarkable man who was an exceptional advocate for people with disabilities. It is a wonderful way for our community to acknowledge his efforts. We were greatly saddened when he was suddenly taken from us. But that fishing platform reminds us in our community that we need to advocate for all and ensure everyone can have access to the simplest of things, such as fishing.
My thoughts are with Peter’s family and friends at this sad time, and with Julie Wells. It is particularly sad. As a member of parliament you get a number of honours and privileges, but it is a very sad time. It is a great honour to speak of these two wonderful Rapid Creek residents who have sadly left our community but whose memory will live on.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to speak about Lyn Horner.
Lyn and Kevin are long time rural people, and I will mention a little story. They, of course, were one of the main suppliers of chickens and ducks in the rural area and, as the member for Goyder said, they used to sell them at the markets every Saturday morning.
I was in a play named Fiddler on the Roof. If anyone has seen Fiddler on the Roof they would know there is a part where there is a wedding and everybody has to bring gifts. I was the butcher and had to bring some chickens. We ummed and ahhed about whether to bring pretend or real chickens. We decided to give bantams a go because they looked a lot better than pretend chickens.
We went to Lyn’s place and she gave us some chickens. We tested them out, because if you know the play the Russians come in and destroy the wedding. They throw everything everywhere. Tables go flying and gifts go flying, and Lyn’s chickens stood up to all that every night; I think we had eight performances, and those chickens did not blink an eyelid. I recall taking them back and thanking her very much for being part of that play. It made it a bit more real that we had Lyn’s chickens in the play.
She will be missed because she was very much part of the rural area. I know Kevin very well. He has a big metal chicken out the front of his house to let you know where to go. We have that common bond of a certain two-legged animal which we all love. My deepest sympathy to Kevin and his family.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the member for Barkly is on the other side of politics, but I feel there could have been a little more cooperation. We are, as members of parliament, down the bottom of the scale at the moment in the eyes of the public, and something that may have lifted us a bit would have been the Chief Minister offering to help the member for Barkly go back to his electorate for the beginning of the important Borella Ride. That would have been something above party politics, because we all represent different electorates and we all are members of this parliament.
The public does not have much time for us. People tell me what they think the state of affairs is, and it is not nice. It would have been a kind gesture for the Chief Minister to offer a ride to the member for Barkly, because it is in his electorate. I do not know who else the Chief Minister is taking, but I thought the local member would have been of a higher priority than some of the other people going. It is not my decision, but I feel I have to make that comment.
When it came into power, one thing I asked the government to do was set up a task force to look at where some of the Aboriginal communities, especially in my electorate, are going. I wanted a task force to look at a range of things, because there appears to be no vision for these places. I have Knuckey Lagoon community and the 15 Mile community. There are Aboriginal communities in Darwin itself, such as One Mile Dam and Bagot, but my original concern was Knuckey Lagoon and the 15 Mile community.
There seems to be no policy which sets out where these communities are going into the future. I asked to be part of the committee to look at these issues, and when I asked questions in this parliament – as the member for Stuart would know – I was told, ‘I only look after one part of it and Lands and Planning are looking after another part of it’. I ask the Chief Minister, who has reintroduced Indigenous Affairs as a portfolio of government, to forget what happened previously and look at the issues in relation to these communities.
There is a range of issues that need to be looked at. For instance, the land in Knuckey Lagoon and 15 Mile is owned by the Aboriginal Development Foundation, which gets some money, but not much. The houses are owned by Yilli Rreung, so houses owned by one body are sitting on land owned by another, and that brings in complications with removing people who are causing social disharmony in that community. How do you enforce those laws, especially when you do not own the land? You could get someone evicted from the house, but they are not evicted from the land.
What opportunities are there for the people in those communities to buy their houses? Some of the houses in those communities are miles better than mine; they are good houses. Is there opportunity, instead of people paying rent, to get ownership of those houses?
I have heard plans to increase the number of houses at Knuckey Lagoon, but they are just plans, ideas. Larrakia Nation tried to put a bid in to take over some of the ownership of those communities. I am not sure whether they want to take over the land, the houses, or both, but there was some reaction from members of those communities who felt they did not want to be managed by Larrakia Nation, and there were reasons for that. That is not to say Larrakia Nation does not do a good job, but in this case there was some resistance to that occurring.
However, if we are to have a discussion they should be part of it. I would like the Chief Minister to look where we are going with those communities. Are we just rolling along and not really trying to give them some direction; that direction also has to come from them. People live there who have never really had a direct say in who will represent them. We have a couple of good people, Phil Goodman and Ronnie Agnew, who are sort of de facto leaders of those communities, but they have never been elected and have never been appointed by their community. The community has not had any real say, and they might not want these people to continue in that role.
There are issues of governance, house ownership, land ownership and who looks after the infrastructure. There are questions about whether some of those properties should have public roads and come under the local council. Then there are the social issues. There is no doubt these places have issues with drugs and alcohol, and have people who drift in from other communities and cause conflict.
There is a range of issues. These communities are sitting on Darwin’s doorstep but we do not seem to be able to put together a way forward. I have not heard anything from the committees that were set up. I am not sure where they went. Portfolios have changed and ministers have changed, and I have not seen a report to parliament about what happened in relation to the bodies that were formed. I want to be part of that discussion, not to say I will be telling people what to do, but as the local member it would be nice to be part of some of those discussions. I do not know if it is because I do not belong to government that I was not invited, appointed or allowed to be an observer to the original discussions.
Chief Minister, you have set up a portfolio of Indigenous Affairs, which is a good idea. As the minister for this portfolio, I am happy to sit down with you. I want you to ensure the community is part of it, and that it is not run from above but is run from the bottom up. You must make sure, if you set up a task force, that the community in these places are part of that discussion.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to update the House on what the Department of Housing is doing to support government’s actions in regard to Cyclone Lam.
Our call centre will be operating 24/7 for the next five days, or as long as required. Staff with suitable experience will assist call centre staff on a roster system to run four shifts every 24 hours. Additional Public Housing Safety Officers will be deployed tonight to assist any tenants in Darwin who may be impacted by visitors from the evacuation centre if they cause any antisocial behaviour at public housing dwellings. We will implement a post-event recovery management plan which will deploy staff to assess damages in affected communities once safe to do so.
We will deal with tenants unable to return to their homes, dependent on damage, or find alternative housing options, and identify contractors who can assist with critical repairs and maintenance. We are also drafting communication material for tenants leaving shelters and returning to community, reminding them of the call centre contact numbers and the need to advise the Department of Housing of works identified upon return to their public housing dwellings. Reinforcing the safety of our tenants is paramount. My thoughts go out to the people of Warruwi who were flown in today.
In regard to a question raised earlier by the member for Arnhem about housing in Elliott, yes, the Barkly Regional Council had organised a meeting on 2 February in Elliott to discuss the status of community housing at North Camp, Gurungu; South Camp, Wilyugu; and Marlinja outstation. My department was represented by senior officers from Darwin and Alice Springs. Others who attended included representatives of the Australian government, the Northern Land Council, the Barkly Regional Council and community residents.
The issues raised related to the state of housing and the need for additional housing. The Northern Territory government has been clear, for some time now, that there is no money for new houses on homelands, outstations and town camps.
The homelands program provides a contribution towards the cost of delivering municipal and essential services, and housing maintenance services to homelands, outstations and town camps. This program is not a housing construction program. Barkly Regional Council is funded to provide municipal and essential services and housing maintenance to Gurungu, Wilyugu and Marlinja through the homelands program, and employs staff to deliver these services.
The Northern Territory government has no tenure over any parcel of land within these locations. Barkly Regional Council is aware of the process required to seek consideration by the Territory and Commonwealth governments for social housing. Let us not forget, Labor ignored Elliott for eleven-and-a-half years; it totally ignored them and did not care. Labor signed the Northern Territory up to SIHIP and forgot to include Elliott. Member for Arnhem, you should ask Labor members why they did not look into that or why they forgot Elliott existed.
Last, I want to talk a bit on my community of Yuendumu. There was a loss there recently. The Yuendumu community lost a fellow by the name of Rick Berry who was working at the swimming pool with the community. The community felt lost without him. They have been grieving and have met his family; they came to Yuendumu and had a memorial service. They want to make sure people know that none of the people at Yuendumu or their relatives were running away to other communities to seek somewhere else to live where it was safe. They said they knew this fellow, they had high regard for him, and he was loved by the whole community. The community wanted to make sure the message got out there that he was a good bloke. Yes, they will miss him.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016