2005 02 22 WEEKLY - parliament.qld.gov.au · 22 Feb 2005 Legislative Assembly 1 TUESDAY, 22...

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51ST PARLIAMENT

CONTENTS Page

PROOF ISSN 1322-0330

Subject

Tuesday, 22 February 2005ASSENT TO BILLS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1PARLIAMENTARY CRIME AND MISCONDUCT COMMISSIONER ................................................................................................... 1

Appointment ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE MOBILE UNIT ......................................................................................................... 1ABSENCE OF MEMBER FOR NICKLIN AND MEMBER FOR GAVEN ............................................................................................. 1MOTION OF CONDOLENCE ............................................................................................................................................................... 2

Deaths of Mr GB Kehoe and Mr PND White ............................................................................................................................ 2PETITIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 7PAPERS ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 8MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 14

Ministerial Expenses .............................................................................................................................................................. 14MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 15

ICT Industry ............................................................................................................................................................................ 15MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Multicultural Policy .................................................................................................................................................................. 15MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Koala Conservation Plan ........................................................................................................................................................ 15MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Counterterrorism .................................................................................................................................................................... 15MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 16

Beattie Government, Anniversary of State Election ............................................................................................................... 16MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 16

Job Creation, Regional Queensland ...................................................................................................................................... 16MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 17

Government Advertisements .................................................................................................................................................. 17MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 18

Public Hospitals, Waiting Times ............................................................................................................................................. 18MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 18

Emergency Response Centre, Cannon Hill ............................................................................................................................ 18MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 19

Clarion Hotel, Mackay ............................................................................................................................................................ 19

BY AUTHORITYL.J. OSMOND, CHIEF HANSARD REPORTER—2004

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/hansard/

Table of Contents — Tuesday, 22 February 2005

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...............................................................................................................................................................19Smart State Strategy ..............................................................................................................................................................19

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...............................................................................................................................................................19Cooler Schools Program .........................................................................................................................................................19

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...............................................................................................................................................................20Queensland Commissioner of Police ......................................................................................................................................20

SITTING DAYS AND HOURS; ORDER OF BUSINESS ....................................................................................................................21Sessional Order ......................................................................................................................................................................21

SCRUTINY OF LEGISLATION COMMITTEE ....................................................................................................................................22Report .....................................................................................................................................................................................22

OVERSEAS VISIT ...............................................................................................................................................................................22Report .....................................................................................................................................................................................22

OFFICE OF LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ....................................................................................................................................22Report of Expenses ................................................................................................................................................................22

OFFICE OF LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY ..............................................................................................................................22Report of Expenses ................................................................................................................................................................22

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE .......................................................................................................................................................22Juvenile Justice System .........................................................................................................................................................22Juvenile Justice System .........................................................................................................................................................23Rau, Ms C; Palmer Inquiry ......................................................................................................................................................23Visit to Palm Island by Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy .....................................................................24Liberal Party ............................................................................................................................................................................25QEII Hospital, Gastroenterology Services ..............................................................................................................................25Firearms Amnesty ...................................................................................................................................................................26Community Safety ..................................................................................................................................................................26Apprenticeships and Traineeships ..........................................................................................................................................27Alcohol Restrictions, Cape York Peninsula .............................................................................................................................28Queensland Health System ....................................................................................................................................................28Airconditioning of Special Schools ..........................................................................................................................................28

PRIVILEGE .........................................................................................................................................................................................29Answer to Question ................................................................................................................................................................29

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE .......................................................................................................................................................29Homelessness ........................................................................................................................................................................29Princess Alexandra Hospital; Pepplinkhouse, Mr W ...............................................................................................................30Gateway Bridge Upgrade .......................................................................................................................................................31Great Sandy Marine Park .......................................................................................................................................................31Imparja Cup ............................................................................................................................................................................32

MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST ....................................................................................................................................................33Juvenile Justice System .........................................................................................................................................................33Compulsory Voting .................................................................................................................................................................34Multiculturalism .......................................................................................................................................................................35Timber Industry .......................................................................................................................................................................36Investment in Townsville-Thuringowa .....................................................................................................................................37Walter Construction Group .....................................................................................................................................................38Recreation and Tourism Zone, Bribie Island-Scarborough .....................................................................................................39State Infrastructure .................................................................................................................................................................40Logan City Council ..................................................................................................................................................................41Industrial Development, Western Queensland .......................................................................................................................42Charlton-Wellcamp Industrial Estate; Toowoomba Range Crossing ......................................................................................43

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 2)APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL (NO. 2) ..............................................................................................................................44

Second Reading (Cognate Debate) ........................................................................................................................................44DISTINGUISHED VISITOR .................................................................................................................................................................50APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 2)APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL (NO. 2) ..............................................................................................................................50

Second Reading (Cognate Debate) ........................................................................................................................................50Consideration in Detail (Cognate Debate) ..............................................................................................................................84Appropriation Bill (No. 2) .........................................................................................................................................................84Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2) ....................................................................................................................................84Third Reading (Cognate Debate) ............................................................................................................................................84

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER ......................................................................................................................................................84Appointment ............................................................................................................................................................................84

PETROLEUM AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) ........................................................................................94Second Reading .....................................................................................................................................................................94Consideration in Detail ............................................................................................................................................................98Third Reading .......................................................................................................................................................................100

ADJOURNMENT ...............................................................................................................................................................................100Queensland Regional Business Advisory Service ................................................................................................................100Turtle Interpretive Centre ......................................................................................................................................................100

Table of Contents — Tuesday, 22 February 2005

Kirra Hill ................................................................................................................................................................................ 101Paradise Point Community ................................................................................................................................................... 101Killarney Land-holders .......................................................................................................................................................... 102Centrelink, Handling of Documents ...................................................................................................................................... 103Butler, Mr F ........................................................................................................................................................................... 103Aspley Hypermarket ............................................................................................................................................................. 104Citrus Canker ....................................................................................................................................................................... 104Hospital and Health Services ............................................................................................................................................... 105

22 Feb 2005 Legislative Assembly 1

TUESDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2005

Legislative Assembly

Mr SPEAKER (Hon. RK Hollis, Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 am.

ASSENT TO BILLS29 November 2004

The Honourable R.K. Hollis, MPSpeaker of the Legislative AssemblyParliament HouseGeorge StreetBRISBANE QLD 4000

Dear Mr Speaker

I am pleased to inform the Legislative Assembly that the following Bills, having been passed by the Legislative Assembly andhaving been presented for the Royal Assent, were assented to in the name of Her Majesty The Queen on 29 November 2004:

"A Bill for an Act to make various amendments of Queensland statute law"

"A Bill for an Act to amend the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994, and for other purposes"

"A Bill for an Act to require particular offenders who commit sexual, or particular other serious, offences against children tokeep police informed of their whereabouts and other personal details for a period of time, to reduce the likelihood that theywill re-offend, and to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of any future offences that they may commit, and forrelated purposes"

"A Bill for an Act to amend the Electricity Act 1994"

"A Bill for an Act to amend the Electricity Act 1994"

"A Bill for an Act to amend the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 and for otherpurposes".

The Bills are hereby transmitted to the Legislative Assembly, to be numbered and forwarded to the proper Officer for enrolment, inthe manner required by law.

Yours sincerely

(sgd)

Governor

PARLIAMENTARY CRIME AND MISCONDUCT COMMISSIONER

Appointment

Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have to report that Mr Alan MacSporran has beenappointed as the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner.

AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE MOBILE UNIT

Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, today and tomorrow from 9.00 am until 3.00 pm theAustralian Red Cross has set up a blood service mobile unit. The unit will be set up in front of the oldHouse for members and staff who wish to donate. May I remind everybody that, unfortunately, Easterhas become a very busy time for the Red Cross. With the Easter break upon us earlier this year, I urgeall members and staff to consider donating. Appointments can be made if necessary. The number to callis posted outside the chamber.

ABSENCE OF MEMBER FOR NICKLIN AND MEMBER FOR GAVEN

Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, the member for Nicklin, Peter Wellington, and the memberfor Gaven, Robert Poole, will be absent from the parliament this week for health reasons. I am suremembers will join me in wishing them a speedy recovery.

2 Motion of Condolence 22 Feb 2005

MOTION OF CONDOLENCE

Deaths of Mr GB Kehoe and Mr PND WhiteHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.32 am), by

leave, without notice: I move—1. That this House desires to place on record its appreciation of the services rendered to this state by the late former state

member for Southport and former federal member for McPherson, Mr Peter Nicholson Duckett White, and the lateGregory Brian Kehoe, a former member of the parliament of Queensland.

2. That Mr Speaker be requested to convey to the family of the deceased gentlemen the above resolution, together with anexpression of the profound sympathy and sorrow of the members of the parliament of Queensland for the loss they havesustained.

Gregory Brian Kehoe was born on 1 May 1917 in Warwick. Mr Kehoe attended St Patrick’sConvent and Christian Brothers College in Gympie before attending Brisbane Teachers TrainingCollege. Mr Kehoe joined the Queensland Public Service immediately after leaving school. He wasadmitted as a solicitor in the Queensland Supreme Court and later as a magistrate in the Small ClaimsTribunal in Brisbane.

Between 1941 and 1945, Mr Kehoe served in the Australian military force, proudly serving hiscountry in Papua New Guinea with the 42nd Battalion. On his return home to Queensland he resumedhis career in the Public Service. He represented the residents of Gympie on employment related issuesthrough his roles as secretary to the Gympie branch of the State Service Union and as a delegate to theGympie Trades and Labor Council and the Brisbane Trades and Labor Council.

Mr Kehoe was actively involved in the Australian Labor Party since 1947, and held the position ofstate vice-president in 1957. Mr Kehoe was elected to the Queensland parliament as the member for thethen electorate of Nash on 7 March 1953. In his maiden speech in this House he highlighted importantwelfare issues for Queensland, including the development of Queensland’s primary industries, theadvantages of irrigation, the need for well-managed farm land and the importance of transport andpower infrastructure in regional development.

These issues, although raised over 50 years ago in this House, remain significant for regionalQueensland today and are indeed ones that concern my government. Mr Kehoe’s funeral service will beheld today at the Holy Family Catholic Church, Runaway Bay. I take this opportunity to extend mysympathy and that of all members of this House to his family.

Peter Nicholson Duckett White was born in Queensland on 19 January 1936. He completed hissecondary education at The Southport School on the Gold Coast. During this time he demonstratedconsiderable talent and on his application for admission to the Royal Military College Duntroon hisheadmaster wrote—

He is our most outstanding sportsman and leader. I am sure he will always be a credit to this school.

Peter was accepted to the Royal Military College Duntroon, entering in January 1954. Again, heexcelled at sport and leadership and was the recipient of numerous awards. He graduated fromDuntroon in December 1957 and entered the Royal Australian Infantry, initially joining the 11 NationalService Battalion. Peter served his country in many overseas postings, and was awarded a MilitaryCross for his courage and leadership during military operations in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, during the 1968Tet offensive. The citation on Peter’s Military Cross referred specifically to ‘his care of his men’.

In 1973, having attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanding 1RAR, Townsville, Peterchose to resign from the Australian Army and return to Southport with his family. At this time, Peterbecame active in politics, and was elected as the Liberal member for the seat of Southport on 12November 1977. Many very distinguished people were elected to the House on that occasion. Peterserved one term in the Queensland parliament and from his maiden speech it was apparent that hewould vigorously hold the government of the day to account.

In his first speech to parliament, Peter also emphasised the importance of primary industries andresources to the state’s future and the benefits of coordinated service delivery, as well as advocating forimproved infrastructure in his electorate of Southport. In the time that he served in the state parliament,Peter became known for his strong personal convictions, taking a stand on corruption 10 years beforethe advent of the Fitzgerald inquiry.

Following his term in the Queensland parliament, Peter was encouraged to enter the federalarena, and represented the seat of McPherson from 1981 to 1990, including a period as shadowminister for defence. After retiring from politics in 1990, Peter worked as a consultant and businessman,and maintained an active interest in sport until his recent illness.

In both his military and political careers, Peter White’s service was distinguished by leadershipand loyalty. Peter is survived by his widow, Shirley, his children Kylie and Nigel, and their families. Iextend my deepest sympathies and that of all members of this House to his family.

22 Feb 2005 Motion of Condolence 3

Mr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (9.38 am): On behalf ofthe opposition, I join with the Premier in expressing our condolences to the families of the late BrianKehoe and Peter White and wish them all the very best at this very difficult time. Gregory Brian Kehoe,known as Brian, was born on 1 May 1917 in Warwick, Queensland. He was the son of Stephen Kehoe,a mining warden’s clerk in Gympie, and Teresa Mary Flynn. He was married on 5 June 1948 to CecilyAgnes White and they had two sons.

He was educated at St Patrick’s Convent, Christian Brothers College, Gympie, and teacherstraining college, Brisbane. His war service included being with the 42 Battalion AMF from 1941 to 1945in New Guinea and engaging in the Salamaua campaign. His employment included a period with theQueensland Public Service after leaving school. He was also appointed as a solicitor of the QueenslandSupreme Court and deputy registrar in 1958. He was a stipendiary magistrate and a referee of the SmallClaims Tribunal in Brisbane. His community service included being a member of the Gympie HospitalBoard from 1948 to 1953 and also a member of the RSL.

Brian Kehoe was one of the last surviving members of the 1957 Gair Labor government. He wassecretary of the Gympie branch of the State Service Union and a member of the Adult EducationAdvisory Board Gympie from 1948 to 1952. He was a delegate from the State Service Union to theGympie Trades and Labor Council from 1952 to 1955. He was also a delegate from the Gympie Tradesand Labor Council to the Brisbane Trades and Labor Council. He was a member of the ALP and thenthe QLP from 1957. He was vice-president of the Gympie branch of the ALP from 1947 to 1953 andstate vice-president of the QLP from 1957. He was elected as the ALP member for Nash, now known asGympie, on 7 March 1953 and was defeated on 3 August 1957. He stood as a QLP candidate for theseat of South Brisbane in 1963 and was defeated.

The election in 1963 was hotly contested by the QLP and ALP candidates, among others,including the Liberal Party candidate, Gabby Horan. As outlined in the constituency studies Issues andimages—the Queensland state elections of 1963 and 1966 compiled by Colin Hughes, Brian Kehoeclaimed in one of his leaflets that, if the Gair government had not been destroyed by Duggan and hisfollowers, he would have been a cabinet minister. He placed himself on the record as being againstdictation and communist influence. In his street speeches Brian Kehoe placed particular emphasis onthe fact that the QLP was the old traditional Labor Party and accepted the old policy. He stated thatthere would be no healing of the breach until communists were driven out of the ALP as a vote for theALP was a vote for the communist party. It is interesting to note the politics of the time.

The 1963 South Brisbane election campaign exposed the bitterness induced between the ALPand the QLP. A QLP street meeting ended up in a physical fight, which was reported in the Sunday Truthon 19 May 1963. The article reported that Brian Kehoe lost his shirt and received a dislocated finger andVince Gair had a meat pie thrown at him. Charges and countercharges ensued throughout the electionwith some ending up in the Magistrates Court. Even though Brian Kehoe waged an effective campaignas the QLP candidate, the party's vote dropped from 28.9 per cent in 1960 to 13.7 per cent in 1963,which was attributed to Gair's retirement.

From all accounts, Brian Kehoe was a man of principle. He dedicated himself to public service.After retiring from the political scene, Brian Kehoe returned to the courts and served as a magistrateuntil the 1980s. As the Premier mentioned, Brian Kehoe died on the Gold Coast last Friday, 18February, aged 88 years and his funeral will be held today, 22 February 2005.

Peter Nicholson Duckett White was born on 19 January 1936 in Brisbane. He was the son of AlanErnest Duckett White and Doris Nicholson. He was also a descendant of William Duckett White MLC, amember of Queensland's Legislative Council from 26 April 1861 to 5 August 1880 and patriarch of oneof the Gold Coast's pioneering families with vast cattle properties extending from south of Brisbane tothe border.

Peter White grew up on a farm in south-east Queensland, which provided him with a keenunderstanding of the plight of farmers and primary producers in general. In his maiden speech he said—My family has been associated with the land, with business and with the professions in this State for many years. I myself spentsome of my early childhood on the land... The Governor in his Address made mention of his admiration for the stoicism of thepeople of the country areas... I should also like to say that I share his admiration, as do thousands of people in my electorate,many of whom come from the country... Most people realise the great debt this State and this country owe the men and women ofthe land and they realise the problems of rising costs, drought, and depressed markets that country people face now.

Again, today we still deal with many of those issues. Peter White was married in 1964 to ShirleyEstelle Mace, who was a physiotherapist. They had one daughter and one son. Peter's primaryeducation was conducted at the Southport State School, among others. He completed his secondaryeducation at the Southport State High School where his leadership and sporting abilities wererecognised with distinction. Peter's tertiary studies were conducted at the Royal Military College inDuntroon from 1954 to 1957, where he once again excelled at sport and leadership and won numerousawards. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Australian National University in Canberra in1972.


In 1957 Peter graduated from Duntroon to the Royal Australian Infantry and became a lieutenantin the Royal Australian Infantry. After short service at 11 National Service Battalion, Lieutenant Whitetook command of 1 Platoon, A Company of the First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment in thefinal months of the Malayan conflict. He served as adjutant at Duntroon with the Pacific Island Regimentat Wewak in Papua New Guinea. He was then promoted to major and joined 2RAR as A Companycommander to serve in South Vietnam where he was awarded a Military Cross for his courage andleadership, particularly for operations in Bien Hoa province during the 1968 Tet offensive. His MilitaryCross citation specifically referred to his care for his men.

In 1973 Peter was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was given command of his old battalion of1RAR in Townsville and later resigned from the regular Army and returned with his family to Southport.He maintained his contact with the Army serving as an officer in the Reserve until transferring to theInactive Reserve in 1984.

After leaving the regular Army, Peter became active in the Liberal Party and was elected to theLegislative Assembly of Queensland on 12 November 1977 as the Liberal member for the seat ofSouthport. While he and his parliamentary colleague in the neighbouring seat of Surfers Paradise wereregarded as being thorns in the side of then Premier Bjelke-Petersen, Peter White vigorouslyrepresented his constituents. Peter White lost his seat at the 1980 state election and was encouraged tostand for the federal seat of McPherson following the sudden death of the member at the time, EricRobinson, in 1981.

Peter White won the seat of McPherson in a by-election and served energetically andenthusiastically until he retired in 1990. During his term as a federal member, Peter White served as theshadow minister for defence. After his retirement Peter White pursued a number of business interestson the Gold Coast. He was a staunch supporter of Legacy and he remained an active sportsman untilhis illness.

Hon. J FOURAS (Ashgrove—ALP) (9.47 am): I came to this parliament, as did Peter White, on12 November 1977, but my contact with him goes back a lot further than that. I was one of his brotherMichael's best friends as a junior at The Southport School while Peter was a senior there and wasconsidered an icon of the school. We looked at him with awe. When I came to this parliament, Iremember having many cups of tea with Peter in the cafeteria and discussing a lot of issues. As theLeader of the Opposition said, Peter was a thorn in the side of the Bjelke-Petersen government. I wassurprised at his concern about the gerrymander and many social issues such as civil liberties and theright to march. One thing that I can say about Peter White is that he actually was in every sense agentleman. In every sense he behaved with dignity and integrity. Knowing his brother Michael as well asI did, I could imagine what Peter would have been like as an older brother. I know that the community ofThe Southport School and the people of Southport would be grieving for the loss of Peter White. As boththe Leader of the Opposition and the Premier have said, throughout his life Peter had a record that wasbeyond compare. His achievements, his sense of purpose and his love of his fellow man were such thatthey made him stand out as a great Queenslander. I join with both the Premier and the Leader of theOpposition in passing on my condolences to his family and saying that Peter was truly a greatQueenslander.

Mr QUINN (Robina—Lib) (9.48 am): Gregory Brian Kehoe was born in 1917 in Warwick andeducated in both Gympie and Brisbane. He was a former solicitor and also served in World War II. Hewas also very active in his local community in Gympie. He was a strong supporter of development inQueensland. Indeed, in the period of the 1950s, most members of parliament were veryprodevelopment for obvious reasons. When we read his maiden speech we find that he gaveconsidered and intelligent views on a range of important issues facing Queensland at that time. TheLiberal Party extends its sympathies to the family and friends of Brian Kehoe.

Although Peter White served only one term in this parliament, he will be remembered in theLiberal Party and on the Gold Coast as a man of strong conviction and principles. Peter NicholsonDuckett White came from an old established Southport family and attended The Southport School,where he was recognised as an outstanding sportsman and leader.

His first career was in the Australian Army, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonelcommanding 1RAR in Townsville in 1973 and 1974. Whilst a major in the Vietnam War, during his tour ofduty Peter was awarded the Military Cross for bravery, leadership and caring for his men, none of whomhe lost in combat. Dismayed by the federal government's poor treatment of the defence forces in theaftermath of the Vietnam War, Peter resigned his commission in 1975 and returned to his roots on theGold Coast, where he engaged in private commercial activities and joined the Liberal Party.

There can be no doubt that his distinguished service in the Australian Army laid the foundation forthe principles and conviction that guided his later service here and in the House of Representatives inCanberra. Driven by an innate belief in what was right and proper, he became increasingly concerned atthe heavy hand of government and perceived corruption in the then government in Queensland. He wasappalled at the police raiding and destroying hippie homes at Cedar Bay in north Queensland andsuspect government tendering processes.

22 Feb 2005 Motion of Condolence 5

Determined that his children would not grow up in a state where an individual's rights did notmatter, Peter stood for and won preselection for the seat of Surfers Paradise in the 1977 election. Aredistribution before the election which created the seat of Southport caused Peter, with his old familylinks, to run for Southport, which he subsequently won. Bruce Bishop, the Liberal candidate for SurfersParadise, also won. It would be no exaggeration to say that their election and their many robustcontributions to debates here were not welcomed by the National Party majority in the coalitiongovernment at that time. In newspaper cartoons of the day Peter and Bruce were depicted as chesspieces—a white knight and a black bishop. It was often said at that time that, while the Labor Party wasthe official opposition, the Liberal backbench was the real opposition to then Premier Bjelke-Petersen.

As the member for Southport, Peter White spoke out against elements in his own governmentthat he saw as detrimental to propriety in government, incurring the wrath of the Premier and RussHinze, whose favourable rezonings rankled Peter and came to a head with the Moscow Narodny Bankexposure. Hansard shows that Peter was advocating the establishment of a members’ pecuniaryinterest register in 1979 as a means of greater accountability and open, honest government.

These causes hardly endeared him to some of his coalition colleagues, and it came as nosurprise that both he and Bruce Bishop were the targets of a concentrated assault from the NationalParty at the next election, held in 1980. Surprisingly, the Labor Party was persuaded to give itspreferences to the National Party candidates. This tactic brought about the untimely defeat of PeterWhite and of Bruce Bishop as well.

Peter's brief encounter with Queensland politics was almost quixotic in its desire to put thingsright in the face of public apathy and rested on his belief that right would win out in the end. Only thesubsequent findings of the Fitzgerald inquiry some 10 years later would vindicate the stance taken byPeter and other Liberals at that time.

During his time as the member for Southport Peter helped establish homeless youth programs onthe Gold Coast, helped establish the Gold Coast TAFE campus at Ashmore, supported the thenSouthport Hospital to expand to become the Gold Coast Hospital and was a strong proponent ofexpanding the Coolangatta Airport to international status. Naturally, he was very involved in local RSLclubs and war widow organisations such as Legacy.

As an ironic aside, the mother of the current member for Southport actually liked Peter and wouldtelephone him or drop into his office for a chat on a regular basis. I can reveal that on one occasion shewanted Peter to help with a problem her son was having but without his knowledge. The member forSouthport is welcome to contact my electorate secretary, who was also Peter's secretary at that time, forthe outcome of that conversation.

After the 1980 state election fate intervened when the federal member for McPherson, EricRobinson, suddenly died. At that time Southport was located within the federal seat of McPherson, andPeter White was the logical candidate. He was able to resume his parliamentary career, albeit in anotherparliament, when he easily won the by-election in February 1981 for the Fraser government.

With the election loss in 1983 Peter served in opposition and became a shadow minister underJohn Howard, including some time as shadow defence minister. Naturally, defence was always Peter'sfirst love and he was disappointed that it was not given the priority he thought it deserved. Despite this,he was a strong and loyal supporter of John Howard. When John Howard was overthrown in a much-publicised coup organised by gloating supporters of Andrew Peacock, Peter's ingrained sense offairness and loyalty caused him much soul-searching and directly led him to leave politics prematurely in1990. I distinctly recall attending a meeting at Peter's house, where he explained his decision with hisusual directness. No amount of argument could cause him to change his mind. Thereafter he devotedhimself to his family and private business interests.

Peter White was held in very high regard by the electors of McPherson and the members of theLiberal Party on the Gold Coast. My electorate then fell within the McPherson electorate boundaries,and Peter's support was unconditional during my successful election campaign which led me to thisHouse in 1989. He was recognised as a man of integrity who stood by his principles and who displayedcourage on the battlefield and in the political arena. He was compassionate towards those less fortunateand had an innate sense of what was right and what was fair.

Peter White was a loyal son of Australia—a good man in every sense of the word, a factrecognised by the unannounced attendance of the Prime Minister, John Howard, at his funeral. Onbehalf of my Liberal Party colleagues I extend my sympathies to his wife, Shirley, his daughter, Kylie, hisson, Nigel, and their families.

Mr LAWLOR (Southport—ALP) (9.56 am): I support the condolence motion for the late PeterWhite, one of my predecessors in the seat of Southport. Indeed, Peter was the first member for thenewly created seat of Southport and served in this parliament from 1997 to 1980.

Peter was educated at Southport, where he was an outstanding sportsman and student. He had adistinguished military career, which commenced at Duntroon. He also served in Malaya, Papua NewGuinea and South Vietnam. He was awarded a Military Cross for his courage and leadership inVietnam. Peter was a man of physical courage, as evidenced by the Military Cross, but also of moralcourage. For this he was better known around Southport.


With fellow Gold Coast Liberal member Bruce Bishop, Peter railed against the excesses of hisNational Party dominated coalition government. This rare courage was not appreciated or rewarded.Indeed, the considerable firepower of the National Party was directed at him at the next election and hewas defeated. The National Party winner was an ex-Liberal Victorian refugee who could not name themain street of Southport. He did, however, assure the interviewer that he would find out the name andget back to him with it.

Fortunately, Peter White was not lost to political life for long, as in 1981 he won a by-election forthe federal seat of McPherson and held the seat until retirement in 1990. Again, this was a matter ofprinciple. He could not stand the treachery and subsequent schoolboy boasting on national TVsurrounding the replacement of John Howard as the federal Liberal Party leader by Andrew Peacock.Upon retirement from politics he pursued a number of business interests on the Gold Coast.

The last time I saw Peter was before the last election. I was doing a letterbox drop about 6 am inWildash Street, one of the more exclusive residential areas of Southport where Peter lived. He came outto pick up the newspaper from his front lawn and we spoke for about 30 minutes. I joked that I wasprobably wasting my time letterboxing Wildash Street. He laughed and suggested that, as the choicewas between the National Party and the Labor Party, I might be pleasantly surprised! I was pleasantlysurprised.

My mother was a friend of Peter. I do not know what the member for Robina was referring toabout the problem I was having, but it could have been any one of a number of things. Mum was alwaystrying to help me, and that was a full-time job for her.

Peter's untimely death has robbed Southport of a respected, distinguished, loyal and courageousformer member. As with previous speakers, I extend my sympathy to his widow, Shirley, his children,Kylie and Nigel, and their families.

I would also like to join in the condolence motion for Mr Brian Kehoe, the father of a friend ofmine, Dermot, also a fellow legal practitioner. Brian Kehoe was born in Warwick on Labour Day in 1917.Mr Kehoe was a senior clerk in the courthouse in Gympie in 1953 when he won the seat of Nash for theALP. At that time, he was the youngest member of this House. He continued to represent that electorateuntil the 1957 election, when he lost the seat following the split in the Labor Party.

Mr Kehoe was re-employed in the Public Service and appointed senior clerk in the Cairns court,and in 1960 he was transferred to the Brisbane Magistrates Court to be deputy registrar. He wastransferred again in 1964 to Murgon and was admitted as a solicitor in 1968. In 1969 he was appointedclerk of the court at Wynnum, where he served until 1970, at which time he was appointed clerk of thecourt at Southport. Mr Kehoe was made a magistrate in February 1975 and continued in that role untilhis retirement in April 1980.

During his time as a magistrate, Mr Kehoe served as coroner in Brisbane and as the SmallClaims Tribunal referee at a time when the jurisdiction of the referee extended throughout the whole ofthe state. Last year his son Dermot followed in his father's footsteps when he was also appointed amagistrate.

Brian Kehoe was a man of great compassion, humility and courage and will be sadly missed byhis family. I particularly extend my condolences to his sons, Dermot and Ben, and their respective wives,Marie and Sally, and their families.

Mr SHINE (Toowoomba North—ALP) (10.01 am): I would like to support the motion with respectto the late Brian Kehoe. Whilst I knew Brian in my youth, his sons, Ben and Dermot, have been goodfriends of mine for about 40 years. As was mentioned by the member for Southport, Brian was born onLabour Day 1917 and served most of his working life in the Magistrates Court for about 42 years, otherthan for service in the war and in this place. He joined the 42nd Battalion from Rockhampton, and heserved in New Guinea at Buna, Salamaua and Milne Bay—that historic battleground where the ImperialJapanese Army suffered its first-ever land defeat. Three of the four Kehoe boys served overseas. Briancame from a strong Labor family, so it was no surprise that he named his first son Benedict Joseph afterthe person he believed to be the greatest Labor leader, Ben Chifley. His second son, Dermot, wasnamed after his mate killed in the war.

When the sitting ALP member for Nash for over 30 years, Tommy Dunstan, retired in 1952, Brianshowed great determination and political skill in gaining preselection, although not a member of thegroup in the ALP which traditionally held sway in rural Queensland. Nash was comprised of Gympie andthe southern portion of Maryborough joined curiously by the Mary River through the alleged ingenuity ofMr Hanlon. On 7 March 1953 he won the seat. He increased his majority in the 1956 election, at whichelection the Gair government gained over 56 per cent of the vote.

There were a number of reasons for the 1957 split. For Brian Kehoe, there was a principleinvolved which went to the roots of his belief in democracy—in this instance, whether a governmentshould be directed when to bring in legislation by a body not elected by the people. That belief was heldby a majority of the caucus, and, after Gair was expelled, the 24 or so others joined with him to form theQLP. He and the others went into political oblivion at the subsequent elections in August 1957 and then

22 Feb 2005 Petitions 7

in 1960. That that was the most likely result would have occurred to him having regard to what hadalready happened in Victoria in 1955. The seat of Nash or Gympie has never been won by Labor since.

He rejoined the magistrates service, as we have heard, and served with great distinction. Hewould have been particularly proud to have witnessed his son Dermot's appointment as a magistratelast year. Brian Kehoe was a man of great principle, character and courage; a loyal, faithful andcommitted member of his faith; a loving husband and father; a man of humility and compassion. In hismaiden speech here, he said of his predecessor: ‘The name of Dunstan in Gympie is synonymous withall that is upright and honourable and, even though there are many who are politically opposed to him,he holds the highest possible place in their esteem, being one of nature's gentlemen.' To those whoknew him well, these words of his could well be his own epitaph.

Today, the day of his funeral, is a sad one for Brian Kehoe's family and friends. For those in myparty, I suggest it is an appropriate time to reflect on the events of 1957. To my mind, that portion ofQueensland Labor history should be compulsory study for all who are privileged to represent the greatAustralian Labor Party in parliament. Brian Kehoe, in that same maiden speech reflecting on theoutstanding Labor victory in 1953, said, ‘On present indications it would appear that the Labor Party willnever cease to be the government of this state.' Within a short time, it was out of office for 32 years.

Motion agreed to, honourable members standing in silence.

PETITIONSThe following honourable members have lodged paper petitions for presentation—

JCU Vincent Campus, TownsvilleMs Nelson-Carr from 1,944 petitioners requesting the House to authorise the purchase of the property known as the JCU VincentCampus in order to preserve the hydrotherapy pool and associated facilities for use by all residents of Townsville Thuringowa andthe surrounding region.

PCYC, YeppoonMr Hoolihan from 2,171 petitioners requesting the House to establish a branch of the Queensland Police Citizens Youth WelfareAssociation (PCYC) on the Capricorn Coast at Yeppoon.

Proposed Development, MontvilleMr Wellington from 2,698 petitioners requesting the House to cause the new call in powers of the Office of Urban Management tobe used to prevent the proposed residential and golf course development behind the village of Montville being approved and toprevent Montville and its surrounds from further urbanisation and development by including it as an important part of the green beltof regional landscape in the new Urban Management Plan being put in place by State Government.

Recreation and Tourism Zone, Bribie Island-ScarboroughMrs Sullivan from 2,774 petitioners requesting the House to take action to rezone the area from the four wheel drive track onBribie Island's Ocean Beach opposite 8th Avenue, Woorim including approximately 200 metres out from the low-tide mark toCastlereagh Point, Scarborough as a special managed area for recreation and tourism zone.

Sale of Freehold Land, Surfers ParadiseMr Langbroek from 1,640 petitioners requesting the House to take steps pursuant to section 161 of the Local Government Act toobtain a regulation of the Governor in Council permanently suspending the Gold Coast City Council's resolution of 29 November2004 regarding the sale of freehold land at Surfers Paradise known as Neal Shannon Park, Bruce Bishop Car Park and SurfersParadise Transit Centre.

Weipa Town OfficeMr O'Brien from 1,013 petitioners requesting the House to use its authority to deem Weipa Town Office as an eligible organisationfor funding purposes.

The following honourable members have sponsored e-petitions which are now closed and presented—

Reading Recovery ProgramMr Messenger from 338 petitioners requesting the House to maintain funding of the Reading Recovery Program in existingschools.

Special Education Unit, BulimbaMr Purcell from 27 petitioners requesting the House to stop the planned removal of large trees and find an alternative site for theconstruction of a Special Education Unit within the grounds of Morningside State School or investigate other suitable venues in theBulimba Electorate.

Redland Shire Draft Planning SchemeMr Choi from 631 petitioners requesting the House to require the Deputy Premier in his role as Head of the Office of UrbanManagement to incorporate only the existing urban footprint (as per the 1998 Redland Shire Strategic Plan) within the SEQ 2021Draft Regional Plan and to require the Local Government and Planning Minister to reject any Redland Shire Draft PlanningScheme based on further urban expansion in the Redland Shire.

8 Papers 22 Feb 2005

Electronic VotingMr O'Brien from 259 petitioners requesting the House to refer the inability of citizens to register and vote electronically to theLegal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee asking it to investigate ways to allow Queenslanders to voteelectronically.

Acquired Brain Injury Patients, FacilitiesMr English from 131 petitioners requesting the House to provide more facilities and beds specifically for young people with anacquired brain injury.

Stolen WagesMs Barry from 101 petitioners requesting the House to reconsider its blanket settlement offer of wages removed from theindigenous community between 1890 and 1970 and award all monies owed to these peoples on individual merit.

Special Entertainment Precinct, ValleyMr Fraser from 4,446 petitioners requesting the House to consider changes to the State Liquor Act which would formallyrecognise the Valley as Queensland's first Special Entertainment Precinct.

Pedestrian/Cyclist Crossing, ToowongMr Fraser from 1,428 petitioners requesting the House to provide funding in the forward capital works program for a safepedestrian and cyclists crossing at the Toowong roundabout.

PAPERSPAPERS TABLED DURING THE RECESSThe Clerk informed the House that the following papers, received during the recess, were tabled on the dates indicated—26 November 2004—• Queensland's Category 2 Water Authorities—Summary of Annual Reports and Financial Statements 2003-04• Queensland's River Improvement Trusts—Summarised Annual Report 2003-0429 November 2004—• Response from the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations (Mr Barton) to a paper petition presented

by Ms Menkens from 605 petitioners regarding the introduction of Youth Training Incentive Scheme Initiatives for theBurdekin area

30 November 2004—• Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee—Report No. 46—November 2004 titled A preamble for the

Queensland Constitution?• Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee—Non-confidential submissions nos. 1 to 134 received

relating to Report No. 46—A preamble for the Queensland Constitution? • Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petition

presented by Mr Wellington from 199 petitioners regarding the proposed Montville Country Club being established as afully sewered, environmentally self-sustainable golfing residential community and that it be planned as a national modelfor non- reliance on state or local government community infrastructure

3 December 2004—• Government response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to the

Public Accounts Committee Report No. 67 titled Review of Audit Reports—Financial Accountability and Governance ofAboriginal and Island Councils

• Report from the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh) on an overseas trip to Singapore and the People's Republicof China—24 October to 4 November 2004

6 December 2004—• Response from the Minister for Emergency Services (Mr Cummins) to two paper petitions presented by Mr Foley MP from

277 (Petition No. 402-04) and 178 (Petition No. 403-04) petitioners regarding the installation of an ambulance station inGlenwood

• Mental Health Court—Annual Report 2003-047 December 2004—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Mr Quinn MP from

242 petitioners regarding a request to improve the intersection at the entrance to Pinklands Sporting Reserve onCleveland—Redland Bay Road

• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Mr Fraser MP from235 petitioners regarding a request to upgrade the intersection of Coopers Camp Road, Jubilee Terrace, Simpsons Roadand MacGregor Terrace, Bardon

8 December 2004—• Response from the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth) to an e-petition sponsored by Mr

Wellington MP from 1503 petitioners regarding the establishment of an independent inquiry into the impact of publicliability insurance increases on the community

• Commercial and Consumer Tribunal—Annual Report 2003-049 December 2004—• Queensland Audit Office—Audit Report No. 7 2004-05 titled Results of Audits as at 31 October 2004 and Public Sector

Auditing 1997-2004—A Reflection

22 Feb 2005 Papers 9

• Crime and Misconduct Commission—Report titled Striking a balance: An inquiry into media access to police radiocommunications—December 2004

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petitionpresented by Mr Wellington MP from 123 petitioners regarding a request for provision to be made in the proposed newtenure for Forest Reserves to have the already existing fire trails and tracks set aside as Conservation Park Corridors

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to two paper petitionspresented by Mr Wellington MP from 110 petitioners (Petition No. 390-04) and 153 petitioners (Petition No. 356-04)regarding a request for provision to be made in the proposed new tenure for Forest Reserves to have the already existingfire trails and tracks set aside as Conservation Park Corridors

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petitionpresented by Mr Wellington MP from 1831 petitioners regarding a request for provision to be made in the proposed newtenure for Forest Reserves to have the already existing fire trails and tracks set aside as Conservation Park Corridors

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to an e-petitionsponsored by Mr Livingstone from 128 petitioners regarding a request to protect the sandstone abutments of the HeinerRoad Overbridge, Heiner Road and the Wharf Branch Railway, North Ipswich

10 December 2004—• Murray-Darling Basin Commission—Annual Report 2003-04• Report from the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations (Mr Barton) on an overseas trip to Europe—6

September to 18 September 2004 (various attachments tabled with the report)• Queensland Gaming Commission—Annual Report 2003-0413 December 2004—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Ms Stuckey MP

from 144 petitioners regarding unacceptable noise levels experienced by residents at Elanora 15 December 2004—• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petition

presented by Mr Wellington MP from 1001 petitioners regarding a request for provision to be made in the proposed newtenure for Forest Reserves to have the already existing fire trails and tracks set aside as Conservation Park Corridors

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petitionpresented by Mr Wells MP from 165 petitioners regarding the proposed high density residential development on landadjacent to the main northern rail line from Yebri Street to Water Street, Kallangur

• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to a paper petitionpresented by Ms C Molloy MP from 18,747 petitioners regarding the rejection of any proposal to amalgamate Noosa Shirewith other shires on the Sunshine Coast

16 December 2004—• Queensland Audit Office—Audit Report No. 8, 2004-05 titled Update on an audit of expenses reimbursed to the former

Chief Executive Officer of ENERGEX Limited• Bundaberg Cane Protection and Productivity Board—Annual Report 2003-04• Late tabling statement by the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries (Mr Palaszczuk) regarding the Bundaberg

Cane Protection and Productivity Board's Annual Report 2003-04• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to five paper petitions

all presented by Mr P Wellington MP from 303 petitioners (Petition No. 344-04), 402 petitioners (Petition No. 350-04), 364petitioners (Petition No. 355-04), 144 petitioners (Petition No. 381-04) and 51 petitioners (Petition No. 382-04), regardinghorse riding in the Mapleton Forest Reserve

20 December 2004—• Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Nuttall) to a paper petition presented by Mr M Rowell MP from 3,963 petitioners

regarding the failure to retain doctors on a long-term basis at Ingham Hospital, rectifying identified problems andmaintaining the current level of service

• Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Nuttall) to a paper petition presented by Mr G Fenlon MP from 1,340 petitionersregarding a request to stop the establishment of a drug and alcohol treatment facility by Ozcare in Hammond Way, Kelso

21 December 2004—• Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee—Report No. 47 titled Meeting with the Queensland

Ombudsman—23 November 2004• Crime and Misconduct Commission—Report titled Regulating Prostitution: An Evaluation of the Prostitution Act 1999

(Qld)• Crime and Misconduct Commission—Report titled Regulating Adult Entertainment: A Review of the Live Adult

Entertainment Industry in Queensland• Department of Emergency Services—Discussion Paper titled A review of fire safety arrangements in Queensland• Letter, dated 20 December 2004, from the Premier and Minister for Trade (Mr Beattie) to the Clerk of the Parliament

enclosing a copy of a letter from the Commonwealth Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties listing proposedinternational treaty actions tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament on 7 December 2004 and the National InterestAnalyses for each of the proposed treaty actions listed

• Response from the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines (Mr Robertson) to a paper petition presented by Mr JEnglish MP from 7,989 petitioners and an e-petition sponsored by Mr J English MP from 530 petitioners regardinglegalising ferret ownership in Queensland

• Report from the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines (Mr Robertson) on an overseas trip to Japan and Taiwan—11 to20 November 2004

• Travelsafe Committee—Issues Paper No. 9 titled Educating drivers to stop driving tired


22 December 2004—• Queensland Law Reform Commission—Annual Report and Statement of Affairs 2003-04• Office of the Public Advocate—Queensland—Annual Report 2003-04• District Court of Queensland—Annual Report 2003-04• Supreme Court of Queensland—Annual Report 2003-04• Director of Public Prosecutions Queensland—Annual Report 2003-0423 December 2004—• Townsville Hospital Foundation—Annual Report 2003-04• Late tabling statement by the Minister for Health (Mr Nuttall) regarding the Townsville Hospital Foundation Annual Report

2003-04• Response from the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth) to a paper petition presented by Mr

Wellington from 1116 petitioners regarding the proposed residential and golf course development behind the village ofMontville

24 December 2004—• Report from the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries (Mr Palaszczuk) on an overseas trip to Vietnam, Japan and

Korea—11 to 21 November 2004• Response from the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice (Mr Welford) to a paper petition presented by Mr Fenlon

from 110 petitioners regarding rules pertaining to the assessment for admission as a Barrister-at-Law6 January 2005—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Dr Clark from

2,370 petitioners regarding the proposed upgrade of the Kennedy Highway, Smithfield to Kuranda (Kuranda Range Road)• Final Government response from the Acting Premier and Minister for Trade (Mr Mackenroth) to Members' Ethics and

Parliamentary Privileges Committee Report No. 64 titled Report on an examination of the appropriate scope of provisionson Members transacting business with an entity of the State, and related matters

13 January 2005—• Response from the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh) to a paper petition presented by Mr Langbroek from 229

petitioners regarding the proposed sale of Crown Land in Brolga Close, Kewarra Beach• Response from the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh) to a paper petition presented by Mr Langbroek from

1148 petitioners regarding speech therapy services available at the Warren Park Special Education Development Unit14 January 2005—• Amended coversheet to the report from the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries (Mr Palaszczuk) on an overseas

trip to Vietnam, Japan and Korea—11 to 21 November 2004 17 January 2005—• Response from the Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) to two paper petitions

presented by Mr Livingstone from 165 petitioners (Petition No. 416-04) and 798 petitioners (Petition No. 417-04),regarding a request to protect the sandstone abutments of the Heiner Road Overbridge, Heiner Road and the WharfBranch Railway, North Ipswich

19 January 2005—• Response from the Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (Mr Pitt) to an e-petition sponsored by Mr

Purcell from 313 petitioners regarding child care legislation20 January 2005—• Priorities in Progress Report 2003-0425 January 2005—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Mr Mulherin from

554 petitioners regarding a request to refuse the application to upgrade Evans Avenue and Malcomson Street, NorthMackay

1 February 2005—• Amendments to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement—Schedule C—Basin Salinity Management approved by the

Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council on 1 November 2002• Amendments to the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement—Schedule F—Cap on Diversions approved by the Murray-Darling

Basin Ministerial Council on 25 August 20003 February 2005—• Response from the Minister for Police and Corrective Services (Ms Spence) to a paper petition presented by Mrs Sullivan

from 2864 petitioners regarding a request for a 24 hour police station on Bribie Island9 February 2005—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads to a paper petition presented by Mr Reynolds from 87

petitioners regarding a request for the Townsville Port Authority to provide only one entry and exit point to the port, theBoundary Street/Benwell Road entry and that the port access road be supported and built as a matter of urgency

15 February 2005—• Guideline for using the Automated Interactive Voice Response (AIVR System) to give a Notice16 February 2005—• Interim Rail Investigation Report into the Derailment of Cairns Tilt Train VCQ5, North of Berajondo, Queensland on 15

November 2004


17 February 2005—• Childrens Court of Queensland—Annual Report 2003-0421 February 2005—• Interim Government Response from the Premier and Minister for Trade to Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review

Committee's Report No. 46—A preamble for the Queensland Constitution?STATUTORY INSTRUMENTSThe following statutory instruments were tabled by the Clerk—Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 252Casino Control Act 1982, Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999, Gaming Machine Act 1991, Interactive Gambling (PlayerProtection) Act 1998, Keno Act 1996, Lotteries Act 1997, Wagering Act 1998—• Gambling Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 253 Superannuation Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2004, No. 254 Liquor Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 255 Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995—• Workplace Health and Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 256 Health Services Act 1991—• Health Services Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 257 Motor Vehicles and Boats Securities Act 1986—• Motor Vehicles and Boats Securities Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 258 Community Ambulance Cover Act 2003—• Community Ambulance Cover Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 259Drug Rehabilitation (Court Diversion) Act 2000—• Drug Rehabilitation (Court Diversion) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 260Criminal Proceeds Confiscation Act 2002—• Criminal Proceeds Confiscation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 261State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999—• State Penalties Enforcement Amendment Regulation (No. 7) 2004, No. 262Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 263Surveyors Act 2003—• Surveyors Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 264Forestry Act 1959, Nature Conservation Act 1992—• Forestry and Nature Conservation Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 265Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 266Community Services and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 267Pay-roll Tax Act 1971, Taxation Administration Act 2001—• Taxation Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 268Education (General Provisions) Act 1989—• Education (General Provisions) Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 269Education (Queensland Studies Authority) Act 2002—• Education (Queensland Studies Authority) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 270Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provision, No. 271Gold Coast Motor Racing Events Act 1990, Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000, State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999,Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998—• Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 272Police Service Administration Act 1990—• Police Service Administration Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 273Legal Profession Act 2004—• Legal Profession Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 274State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999—• State Penalties Enforcement Amendment Regulation (No. 8) 2004, No. 275


Supreme Court of Queensland Act 1991—• Uniform Civil Procedure Amendment Rule (No. 2) 2004, No. 276Stock Act 1915—• Stock Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 277Electricity Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 278Electricity Act 1994—• Electricity Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 279Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984—• Community Services (Aborigines) Amendment Regulation (No. 4) 2004, No. 280Radiation Safety Act 1999—• Radiation Safety (Radiation Safety Standards) Amendment Notice (No. 1) 2004, No. 281Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 282Government Owned Corporations Act 1993—• Government Owned Corporations Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 283Superannuation Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 284Superannuation Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 285Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000—• Vocational Education, Training and Employment Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 286Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Acts Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 287Building and Construction Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Act 1991—• Building and Construction Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 288Electrical Safety Act 2002, Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995—• Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 289 and

Explanatory Notes for No. 289State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995—• Workplace Health and Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 290Health Act 1937—• Health (Drugs and Poisons) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 291Health Services Act 1991, Private Health Facilities Act 1999—• Health Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 4) 2004, No. 292Public Records Act 2002—• Public Records Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 293Domestic Building Contracts Act 2000, Queensland Building Services Authority Act 1991—• Queensland Building Services Authority and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 294Child Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 295Child Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004—• Child Protection (Offender Reporting) Regulation 2004, No. 296Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000—• Police Powers and Responsibilities Amendment Regulation (No. 8) 2004, No. 297Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 298Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 299Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995—• Transport Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 300State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994, Transport Operations (Road UseManagement) Act 1995—• Transport Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 4) 2004, No. 301


State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, Tow Truck Act 1973, Transport Infrastructure Act 1994, Transport Operations (Road UseManagement) Act 1995—• Transport Legislation and Another Regulation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 302Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994—• Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 303Primary Industries and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 304Fisheries Act 1994, Integrated Planning Act 1997, State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999—• Fisheries and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 305 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory

Impact Statement for No. 305Rural and Regional Adjustment Act 1994—• Rural Adjustment Authority Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 306Sugar Industry Act 1999—• Sugar Industry Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 307Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 308Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, Mineral Resources Act 1989, Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004—• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Regulation 2004, No. 309 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact

Statement for No. 309Petroleum Act 1923—• Petroleum Regulation 2004, No. 310 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact Statement for No. 310Land Sales Act 1984—• Land Sales Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 311Consumer Credit (Queensland) Act 1994—• Consumer Credit Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 312Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000—• Property Agents and Motor Dealers Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 313Electricity Act 1994—• Electricity Amendment Regulation (No. 4) 2004, No. 314Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 315Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995, Environmental Protection Act 1994, Nature Conservation Act 1992, StatePenalties Enforcement Act 1999—• Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 316Forestry Act 1959, Nature Conservation Act 1992—• Forestry and Nature Conservation Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2004, No. 317Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984—• Community Services Legislation Amendment and Repeal Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 318Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984, Education (General Provisions) Act 1989, Housing Act 2003, Liquor Act 1992, LocalGovernment Act 1993, Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004, State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999,Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995—• Local Government (Community Government Areas) Regulation 2004, No. 319Food Production (Safety) Act 2000—• Food Production (Safety) Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2004, No. 320 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact

Statement for No. 320Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977—• Financial Management Amendment Standard (No. 1) 2004, No. 321Casino Control Act 1982—• Casino Gaming Amendment Rule (No. 3) 2004, No. 322Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984, Local Government Act 1993, Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act2004—• Local Government (Community Government Areas) Finance Standard 2004, No. 323Nature Conservation Act 1992—• Nature Conservation (Macropod Harvest Period) Notice 2004, No. 324Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995—• Workplace Health and Safety (Repeal of Code of Practice) Notice 2004, No. 325

14 Ministerial Statement 22 Feb 2005

Casino Control Act 1982, Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999, Gaming Machine Act 1991, Interactive Gambling (PlayerProtection) Act 1998, Keno Act 1996, Lotteries Act 1997, Wagering Act 1998—• Gambling Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 1Mineral Resources Act 1989—• Mineral Resources Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 2 and Explanatory Notes for No. 2 Education Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 3Education (Capital Assistance) Act 1993—• Education (Capital Assistance) Regulation 2005, No. 4Radiation Safety Act 1999—• Radiation Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 5Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004—• Building and Construction Industry Payments Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 6Drugs Misuse Act 1986—• Drugs Misuse Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 7Pay-roll Tax Administration Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 8Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982—• Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 9Water Act 2000—• Water Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 10 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact Statement for No. 10Mineral Resources Act 1989—• Mineral Resources Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2005, No. 11 and Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact Statement

for No. 11Marine Parks Act 1982—• Marine Parks Zoning Plans Amendment Zoning Plan (No. 1) 2005, No. 12Marine Parks Act 1982—• Marine Parks Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 13Local Government Act 1993—• Local Government Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2005, No. 14Petroleum Act 1923—• Petroleum (Entry Permission-Queensland Gas Company Limited) Notice 2005, No. 15REPORT TABLED BY THE CLERKThe following report was tabled by The Clerk—• Report pursuant to Standing Order 158 (Clerical errors or formal changes to any bill) detailing amendments to certain Bills,

made by the Clerk, prior to assent by Her Excellency the Governor, viz—Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004Amendment made to Bill

Schedule, amended Act title—At page 45, line 1—omit—‘And’ insert—‘and’.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

Ministerial ExpensesHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.10 am): I table

the public report of ministerial expenses for the period 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2004. I havecontinued this third term of my government with the same resolve to be open and accountable to theQueensland public as I had when I became Premier in 1998. This report provides a transparent recordof the expenses of this government’s ministers and parliamentary secretaries and their offices to allQueenslanders. This report shows how my government has continued to maintain expenses atreasonable levels.

The expenditure for this period, compared with that of the same period in the previous financialyear, shows savings in motor vehicle running costs with only moderate increases in salary costs, travel

22 Feb 2005 Ministerial Statement 15

costs and general administrative charges. The salary increases are principally due to either enterprisebargaining or incremental pay increases for staff, while the higher domestic travel costs reflect thisgovernment’s strong commitment to engaging with the community. This report clearly shows thatministerial expenditure is being maintained at a reasonable level and that this government is committedto maintaining appropriate levels of expenditure in meeting its commitments. I remind the House that nogovernment in the history of Queensland has ever provided such a level of accountability—neverbefore.


ICT IndustryHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.11 am): Since

parliament last sat the government has published a range of important strategic documents developingthe Smart State—it is indeed part of our vision for Queensland’s future—some of which I have had thepleasure of launching together with the relevant ministers. For example, on 14 December StateDevelopment Minister, Tony McGrady, and Public Works and Housing Minister, Rob Schwarten, and Ilaunched a package of initiatives for the ICT industry at a breakfast attended by more than 800 industrymembers. The package’s centrepiece, a four-year growth strategy known as Smart ICT: Taking it to theWorld, is designed to create jobs and grow more businesses by promoting Queensland ICT to thenation and the world. Other elements of the industry package are an action plan, the Smart DirectionsStatement for ICT within the Queensland government and an updated government informationtechnology contracting framework. This is an energetic, dynamic industry that employs an estimated56,000 Queenslanders and has an annual revenue of almost $15 billion, including $850 million inexports and $3 billion in interstate sales. I table the ICT industry package for the information of theHouse, and members will receive a copy shortly.


Multicultural PolicyHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.12 am): A

revamped multicultural policy reinvigorates our commitment to multiculturalism and promotes theeconomic strengths of our cultural diversity. Cabinet has endorsed Multicultural Queensland: Making aWorld of Difference, and I launched it with my Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, KarenStruthers, at a function attended by about 300 people on 27 January. I table that multicultural policy forthe information of the House, and again members will receive a copy in a moment.


Koala Conservation PlanHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.13 am):

Environment minister, Desley Boyle, and I released Queensland’s first Koala Conservation Plan for twomonths of public consultation on 31 January. The draft conservation plan and a draft managementprogram are aimed at preventing the extinction of koalas between Gladstone and the Tweed, whichexperts believe is possible unless we act urgently. A temporary state planning policy is in place toprevent clearing by people trying to beat possible restrictions in the final plan. I table the draft KoalaConservation Plan 2005, and again members will receive copies.


CounterterrorismHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.13 am): The

safety of Queenslanders and visitors and our state’s reputation as a leader in counterterrorism wereboosted by the launch of a $10 million emergency response centre as well as the 2005 to 2007Queensland Counterterrorism Strategy which I launched with the Emergency Services Minister, ChrisCummins. The strategy, which was released at the Cannon Hill Emergency Response Centre on 11February, is Australia’s first strategy defining how a state government prevents and prepares forterrorism contingencies. Cabinet endorsed this strategy and will receive annual updates on itsimplementation. I table the Counterterrorism Strategy for the information of the House, and againmembers will receive copies.



Beattie Government, Anniversary of State ElectionHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.14 am):

Monday, 7 February marked the first anniversary of the state government’s election or re-election,depending on how one looks at it. On 7 February I released a list of the government's top 10improvements to Queensland's way of life. There are major improvements in areas such as health,education, child protection and the chance to get a job. I seek leave to have the remainder of myministerial statement incorporated in Hansard as a report card of my government's activities.

Leave granted.February 7 marked the first anniversary of the last State Election and people are entitled to ask: What has the Government doneto make a difference to my life?We have made major improvements to the Queensland way of life since coming to power in June 1998.So on February 7 I released a list of the Government’s top 10 improvements to Queensland’s way of life.These are major improvements in areas such as health, education, child protection and the chance to get a job.At the end of last year we issued a comprehensive list of achievements in the Smart State for the 2004 calendar year.It had many references to major economic and infrastructure achievements and to record spending in most areas.But this list gives 10 examples of changes which we believe are important and worthwhile issues which are likely to impact onhundreds of thousands of people at a personal level.TOP TEN IMPROVEMENTS TO QUEENSLAND WAY OF LIFE SINCE 19981. The independent 2005 Productivity Commission Report on Government Services confirms that Queensland has the

shortest overall waiting times for elective surgery in Australia. Queensland Health’s annual budget has been increasedfrom $3.2 billion to $5.1 billion, enabling our doctors and nurses to give Queensland the best public hospital system inAustralia.

2. Queenslanders have their best chance of finding a job since current records began in 1978, with nearly 340,000 new jobscreated in the Smart State since June 1998—more than 4,300 each and every month. Smart State strategies have helpedlower the unemployment rate to 4.7%—40% lower than it was in June 1998. Queensland has created 28.5% of all jobsnationally despite having only 19% of the population. We also lead the country in finding jobs for long-term unemployedpeople. Last year four out of ten jobs gained by the long term unemployed in Australia were in Queensland.

3. We have created a special Child Safety Department to protect our children. It has a budget of $269 million—nearly fourtimes the spending on child protection by the Borbidge Government in which both Lawrence Springborg and Bob Quinnwere ministers. Every child is better protected as a result of the Blue Card system for people working with children and thetoughest paedophile laws in the country.

4. Massive changes to the Smart State education system mean our children will have their best ever chance of reaching theirfull potential. We are phasing in the new preparatory year of schooling. Since 2001 we’ve employed more than 900 extrateachers—over and above the number required to match increased student numbers—as we reduce class size targets inYears 4-10 to the lowest in the country by 2007. And we are continuing to implement reforms to require all young peopleto be learning or earning from 2006.

5. The number of police tackling crime has increased from just over 6,800 in June 1998 to 8,928 at the end of January,helping to bring down “fear factor” crime rates such as breaking and entering by 19 per cent.

6. Less than 5,000 Queenslanders with disabilities received help from the Coalition State Government in 1997-98. By 2003-04 we had increased that number more than threefold—to nearly 15,750. A major increase in the budget this year will liftthat figure still more.

7. Every Queenslander is now covered by Community Ambulance Cover, no matter where they go in Australia. TheAmbulance Budget has nearly doubled, to more than $300 million, enabling us to achieve the biggest boost in paramedicnumbers ever—up by 110 last year.

8. We are giving our youngsters the skills they need for a lifetime of employment in the Smart State by creating 71,500apprenticeships and traineeships by June 2004 compared with only 44,270 in June 1998—an increase of 61.5%.

9. The introduction of Alcohol Management Plans in 18 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over the past twoyears has made a significant improvement to the lives of community residents. In some communities there has been a43 per cent reduction in the average number of hospital admissions for injuries caused by assaults.

10. We have passed legislation to end the broadscale clearing of remnant vegetation forever and have an agreement with theCommonwealth to protect the Great Barrier Reef.


Job Creation, Regional QueenslandHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.14 am): There

have been a number of significant announcements since parliament last met, and the start of this yearhas been a jobs creation time for many in regional Queensland. I was privileged to launch the $1 billionDawson Project at Moura on 28 January with the natural resources minister, Stephen Robertson, andthe member for Fitzroy, Jim Pearce, the local member. The member for Callide, Jeff Seeney, was alsopresent. On 4 February, together with Energy Minister, John Mickel, member for Townsville and Ministerfor Child Safety, Mike Reynolds and member for Mundingburra, Lindy Nelson-Carr, I officially opened


the revamped Townsville Power Station. I was also in Mackay with local MP Tim Mulherin two weeksago to officially open the Clarion Hotel, which is part of the $150 million Mackay marina precinct. I wasalso privileged to be in Gympie on 25 January to launch the celebration of its 100 years as a city with thelocal member for Gympie. I want to congratulate that city. I seek leave to incorporate details in Hansardof those announcements and table a copy of The city of Gympie: 100 years of news, which wasproduced by the local paper.

Leave granted.My Speaker the start of the year has been a jobs-creating time for many in regional Queensland.I was privileged to launch the $1 billion Dawson Project at Moura on January 28.It is one of the largest coal mining ventures in Australia and will mean hundreds of extra jobs and at least a $300 million a yearincrease in the State's annual export income.Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson and I (along with Jim Pearce & Jeff Seeney) were in Moura to congratulate theproject's stakeholders, Anglo Coal (51%) and Mitsui (49%), for the confidence they are displaying in the future of Queensland coalmining.When completed in 2007, the three Dawson mines will produce 12.7 million tonnes of coal a year—a massive increase from thepresent output of 7 million tonnes a year from one of those mines, at present called Moura.At present 460 people are working on the project, a figure that will rise to 760 at the peak of construction. When the project is complete, more than 200 new, permanent jobs will have been created. On February 4 I along with John Mickel, Mike Reynolds and Lindy Nelson-Carr officially opened the revamped Townsville PowerStation.My Government has wanted to see the development of a gas-fired base load power station in the Townsville area for many yearsto ensure people in North Queensland have a reliable source of electricity. I am delighted that our vision has now been realised.The station brings us closer to achieving an important environmental goal in which we plan to generate 13 percent of the State’selectricity from gas, rather than coal, by the end of the year.The station has been rebuilt at a cost of $115 million.I was also privileged to be in Gympie on January 25 to launch celebrations of its 100 years as a cityGympie is the town that saved Queensland from going broke following separation from NSW in 1859.To Cooloola Shire Mayor Mick Vernardos and the local community well done.Special pat on the back to the Gympie Times manager David Gibson, Editor Michael Roser and Centenary book editor NevMcHarg for their magnificent book City of Gympie: 100 years of News book.I also was in Mackay with Tim Mulherin two weeks ago to officially open the Clarion Hotel—which is part of the $150 millionMackay Marina precinct.The four and a half star hotel has 79 rooms and employs 40 staff.Work on the development of the precinct had created 450 jobs related to the construction and the marina now provides 150permanent positions on site.


Government AdvertisementsHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.15 am):

Communicating with the people of Queensland is an important part of open government. On fiveoccasions this year the government has reinforced commitments or marked special events byadvertising in newspapers in Queensland. All of these ads were paid for from the Department of thePremier and Cabinet. I table for the full information of members copies of those advertisements plus aschedule. I seek leave to have incorporated in Hansard details of this statement as well as a schedulesetting out the advertising schedule and the costs for all members. I incorporate those details and tablethe five advertisements.

Leave granted.The schedule has been translated from Excel spreadsheet to Word format to facilitate incorporation by Hansard.I seek leave to have it incorporated, and I table copies of the advertisements.The full cost–encompassing advertisements in The Western Times, Longreach Leader, Western Star, Central Telegraph,Rockhampton Morning Bulletin, Gladstone Observer, Gympie Times, Townsville Bulletin and The Courier-Mail—is $28,461.38.An Article in The Australian on 3 February 2005 shows the Howard Government spent $92 Million on advertising campaigns lastyear and the Government has confirmed it could spend up to $100 Million in 2005.Big ticket items on the Government’s agenda are believed to include a $16 Million campaign informing people about changes tosuperannuation legislation and the $11 Million healthy eating campaign set to be launched in April to counter childhood obesity.The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing was the top spender last year with $13.7 Million on advertising.And remember how they spent an estimated $400 Million on the GST education/promotion package.



Public Hospitals, Waiting TimesHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.15 am): One of

the ads referred to the government’s extra $20 million that we are putting into our public hospital waitingtime blitz. It is in addition to the $110 million committed at the 2004 election. The health minister, GordonNuttall, and I announced this at the Princess Alexandra Hospital this month. It means an extra 5,000people can receive operations and surgical procedures on time. I seek leave to incorporate furtherdetails in Hansard.

Leave granted.Combining the extra $20 million with the additional money already promised in the election campaign will result in almost 25,000extra Queenslanders receiving elective surgery and other procedures within the timeframes recommended by doctors.The extra $20 million will be invested in treatments such as: colonoscopies, for early detection and treatment of bowel conditions;stents and hole-in-the heart treatments; key-hole surgery; and vascular access surgery for patients with chronic renal failure.The Productivity Commission has again said Queensland patients have shorter waits for operations in public hospitals than anyother Australians.

Our new commitment will cut waiting times further.


Emergency Response Centre, Cannon HillHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.16 am): Earlier

this morning I mentioned the emergency response centre. Queensland’s leadership in the area ofdisaster response planning was highlighted earlier this month when I officially opened the new$10 million emergency response centre at Cannon Hill. I was joined by Chris Cummins, the Minister forEmergency Services, Pat Purcell, the local member, and members of Chris’s team. These fully-equipped, expert Queensland emergency response teams can now be deployed throughout Australiaand the Asia-Pacific within hours of a disaster occurring. The emergency services special operationsfacility is the only centre in Australia bringing together all of the key groups needed to deal withcatastrophic events including natural disasters, major building collapses and mass casualty incidents,including terrorist attacks. It is an important centre. Members should be informed about it. I seek leave toincorporate the remainder of my ministerial statement in Hansard.

Leave granted.It is the nerve centre of emergency response from the fire, rescue and ambulance services. It has brought together under one roofthe Mass Casualty Planning Unit, the Urban Search and Rescue Unit and the chemical response team of the Department ofEmergency Services.Almost 30 staff are based there and response teams of up to 60 specialists can assemble within two hours and be deployed withinthree hours.

Department of the Premier and Cabinet Advertising 1 January – 14 February 2005 Campaign

Media Date Cost

Gympie Centenary Gympie Times Wednesday 26 January $1,155.84 Dawson coal mining project Rockhampton Morning

Bulletin Gladstone Observer Central Telegraph (Biloela)

Thursday 3 February Thursday 3 February Friday 4 February

$3,617.30

Townsville Power Station opening

Townsville Bulletin Saturday 5 February $2,007.48

Health funding for Queensland

The Courier-Mail Friday 11 February $19,354.33

Charleville Community Cabinet

The Western Times (Charleville) Longreach Leader Western Star Roma

Thursday 10 February Friday 11 February Friday 11 February

$2,326.43

Total $28,461.38


Being based close to Brisbane Airport enables rapid deployment of specialist teams anywhere within our Asia-Pacific region. It will also be a significant asset when Queensland bids to host major events.I also launched our Counter-Terrorism Strategy 2005-2007, the first Australian strategy defining how a state government preventsand prepares for terrorist contingencies. The strategy will ensure that we are properly prepared to prevent, respond to and—in the worst case scenario—recover from, aterrorist incident.

Cabinet will receive annual updates on the implementation of the strategy.


Clarion Hotel, MackayHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.17 am): Earlier

this morning I mentioned the opening of the Clarion Hotel, which is part of the new $150 million Mackaymarina precinct, which I opened with the local member for Mackay, Tim Mulherin. Again, it is animportant development. I seek leave to incorporate the remainder of my ministerial statement inHansard.

Leave granted.Work on the development of the precinct created 450 jobs related to the construction and the marina now provides 150 permanentpositions on site.The four and a half star hotel has 79 rooms and employs 40 staff.The Mackay area is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination and major developments like the marina and theClarion Hotel will help ensure that visitors are suitably impressed with the local facilities.I would like to recognise the efforts of the Member for Mackay, who played a significant role over a long period of time in helping tomake this development happen.He also worked with the developers to sort out any problems, including relocating the surf club and yacht club.I’m pleased that my Government was able to assist in those relocations with about $1 million in funding to help ensure the Mackayarea has a first-class training facility.


Smart State StrategyHon. PD BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (10.18 am): My

government is constantly examining ways in which we can improve life in the Smart State. Thanks to ourstrong economic management, we have been able to make a series of announcements flowing from themidyear budget review. We have renewed the government’s commitment to a number of key areas—and I want to thank the Treasurer for his support on these matters—and I want to spell them out. Wehave renewed the government’s commitment to victims of historical abuse in former children’sinstitutions by lifting funding to the Forde Foundation from $900,000 to almost $3 million. We haveimproved the job prospects of 2,300 unemployed parents and carers through a new $6.9 millionprogram called Back to Work: Parents and Carers which will help people who have devoted years tofamily responsibilities to return to paid work.

We will also provide an extra $3.6 million for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions toexpand support for children who are victims of sexual or physical abuse. We are investing an extra$867,000 over five years to help child victims of abuse talk to child safety officers and police officersabout their traumatic experiences. Community safety and the comfort of police and police families willbe boosted by an extra $6 million for police housing upgrades. There is new funding of $10.5 million toextend the Queensland Drug Court program to the end of 2006. We will invest almost $14 million extrain projects to improve the quality of life for thousands of Indigenous Queenslanders through producingbetter health, more jobs and new work force skills. There is a $1 million—50 per cent—increase infunding for this year’s Queensland Music Festival. Some $20 million will be added to our public hospitalwaiting time blitz so that an extra 4,000 people can receive operations and surgical procedures on time.Yesterday Judy Spence, the Minister for Police and Corrective Services, and I announced that almost$6 million over three years will expand rehabilitation programs for sexual offenders, including childpornography offenders.


Cooler Schools ProgramHon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Minister for Education and the Arts) (10.19 am): The

recent high temperatures experienced in parts of Queensland have understandably again focusedpeople’s attention on school airconditioning. I congratulate our school staff on the arrangements that


they have put in place to best manage school activities to reduce the effects on students during thosevery hot days.

Since 1998 the Beattie government has spent more than $120 million airconditioning existingbuildings in state and non-state schools in the Cooler Schools zone, that is, in the hottest and mosthumid parts of the state as identified by the Bureau of Meteorology. On top of this $120 million alreadyspent, the Beattie government has committed a further $17.6 million in this financial year to the CoolerSchools subsidy scheme for state and non-state schools. Further, all new state schools and state schoolbuildings in the Cooler Schools zone are airconditioned when constructed—at full state expense—justas all power upgrades are met at full state expense.

There are about 1,300 state schools in Queensland, and to install airconditioning in all of them isa very significant investment; in the vicinity of about $500 million. The ongoing running costs would alsoadd to that hefty bill. Because this is such a huge expense, it is not unreasonable for taxpayers to expectus to start the school airconditioning program where it is hottest and most humid, and that is what weare doing. After that is completed, the government will make a decision about what we will do next.

This is a significant policy decision which requires careful consideration in the context of futurebudgets. I can appreciate the very genuine concerns of parents to secure relief for their children.However, our record on cooling schools is a very strong one. Thousands and thousands of Queenslandchildren now sit in airconditioned classrooms every day who would otherwise have been left sweltering,under the previous government’s efforts, in the hottest parts of our state.

When the Beattie government came to power the previous government had initiated a program toaircondition schools. How many P&Cs did it fund in two and a half years in government? Nine. And whatsubsidy did it offer? Two dollars for every $1 the P&C raised. How many P&Cs has the Beattie Laborgovernment subsidised since 1998? More than 300. What subsidy does the Beattie Labor governmentoffer? Four dollars for every $1. Not only that, when the Beattie government came to power in 1998 itextended the Cooler Schools zone to include about 100 extra state schools. It has made it moreaffordable and more accessible.

The hypocrisy of the opposition on this issue is breathtaking given its poor record. Just 12 monthsago when it went to the last election what did it promise in relation to school airconditioning? It promised$10 million in new funds; $10 million to the $17.6 million that was promised by the Labor Party. Not onlythat, it promised to spend that $10 million in an extended area. So, it was going to spend less and try tocover a bigger area.

Given all of the complaints that we have heard from those opposite, members might be interestedin what their current policy is on school airconditioning. As recently as yesterday the National Party website records that with its additional funding it will be able to extend the present zone—and remember itgoes from Gladstone to the Torres Strait—further east. It is not surprising that the opposition might notneed as much money as that needed for the Labor Party’s planned program. The island-dwellingchildren of Queensland are very happy, but I am not sure that it will satisfy many other parents. It is alittle confusing; the opposition wants to extend the zone east to ensure that more schools in the south-west are eligible. On my reckoning, one would have to go a long way east before getting to Roma.Perhaps the opposition thought it was the other Roma.

Our record shows that this government is committed to alleviating the heat in classrooms acrossthis vast state. Airconditioning is not the only method of keeping our schools cool. All new buildings builtby Education Queensland, whether an entire new school or a new building in a school, are built in waysto maximise breezes. Unfortunately, that was not the case years ago and some of these older schoolsdo experience more difficulties now. All schools can receive advice on passive cooling measures, suchas shading and insulation. Most state schools have ceiling fans in classrooms.

I can understand the concerns of parents, and I have directed the department to develop a seriesof options, including possible changes to school holidays and other passive cooling measures, to beconsidered by government later this year.


Queensland Commissioner of PoliceHon. JC SPENCE (Mount Gravatt—ALP) (Minister for Police and Corrective Services) (10.24

am): I want to place on record my support for the Queensland Commissioner of Police, Bob Atkinson.Commissioner Atkinson is an independent and professional man who is highly regarded within theQueensland Police Service and by the public. His reputation has never been questioned. Hisappointment and remuneration are approved by the CMC.

I am appalled by recent comments made by Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman about thecommissioner. His criticism of Commissioner Atkinson’s leadership is an unprincipled attempt to erodethe commissioner’s standing both within the Police Service and the public at large. Yesterday the

22 Feb 2005 Sitting Days and Hours; Order of Business 21

Queensland Police Union president gave his full support for the commissioner saying CommissionerAtkinson has the best interests of Queensland at heart.

As I travel around the state, members of the public and police officers regularly express to metheir admiration of Commissioner Atkinson’s sensible, intelligent and responsible approach to building aprofessional police service and tackling the tough issue of crime. Under this police commissioner moralein the Police Service is probably the highest it has been at any time in our history.

With respect to community support, the Australian Centre for Policing Research’s 2002-03national survey of community satisfaction with policing shows 76 per cent of Queenslanders surveyedreported being satisfied with the service of local police, and this was above the national average of just72 per cent. Councillor Newman’s cheap shots at the police do little to inform public debate, nor do theypresent an accurate picture of crime in Brisbane. We all know police have a difficult job to do and I amcommitted to continuing to support them as the front line in the fight against crime. Councillor Newmanhas even stooped to criticising the commissioner for failing to respond to his letters.

The police commissioner’s correspondence records show he wrote to the Lord Mayor as recentlyas 3 February in response to a letter from the Lord Mayor on 24 January. He also wrote to the LordMayor on 24 January in response to a letter from him on 12 November 2004, and again wrote to theLord Mayor on 17 November in response to another letter on 2 November 2004. There is nothing to begained by politicians threatening public confidence in the Police Service, but there is everything to begained by us working constructively together on the issue of public safety.

Councillor Newman is big on rhetoric but short on action. If he was sincere about his concernswith people camping at Kurilpa Point and the Botanic Gardens, then he would have applied for move-onpowers for police in these areas. All he has to do is fill in an application. It is easy; it is on the internet. Ifhe needs help we will give him some help.

In fact, councils throughout Queensland, such as Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast and Mount Isahave been able to ask the state government for move-on powers. Councillor Newman needs to take theresponsible actions that come with being Lord Mayor so that police can use these move-on powers inthe trouble spots that he identifies. My door is always open to Councillor Newman and I have told himthat. In fact, we are meeting next month.

This government is committed to ensuring the community’s safety. This week we will debate inthe House the Summary Offences Bill 2004, which is yet a further attempt by the government toreinforce our right to enjoy the use of public places such as parks and streets at any time of the day ornight without feeling threatened or fearing for our safety.

Once these laws take effect, the Police Service’s public safety response team will be committedto cracking down on public disorder issues.

SITTING DAYS AND HOURS; ORDER OF BUSINESS

Sessional OrderHon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Leader of the House) (10.29 am), by leave, without

notice: I move—That the days and hours of sitting and order of business contained in sessional order No.1 be amended in accordance with theamendments circulated in my name—That the days and hours of sitting and Order of Business contained in Sessional Order number 1 be amended by—(1) In 1(b) omitting:

"1.00pm—2.00pm (each day)—Lunch Break" and inserting:"1.00pm—2.30pm (each day)—Lunch break"

(2) In 1 (b) omitting:"7.30pm—9.00pm (Tuesday)—Government Business"and inserting:"7.30pm—10.00pm (Tuesday)—Government Business".

Motion agreed to.

22 Questions Without Notice 22 Feb 2005

SCRUTINY OF LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

ReportHon. KW HAYWARD (Kallangur—ALP) (10.29 am): I lay upon the table of the House the Scrutiny

of Legislation Committee's Alert Digest No. 1 of 2005.

OVERSEAS VISIT

ReportMs NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (10.29 am): I lay upon the table of the House my

travel report to Mumbai in December 2004.

OFFICE OF LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

Report of ExpensesMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (10.29 am): I lay upon

the table of the House a report of office expenses for the office of the Leader of the Opposition from 1July 2004 to 31 December 2004.

OFFICE OF LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY

Report of ExpensesMr QUINN (Robina—Lib) (10.29 am): I lay upon the table of the House the public report of the

office expenses of the office of the Leader of the Liberal Party for 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2004.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Juvenile Justice SystemMr SPRINGBORG (10.30 am): My question without notice is to the minister for communities in

his capacity as the minister responsible for the Juvenile Justice Act. With so many families living in fearof crime, I draw the minister's attention to a real case from the records of Legal Aid of a 16-year-oldperson sentenced under Labor's juvenile justice system. This offender had previous convictionsincluding disorderly behaviour, six counts of assaulting or obstructing police, assault occasioning bodilyharm and multiple offences relating to unlawful entry into homes and motor vehicles. When this offenderpleaded guilty to further charges of robbery with actual violence, entering a dwelling with intent, seriousassault and wilful damage, the court not only refused to put this person into detention but also refused torecord a conviction against their name. What makes this doubly worse is that this latest round of crimeswere committed while she was on probation. Minister, is this not just further proof that the Beattiegovernment presides over a revolving juvenile justice system?

Mr PITT: Those on this side of the House would expect nothing less from the National Party. A government member: Nothing more! Mr PITT: Exactly, nothing more or nothing less. The juvenile justice system in this state is having

great success. The Leader of the Opposition seeks to single out a particular case. The issuessurrounding that case I am unaware of. I must say to him that the court system in Queensland isassisting the people of Queensland and reducing juvenile crime.

Latest statistics show us that the number of young people going through our court system isreducing dramatically. Latest statistics show us that the number of young people in detention centres isreducing dramatically. Latest statistics show us that our youth conferencing system is having a dramaticeffect. The aim of our juvenile justice system is not punishment alone. Every one of us in societybelieves that if someone makes a mistake they should be punished. But we also request and demandas a society that those young people be returned to the community as worthwhile citizens with anobvious chance of leading worthwhile lives and not repeat offending.

For the Leader of the Opposition to suggest that this is a revolving door system is incorrect. Some97 per cent of young people never, ever come into contact with the juvenile justice system. Of thenumber who do come into contact with the system, 85 per cent of them never repeat offend. As a matter

22 Feb 2005 Questions Without Notice 23

of fact, they never come back before the system again. That would indicate that we are dealing with onlya very small number of people.

The youth detention centre population reduction is one issue. But what happens inside thosedetention centres is very important indeed. Unlike the detention centre system under the National Partygovernment where people were thrown behind bars and basically left there and nothing was done toactually get them back on track, we have a system where young people are re-engaged with theirculture if that is appropriate and given the education skills to lift their opportunities to gain employmentand engage in worthwhile community activity.

I reject the Leader of the Opposition's suggestion that the system is failing young people inQueensland. I believe the advances that have been made under this government are providing for a farbetter, far fairer and much more responsive juvenile justice system.

Juvenile Justice SystemMr SPRINGBORG: I have a further question for the minister for communities. I draw the

minister's attention to another real case from the records of Legal Aid of a 15-year-old male sentencedunder Labor's juvenile system. This offender had previous convictions that included obstructing andassaulting a police officer. When this offender pleaded guilty to a further 19 offences of breaking intomotor vehicles, 19 stealing offences, nine wilful damage offences, possession of graffiti instruments, twounlawful uses of a motor vehicle, unlicensed driving and stealing, the court refused to put this personinto detention and released him on three years probation with community service. That is hardly anexample of a justice system that is working. Will the minister now accept that one of the greatest causesof crime on Queensland's streets is the Beattie government's decision to let repeat offenders walk backonto our streets where they can continue with their ongoing crime sprees?

Mr PITT: The short answer is no. It would appear that the perennial revolving door of oppositionbehaviour is with us again. It is law and order time all over again. It would appear that the Leader of theOpposition has determined that he is going to attack the juvenile justice system and the judiciary of thisstate.

I say to Mr Springborg that the judiciary know a little more about these cases than what he readsin the pages of the newspapers. The judiciary have the distinct responsibility to take the completecircumstances of an offender's behaviour into consideration. It is their responsibility to assess thatinformation and make the best judgment possible. To have a limited number of people reoffending underthis system is a success in itself.

I reject the Leader of the Opposition's assertion and encourage him to get off this bandwagon ofbelting young people and belting the judiciary and get with this government in developing processeswhereby young people are kept out of the system. The most important responsibility for me as ministeris to ensure that young people do not commit crimes in the first place. That is what we should be aimingto do. We should aim to keep them out of the system, rather than adopting his suggestion of punishingthem after they have actually arrived within that system.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before calling the member for Stafford, I welcome to the public gallerystudents and teachers from The Southport School in the electorate of Southport.

Rau, Ms C; Palmer InquiryMr TERRY SULLIVAN: My question is directed to the Premier. I refer to the sad case of Cornelia

Rau, a mentally ill women who identified herself as an illegal immigrant and was held in custody forseveral months. What is the Queensland government's position regarding an inquiry into how and whyMs Rau came to be in this position?

Mr BEATTIE: I thank the member for Stafford for his question. The Queensland governmentwants to cooperate with the Commonwealth and other states—there are four jurisdictions involved inthis tragic set of events—so that we can unravel the tangled mess involving Cornelia Rau and ensurethat such a situation does not reoccur. I have asked the director-general of my department, theDepartment of the Premier and Cabinet, Dr Leo Keliher, to coordinate the preparation of material andevidence to be given to Mr Palmer, the head of the inquiry. That work is well under way. We will fullycooperate.

Unfortunately, the Commonwealth's refusal to properly constitute the Palmer inquiry imposes verysevere legal limitations. Queensland will fully cooperate within those limitations, but they would not existif the Commonwealth had properly constituted this inquiry in the first place. I have called for an openinquiry, preferably headed by a member of the judiciary, because a properly constituted inquiry could betrusted to decide which matters should not be in the public domain and which matters should be.

The latest and best legal advice available to my government is that, in its current form, the inquirydoes not offer protection from civil or criminal liability for statements made and works undertaken for theinquiry. That therefore means it is limited in its application and how it can operate. This makes the


inquiry an obstacle course for Queensland government officers providing information to the inquiry. Ourofficers are subjected to confidentiality laws that prevent or limit the information that can be given toMr Palmer. That is not what we want. We want to give Mr Palmer all the information.

It is not too late for the Commonwealth to properly establish this inquiry. Only complete opennesswill bring all the facts out into the open and ensure that other Australians are not subject to treatmentsimilar to that suffered by Ms Rau. Only complete openness will win the public's trust and confidence inthe thoroughness of the inquiry.

The Queensland government's approach to this matter has been frank. I have personallyapologised to Ms Rau's family on behalf of the Queensland government. We have also released thetranscript of the Department of Corrective Services Ethical Standards Unit interview with Ms Rau at theBrisbane Women's Correctional Centre.

Presumably, the federal government is as determined to expose the truth as we are. So let us seea proper, open inquiry. Otherwise, this one will entangle itself in a legal nightmare that will not producean outcome. That is our concern. We are one of the four jurisdictions involved. If there are things thatneed to be improved in Queensland, we need them to be properly identified in an independent way andfixed. That is what I have said to the family. That is what we want to happen. I think that this inquiry willnot get to the bottom of it. That will be unfortunate.

Visit to Palm Island by Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy

Mr SEENEY: My question is directed to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderPolicy. I refer to the minister's public statement that it was appropriate for the minister to take on agovernment funded trip to Palm Island an activist who at the time was publicly calling for violent paybackagainst police officers on Palm Island and who was referring to those police officers as ‘dogs'. I ask: canthe minister explain to this parliament how this was an appropriate action for a minister responsible forAboriginal policy in Queensland?

Ms LIDDY CLARK: As the member opposite knows, this matter is actually the subject of a CMCinquiry so I will not comment on it. But I have to say—

Mr SEENEY: I rise to a point of order. Obviously the minister did not hear my question properly.The issue that the CMC is investigating was not referred to in my question. My question was aboutwhether or not the minister's actions were appropriate as the responsible minister.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order in that matter.Mr SEENEY: Mr Speaker, it is important. The issue of the CMC was not referred to in my

question.Mr SPEAKER: No, there is no point of order. I have just ruled that there is no point of order.Ms LIDDY CLARK: This is now a matter under investigation by the Crime and Misconduct

Commission. I have cooperated fully with that body and it would be inappropriate for me to commentany further. However, I would like to point out that in the year that I have been the minister the oppositionhas shown little or no interest in matters of concern about Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderQueenslanders but has focused most exclusively on me. This government is committed to creatinggreater opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders, and this is a responsibilitythat deserves bipartisan support.

Mr Horan interjected.Mr Seeney interjected.Mr Johnson interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order!Mr Reynolds: You love bullying women.Mr SEENEY: I find the comment by the member for Townsville extremely offensive and I ask that

the comment be withdrawn.Mr REYNOLDS: I withdraw.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Townsville has withdrawn.Ms LIDDY CLARK: It seems obvious to me that the opposition wants a return to the good old bad

old days of the Bjelke-Petersen era. In 1997 the former Premier told the people of Palm Island to getdown on their knees and thank the government for the money. Is that what the members opposite wantto return to? The member for Callide shows charity to no-one but malice to all.


Liberal PartyMs NOLAN: My question is directed to the Premier. The Queensland Liberal Party portrays itself

as the great defender of democracy and fancies its chances of taking over from the Nationals as themajor party of the right, despite the Liberals' own massive state of internal conflict. I ask: is the Premieraware of any sign that the Liberal Party is starting to focus at long last on policy development?

Mr BEATTIE: I thank the member for Ipswich for the question. I have to say that I am very sadbecause tomorrow is indeed going to be a very sad day for freedom of speech in the Liberal Party. Fourof the party's members have been summoned to attend a disciplinary investigation to show cause as towhy they should not be expelled from the party. I have one of those disciplinary notices. They have toshow cause on Wednesday, 23 February at 1.15 pm. Russell Galt is charged with the offence—this ishis sin—that during the federal election campaign in 2004 he did make various unauthorised statementsin the media accusing Senator George Brandis of calling the Prime Minister, John Howard, ‘a lyingrodent'. Indeed, there are members of the Liberal Party who would, in fact, share that view. But in theLiberal Party there is no freedom of speech—out they go. I table that notice of the disciplinary committeeinvestigation for the information of the House.

But there is more. One member of the Liberal Party, after years of manning polling booths, doingletterbox deliveries and so on, faces expulsion for daring to circulate media articles on branch stackingin the Liberal Party. She probably circulated the many and interesting speeches of the member forLogan. I did not think that his speeches were a matter for expulsion. I think that it is ludicrous for theLiberal Party to expel someone for circulating John Mickel's speeches. I have never heard of anythingso farcical in all my life. Poor old Marion Feros, who courageously ran against Michael Caltabiano forthe state presidency of the Liberal Party last year! She faces expulsion for daring to speak to the mediaabout the reasons why she stood for the position. What are the Liberals running out of City Hall? ASpanish Inquisition? If someone stands against the State President of the Liberal Party and explainswhy, out the door that person goes. That is freedom of speech in the Liberal Party! I am told that thecase against Marion Feros is so detailed that the party has had to send the whole document to her on aCD. What sort of message does that send? Basically, the message is that, if people dare to stand forelection or for a post in the Liberal Party, they risk being expelled if they are not part of the MichaelCaltabiano gang.

In terms of Russell Galt, who, as I said before, dared to say what he said, there are 32 double-sided photocopied pages of cuttings and 17 double-sided photocopied pages of transcripts of radio andtelevision interviews. This is the sort of forensic approach that the old Special Branch in the days of theBjelke-Petersen government used to use. It collected all of the information that it possibly could andthen it would rocket down the road and throw people out the door. I wish those four people—MargaretWatts, Marion Feros, Margaret Krause and Mr Galt—well, because they are better than the Liberal Partythat is throwing them out.

QEII Hospital, Gastroenterology ServicesMr HORAN: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. Every patient and doctor in

Queensland knows that there is a waiting list to get on the elective surgery waiting lists, which meansthat patients can wait for up to six years to see a specialist. I now table this pro forma letter from theMedical Superintendent of QEII Hospital Health Service District advising a GP to send his patientelsewhere, including the private health system, because the public system at the QEII Hospital cannotcope with the demand for gastroenterology services. The original referral was also returned, so thehospital now holds no record on its waiting list. I ask the minister: is this letter not just another exampleof the failed public health system under the Beattie government and the deliberate corruption of waitinglists by the minister’s department?

Mr NUTTALL: I thank the honourable member for the question. The short answer to his questionis no. In relation to the issue of waiting lists, we produce on a quarterly basis elective surgery waitinglists and they are there for all to see.

Mr Horan: These people aren't even on it because you sent the referral back.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Toowoomba South! You have asked the question. We will

hear the answer.Mr Horan: These people aren't even on the list. You have a list with no-one on it because you

sent it back.Mr NUTTALL: I will come to that. If the member will just be patient, I will come to that. As I said,

we produce the quarterly elective surgery waiting lists. The Productivity Commission has stated in itsreport that we have the lowest waiting times in the country in category 1 and category 2. I need to makethat point very clear. In relation to the issue of matters being referred to private doctors, part of thereason we produce the waiting lists is so that doctors can try to allocate their patients to areas wherethere are shorter waiting times. I acknowledge—I have been saying this for a long time—that we have a


shortage of specialists in the public system, as we do in the private system and in all hospital systemsaround this country.

The member raised the issue of gastroenterologists. There are some 47 of those gentlemen inthe specialist area in Queensland. Of those 47, only 13 work in the public system. It is commonsense forthe doctor to say, ‘If we cannot get you into the public system quickly, the best option for you is to go intothe private system.' That is the right thing to do for that patient. However, if the patient cannot afford togo into the private system, it is for their doctor and the clinician to determine priority in terms of theirillness. If they are very sick, they will be categorised as category 1. If they are not as sick, they will becategorised as category 2. If they are in a position where they can wait, they will be allocated category 3.Here the doctor has said that there is a substantial waiting time in category 3. That is acknowledged byus. We are trying to address that. In recent days the Premier announced an additional $20 million on topof the $110 million we promised in the election campaign. That extra money will allow us to try toaddress category 3. I say to the honourable member: we acknowledge that there are difficulties, but weas a government are addressing those difficulties.

Firearms AmnestyMs STONE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Police and Corrective Services. Last

year there was a general firearms amnesty across the state. Could the minister please advise theHouse what results this has achieved?

Ms SPENCE: I thank the member for her question. I know that she is a strong supporter of thisgovernment's moves to reduce the number of illegal firearms in our community. All members wouldknow—I spoke about it in parliament last year—that we had a firearms amnesty from 1 July to the end ofDecember last year. I am pleased to report to the House that more than 10,000 firearms were eithersurrendered or registered during that six-month period. In fact 2,835 firearms and parts weresurrendered to police and 7,704 firearms and accessories were registered. The types of firearmssurrendered or registered during the amnesty include air rifles, shotguns, hand guns, single-shot centrerifles, semiautomatic rifles, fully automatic firearms and pump action shotguns. During that six-monthperiod more than 2,000 phone inquiries were made to the firearms amnesty info line.

I am very pleased with the results of that particular amnesty. I think it is encouraging that finally inthis state we are supporting and teaching Queenslanders about responsible gun ownership and creatinga safer community. Members will remember that we participated in that amnesty as part of a nationalagreement.

The important lesson now for anyone still in possession of an illegal firearm is that they facesignificant penalties. They may face fines of up to $37,500 or jail terms of up to 13 years.Queenslanders have now had a number of opportunities to surrender or register their firearm. Ofcourse, before the successful amnesty we had the hand gun buyback scheme where, during a 12-month period, over 15,000 guns and more than 77,000 parts and accessories were surrendered.

These good results in removing unlicensed, unregistered hand guns and firearms in ourcommunity have produced positive results in terms of our state's crime. Anyone who cares to study thecrime statistics will see that the number of firearms used in crime in Queensland since these amnestiesand buybacks has certainly reduced. That means fewer crimes in Queensland's homes. Fewer guns arebeing used in domestic violence situations. Fewer guns are being used on our streets. It is a goodresult. I want to congratulate the Queensland Police Service on its outstanding efforts in this regard.

Mr SPEAKER: Before calling the Leader of the Liberal Party, I welcome to the public gallerystudents and teachers from the Anglican Church Grammar School in the electorate of South Brisbane.

Community SafetyMr QUINN: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Corrective Services. I refer the

minister to the latest Productivity Commission report into government services—chapter 5, ‘PoliceServices'—which clearly shows that Queensland has the lowest recurrent expenditure on communitysafety and support of all Australian states and territories. Isn't the increase in violence in Brisbane'sCBD a result of the government's continued reluctance to provide the necessary resources to addressthis ongoing problem? Is this not the reason the Brisbane City Council has been forced to fund proactivemeasures such as the city's security taxi trial and the city liquor industry partnership itself?

Ms SPENCE: I do encourage all members to read the reports on government services. Indeed,the 2005 report does reveal some interesting information. When we do read these reports we have toread them thoroughly. For example, the report does show that in some cases it might be seen thatQueensland's police-population ratio is below other states. When we read the fine print we learn that theNorthern Territory counts hundreds of police liaison officers in its police officer numbers, which obviouslysignificantly pushes up their number. The report on government services shows that, indeed, we arespending some significant amounts less than other states on our Police Service, but it also states thatwe are getting higher productivity from our Police Service.


This same report also shows that Queensland reported higher levels than the national average inall categories in relation to feelings of safety. This means that Queenslanders felt safer at home alone,both during the day and at night. They felt safer walking or jogging, both during the day and at night.They felt safer on public transport, both during the day and at night.

We have a very efficient and effective Police Service in this state. This government has set aboutincreasing police numbers. Indeed, we have increased police numbers by a third since we were elected,over the last seven years. We have a commitment to have 9,100 police on the beat by September thisyear. We are going to exceed that commitment. We will have 9,150 police.

We went to the election with a promise to keep the police-population ratio above the nationalaverage, and we are committed to that. This means that there are more police on the Gold Coast, thereare more police in Brisbane and there are more police in the towns and cities throughout Queensland.

This is not just about police numbers. In this term we are committed to civilianising 500 policepositions. We will be getting police officers out of the watch-houses and on to the beat, where theybelong and where Queenslanders want to see them. We are also committed to providing police with theresources they need to do their jobs.

We have a good story to tell in this state in terms of police numbers. We have a good story to tellin terms of the professionalism of our Police Service. Before opposition members, aided and abetted bythe Lord Mayor of Brisbane, try to whip up fear and try to run the law and order debate, I would ask themto honestly read these reports and honestly convey the statistics in them.

Mr SPEAKER: Before calling the member for Mackay, I welcome to the public gallery studentsand teachers of Samford State School in the electorate of Ferny Grove.

Apprenticeships and TraineeshipsMr MULHERIN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Public Works, Housing

and Racing. It has been well reported that there is a skills shortage in Australia, particularly in thebooming construction industry. Here in the Smart State we are the only state government that continuesto directly employ trade apprentices through Q-Build every year. Can the minister please informmembers how we are continuing to inject new blood into the industry?

Mr SCHWARTEN: I thank the honourable member for his question. I also thank him for hisongoing support and for welcoming the new apprentices that we have in Mackay, as indeed the memberfor Cook, the member for Townsville, the member for Mount Isa and mummy will do. There is a nicesnap in there which the honourable member might like to keep. Thank you very much for your support inthat regard. I also thank Carryn Sullivan, the member for Caboolture, for her support in welcoming theapprentices. I invite the honourable member for Gregory to meet the new apprentice in Longreach, too.

Mr Johnson: I will do that. Mr SCHWARTEN: I am sure the member will because I know that he supports them out in that

part of the world. We are the only government in the world that has over 400 construction apprentices on our

books, and I take a great deal of pride that I am the minister responsible for that. Nowhere in Australiado we have the intake that we saw last week—100 young people who met in this precinct last week tobe welcomed into their trades. There is a wide diversity of trades and a wide diversity to this state.Whether it is in the Torres Strait, Coolangatta or Birdsville, one is likely to find a Q-Build indent in theroad somewhere. They do a fantastic job. The great thing is that we have a 98 per cent success rate,which is much higher than private industry.

An alarming feature this year was that the number of people who applied for apprenticeships wasdown on previous years. That has been a consistent flow-down over the last five years. I know that theminister for training is working on this, but the reality is that there are some reasons why people do notwant to go into trades and we must examine that. If we contrast university with apprenticeships, thosewho attend university end up with a HECS bill. Those who learn a trade are not only paid all the waythrough but also have a guaranteed job. The industry is screaming out for tradespeople.

I put it to you, Mr Speaker: it is a very satisfying thing that this government does, and I thank youfor your presence and the member for Springwood for her presence at the induction last week.

A government member: Who is that mumbling over there? Mr SCHWARTEN: I know that those opposite were going to privatise Q-Build. We know they get

a bit sensitive every time I speak about it. I am delighted that this government has gone down this pathand will continue to go down this path to provide an industry with much needed tradespeople for thefuture.

One of the things that we have been doing very successfully is putting people into traineeshipsand then putting them into their trades. That is working very well. There are a number of thosethroughout the state who started as trainees last year who will go into their second-yearapprenticeships. I thank the minister for education for her support for the school based apprenticeships.I believe they are the way of the future.


Alcohol Restrictions, Cape York PeninsulaMrs LEE LONG: My question is directed to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Policy. I refer to alcohol restricted areas in Cape York Peninsula, and I ask: what responsibility do privatetransport operators such as pilots and bus drivers have for the contents of baggage of paying customerswhen they enter alcohol restricted areas? Are they expected to invade passengers' privacy by emptyingout all suitcases and other baggage and searching through it for contraband before entering into alcoholrestricted areas?

Ms LIDDY CLARK: I thank the member for the question. It is an interesting one. We have acommunications strategy at the moment about people travelling to the cape in restricted areas. All theairlines, the bus drivers, the tourist operators and people who take tours into the cape have bookletswhich they hand out to passengers who travel by buses or planes. It is their responsibility to know theareas where they are going where there are alcohol restrictions. They also impart the knowledge tothose travelling that 80 per cent of the cape is not restricted but they need to follow the signs and theyneed to get the booklets. They need to understand that the onus is on those people who are travelling toensure they know exactly what is going on in those restricted areas.

There are continual meetings between licensed premises, airlines and bus operators, as theminister for tourism knows. She can give the member further information on that. Everyone needs toknow it is their responsibility and that some areas have alcohol restrictions, but the cape is still there fora fabulous holiday. I can get the member some more information if that is required.

Queensland Health SystemMr FENLON: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. Can the minister enlighten the

house as to the real state of Queensland's health system as opposed to the document released lastweek by the doctors union?

Mr NUTTALL: I thank the honourable member for the question. Last week we saw the doctorsunion deliver their own opening gambit for more money for the next state budget, with the release ofquite a flimsy document loosely termed ‘a budget audit'. This document is filled with inaccuracies and isdesigned to do nothing more than undermine public confidence in our health system. As a formerminister for industrial relations, I have no problem with the hard-nosed negotiations that are part ofenterprise bargaining. However, when the AMA decides to publish false information to frighten patientsfor their own ends, it is necessary for us to respond and correct those inaccuracies.

My department has responded to those outrageous claims one by one, and today I table a copy ofthat response quite clearly marked ‘Wrong'. A quick glance at the document prepared by the doctorsunion illustrates that it is embarrassingly wrong. For example, we have delivered additional cardiacservices for Cairns, Gold Coast, PA and Royal Brisbane hospitals. We have increased renal services onthe Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and in Rockhampton. We will continue to increaseservices even further before 30 June 2007, which is the time frame of these election commitments.

Even the AMA acknowledged the success of the $20 million elective surgery program last year.Yet again, we are ahead of target, delivering the second stage of our elective surgery commitment. Inaddition, the government has just announced a further $20 million for even more elective surgery as partof our promise over the next three years. In addition to the many new initiatives and programs our staffare delivering on, we treat over 28,000 patients daily in our hospitals and health care centres.

The AMA document is hardly an audit and certainly not independent, but it is an insult to allQueensland Health staff who have been working hard and achieving outcomes—in many cases abovetargets and in excess of the government's commitment. Along with the rest of Australia, we strive torecruit medical staff to deliver these new services but we are up to this challenge as an organisation.Every health election commitment made by this government will be delivered on.

Airconditioning of Special SchoolsMr MESSENGER: My question is directed to the minister for education. Why is it that only seven

out of a possible 47 state special schools are airconditioned even though they cater for many childrenwho suffer from conditions that are made worse by excessive heat? Why does the minister support hergovernment's decision to aircondition 10 out of the 13 jails while our special school students suffer?

Ms BLIGH: I thank the member for the question. I believe that he, like many otherQueenslanders, is well motivated in considering the health and wellbeing of our students. I, as ministerfor education—and every other member of the Beattie government—am concerned to ensure thatchildren are as comfortable, safe and healthy as they can be. That is why our government embarked ona comprehensive program to aircondition the hottest and most humid parts of the state.

People would think from the member's question that our record on this is something that weshould be ashamed of—far from it. Our record on airconditioning classrooms in Queensland is one ofthe proudest legacies of this government. In the schools in the hottest and most humid parts of


Queensland, children are now able to learn in environments that are well cooled for the first time in 100years. The honourable member asks about the needs of children in special schools. The reason thatsome special schools have airconditioning and some do not is that some are in the Cooler Schools zoneand some are not.

The member is right that some children in special schools have conditions that can beexacerbated by heat. Where that has been brought to the attention of the department, whether the childwho has such a condition is in a special school or in a mainstream school environment, steps have beentaken—even outside of the zone—to aircondition the classrooms for those children.

I can say to the member for Burnett that he can rest assured that, to my knowledge, there are nospecial schools east of the current Cooler Schools zone; there are no special schools in the middle ofthe Pacific Ocean. He should go and look at his own airconditioning policy. Not one of the 47 specialschools are east of the Cooler Schools zone; there are no special schools in the middle of the ocean.The member should go and have a look at the National Party policy on this issue before he seeks tocome in here and criticise what can only be described as the strongest possible airconditioningprogram—

Mr SPEAKER: We have a point of order. Mr HOBBS: The minister is misleading the parliament. The climate zone that includes the

eastern seaboard also goes out as far as Mitchell to Bollon. That eastern section, which is in the samecategory as the ones the government is doing now, is not eligible or—

Mr SPEAKER: I think you have made your point. We are not debating it. Ms BLIGH: I can also reassure members that Queensland classrooms have windows that open,

they have fans overhead—unlike prisons—and we will not be having open windows and we will not behaving fans in prisons, as far as I know. The minister for corrective services will not be having openwindows in prisons.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! We have a point of privilege. Interruption.

PRIVILEGE

Answer to QuestionMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.11 am): I rise on a

matter of privilege suddenly arising. Early this morning in an answer to my question without notice theminister for communities sought to indicate to this parliament that some 85 per cent of juveniles who gobefore the Children's Court do not reoffend. I am not debating the issue. I simply table and refer to theChildren's Court annual report the other day which says—The research indicated that by September 2002 almost 80 per cent of juvenile offenders place on supervised orders, whichincluded detention, immediate release orders, probation orders and community service orders, in 1994-95...

So we are talking about seven years down the track— ...had progressed to the adult correctional system and 49 per cent had been subject to at least one term of prison.

Mr SPEAKER: I think you are debating the issue now, Leader of the Opposition. Mr SPRINGBORG: It is not. These people are coming into the system now.Mr SPEAKER: There is a point of order from the minister. Mr PITT: I rise to a point of order. The Leader of the Opposition is not comparing apples with

apples. Mr Mackenroth: Never does. Mr PITT: It suits him to do what he has just done. What I did say is that 85 per cent of young

people who come into contact with the criminal justice system never reoffend. Most of those people arediverted away from going before the courts. That is the job of this government: to ensure that people donot become part of the criminal justice system. I stand by my answer.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICEResumed.

HomelessnessMrs ATTWOOD: My question is to the Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors.

Minister, the joint state-federal agreement on funding for homelessness is currently being renegotiated.Can the minister inform the House of the state of negotiations and the offer Queensland has receivedfrom the federal government?


Mr PITT: I am very pleased to answer the question from the member for Mount Ommaney. She isa very valuable member of my backbench committee. As members would be aware, the Department ofCommunities administers, on behalf of the Queensland government, the Supported AccommodationAssistance Program known as SAAP. This program is intended to provide crisis accommodation andsupport to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The program is some 20 years old now, and the current five-year agreement betweenQueensland and the federal government expires on 30 June. The Commonwealth and all state andterritory governments have agreed to negotiate a further five-year agreement. Just before Christmas thefederal Minister for Family and Community Services, Kay Patterson, took on the mantle of Scrooge. Shewrote to me and announced that the Commonwealth's offer to Queensland was on the table. That offerslashes up to $5 million a year from that money coming to Queensland. Queensland was already beingshort-changed by the federal government in relation to funding to address this issue.

The state receives 16 per cent of federal funding. We all know that Queensland now has 19 percent of Australia's population. Unfortunately, 24 per cent of homeless people in this nation are inQueensland. All of these states and territories have rejected the federal government's offer, and it is nowonder. I, along with the other responsible state and territory ministers, will meet with Senator Pattersonon 11 March to discuss further the federal government's offer.

The Commonwealth, in saying that it will use the money it is taking off the states and territories toinvest in new strategic directions for SAAP, is incorrect. This effectively means that what they are doingis pulling money out of the existing service system, and what are they going to do with it? They aregoing to fund more trials and more pilots. The offer ignores the findings of the independently conductednational evaluation. That finding recommended a significant injection of funding into the program toaddress unmet need for services and cost increases that are being faced by agencies that provide theseservices. Even worse, the Commonwealth is trying to disguise this funding cut by claiming it hascommitted an extra $100 million to the program. This is distinctly not true. It is not new money. Thissupposedly extra money is merely indexation, and pretty poor indexation at that at a rate of two percent. It is not an expansion of funding by any stretch of the imagination.

I recently met with key community sector stakeholders. They agree with me that the federalgovernment's offer is inadequate and a serious funding commitment is needed from it. They do not wantmore trials; they do not want more projects. They are sick and tired of this federal government settingthese trials and projects up in areas to suit them politically, pulling the funding after two or three yearsand then handing it over to the state or watching an organisation flounder. I understand that today morethan 150 representatives of service providers met in the botanical gardens to voice their concern overthe federal government's offer. I can assure the House that I will keep them informed of progress on thisimportant matter.

Princess Alexandra Hospital; Pepplinkhouse, Mr W

Dr FLEGG: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health. I refer the minister to theemployment of Mr Bill Pepplinkhouse as director of mental health services at the Princess AlexandraHospital, and I ask: were any departmental officers aware that Mr Pepplinkhouse was facing seriousworkplace sexual assault charges when he was employed? Given that he has subsequently beenconvicted, how can the minister justify his continued employment in such a highly sensitive mentalhealth facility?

Mr NUTTALL: At the time of engagement the staff member had not been convicted of anyoffence and therefore was not obliged to provide any information in relation to the incident at the time ofemployment.

The employment process was appropriate and followed the Queensland Health human resourcemanagement employment guidelines. The district manager at the time, who employed the staff member,was not aware of the incident. The staff member did not disclose the conviction when it occurred, whichis a possible breach of the Queensland Health code of conduct. There was a disciplinary process. Thegentleman was put on leave while that process was gone through and, in line with Queensland humanhealth resource management guidelines, the matter has been investigated and responsible disciplinaryaction has been carried out.

Dr Flegg: He is still there. What sort of discipline is that?

Mr SPEAKER: You have asked the question, member for Moggill. You can listen to the answer.

Mr NUTTALL: The disciplinary action has been carried out, and that is the conclusion of thematter.


Gateway Bridge UpgradeMr REEVES: My question is to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads. Minister, I refer to the

announcement of the $1.6 million Gateway Bridge and motorway upgrade. What benefits will thisproject bring, and what is the Commonwealth government's contribution?

Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for his question. He is someone who is vitallyinterested not only in public transport, being the great ticket holder and user of the southern busway, butalso in road issues in his electorate. The good news for the member for Mansfield and the othermembers on the south and north side of Brisbane is that the state government has delivered in relationto the Gateway Bridge where the federal government again is still waiting to respond.

The gateway duplication project will create 5,000 to 6,000 jobs and is critical for the continueddevelopment of the greater Brisbane area, in particular the Port of Brisbane and the Brisbane Airport. Iwelcome the comments from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to the need for a western bypass. Ilook forward, by the way, to the Leader of the Opposition lobbying the federal minister for transport andDeputy Prime Minister about matching the $5 million this government has put in for that study, becauseSenator Ian Campbell, the federal roads minister, actually indicated in the middle of last year that it wasa good idea. I welcome the Leader of the Opposition's support in that regard.

When finished, this project has the potential to reduce travel time during peak periods fromRochedale to Brisbane Airport by 15 minutes and from Caboolture to the Port of Brisbane by 10minutes. This project will be the largest roads capital project in Queensland's history. Included in it is a$30 million bikeway. This bridge will be there in 100 years to come. This government has taken thedecision that in the future the bikeway will be a very important aspect of infrastructure. The bikeway willbe there in 100 years as well.

The Commonwealth contribution to this bridge and the approach roads that will be completed in2011 is $8 million. It is a $1.6 billion project. All the Commonwealth has done is made a contribution inrelation to the planning. We all know what happened in Senate estimates the other day when theCommonwealth was caught out in relation to its commitments to what it calls Brisbane urbanconnectors. It is flat out paying for half the northern bypass with all of its other commitments, let aloneone cent going into this in the next five years of AusLink. That is the simple, sad and shocking truth.With no federal government money committed, the state government is not going to let it lie. We need tobuild Gateway and we need to build it now, and that is what we are doing.

The good thing to say to the people of Brisbane is that with Gateway we are right on top of theissue in terms of the toll. CPI, CPI, CPI is our commitment. And, indeed, what the residents are gettingis a duplicated bridge, eight lanes of the bridge to Wynnum Road, six lanes from Wynnum Road toMount Gravatt-Capalaba Road, a whole new four-lane connection to the airport and then back across tothe Gateway joining at approximately the Nudgee Golf Course, all within a CPI envelope.

The government will be working on early openings so that capacity can be improved as much aspossible. For example, by mid-2007 with the Wynnum Road interchange, Wynnum Road to LyttonRoad, there will be two additional southbound lanes. In relation to the northern deviation there will be anadditional lane northbound and southbound and a second access road to the airport will be provided bylate 2008. In relation to Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road to Wynnum Road all six lanes will be opened bylate 2009. The bridge will be duplicated by 2010 and by 2011 the refurbishing of the other bridge will becomplete.

Mr SPEAKER: I welcome to the public gallery a second group of students and teachers fromSamford State School in the electorate of Ferny Grove.

Great Sandy Marine ParkMr CHRIS FOLEY: My question without notice is to the minister for environment. In the light of

significant community angst about various aspects of the Great Sandy Marine Park, I ask: will theminister defer the date for submissions by at least one month to give those concerned about the newrules the opportunity to properly prepare their submissions?

Ms BOYLE: I thank the honourable member for this question. It is a matter of considerableimportance to all Queenslanders, but certainly to those on the Fraser Coast. I am very proud, in fact, ofthe Great Sandy Marine Park Study that we have released for consultation, though in draft form, ofcourse. I look forward to receiving various submissions. What I am most disturbed about, however, andit follows on the comments from the member in his question and particularly the efforts of AndrewMcNamara, the member for Hervey Bay—

Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Member for Burnett! Mr Lucas: You have the brain of a mullet. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Withdraw that, Minister.


Mr LUCAS: I withdraw that. Ms BOYLE: The member for Hervey Bay has represented the difficult and dynamic interests of

recreational fishers, commercial fishers, tourists and environmentalists, as well as the residents of thebroader area in the balance that must be struck in this plan. He is quite right that we should protect thecommercial fishing industry. Some 7,000 jobs in the region would be on the line were we not to dootherwise. He is quite right that the mums and the dads, the grandparents for that matter, and their kidswho enjoy recreational fishing must be looked after, and, indeed, they are.

I can affirm to the House—despite publicity from some recreational fishers who are deliberatelydistorting the facts—that the plan leaves recreational fishing alone in 96 per cent of the park; 74 per centis general use zone, no changes; 10 per cent is habitat protection zone where recreational fishing cancontinue; 12 per cent is conservation park zone. Recreational fishing will continue unchanged in thegeneral use zone and in the habitat protection zone. The only change will be in the conservation parkzone where recreational fishers will be allowed only one line or rod per person. This is still genuinerecreational fishing.

I look forward to the submissions. I look forward to meeting with representatives from Sunfish thisafternoon and having them look me in the eye and tell me the facts, as distinct from the fishing partypublicity that they have been promoting and the disturbance and upset that they have causedunnecessarily to recreational fishers on the Fraser Coast.

I look forward to that discussion and genuinely listening to any changes to the draft plan that theydo request. At that time I will consider their request for an extension of the date for submissions, thoughI am not at this time convinced that any further date extensions are required. The end of February giveseverybody ample time to have a say. I look forward then, of course, to bringing down the plan later thisyear.

Imparja CupMr HOOLIHAN: My question is directed to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Policy. Can the minister tell us whether Queensland will this year be defending its win in cricket'sprestigious Imparja Cup after its great effort in Alice Springs last year?

Ms LIDDY CLARK: Yes, I would love to answer this question. I thank the member for Keppel forbeing a part of the celebrations last night. It is a fantastic question, might I say. Yesterday I had the greatprivilege, alongside the Premier, to farewell this year's team for the Imparja Cup. The Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander 11 last night attended a function in their honour at Parliament House as theyprepared to defend their title in the cup.

Last year we also farewelled our first Indigenous cricket team from Parliament House. Wewelcomed them back from Alice Springs soon after with not only the cup but a team spirit award. Ourfirst Indigenous 11 showed Australia that they had qualities which not only make them a great cricketteam but also excellent sportsmen. Alongside their talent they showed a tremendous ability to worktogether, to fit their talents to the moment and to give their all, and in every match they played last yearthey won, even against New South Wales.

I know that the 2005 team again gives us much to be proud of. They are keen, they are strongand they are talented, and the selection process to get into the team was rigorous. Captain Barry Weareleads a team which includes players from around the state—from Maryborough, from Thursday Island,Toowoomba and Rockhampton. This week the team will travel to Alice Springs to face the rest of thecountry. They carry with them not only the pride and best wishes of Queensland but also a tradition ofIndigenous cricket. More than 130 years ago an Aboriginal team played against the Melbourne CricketClub at the MCG. The match was such a success that an Aboriginal squad toured England in 1868, thefirst Australian sporting team to tour overseas.

Now Queensland continues the tradition after our first Imparja Cup team took the title last year. Iknow that the parliament and all Queenslanders join with me when I wish the Queensland Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander 11 every success.

I would now like to table the names of the talented players who make up that team.A government member: Read them out!Ms LIDDY CLARK: All right, I will go through the team. We have Barry Weare who is the captain

and he is from the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club; Brett Smith from the United Cricket Club inCairns; Damien Budd from Sandgate/Redcliffe; Joe Marsh from Past Grammars in Maryborough; KeithCharles from Brothers Diggers in Toowoomba; Glen Martin from the Torres Strait; Kieren Gibbs fromColleges Cross Cricket Club in Ipswich; Damian Watts from Beenleigh/Logan; Tim Hardingham from theSunshine Coast; Worrin Williams from Beenleigh; Aaron Holt from Gracemere; Martin Rush fromBrothers Cricket Club in Townsville; Craig Trindall from Valleys District Cricket Club; Jason Smith, who isthe coach from Rockhampton; Nev Paulsen, the coach from Queensland Cricket; and Zufa Abdulala,the umpire from Cairns.

22 Feb 2005 Matters of Public Interest 33

MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST

Juvenile Justice SystemMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.29 am): This

government is failing in its fundamental duty to the people of Queensland. It is failing to protect thepeople of Queensland who are faced with spiralling crime problems in many centres across the state.There is no doubt that the issues which have come to the attention of the media and the people ofBrisbane in the last few weeks have been allowed to fester and have been largely ignored by thisgovernment. We have had the spectacle of this Premier not only recently but also previously onlybecoming interested in an issue when he is forced to become interested in the issue.

We saw the actions of a few urban terrorists late last year who stood on top of a building inEdward Street and threw objects including bricks, chairs and other metal objects at innocent passers-byand closed down the city centre for hours. This had been a problem for years. Traders in the heart ofMr Beattie's electorate have been trying to bring this to the attention of the authorities for a long time.Mr Beattie ignored them. It was not until the blowtorch of public and opposition scrutiny got very close tohis belly that he even bothered to engage on that issue, even though the problem is in the heart of hiselectorate. We had the spectacle of the Premier's response last Friday night to a growing crime problemin Brisbane’s CBD. It was as though he had only just discovered it. It is in the heart of his own electorate.He put out a media release saying that he was going to be available for a walk in the mall, a walk in thecentre of Brisbane, a walk in the heart of his own electorate. He said that he was available for a photoopportunity afterwards.

This government's response to a spiralling law and order crisis in Queensland is to throw a pressrelease at it and have a photo opportunity. We have problems right across Queensland. We haveproblems in the electorate of Hinchinbrook. We have problems in electorates right throughoutQueensland. This government has by and large ignored these issues and tried to paper over them witha public relations agenda. This morning in this place we heard the minister for communities attempt todivert this issue and attempt to compare apples with oranges rather than apples with apples. Ourconcern was simply this: the juvenile justice system in this state is not working. It is a revolving door foryoung criminals.

Our concerns were indicated quite clearly in the last Children's Court report. An article in theCourier-Mail on 21 February states that Children's Court figures reveal that an alarming 80 per cent ofjuvenile criminals in 1994-95 had reoffended within seven years and almost half had graduated to adultjails. The article goes on to say that the Children's Court report released last week used Crime andMisconduct Commission research to outline recidivism rates. It said that 80 per cent of juveniles whoreoffended were already under detention, immediate release orders, probation orders or communityservice orders.

We have a problem. We have a crisis in the juvenile justice system in Queensland. Thegovernment and the minister stand there and seek to justify the status quo. They seek to justify howsomething which is failing to protect the people of Queensland is fine. They say that it is hunky-dory, thatit does not need to be dealt with, that it does not need to be dealt with seriously.

We have to ask the question: what is this government's agenda? Recently we saw reports thatthe government was not going to fix it. Instead, it said that what it is going to do is increase the age atwhich people are classified as juvenile offenders in Queensland to put more people from the adultsystem into the juvenile justice system in Queensland—a system which is in crisis and not working anda system under which the majority of young offenders are reoffending whilst in detention or onsupervision orders and so on. It wants to put more offenders into a failing system rather than seek toaddress the problems with the system. These offenders are real little criminals. They are criminals whohave long histories of previous criminal offences. Butter would not melt in their mouths, but they arehardened criminals.

Mr Johnson: They know their minds.Mr SPRINGBORG: They know their minds and their rights, as the honourable member for

Gregory says. These people are hiding behind a juvenile justice system. I have a swag of exampleshere of young criminals who have offended whilst they have been on probation. They have reoffendedand have a huge line of previous convictions. In one case the sentencing judge said to a juvenileoffender who had a long line of previous convictions, ‘If you did this as an adult, you would have been upfor four years in the can.' That is what the judge said. This was a person with many previousappearances before the Children's Court and previous findings of guilt. In many cases these people areescaping without so much as a conviction. Those opposite cannot justify that.

There is another motivation. What is that other motivation? It is interesting to note that theminister for communities in this House this morning did not refer to the 2004 Labor Party policy platformwhich was adopted at its 42nd state conference on 12 and 13 June last year. It makes very interestingreading. This is not publicly available. It is not on the web. It is not publicly circulated. Nobody has

34 Matters of Public Interest 22 Feb 2005

access to it other than the Labor Party hierarchy itself. These platforms were adopted last year at theLabor Party conference.

Mr Terry Sullivan interjected.Mr SPRINGBORG: It was not on the internet. I ask the member: why is it not on the web?Mr Terry Sullivan interjected.Mr SPRINGBORG: Why can people out there not scrutinise it? Why does the member not stand

up here and start to justify these things? The public of Queensland does not know about this. It does notknow what the Labor Party's secret agenda is.

At page 80 it looks at the law enforcement platform. It says what the Labor government will doand goes through a range of issues such as A, B, C, D, E and F. But when we get to G it becomes veryinteresting. It says that it will ‘maintain that imprisonment be a sentence of last resort particularly foryoung people under the age of 25'. The Attorney-General and the minister for communities said theother day that they are going to increase the age of this jurisdiction to 25 years. They have an agenda tobasically keep offenders 25 years and younger out of our prison system. Frankly, more of these peopleshould be in the prison system.

Mr Terry Sullivan interjected.Mr SPRINGBORG: Does the honourable member not know that Wayne Goss suffered in the

early 1990s because of this particular policy and it had to be removed? What those opposite areproposing to do is to take the criminal law of Queensland back to what it was prior to the reforms of the1990s when the coalition government of the day responded to community concerns and took that clauseout and said that the protection of the community should be the main consideration of our sentencingcourts. Not only do we have the juvenile justice system being caught up in this; we also have anincrease in the age of people who will have automatic consideration in the Children's Court from 17years to 25 years. People who are currently going before the adult system will be subject to this specialpolicy of the Labor Party. That is the Labor Party's agenda.

Frankly, it is not good enough. These young criminals know that they can get away with thesesorts of things. We saw a government window-dressing on a certain issue a couple of years ago. Itsounded like a good policy. It came into this place and put in place legislation that enabled juvenilenaming orders in the state of Queensland. That system has been operating for almost two years. Guesshow many naming orders have been applied? None! Zilch! Zero! They have not happened. There havebeen no naming orders.

It was about putting in place a system that took the pressure off the government of the day, notabout ensuring a justice system that works in this state. We have a public relations approach to a justicesystem. Meanwhile, we have streets where there is public lawlessness. We have criminals in theirapprenticeships who know that they can take the Children's Court jurisdiction for a ride—and they dotake it for a ride. I say today to the government and the ministers responsible: the primary responsibilityof the government is to protect the people of Queensland. There is no way that it can justify that asystem that is failing in 80 per cent of cases is a system that is working to protect the community andbetter rehabilitate young people in the future.

Compulsory VotingMr FRASER (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (11.39 am): It has started already. They said that it would be

business as usual: no hubris, no unveiling of those furtive policy desires for so long unrequited. But asalways, they just cannot help themselves. The fields of our Australian democracy have already beenpockmarked and trodden over. The ground is being prepared by the Liberal Party for the abolition of thecompulsory franchise. Already we have Senator Nick Minchin pledging to remove what he calls the‘blight’ of compulsion. The minister responsible for the Commonwealth Electoral Act, Senator EricAbetz, has also voiced support for voluntary voting. This, as always, is the modus operandi of JohnHoward. The troops set the hares running, start the debate rolling, prepare the path and then hesqueaks in and says, ‘Behold my leadership.' Of course, what John Howard says is not often a guide towhat he intends. We should be wary that he has said of compulsory voting ‘my personal opinion is that Ido not believe in it' while now professing to have no plans to change the law at this stage.

Let us have none of it. Let us discard this argument before it gets any further. Let us shred theidea that the compulsion to vote can be imagined as a curb on freedom. Necessarily precedent to theexpression of true freedom is the participation by the individual with her fellow citizens. It is simply notpossible to opt out of our common endeavour and our common human existence. It is as impossible asit is undesirable. No man is an island. That statement is as true today as it was when it was made in the17th century.

Today in this parliament, I ask of the members opposite: for whom do they think the bell tolls? Letthem enjoin and make the intellectual argument for inventing a freedom from voting. Let them explainwhy mutual obligation does not apply to this situation. Is the supposed tyranny of attending a polling


booth to receive a ballot, on average once a year, truly a threat to the liberty of Australians? Should weabolish the obligation to stay at the scene of an accident, the obligation to drive on the left-hand side ofthe road, the obligation to serve on a jury or the obligation to send children to school? Of course weshould not. These are obligations that are part of our free society. They are the concomitance of ourliberty. To dress up this debate as a freedom fight is pure bunkum.

Have we not seen blood shed in the name of freedom for the right of Iraqis to vote? If the ability tovote is, in fact, worth the cost of human life, why should each and every one of us not be compelled tohonour that sacrifice with the duty to vote, participate in our democracy and maintain our freedom?Senator Minchin said in his first speech—A truly liberal party cannot, with any philosophical integrity, maintain a commitment to compulsory voting.

Perhaps, but whoever accused the Liberal Party of Australia of being a true liberal party with anyphilosophical integrity? No, the real underlying philosophy is, in fact, political advantage. The nationalinterest is endlessly equated by this federal government with the electoral interests of John Howard. Ifwe unpack the husk, the kernel of perceived partisan political advantage is found. Just as it was inQueensland in 1915 when Digby Denham's Liberal government proposed compulsory voting forperceived partisan advantage, in 2005 the call for voluntary voting remains embedded in ideas ofelectoral advantage rather than worthy principles.

Those opposite believe that voluntary voting will deliver them an electoral dividend. They are notalone. Studies by Professor Ian McAllister of the Australian National University showed that compulsoryvoting depresses the Liberal-National vote by five per cent. This spurious argument runs along the ideathat removing compulsion will see various constituencies no longer vote. The argument goes further tosay that those citizens who will fall away favour our side of politics: the young, the poor, the itinerant andmembers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

So that is why, in lock step with the freedom fighters' campaign for enhanced liberty, there is aproposal for more restrictive requirements on an individual's ability to enrol and vote in an election. Thecall for enhanced identity checks and restrictions on updating a person's enrolment belongs to the samechorus of voices calling for the removal of what they see as the blight of compulsion. So how can thefreedom fighters be proposing such shackles? Once again, the trick is not to search for internalconsistency or intellectual cogency within these arguments; the trick is to distil the argument into politicaladvantage. Here again, the putative legislative interest is, in fact, the electoral interest of the federalgovernment.

If I figure my role as a legislator as the pursuit of partisan electoral advantage, then I for one mightbe tempted to support the moves within the illiberal federal government to abolish compulsory voting. Inmy view, a large part of the federal government's perception of electoral advantage is entirelymisplaced. How the Liberals, a political party that needs to pay people to work on polling day, imaginethat the introduction of voluntary voting will assist their political chances is uncertain to me. Juxtaposedagainst the great strength of the volunteer base that my side of politics enjoys, and of which we are soproud, I think that those opposite are totally misguided. In fact, I see glorious advantage for my side ofpolitics in the folly of the voluntary voting proposals.

Of course, I do not see my role in those terms at all. I stand and record my deepest philosophicalsupport for a compulsory franchise, regardless of its perceived electoral advantage or disadvantage tomy side or any other side. As a society, we cannot call on Boxing Day for our collective humancompassion to be directed towards our fellow humans and then argue that freedom requires us to denythe commonality of our human existence. Participation is our vigilance upon our freedom.

MulticulturalismMs STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (11.44 am): My local area has become very colourful, with

around 27 per cent of local people being born overseas. It is great to see that some of the Africanfamilies from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya are making Acacia Ridge, Algester and Sunnybank Hills theirnew home. These families enrich our local communities not only by their presence and culturalcontributions but also by relaying their experiences of dislocation, torture and trauma. Theseexperiences give us valuable insight into the human condition, reminding us how lucky we are in thisgreat country of ours and this great state of Queensland.

I want to pay tribute to the many local people, groups, schools and churches in my area who aregiving a helping hand to refugees and migrants in my local area—helping them feel welcome andsupported. I also pay tribute to members of the Sudanese Association for taking the initiative to developan employment action plan to assist Sudanese refugees to find work. Those people are not sittingaround waiting for help; they are getting together, they are organising and they are detailing plans ofaction to get themselves into work. The unemployment rate among the Sudanese refugee community isrunning at about 90 per cent, yet many of those people are skilled and well qualified. I want to thankDebbie Crompton from the Department of Employment and Training. She deserves special recognitionfor her efforts in giving legs to this employment plan.


It is important that people understand why these Sudanese people are here. I am hearingcomments such as, ‘It is looking like the Congo out here on south side. Where have all of these peoplecome from and why they are here?' It is important that people in Queensland know about the civil war inSudan. We need to understand what is happening across the world. In the last four or five years morethan 1,400 refugees have come from Sudan to Brisbane. It is also important that people understand thewar in the Sudan so that they can overcome fears and prejudice.

Mr Lucas: They are very gentle, lovely people.Ms STRUTHERS: They are very gentle and lovely. Some hope is on the horizon for peace in

Africa and in the Sudan. On Sunday, 9 January this year, Sudan's National Congress Party and thesouthern rebel Sudan's People's Liberation Movement signed a comprehensive peace agreementending Africa's longest-running civil war. The Sudanese government and the liberation movement willform an interim coalition government, decentralise power, share oil revenue and integrate the militaryand militias. This historic accord follows a war that began in 1983 and which together with famine hasclaimed two million lives and left about four million people homeless. It is so important that our people inour communities understand that this is the sort of environment that these Sudanese people have comefrom. This is the kind of persecution that they have suffered.

The plight of refugees shows us that there is much still to be done, particularly on a globalbalance scale, to overcome tyranny and disadvantage. But I am pleased to report that on a local levelthe Beattie government is making every effort to connect with the Sudanese people here to supportthem as they look for work, settle their families and begin the challenging task of rebuilding their lives.

On another note—and a lighter note—the first Indian film festival, Bollywood Masala, is currentlybeing held in Brisbane at the Dendy theatre. Brisbane is really becoming the cultural capital of Australia.I am sure that the minister for the arts would agree with that. Last Thursday night I was delighted toofficially open the festival. It was a great celebration with a full house, Indian food and dancing. I knowthe Indian constituents of my electorate will appreciate the focus on their culture that this festival willbring.

It is a big week for the Indian community in Brisbane, with the Premier hosting a reception here atParliament House on Wednesday night. It is another first for Bollywood productions as well. They will beshowcased at the Brisbane International Film Festival later this year. It is great to see Bollywood takingon Hollywood film-making supremacy. With 160 million Indian movie goers each day and a turnover ofabout $US850 million, the Indian film industry is significant—both globally and in Australia. Queenslandparticularly is working to strengthen its ties with the Indian film and television industry, with Queenslandlocations and stunt experts featuring in Indian films and advertisements in recent years. Last year,Premier Peter Beattie hosted the biggest ever Queensland government Bollywood event in Mumbai.

I congratulate everyone involved in organising the Bollywood film festival in Brisbane, the culturalcapital of Australia. It is great to see events like this occurring. I encourage members to get along to theDendy and soak up some Indian film culture.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wallace): Before calling the honourable member for Callide, I wouldlike members to welcome teachers and students from Samford State School in the electorate of FernyGrove.

Timber IndustryMr SEENEY (Callide—NPA) (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11.49 am): This morning I bring

to the attention of the House the devastation that will be wrought through the imposition of thegovernment’s western hardwoods timber proposal. This is a proposal that is being driven by the extremegreen agenda that appears to exist within the Premier's office, which appears to make these decisionswithout any basis in science or fact. It is a philosophically driven agenda that completely ignores thereality of the impacts on communities which I and other members represent throughout regional andrural Queensland. The western hardwoods timber plan was released just before Christmas in a verycynical way—a way that precluded any real debate or consideration of its detail. I think it is fitting that onthe day parliament resumes members are made aware of the unfairness and the injustice of thatparticular proposal.

This proposal will see an end to native forest logging throughout the forest reserve areas thatexist throughout a huge part of Queensland—from Mackay in the north to the border and from Montoand Eidsvold in the east out as far as Charleville. Huge areas of forest reserve in that part ofQueensland were set aside by our predecessors as areas to be used for the sustainable production oftimber in perpetuity. The areas of land set aside were recognised as being a sustainable source of avery valuable natural resource. They have been used and managed for that purpose for the last 70, 80,90 or 100 years in some cases.

Those areas have been used and managed by the department of forestry, the department ofprimary industries and their various predecessors in governments over that time. They have supporteda very viable and sustainable industry. That industry is centred in towns such as Theodore, Wandoan,


Monto, Eidsvold, Jandowae and Yelarbon. There are timber mills that provide not just a natural resourceto a very ready market in this country but also a very strong economic base for those communities.Those mills provide something like 500 direct jobs to those small communities. With the flow-on effectthat everybody understands, that represents the equivalent of something like 2,000 jobs. Those peopleare going to lose their jobs because of the western hardwoods proposal. Mills are going to be asked tosustain an immediate cutback in their Crown allocation of 25 per cent and in seven years a cutback intheir Crown allocation to zero. There is no way those mills can remain viable. When the mills close thecommunities cannot remain viable.

This proposal has been driven by an extreme philosophy within the Premier's department that isin stark contrast to some of the expertise that is evident in the department of primary industries. Thisreport, put together by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, sets out thecontribution the Queensland forest industry makes not just to that part of Queensland but also to thewhole Queensland economy. Some thousands of copies of this report were printed, but they had to bepulped. They were withdrawn from circulation because the report of the department of primaryindustries clearly contradicts the extreme agenda, the nonsense and the rhetoric that has flowed in anattempt to support the proposal that has come from the Premier's office. I will share one quote with theHouse in the limited time available to me. The report states—The forest industry, especially the sawmilling segment, is the main employer in many small regional Queensland communities.The strong linkages between the forest industry and the broader community mean that the fortunes of the forest industry and hostcommunities are directly related.

They certainly are. The forestry industry has made a valuable contribution to the Queenslandeconomy over the 100 years that these areas have been managed for the sustainable production oftimber, and they continue to make that contribution. In that 100 years no forests have been destroyed.The forests have been managed to such an extent that they are still, after 100 years, worth preserving.They can be managed in a sustainable way to continue to provide that valuable economic resource toQueensland and a valuable part of the economic base of those communities throughout central andwestern Queensland.

The government's proposal for the western hardwood timber zone is an absolute farce. It is notbased on any scientific or logical proposal. It is not going to provide the best environmental outcomes. Infact, the environmental outcomes in the long term will be worse in those areas—

Time expired.

Investment in Townsville-ThuringowaMs NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (11.54 am): On 1 January the Townsville Bulletin ran

a front-page story headlined ‘Giant strides by twin cities'. The story went on to say that more than$4 billion worth of major projects are planned or under way for Townsville and Thuringowa in 2005.

Let me turn the clock back to January 1998, when raging floods in the aftermath of Cyclone Siddevastated Townsville's Strand along 2.3 kilometres of beachfront from Kissing Point to Tobruk Pool.Actually, Sid finished off the work of Cyclone Justin in March 1997 which caused severe damage to theStrand's rock wall. In March 1998 the Townsville City Council adopted in principle a $24.44 million planto reconstruct the Strand in such a way as to not only beautify the beachfront strip but also protect itagainst major storm events. There was a catch, though. For the council's visionary project to become areality, it needed substantial state government financial support. The Borbidge government offered apiddling $5 million, which was well short of the amount needed for the redevelopment to go ahead, butthe Beattie Labor opposition pledged $15 million if it won the June 1998 election. The rest, as they say,is history.

The ultimate cost of the redevelopment was $28.9 million—$15 million from the state, $5 millionfrom ratepayers, $4 million from the Townsville Thuringowa Water Supply Board and the remainder fromdisaster relief. It is worth noting that, apart from a disaster relief component, the Howard governmentgave nothing. In fact, I recall the federal member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, knocking the project.

As we know, the Strand opened to rapturous acclaim on 23 and 24 October 1999. The accoladeshave not stopped coming, nor has investment in the city. It is worth noting at this point that it is alarming,to say the least, that John Howard's race to control the states is stepping up a beat with quietacceptance from Peter Lindsay. Just when is a promise not a promise and when is a lie not a lie? Thepreviously pre-election promise of road funding is now mysteriously tied to industrial reform in thebuilding industry. There was not a mention of that before the election. Now it is a case of, ‘Well, tough!No reform, no money!'

For us in the north, road funding is critical. We are dependent on roads to our busy ports, totransport minerals and to cater for the tourists who flock to north Queensland all year round butparticularly during seven months of the year. Certainly there would have been private enterpriseinvestment in Townsville without the Strand, but it was the redeveloped Strand that made the rest ofQueensland, and Australia for that matter, sit up and take notice.


That $15 million from the Beattie government, which enabled the Strand redevelopment toproceed in the late 1990s, has paid handsome dividends many, many times over. It was the Strand thatfuelled the construction boom in Townsville, and it is still a driving force behind private investment in thecity, especially in the form of apartment construction on or near the Strand and in other parts of the city.Several big-ticket items referred to in that 1 January Townsville Bulletin article such as the nearlycompleted Douglas Arterial Road, the Ross River Dam upgrade, Townsville City Council infrastructureprojects and Thuringowa City Council's Riverway also have multimillion dollar input from the Beattiegovernment.

A classic case of flow-on effect from state government investment in Townsville and Thuringowais Dairy Farmers Stadium. The Goss and Beattie governments spent $10.5 million to bring the venue tostandard for National Rugby League competition. Independent research found that the NorthQueensland Cowboys have generated upwards of $500 million in the region. Go the Cowboys! Only lastmonth the Minister for Sport, Terry Mackenroth, announced a $4 million stadium upgrade, which willinclude new lighting to enable Channel 9 to televise Cowboys matches played at the stadium. This inturn will give Townsville great coverage and bring more visitors to the city. It is long overdue. Theevidence is there for everyone to see.

Mr Finn interjected.Ms NELSON-CARR: These are the only reasons you need to come to Townsville—the great twin

cities.Mr Lucas: It is the Broncos versus the Cowboys in a couple of weeks time.Ms NELSON-CARR: We know who is going to win that! There has been a megabucks

multiplying effect from money spent by the Beattie government in the Townsville region. The Townsvilleand Thuringowa communities are the direct beneficiaries. Once again, go the mighty Cowboys.

Walter Construction GroupMr HOPPER (Darling Downs—NPA) (11.59 am): The Walter Construction Group—one of the

country's largest construction firms—was put in the hands of the administrators after its German parentcompany, Walter Bau, filed for insolvency on 31 January 2005. The result of the administration meansthat hundreds of Queenslanders are now battling to secure their entitlements. While some constructionworkers have been employed by other construction firms, the fate of many Walter construction companyworkers is still unknown.

These subbies take on these big jobs thinking they are going to get paid and hoping that they willwith the security that is before them. Unfortunately, that security has failed. So, too, has the fate ofapproximately 20 projects. These projects include a $20 million TAFE redevelopment at Toowoomba, aschool at Narangba north of Brisbane, several mines and two Main Roads contracts on the D'AguilarHighway and the Mount Lindesay Highway. This government has given assurances that the BurnettRiver Dam project was not in jeopardy, and this parliament will have to wait and see if those assurancesare worth the paper they are written on. However, once again, we see the plight of subcontractors andsuppliers who will be forced to walk away from the collapse empty-handed as the group will not be ableto raise the millions needed to pay its bills.

In early February, KordaMentha administrator Martin Madden said that the prospect of paymentto nonemployees was ‘remote' unless he was successful in recovering $38 million from the Germanparent company, Walter Bau. Last week Geoffrey McDonald from accounting firm Hall Chadwick warnedin a Courier-Mail article that the woes of Australia's building sector are far from over, with morespectacular collapses to come. Mr McDonald warned that the failures could trigger a chain reaction ofwider problems for the industry. Further, Mr McDonald said that such collapses could send contractorsbroke, but he believed they should not have to face criminal consequences with the liquidation of theircompany. Mr McDonald raised a vital point and one to which the government—in particular, the Ministerfor Public Works, Housing and Racing—should publicly respond because subcontractors should not bepunished for the actions of failed directors who trade an insolvent company.

Also, the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing should engage himself in undertaking aserious review of the prequalification contract system. Time and time again we see subbies andsuppliers going to the wall due to this government's inaction to address the inadequacies of theprequalification contract system. In March last year we saw Iezzi Constructions being granted thegovernment's highest PQC status of level 1 only to collapse some three months later owing millions ofdollars to subbies and suppliers. At that time and again now the government should have heard or seenthe warning signals that the government's assessment process was delinquent, as it has allowed somelarge companies access to large government projects and some of those companies have gone underin a spectacular fashion. Alarmingly, are the financial statements being provided by some companiesnot a true account of the solvency of the company? As we have heard nothing to the contrary from theresponsible minister, those alarming perceptions remain in play.


Today I call on the minister to give this parliament and all those subcontractors and suppliers acommitment to undertake an urgent review of the PQC system. I will provide the minister with the termsof reference if he requires, but today let me put the areas of the PQC system where there areinadequacies and failures which must be addressed by a review. Simultaneously, I would request theminister to undertake a revision of the QBSA financial criteria to take into account the impact of relatedcompany activities. First of all, look at the net tangible assets. How much stock is placed on loans to andfrom related companies? As mentioned previously, there appears to be much faith placed on largecompanies and I suggest this government should be assessing the capabilities of those largecompanies' management teams. Those large companies should also be made to disclose losses madeon interstate projects to the department as well as the QBSA.

Walter Construction Group is an unfortunate example where millions of dollars were lost on aCairns retail development as well as millions of dollars on an apartment complex in Blackwattle Bay,Glebe in New South Wales. Similarly, Walters reported a $42 million loss in 2002 and a $24.3 millionloss in 2003, and the parent company, after injecting $38 million last year, was financially strapped itself.How many more of these deals are we going to see?

Recreation and Tourism Zone, Bribie Island-ScarboroughMrs CARRYN SULLIVAN (12.04 pm): This morning I tabled in parliament 2,774 signatures on a

petition which calls on the government to rezone the area of Deception Bay from Castlereagh Point atScarborough to the southern tip of Bribie Island and including approximately 200 metres out from thelow-water mark in the bay along the eastern shoreline of Bribie Island to Eighth Avenue as a specialmanaged area for recreation and tourism or SMART zone. The petition states—Recreational fishers are disadvantaged by the quantity of commercial harvest and are finding the large amounts of netting to be anavigational hazard.

It continues—These area are a valuable spawning and breeding ground for fish species in the Moreton Bay area which contains someinternationally recognised ecosystems. If these areas are declared a recreational fish ground, we believe the area will prove to bea more sustainable nursery for the many valuable fish species in Moreton Bay.

This petition has resulted in much debate, and there has been a variety of letters written onwhether the petition should or should not be signed. I have received a number of letters and would liketo share some of the comments from two of the differing sides of the argument—namely, therecreational fishermen and the professional fishermen. The petition calls for 14 per cent of the BribieIsland beaches to be closed to commercial interests with the remainder open seven days a week, 24hours a day. Deception Bay is around five per cent of Moreton Bay, but first a bit of history.

Pumicestone Passage was closed to professional fishermen in 1995 by the then state Laborgovernment. When the National-Liberal government came to power in 1996, compensation was thenpaid to the professional fishermen. Recreational fishermen say that certain species of fish either areharder to catch in the area or have completely disappeared. Certainly in other areas some species havebeen banned from being caught by professional fishermen—for example, the spotted mackerel—because they are endangered.

The locals tell yarns about the amount and size of fish caught 10 years ago and are concernedthat, if commercial fishing is allowed to continue at its current rate, other species will also becomeendangered. There have been some negative comments also about the length and types of netsallowed to be used by law by the professionals. Bycatch is a hot topic. Some have described 1,700-metre pocket or staked nets as floating slaughter yards that should be confined to the scrap heap, andsome believe that the trawling and dragging of 500-metre K5 nets damage the seagrass beds andsandy sea floor.

The end result for petitioners is that the trawling and netting of migration paths of breeding fishmust cease. A local seafood dealer confided in me that his seafood sold on Bribie Island is boughtmainly from north Queensland because he cannot buy it locally. He also purchases fish from NewZealand and Vietnam, so he wants to know where the local product goes. However, many people in thearea do not fish for any number of reasons and rely entirely on someone else to catch it. Theprofessional fishermen help fill this need. They point out that the resource is for everyone and thereforeeveryone is entitled to benefit from it.

A recent letter from a licensed commercial fisherman outlined the lengths to which some in theindustry are going to help greatly reduce the bycatch. He said that they adhere strictly to the fisheriesregulations which do allow tunnel net wings to dry off providing all fish have been released. The buntmust remain in a minimum of 30 centimetres of water and all the bycatch and undersized fish must bereleased alive. In the mesh net fishery, the entire net must remain in a minimum of 30 centimetres ofwater and bycatch must be removed as the net is retrieved. Over the last two years in the mesh netfishery a number of devices to minimise bycatch have been trialled. Some have reported a decrease inmortality of 90 per cent. This is a sensible and good adoption of industry policy and will certainly


pressure the less experienced and uncommitted fishermen. I am pleased to report that the trials areongoing.

Commercial fishermen believe they should not be singled out as the cause of demising fishstocks. They rightly point to algae blooms—we have had a genuine problem with lyngbya—oxygendepletion and pollution, particularly from land based sources and environmentally unfriendlydevelopments, and have started another petition seeking support for the right of everyone to accessfresh local seafood. Commercial fishermen have for years assisted governments with mitigation trials, inmonitoring algae blooms, have supplied fish for lyngbya studies and have been part of the catchmentwater quality committee.

It is important that more research is carried out to find out more information. Conclusions must bebased on scientific data, and I am sure there will be many studies done to help find ways of overcomingsome of the problems mentioned today. Certainly when the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park wasgazetted, the best scientific advice—that is, one independent scientific steering committee developed apackage of biophysical principles aimed at protecting GBRMPA's biodiversity and the other committeedeveloped a package of principles to protect social, economic and cultural values—was sought on howbest to protect the area, but all must be allowed to have a fair say. I hope there is room for negotiationand some common ground with parties of differing views so that sensible outcomes can be gained byall.

While on the subject of fishing, I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr Dan Currey, GeneralManager of Fisheries Resource Protection with the department of primary industries, whorecommended to the minister, Hon. Henry Palaszczuk, that the fishing ban, or FB, sign be relocated toits original and correct position at the south-eastern tip of Toorbul Point.

State InfrastructureMr QUINN (Robina—Lib) (12.09 pm): I rise today to highlight the complete lack of foresight and

planning skills of this government. We are seeing more and more evidence of that day in and day out.Whether it be our roads, our transport network or our exports, Queensland is suffering from a lack ofinvestment that is needed if our infrastructure is to cope with the obvious increases in demand.

Forecasts indicate that our economy will continue to grow in the foreseeable future well above thenational average. If we are to take advantage of improving overseas markets for our goods andservices—our exports—we must make sure that we have a higher level of investment in infrastructureright around Queensland, not only in the south-east corner. I will make the point that whilst thegovernment has a south-east Queensland infrastructure plan under consideration, which is due to comedown about the middle of April, around the regions in Queensland—north Queensland, Townsville,Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay—there is real angst and concern that the government will ignoretheir need for increased investment in infrastructure and plough it into the south-east corner.

Mr Lucas interjected. Mr QUINN: We all know how badly the government has managed transport and roads over the

past couple of years. Every time there is a problem the minister reverts to form. The form is, ‘It is not ourfault; it is all the federal government's fault. That is the problem.’ Members only have to look at the stateof our coal loading terminal in Queensland and the 40-odd ships that can be found at any one timeanchored off Dalrymple Bay coal loading terminal. There are nearly enough ships off Mackay to allowsomeone to walk from the beaches of Mackay to the Barrier Reef without getting their feet wet.

Mr Lucas interjected. Mr QUINN: That is the bottleneck the government has presided over. Back in 2001 the Beattie

government decided to enter into a long-term lease of the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal. Quoting thewords of Treasure Mackenroth, this was done to—free up government capital in the terminal, ensuring the government can put taxpayers' money where it belongs—in schools,hospitals and roads. It will also relieve the government of the need to meet the terminal's future capital investment requirements ofsome $600 million over the next 10 to 15 years, transferring this responsibility to the private sector.

Instead of investing in the port and the future of our coal export markets, the Beattie governmentdecided to sell it and pocket the cash. It did not have the foresight to invest some of this bounty intoother coal loading terminals along the north coast of Queensland so as to ensure that Queensland couldcope with the forecast of increased demand for coal.

Mr Lucas interjected. Mr QUINN: How you bleat when someone puts the issue to it. How you bleat! Mr Lucas interjected. Mr QUINN: It is always someone else's fault. Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Male): Order! The member for Robina will direct his comments

through the chair.


Mr QUINN: Madam Deputy Speaker, I am being provoked. However, the lack of investment in Queensland's physical infrastructure is being further

compounded by the government's inability to forge working partnerships with the private sector todeliver much-needed infrastructure. A good case in point is the Southbank TAFE college precinct. Thegovernment went to the marketplace seeking a PPP for the delivery of a Southbank education andtraining precinct. Towards the end of last year rumours abounded in the construction industry that thegovernment was going to pull out of the process. My colleague the member for Caloundra went so far asto ask a question in this place of the minister for state development about whether the governmentintended to go ahead with the PPP for this project and if he stood by his media release of 2 June inwhich he stated—They—

being the bids from the two remaining consortia—are worthy bids and they will be evaluated with the aim of finalising the contract with a preferred developer by the end of the year.

That time frame has come and gone. At that stage the minister, in reply to the question,responded that he stood by his media statement, that the decision would be made towards the end ofthe year and that he stood by his commitment. I will give the minister the benefit of the doubt andassume that he did not intentionally mislead the House. However, to date we and the constructionindustry in Queensland are still waiting to hear whether the government intends to go ahead with thisPPP. However, the signs for the bidding consortia are not good if the recent announcement regardingthe Gateway duplication is anything to go by.

Mr Lucas: There's another one—no Commonwealth funding! Mr QUINN: Back when the government first announced its intention to duplicate the Gateway

Bridge, it indicated that this project would be a PPP, yet last week the government announced that it haddecided to go it alone and fund the project via increasing tolls on not only the Gateway Bridge but alsothe Logan Motorway. Obviously the government has some sort of philosophical bent against—

Time expired.

Logan City CouncilMs STONE (Springwood—ALP) (12.14 pm): Logan City Council is degenerating into a rabble. It

is fast becoming a laughing stock. On Sunday I attended two meetings where I was asked: what can wedo about the behaviour of Logan's councillors? Last week I received a large number of phone callsasking: how can a divided council deliver services to people?

People are worried that Logan City is becoming paralysed. We only have to look at some of thespeeches made in council and at committee meetings to know that the people of Logan are correct to beworried. In discussing the regional plan, Councillor Lutton believes, with Logan City councillors, that ifsomeone does not understand something the easiest thing to do is record their name against it.Unfortunately, it does nothing to instill confidence in the business world to come to Logan.

The youngest and newest councillor, Aidan McLindon, recently went into a five-minute attack onthe council. Since his candidacy he has claimed to have evidence of corruption. He states that thecommunity would be better off if an election was held during the peak of our disorganisation anddishonesty. He is referring to Logan City Council. If he has this evidence of corruption and he believesthat dishonesty is rampant in Logan City Council, then it is time to stop playing kindy and take it to theCMC. It is not kindy, so he should stop wearing shorts and get into long pants and go into the CMC. If weare talking about credibility, then one must question the fact that Councillor McLindon criticised a payrise to councillors yet he moonlights in a band.

Let us move on to another publicity seeker, Councillor Collins. In a local newspaper article in Junelast year, Councillor Collins said that there is a threat that the regional plan could restrict the residential,commercial and industrial growth of Logan. We do not want our development compromised becauseBrisbane is given a free rein, yet in November 2004 he said that the draft plan went to great lengths topreserve green space through the region. He changed his mind.

In the Albert and Logan News on 24 November last year, in reference to the draft regional plan,Councillor Collins applauded the plan which was released last month as a guide to growth anddevelopment in the area to 2026. He changed his mind again. In the Albert and Logan News of Friday,18 February—that is only last Friday—Councillor Collins called for a revision of the submission, that isthe regional plan, as he believes that Logan City could become a ‘minnow' unless it grows faster thanthe forecast in the regional plan. He said that Logan could accommodate up to another 1,500 newresidents a year for another 20 years. One week he is saying that there is not enough infrastructure, thatLogan is the forgotten city with nothing, and this week he wants more new residents coming to Logan.He does not have a plan for the future. What he has is his own publicity plan. His only consistency is hisinconsistency. They are the Logan City Council wannabes—that is, they wannabe anything but whatthey are elected to do.


After getting another four-year term in Logan City Council in 2004, Councillor Collins andCouncillor Power decided to give a slap in the face to the people in their divisions. Shortly after thepeople had put faith in them they started saying ‘I wannabe the federal member.' Councillor Collins wentfor preselection for the seat of Bonner and was knocked out by Liberal Party members. He lost thepreselection vote. Councillor Power invested his energies into running for the federal seat of Rankin.Now he has even come out with ‘move suburbs in Logan East to Redlands', so does that mean hewould rather be a Redlands councillor?

Councillor McLindon came out with the fact that the National Party had asked him to join it with acareer in mind, and this was just after announcing he had left the Liberal Party. In Logan East we do nothave councillors—we have political weather vanes. They have all been in a political party or two orthree. Every now and then they claim to be Independents, and now it has even got down to the issues.Whichever way the wind blows will determine the decision on an issue for the day. As Councillor Luttonsays, ‘If you don't understand, record your name against it.'

The sad part is that it is the people of Logan who are suffering. With all this indecision—withpeople running around playing politics, wannabeing everything but an elected councillor—it is puttingLogan back into the dark ages, back to being a city of unplanned development. There are estates thatcannot get buses down the streets all because of poor planning approvals by council.

Councillor McLindon says the council lacks leadership. I would like to remind Logan City Councilthat a good leader has a good team behind them, and that is something I am sure all councillors tell theprimary school children at their leader ceremonies. There is talk about hidden agendas. Of course thecouncillors have hidden agendas—they have more than $100,000 a year to spend willy-nilly in theirdivisions. Where are the priorities for the divisions and Logan City taken into consideration when thecouncillors make these decisions?

There are hidden agendas; that is the true picture. Grass Roots was a great Australian TV show.Unfortunately someone forgot to tell Logan City councillors it was not a blueprint on how to behave. Thepeople of Logan have put their faith into this council and I call on them to start behaving in a manner thatis expected of them and get on with the job that they were elected to do.

Industrial Development, Western QueenslandMrs PRATT (Nanango—Ind) (12.19 pm): I bring to the notice of the House the fact that there

needs to be a right of pre-existence, whether that be in relation to housing or in relation to industry. It issomething that is being experienced in western electorates as a result of industries moving into thearea. The population creep, as members know, is also heading west. Smaller communities are growingat exceptional rates, and with that growth comes opportunities. It also brings some disadvantages andimpost to the surrounding people. Industries are moving west. The reason for that can be attributed tothe footprint that was introduced by the Deputy Premier, Mr Mackenroth, for the south-east corner. Thatis a blueprint that everybody basically agrees with, and I believe there needs to be a similar blueprint forthose areas west of the range.

Our intention is not to abolish industry. We want to welcome it with open arms. What we do ask,though, is that the industries that do come are environmentally responsible citizens who respect therights of their neighbours while carrying out their business in an environmentally and economicallysustainable manner. We welcome them, but we want them in the right place and adhering to a goodneighbour policy.

One of the situations that causes problems and brings a lot of angst to residents is the inability ofcouncils to cope, especially councils that have a lot of new members who are not familiar perhaps withall of the intricacies of the processes that they must follow. Councils are asked to make decisions oftenbased on scientific reports that they do not understand. Councils do not have the financial or scientificresources to do what is required. For residents the costs of obtaining scientific information and evidenceare prohibitive. FOI alone can cost many hundreds of dollars.

In recent years an applicant opposed to a poultry farm being established was prepared to spendmore than $200,000 to have the council’s planning decision overturned. No matter where poultryindustries operate, people complain. That must surely tell this House something about the way theindustry operates. A council can refuse an application and as a result will find itself in court. It can cost alot of money, as the Boonah shire has experienced and continues to experience. A council can approvethe application and then the residents, if it is in the wrong position, will be up in arms and will appeal.

A government member: Or approved with conditions.Mrs PRATT: Or it could be approved with conditions, as the member just said. Sometimes the

conditions are not strict enough, and there are outs in the legislation that the proposer can hang their haton. Recently, as I said, the Boonah council went to court. I understand it is still going through theprocess. In my electorate there have been three shires undergoing battles with poultry farms, one shirehas been involved in a situation relating to intensive beef farming and yet another shire has recently


been involved in a situation in relation to grapes. We do not have any problem with these industries butthey should be environmentally responsible and comply with all of the rulings.

But there is a major contentious issue, and that relates to buffer zones. Every person has a rightto the legal use of their own land. One person's land should not be part of the required buffer zone. If itis, suddenly the industry has control over the potential use of a neighbour's property, and that is not fair.This constitutes a transfer of control from the property owner to the industry at no cost at all. This istotally unacceptable to those people; it is not what they came for.

At the PIX 2002 on the Gold Coast a statement was made that zero boundary impacts mightsolve the problems being experienced in the poultry industry. In response, an industry representativesaid that if these were introduced then the growers would have to own their own buffers and ‘this is justnot on'. They hang their hats on the fact that they cannot perhaps afford appropriate land andinfrastructure. If they cannot, they have no right to be in the business.

Time expired.

Charlton-Wellcamp Industrial Estate; Toowoomba Range Crossing

Mr SHINE (Toowoomba North—ALP) (12.24 pm): Recently I was pleased to receive inToowoomba two ministers from the government with respect to important projects occurring inToowoomba. The first was the minister for state development, Mr McGrady, who visited the University ofSouthern Queensland and Wagners in relation to the subject matter of fibre composites, a subject aboutwhich I have spoken on quite a number of occasions in this House. With respect to the USQ,Mr McGrady was particularly interested in the work being done with respect to railway sleepers and atWagners the progress that it has made with respect to the building of fibre composite bridges,particularly its success in America. Other companies in Toowoomba that are at the forefront of the fibrecomposite industry are LSM, which is involved mainly in the motor vehicle cladding industry, andBuchanan Air, which constructs submarines and builds boats.

After visiting the USQ and Wagners, at my invitation the minister visited the Charlton-WellcampIndustrial Estate which I was very pleased to see. This is a state government proposed site for theprovision of industrial land for Toowoomba 10 kilometres west of Toowoomba. The state government's68.65 hectare subdivision could prove to be the catalyst for further development within the 1,600hectare Charlton-Wellcamp industrial area. Sites accommodating businesses requiring larger blocks,particularly those specialising in transport, warehousing, distribution and other associated supportindustries, are expected to be available by 2006. This subdivision is located on the northern side of theWarrego Highway at Charlton North. The state government is currently undertaking developmentplanning of the site with the intention of submitting a development application with the Jondaryan ShireCouncil later this month.

Mr McGrady told me that there had already been six inquiries from companies to the department,and this demonstrates a clear demand for industrial land in the Darling Downs region. The location ofthe Charlton-Wellcamp industrial area would prove hugely beneficial to business. The site is located inclose proximity to the proposed Toowoomba highway bypass and proposed Australian inland rail,making it attractive to businesses wanting ready access to transport infrastructure. It is a prime positionfor those companies wishing to operate as a distribution centre for south-east Queensland. It is anotherexample of the state government working to boost industry and create more jobs in the Darling Downsregion.

The second visit I want to refer to is the visit by the Minister for Transport and Main Roads toToowoomba. At my invitation he came to see progress being made with respect to the second rangecrossing project. He announced at the time of his visit the final stage of land acquisitions. He describedthe project as being a crucial road for the region in terms of both freight and passenger transport. Theminister indicated that the new construction will contain a tunnel at the top of the range which is flatterand has gentler curves than the existing range crossing.

The preliminary planning and design has been completed at a cost of $33.25 million, includingland acquisition. The corridor is 42 kilometres long and varies in width from approximately 100 metres to250 metres, depending on the terrain. It also contains the tunnels I referred to. Two lanes will be builteach way at this stage, but with respect to the tunnels there will be room for three lanes each way. Theextra width has been allowed in this regard. Notice of intention to resume land needed for the project willgo out to 52 property owners this month. I was pleased that the minister said that Main Roads inQueensland had worked well with landowners over several years to come up with a suitable route thatwould produce a safe road that minimised impacts on local landowners. The state government has beennegotiating very closely with landowners for a long time and Mr Lucas indicated that he wanted to thankthem for their patience. I also express my congratulations to the federal government for working with thestate government to make the preliminary stage of this great project a reality.

44 Appropriation Bill (No. 2); Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2) 22 Feb 2005

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 2)APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL (NO. 2)

Second Reading (Cognate Debate)Appropriation Bill (No. 2); Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2)

Resumed from 25 November 2004 (see p. 3860).Mr HOBBS (Warrego—NPA) (12.30 pm): I am pleased today to speak in the debate on the

Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2004. One purpose of this bill is to transfer to departments $2.3 billion inconsolidated funds. I want to touch on a number of issues that I believe the departments would andshould be able to cover with this money.

Firstly, I will refer to the airconditioning of schools. A lot of the schools in the south-west ofQueensland, which is the area I represent, are in exactly the same zone as schools being airconditionednow, but they are not eligible under the Cooler Schools program. I am pleased the minister is in theHouse because I have a map here which is of interest and which I will send over to her later. What theminister probably does not realise is that the heat discomfort figure for the areas I cover is the same asthat for schools right up to Townsville.

Our policy at the last election was to make sure that we could aircondition schools east of a linefrom Mitchell to Bollon. That is where it finished before. There have been no schools airconditioned eastof that line.

Ms Bligh: I think you have got the wrong line. It is not the Cooler Schools line. That is the oldevaporative cooling program.

Mr HOBBS: That is not quite right. This shows the heat discomfort days per year. We are inexactly the same zone. This is irrespective of whether we are talking about evaporative or refrigerativeairconditioning. We are in exactly the same zone as those other schools. In my area we have between25 and 50 heat discomfort days per year. Brisbane has between five and 10 heat discomfort days peryear. This year may have been a bit warmer. That is the situation we have. I would like the minister tohave a look at this issue. The system is quite unfair. Schools in my area are not eligible forairconditioning yet they are in the same zone and have the same number of days of discomfort asschools that have already been done.

I also want to look at the issue of financial counsellors. This is an essential service for ruralindustry. We are quite concerned that funding is not forthcoming for this area. The issue of financialcounsellors has always been difficult simply because not enough long-term funding has been put inplace for this essential service. The federal government provided two years funding for this service butthat will conclude at the end of December 2005. The state contribution finishes on 30 June 2005. At thisstage there has been no indication from the state government that it will continue funding for the extrasix months. We desperately need funding to cover the six months from July. We will certainly beencouraging the federal government to make an announcement about the future of that essentialcounselling service.

The service covers a wide area. I have four groups in my electorate of Warrego. They play a vitalrole in ensuring that people are able to get the best financial advice when they need it. They are thenable to weather the drought and the commodity price storm that is often out there. I call on thegovernment to immediately look at funding this important program.

Another issue of real concern is the one rule for all for car windows. People will be fined if their carwindows are not wound up and the car is not locked. We understand the sentiment behind it. We knowin the cities that there are serious problems with cars being stolen so they must be locked. We agreewith that. However, in some far western areas people cannot keep their car windows up all the time. Itmay be 50 degrees in the sun at times and many people leave their windows down probably half an inchto let a bit of air through. What happens if a person wants to pull into the post office and post a letter?They would have to stop, wind their windows up and lock their car. All they may be doing is running in topost the mail and then going.

This issue has not been thought through carefully. It is totally impractical. In most instances weencourage people to lock their cars. If people are going to come back to their cars later in the afternoonwhen it is cooler then they should lock their car. The reality is that it is not practical in this day and age,particularly given the design of motor cars. There is a lot of glass in them and most have airconditioning.When people hop into their cars they are often red hot. I think this is one case that has slipped through.I would encourage the state government to consider amending that regulation and advising the police touse commonsense when applying these laws.

The issues surrounding western hardwood are another nail in the coffin for rural Queensland. Itwas predictable what was going to happen. Unfortunately, there was no consultation in the industryapart from with conservationists and Queensland Timber. There was no consultation with the grazing

22 Feb 2005 Appropriation Bill (No. 2); Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2) 45

industry, the beekeepers or the landowners in those areas. It was inevitable that the government wasgoing to lock up a lot of the country.

There will be nearly a million hectares locked up in the western hardwood region. It was a bit of alottery as to what areas were to be locked up. It was really up to conservationists. Science is not beingused. I have no doubt that they have picked a few areas of significance. That is fair. We accept thatareas need to be protected. To reduce the amount of timber available to those millers across-the-board—there will be at least a 30 per cent reduction in timber available to millers—is not fair. The grazingindustry will be locked out. It is worth about $30 million a year to the grazing industry. The beekeeperswill be put out again. It makes it harder for those industries, especially when there is no consultation andthere is no intention to have consultation. It is disappointing that that happens.

I predict that the same thing will happen when the government does the cypress review. It maynot be as severe because cypress is a woody weed in many respects and it is growing like wildfire.There is more timber there. I predict that some areas will be locked up and some mills will suffer.

The Charleville cabinet meeting was quite successful in a lot of ways. I think the governmentwould be happy with the number of people who turned up—not necessarily the ones who turned up forthe protest, though. I think it sent a strong message to the government that people are unhappy,particularly with the vegetation management issues that the government has decreed in recent times.Those issues have been well canvassed in this parliament.

It will not work the way it does now. There will always be problems. There need to be dramaticchanges in the government's attitude to vegetation management issues. We are not talking about treeclearing; we are talking about managing our land sustainably. We are talking about using the mulgalands for fodder purposes. Unfortunately, there seems to be no give in the department's or thegovernment's attitude. Commonsense needs to be used when these matters are fully debated. Thepublic servants must be off their heads trying to manage their commonsense approach to what shouldbe done with the government's decree that they should keep locking up this country and fining people.That is quite serious.

The deputations that the government would have received would have been quite good. It doesnot matter which party is in government; that is a normal part of the cabinet process. I hope that thepeople who saw various ministers, departmental heads and departmental officers were able to get somesatisfaction from their meetings.

The blueprint for the bush that was put up by Agforce is obviously a welcome move by them. Letus hope that the government is quite serious about doing something. Many of the issues that wereraised related to vegetation management, which we have debated previously in this House. I hope thatwe do not see a repeat of what happened with those vegetation management groups. Those groupswere formed twice and undertook hundreds and hundreds of hours of deliberation, only to be sacked.The government then made up its own mind on vegetation management. So let us hope that when weget to the blueprint, it is a workable outcome that is satisfactory to everybody and does not just give thegovernment 12 more months to hold off doing the things that it should be doing.

Road funding is important. There are lots of roads that need assistance. One of them is theRoma-Taroom road. There is a lot of gas development—a huge amount of development—going on inthat region, which is wonderful to see. Unfortunately, the road has not been declared a state strategicroad and there is no upgrade planned for it. The Bungil Shire Council has been very keen to put somefunding into that road. It is trying its absolute best to negotiate with the government to try to providesome more funding. I notice that some extra funding was provided recently, which was reasonablysubstantial. I thank the government for that. The Roma district is doing the best it possibly can to findmoney for the road. It has recognised that there is a problem. Currently, there is a road maintenanceplanning contract under way in that area, but we need more. We need a substantial injection of roadfunding into that area to take into account the amount of traffic that is now on that road.

A year or so ago the Dirranbandi community had their swimming pool decommissioned. So thatcommunity decided to try to raise some funds, which it did. Education Queensland put up some funding,because the original pool came within its area of responsibility. The community raised a considerableamount of money. The local council also put in funding. The community had just about got the fundingthat they needed for the new pool, but the cost has now blown out to about $750,000. That has reallyput that community behind. The people of that area are now desperate. They lived through a very, veryhot year with no swimming pool for the kids. The community raised a lot of money and airconditionedthe school. Those people just could not wait for the government's Cooler Schools program toaircondition their school. I think they should be given some credit for that. I would really like to see a bitof extra assistance, particularly from Education Queensland, to help the community to get this pool built.The previous pool was in the school grounds. In that sense, the school will have to provide only very,very minimal ongoing assistance to this valuable asset to the community.

The Queensland Regional Business Advisory Service has been cut back. Fifteen advisers havegone. It now looks like we are going to have the one for local government replaced and the ministerhas—under a lot of pressure—announced seven more positions. So we have a net loss of seven


advisers overall. That is not really satisfactory. Those advisers provide a valuable service. They do agreat job, particularly in areas where there is no private sector assistance in relation to planning. Wedesperately need that funding to be restored to that area.

The other day I noticed that a museum development officer had been able to assist localgovernments, free of charge, in relation to a lot of museum type activities. They had been funded by ArtsQueensland. From 1 January they are charging about $300 a day. Unfortunately, that service willprobably not be used as much. Certainly, the councils will not get as much done as they did in the past.That advisory service was a valuable service and I do not think that it will be used as much as we wouldlike to see it used because of these new charges.

Electricity is very important to us all. I must say that the Ergon staff are fantastic. Everywhere I go,I see them doing their absolute best. But we simply have an ageing network that is just falling downaround our ears. It is very difficult for those workers to be able to do their maintenance work, becausethere is so much backlog. I give members the example of Eulo, which is a little town located west ofCunnamulla. The other day a transformer at Eulo blew up. No-one was at fault. Twenty-five customersno longer have an electricity supply. Not only that, the failure of that transformer blew up thosecustomers' computers, stoves—everything. The EFTPOS machines at the hotel have all had it.Obviously, there is a compensation issue. At this stage Ergon has been quite fair. It is prepared to sendsomebody out to Eulo to have a look at the damage. I will see what the outcome of that will be. I am surethat Ergon will do the right thing.

Forestry roads is another important issue. This area does not receive a lot of publicity. TheMitchell-Wharoonga-Injune road is one example. A couple of road trains travel along that road duringthe wet season, but there is probably more damage done to that road during the dry season. TheBooringa Shire Council, which is the council responsible for the road, does its best, but it needs morefunding. Forestry does not provide enough funding to the forestry road networks. I am sure that thesame thing occurs across the state. Forestry trucks use these roads. The councils are doing theirabsolutely best to maintain them, but the reality is that in very, very dry years, the roads becomecorrugated. When it rains, the roads develop channels and with road trains going over them, that doesnot make conditions any better. So we desperately need funding for that road network. It would be goodif the department could do some work on those roads.

The issue of the Noondoo grain depot in the Dirrandandi region is very serious. Huge areas arenow growing grain. The Noondoo depot has discontinued grain being carted by rail. The depot will stillaccept grain, but then it is carted by road for about 44 kilometres to Thallon. The freight differential isthat it costs an extra $5.80 per tonne to cart grain to Thallon. So obviously there is no incentive forpeople to even use the Noondoo depot because of that extra charge. However, people can still use thedepot. If that rail line is upgraded to handle the freight, those trains should still be able to load grain atthe Noondoo depot. If those freight trains have to top up at Thallon, they can do that. It is only a 44-kilometre trip. I am sure that freight trains will then be able to go straight through to the ports. Even if therail line is not as good as what it probably should be, I cannot see why the freight trains cannot take theloads that they are able to at the Noondoo depot and then top up their loads at Thallon and continue on.

Since 2001 dry land cultivation has increased by 65 per cent. By 2009 it will increase by another65 per cent. So we are looking at nearly 180,000 acres in that particular region of dry land cultivation by2009. There is 64,000 acres of developed irrigation and 25 per cent of that could very, very easily beused for wheat growing in the future. That area is valuable. We need to have facilities for that area. I donot think that we should be closing down anything at this stage. We should do some maintenance on theline or negotiate a deal to upgrade the line, but make sure that the producers are not disadvantaged inany way. That should be considered. We need to keep that depot open.

I know that Queensland Rail are talking to Queensland Transport about bitumening the road thatthe trucks will use to cart the grain. That is fine, but they need to put up all the funding for that. This isnot the responsibility of the Balonne Shire Council. The department then has to make sure that theresponsibility of the maintenance of that road does not fall back onto the Balonne Shire Council as well.Otherwise, that council will end up having to pick up the bill and there will be more cost shifting. We haveto keep that matter under consideration, too.

Tree clearing compensation is an issue that is very important out there. I understand that only oneapplication has been approved. The Beattie government was running around talking about all thismoney that would be available for compensation, but only one application, out of around 300, has beenapproved. It is disappointing that more people have not been able to get approval. There seem to bedelays within the department. The whole DNR situation is a debacle. It seems to be more interested intree police running around rather than in trying to process applications.

Dr FLEGG (Moggill—Lib) (12.50 pm): I rise to speak to Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2004. This bill isabout the machinery of government and the funding of ongoing activities. I intend to make someremarks about outputs and expenditures in a number of government departments.

I refer to the appropriation to the department of main roads. I note last year's release of the RIPand the minister's comments in relation to that document and some of its specific provisions. On 20 July


in this House the minister claimed that residents who use Moggill Road would be pleased with thefunding in the RIP. He indicated that there was funding to complete the double-lane major upgrade ofMoggill Road from Kilkivan Avenue to Pullenvale Road by 2007. He even specified the amount—$16.2 million.

Even though 2006-07 seems a long way away, this should be exciting news for residents whohave to battle with one of the worst roads in Brisbane yet have seen virtually no interest shown by thepresent government in correcting the problems. Imagine my disappointment and that of my constituentswhen the RIP was recently released and it showed only minimal allocations in the columns for approvedexpenditure over the current and subsequent financial year—allocations that would not do much, if any,on-the-ground work on improving Moggill Road. After we had been told that there would be funding tocomplete this project, it is bitterly disappointing. Is it any wonder that people are angry and frustrated?

The minister claimed in my local media that this project would be completed by 2006-07, yet onlyminimal amounts were allocated in the RIP. In the RIP, a column called ‘Indicative' covers the three-yearperiod out to 2008-09. The indicative column should be called the ‘Dream' column, because it is simplya dream to fool people who do not know any better into thinking that something might happen. Figuresshown in the indicative column represent committed funding. Believing that a project in the indicativecolumn of an RIP will necessarily come to fruition would be as naive as buying the Sydney HarbourBridge from a man in a dark trench coat on a street corner at night.

The people of the Moggill electorate are well aware that the funding for this particular project hasbeen in the indicative column of every RIP since 1997. There has in fact been no road improvement toMoggill Road throughout that period—a period of time that almost coincides with the term of the presentgovernment. Further, there was an announcement in the local paper that the department of transportwould send a film crew out and close lanes of Moggill Road in the centre of Bellbowrie to film acommercial for itself. After years of trying to get the transport department to take some interest in theproblems people are having—even safety issues such as the speed limit through Bellbowrie—all we getis money spent on a promotional advertisement and even the hide to close lanes of this problem road. Irecently fronted a number of public meetings locally. The mood could only be described as angry.Should the minister wish to meet residents himself, I can assure him of a full house.

The widening of Moggill Road will not even deal with the major problem we have, which is abottleneck at Kenmore. At this stage there are no plans to do anything at all to help the tens ofthousands of cars that have to go through that disgraceful piece of road every morning and whichdisrupt the lifestyle of people who live in the area. They have to go to work at half past 6 in the morningif they want to have any sort of reasonable transit through there. The Draft South East QueenslandRegional Plan provides for substantial continued growth in the Moggill-Bellbowrie area. Clearly, withlocal infrastructure nonexistent or totally unable to cope, a complete moratorium on development isjustified until the issue is addressed.

It would be pretty hard for the minister to credibly take any offence at these remarks, given howdemonstrably true they are and how intensely frustrated and angry the residents who have to use thisroad have become with the constant deception. In fact, the minister has a bit of a history on the RIP. Lastyear in this place he made the statement that the newly released RIP, for 2004-05 to 2008-09—a five-year period—would deliver a ‘massive' 36 per cent increase in funding over the previous five-year RIP.Of course, we know that the RIP is released on an annual basis, not a five-yearly basis. We also realisethat the majority of the expenditure over this five-year period is expenditure in outyears in the indicativecategory. In many cases, such as Moggill Road and Caloundra Road, that expenditure may never cometo fruition.

Furthermore, in the minister's efforts to make the road spending sound more impressive, as wellas using a five-year comparison, which naturally produce bigger figures than if one uses the moreaccurate one- or two-year comparison, which would be actual budgeted funds, he failed to observe thathalf of the increase he projects over that five-year period is in fact federal moneys.

I had a look into the RIP to see what we are going to get for this magnificent increase inexpenditure, but I was a little disappointed when I found that the actual increase in state governmentroads capital works spending from this year to the next is less than $50 million. That is not the sort ofsum that will fix the drastic road problems confronting south-east Queensland and not the sort ofincrease in expenditure that the minister's fudged statistics would suggest. Even a simple calculationreveals that the increase is not even in line with the increase in government receipts. In any case, itcomes off a series of very poor spending years in relation to the long-suffering congested roads ofsouth-east Queensland.

It is important that people are not taken in by the impressive sounding statistics—figuresproduced by taking estimates over long periods, well in excess of the 48 months actual funds arebudgeted for. Queensland Transport infrastructure is badly run down and needs expenditure of billionsof dollars just to address present needs.

Let us examine the recently announced Gateway duplication to see how this governmentproposes to tackle the road infrastructure catch-up. Firstly, it has rejected readily available funding thatcould have enabled the project to proceed rapidly, namely a PPP. The Gateway road is at capacity now


and needs a solution now. Secondly, it has strung the project out to 2011. Thirdly, it has increased tollsnow, long before roadworks begin and years before motorists receive any desperately needed relief.Fourthly, it has applied these increased tolls to existing infrastructure. Where is the fairness in makingmotorists pay again for existing infrastructure—infrastructure they have already paid for? Fifthly, it hasused costs projected out to 2011. Costings over that length of time would be estimates at best. Is thispattern of funding for the Gateway duplication the pattern the government intends to use for the otherroad projects this state so badly needs?

Sitting suspended from 12.59 pm to 2.30 pm. Dr FLEGG: Before the luncheon adjournment, I was speaking about the model of funding for

roadworks as illustrated by the Gateway duplication. The model is to basically build it as late aspossible; increase taxes now even though the projects are years away; tax or toll existing infrastructureto pay for new infrastructure, in effect making users pay twice for their existing infrastructure; and rejectthe readily available capital of the PPP that would enable the project to proceed immediately. That isenough for debunking the glossed-up figures from the main roads minister.

I want to say a few words about the use of these appropriations in the area of health. I note$340,000 out of the Health budget to sponsor the Broncos team under a spurious guise of some sort ofpreventive health program. The Broncos have already been sponsored by Ergon—in effect, publicfunds. This diversion of funds from the hard-pressed Health budget is absolutely scandalous and clearlyhas a lot more to do with corporate entertaining and getting seats at Broncos matches than whateverbenefit it could possibly give for health promotion.

I have been raising for some time the issue of patients dying waiting to receive treatment forurgent heart conditions—treatment that is rationed principally because of budgetary considerations.This is a continuing problem. This is a very serious health situation—in fact, a matter of life and death forthose patients who are unfortunately caught up in these unacceptably long waiting lists. So memberscan imagine my astonishment when the minister himself, having requested details of a number of thesepatients and after he has had three months to have a look at the cases of patients who died waiting fortreatment, is unwilling to make any explanation. I quite reasonably asked him why the parliament andthe Queensland public have not received any response. His answer was that he insists that he is underno obligation to answer this matter. It is amazing to hear the minister claim that he is under no obligationto answer to the parliament and ultimately to the people of Queensland. His budgetary inefficiencieshave led to this serious situation.

The initial response to the raising of these issues was a slashing of the number of cardiacprocedures that were budgeted at the Prince Charles Hospital from 82 catheter lab procedures perweek to a mere 57. While the budgetary issues in health extend far beyond cardiac issues, we have asituation where of 36 intensive care beds at the Royal Brisbane only 15 are budgeted to operate. That isright: only 15 intensive care beds for the largest tertiary hospital in the state, with 20 operating theatresused on a daily basis and an average of at least one seriously needy intensive care patient being turnedaway every day because of budgetary constraints. The official version of the purpose of the balance ofthe unfunded intensive care beds is for future expansion. When patients are being turned away on adaily basis, one would have thought the time for future expansion had in fact arrived. Perhaps theminister has more foresight than we give him credit for. After all, at the rate he is burning off anaestheticstaff and closing operating lists, perhaps he is expecting a decline in intensive care patients.

No consideration of appropriations in health would be complete without examining promisesmade during last year's election. Harry Houdini could not have pulled off some of the illusions thatmasquerade as health promises. More cardiac services at the PA means shifting services from PrinceCharles Hospital. More orthopaedic operations at Nambour and Noosa hospitals means picking upthose from the collapsed service at Caloundra hospital. As for new renal services at Redlands,Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton and Thursday Island, what renal services? A new vascular service atNambour hospital means no new service at Nambour or anywhere else. In fact, there is no vascularservice between the Royal Brisbane Hospital and Singapore. An ear, nose and threat specialist forCairns: that is an apparition. In relation to introducing an independent audit of Queensland's publicwaiting lists, that is an easy one; that means no independent audit. Ten extra bone marrow transplantsmeans 10 fewer bone marrow transplants. More emergency department doctors and nurses means wehave no idea when or where we will dig up more professional staff; we are much better at losing them.Here is my favourite: 1,500 new nurse graduates means a normal nursing intake that fails to even meetthe rate of resignations and delivers—wait for it—no additional nurses. New nurses are something like anew car: it is the first time you have had that new car, but it certainly is not an additional car in thegarage.

At the Royal Brisbane Hospital there are two fully equipped catheter labs with $1.5 million worthof cardiac equipment in each, but only one has ever been used and the equipment in the other is rapidlybecoming obsolete before it is even used. The cardiac unit at the Royal Brisbane Hospital has nofunding for implantable defibrillators, yet it has an unused catheter lab fully equipped and a proceduralcardiologist with the expertise to do the procedure.


In another area relating to the appropriation bill, one of the major items across a range ofdepartments covered by this bill is the employment of public servants. It would seem obvious when oneis considering the most efficient use of these appropriated funds that we would attempt to have the besthuman resources practices available within the Queensland Public Service. Yet this is not the case.What do we see? We see the misuse of section 85 of the Public Service Act to enable departmentalofficers to compulsorily force public servants to undergo psychiatric testing, compelled to have adegrading and highly personal six-page psychiatric questionnaire and allowing reports of the mostintimate aspects of people's mental health to be reported back to other members of the Public Service.

I placed a question on notice to the Premier in relation to the use of section 85, and the Premierreplied not in the normal 30 days but by a ministerial statement the very next day. Whilst his statementappeared to be an attempt to defend the claims that so many within the Public Service have made inrelation to the abuse of section 85, it actually confirmed what we understand has been happening withthe misuse of this section. The Premier confirmed that 243 employees have been referred for medicalassessments under section 85—a full half of these for supposed mental health issues. The Premiernaturally does not go on to say that almost none of the 120 or so public servants put through thisdegrading, intimidating and bullying process suffer any mental illness. Nor does he explain why use ofthis section has skyrocketed by hundreds of per cent each year over the last few years. Thisgovernment has presided over a massive expansion of the Public Service. This threat is not a workplacepractice that encourages the best out of people. If the power to refer employees for psychiatricassessment were given to private employers, the union colleagues of members opposite would bescreaming.

Why then use second-rate HR practises that intimidate people, discourage public servants fromspeaking up in the workplace and sap morale just because it is the Public Service? Public servantsdeserve best practice in HR, and only by using best practice focused on performance, workplacecontribution by each individual and advancement on merit can we expect to have an efficient, highmorale Public Service. There is no place at all for the workplace bullying practices of this government. Itis tempting to draw a comparison between referring 120 public servants for psychiatric assessment andCornelia Rau being referred for a psychiatric assessment at the PA Hospital—and it was unable to evenidentify that she had a psychiatric illness—yet we are going to make decisions that affect people'scareers and jobs.

In conclusion, Queenslanders are paying more than ever before in taxes to fund this state. Theyare entitled to have those resources applied to actual service delivery and used in a lean and efficientmanner. They are entitled to take government announcements at face value, not need a thesaurus ofgovernment speak. What does an election promise of a police beat in Bellbowrie mean? I do not know,but it certainly does not mean that Bellbowrie residents will see a police beat. What does a governmentcommitment to mental health services mean? It certainly should not mean that support for communitymental health services is slashed and hospital beds are closed, leaving people to face prison who reallyjust needed medical care. Record tax receipts place a serious obligation on this government—anobligation to make sure that money finds its way to providing services in roads, in health, in education etcetera. This bill contains about 10 per cent of the annual budget. We as Queenslanders have seenprecious little in extra services from these funds, particularly in the areas of health, roads and education.

Mr ROWELL (Hinchinbrook—NPA) (2.41 pm): I rise to speak in this debate on the AppropriationBill (No. 2) 2004 on an extremely important issue throughout Queensland and the Hinchinbrookelectorate. I want to deal with a number of issues within my electorate, because it is extremely importantthat we continue to get the acknowledgment of the government for services that are required throughoutthe north. I will start with the Ingham Hospital, an issue that has been ongoing for some time. Recently apetition was circulated and signed by some 3,963 petitioners raising concerns about the staffing at thehospital. That was triggered by the resignation of a doctor who had anaesthetist skills and also obstetricskills. With his leaving, women in the area had to make a decision as to where their children were to beborn because the Ingham Hospital was no longer an option. That is extremely disappointing, because inmany cases those women were born at that hospital. Having that hospital as an option meant that theycould be close to their husbands and their mothers and fathers. Those people would have expectedthat, in the future, their children’s children would also be born at that hospital.

I have a report that locums have been placed at the hospital, but none have the skills we wanted.I am also pleased to hear that there is a strong likelihood that the building of the hospital will be broughtforward to the end of 2006 rather than 2007. That augurs well for assisting people within the region inthat there is a place for medical practitioners to carry out even more advanced procedures than they doat the present time. Also, a number of people are coming from Townsville and further north who areelecting to have elective surgery done in the hospital. We are going in the right direction, but it isdisappointing. I note the concern of many people throughout the state with regard to retaining doctorswith skills, particularly in regional and country areas of the state.

Police stations are another typical example of this same situation, and the old police station hasbeen pulled down and is now in the process of being rebuilt. Expenditure of $3.6 million has beenprovided in the budget for this project for completion in late 2005. It would appear that that is well on


track, because, as I said, the old station has been pulled down. I would expect that, within the nextmonth, if not sooner, the actual construction of the new station will occur. For those who are involved inthe force who have had to put up with some pretty ordinary circumstances in the old police building, thatis a major improvement. Plans for a transportable unit are on track at Halifax, and digging has started forthe septic tanks and the trenches that are required. I can only hope that in the very near future thatstation will be put in place. It services an area which goes down to Lucinda and across to the mainhighway, so it is essential that we maintain that service.

I now turn to tourism, because tourism throughout north Queensland is a very significant issue.The placement of information centres and how we provide for tourism will be extremely important,particularly in view of the interest being demonstrated by Australians and others coming to Australia whosee it as a safe place compared to many other countries in the world to spend some recreational timehere, particularly during the winter months. During those periods of the year, the north Queenslandclimate is extremely conducive to people coming to the region. Whether they are in caravans, staying inmotels or in groups, it certainly is becoming the flavour of the month.

Interruption.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORMr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! I welcome to the chamber His Excellency Mr John

Lepi Lanyasunya, High Commissioner for the Republic of Kenya.Honourable members: Hear, hear!

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 2)APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL (NO. 2)

Second Reading (Cognate Debate)Appropriation Bill (No. 2); Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2)

Resumed.Mr ROWELL (Hinchinbrook—NPA) (2.47 pm): As I said, tourism is extremely important to north

Queensland and has the capacity to deliver diversification from traditional industries. Of course, we arelooking to advance that in every way possible, because the dollars that are left after people travel to thenorth are quite considerable. It is very significant that we are seeing a wave of people coming to thenorth and purchasing homes. Some of them are old; people are rebuilding them. These people see ourregion as a very important area where they either want to invest, tour or whatever it might be.

At present the area is seeing the completion of the Great Walks section from Wallaman Falls tothe Blancoe Falls, a stretch of some 110 kilometres. There is capacity to do even more with it, becausethere is an expectation that many people would walk some 20-odd kilometres in a day. Some people willdo that without any problem at all. Others will find it very difficult. Therefore, we need to cater for a widerrange of people than those who simply want a good day's walk—a walk that many people would not beable to contend with. There is a capacity to provide creature comforts and guides. There is somecapacity to pay for those walks with guides, and that would contribute and assist greatly in themaintenance of these national parks and walking tracks. That is a concept that is not widely accepted,as I understand it, by the national parks people. It is more like people do their own thing when they getthere. There are some creature comforts in the way of toilets in some instances, but more could be doneto encourage a wider group of people to use these walking tracks.

I would like to speak briefly about the Ingham State High School. Prior to the last election anamount of $654,000 was put aside for industrial technology at that school. This is an area in which thereis an enormous capacity for us to do more, because while it might be great for our students and childrento go along to universities, we also have to encourage people to take up trades. It is quite evidentnowadays that there is a shortage of tradespersons; they are in great demand. Very often they can findjobs a darned sight easier than those who are coming out of university. In some cases they are probablyreceiving greater recompense than those who spend four or five years of their life at university. I am notsaying that we should deny young people who have the capacity the chance to go to university; what Iam simply saying is that the world is changing to a certain degree. It is certainly changing as regards thecapacity of people to absorb technology and doing the actual physical work in industries such asconstruction and mining. I believe that enhancing the prospect of better outcomes during the time thatyoung people are at high school would be a major plus for our regions.

The science block at the high school has had some work done on it. There were problems withthe fume cupboard, asbestos tiles, chipboard in cupboards and so on. Some work has been done onpart of it, and that is a great improvement. However, that covers only about half of it; the other sectionneeds work. It is not always within the capacity of P&Cs to provide the level of funding that is necessary


to carry out this sort of work. Sometimes schools spend quite a bit of their budget on meeting a wholerange of requirements within the school and they do not have the capacity to upgrade some of the tiredfacilities that they have been left with.

I have some concerns in relation to what is happening in the railways. Of course, I am well awareof Pacific National's involvement in moving freight. It is spending quite a bit of money in Townsville—Iunderstand in the order of about $40 million—and it will be a major competitor to Queensland Rail.Queensland Rail is not doing Queenslanders many favours as regards providing a service. In instanceswhere groups of people have made a decision to diversify away from cane farming, the service isinadequate, as in the case of curcurbits, melons and pumpkins. At times some 7,000 tonnes has goneout of the Ingham yards and other areas to the north and to the south, but we have not been able tofacilitate that service out of Ingham. Of course, it requires a fast freight train that can get to the marketsin Brisbane in a very short period of time. What is actually happening now is that the train stops at theIngham Railway Station for its driver relief break at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it stays there forabout half an hour and then it makes its way down to Townsville. But we cannot actually hook up any ofthese containers with farm produce on them; it has been decided that it is better to semitrailer themdown to Townsville by road transport so that they can then be joined to the train that actually takes themto the markets.

The state controls roads. Something like $2.5 million is being spent within the Hinchinbrook shireand, of course, a vital $150,000 has been provided through the TIDS program to continue to upgradethe Wallaman Falls Road. This is extremely important to the tourist industry in north Queensland andcertainly to the Hinchinbrook shire.

There is another issue that has come to light, that is, the issue of driving examiners. What we areseeing is long periods of time between testing. I think a better service could be provided in that respect.It is important for people in the region to be able to be examined in order to obtain a drivers licence.Sometimes people—particularly the younger generation—find that they have got to go back a number oftimes. In the past those people have had to wait five, six or eight weeks before they could get anotherappointment to see a driving examiner. That situation has improved slightly. However, we are alsoseeing the cancellation in Silkwood of a facility that used to provide the opportunity on one day a monthfor people to be examined before obtaining their drivers licence.

Boating facilities such as boat ramps are extremely important. We have got an area at BalgalBeach that needs a pontoon. It would ensure the safety of those people who want to get into a boat,particularly members of the younger generation and the older generation. As members who areexperienced with small water craft would appreciate, it is particularly difficult for people who are eitherinfirm or very young to get in and out of a boat and, of course, accidents occur.

I would like to speak about the water from the Black River. It has been a contentious issue over along period of time. The area is, of course, very short of water. There have been some issues as regardsQueensland Nickel, but it is willing to assist by providing some support in establishing a pipeline andalso a purification plant. That is absolutely essential, because the water that people are getting frombores does not come up to Australian drinking water guidelines. In fact, in some instances it may not besafe for those people to access that water for drinking purposes. Sometimes the calcium levels areparticularly high, which causes considerable problems for those people who are forced to use thatwater.

There is a proposal regarding the pipeline from Mount St Johns to Yabulu in the Townsville area.It does not have a tertiary treatment plant. It is essential that something is done about that. There hasbeen effluent going out into the waters of the Barrier Reef. Cane farmers and banana farmers arecastigated for causing sedimentation and mineralisation, yet it has actually been happening inTownsville. I believe there is the capacity to do something about it.

I would like to talk very briefly about aquaculture, which is a growing industry within the region.There is one person who has spent a considerable amount of time in a closed-circuit type of system andwho has won the accolades of the EPA. We have a number of prawn farmers who are very conscious ofthe ability of their industry to drive jobs and opportunities. It is extremely important that they getrecognition and that not too many hurdles are put in their way that would impede their ability to generatesome wealth in the region—provide jobs for people and also provide good, fresh prawns andaquaculture products for the people of north Queensland and certainly further afield.

Commercial and recreational fishermen have had a pretty rough time as a result of a number ofplans that have been implemented at both a federal level and a state level, but the one that is hurtingthem very badly is the complementary zoning. While they may have felt that the state had to reflect whatthe federal government was doing, it was not absolutely necessary. It has caused a considerable degreeof angst to people in the region.

The Cardwell shire, of course, is a very productive shire. It grows bananas predominantly and, ofcourse, sugar cane. There has been an issue regarding the roads. Some $80 million has been proposedfor the National Highway by the federal government. There is a requirement to go from Corduroy Creekto Banyan Creek and, of course, there have been problems in that area with flooding. That affects not


only the transport of produce out of north Queensland but also the ability of commercial travellers andtourists to travel up and down the highway. It gets blocked at critical times during the year when floodingoccurs.

I believe the federal government provided something like $1.5 million for this work prior to theelection. Some $80 million dollars will be spent as we progress through the work. We can only hope thatthat work is done quickly.

The state has provided for $350,000 for the Tully-Mission Beach Road. The beach areas in theCardwell shire will be hooked up to sewerage in the very near future. Considerable moneys were put inby the state. I know that this government put in something like $16 million for this. Back in 1996 thecoalition provided something like $6 million for this project. The scheme is costing a little more thananticipated. The council is taking up some of that slack.

In very wet areas such as Mission Beach there can be very high E. coli levels. That has been anissue. As development occurs in those regions it is essential to ensure that they have a system that willnot endanger people's lives and health. We cannot have E. coli levels building up too high.

Another issue for the Cardwell shire is a function hall. The Tully region has only got an old igloo. Itis not suitable for concerts. The sound and so on are not the best for putting on some major events. AtMission Beach they are wanting a swimming pool to be built. There have been problems with jellyfish.More recently, crocodiles are getting into nets. This is an area where people believe they have a degreeof safety.

Time expired. Mr MALONE (Mirani—NPA) (3.02 pm): It is a pleasure to rise to speak in the debate on the

Appropriation Bill (No. 2). One must congratulate the government for the huge windfall it has had inrespect of the budget bottom line. I assume this money is available to be spent for the economic benefitof Queensland. With the revenue from stamp duty increased as a result of the increased price of landand houses throughout Queensland and the amount of real estate being turned over each year, it is ahuge help in bumping up the budget bottom line for government.

The huge amount of economic development in the coal industry is creating huge amounts ofpayroll tax. The ultimate windfall is the revenue from the GST. Those things are important to fund ourdevelopments throughout Queensland. It is important that we look long term and put in placeinfrastructure that will ensure that the Queensland community benefits from the economic boom that weare currently going through. Unfortunately, to counter that there are some in our community who aredoing it pretty tough. We should also recognise those people.

In my area there has been a huge boom in the coal industry. The infrastructure that has been builtinto the coal industry is quite unbelievable. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on thedevelopment of mines.

The port facilities have made the news in recent times. BHP Billiton is expanding its port at a costof almost $200 million. There are plans to develop further the loading capacity at Dalrymple Bay. ThePorts Corporation operation is now leased to Prime Infrastructure. It expects to spend around$500 million over the next four years and employ up to 400 extra workers to put that infrastructure inplace.

Greg Smith, the operations manager of Dalrymple Bay, has indicated that the port is not at fullcapacity. It is loading around 51 million tonnes per year. Its capacity is designed to be around 53 milliontonne. I understand that mining organisations are looking for capacity of around 90 million tonnes. Theproposed expansion over the next four years will take the capacity of Dalrymple Bay to around 72 milliontonnes. There are very significant cultural, economic and work force changes happening at DalrympleBay and Hay Point.

Any members who have flown into Mackay in recent times would have seen a significant numberof ships sitting at anchor off Dalrymple Bay. The cost of having those ships sit there is quiteunbelievable. It costs between $US10,000 and $US20,000 per day. There can be up to 50 ships sittingthere at one time.

I will raise a number of issues that are of significance to my electorate. Many times in thisparliament I have raised the issue of the police station at Sarina. I am pleased to note that at last wehave seen some action on the site. Two houses have been removed from the site and the site has beencleared. There has been an indication that foundations are going in for the new police station. Icongratulate the government for moving on that. It is something that I have been pushing for quite sometime—almost the entire time I have been in parliament.

I guess it took the Police Union's indication that Sarina Police Station was the dump of the monthto get some work done on it. I am pleased that it is happening. I am sure the police officers assigned tothat station are more than pleased. I recognise that Sergeant Dave Parnell who, in the last six months,has moved from Mount Isa to lead the force there. He is ably supported by an excellent force in Sarina,including long-serving officers John Black, Stacey Penola, Brian Cummings and Detective Tony Lee.The entire staff are all dedicated police officers and I congratulate them on the great work they do in ourcommunity.


The Nebo Police Station is a different category. Those people who are aware of what ishappening in the area would know that Nebo is probably the centre of the major expansion in the miningindustry. Currently, the little town of Nebo has beds for 800 single men. It is becoming quite a busy littleplace. Magnificent work has been in the town by the community on landscaping and also by businessowners. There has been a lot of magnificent work on Peggy Mitchemore's very historic Nebo hotel totake it back to its roots. Anybody who is travelling through Mackay should take a trip out to Nebo to takein the bush aspects of the community and the way in which it is expanding.

There is a real need for a QGAP office at Nebo. There is a lot of commercial industry around thearea. There is a need for registrations, licence renewals and payments of fines et cetera to be donethere. I also believe that there is a need to have more than one police officer assigned to the NeboPolice Station. It is becoming a very busy area.

The Peak Downs Highway that goes past Nebo is becoming busier and busier. There are quite anumber of serious accidents on that highway. There is a real need to have that covered verysubstantially by the police officer in the region. The Bruce Highway going from between Rockhamptonand Mackay is probably the most dangerous piece of highway in all of Australia. There are more singlevehicle accidents on this stretch of highway than any other place in Australia.

There is a real need for further double laning of the highway in that area. What seems to happenis that in the busy times the road is blocked by trucks and caravans. Traffic is moving in significantnumbers both ways and it is impossible for people to pass. It becomes a very difficult situation in a trafficsense. There is more of a chance of people falling asleep late at night. It is probably halfway betweenCairns and Brisbane and leads to situations where people try to drive from Brisbane to Cairns or Cairnsto Brisbane and fall asleep.

As I said, there have been a significant number of accidents on the highway. Fortunately, owing tothe good work of the Central Queensland helicopter groups in both Rockhampton and Mackay, the areais covered reasonably well. But we do not need to have people having serious accidents on that road,so there is a call to further double lane certain sections of that road so that people can get aroundcaravans and basically free up the road for further traffic.

As I said earlier, the Peak Downs Highway, which travels from Mackay out to Clermont andthrough the coal industry areas in the Bowen Basin, is becoming very busy, particularly with heavytransport. Most of the fuel that is used in the mines is now transported by road. All of the ammoniumnitrate that is used in explosives is transported by road out to that area. Of course, all of the heavymachinery that is being repaired in Mackay and its surrounds or is being delivered as new equipment istransported along the Peak Downs Highway. In that respect, there are quite large, significantlydangerous loads travelling along the highway. The highway is reasonably narrow in places. The PeakDowns Highway needs to be further double laned to alleviate some of the problems that are beingexperienced.

The Peak Downs Highway travels right through Walkerston, which is a community west ofMackay. There are two schools, a shopping centre and a police station located along the highway in thattown. People cross the street to carry out their business and for other reasons. This matter is becomingquite an issue. Indeed, I have spoken a couple of times in the House about this issue. A meter wasplaced on the highway outside the Walkerston cemetery, which is just to the west, in February 2004—12months ago. Over an 18-day period the meter counted 18,778 heavy vehicles, which is equivalent to1,043 heavy vehicles per day and 43 heavy vehicles per hour. A heavy vehicle was classed as rangingfrom being a two-axle truck or bus to B-doubles and triple road trains. That is a very significant numberof heavy vehicles travelling through the middle of a town.

Previously in this House I have spoken about the Lighthouse Project at the Mirani State HighSchool, which is a very significant education project in my electorate. I am a proud patron of that project.Last Saturday night the Thiess Charity Coal Dash was held as part of the prematch entertainment forthe Cowboys versus the Cronulla Sharks National Rugby League trial game, which raised $18,650. Thatmoney will go towards the Lighthouse project at the Mirani State High School. I congratulate Thiess onorganising that charity coal dash. That money will certainly make a huge difference in the delivery ofliteracy programs to the young boys and girls of the Pioneer Valley.

Industry and business have got behind this education program in the Pioneer Valley. Thiess, ontop of what it did last Saturday night, will sponsor the project by contributing $5,000 per year over thenext three years. Rio Tinto will contribute $10,000 in sponsorship for the next three years. Thatsponsorship will provide for the employment of a teacher for two days per week over the next threeyears. Education Queensland has recognised the significance of the project and has provided 0.2 of ateacher position per week. Another sponsor, Totally Workwear, has given huge discounts to participants.At the graduation last year, it provided the graduates with a high-quality pair of work socks.

The Lighthouse project also has significant support from the community. The Rotary Club ofMirani is a great supporter of the project. The district office of Education Queensland has recognised thevalue of this program and has asked the teachers involved—Cath Jeffrey, Yvonne Lee and Lyn Egan—to open Education Week, which commences on 16 May, by holding a one-day conference on the


project. I will be privileged to be able to open that conference. Dr Amanda Kellie will speak at thatconference. Ralph Ferguson from Thiess will speak at the conference on the shortage of apprenticesand tradespeople within the mining industry. Lawrence Bugeja, a sugar industry stalwart, will speak atthe conference on the shortage of a skilled work force in the mills and on farms in the Mackay district.Chillagoe Caves, which is the only other Lighthouse project in Queensland, will also present a workshopat the conference and give attendees the opportunity to view both Lighthouse projects during thatconference.

The Lighthouse project is again nominating for the showcase awards in Queensland this year. Itwas the runner-up last year. The Lighthouse project makes a significant contribution to the education ofyoung people in the Pioneer Valley. Professor Peter Cuttance of Melbourne University will be visiting onThursday of this week. He is the overseer of the national Lighthouse program and is reviewing thesuccess of the Mirani State High School project because, quite frankly, a number of other projectsthroughout Australia have closed. The significance of the Mirani State High School Lighthouse Project isnationwide. Cath, Yvonne and Lyn have been invited to make a presentation to the Toowoomba andGatton education districts on 4 July on the Lighthouse project. They are expecting more than 250attendees at the conference.

I would also like to talk about the Sarina State High School agricultural project. The project has 10acres of land that is located in very close proximity to the high school. I acknowledge the expertise andwork being done by Education Queensland and particularly by Ron Lohse, who is the project manager.A community based committee of management is putting the project together. The committee is workingtowards converting a piece of ground into a magnificent project for young people and also to use it totrain members of the community to Certificate IV level in quite a number of areas in the agricultural andveterinary science fields. There will be a cattle feedlotting operation on the site. Crops will be grownthere also. The area will also be used to upskill not only students but also, as I said, members of thegeneral community in manual trades such as welding, which is a huge requirement in our communitytoday. I was at that area just the other day. The security fencing is being completed. A fairly large shedwill be put up. There are also cattle yards and fencing to be built. There is a house attached to the sitethat will be renovated to accommodate classrooms. Toilets will also be needed to be built on site. It isquite a big job. The money that was allocated to the project probably will not be enough to complete thewhole job, but I am sure that the community will get behind it to make sure that it does happen.

I have spoken before about the erosion of McEwen's Beach. The Mackay City Council has anengineer drawing up a plan for a rock wall around the erosion scarp, but it still needs very considerablefunding over and above what is available to the council. Unfortunately, state government funding isavailable only for sand renourishment, which is not going to work on that site. The funding for the rockwall is imperative. In recent times the beach has lost 30 metres of foreshore. The situation has reacheda desperate stage because the scarp is very close to the peak of the sand dunes. Once it breaksthrough the sand dunes, the houses behind that are at a lower level. So once the ocean breaks throughthe next few metres of sand dune, McEwen's Beach will be sea water. I know that a lot of the residentsin that area are very concerned about what might happen in the next year or so. There is a real need forgovernment funding to get behind this project. I will continue to raise this issue in parliament. We needsome decent funding over and above what is available to the council to make that project happen.

In my electorate the number of jobs that are being generated by the coal industry is placing hugepressure on housing. There is a desperate need for further public housing. Currently, in Sarinaparticularly, which is just one town in my electorate, there is a 3½- to four-year wait to actually get ahouse. That is not acceptable nowadays. There is a real problem of insufficient housing stock, even inthe private market. The whole situation of housing and the allocation of development blocks is becominga big issue in my area.

We are looking forward to the development of the administration centre at Alligator Creek StateSchool. We have been waiting many years for that. The budget indicates that that will be finished in thisfinancial year. Work has not started yet, but I look forward to the building's completion. I understand alsothat another teaching block is to be allocated to Alligator Creek State School. Certainly we are hopefulthat that will happen soon.

Most people will remember that last year Alligator Creek State School had a real problem withcontamination of its water supply. In the next week or so it should be connected to the potable watersystem that is run by the Sarina Shire Council. Unfortunately, Education Queensland is not contributingto the head works. I believe that position is standard right throughout Queensland. It will take about$26,000 to administer and maintain the infrastructure required to deliver water into the area. That is animpost on Sarina Shire Council, but it is wearing it. As I said, water will be connected shortly to AlligatorCreek State School.

A lot of issues need to be looked at. I do not have time to talk about them all, but I raise the issueof water storages in the Mirani electorate. It is interesting to see that the mining companies are nowtaking the bit between their teeth and building the pipeline from the Burdekin Falls Dam into the BowenBasin without any federal or state government support whatsoever. It seems to me a shame that the


government—federal and state—cannot get involved and put in a decent pipeline or spend $250 millionon building the Urannah Dam, which would mean that the Bowen Basin would not need supplementarywater at any stage in the future.

Mrs ATTWOOD (Mount Ommaney—ALP) (3.21 pm): During this debate I will take the opportunityto address a number of issues that are currently of great importance to the residents of the electorate ofMount Ommaney. Residents living in the Centenary suburbs and Sinnamon Park are eager for thecommencement of the proposed upgrade to the intersection of Boundary and Kelliher roads and thefinalisation of the upgrade of the Centenary interchange. As the number of people commuting along theCentenary Highway continues to grow, congestion becomes more and more a major issue. Traffic backsup to Sumners Road in my electorate at peak hour, between 7 am and 9 am and between 3 pm and 6pm, at the intersection of the Centenary Highway and Ipswich Road.

The Centenary Highway and the Western Freeway run through four state electorates. Eventhough only a small section of the highway—from Centenary Bridge to Sumners Road—is in myelectorate, I continue to lobby the Minister for Transport and Main Roads with regard to all matters thatare raised by residents in my area. As a result of my representations to the minister over a number ofyears, a number of issues have been resolved.

The $4.3 million for asphalt resurfacing on the Centenary Highway between the IpswichMotorway and the Brisbane River has been completed. The congestion problem caused by theintersection of Boundary Road and Kelliher Road is being addressed. A new two-lane link will be builtbetween the Ipswich Motorway-Centenary Highway roundabout to Garden Road at Richlands. It isexpected the project will be completed by the end of 2006.

Congestion on the Western Freeway is affected by roads that come under the jurisdiction of boththe federal government—Ipswich Road—and the Brisbane City Council—Kelliher Road and MiltonRoad—affecting roundabouts at both ends of the Centenary Highway. Consequently, finding solutions totraffic congestion on the Western Freeway requires a coordinated and planned approach from threelevels of government and involves more than just building new roads, such as a western bypass. Beforemeasures like a western bypass or an alternative to the Ipswich Motorway can be considered, theIpswich Motorway itself must be upgraded. This falls within the sole jurisdiction of the federalgovernment. Currently no funding has been provided for the bulk of this crucial project, including fundingfor an alternative route. The Ipswich Motorway forms part of the National Highway system and istherefore subject to federal funding.

A planning study will consider issues such as improvements to the Toowong roundabout and thepossibility of transit lanes on the Western Freeway. State-of-the-art technology has been used on theWestern Freeway, where $475,200 was spent to streamline traffic management. Video surveillancecameras and vehicle detector sites relay information to the Department of Main Roads’ TrafficManagement Centre at Woolloongabba along an optical fibre cable. This allows Main Roads to monitorthe flow of traffic and manage incidents immediately. A variable message sign was installed last yearwhich alerts motorists to the traffic conditions ahead, warning them of delays. $3.1 million has beenprovided to fill the ‘missing link' on the Centenary bikeway. These works have now commenced.Drainage works worth $2.434 million to improve safety along the Centenary Highway were completedearly last year. The state government is committed to planning ahead for the best solutions to growingBrisbane traffic. I will ensure that my constituents continue to be consulted and involved in decisionsabout these traffic solutions.

Other achievements in transport issues are the $1.5 million disability and platform upgrade ofOxley Railway Station; the $180,000 upgrade of the platforms and subway at Sherwood station;additional car parks at Darra and Oxley stations, as well as security cameras; the $4 million in fundingfor the upgrade of Corinda station which is currently ongoing; the bus link to Yeerongpilly from Corindastation; and CityTrans services to Darra station from Sinnamon Park and the Centenary suburbs. Thereis always more that needs to be done. I am working closely with the community to prioritise our futureneeds. There are many groups in my electorate that are to be commended for the work they do to assistin making our area a better place to live. I commend the bill to the House.

Mr MESSENGER (Burnett—NPA) (3.26 pm): It is with pleasure that I rise to contribute to thedebate on Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2004 and the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2) 2004, pieces oflegislation which authorise the Treasurer to pay an extra $2.375 billion from consolidated funds toapproximately 19 different departments for unforeseen expenditure. There are a number of differentareas which I found lacking and I think deserve extra funding allocation. During the next 20 minutes I willdo my best to inform this House about my insights. I will also table some documentary evidence tosupport my claims.

I believe that, because of underresourcing, inadequate training and Labor government cover-ups,the lives and future health of many Queensland schoolchildren, parents, Queensland governmentemployees of both Education and Q-Build, and private contractors have been placed at risk because ofexposure to asbestos. Having had a number of conversations with whistleblowers and having read thisleaked government memo, a transcript of which I table, I call on the Premier to guarantee


Queenslanders in 2005 that no schoolchildren will be used to remove asbestos contaminated buildingproducts, that all schoolchildren who, prior to 2005, have been used to remove asbestos contaminatedbuilding products be offered appropriate medical advice, ongoing counselling and an apology, and thatthe Queensland education asbestos building register is thoroughly investigated, reviewed and made100 per cent accurate.

A Q-Build memo dated 19 August 2003 entitled ‘Report on the results asbestos check audits of50 sites' states—The QLD government's program auditors were required to conduct a non-destructive inspection to visually identify all asbestoscontaining materials in building and to verify asbestos by the collection and analysis of representative samples of those materials.The analysis shows that in only 3 sites—

that is out of 50 they examined—... no additional asbestos material or asbestos products were identified.

That means that 94 per cent of the sites Q-Build auditors inspected had additional asbestosmaterial or asbestos product or 94 per cent of those sites had hidden asbestos material and asbestosproduct. The memo succinctly summarises the situation when it states—A significant number of items of both asbestos materials and asbestos products were missed when the original audit program wasconducted. ... the incidence of asbestos materials missed in the original audit program is deemed unacceptable.

I call on parents, principals, teachers and students to demand of this Labor government that allasbestos contaminated building products be identified and that the asbestos register at every school beguaranteed accurate.

Disturbingly, I have been told by whistleblowers that contractors who are engaged to implementthe Smart State IT update and install computers and associated hardware and cabling are, firstly, notchecking the school's asbestos registers before they begin maintenance and thereby are unknowinglydisturbing asbestos contaminated building product; and, secondly, even if they are following the correctprocedure and are checking the school's asbestos register they still run the risk of unknowinglydisturbing asbestos contaminated building products because the asbestos register is inaccurate.Sometimes this work is carried out while children are at school during school hours, and the risks areobvious. The government has known that this asbestos problem has existed for a number of years nowand instead of acknowledging it and putting in place sound measures and procedures to fix the problemit has instead, through diabolical mismanagement or even criminal neglect, decided to ignore it.

There may be many members of this House who refuse to believe that schoolchildren were usedto remove asbestos contaminated building products. I invite them to read this letter which I receivedfrom MacGregor State High School student Ricky Fenwick, which I now table. In the letter Rickydescribes how he and other students picked up asbestos contaminated building materials and put themin a bin while two teachers using sledgehammers ‘were knocking down the walls in front of us while wewere all standing there in front of them'. Nowhere in the letter does Ricky mention that he or any otherperson involved in that operation were wearing approved protection equipment.

There are Queenslanders—employees of this Labor government—who are willing to comeforward and share their experiences because they know this asbestos cover-up is wrong. They are goodpeople with strong moral values and they know the difference between right and wrong. They want to dothe right thing and need guarantees that, if they do come forward, then the usual Beattie governmentvictimisation, bullying and vilification will not be inflicted on them and their families. They know that it iswrong to expose our children to asbestos. The question that I, my National Party colleagues and the restof Queensland want to know is: does the Premier and his Labor Party know that it is wrong as well?

Last year I was approached by a number of parents whose children attended a high school in myelectorate of Burnett and heard serious concerns about the quality of senior education that their childrenwere receiving. A number of parents detailed their concerns in letters to me which I then forwarded tothe education minister. On the day of their children's graduation, those parents received a letter from theprincipal of their school which threatened legal action against them. The basis of that threatened legalaction was some confidential letters those parents had written to me which I then forwarded on to theeducation minister for investigation. The letter from the principal's legal representatives which I tabled inthis House late last year quoted word for word extracts from the parents’ confidential letter of complaintwhich was forwarded to the minister. I would like to know how those confidential letters travelled fromthe education minister's in-tray and arrived at the in-tray of the legal advisor to the principal. Theminister facetiously suggests to the House, in one of her limited explanations about these incidents, thatif I became the education minister I would put similar complaints in a big secret box under my desk. I willreply in the same silly tone and say, ‘No, I would not put honestly held parental complaints and concernsin a big secret box under my desk. I would ensure that the dignity and confidentiality of both parties wererespected while an investigation was carried out. I would also ensure that the parents' confidential andhonestly held views about the standard of their children's education did not grow legs and end up in thehands of the public servants' legal representatives.


We must have a system of government where constituents, through their local state members,are able to express their honestly held concerns and complaints to the relevant minister without fear oflegal action by public servants who may be the subject of those concerns and complaints. If we cannotguarantee this principle, this civil right for our constituents and the people of Queensland, then what thisHouse and this government are doing is promoting a culture of fear—a culture which wants the publicand public servants to be afraid of speaking out, of blowing the whistle. It is a culture of fear whichundermines the relevance of each member of this House and the foundations of our democracy.

When questioned in this House about her principal's behaviour, the education minister defendedher action stating—I can confirm that this is the case. The principal of the school concerned has sought legal advice that, if they do not desist frommaking comments that may be defamatory, the principal may consider taking legal action. This action has been taken by theprincipal as an individual; it has not been taken by the Department of Education and the Arts.

If it was an individual action, why was the person's name and position—that is, the principal of theschool in concern—written on the threatening legal letter? By placing the name of the principal and theofficial title on the intimidatory document which I tabled in the House last year, it implies that EducationQueensland is also involved in the intention to take legal action.

I table two more documents—firstly, a letter from the education department summarising theinvestigation into the school which 100 per cent proves and justifies the parents' concerns andcomplaints; and, secondly, a letter from a parent threatened with legal action demanding, rightfully, apublic apology from the Queensland education minister because of her comments in the media whichwere contradictory, to say the least. Complicating an already complex issue is the fact that the principalof the school in concern is the partner of the executive director of schools for this area—a person whowas originally responsible for investigating parents' concerns. There is and was an obvious conflict ofinterest, and I would like the minister to give assurances to this House that this situation does not exist inthis school and other schools under her authority.

This morning during a ministerial statement the education minister certainly gave herself a pat onthe back for the role her government is playing in airconditioning schools. She must have been quiterelaxed writing her speech notes from the comfort of her airconditioned office. Is it not nice to sit in ourairconditioned offices and escape the sweltering temperatures outside? For us, yes, it is nice, but for ourchildren attending schools they are forced to bake in classrooms where ceiling fans slowly push hot airaround a room with 20 to 30 kids in heat of up to 30 degrees—that is if the classroom even has a ceilingfan. It is difficult for anyone to concentrate in the heat but to expect young primary schoolchildren toconcentrate, let alone learn in sweltering conditions topping close to 40 degrees in some areas, isalmost impossible. Some parents have commented that students are wearing sun smart uniforms whichare thick and heavy, and they contribute to the classrooms getting extremely hot inside. A parentcommenting in the local Bundaberg NewsMail recently stated, ‘Politicians work in airconditioning. I thinkour kids deserve better.'

Our children's learning is not the only consequence of heat. They are also suffering from nosebleeds, headaches, nausea and similar symptoms brought on by the heat. The Sunday Mail of 13February 2005, page 15, reveals state government figures that stated only 32 of the 204 prep yearprefabricated buildings are to be airconditioned. This leaves young ones aged between four and fivesweltering in the leftover 172 unairconditioned classrooms.

Children are being kept at home by their concerned parents because they fear for the safety oftheir children in these hot conditions. We will not be a very Smart State if children are missing vitallessons at school. By no means do I blame the parents for protecting their children and keeping themout of the school classroom ovens. Earlier this month we also saw schools throughout my regionapplying for Education Queensland's heatwave policy. If parents are to keep their kids at home, as perstate school orders, surely this should set some alarm bells ringing that something needs to be done tocool down our school classrooms.

Surely those little faces we have been seeing in the media recently have stirred some kind ofemotion amongst the members opposite. Mr Beattie and his Labor colleagues cannot ignore the figuresthat show the majority of Queenslanders want cooler schools, regardless of what zone they may be in.As reported in the Sunday Mail on 13 February 2005, 81 per cent of people in Queensland wantclassrooms airconditioned throughout the entire state. I note that most schools throughout the WideBay-Burnett are not airconditioned and that Bundaberg is not included in the Cooler Schools programafter the state government decided to restrict its airconditioning program to north of our border, despitechildren sitting in classrooms reaching temperatures in the high 30s.

The state government always seems to have enough money to build football stadiums and citybridges and provide spin doctors for the Premier and other promotional materials and flashy web sites,but there is never enough money to take care of the basics, the necessities. It is about time thisgovernment reprioritised its expenditure and listened to the people it is supposed to be assisting, that is,the parents, the teachers, the principals and the students as well as the P&C associations and thecommunity as a whole. They are telling this government to aircondition their schools.


I table a leaked email from Linda Mulligan, District Director of Nursing Services, which isadditional proof of what I have been saying in this House for about the last year regarding theBundaberg Base Hospital. The Bundaberg Base Hospital is understaffed and underresourced. In theleaked email Linda says—As you are all aware, last year was extremely difficult for staffing and workload issues resulted in the clinical areas. It is now timeto plan and it is our responsibility to staff safely and recognise seasonal peak activity and reduced staff availability, particularlyover the school holidays during the winter, as we must ensure that we are not placed in the same situation again this year.

That is proof that we are suffering a nurse shortage in the Bundaberg Base Hospital. Linda goeson in the second last paragraph—In regards to the rest of the winter season, again your rostered staffing needs to reflect the increase in activity, therefore leaveapprovals should be reduced accordingly. We have done a lot of work to actively reduce the number of temporary positions andaddress long term leave issues such as leave without pay. Therefore, no leave without pay is to be approved during the months ofJuly/August/September 2005 without my prior approval.

Handwritten in a note at the end of this leaked email, which ended up under my door, was thefollowing—Brilliant idea! Fix staffing shortages by removing holidays. Why not just ban holidays altogether!

It is a level of the frustration that I see from many medical professionals. As I have said, there isan incredible level of fear among medical professionals, and rightly so, because any medicalprofessional who dares to speak out against this government will find out very quickly what happens tothem. Bullying, vilification and unfair dismissal are not unheard of.

I table a letter from Lorraine Douglas Smith of the Queensland School Bus Alliance which detailsa crisis in the school bus industry. It is a crisis that an extra $12 million over three or four years for seatbelts in selected services is not going to solve. According to Lorraine, we need at least another$15 million per year to maintain the status quo, and a top-up of a further $16 million each year for thenext five years.

On some runs in the bush we have a crazy situation. I was talking to a bus operator in a northernpart of the Burnett. He asked, ‘Robert, how many children do you think I am legally able to put on a buswhich is registered for 55 adults?' I said, ‘I don't know, maybe 60, 70.' He came up with the number of97—just under a hundred. I said, ‘How can you possibly do that?' He said, ‘Well, first of all, you have thethree-for-two rating.' His bus had bench seats, so young primary school students were sitting three to aseat, and his run was less than 20 kilometres long. After doing the calculations involving the grossweight of the bus, the net weight of the bus and the tyre weight of the bus, he was also able to come upwith 15 students standing. This is an absolutely abhorrent situation. Fifteen students standing is stilllegal under Queensland Transport rules. It needs to be looked at and it needs to be adjusted.

I know the minister waltzes round saying that statistically school bus travel is the safest means ofgetting our children to school. But if members look at statistics, they will find that on September 11 theTwin Towers were the safest place to be. We need to stop focusing on statistics. We need to startlistening to ambulance drivers, police and parents who cram their children onto these buses and whoare horrified at what could happen. We are just one day closer to that horrific accident happening, andwe need to address this situation right now.

Miss SIMPSON (Maroochydore—NPA) (3.45 pm): In rising to speak in this appropriation debate,it is important to consider just what are the infrastructure needs of the state and to start addressingthem. The problem we have had is that in budgets there has been a falling proportion of fundingavailable for infrastructure. Six years ago approximately 28 per cent of the state budget was spent oninfrastructure, and that has fallen to 20 per cent.

What does that actually mean in a state that is growing so fast? It means that the bucket of moneythat is available for necessary capital works as a proportion to growth is actually under great strain. Herewe are in the growth state. Many areas that are experiencing the pressure of that growth are fightingover a bucket that has not expanded at the rate that it needs to expand to ensure that there is not onlyeconomic sustainability in the future but also livability. Road infrastructure, for example, is somethingthat supports the economy and also supports our lifestyle.

As part of that 28 per cent fall to 20 per cent of the state budget being spent on infrastructure, wehave seen road funding fall from 23 per cent of that capital bucket down to only 14 per cent. With thefigures in the budget papers in the last six years, what we have seen in real terms versus growth hasbeen a fall-off in investments in infrastructure at a time when there should have been an increase ininfrastructure funding. These are the challenges that we will certainly be looking at and putting undergreater scrutiny when the Treasurer brings down the infrastructure plan in April. Certainly the detail andthe forward indicative funding and projects that will be indicated in that infrastructure plan will be of greatinterest.

We will also be looking to see what the government's position will be in regard to public-privatepartnerships, which are another means of delivering certain types of infrastructure. We have just seenthe Gateway project finally announced by this government. It is running late—12 months later than eventhe time Steve Bredhauer had announced. It was one of the projects that was touted as being likely to


be a PPP, a public-private partnership, yet that one has in fact been knocked off the list. We have to ask:what projects are going to get up? What projects are going to involve a true public-private partnershipwhen we have such a critical need to invest in infrastructure in this state? Ultimately, there have to beprojects that do stack up financially for the private sector. With the briefings we have had about some ofthe Labor governments interstate that have been able to successfully enter into these projects with theappropriate probity, looking after the public interest and delivering infrastructure more cheaply and moreefficiently, we have to ask: why is there such a philosophical stumbling block with this government? Weknow that there is a tremendous need for infrastructure to be funded not only from the public purse butalso by taking advantage of other innovative arrangements for infrastructure. There simply has not beenenough infrastructure built in this state in the last few years.

That issue has raised a number of questions in the construction and finance industries. Thisgovernment is not serious about looking at all of its options for making sure that the best buildingplatform for the future of this state is actually put in place. The opposition will be looking at the detail ofthe infrastructure plan that comes down in April.

I want to put on the record some of the things that I will be looking for with regard to my own area.There has been between seven per cent and nine per cent growth on sections of the SunshineMotorway. Construction of the Maroochy River bridge on the Sunshine Motorway was finally announcedafter the state election after I lobbied very hard throughout the state campaign on that issue. The stategovernment finally announced that it was going to duplicate that bridge but not until 2008-09. I urge thisgovernment to do all that it can to bring that project forward, because currently there are 10,000 vehiclesa day over and above the feasible capacity of that bridge. It is frequently gridlocked.

What about north of that area? I will be looking to see whether this government is going to putindicative funding to bring the Sunshine Motorway duplication north of the Maroochy River into thebudget process. After the other sections back to the highway, that is the next section which needs tohave funding allocated to it. That road is already groaning and congested as it passes through Coolumand not only my electorate of Maroochydore but also the electorate of Noosa. Unless we start to seethat planning take place now and the funding allocated for construction in the next few years, that isgoing to be another debacle in that traffic will be gridlocked, there will be negative comments in relationto people's experiences in travelling to the Sunshine Coast and, ultimately, there will be congestionwhich is not only costly in economic terms but also costly in environmental terms.

Let us talk about congestion from the figures that we know about the Brisbane road network. Thestate government said that it will look at the western bypass. It looks like that is going to be anotherlengthy process which will hang over people's heads without resolution. That is a matter that needs tobe studied and resolved quickly, because there needs to be a western bypass. There needs to be awestern bypass that achieves the job and minimises the impact upon property but does not cause thislong, lengthy and very distressing process where people wonder if their house is going to be affected.That type of planning that hangs out there for decades is bad planning. It is about time this matter wasresolved for the sake of these people and that the right options are put on the table, studied andconsulted upon and that the matter is dealt with and built. That is something that we have seen thisgovernment promising for too long, and it is a process that needs to be humanely and appropriatelyaddressed.

Tugun is another example of how this government talks about what it is going to do withinfrastructure delivery, but the process continues to drag. Talk about an embarrassing situation as far asthis government's inability to deliver basic infrastructure in time! I have talked about the Gatewayrunning behind time, but Tugun is the other example of this government's inability to get its act togetherand actually deliver in a timely way on infrastructure. Meanwhile, there is congestion that not onlycauses economic dysfunction in these communities but also impacts upon people's lifestyle—just beingable to get to and from school with their kids let alone get to their businesses.

Maroochydore Road is another piece of key infrastructure in my electorate on the Sunshine Coastthrough the key regional centre of Maroochydore. Funding has finally been allocated for the completeduplication and a bypass section to take that road through from Kunda Park to the Bruce Highway by2007-08. Curiously, in the midst of this, there is an at grade intersection that will be upgraded. But, as Iunderstand from briefings from Main Roads, even after the full four laning of Maroochydore Roadthrough to the highway, that intersection will only have a further eight years before it experiencesproblems in terms of capacity.

When I queried the fact that it was a false economy not to put a flyover in and to put the plannedfuture overpass into that road at the time of this construction, I was told that it will be starting to getcongested, but it will still have capacity to take it further into the future. It was clear that there were goingto be problems within about eight years. This seems to be crazy to me—that is, have a situation wherethere is a major upgrade and then still in the middle of it have an at grade intersection, not a flyover thathas in fact been designed for. It seems to be a false and dumb economy and bad road planning.


While on that point, there is another local issue with regard to the Menzies Drive and OceanBeach Drive intersection with the David Low Way. This is a long-running problem. A supermarket hasbeen not only approved but also opened, and this intersection is in fact a major access point to thatsupermarket at Pacific Paradise. There is now also talk of a child-care centre being put near thisintersection. I have to ask: how long before the main roads department will take its planning and put itinto action? It is unacceptable to have a child-care centre now added to the shopping centre that thisintersection services. It is just so dangerous. One can see it with their eyes and also with the figuresindicating the number of accidents at this intersection. Once again it is an indication of just how long ittakes for basic infrastructure to get delivered in this state. The capacity to deliver in terms of the numberof people who have the contractual ability and the capacity to deliver these contracts in a timely way andproject manage these things has really been whittled away from the main roads department. There aregood people who work there, but there are not enough to do the sheer amount of work that needs to berolled out with regard to infrastructure across this state.

Tragically in the last few days a pedestrian was killed at Marcoola—a situation which is always afear where there is high-density living and an extremely busy main road. The David Low Way snakesthrough these communities, but the situation has been made worse because high-density living hasbeen developed on one side of the motorway with shopping centre complexes on the other side with nodevelopment contributions that have helped to provide pedestrian access points.

The local community and I lobbied for a safer access point. In fact, we have tabled a petition inthis parliament. A pedestrian refuge was built by Main Roads. There were problems with design issues,but ultimately I agreed with the community that the safest option is in fact traffic lights at this intersection.It may not have saved the life of this gentleman who died recently, but it would make it easier for thiscommunity to bridge the divide—that is, to be able to safely get across this road but also for traffic to beable to more safely traverse the David Low Way, which has become so busy.

There are many other road issues that I could address throughout the state, but I want to take theopportunity to talk about the mental health system in Queensland—an issue which has been particularlyhot and heated since the Cornelia Rau incident. I heard what the Premier had to say this morning interms of what he did not think was good enough about the federal inquiry. Quite frankly, I amunimpressed with what Queensland is doing. It is so hard for a truly mentally ill person to get admitted toa Queensland mental health institution or into a hospital bed. It is just a disgrace. I have had letters andphone calls from parents whose children have had trouble getting admitted. Some of them have beenadmitted when they were suicidal but were let out too early. What happens? They have ended up, insome cases, under trains or in the middle of intersections. They are very much a danger to themselvesand others because of the holes in the mental health system.

I call on the state government to get its act together, to take responsibility and to review themental health system in Queensland. In particular, it needs to look at the holes in the service. It needs tolook at the early discharge problems or the difficulties of access for those who do need access to mentalhealth services. There also needs to be easier points of access into mental health services in this state.People have to be so acutely bad that they finally get accepted whereas we need a system which canbe accessed at earlier points. There needs to be transitional housing—supported housing—to keepthose people out of a hospital setting so that they are able to be maintained and kept well and releasedback to independent living with support.

There also needs to be transitional places with support for people who do get discharged fromhospital. A lot of people who have had a mental illness find that their families are burnt out. There arefamilies who are able to hang in there, but there are a lot of families that get burnt out after dealing withpeople with severe mental illnesses. So the person with the mental illness is discharged from hospital,released back into the community, falls through the cracks and either ends up being a danger tothemselves or others when they end up being in the traffic after being psychotic, or they cycle back intothe public health system after more acute phases of their illness. It is dumb health planning and it is adumb way to manage people who are truly in need.

I ask the government to look urgently at the need for a mental health review and to look at othertransitional and support housing arrangements. We need places where people can get the necessarymedical support so that they are able to rehabilitate and go back to living independently in thecommunity. At the moment it is difficult for people to access hospitals. They are discharged too earlyand do not have the necessary support. It is a disgrace. These people are falling through the cracks. It isonly when terrible situations of people trying to access services occur or a tragedy occurs that theseissues hit the media.

There are many other health issues on the Sunshine Cost. Having infrastructure and servicescloser to people is critical. It is the human capital and making sure that those issues are maintained andthere is proper management of funding for recurrent services that is even more critical than the hardinfrastructure. While we want to see more infrastructure closer to people, the big and tough issues withhealth continue to be how the social infrastructure is actually being managed.


The next issue relates to the south-east Queensland regional plan. It is the economic plans andthe regional economic plans that we are waiting to see. The feedback I have from people regarding thesouth-east Queensland regional plan is the difficulty they have in making an informed submission in theabsence of some indication as to how the infrastructure plan and economic plan are being formulated.We cannot have a land use plan without an economic plan. We have to look at how the regionaleconomies are going to be developed. Those three components are very important and interrelated.

Hon. NI CUNNINGHAM (Bundaberg—ALP) (4.02 pm): I rise to speak in support of theseappropriation bills. On 25 November last year, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition rose to, in his words,make a contribution to the consideration of these two appropriation bills. Even though he stated, ‘Theopposition does not have any problem with the process of appropriation bills such as this to appropriatemoney for unforeseen expenditure,' the member for Callide went on to make his contribution to thedebate for a whole hour—one hour of name calling, misinformation and stories made up as he wentalong. The House even had to adjourn for lunch in the middle of it.

His most significant blunder was his constant claim that the Beattie government had failed to buildany infrastructure. In my area alone this government is building a $240 million water infrastructureproject that includes construction of two new weirs—Eidsvold and Barlil—the augmentation orheightening of two other weirs, Jones and Ned Churchward weirs, as well as a major dam on theBurnett. This is indeed major water infrastructure for regional Queensland being built by the BeattieLabor government. We can very proud that the dam is the first in Australia to be built under the strictnew environmental guidelines.

This dam had been desperately needed for almost 30 years. For 30 years Bundaberg and districtfarmers, millers, civic leaders, business and industry leaders tried unsuccessfully to get that dam. Thereason it was so desperately needed is that the original irrigation scheme completed 30 years ago wascompleted with only one major dam instead of the two that were promised. The Bundaberg district wascheated and we all know who was in government in Queensland 30 years ago.

I stood for election to this parliament in 1998 to try to get that dam. Bundaberg had one of thehighest rates of unemployment in Australia at that time and we were losing every opportunity for newindustries and jobs because we had no water available. Bundaberg could not go forward without thatwater. I gave up a job I loved as Mayor of Bundaberg to try to get that dam and succeeded.

The dam is now under way because the Beattie government understood the need, listened to thepeople, made the right decision and then put special legislation in place to ensure that it would be built inthe shortest possible time. This dam will be completed later this year. It has been a massive financialoutlay for this Queensland government in the past three budgets and it will secure a strong future forBundaberg and the entire district.

I will not now sit by and let the opposition claim one iota of credit for it. It did nothing. It ignored ourfarmers' needs when it stopped construction of that second dam and continued to ignore them. So themember for Callide's claim in his speech that there has been no water infrastructure built by thisgovernment is false. His claim that the Premier was politically trapped into promising it is false. His claimthat the previous coalition government had made a major commitment to Paradise Dam is false. Toimply that he or the former member for Burnett, Doug Slack, had anything to do with this government'sdecision to build the Burnett Dam is ludicrous and his suggestion that it would have been finished fouryears earlier if the Borbidge government had been re-elected shows his absolute lack of knowledgeabout the construction or funding of such major infrastructure.

I can say that the major dam being built on the Burnett is a sight for sore eyes, even in theconstruction stages. It has already provided new and upgraded access roads and bridges for thesurrounding shires. It has provided a construction village in Childers. It is boosting the economy of thewhole region with increases in house and holiday unit rentals, travel and retail expenditure.

There are currently more than 200 local suppliers to the construction contractors, and more than42 per cent of the work force are local people. We will now have the necessary water infrastructure inplace to meet the current and future demands of a region that is expecting upto a 50 per cent increasein population over the next 20 years.

Our Treasurer, Terry Mackenroth, has brought down the last four Queensland budgets andprogressed them in an exemplary way, providing for major infrastructure in many parts of Queenslandand subsidising local government infrastructure projects in many others—infrastructure that councilswould not be able to proceed with without this government's financial support. These appropriation billsare a necessary part of government and need to be passed to allow progress to continue inQueensland. I support the bills.

Mrs STUCKEY (Currumbin—Lib) (4.08 pm): I rise to speak in the cognate debate on theAppropriation Bill (No. 2) 2004 and the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2) 2004 and indicate at theoutset that I will be, albeit somewhat reluctantly, supporting their passage through the House today. Thisgovernment has overspent in 2003-04 by $2.3 billion, yet it is hard to find specific data that shows


exactly which services benefited from these extra funds and where exactly the money has beenallocated.

One may well speculate that the allocations are hidden away in the coffers of the Treasurydepartment. A more detailed report from the Treasurer would be informative and indeed useful inassessing the level of resources applied to the departments for which I am the Liberal shadowspokesperson. If the administrative items, for example, were detailed it would allow for a moretransparent and accountable appropriation bill. Transparency and accountability are a mantra of thisgovernment, but in reality these qualities are rarely displayed—in fact, quite often the opposite occurs.The portfolios for which I am the shadow Liberal spokesperson do not appear to fall into the categoriesof overexpenditure by a significant amount in this bill. Yet they will clearly suffer if they are required tocontribute to the funding of a shortfall not apparent in the framing of the 2004-05 budget.

How can we have confidence that the money allocated in this year's budget for my portfolioresponsibility will still be available? What will prevent that amount being reduced, in terms of servicedelivery, by unforeseen costs? This bill addresses the lack of robustness in the Treasurer's budgetingfor both expenditure and revenue. Since 2002 the Treasurer has presided over a dramatic overrun withexpenditure rising from $371 million to almost $2.4 billion in the space of two years.

So how reliable are any of the figures and, indeed, the presentation in this appropriation bill,which lumps 75 per cent of the not budgeted expenditure into administered items? This implies thateither the government does not know how the overspend occurred or that it is unwilling to disclose it tothe light of day. A more competent management of the state's expenditure would ensure that overruns,particularly in wages and related costs, were strongly resisted.

I am sure that I speak on behalf of millions of residents when I say that we would like to see moreof the available revenue being reflected in the available services offered to the Queensland public. Doesthe government itself know the answers to any of these questions? Is its failure to manage expenditureanywhere near the budget level a sign of incompetence or a mixture of incompetence and cunning? Ineither scenario, the government appears to be devoted entirely to obscuring any useful data on what isactually happening.

The mid-year review projects the actual surplus for 2004-05 to be $1 billion—up from the$450 million expected from the budget estimate. We do not know what absolute changes have beenmade to specified areas of expenditure and revenue, that is, what is the actual dollar value of the newlyrevised levels of income and expenditure. What is the increase over budget? In what areas did it takeplace? What were the reasons? I note the continued use of the excuse of actuarial revisions as anexplanation of unforeseen cost increases. This is a popular inclusion in every explanation by thisgovernment when failing to meet the budget. So are we going to find expenses up by $1 billion or$2 billion over the budget for 2004-05, already inflated on the back of unforeseen expenditure up by$2 billion in 2003-04?

A few of the areas in the Currumbin electorate that require better management and allocation ofresources include public housing, mental health and disability services, and crisis accommodationplaces. In August last year I drew the attention of this House to the plight of the Gold Coast branch ofthe Mental Health Association, which was facing closure due to the government withdrawing its fundingsupport of some $65,000. I was pleased to hear—after, I might add, intense lobbying from me and acouple of other Gold Coast members—that the government had reconsidered and given thatassociation funding so that it could continue. Disappointingly, though, there was no increase to thisfunding as requested by the organisation, nor did it get any assurance whatsoever that the fundingwould be ongoing. Mental health services are few and far between on the Gold Coast, and thisorganisation based at Southport has over 3½ thousand people through its doors each year requiring itsassistance for a range of specialised support programs. The demand for these services will explode inyears to come, which is why it is imperative that the government make inroads now.

Gabrielle Savage, the Manager of the Mental Health Association, has previously stated—Our organisation depends on state government funding which is not a guaranteed source. If we can promote Mental Health andgain the support of the community, we can not only help more people but hopefully can convince the government the importanceof the work that we are doing and the necessity of recurrent funding.

On the Gold Coast, each year crisis accommodation services turn away thousands of people, yetthese services, which are severely stretched and underresourced, have not been given any extrafunding or consideration. On several occasions the minister has acknowledged that the Gold Coast areahas the highest youth homelessness rate in the state and admits that it has been identified as the areaof greatest need for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program—otherwise known as SAAP—yet still refuses to consider allocating any additional financing. Given the loss of 20 beds for men at StillWaters in Southport, the Blair Athol Accommodation and Support Program at Bilinga in my electorateoffers the only crisis accommodation for men on the Gold Coast. Services at Blair Athol providesupported accommodation for approximately 500 individuals each year, including families and singleadults. Blair Athol provides support services to another 10,000 individuals who are homeless or who areat risk of homelessness annually.


Over a six-month period in 2004 the service experienced a 40 per cent increase in demand forsupport and meal services for people who are unable to find accommodation. In the past financial year,Blair Athol had to turn away 5,002 people. These are appalling statistics for a government with adeclared surplus in its annual budget. This worthy service has had no additional funding for staff oroperations in 10 years. Dr Bill Hoyer, Chairperson of the Gold Coast Project for Homeless Youth,recently wrote to my office stating that that project is currently facing a deficit of $113,000 in projectedwage costs against budget for the 2004-05 year. Dr Hoyer is adamant that the project will not reducestaff levels as there is an ever-increasing clientele of special needs youth who require assistance.However, regardless of Dr Hoyer's wishes, if this project for homeless youth does not get more funding,it will be forced to reduce its service delivery by either closing or severely cutting the services offered.That would create an increase in the number of homeless young people on the streets of the GoldCoast.

The southern section of the Gold Coast is in desperate need of more public housing. Over 50 percent of my constituent inquiries are in relation to this issue. The waiting list for public housing in myelectorate is between eight and 10 years. I am sure that that is partly due to the fact that I represent themost desirable electorate in Queensland and many people do not move once they gain accommodationhere. Affordable housing is further hampered by the dramatic increase in property prices andsubsequent hike in rental prices in the Currumbin electorate. Many people who could once find low-rentaccommodation are now finding that landlords are increasing their rent, thereby causing them to addtheir name to the public housing waiting list. One solution that has been offered is for people to considermoving to other areas such as Eagleby or Logan, which have shorter waiting lists. But this only shifts theheavy burden placed on the department of housing elsewhere.

I have already in this House welcomed the allocation of funds in this year's budget for a newpurpose-built facility for children with special needs, which is currently located at Coolangatta SpecialSchool on Kirra Hill. Owing to intense lobbying, earlier this month the government made the decision togive the Kirra Hill site to the community. Ongoing concerns regarding the location of the new schoolcause me to once again ask the minister to disclose the location of the new school. Another questionthat this budget overspend raises is whether the allocation in the 2004-05 budget of $5.5 million isenough to purchase land and build the facility.

People of my electorate, and in particular the people of Tugun, are monitoring the progress of theTugun bypass project. After all of these years of waiting, they deserve to see construction commencedat the earliest possible date once the approvals process is complete. Thousands of people who utilisethe Currumbin estuary and creek mouth are also waiting for this government to acknowledge itsresponsibility to maintain a safe waterway as conditions are hazardous.

I urge the state government to take heed of the issues raised in this debate and note whereadditional funding is needed, or can be better utilised in Currumbin and throughout Queensland. Whilstsome of these concerns require competent management at a ministerial level rather than money, mostof the concerns of the people of Currumbin could be addressed through the application of properdisciplines, better financial management and the clearer prioritising of expenditures.

Ms LEE LONG (Tablelands—ONP) (4.18 pm): I rise to contribute to debate on the AppropriationBill (No. 2) 2004. The truth of the matter is that the funding decisions of this government favour thesouth-east corner. The reasons are very clear and simple: the majority of voters and the majority ofseats in this place are concentrated in south-east Queensland. The reality of politics means that that iswhere the funding goes—for new and bigger ports and stadiums, for new and bigger cultural facilities,for pedestrian bridges, for subsidised commuter trains and so on. That will always be case because ofhuman nature and people wanting to remain in power. The majority of voters will attract the majority ofgovernment attention and funding, not because it is right but because, as I have just said, people wantto remain in power.

For example, the allocation to the department of primary industries in the current operatingbudget for 2004-05 is so small that it does not even add up to one football field in Brisbane. That is proofthat the one vote, one value system does not produce equal results for those who live outside south-east Queensland. The allocation to the department of primary industries of $252 million in 2003-04increased to an estimated $261 million in 2004-05. That is a paltry amount when in 2003-04 theindustries under the department's umbrella generated an estimated $9 billion in gross productionfigures. That is a massive contribution to Queensland, but Primary Industries receives a pitiful amount ofsupport from this government because there are too few votes in the bush for it to attract more.

I do recognise, however, that my electorate has seen several projects finally begin to take shape.We are thankful to see the long-awaited South Johnstone Bridge near completion. This bridge will allowmy constituents at Mena Creek to be flood proofed. They should not be held up during any wet seasonin the future. The Mount Garnet Ambulance Station is now in operation and providing a vastly improvedcommunity facility. I was with the emergency services minister for the opening of the extensions to theDimbulah Fire Station late last year. The community at Irvinebank is the grateful recipient of a new firetruck and a building to house it. The first official function for that facility was cancelled due to the tilt train


disaster. I thank the minister for coming back to Irvinebank so quickly to formally hand over thatequipment.

I am sure that the community of Atherton also would be delighted to hear of a firmcommencement date for the long-awaited new ambulance station, funding for which has been in everybudget since I entered this place at the beginning of the previous parliament. There is also a need for anew fire station for Mareeba. The existing one is so out of date that the doors of the new fire truckscannot even be opened all the way, restricting entry for the fire crews and raising, I would think,occupational health and safety issues, among others. In an emergency our firies have to scramble justto get into the trucks because of a lack of room. They need a new station urgently.

High school students at Mareeba are looking forward to finally having a large covered area toprovide a venue safe from the tropical sun. I equate Mareeba's weather to that of Townsville, with long,hot, dry summers. Mareeba boasts 300 sunny days per year, yet it is one of the last places to get acovered area for its students. It is incredible that the school and community have had to campaign foryears for this, but it was finally announced in this year's budget. I trust that it will be built quickly.

These are all very worthwhile and necessary pieces of infrastructure. I recognise thegovernment's funding contribution so far but urge it to lift its eyes from the south-east and recognise thatQueenslanders in other parts of the state are entitled to improved basic services before the populatedcentres receive more cultural precincts and entertainment venues.

Our public hospitals are understaffed and underresourced. This is well documented. Our policeservices are understaffed and underresourced. When police officers go on holidays, paternity leave,long service leave, stress leave or any other leave they are not replaced. This results in a grossshortage of staff on an ongoing basis in my electorate.

Our rail services are shrinking. I know that the QR staff at Mareeba are very concerned that thefacility in Mareeba will be closed and centralised in Atherton at a time when other industries are openingup in the Mareeba area, such as a feedlot, a spring water business and a mining operation.Administration workers at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre are likewise concerned that their jobs will becentralised in Cairns. It is important that, at times when other industries in the area are doing it tough,these jobs remain on the tablelands.

Our roads continue to require improvement. In particular, the Kuranda Range Road needs fast-tracking as the major link to the coast. The majority of tablelanders support improvements to this rangeroad and also the possible opening of Quaid Road. More water storage is urgently needed, asmemories of the 2002-03 drought remain with us. In conclusion, we are thankful for what we have gotbut much is needed in the future. We hope that that will happen as soon as possible.

Mr RICKUSS (Lockyer—NPA) (4.22 pm): I would like to draw the attention of the House to theestimated large budget surplus for this year. The Lockyer electorate is in dire need of some majorinfrastructure. I refer to the south-west transport corridor, from the Centenary Highway to theCunningham Highway at Yamanto. At a large public meeting I attended the overwhelming view was thatthe road should go all the way—from highway to highway. It should not stop halfway. I am sure that themember for Ipswich will support me in the assertion that it should not be running up Ripley Road. Thecouncil also supports the highway going right through. I think it would be the wisest decision, if theTreasurer can raise the funds.

I have also been speaking to the Ipswich council about recycling water for multiple use—fordomestic and industry users in rural areas. This project is of state importance. The rural areas, whichmake up 85 per cent of my electorate, will remain rural under the urban plan. The rural areas must haveenough water to be productive. The rural areas of the Ipswich council area are in as dire straits as therest of the Lockyer electorate. The infrastructure must be built.

State Development has done endless studies. It is now time to act on these studies. Let us start toprogress this matter further. The studies done by State Development are vital to progress the renewedwater project further. This project is too important and too large to be sidelined by stupid point scoring. Iam sure that commonsense will prevail and that all levels of government will work with the local irrigatorgroups to progress this recycled water project to fruition.

The recycled water project is one of a number of fundamental projects. It will not only help thelocal areas—the Ipswich area, the Beaudesert area, Laidley, Gatton and Toowoomba; it will also helpMoreton Bay by taking hundreds of thousands of megalitres of nutrient-rich water out of the bay andreturning it inland. This can only benefit the whole of south-east Queensland.

The shire of Gatton is in much need of a Transport office. At the moment the department oftransport works out of the Gatton Police Station. This situation is not good enough for our area. Werequire a stand-alone Transport office. The area is continuing to grow and the police station, which is 40years old, can no longer cope with Queensland Transport being part of the office. The minister fortransport only has to talk to the assistant police commissioner for the Southern region to understand thereal situation. Population in my area is continuing to grow. In the last 12 months there have been over


2,000 new enrolments in my electorate. It is just not adequate to have the police station and theTransport office functioning together.

As I have mentioned before, some of the roads in the Lockyer need money spent on them. I urgethe minister for transport to prioritise the Toowoomba range crossing. This is definitely a high-needsroad. The second range crossing must be fast-tracked. I am sure that the member for Toowoomba Northwill support me—

Mr Lawlor: You get on to your federal mates. Mr RICKUSS: But it has to be prioritised. Those blokes opposite have to prioritise it. The range

crossing is definitely a high-priority transport crossing. It will save the country millions of dollars in thelong term. The second range crossing must be fast-tracked.

Public transport is always an issue. The electrification of the rail line to at least Gatton issomething that must happen. Why it finishes at Rosewood is unknown. It will eventually go up the range,but at the moment it finishes at Gatton. This would also ease the traffic on the Warrego Highway.

I urge the government to also spend some of its extra money on the national park estate. It is ofvital importance that, as the national park estate expands, more money is spent on infrastructure andmaintenance. We cannot have the national park estate in a state of disrepair. Also, the maintenance oftracks must be kept up with a view to safety. There is a need for more money on a range of issues fromhealth to education and the other areas I have mentioned. The dental clinic at Gatton is now two yearsbehind in its appointments. I ask the minister to spend some of this money on these high-need areas. Icommend the bill to the House.

Hon. KR LINGARD (Beaudesert—NPA) (4.28 pm): Today during debate on the condolencemotions I was interested to hear of a former ALP member saying in 1953 that he could never see theALP being beaten, yet in 1957 it was beaten. In 1987 I remember discussions with coalition membersduring Expo. We could never see the coalition being beaten, but in 1989 it was defeated. Sogovernments do fall and basic philosophies of governments do change. Probably that is fortunate, butthere is no doubt that basic philosophies of governments can adversely affect some groups. One groupof people that is being adversely affected by the present government is those who depend on dam waterfor agricultural viability.

Today I listened to the member for Bundaberg speak about the fact that the Beattie governmenthad built a new dam and that it was using its money. That is not necessarily true. If a new dam, say theWolffdene Dam, was to be built in the Beaudesert area, the government would support the Brisbanearea water board in its borrowings of money so that the Brisbane area water board could build a dam,whether it be the Wolffdene Dam or the Glendower Dam. But the government would know full well thatthe Brisbane area water board would get its money back from the charges paid by the urban users andall other users of that particular dam.

That is not a basic philosophy about building a dam and using consolidated revenue or usingtaxpayers' money. There have been several instances recently where I have taken deputations toministers—one in particular about the building of a dam in the Beaudesert area for agricultural viability.In fairness to the minister, the minister has listened and has agreed with the theories and the thoughtsput forward by those particular people. At the end of the meeting he said, ‘Who is going to build thedam?' In other words, who is going to pay for this dam? There is no way in the wide world that farmersthese days can pay for the costs of the capital infrastructure of a dam. Therefore, any dams to be built inrural areas for use by farmers are obviously doomed if this government continues with its philosophythat water is not a basic commodity. If water is to be considered differently from the payment of bus orenergy subsidies, if the government continues saying, ‘We will not use taxpayers' money orconsolidated revenue to build the capital infrastructure of a dam,' then that is a very different philosophythan that exercised by governments in the 1930s and 1940s which built dams such as the MoogerahDam and the Maroon Dam, which were clearly built for agricultural viability.

The government built the capital infrastructure and the farmers using water will pay rates whichthey will continue to pay for the maintenance of delivering that irrigation water to their farms. There is noway that farmers these days can pay the capital infrastructure costs. Therefore, if this governmentcontinues with its philosophy, we will not see any new dams which can save water for agriculturalviability. I say that because of the probably 700,000 megalitres of the Logan River that flows throughBeenleigh—probably people have seen it in Waterford—93 per cent goes into the ocean. So peoplemake use of only seven per cent of the water in the Logan River. Members can imagine how muchwater in north Queensland goes out into the ocean which we are not making use of. We are going tocontinue to see pressure on farmers, urban users and industrial users to pay higher costs for water andto try to save more water through whatever means they possibly can. Yet we as governments are notprepared to pay money to build the infrastructure costs of dams. If this government continues with thisphilosophy, we are clearly doomed as far as the amount of water that we will have or will not have foruse in the future.


This government is prepared to pay money to supplement bus costs. This government isprepared to pay money for energy costs but it is not prepared to pay money for the cost of a dam. Whilstthe minister will probably say that they are building another dam in central Queensland, that dam if builtwill be paid for by mining companies through the fees that they will pay in the future. That is not what Iam talking about. I am talking about paying for the infrastructure and allowing that infrastructure to catchwater and then have farmers pay for the maintenance costs from then on.

The system at present is being exacerbated by SunWater. SunWater is a separate corporateentity from the government. If there is any criticism of SunWater, it simply says, ‘We are placed here bythe government to run this water system. We have to return a dividend to the government and we haveto make the water pay.' If we talk to the government it says, ‘Water is not our responsibility. Water is runby SunWater.'

We have a ridiculous situation which I would like to explain with respect to Boonah and MoogerahDams. The Moogerah Dam was built in the 1930s and 1940s for agricultural viability. Clearly some ofthe water is used by the Boonah township. Some of the water is used by Ipswich city, but most of thewater is used by Swanbank for power. When Moogerah gets down to five per cent, Swanbank can beswitched over to the Wivenhoe because it is so close to the Brisbane River. That is what happenedrecently when Swanbank went on to the Wivenhoe Dam system. When Moogerah got to 10 per cent—which still does not allow water to get to the farmers; they cannot come on at 10 per cent—SunWatersaid, ‘We have to retrieve some of the costs of this 10 per cent. We have water to sell out of MoogerahDam.' So it took five per cent of the water, gave it to Swanbank and made Swanbank Power Station pay.Swanbank took it and put it in its storage dams.

Of all the people who use water out of the Moogerah—farmers first, urban users, industrial userswho are the first to go off? The agricultural people. So a dam built for agricultural viability is used bySunWater so it can get the financial costs and bring the water level down to five per cent. Now we findMoogerah again sitting at five per cent, not used by skiers, not used by the public, not used by farmers,not used by Ipswich city but used by Swanbank because it is the one who can pay, even thoughSwanbank could still take the water from Wivenhoe.

The farmers say, ‘Let’s go to the government, which is getting a dividend from SunWater, and askit why, in tough times such as these, it cannot assist with the costs of keeping Swanbank on theWivenhoe and allow the Moogerah Dam to sit there at 10 per cent so that it can be used by skiers andfarmers?' This government says, ‘No, it is not our basic philosophy to use consolidated revenue ortaxpayers' money. Therefore, Swanbank will be allowed to take from Moogerah.’ That is the ridiculoussituation.

Farmers who have used Warrill Creek and the diversionary systems that are there clearly are notgetting the water now and clearly are not getting the water they used to get before the dam was built. Sothose who have riparian rights are quite honestly disadvantaged. We see a fight happening in the Warrilland Boonah areas, where even the people there believe that when five per cent of the water fromMoogerah was released and was coming down the river system to Swanbank some of their own storagewater at lagoons was used. It is a difficult question to answer. If it came straight down Warrill Creek,probably some of the water would have evaporated. Some of the water would have gone intounderground systems, and that is clearly an advantage. Probably SunWater saw too much waterescaping so it brought it down the diversionary channels and through some of the dams used to storewater for farmers. Clearly they are upset.

Clearly the question cannot be answered, but they are upset with SunWater. SunWater has saidthat it is looking after some of those lagoons and dams and repairing them. It is a difficult question toanswer. However, there is obviously aggression and fights between SunWater and farmers, and to bequite honest I cannot blame the farmers. They have not had water for year after year after year simplybecause they are not on priority water. Whilst water is provided to farmers, urban users and industrialusers, in times of drought the first people to go off are the agricultural people because water is neededfor urban usage. Maroon Dam, which feeds the Logan River, is exactly the same. Clearly when water isavailable in Maroon or in all the other tributaries, SunWater sells the water. It sells it to its limit. It sellsover its limit. When times of drought come, it says, ‘AJ Bush cannot go off. They take all the meat offalfrom all over south-east Queensland. Davis Gelatine cannot go off because they provide gelatine to therest of Australia. They must stay on water. We will take the farmers off.' So farmers miss out on theirwater. The difficulty is that farmers therefore lose confidence in their properties. They lose confidence inthe crops they would grow. They do not experiment because they have a difficulty in providing theirwater.

The Logan River Action Group has been very active in trying to get the government to change itsattitude. In all fairness to the minister, he will sit there and he has to say ‘yes', ‘yes', ‘yes' to all of thetheories of building new dams on the Logan River. At the end he asks, ‘Well, who is going to build it?'The minister then comes back and says, ‘The Logan Basin has been targeted as a future urban watersupply option for south-east Queensland.' If the allocations commensurate with Glendower andWyaralong dams, for example, were to be made available through the WRP process, the catchment


would be heavily allocated, and it is envisaged that there would be little additional water over and abovethe existing level of allocation plus the allocation associated with those dams.

In other words, in the future, even if extra water is allocated or there are extra dams, that water isgoing to be used by urban users; in other words, Gold Coast and Brisbane residents. For anyone livingin the Beaudesert or Boonah areas, even if extra dams are built, that water will be used for extra urbanuse. Quite honestly, the minister, with his urban development plan, has to accept the criticism that thepeople of those areas know there is no infrastructure envisaged for dams. We have been talking aboutWolffdene for a long time. The ALP cancelled it. It said it would build the Glendower Dam. Now it hasbeen proved that the Glendower Dam probably is not viable. It has been talking about Wyaralong.Those dams have been talked about for years and years and years, and the government continues tosay, ‘This is the infrastructure we are investigating.' We know full well that those investigations havebeen going on for years and years and years, and there is no doubt that this government has nointention of immediately providing the infrastructure that is necessary for some of its urban managementplans.

The minister cannot blame farmers in the Boonah and Beaudesert areas who are very scepticalabout these budgets that show massive profits. These farmers, who are contributing to the governmentby paying massive land tax, are sitting there saying, ‘We had dams built here in the thirties and fortiesfor agricultural viability but that is not being looked at by this government.’ This government is saying,‘We cannot provide money, we cannot provide assistance, therefore you are not going to get yourwater.' I would say to the government that it is really about time that it changed its philosophy about theprovision of water as a basic commodity.

Mr KNUTH (Charters Towers—NPA) (4.41 pm): I rise to speak to the Appropriation Bill (No. 2). Iwould like to draw attention to the lack of single share accommodation for people with disabilities inCharters Towers. Charters Towers has a very high number of residents with disabilities, yet it has a verylow number of houses and units available to disabled residents. A very successful program, whichprovides single share accommodation for those with a disability, is currently being run by the InghamParents Support Group. This housing arrangement allows for several disabled residents to effectivelypool the resources available to them so that quality care can be provided by a single carer at a singleresidence. This arrangement fully utilises all resources, facilities and services available while ensuringthat residents of the accommodation each receive quality care and a high level of independence.

I am also very concerned by the fact that Charters Towers does not currently have a permanentappropriate facility where respite can be provided for the disabled who are being cared for by familymembers or guardians. One couple is currently caring for a grandchild who has a disability. If theyrequire respite care they must take their grandchild 130 kilometres to Townsville or agree to have acarer come into their home to care for their grandchild. As members can imagine, it is extremely difficultto unwind and relax when a person knows they are in the same house as a loved one who requires careand yet they are not assisting with their care. Many of these families are burnt out and are searching foranswers.

The state government's costs per person for public housing in Charters Towers are extremely lowwhen compared to the cost incurred for public housing in metropolitan areas. I believe Charters Towersdeserves its fair share of funding. Parents with children or young adults with a disability need thesecurity of knowing that they have suitable accommodation available to them and 24-hour respite careavailable outside their family homes. It is vitally important that the appropriate accommodation facilitiesare provided to those who are most in need.

The apprenticeship issue is a big issue with regard to some of the mining communities within myelectorate. I would like to bring to the government’s attention the mining town of Moranbah, which isgoing through a coalmining boom. At the present moment there is a limited water supply. There aremany problems with regard to local businesses being able to provide apprentices.

The state and federal governments are committed to ensuring that skilled workers are available toall industries by supporting new apprenticeship schemes. In 2004 and 2005 the Australian governmentwill spend more than $725.5 million on new apprentices. The state government has pledged $7.2 millionunder the Strategic Employment Development Program to provide employer incentives.

As I was saying, in towns like Moranbah rent is over $400 a week. Local businesses that arethere to service the mines cannot get apprentices because they are paying those apprentices anapproximate figure of $300 a week when it costs $400 a week for accommodation. I believe that someform of public unit accommodation needs to be provided and supported by the state government toencourage apprentices to live in Moranbah. This would enable them to utilise their skills, and it would bea greater incentive for them to use their skills in the mining industry and other areas further down thetrack.

There is another very difficult issue. Local small businesses in townships like Moranbah will puton these apprentices to utilise their skills. However, within 12 months or two years those apprentices willmove to the mines because the mines have offered them accommodation. It is a big problem to maintainaccommodation for apprentices in towns like Moranbah.


I would just like to raise the issue of the Kennedy Development Road. This road runs fromHughenden to Lynd Junction, and it links the Atherton Tableland. This road is classified as a regionalroad and is only one of two roads in north Queensland that remains unsealed at this classification level.Just last year more than half a million cattle came out of that region. It is an inland highway from Cairnsto Melbourne. There is an unlimited amount of tourists who use that road. We had more than nine touristbuses coming down that road within two weeks, but this cannot happen anymore. The situation hasoccurred now where bulldust is nine inches thick and only last year there were nine accidents.

Mr Lawlor interjected. Mr KNUTH: That is true. Because of this bulldust there were nine accidents within two weeks. I believe that this is a road of

significance. It definitely needs to be looked at. The sealing of this road makes commonsense. It is aninland highway. It will open up rural and regional Queensland. It will relieve congestion from the south-east corner. It will encourage people from the south-east corner to move to rural and regional areas. Ifwe do not have the infrastructure people will not move out there, and that is why this road is important.

It is a road from Cairns. We have the support from the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. We havethe support from the Hughenden Chamber of Commerce, the Flinders Shire Council, the RichmondShire Council and locals. The Porcupine Gorge is a significant reason alone, being the wonderful touristattraction that it is, to have this road sealed. Sealing this road makes commonsense.

I would like to bring to members' attention one more issue regarding the Cooler Schools issue.We have towns in my electorate such as Richmond, Muttaburra and Hughenden which were in thatCooler Schools zone in the 1980s. They now fall out of that zone by one degree. Their evaporativeairconditioners are run-down and are very costly to run. Those three schools offered to provide fundingfrom the P&C. We are calling on the state government to assist those P&C groups with funding toupgrade the airconditioners at those schools. I urge this government to take all this into consideration,and I commend this bill to the House.

Mr McARDLE (Caloundra—Lib) (4.50 pm): It gives me pleasure to rise to speak to the bills beforethe House today. These bills in essence extend the budget to incorporate expenses not otherwise takeninto account to meet the needs of the state of Queensland. I will return shortly to the fact that additionalfunds exceed $2.3 billion. It is, in fact, the needs of the state of Queensland which have been and willcontinue to be the subject of much debate in the public arena, and pressures exist and continue to beexerted, particularly in the south-east corner, hereto unheard of. Term it what you like, these pressureswill continue to exert a significant influence upon our society. Aside from the infrastructure requirements,which I will return to later, strong social upheavals are likely to continue to occur on many issues and forwhich moneys such as these are needed, including public housing, juvenile crime, drug and alcoholabuse, blended families and foster care just to name a few.

Naturally solutions are difficult to come by as problems of this nature stem from deep seatedissues in our community. Thus far we have tended to deal with these problems when they become apublic issue. Normally these problems stem from multiple causes and they are usually years old beforethe public becomes aware of their existence. The growth and change throughout Queensland heraldsthe time for radical thinking and the implementation of plans that are going to cater for the needs of ourcommunity in the years to come. We need to consider these issues in a broader context as they play animportant role in creating our community. Equally, their resolution will play an important role in alteringour community.

One of the most important documents today in south-east Queensland is the draft south-eastregional plan and one that in principle my party endorses. When one considers the plan one looks at thekey performance indicators, and I note that there are seven outcomes in the draft document, beingnatural environment, resources and rural production, urban form, strong communities, a diverseeconomy, integrated transport, infrastructure and services, and engaging Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander peoples.

The debate in relation to the plan has intensified of late with many concerns being raised byvarious groups. Some of these concerns consist of the yearly population increase as the basis for thepopulation figure as at 2026 being seriously questioned and the final projected figure being seen as toolow. This underestimation of population leads to the land of the urban footprint being exhausted wellbefore 2026. Employment opportunities within the western corridor in particular are critical to the plan'ssuccess and the plan is silent on how these opportunities will be established.

The suggestion of density levels being 15 lots per hectare may work on small developments, butwhen considered against developments the size of North Lakes and Springfield Lakes it is simply notachievable. I note that in the Koala Conservation Plan 2005 areas of Noosa, Maroochy, Caloundra,Caboolture, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Redland, Logan, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Beaudesert and the Brisbanelocal authority areas are incorporated in koala district A. No-one argues that koala habitats should notbe saved, but the overlay that these can produce can reduce the size of the urban footprint in theselocal authorities for development by housing and development companies.


How long will it take local government authorities to amend their planning instruments to comeinto line with the draft plan, as it is the local government authorities which will be actually implementingmuch of the plan, and the roll-out of the infrastructure plan, including budgeting, time line andeffectiveness of the infrastructure, will be critical to the plan's ultimate success? There are, however,numerous other issues impacting upon the community. Firstly, stamp duty, land tax and payroll tax arestarting to bite very hard into the operating capital of businesses and investors, in particular stamp dutyand land tax, given the rising value in land over the past two to three years, and this will continue to havea negative cash flow result for many people who are self-funded retirees.

These issues do need to be addressed as they affect business and the general community. I havespoken to many independent retirees who have acquired a capital base of real estate and who are nowfinding that the valuation increases in their properties over the past two to three years are significantlyeroding that base. I have been told by many people that they are having to sell properties to try to meetthese ongoing expenses, and net returns in many cases are negative. Similarly, the question of payrolltax is starting to impact upon business and how it plans for the future.

The government argues that funds will be needed to be spent over the next 10 to 20 years onmany needs across south-east Queensland, yet a balance needs to be struck between these competinginterests. The government cannot continue to bleed the public.

The Sunshine Coast has suffered at the hands of this government since 1998. The governmenthas neglected and ignored the needs of the coast to the point where we are now suffering enormousdifficulties and we are unable to meet the basic requirements of a modern region. The infrastructureplanning across the shires of Noosa and Maroochy and the city of Caloundra is, to say the least, laggingbehind by at least 10 years. This government has failed to deliver even the crucial elements to allowpeople to live in a standard acceptable to the general population throughout Queensland.

Books have been written about the road transport system across the Sunshine Coast. In effect,the road system is antiquated, and planning which should have been undertaken a number of years agois only now being considered.

The health system is an appalling indictment on the priorities of this government. There is not onepublic hospital on the Sunshine Coast that has been adequately cared for, resourced or funded for someconsiderable number of years. It is as a consequence of this poor and inadequate approach that peopleon the coast are experiencing enormous health concerns and, despite repeated requests, they arebeing ignored.

Police numbers across the coast have not increased by anywhere near the numbers requiredover the past five to six years. The danger is that the Sunshine Coast will continue to be ignored, withpolice numbers down, when one considers realistically the numbers which would be required to be onoperational duties to provide the security needed. An example of this is the police minister's refusal toprovide details of police numbers currently at the Caloundra Police Station on the ludicrous basis thatoperationally these figures are not provided. That statement is simply beyond belief. The police minister,in providing that as an answer to a question on notice, again shows her ignorance of the coast and hercapacity not to deal with the issues that are essential to the day-to-day lives of those who reside in theregion.

To expect the people of the Sunshine Coast to accept the minister's statement is equallyludicrous. One reason for the answer could be that the number has not increased for some considerableperiod of time in order to keep pace with the population growth. Again, smoke and mirrors are used bythis government. Talk to people in the street and they will tell you that crime is still a major concern forthem. Excuses are being made constantly by the government, but the answer to the problem is to putmore police on the streets and to have them better resourced. Again, that is a statement reinforced bymany serving police officers.

There are a number of other concerns, including education, in particular the prep year and thefact that this government cannot find its way to loosen the purse strings to enlarge the Cooler Schoolsprogram, which is so badly needed, given that we live in a society where airconditioners are a commonhousehold and office item.

In essence, this government has again failed to deliver on the financial expectations of the state.Billions of dollars will be needed to be spent on the Sunshine Coast alone to bring it up to par with otherregions of Queensland. If one considers Caloundra alone, the planning process, at the very least, hasbeen appalling. At Caloundra Hospital, $6 million was to be spent to commission a second operatingtheatre and provide 10 extra beds. In the AMA report entitled Blackspot Zones, this comment is made inrelation to the progress of this promise—Smoke and mirrors—Caloundra always had a second operating theatre, which has now been reopened for several operating listsa week—mainly doing day surgery. The original plan to conduct some joint surgery (taking the pressure off Nambour Hospital) hasfallen over. The extra beds have arrived but they are mainly for day patients, not for overnight stays.

In relation to the question of oral health, the same report refers to the promise of $3 million—between the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Redlands, Logan, Beaudesert, Redcliffe, Caboolture,


Townsville, Rockhampton and Wide Bay—to provide 10,000 extra dental treatments in areas with thelongest waiting lists. It states—Not delivered—Directors have been told they can apply for additional funding. Outsourcing has been considered.

The list in relation to health care needs across the state, in particular the Sunshine Coast andCaloundra, goes on and on. The minister has failed in any way, shape or form to adequately fulfill thesepromises. He simply has no knowledge of the needs of the Sunshine Coast population.

When we turn to the issue of transport, the situation is again ludicrous. The transport ministerhuffs and puffs his way around the state but achieves nothing. Sunshine Coast transport corridors areyears away from completion. In reality, they should have been built five years ago. The Caloundra Roadupgrade to four lanes will not be completed, on the current estimates, until 2008. Even if that occurs, itwill then be the only four-lane road travelling east-west from the Bruce Highway to the ocean. Of course,waiting until 2008 is simply beyond a joke when one considers the necessity of the Caloundra Road tofeed the new industrial complex located behind Corbould Park race course, with stage 1 due to open in2006 and the multimodal corridor which is due to link into Caloundra Road in 2007.

Traffic congestion across the Sunshine Coast is in an appalling state, yet the minister falls backon excuses—not reasons—to justify the inadequate provision of funding and other needs of the region.Public transport is one more major problem for the coast with only one per cent of the populationutilising it. The minister is acutely aware of the appalling reputation of Sunbus and yet, despitenumerous requests, has taken no action to rectify the problem. Sunbus is a service that deals withpeople on a constant basis throughout the day, not, as in many other cases, at the peak times ofmorning and afternoon. The minister has simply failed to turn his mind to the Sunshine Coast andneglects it appallingly. To our relief we have organisations such as SunROC that have taken the initiativeand are doing something to address the problem and not waiting for this government to fall over its feetto find another blunder.

Overall, this government is inadequate in relation to its financial responsibilities. Ask people andthey will say, ‘Where is all of the money coming into Queensland going?' Ask the teachers, policeofficers, doctors, nurses and many others the position as they see it and they will make it very clear thatthey have no idea where the money is going. It is certainly not going into resourcing and funding theirneeds. In essence, the money is going into the Public Service bureaucracy and being eaten up throughwages, salaries and glossy magazines. The government continues to throw a veil of secrecy over itsfinancial spending details and would rather grow the Public Service than provide the basic needs of ourcommunity. To be a leader takes many qualities. One is the ability to make the hard decisions. Thesecond is to plan. Neither has been achieved by this government to date.

Mr FRASER (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (5.00 pm): This second appropriation affirms Queensland'sposition as the engine room of the Australian economy. This appropriation commits additional fundingacross a range of government departments made possible by the government's prudent fiscal record, itsstrong commitment to economic reform and driving investment in productivity. It commits this fundingwithin our framework of responsible financial management that continues to provide us with the capacityto deliver first-class public services.

It could only be the subscribers of voodoo economics opposite who at once chide us for makingadditional allocations and complain of funding reticence. Our financial position is the envy of all states.With an additional $450 million bolstering our forecast surplus to $1 billion for the fiscal year 2004, weare well placed to approve this expenditure. Net worth is now forecast to rise to $81.7 billion by the endof the financial year—an increase of $9.2 billion from the forecast at the time of the budget appropriatedthrough the parliament last year. Our future superannuation liabilities for public servants are fully funded,a key point of difference as against each other state and territory and indeed the Commonwealth.

We continue to outstrip the national economy, recording growth of 4.5 per cent compared to thenational effort of four per cent in the fiscal year 2004. This belies the idea that we benefit from theHoward government's stewardship, which has been notable for its timidity toward reform, itsrecklessness with public expenditure and its sectional servitude. A look ahead sees a predicted grossstate product of 5.8 per cent compared to gross domestic product of 2.8 per cent according to thefigures published by the Parliamentary Library on Monday of this week.

It is interesting, in the context of this pattern of outperforming the national economy, to analysethe claims of the federal government to the mantle of sound economic management. Amongst theadvice provided with all care and no responsibility by the federal government is the chiding that thestates should provide opportunity for private investment in infrastructure and implement deregulatoryreforms in our industrial relations system. To take one example, we have provided that opportunity inDalrymple Bay and just listen to the tawdry approach of the flip-floppers opposite—the chip wrapperopponents of the private sector today.

On the other hand, those opposite want to move away from our benchmark industrial relationssystem which has recorded remarkably lower levels of disputation than the federal system in operationin Victoria. This surely must be a hallmark of success. In the September quarter, Queensland


experienced five days of disputation per thousand employees compared to 12 days in Victoria. Thecommitment to move away from that system by the federal government can only be explained then as adiversionary flight of ideological fancy. Why it does not find its ideological fancy when it comes to thereform of trusts or the plainly distortive income taxation arrangements bemuses us all.

We all know that at a time of rising inflation the principal crime of any government would bereckless expansion of government expenditure. The spree undertaken by the Prime Minister in theelection campaign, including the billions of dollars he pledged every 10 minutes during his hour-longcampaign launch, is fuelling inflationary pressures which, of course, mean only one thing: pressure oninterest rates to control demand given the recalcitrance of the same federal government to undertakereform of the economy, a point I made here in April last year. It is a point made somewhat more recentlyand forcefully and with slightly higher gravitas by the OECD and the Reserve Bank Governor, IanMacFarlane.

With growth being disproportionately bolstered by private consumption, the Reserve Bank ofAustralia has rightly drawn the attention of the federal government to the need to return the compositionof growth to a better balance in terms of productive investment. I support our over-the-horizon budgetarystrategy, our efforts to diversify the economic base in Queensland and our prudent fiscal management.The state budget for Queensland continues to be an award-winning story—our very own billion dollarbaby. I support the bills considered in the debate today.

Mrs PRATT (Nanango—Ind) (5.05 pm): I rise in the cognate debate of the Appropriation Bill (No.2) and the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2). I want to start by addressing the imbalance ofexpenditure between the south-east corner and the rest of Queensland. Statistics show that in a coupleof years there will be more people living in metropolitan areas than in the rest of the country. Therefore,it is recognised that the government’s heart is where the votes are. That is a sad state of affairs but onewe are all learning to live with.

This is often reflected by the government largesse towards the south-east corner—for example,the stadiums and the other infrastructure—which is not essential. It is very nice to have and it is abrilliant facility, but it is not essential. I and many others believe that governments are bound by a duty tomanage the financial affairs of the state and to ensure that the relevant infrastructure needs of thepopulace are met through the taxes collected, other income and the GST.

The government recently took great delight in announcing a record surplus. There should neverbe a record surplus when the responsibilities of government remain wanting. There should never beexpenditure on non-urgent infrastructure when its other responsibilities continue to remain in waiting. Ithas been reported in the House today that only 20 per cent of the budget was spent on infrastructure,which is a fall in overall spending. At the same time, each and every one of us recognises and notes,often with some consternation, just how rapidly the south-east corner of Queensland is expanding aspeople flock to the Sunshine State. All of us who came from the southern states in the past do not blamepeople for coming here. There is no way I would be heading south again I must admit.

We have a lot to offer to people in terms of weather. I know my mother wants to come up here.Unfortunately, she cannot travel. She wants to come up here because she feels it would be better for herarthritis. A lot of people come for lifestyle reasons, health reasons or to make their lives morecomfortable. We cannot blame anyone for wanting to come here. What we must do is make sure that weprioritise and address the need to accommodate these people the way we would expect to beaccommodated anywhere else. That means quite simply that we have to supply the infrastructure, thehealth facilities and the housing necessary to meet this greater demand. This morning the governmentunderestimated the future growth of the state by a long way. Those figures need to be addressed andacknowledged.

I will now deal with the issues in my electorate, because time gets away so quickly. I will start withthe issue that seems to be the media’s favourite at the moment, and that is airconditioning in schools.On numerous occasions I have needed to talk to the housing minister and others about the heat andcold in the Kingaroy area in the South Burnett. If people follow the weather, as I assume they do, theywill find that Kingaroy often has the highest temperatures in summer and the coldest in winter. I thankthe minister for housing for actually obtaining insulation bats for some of our older residents. Theyappreciate it. They often ask whether I thanked the minister. I will repeat myself: I thank the minister forhousing for seeing to that. They do appreciate that.

The kids who attend the schools in my area are suffering. I ask myself whether or not this isbecause kids are getting softer today. Overall, are we getting softer today? I think that it is a combinationof two things. We are told that it is getting hotter, and as we get older most of us seem to feel the heatmore than we used to. The statistics show that Queensland is getting hotter, but I think that we are alsogetting a little softer to a degree. Nowadays a lot of homes are airconditioned. The shopping centres andmost other shops are airconditioned. Vehicles are airconditioned. Even some of the buses areairconditioned. So when we leave these airconditioned premises and vehicles and go out into the heator into hot schools, we find that the heat affects us a little more than perhaps it did when we werechildren.


Also in my electorate there is a great need for toilet facilities in schools for children. One of theschools in my electorate—and there are quite a few—that is in dire need of having this situationaddressed is the Coolabunia State School. This is a small school. It is a good school. It has more andmore students attending it every year, because it has a terrific reputation. But the thing that really lets itdown are its toilets, which are totally inadequate. I know full well that the minister himself would behappy to open a few new toilet blocks around the place to ease people's comfort. There are a lot ofissues relating to airconditioning and toilets—just about anything that we can think of—affecting ruralschools at the moment. They are suffering a little bit in one way or another. I will not go into that issueany further, because there are too many other issues that I want to raise.

A major issue at the moment that is affecting the Nanango electorate, South Burnett and theBrisbane Valley is water. Every year for the past seven years I have raised the issue of the water supplyfor Coominya. This issue gets tossed from local government to state government—backwards andforwards—all of the time. There always seems to be a reason why the people of Coominya cannot getwater. When we think of how close the people of Coominya are to Brisbane and how close they are tothe Wivenhoe Dam, we realise that it is really a sin that they do not have water. That area is trying toexpand. Poultry farms are trying to be established there. There is already an abattoir there. Thoseindustries do it pretty tough because they do not get enough water. This area is located just outside ofBrisbane and will experience a lot of growth in the future. That issue needs to be looked at.

I congratulate the government on the footprint for south-east Queensland. It was appropriate; itwas necessary. Because of that, a lot of industry is moving west. That creates an infrastructure need.My area is really grateful for that infrastructure, but it also needs a footprint. Most members would knowof Swickers, which is a major industry in my area. At the moment it is undergoing huge growth. I want torefer to a few figures that that company has supplied me with. Swickers is the largest export processingplant in Queensland and the second largest pork processor in Australia. Swickers has invested$40 million in its factory and expects to spend another $6 million this year. It puts $17 million in wagesinto my community. Swickers is my area's largest employer and currently employs over 500 people,although 100 of those are part-time employees. Swickers needs another 35 employees right now andwill need another 100 employees in July. Over the next three years, Swickers will require another 400people to work for it. Its major problem, as outlined to me, is infrastructure—the power, the water, thehousing, the associated facilities that will need to be addressed such as schools and other governmentfacilities. Ergon has made assurances that there will be sufficient power for Swickers's expansion, and Ihope that is true. The Kingaroy Shire Council plans to supply Swickers with two to three megalitres ofwater per day, but it is unable to get any additional allocation which, in the long run, will stifle futuregrowth.

As I said, Swickers is already a big employer and there are quite a few more employees to come,but there is very little housing in the area which has created a huge housing need, whether that bepublic housing or private housing. Although the private sector is providing a lot of houses, there is still aneed for housing. Even if the housing problems were resolved, there are not enough places in theschools for the kids and not enough day-care facilities that cater for extended working hours andholidays. The hospitals will need to have a lot more attention given to them as more and more familiescome to the area. For each new employee, a family comes with them. My electorate needs specialistssuch as dentists. Every aspect of life needs to be addressed.

Swickers is a committed employer of our people in my area. Only yesterday I was talking to agentleman who has come from New South Wales with his family to take up one of the jobs on offer atSwickers. He was desperately looking for a house—any sort of house. In the end he said, ‘I will eventake a tent.' I am hoping and asking that every minister and every department look into the issues that Ihave raised—housing, research and development, the environment, water, roads. The roads in myelectorate are essential for Swickers because it has triple deck trailers constantly travelling to and fromits operations.

The amount of traffic that is continually travelling from Brisbane to Kingaroy is becomingincredible. Yesterday I left Kingaroy at 3 o’clock and arrived in Brisbane a bit later than 5.30 pm. Therewas not one instance on that road where I could overtake a car, although I needed to. That is not quitecorrect: I did overtake a car just as I came into Ipswich. But that was a long way to travel before I couldovertake a car. That was not because there was not an opportunity to overtake a car; it was simplybecause the amount of traffic has become so intense. It is just nonstop all of the time.

For some time I have been asking for roadworks in certain areas in my electorate. Thoseroadworks come and go from the Roads Implementation Plan. One minute they are on there; the nextminute they are gone again. So I will ask for them again. Above the Blackbutt Range in an area betweenBlackbutt Range and the Nikku Road is one of the worst bits of patchwork road that I have ever comeacross. Each time I ring the main roads department and ask about this road, the comment that I usuallyget is, ‘What is wrong with it?' The truth is that it is potholed, it is patchworked, it is broken on the edgesand it will be the cause of another accident waiting to happen. The road between Harlin and Gregor'sCreek is another windy, rugged little patch of road. It is on the Brisbane Valley Highway and needs to beattended to, as do a lot of other roads that bus drivers transporting children traverse.


I notice that there were comments made earlier with regard to children and the loads that busdrivers carry. It is a huge ask for many of them. A lot of kids are left standing. I must recognise that a lotof the buses on the mountainous parts of my electorate will be getting seatbelts, which is a majoradvantage for those children. The issue of seatbelts in buses is difficult for the department and theminister to consider, but it needs to be addressed. Possibly every new bus should be fitted withseatbelts.

I notice that earlier in the debate a member said that work was done to a police station in hiselectorate only after it featured as dump of the month in the police magazine. Unfortunately, Kingaroy'spolice station has that dubious honour of dump of the month. I have heard that old furniture was sold sothat the police station could be fitted with bookshelves. I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that peoplehave been reduced to doing that. I ask the minister to come and look at Kingaroy's police station. It is adump. Quite frankly, it could be awarded dump of the month for the next 12 months and still be a dump.It is a station that needs addressing.

Most people describe the courthouse in Kingaroy as the hell of Kingaroy. It is the most airless,horrible place to be. It is stifling in the summer. As I said, we have extraordinary temperatures. Anyonewould be anywhere but there if they could be. I ask that that situation be looked at.

I thank the emergency services minister for all the time he has spent in my electorate. He hasbeen there quite a lot, issuing appliances in various forms, be they ambulances, fire trucks or floodboats. While we would like to be able to man the flood boat in times of flood, a flood has not beenforthcoming. We live in hope. The minister has made himself available to present certificates andmedals to those worthy of them. I congratulate everyone who has earned one lately. It was good to hearthe minister state—it is something I would like to hear from every minister in this House—It is not good enough for rural areas to get second-hand equipment.

The minister is right. It is not good enough. I refer to the SES and the work it does. In Blackbutt there is a DPI building which is sitting idle and

has been for some time. It is slowly going to rack and ruin. I have asked the Minister for EmergencyServices to see whether that building could be utilised by the local emergency groups. The police, theshire council and the Ambulance Service have backed the idea of this building being used as a centrefor all of these groups to come together in times of emergency. I ask the minister to look at that idea.

The departments of primary industries, local government and natural resources need to worktogether. Recently a proposal was made in relation to prime agricultural land. It has not yet beenknocked back, as far as I am aware. It was proposed that 75 houses be built on 100 acres of primeagricultural land, with crop growers—of peanuts, sorghum or whatever—surrounding them, therebyhindering the production of crops on that land. These 75 houses would get around the regulations—it isagricultural land—by planting 6½ hectares of grapes. That apparently then made them agricultural. Inmy view it does not make them agricultural. I ask that a blueprint be made for the bush. I understandthat Agforce has put forward a proposal to the government. I ask that that be looked at seriously but thatthe people in the local areas are not left out, because they understand and know their areas.

I asked a question in a recent survey of our area. We believe that our hospitals and schools, andjust about everything else we can think of, are sadly in need of attention. I therefore asked, ‘Would yousupport the suspension of secondary spending, be it on sports or arts, for 10 years or until essentialservices such as water, power and health are at an acceptable level?' The survey went out to 15,000people and the response was phenomenal. Eighty-three per cent of people said that they would supportsuch a suspension of secondary spending. Sixteen per cent of people said that they would not supportsuch a suspension and one person did not answer.

I believe this shows that people understand that they are missing out on account of all the littleextras that make the government feel good about itself. It makes people think the government is doingthe right thing by issuing all this money, but people would be happy to forgo it just to see health services,water infrastructure and power infrastructure—all the infrastructure and services that have beenneglected over the years—brought up to scratch. I hope that every minister and the Premier recognisethat people are not as selfish as we think they are. They want their basic needs met. It is thisgovernment's responsibility to do it.

Mr LANGBROEK (Surfers Paradise—Lib) (5.24 pm): I am pleased to rise to speak toAppropriation Bill (No. 2). I do so with great eagerness, as I would like to tell parliamentarians a story.Late last year I was interested to read that Racing Victoria enabled the major race callers from eachstate to call one race each on Sandown Classic Day. This meant that race 1 was called by the racecaller from Victoria, the next race was called by a caller from New South Wales, our own Alan Thomasgot to call, and so on and so forth. The idea is that it showcases the talents of callers from aroundAustralia. This made me think: imagine if we could showcase the talents of Labor governments aroundAustralia and roll them all into one supergovernment—the government of ‘Laborland'. What would atypical day in Laborland involve?


Let us say that we are off to the races. It is a glorious Saturday, not a cloud in the sky. However, Isleep through my alarm. But how could I sleep through my alarm? It is very loud. Alas, it is flashing‘12.00’ because the Queensland segment of the Laborland government controls the energy departmentand the lights are out—again. Not to worry. Even though it is surprising that there is a blackout whilethere is perfect daylight, I am still able to see my keys to drive my car over to the racetrack. As I drive Ilook at my watch, remembering that my day is already set back because my alarm did not go off and Ithink I am going to be late, although being late is almost a given because any area in Laborland that iscontrolled by the Queenslanders is always one hour behind as there is no daylight saving.

I am surprised that up ahead my progress is further slowed because I have to pay money at a tollplaza to use a road that the Laborland government promised us would not be a toll road. It is notsurprising that the road was forced to have a toll on it, though, because the Victorian element of theLaborland government has control of the road and, as such, these things are likely to happen. In fact, Ithink some other Labor figures in the government came out and said that it was just another brokenpromise by the Victorian contingent of the Laborland government. There is a saying that ‘only the Vicscould build a freeway that isn't free’.

I really have to scrap around for some change, too. The taxes that are being imposed on theresidents of Laborland are extraordinary. While I know that the Treasury in Laborland receives advicefrom all of the states, it is the West Australians who are taxing the residents for absolutely everything. Infact, debt levels have increased by a billion dollars since the financial reins were handed to the WesternAustralians, though they are following in a good Labor tradition of economic vandalism.

I get over this, though, and end up going to the track, where I am supposed to meet some friendsarriving at a train station nearby. Unfortunately, the trains in Laborland are run by the New South Walesarm of the government and they are never on time, if they arrive at all. It is a really frustrating thing—somuch so that by the time they arrive the first race has already happened. The commuters' mood istempered somewhat by the fact that they were given free transport today because the New South Walesarm of the Laborland government was forced to open gates to commuters because of a commuterrevolt. We enter the racecourse only to be told that a disagreement between stewards and other officialshas become so bad that the rest of the meeting has been cancelled. I perhaps should have predictedthis, because I vaguely remember that Queensland is running the racing industry.

I am so annoyed that I jump in my car. As I scrounge around for some change to pay yet anothertoll I realise that I have only a few dollars left so I go to some dodgy store and buy a cheap and nastyburger. The next day, again in darkness, I feel a bit ill and am rushed to hospital with food poisoning.Again I run into trouble when there are not enough beds in the hospital and not enough staff to staffthem. I think all elements of the Laborland government had a hand in this. However, the fact that costblow-outs have caused the closure of some wings of the hospital means I am rushed from one hospitalto another, a policy introduced by the Queenslanders and perfected by the South Australians. As I laythere in my agony I think to myself that management on behalf of the Labor Party is very, very poor herein Laborland, although not as bad as it could have been if the federal arm of the party had gotten itshands on the Treasury coffers.

I raise this because I remember being told by members opposite that this budget was amazing,that it was the best budget ever. How can this be the best budget ever when we have people writingemails to our offices, calling our offices or coming in from local businesses to tell us of their lost turnoverbecause of a failing power network? Apparently we have a well-managed budget. I am glad that thoseopposite think the budget is well managed, because not even the most hardened Labor hack could saythat the power network is well managed.

I have had emails from small business owners saying that they may as well be ripping up $100notes because of thousands of dollars in lost money from stock that has gone off and customers leavingshopping centres. We must remember that while the power is off shops are still paying rent on what isessentially a dead ship.

If this budget is so good, why is it that schools are being closed in communities around the state?I have a petition from people in Cairns—1,800 kilometres from my electorate—who have approachedme as the Liberal shadow spokesman for education calling on the state government not to sell off landearmarked for a primary school. There is a community expectation that there is going to be a school onthe land, yet the other side of the House decided against it. If this is really the best budget handed downby a Labor government, why is it that the land is being sold in a short-sighted cash grab? Such a movewreaks of desperation and of a government unable to control Queenslanders' cash.

This is the same let-down that the government has inflicted on Queensland parents with regard tothe prep year. It is sad that the education minister again in this best budget ever and clearly breaking anelection promise has had to admit that not all the classrooms scheduled to be ready for prep year in2007 will be ready. If this is the best budget ever, there must be some sort of problem with the planningof the expenditure of the money or, as I suspect, there is not enough money allocated to this veryimportant plan. Which parents is the education minister going to apologise to—those parents who hadexpected their children were going to prep year in 2007?


I also have to ask why this, the best budget in years, has led to people from the electorate ofAlbert asking me why essential speech therapy units have been stripped from the area. If enoughmoney were allocated to education in this budget or if the money were allocated in the correct manner,students would be receiving speech therapy where they need it. It is ludicrous for children to be deniedspeech therapy by hospitals because they are told they will be taken care of by the educationdepartment when the education department is not looking after them at all.

I also say to the government that if the state coffers are in such good repair then maybe the GoldCoast can receive its fair share of infrastructure. As I have said again and again, the Gold Coast is aregion that needs greater infrastructure than its permanent residency would normally warrant due tosometimes having up to 50,000 tourists per night. Yet at times this government has been behind or hasrefused to deliver even a minimum level of help to the Gold Coast especially compared to Brisbane.Brisbane's public transport system, which is partly funded by the state government, is the benchmark forwhat is required on the Gold Coast, yet there is limited support from the state government.

I am also concerned about the housing department. On the Gold Coast in the middle of my seatthe department has spent $1.25 million on land to house eight to 10 units. The land is close to the riveron a main road opposite a tavern and is surrounded by dwellings that are becoming more and morecommercial. Surely the department could have found a different place to build these dwellings. Thereare plenty of other places around the electorate if the minister would like a tour so that more than just 10dwellings could be built on land worth $1.25 million.

I also encourage the Treasurer if he is serious about surpluses and likes having his name behindbudgets that hand down windfalls for the state to talk to the Premier about his refusal to trial daylightsaving in Queensland. By the time we are in working hours each day, the southern states have beenworking for an hour and as such there are only seven hours in the day for trade and commerceinterstate for four months of the year. The loss of productivity from losing an hour each day has itseffects on the bottom line and the biggest thing to suffer is the Queensland economy. Much of thisdetriment is suffered closer to the border—in particular on the Gold Coast. As such, I urge the Treasurer,if for no other reason than his bottom line, to appeal to the Premier to change his mind and make theright decision on daylight saving—that is, the right decision for south-east Queensland.

Then again, who am I to judge the Premier? Everyone in this chamber should be in awe of theman. It seems that over the summer recess the Premier has been adding to his already impressiveresume which consists of a shrine of honorary doctorates and a deluge of praise and accolades. He isnot content sitting still—not at all. Instead, he has branched out into the field of science. Our Premierhas taken on the scientific community accounting for years of knowledge in the Australian MedicalAssociation, the Australian Dental Association and their American, Canadian and British counterparts tolabel the fluoridation of our water a public health risk. I urge the Premier, with his new-found knowledgeand information, with the secret key that he has used to unlock the mysteries of the medical world andarmed with the courage that only comes with making what he sees as infallible decisions under thecloak of Christmas holidays, to go to all the other Labor health ministers and all of the Labor premiers—all of whom have fluoridated water sitting in carafes on the parliamentary desks at question time—andsave them from this obvious health risk.

Do not get me wrong: this is not the only string that the Premier has added to his bow. Over thebreak, the word around the pubs and clubs, the word in the parks and sporting fields around the state isthat the Premier has become a profiler. In a weekend bulletin on 5 February—an article I table—wehave the Premier saying that one of his members, the member for Broadwater, was not a bully despitethose allegations being levelled against her. His defence was not based on fact. In true Labor style, itwas light on substance but heavy on smoke and mirrors. In defence of his member, Mr Beattie said, ‘Isay to the community, have a look at PK Croft and if you think PK Croft is capable of bullying well youhave a different view of PK Croft than I do.' This is a fantastic revelation. Mr Beattie has the ability tosimply look at people and judge whether or not they are a bully. This could make the whole ofQueensland's bureaucracy more efficient. In fact, we can dispense with the court system. We couldhave a travelling roadshow that sees the profiler, Mr Beattie, sitting on his chair of judgment, or to bemore romantic about it he could sit on a rocky escarpment, and we can parade those accused of crimesin front of him. Then by simply looking at the accused, by glancing over their presence, he can judgewhether they are a murderer. Simply by seeing a photo, the profiler can determine the deceitful from thehonest.

The education minister can take note that perhaps instead of having to worry about the QCS, orany schooling for that matter, the profiler can cast his profiling eye over all students and grant them anOP ranking from 1 to 25. In fact, perhaps Mr Beattie could be the standardised tester for all of Australia.I only wish that the Premier and Treasurer could use his new-found skills or at least his ability to makedecisions just on appearance to make the right calls about the budget. Instead, they have not made theright decisions. They have christened a thoroughly substandard budget as the best budget ever.

As members may be aware, I am a member of the Public Accounts Committee—a committeeconcerned with efficiency, economy and effectiveness. A top-up of $2.4 billion represents nearly 10 per


cent of the budget and the need for this top-up provides me with a great deal of worry. Here we have$2.4 billion not accounted for in the precise manner that it is in the ministerial portfolio statements atbudget time and we are just expected to rubber-stamp it. That is ridiculous and a shocking display offiscal mismanagement is reprehensible on the government's behalf. When looking at this practice ofsimply topping up budgets after they have been mishandled, we see that the government's actions areat odds with the motto of the Public Accounts Committee. This practice most certainly is not efficient, isdefinitely not good economic practice and is not in any way effective. The Treasurer is wrong. This is notthe best budget ever. Sadly, it misses the mark by a long way.

Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (5.37 pm): In rising to speak to the appropriation bills, Iwant to touch on some issues concerning my electorate and my shadow portfolio of primary industriesand fisheries. Firstly, within my electorate a number of issues have cropped up over the Christmasperiod which need some airing in this parliament. I want to speak about the second range crossing forour city. This is a road which will provide a far better gradient across the Great Dividing Range. I think Ihave spoken on this issue about 17 times before in parliament. I am pleased that there seems to be a lotof cooperation between the Queensland transport minister and his counterparts in Canberra in that theyall realise the value of this second range crossing to the economy of south-east Queensland andAustralia.

This road will take thousands and thousands of B-doubles and semis across the range each day.It is the heaviest freight-carrying road in Australia, being the main route from south-east Queensland toMelbourne and partly to New South Wales but also to Darwin. Trucks have to traverse some 16 or 17sets of traffic lights as they go through the main east-west road of our city. It is not right socially for ourcity. It is not right for the economy of Australia to have these trucks spending perhaps three-quarters ofan hour to an hour or more travelling up the range and through the city than if they took this newproposed bypass.

Finally, the most important aspect is the number of times a year that our city is closed off totraffic—the number of times that traffic has to be diverted either to the Flagstone Creek Road orMurphys Creek Road because of major smashes or rollovers that have occurred. An incredible numberof smashes, fatalities, rollovers and injuries occur on that road. I do not think there would be a road inAustralia that would have had the same number of fatalities and vehicle accidents—almost all with big,heavy trucks—as have occurred on the Warrego Highway coming up the range to Toowoomba. I amgrateful that I have had a briefing from the minister for transport. We are working together, along with themember for Toowoomba North, to look at ways of progressing this. The funding of this is aCommonwealth issue. All of us here in Queensland realise the importance of it. Some $33 million isavailable to be expended. The corridor has been identified, so the full purchase of properties in thatcorridor should be completed in the not-too-distant future. Detailed plans have also been undertaken.The next step is to obtain funds from the Commonwealth for the case study in order to complete thatcase study in time to get a promise of funding from the second round of AusLink, because the proposalis that this road could well be built with two-thirds funding from the federal government—it is a fullyfunded federal government National Highway—and one-third could be a toll system to ensure that itgets under way and started.

The issue of the toll system has been canvassed, particularly with the transport industry. Thesavings for that industry would be so massive. It costs something like $70 or $75 an hour to run a B-double. Getting a B-double up and down that range using low gears would be even more expensive.That is virtually what is going to be saved by having the range crossing. If there is a charge or $6 or $8,it would make economic sense. That is an issue that I want to continue working on. I do thank theminister for transport for the recent briefing. I intend to continue to work on a cooperative basis with himto see if we can get this done in a timely fashion. It was promised that construction would start in 2007.That could still happen if the federal government could provide the $10 million for the case study andthen make a decision that the money would be provided in the second round of AusLink so that theproject could start, and perhaps that could be based on that part of the funding that would come fromprivate enterprise.

I now turn to the issue of insurance. There has been an issue in terms of a number of groups thathave been able to use the very special swimming pool at the Baillie Henderson Hospital. MS groups andmany others who are in rehabilitation phases have been able to use this pool. Problems have arisenthrough Queensland Health with regard to insurance and whether people are there to supervise themwho have a bronze medallion and so on. I want to thank the staff from Queensland Health who haveprovided assistance in trying to work through this. I hope we can arrive at a sensible arrangement wherethose groups that have been using the pool can continue to use this very valuable facility for theirrehabilitation.

There are still some problems with power in Toowoomba. Again, I want to give thanks to the stafffrom Ergon who have been only too willing to listen to particular complaints that I have had. I will give acouple of examples. A major restaurant in Toowoomba lost power one Saturday evening prior toChristmas when it virtually had a full house. People were arriving and it lost all power. Eventually thebusiness had to send about 25 staff home. It still had to pay the staff of course and lost all of that


business. It was a very serious problem for the restaurant. There have been other problems that I havebrought to the attention of Ergon, particularly with regard to switching power on and off—that is, whenmajor changes have to be made to factories in the industrial estate, the power is switched off for thosechanges to be made. If the power is expected to be switched on at, say, 10 am in the morning and itdoes not get switched on until two or three in the afternoon, again the staff are sent home and it is aproblem.

There have been some issues in Toowoomba, as has happened around Australia in many places,with regard to the odd brawl and problems in the CBD late at night. A lot of this is symptomatic of thefact that in Australia now the late hours of nightclubs and pubs and, to some extent, binge drinking havealmost become endemic. Apart from that, it seems to me that the police have the matter reasonablyunder control. I have spoken to the superintendent, who is very helpful, and they are trying to overcomeit. These things will always happen when people get a skinful and come out at 3 o'clock in the morningand have an altercation or an argument with someone. That is one of the issues that we have to dealwith as a society as we allow pubs and clubs to stay open until these later hours. The later it goes andthe more grog the people get on board, the more likely they are to cause problems. While on the subjectof the police, the police regional headquarters is coming along well, and that will virtually complete thenew police complex of the police station, the district headquarters and the regional headquarters.

Toowoomba is a major regional city. As Mr Deputy Speaker comes from Townsville, he wouldrealise some of the particular problems that that brings. One of the issues relates to crisisaccommodation, particularly for women, youth and those who have suffered a mental illness and havebeen receiving attention and are in that rehabilitation or rebuilding phase. It is very important that we geta major crisis accommodation centre built in Toowoomba. About a year or so ago I spoke to the ministerfor housing about an old motel complex adjacent to the CBD that was available. Adjacent to that wereflats and a couple of houses. I believe that it would have made an ideal complex, because even thoughit was an older building at least that is better than sleeping under the bridge. At least that is better thanyoung women being forced to stay with people they do not want to stay with because they havenowhere else to go. A place like that which is adjacent to a commercial area—it is not going to impingeon a neighbourhood—would have been an ideal solution to that issue.

At the time when the decision was made not to purchase that motel—and I think from memorythere were something like 30 or 40 rooms available there, and it could have been divided up verynicely—the minister said that the government would look at a greenfield site. I will be writing to theminister to see just what progress has been made in that regard. It is a very urgent matter. I remembergoing to see Minister Bligh in 1998 or 1999 about this issue. It is an issue that continues. As a regionalcity, it is something that we need to address.

I want to raise a small issue about boat licences. A constituent came to me recently who sailed ayacht around the world a few times. He has sailed up the Hudson River into the New York Harbour,sailed into Singapore Harbour and so on. But, because he is required to get a boat licence here, he hasto go out in a tinnie on Cooby Dam or somewhere near Toowoomba to prove that he is proficient inboatmanship. That is one of those little bureaucratic things that needs to be looked at to bring a bit ofcommonsense into how we actually license people.

There is an issue of a midwife position at Young Women's Place in Toowoomba. Young Women'sPlace does a marvellous job. It was one of the first of such places to exist to assist young women,particularly young women who were pregnant and did not have support services. I have met a numberof women who have gone through that place. They were in very difficult circumstances at the time. Theyhave gone on to have a family and maybe hold down a jobs. But they are very important pillars of ourcommunity. They give great thanks to the help and support they got at Young Women's Place.

As I said, there is a position there for a midwife. It is a great position, because that midwifeprovides the expert advice that these young women need as they go through their pregnancy and asthey look after their baby in the baby's early months and years. That position has been under threat.Thankfully, we have overcome that threat for perhaps the next 12 months. What we need fromQueensland Health is certainty. An organisation like Young Women's Place needs to have this midwifeposition in blocks of three years so that it has the certainty of that funding so that it knows that it canprovide the wonderful help and care to these young pregnant women that it has been able to provideover many years.

I also commend the committee that organised an apprentice jockeys awards night in Toowoomba.It was organised privately by people with great interest in racing and the education of jockeys. Therewas a bit of flak in the paper that said that the Toowoomba Turf Club got some special sort of fundingfrom Queensland Racing. I was there on the night, and I know that the sponsorship of the night camethrough private people. There were a whole host of awards for country apprentices, their trainers and soforth. It was a wonderful night. It was like a school speech night. It was great and impressive to seethese young jockeys get up to receive their awards with humility and with ability. The Toowoomba TurfClub provided the venue—the pavilion at the race club—free of charge and Queensland Racing


provided a small contribution towards the night. The bulk of the organisation was provided byvolunteers, sponsors and community leaders in Toowoomba.

Along with the range crossing, another very important matter for Toowoomba is the issue ofrecycled water. I am pleased that the minister for state development is in the chamber. He has acceptedmy invitation to look at the proposals and the project. It is very important that Vision 2000 and City toSoil, the two groups which represent, respectively, the Darling Downs and the Lockyer area, workclosely together to ensure that the funds that should come from the Commonwealth government do flowthrough for the final investigation. Once that final investigation is complete, it will be the end of a wholeseries of investigations. Then no-one will be in any doubt whatsoever as to how practical this proposal isand what a massive impact it will have on Queensland, particularly south-east Queensland. There willbe no doubt about what it will do for the environment of Moreton Bay, at one end of the line—nutrientswill not be thrown out with 120,000 megalitres of water into the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay—and atthe other end by protecting, to some extent, the Murray-Darling Basin. At certain times of the year,because of the security of flow of this recycled water, flood flows would be allowed down the Murray-Darling system from the Condamine River without it having to be sucked up for ring tanks.

It is a great project. It will probably deliver to the Darling Downs alone an economic benefit ofsomewhere in the order of $400 to $600 million a year, because the immediate increase in farm gatesales will be in the order of about $200 million per year. That is just for the Darling Downs alone. All theinfrastructure is in place. There are over 300 ring tanks ready to take the water. All we are missing upthere is the water. We have the soil, the expertise and all the extra money from sales. It does not go tothe property owners, or perhaps only a small percentage might go to them. The bulk of it goes towardbuying new equipment, employing new staff, repairing equipment, and all the goods and services thatgo with production of that standard. It is absolutely essential that that project continues to beinvestigated.

I am very grateful that the minister for state development has accepted my invitation to visit. I willspeak to the members for Toowoomba North and Cunningham as well so that they can take part, too.We will give the minister a first-class inspection so that he can see the potential of the project. I am surethat after that inspection he will have a very favourable view of the whole project.

I want to touch on some issues relating to schools. I have received notification from the ministerfor education about the refurbishments or extensions that will be undertaken at schools in my electorateas a result of the decision to introduce a preparatory year in 2007. I am pleased that there will be somerefurbishment of the Bunkers Hill school. That is the proposal at the moment. However, more than that isneeded. Bunkers Hill is adjacent to Westbrook, one of the fast-growing areas on the outer part ofToowoomba. It has a large number of subdivisions, a new tavern and a new shopping centre. It is verypopular with people because they can buy a block of land a little bit cheaper than in Toowoomba. Theblocks are 1,000 to 1,500 square metres. It is a very popular area. The school population is reallygrowing but that growth has been restricted because only 16 students are allowed in a preschool area.That has meant that a number of families have taken their children elsewhere. I have spoken about thiswith officers at the district education office and they will be conveying the matter to EducationQueensland. I am hopeful that we can have an extension of the buildings and facilities there, because itis one of the massive growth areas in Toowoomba.

There have been a huge number of issues relating to primary industries over the last couple ofmonths where I believe that this government and the minister, in particular, have let Queenslandersdown. There has been the problem of the vets simply wanting to sit down and negotiate a reasonablepay increase for field vets and laboratory vets. There has been the continued denial by the governmentof any sort of decent assistance for the National Livestock Identification System. The minister forprimary industries, as the minister for forestry, has gone missing when it comes to the issue of westernhardwoods. That is one of the most ridiculous and stupid decisions to have ever been made by aQueensland government. Once again, it is an attack on the workers—a stab in the back for all thosepeople who work in the hardwood and sawmill industry.

I believe that the issue of complementary zones will be the subject of a disallowance motion inthis parliament next week. I hope that the members from north Queensland will consider a reasonablecompromise so that we can get some fairness into this issue of complementary zones for thehardworking fishing families from Bundaberg through to far-north Queensland.

To top it all off, there was the outbreak of citrus canker. It occurred first of all at Evergreen farmsand then at 2PH farms. As this issue lingers on, no-one seems to know what the government will reallydo. The government has brought out an assistance package which has really missed the mark when itcomes to the citrus growers of Emerald. The Emerald growers are probably in the most difficult positionof all when it comes to accessing what is available under the assistance package, particularly the newloans. They do not need any more debt, particularly when they are facing another season when they willnot be able to market their product.

The Queensland government seems to be basing its approach upon trying to get market access.Let's not be naive. Let's be a bit realistic about this. It is only about a week and a half since the last


outbreak was detected. Will the other states, within a period of three months, suddenly agree to takecitrus product from the Emerald area? If they do not, what will the government do then? Time will havepassed by and these farmers will start to be in extremely dire straits. The only way to address this issueis for the minister for primary industries to start looking seriously at the so-called Pressler plan, whichproposed complete destruction of the entire area. As it stands, more than half the area has beendestroyed anyway. Over 500 hectares of trees have been destroyed and it is likely that another 25hectares will be destroyed if positive identification is confirmed on the fourth outbreak, out of about1,000 hectares in the area.

These citrus growers need some certainty about what will happen in the future. They need somerealism and practicality to come into the whole system. They need to know what the rollback position isif the government does not get domestic market access for citrus from Emerald. It is a massive industryin that part of central Queensland and those people have been dealt an absolutely dreadful blow. Whenyou look at the value of the industry, it is time that the government did its level best to put in place asensible and practical plan.

Time expired. Mrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (5.57 pm): I rise to speak to the appropriation bills.

Like other speakers, I acknowledge that the amount being appropriated on a supplementary basis is asignificant amount—although the majority of other speakers that I have heard have nominated ways forthat money to be expended, particularly in their electorates.

One of the abiding concerns that has been raised in my electorate and, I am sure, in manyelectorates in the recent past is the issue of the blue card. I am sure that a significant amount ofexpenditure has already been applied to the process of the issuing of blue cards. It has been identifiedvery recently that there are still significant loopholes in the stringency of the inquiry into the applicationthat is made prior to a blue card being issued. That was brought into sharp focus with the arrest of eightmen on child pornography charges, all of whom had blue cards. I hasten to add that not all of thosearrested had blue cards, but I believe that eight out of 11 men did. That has resulted in an increasedconcern on the part of parents in relation to the process. I am sure—I hope—that part of the expenditurethat is to be appropriated will go towards tightening up that process. It will never be perfect, but certainlyan allocation of funding is needed to ensure that the loopholes that have been identified are closed, thatthe process of allocating a blue card is speeded up and, overlaid with that, that the inquiry into theapplicant is very broad.

I was interested to see a newspaper that was in our mail after the Christmas break—and I amsure all members got it—called Just Us. It was a newspaper put out by supporters of prisoners. It wasinteresting to read some of their attitudes, the issues they have raised and the poetry that they wrote.Part of the commentary by a number of the inmates related to the severity of sentences and thetreatment of prisoners when incarcerated. All of the contributors were prisoners at the time it waswritten.

I was interested to read a couple of comments on the severity of sentencing for people put intosolitary confinement. In general those comments were negative in terms of the effectiveness of that typeof prison sentence. The experience in my electorate is that there still is a high level of concern in relationto light sentences. Quite a bit of disquiet has been expressed at various times about token sentencesbeing given to people who, at least on the surface of it and without sitting in on the court case,committed quite serious crimes. For the community to be more at peace in relation to adequatesentencing and truth in sentencing, additional jails will need to be constructed. In that newspaper theprisoners were talking about overcrowding.

In the debate today much has been said about the Cooler Schools program. I am very fortunatethat my electorate falls within the Cooler Schools area. A number of P&Cs have struggled raising theirpercentage of funding for the Cooler Schools program. The majority of the schools in my electoratehave risen to the challenge and have now been airconditioned. When I have visited the schools afterthey have been airconditioned the comments of the students—both primary and high school—abouttheir ability to concentrate and apply themselves to their academic pursuits are heartening.

One continuing concern is car parking at a couple of our local schools. There is one issue at theBoyne Island State School that I am taking up with the local government. It is not necessarily aneducation department issue at the moment although it may be in terms of funding in the future. Thereare problems with the traffic patterns and flows and the growth at Boyne Island. At Benaraby StateSchool the quality of the car parking has been an ongoing problem. There has to be some furthernegotiation about this with the local authorities. It will need an allocation of funds to improve the parkingsurface and also access to appropriate parking areas.

The Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations has been in my electorate on anumber of occasions. Not always am I apprised of his visits. I will raise a cost issue concerning ourTAFE. At the beginning of my term the director at the TAFE was Bill Fry. Bill has now been promotedand relocated to Rockhampton. When Bill was promoted and left Gladstone TAFE he took his positionwith him. So there is now no Gladstone campus director.


This has resulted in a marked decline in the public presence of TAFE in the region. It has resultedin a decline in appreciation of the community for what is on offer at TAFE. It has made it difficult for meand others who try to contact the TAFE to discuss issues because there is no person to approach. Ihave talked about this matter with Bill—that is reappointing a director to the Gladstone TAFE—and hereminds me that there are two people who can be approached. The problem is that both of those havetheir own duties. They also have teaching hours that have to be maintained. It does not give theGladstone TAFE a face. I ask the minister to re-evaluate staffing at the Gladstone TAFE and to allow forthe reinstatement of the director’s position.

Health continues to be an issue in my electorate. We are a growing city. I know the previousMinister for Health could list 15 reasons why services had not diminished. But, from my way of thinkingand from the experiences of many in my community, the services have certainly deteriorated. I had aletter from a constituent, a returned serviceman, a Vietnam vet. He wrote—I really wonder where we are going with our base hospital. Although the nurses and Doctors work there butts off, many doctors have patients coming out of their ears and spend many hoursthere than they get paid for and just recently when I was admitted one RN nurse was looking after 11 patients when therecommended number is four (4). She did have help from an Enrolled Nurse but this would have been limited because of hertraining, and this still works out at five and a half patients each. Not only do they work hard and nonstop but I ask "do the patientsget the best care they can expect." One day about a month ago I was asked if I would like a shower and yes I did but I informed the nurse I didn't have a towel, so offshe went to get one. When she came back she said sorry we have no towels, please take one of these. (FIND ENCLOSED)

It is rather like an oversized men's tissue. A full grown man—and he is a solidly built man—wasasked to wipe himself after his shower with this oversized tissue. He continues—I asked for second one and was asked why, so I told her, "To give one to my MP" I ended up with a towel in the end.

This was early in the morning, not late in the day. He goes on to say—Apparently the laundry is done in Rockhampton and they are allocated a certain amount and if the hospital get an influx ofpatients—

and there were extra patients at this time—Then someone has to miss out. Apparently, the rumour is that bed linen is to be next. And we know from past experiencesrumours from the hospital come true. But we do have a lovely new fountain which made the front page of the paper... But patients cannot get a towel.

He wonders why. Perhaps in this appropriation we could buy a bit more linen so that patients arenot going to be asked—and this man was amply sized—to wipe themselves on a rather large men'stissue. Two would even be a rather large ask.

As stated in the letter the staff work extremely hard, but we lack staff, doctors and beds. We havehad ward closures. I keep being told that if the wards need to be opened they will be. Againoverwhelmingly people come into my office and say that their father, mother, wife, husband, son ordaughter was not admitted even though it was felt that that would be preferable because there were nobeds. I implore the minister to review the resources at the Gladstone hospital and to ensure that, ratherthan having 20 or 30 patients travelling individually to see a specialist, a specialist could come in on aregular basis for one or two days.

I thank the minister for housing for the allocation of funding in the last budget for singlesaccommodation and for the very positive discussions we had recently on options to establish a men'sshelter. A committee has been formed, two or three options have been made public and letters havegone to Minister Schwarten in relation to an appropriate building or the option of building a men'sshelter. Certainly in our region there is a demonstrated demand.

We still have significant waiting lists for public housing. In conversation with a departmentalperson recently it was stated that concerns were being brought to the fore about certain areas in myelectorate—and I am sure it is the same in other electorates—where there is a high concentration ofpublic housing. We do have a couple of suburbs that predominantly have public housing. Thedepartment is considering selling off some of that housing to reduce public housing density. I again askthe minister not to do that. Toolooa Estate and Barney Point have been built as housing estates andover time some tenants have purchased their houses.

The current government reintroduced the gardening competition for public housing tenants. Thatis greatly supported in my electorate. It is enjoyed. The member for Bulimba, in his own inimitable style,came to my electorate and very loudly presented all of the awards. I think we can vouch for the fact thatthe gardening competition is well supported.

Mr Purcell: In Gladstone it is huge. Mrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM: Yes. I thank the member for Bulimba. The gardening competition helps

to add great character to the housing estates. The problem with selling off housing is that the units thatare built subsequently do not offer the same quantum of accommodation. That will push out the waitingtime.


The concentration of public housing in an area is problematic on only a very sporadic basis. Oneor two neighbours will have neighbourhood disputes. If those houses were privately owned, they wouldbe civil disputes. The situation becomes more exaggerated because the people involved live in publichousing and they complain to the department. But overwhelmingly the neighbours get on, they improvetheir houses and they improve their gardens. It would be a retrograde step to consider selling any of thedepartmental housing that exists currently. Indeed, we need more.

The issue of roads is always a problem in a developing region and an industrialised region. Myelectorate has had very good cooperation from the federal government in terms of funding some of themajor industry thoroughfares, as my electorate has had good cooperation from the state department oftransport. Some concerns that have been raised with me—and this issue comes under the umbrella offunding for sure—relate to the waiting times for licence testing. Young people and old people alike arekeen to get their licence. If it is a mature person, that is usually when they build up the courage.Generally, young people are very keen to get their licence. It is detrimental to reduce in any way the typeof testing, but on a regular basis parents—and this seems to occur in cycles; often when one of thetesters is absent or has been seconded to another area to do licence testing—of young people havecome to me when they have had to wait a significant time until they undergo licence testing. MountLarcom is one area where often the tester does not visit and people have to travel into Gladstone toundergo licence testing. It is not very far—it is a 20-minute journey—but there is no public transportbetween Mount Larcom and Gladstone. So it is problematic for the people of the Mount Larcom area ifthe tester does not come to their area.

Funding has been applied at a state level for a pontoon at Bray Park. The establishment of thispontoon is supported both in principle and also financially by the Calliope Shire Council in whose area itwould be constructed. The Boyne Tannum HookUp Association has been running a fishing competitionfor 10 years. It is just a massive event now with thousands people coming on an annual basis to thehook-up. This is their 10th anniversary. They would love to see that pontoon constructed and have itopened by the relevant minister, or ministers, for that 10th anniversary. All of the planning is in place interms of identifying a supplier, all of the structural requirements are in place and some environmentalapprovals have to be given. There is already a boat ramp in place. This is a pontoon to allow for saferaccess to and alighting from vessels, particularly during this hook-up. I have also had other residentscontact me who have family members with disabilities who would be able to be put into boats if therewas a pontoon. The boat ramp just does not allow for that to happen. I ask the minister if he couldreview the funding of that pontoon to allow for it to be put in place and to make the 10th anniversary ofthe hook-up quite a celebration, to allow for a very public opening of that pontoon, which would havegreat public benefit.

The pricing of water by the Gladstone Area Water Board, which comes partly under theadministration of the department of natural resources, was a matter of review by the QueenslandCompetition Authority, which released a draft report just before Christmas. The release of that draftreport created consternation at best and alarm and fear among the community and particularly one areaof the community at Mount Larcom. Mount Larcom has reticulated water under the auspices of CementAustralia. Cement Australia had to have raw water piped to it for its industry development. There was acapacity built into the pipeline to allow for potable water to come through a separate line to allow forMount Larcom's reticulation. Currently, Cement Australia pays 65 cents a kilometre. In the QueenslandCompetition Authority recommendations, the maximum price that was recommended was $8.69 akilometre, which is a 1,300 per cent increase. If that increase occurred, the majority of people living inMount Larcom would be unable to afford to remain living there. The town itself would almost cease toexist. The saleabilty of homes would be reduced because potential purchasers just would not buy aplace in an area where water costs that much. The QCA just threw up its hands and said that this wasonly a maximum price. The QCA says that the Gladstone Area Water Board and the councils cannegotiate what price they will pay for water. However, Calliope Shire Council does not have an unlimitedability to generate funds and the Gladstone Area Water Board is directed by the ministers who willreceive this report in terms of what pricing methodology it should adopt.

The only losers in this equation are the residents. The irony is that part of the QCA's reporthighlighted the fact that over the last couple of years the consumption of water in the Gladstone AreaWater Board supply area had diminished and it diminished because of drought. The community and theindustry responded magnificently to calls by the Gladstone Area Water Board to reduce theconsumption. A number of large industries identified and installed alternative water supplies, includinggrey water reuse. Even though they were on a 25 per cent supply reduction, those industries were ableto assist the Gladstone Area Water Board in a time of need.

The community also rose to the occasion magnificently, and that was thrown back in their face inthis report. They were told that, because consumption had dropped, the price for water was going up. Ido not know where the CQA is coming from, but unless it gives themselves a fairly stern overhaul theyare going to find that they will be ridiculed by the community. Their recommendations, which appear tobe flawed, will not be valued by the community.


Mr TERRY SULLIVAN (Stafford—ALP) (6.17 pm): I rise to support the appropriation bills that arebefore the House. Affordable housing is a major issue in many electorates, including my own. I woulddeal more with the local area office of the department of housing than I would with any other singlegovernment department. I thank the minister for housing, Robert Schwarten, for the recent purchase ofthe new units in Collier Street, which will provide seniors units—a much needed boost to affordableaccommodation for older persons living in my electorate. The Stafford electorate has one of the highestpercentages of people aged over 60. Persons who have been living in department of housing houses for40 years to 50 years want to stay in the area. They do not want to move to far-flung suburbs. They wantto stay where they have their network of friends and known services such as their doctors, their bowlsclub and their shopping areas. Therefore, the need for seniors units in the inner-city suburbs isincreasing. I thank the minister for his move to construct them, for those that he has already constructedand for the planned changes and refurbishment that will be occurring in the inner-city suburbs.

We need to highlight the failure of the federal government in terms of housing. Its program of rentassistance simply maintains high private rents. It helps private investors who have multiple properties togain the greatest revenue from rentals. The poorest people—those who cannot afford the high privaterents and those who cannot get into public housing—are ignored. The ALP has a different policy, and Ilook forward to a Beazley federal government that will return more funding to the states in capital worksso that we can actually build extra housing and get people off the waiting lists.

Under the current and former Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement, Queensland has beenundercut by more than $200 million by the Howard coalition government. By building more units,particularly seniors units, we can free up some of the existing two- and three-bedroom houses, whichwill then be upgraded to accommodate younger families. This will lead to a regrowth of the suburbs, willmaintain numbers in the schools and take some of the pressure off the outlying suburbs where familiescurrently have to move.

I also make brief reference to the process of deinstitutionalisation that was undertaken by federaland state governments across Australia in the early 1990s. I believe the pendulum has swung too far inthat regard. I do not want to go back to institutions like Challinor and some of the other old orphanageswhich housed 300 and 400 young people or people with disabilities. Those people were put into cold,heartless and large institutions where the personal element was missing. What is needed are smallgroup homes where supervised service delivery can be given on a more personal level. People who aresuffering from mental health problems or other disabilities, people with addictions or personalityproblems and children in the care of the state can benefit from this type of small institution.

One of the best successes in my electorate involves a house in Trouts Road, which, if one drovepast, does not stand out from any other house. Four adults who have intellectual and physicaldisabilities have pooled their lifestyle packages to enable them to receive 24-hour care with extra care inthe mornings and evenings and around meal and shower times. During the day those people attendoutside groups for activities and their lives are quite full. They pose no problem in the community. In fact,their families, who have struggled for years to support them, have been able to lead fuller lives becauseof the establishment of that small institution. I believe that we need to encourage this move so that wecan address some of the problems that we currently have with unsupervised persons who need helpand who can cause problems within their local communities.

The final point I want to make relates to the federal government's current proposals under SAAP.Again, the federal coalition is failing the homeless people and people in need in Queensland. This statehas about 24 per cent of the homeless people in Australia, yet the federal government only gives us16 per cent of the SAAP funding. That does not take into account any growth funds or special needsfunding. Again, the Howard government is for the few and not for the many. It has to start to look tothose who do not have the basics to live by.

John Howard makes much of the conservative Christian country that we have. One of the basictenets of Christianity is to look after those who do not have and to share with those in need. The NewTestament is full of a preferential option for the poor. John Howard has ignored that. John Howard hasgone to a godless society that says that those who have get more and those who have not can go tohell. I am sorry, but that is not the society that we want. It is not the fair go. The sooner we get rid of theHoward government and start moving towards a fairer society, the better it will be for all Queenslanders.I support the bills before the House.

Miss ELISA ROBERTS (Gympie—Ind) (6.23 pm): In rising to address the Appropriation Bill (No.2) 2004, I want to outline some of the areas within my electorate which would benefit from increasedfunding. Since Queensland supposedly has a $1 billion surplus and with the increase in federal fundingvia the GST, it is hoped that Queenslanders will see an increase in services available from itsgovernment departments. It is time for Queensland to reverse the trend of lagging behind other statesand drastically reduce the amount of unmet need which currently pervades this state.

The requirement for airconditioning in schools in my electorate is not new and is an area I haveraised in this House on a number of occasions. According to a Griffith University researcher, whether ornot there is airconditioning in a classroom greatly influences student performance. This morning in this


House the Minister for Education spoke about the National Party and its previous and current policyregarding airconditioning in schools. Whilst it is sad to know that airconditioning was not an importantissue to previous governments in this state, really that is irrelevant. What is important is what the currentgovernment is doing to address this issue. To quote a comment made in the Courier-Mail, ‘We don'texpect other professionals or shop keepers and customers to work without airconditioning in summer,so why should teachers and students?’ I find it incredible that the majority of Queensland prisons areairconditioned whilst our children continue to be ignored. With the maximum level for comfort being ataround 25 degrees, the maximum of 42 degrees, which often occurs in the state schools in myelectorate, is far from reasonable.

It is fine to place the onus to provide the funds to install airconditioning at the feet of parents whochoose to send their children to private schools. However, this should not be the case for state schools.With the overall funding of Queensland state schools being the second lowest in the nation, the SmartState rhetoric is just that: it is the art of persuasive speech completely lacking in substance. IfQueensland were to be a truly smart state, its government would be ensuring that everything relating tothe education of Queensland students would be of the highest priority, including the environment inwhich they are taught.

On a more positive note—and a federal rather than a state initiative—it is pleasing to hear of therecent boost in funding of $23 million to provide 100,000 hours of respite care by people who are carersin our community. People who are carers have one of the toughest roles in our society, and it is oftenone of the most thankless jobs. This is one area in which those who have been classified as having asevere intellectual and/or physical disability should not have to fight for funding on an annual basis.Disability service provision is primarily a state responsibility and is an area of need which is growingexponentially, and Queensland is still behind other states with regard to their funding responsibilities.

I would like to see improvements in the area of electricity provision, which I do believe is in theprocess of occurring as a result of the events of the last 12 months. However, it will probably be sometime before newly implemented recommendations will really take effect on the overall performance ofQueensland's energy service.

Many years ago it was promised that Borumba Dam would be raised, as was the plan for a brand-new dam to be located at Amamoor. Both promises look as though they are light years away, eventhough the government has identified the need for more dams in its discussion paper ‘Towardssustainable housing in Queensland’. Planning for such infrastructure does take a lot of money and,unfortunately, governments have a tendency not to want to plan for the long-term future. I believe thatthat is because the benefit or credit which would come as a result would not come until long after thepresent government has gone. An issue as pressing as water should not fall into this category as it istruly one of our most fundamental requirements for living. With the population shift, particularly in thesouth-east corner, it is essential that some steps are taken in the foreseeable future towards ensuring acontinued water supply.

Additional monies and staff need to be allocated to agencies such as the CMC, which isstruggling to handle the numerous complaints that are directed its way. Whilst it may not be due to anincrease in public sector corruption, the public is more aware of the fact that it does not have to put upwith poor performance on the part of the public sector and that it does have rights. People are becomingmore and more inclined to stand up for their rights now in a way that was not encouraged in previoustimes.

In respect of health, one of the major problems seems to be the disparity between what theDepartment of Health is prepared to pay specialists to work in the public system and what those samespecialists can earn in the private sector. Let us face it: doctors are not going to work for peanuts,especially with the public propensity for litigation. When surgery that could prevent a person going blindis relegated as a non-urgent and selective procedure, there is something seriously wrong with thesystem.

I do not know if other members have had to deal with anything similar, but I have had a couple inmy office in tears because the husband cannot get surgery in the public system to prevent his blindness.They wanted me to explain why his being totally blind was described as being elective. This man did notchoose to go blind like a person chooses to have a face-lift. This man’s ability to earn a living is near anend and he will have to rely on government payments to survive. It just does not make sense. Moneycannot be found to give this man an operation, yet money can be found to provide him with fortnightlypayments for him and his wife for the next 15 years when he could have continued working for thisperiod and cost the government nothing.

There are numerous vital services within my electorate that could do with additional fundingsimply to continue operating. Some of these include the Gympie Women’s Health Centre and thevolunteers at Tin Can Bay who, often with their own personal vehicles and fuel money, transport patientsto appointments in Nambour and Brisbane. Mental health is an area in which increased funding isessential. The need for public and/or subsidised private housing is growing daily.

84 Information Commissioner 22 Feb 2005

I know of one severe example of a 14-year-old girl who is eight months pregnant living in a tent inthe bush on marshmallows and chips. What have we come to? What will happen to her baby, if it is tosurvive? There are departmental people who are scared of allowing me to use their names publiclybecause of reprisals from their superiors for coming to me whilst, at the same time, people like this girlare living in poverty, the likes of which we can only imagine.

I am getting sick of hearing about Queensland's low literacy rates compared to other states, or thefact that we have the worst health service in the country, or the fact that it will take years before we catchup to other states in terms of our commitment to disability services. When are we going to hear thatQueensland is the best state in Australia? When are other states going to look to us as a benchmark toexcellence? We have to have a vision and we have to say no to mediocrity. There will be a time whenthe spin doctors and fancy words will not cover up the inherent inadequacies that are finding their wayinto our state-run services.

Australia is supposed to be the lucky country, but somewhere along the way Queensland seemsto have lost its way. I do not believe anyone in this House wants to see things continue in this way. Inconclusion, I want to read part of a quote by one of my favourite politicians, Robert Kennedy, who said—The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike,timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason andcourage in a personal commitment to the great ideals of our society.

Hon. TM MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport)(6.29 pm), in reply: Queensland is the best state in Australia. I thank all members for their contributionsto our twice-yearly talkfest.

Motion agreed to.

Consideration in Detail (Cognate Debate)

Appropriation Bill (No. 2)Clauses 1 and 2, as read, agreed to. Schedule, as read, agreed to.

Appropriation (Parliament) Bill (No. 2)Clauses 1 and 2, as read, agreed to.

Third Reading (Cognate Debate)Bills read a third time.Sitting suspended from 6.31 pm to 7.30 pm.

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

AppointmentHon. RJ WELFORD (Everton—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice) (7.30 pm), by

leave, without notice: I move—That an address in the following terms be presented to Her Excellency the Governor in Council: Your Excellency, the Legislative Assembly humbly requests that, pursuant to the provisions of section 61 of the Freedom ofInformation Act 1992, Your Excellency in Council approve the appointment of Ms Cathi Taylor as the Information Commissioner.

It is more than 13 years since the Goss Labor government introduced the Freedom of InformationBill. It was landmark legislation which represented a major philosophical and cultural shift in theinstitutions of government. Its objective was to extend, as far as possible, the right of the community tohave access to information held by the Queensland government. It followed recommendations by theElectoral and Administrative Review Commission and the parliamentary committee for electoral andadministrative review and was based on the Commonwealth FOI Act.

EARC emphasised that the credibility of any freedom of information regime rested on providing aright of external review, independent of government, of decisions made by government agencies. Heexamined a range of models before opting for the review mechanism we have in place today—anindependent Information Commissioner who could provide an expeditious and specialised mechanismfor review. EARC recognised that the disputes that were likely to arise under the freedom of informationlegislation could range from the very simple to the very complex. Accordingly, the review mechanism inthe current act was designed to provide maximum flexibility in procedures.

22 Feb 2005 Information Commissioner 85

Practical experience has proved that EARC made a wise choice. Similar models havesubsequently been adopted in a number of jurisdictions, including Western Australia and Ireland. TheFOI Act 1992 provided that the Ombudsman was to be the Information Commissioner unless anotherperson was appointed as Information Commissioner. Since the act came into force, the personappointed as Ombudsman has fulfilled both functions, although each of the offices has quite separateand distinct powers.

There has been debate over a number of years as to whether or not the same person shouldoccupy both roles. In 2001 the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee conductedan inquiry into freedom of information. It concluded that the Information Commissioner model should beretained but expressed concern about the perception that the two roles were not entirely independent ofeach other, even if there was no evidence of actual conflict. The committee formed the view that aseparate and dedicated Information Commissioner should be appointed.

On 23 November 2004, in a ministerial statement to the House the Premier advised that thegovernment had decided it was time to make such a change. The position of Information Commissionerwas advertised in the Courier-Mail and Weekend Australian newspapers on Saturday, 27 November andSaturday, 4 December last year. There were 14 applications from around Australia. A full Public Servicemerit selection process was facilitated by the director-general of my department, the Department ofJustice and Attorney-General. As a result, Ms Cathi Taylor was recommended for appointment as thenew Information Commissioner. As prescribed under section 62(1) of the FOI Act, this would be for aterm of not longer than three years.

Ms Taylor holds a Bachelor of Social Studies from Sydney University. She has some 25 yearsexperience in the public sector—in New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland. In Queensland shehas worked under both coalition and Labor governments. From 1996 to 1998 Ms Taylor was a principalpolicy adviser with Queensland Treasury and also in 1996 was appointed by the then minister, SantoSantoro, to the community board of the South Bank Institute of TAFE. She was Director of EconomicPolicy with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet from 1998 to 2000, was Executive Director ofState Affairs from 2002 to 2004 and is currently the Executive Director, Policy Division with theQueensland EPA.

I am pleased to endorse the appointment of Ms Taylor, who is one of our most experienced seniorpublic servants. My department is currently finalising a bill to implement reforms to the FOI regimerecommended by the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee of the parliament.This bill will underscore the appointment of a separate Information Commissioner by including newprovisions to establish a new statutory body to be called the Office of the Information Commissioner.

The appointment of a separate and dedicated Information Commissioner will preserve andenhance public confidence in the integrity of the decision-making process of that office. It is also a clearindication of the priority that our government places on accountability and transparency and the key rolethat FOI laws play in achieving this.

The Information Commissioner's responsibilities are not limited to the conduct of reviews,although this is clearly the core business. The commissioner has the power to review a wide range ofdecisions regarding applications for access to and amendment of documents held by the government.An agency, minister or applicant dissatisfied with a decision of the commissioner can of course seekjudicial review in the Supreme Court under the Judicial Review Act 1991. This reinforces publicconfidence in the fairness and impartiality of the review process. The commissioner also plays animportant role in raising awareness of the FOI regime and annually reports to parliament on theoperations of the commissioner during the year.

Like all areas of the public sector, the Information Commissioner's office has had to respond tochanging community expectations and demands in recent years. Assisted by a current staff of 12people, the commissioner is charged with ensuring timely and expert service delivery to a wide range ofclients. Effective case management and human resource management and the provision of appropriatetraining and skill development opportunities for staff are all necessary to ensure the office fulfils thesegoals.

The Beattie government is proud of its track record in public accountability. Giving citizens anenforceable right of access to government-held information is critical to the government's integrityframework. The effective exercise of those rights requires a right to external review which is user friendlyand has the public's confidence. The FOI regime is, I believe, working well in this state. Theappointment of a separate and dedicated Information Commissioner will further ensure the office ispositioned to meet the challenges of the future.

Dr LESLEY CLARK (Barron River—ALP) (7.37 pm): It is with pleasure that I rise to second theAttorney-General's motion that Ms Cathi Taylor be appointed as Queensland's InformationCommissioner. Ms Taylor's appointment represents a significant milestone in the development of thisimportant position because for the first time in this state the office of the Ombudsman is to be separatedfrom that of the Information Commissioner. As members will be aware, the Ombudsman has been


fulfilling both roles, with the Deputy Information Commissioner carrying the major workload with regardto reviews of agency FOI decisions.

The separation of the roles of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner was recommended bythe former LCARC in its 2001 review of FOI in Queensland. The former committee recommendedseparation as it was concerned about perceptions regarding independence when the InformationCommissioner was required to review a decision of the Ombudsman regarding access to documents ofthe Ombudsman's office. The former committee also queried the appropriateness of the Ombudsmanwearing two hats, given the different nature and focus of the roles of Ombudsman and InformationCommissioner. The current LCARC committee welcomes the decision of the government to implementthe former committee's recommendations on this issue.

In 2003-04 the Office of the Information Commissioner received 287 new applications for review.This represented a 35 per cent increase over the previous financial year. While the Office of theInformation Commissioner has succeeded in reducing the proportion of cases on hand that are morethan 12 months old from 39 per cent as at June 2002 to 37 per cent as at June 2003 and a muchreduced 22 per cent as at June 2004, this does remain a high proportion of cases not resolved within 12months. There is much to the adage that justice delayed is justice denied.

The goals of the Office of the Information Commissioner are to provide an expert forum for reviewof disputes under FOI legislation, informally and flexibly resolve disputes, foster better understanding byagencies in the community of FOI legislation and provide a progressive client focused organisation.These goals, and in particular the significant issue of the need for greater focus by the office foreducational and training activities, will benefit from the creation of a separate office to focus on thesematters and ensure a speedy resolution of cases.

Turning to the selection process and the candidates selected for the position of InformationCommissioner, I was a member of the five-person panel in my role as chair of LCARC and can confirmthe process followed by the independent selection panel as described by the Attorney-General.Queensland is fortunate to have a number of highly qualified candidates who applied for the position ofInformation Commissioner, but this did present the panel with a real challenge and extensivedeliberation was given to the task.

There is no question in my mind that in Ms Cathi Taylor we have selected a person of outstandingvision, professional ability and personal integrity who has demonstrated her ability to work withgovernments of different political persuasions. As a professional public servant of some 25 years inthree different jurisdictions, Ms Taylor has performed a range of very senior roles of a very high standardincluding most recently Executive Director, Policy, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency;Executive Director, State Affairs, Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and ActingDirector-General, Governance Division, Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Duringthe selection process Ms Taylor demonstrated an awareness of the challenges facing the Office of theInformation Commissioner as well as the wider environment in which government departments operate,the need for professional and capable officers who consider FOI requests and the improved communityeducation on the role of the Information Commissioner.

On behalf of the committee, I thank the Premier and the Attorney-General for consulting with thecommittee regarding Ms Taylor's appointment despite the lack of a formal statutory requirement to doso. The question of the involvement of the deputy chair of LCARC in the selection process of statutoryofficers has been considered by the committee. The government is currently undertaking a review ofcertain statutory office holders including the Ombudsman and Information Commissioner. This reviewfollows another recommendation of the former LCARC. As part of this review, the current LCARCcommittee will be putting forward submissions regarding the need for both the chair and the deputychair to be represented on selection panels and the need for bipartisan committee support for anynomination to appoint a person to certain positions including that of Ombudsman and InformationCommissioner.

The committee will also be requesting that its current monitor and review role with respect to theOmbudsman's office be replicated in the case of the new Office of the Information Commissioner. Thecommittee fulfils its role with respect to the Ombudsman's office by, for example, regular meetings withthe Ombudsman and his senior staff to monitor the performance of the office. The committee alsocomments on budget issues and has a formal role with regard to strategic reviews as well asappointment, suspension and termination of the Ombudsman.

A similar role for our committee with respect to the Information Commissioner will enhance theaccountability of that office enabling appropriate parliamentary scrutiny and support. I am pleased toreport that the Premier this morning gave a commitment to the committee that the government willsupport our submission in this regard. In conclusion, it gives me great pleasure to second the Attorney-General's motion to appoint Ms Cathi Taylor as Information Commissioner, which incidentally alsorepresents another first for women in Queensland. I look forward to meeting her in my role as chair ofthe parliamentary committee for legal, constitutional and administrative review.


Miss SIMPSON (Maroochydore—NPA) (7.43 pm): In speaking to this motion of the Attorney-General's, I do so with a great deal of disappointment because I cannot fully endorse the government'schoice of the Information Commissioner, not because she may not be eminently qualified but becausethe selection process is flawed and is open to perceptions of political bias. Cathi Taylor has strong tieswith this government, serving in senior roles such as Acting Director-General of the Department of thePremier and Cabinet and also as a leader of Premier and Cabinet's freedom of information andministerial correspondence teams. As the new Information Commissioner, it seems somewhat ironicthat she will now determine appeals against government decisions to withhold information under FOIlaws. Ms Taylor has an outstanding curriculum vitae, which I table, including minor roles during the brieftenure of the National-Liberal government. However, it is the strength of her high-level ties with thisgovernment and the Queensland bureaucracy which means that questions will be asked about herability to apply the spirit and letter of freedom of information laws.

These questions could have been avoided if the Premier had heeded my warnings prior to theselection process proceeding. The Premier knows that I strongly disagree with his decision not to havebipartisan participation in the selection panel for this important statutory office holder which was contraryto the process used for the selection of the previous Information Commissioner. At that time, as thedeputy chairman of the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee, I sat on theselection panel with the then chairman, Karen Struthers, and other panellists chosen by the Premier.The result was a person whose appointment to the combined role of Ombudsman and InformationCommissioner was unchallenged, and there were no questions about this person's impartiality andpolitical independence.

I believe in departing from this process it allows the excuse of the Premier to say that it does nothappen with other office holders who report to the parliament. I believe it is time not only for the previousprecedent used for the selection of the Information Commissioner and Ombudsman to be reinstated butalso for it to be extended to other key statutory roles. Then I would not as the deputy chair of LCARC, aparliamentary committee, be questioning the process or the potential of comment in the public arenafrom others that the resulting appointee was the favoured candidate of the Beattie Labor government—a government which already has too much unfettered power.

Freedom of information laws have had a rocky road since they were first introduced. Both sides ofpolitics have been criticised for how these laws have operated. However, it was this Labor governmentwhich introduced fees to try to stifle access to information, and now it is this Labor government whichhas opened the role of Information Commissioner to criticism because of a flawed selection process.This is unfortunate and unfair to the people of Queensland, the parliament and also the successful andunsuccessful applicants.

The role of the Information Commissioner is a vital one in that it provides an avenue of appealagainst government and bureaucratic decisions to withhold information. In a parliamentary democracywe expect our statutory officers to protect the interests of the people in the face of the power of electedofficials and large bureaucracies. Government and bureaucratic control over information creates aterrific power imbalance with ordinary people, and that is why the freedom of information laws need notonly to work but also to be seen to work with independence and impartiality.

I would also query the selection criteria for this role as I wonder if it takes into consideration theproblem of appointing people with extensive working relationships at a senior level in the Queenslandbureaucracy. It is not a crime to be married to another senior-ranking public servant, as is Ms Taylor'scase, but I would appreciate the Premier advising this House how the new Information Commissionerwill overcome the perception of conflict of interest in regard to dealing with FOI decisions involving herhusband and the department of education, of which he is the director-general. By the way, the Premierinvited me to ask that question on the floor of the parliament.

It is a matter of public record that LCARC recommended that the Ombudsman's role andInformation Commissioner's role be split. This recommendation lay dormant for years, ignored by theBeattie state government until it was unhappy with some of the rulings of the previous InformationCommissioner—rulings which recommended that information the government wanted to withhold bereleased. Then the Beattie Labor government decided to dust off the LCARC recommendation andmove to separate the roles of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner with an acting informationcommissioner appointed to that role. Thus the reason we see before us the recommendation for theappointment of a new Information Commissioner.

And now my comments about the debacle and how the government proceeded to put a processin place to appoint that person. Our parliamentary committee, LCARC, was consulted only after thedecision had been made to appoint Cathi Taylor. Our parliamentary committee did have our chairman,Lesley Clark, participate in that process, and I appreciate our chairman's comments in regard to futureprocesses about looking at this issue of statutory office holders in the selection process, but I remind theAttorney-General that just a few moments ago he said that accountability and transparency wereimportant. He tried to clothe himself in the blanket of purity by saying that his government was all


accountability and all transparency, and then we saw this process which, due to its flawed nature, hasunfortunately brought into question the outcome.

Cathi Taylor may carry out this role in an outstanding way and with the highest ethics. However, itwas wrong of the government to initiate a process that has not only left her open to criticism; it has alsoleft the important role of Information Commissioner open to criticism. It has damaged the perception ofindependence of that office, hence the concerns that I raise in this parliament.

Mr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (7.49 pm): I rise to putbefore the parliament my concerns about the process which the government has followed inrecommending the appointment of Cathi Taylor to fulfil the very important role of InformationCommissioner in Queensland. In his contribution the Attorney-General made much of the need for theperception of independence, the need for accountability in this position, the need to make sure that thisdecision was above board and above reproach. There is no doubt about that whatsoever. However,accountability and independence in this parliament cannot be ensured by verbal repetition of theAttorney-General's own rhetoric; it cannot be done.

Verbal repetition of rhetoric which is based on this mantra of accountability and independence willnot ensure accountability and independence. Accountability and independence is something that mustbe demonstrated. It has not been demonstrated by the government in this particular decision. I sayagain that accountability and independence must be properly demonstrated. It is not just a rhetoricalconcept to be mouthed in such a glib way. That is my real concern about the way that this process hasbeen conducted.

I know that Cathi Taylor has a fairly long and distinguished career in the Public Service—no-oneis going to argue against that—as her curriculum vitae presented here tonight would seem to indicate.She has served in various positions under various governments in Queensland. However, what givesme cause for concern is the process. As was said by the deputy chairman of LCARC, the member forMaroochydore, in the past when the government was faced with the selection of an Ombudsman-Information Commissioner, she was actually a part of the selection panel. The question must be asked:why was there such a significant departure from protocol and precedent in this particular situation?Sure, there is no statutory obligation at the moment—no-one is arguing about that—but the precedenthas been established and has been followed by this government in the past, to its own credit. However,in this case it chose to depart from that process and the precedent which it set in the selection of theprevious Ombudsman-Information Commissioner in Queensland. I simply ask: why was it so different inthis particular circumstance? What was the government seeking to achieve by involving LCARC at sucha late stage in the process? What was it seeking to achieve by denying the deputy chairman of thatcommittee the opportunity that the deputy chairman had previously to play a role in a similar selection?That is a question that cannot be easily dismissed in this parliament tonight.

We would have preferred to have raised our issues and our concerns in an internal process. Itdoes not advance the reputation of Cathi Taylor or advance this debate to have it here in the publicdomain, but we were left with no option but to do that. The Premier invited the deputy chairman to raisethese concerns in parliament, which she did. So we are left with no choice but to raise concerns publicly,via this chamber, that we may have otherwise been able to have reasonably addressed in an internalselection process. It is unfortunate that things have actually got to this stage. That lack of fundamentalconsultation and adherence to previous procedure has caused us some concern.

If members look at the CMC—and there may be a statutory obligation—there is a selection panelmade up of the chairman and the deputy chairman and others, and that is fine; that is good. But withimportant positions such as this it is imperative to ensure public confidence. We must havebipartisanship on these sorts of appointments. That is our big concern about this process. Thesequestions need to be properly answered.

Cathi Taylor, as I said, has an outstanding curriculum vitae, but she has had some very closeinvolvement with the Premier's department in positions held in recent times. That in itself does notnecessarily mean that she is not going to be independent or that she is not up to the job, but it does giverise to some concern. I invite members to look at her referees. No-one can tell me that having refereeslike those does not have some influence. One has to wonder what the motivation is behind that. Thereferees are Dr Keliher, Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet; Professor GlynDavis, who is a former director-general of that department; and Simone Webbe, who is a previousdeputy director-general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. They are very, very powerfulreferees. One would have to say that that is impressive, and it looks pretty impressive on a curriculumvitae, but is there another motivation?

If one considers the way the government has sought to abuse and circumvent—and hascircumvented—the FOI process in Queensland over the last couple of years to an extent that it hasnever been abused at any time by any previous jurisdiction, whether coalition or Labor, then thequestion must be asked: what is the motivation of the government?

As the member for Maroochydore said a moment ago, this government introduced a schedule offees in the freedom of information amendments in parliament a couple of years ago which takes


freedom of information out of the reach of many people. It involves not only an application fee but alsoan hourly fee. The government goes on with all its rhetoric about how this is to rule out fishingexpeditions and it is to ensure that we have true cost recovery.

When the freedom of information legislation was introduced into this parliament by thehonourable member for Murrumba many years ago, the original objective was to ensure a cost-effective, accessible process for the general community to enable people to gain information that theymay not otherwise have been able to gain. They were laudable objectives. The honourable memberdeserves much commendation, as does the government of the day, for implementing those particularpost-Fitzgerald recommendations. However, it has been wound back. It has been whittled back. We onthis side know, from our own personal experiences, the cost of gaining access to information that weused to be able to access at a reasonable cost. We also know that many people in the community canno longer afford to access that information and, frankly, many in the media have given up on us. We cando it ourselves—

Mr Schwarten interjected. Mr SPRINGBORG: In some cases they are pursuing things and in other cases—Mr Schwarten: Oh!Mr SPRINGBORG: No, no, no. I said before that in many cases they are giving up; it is certainly

a deterrent. Sure, we got access to information the other day with regard to your scandalous, corruptprocess as a government in seeking to collude with the police commissioner in releasing information—

Mr SCHWARTEN: I rise to a point of order. I find the terms used by the honourable member to benot only excessive but also offensive and out of order in this parliament, and I ask that they bewithdrawn.

Mr SPRINGBORG: I said ‘as a government'. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Fouras): Order! It was not pertaining to you. Unfortunately, I cannot

make that ruling. The comments were directed at your government. I heard the words clearly. There isno point of order.

Mr SCHWARTEN: The honourable member pointed at me and said ‘you'. Mr SPRINGBORG: The royal ‘you'. A government member interjected. Mr SPRINGBORG: I said ‘government'.Mr SCHWARTEN: Mr Deputy Speaker, the honourable member singled me out in this parliament

and pointed at me. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat. The presumption is that what you said was

pertaining to him. I would ask you to withdraw it. Mr SPRINGBORG: Mr Deputy Speaker, I withdraw. I know what the Hansard record says. I

withdraw. If the honourable member opposite wants to be considered the entire government, that isgood.

Mr Schwarten: You said ‘you' and I caught you out. Mr SPRINGBORG: Okay. In an effort to move on, it was right for that to be reported the other day

in the Courier-Mail as the sort of process that this government has put in place to seek to control, or beaware of or steer the release of information and decisions in regard to the FOI process. There are veryfew media outlets in this state anymore that have the capacity to put in applications like they previouslydid.

The Premier has the audacity to stand in this place and seek to criticise the opposition, andothers, for using what is their justifiable right; that is, their access to freedom of information legislation inthis place. He seeks to say, in some way, that there is no right for us to use it because that is the onlyway that we are catching out the deviousness and the connivance of this government.

Mr WELFORD: Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to a point of order. The Leader of the Opposition ismisleading the House. In no way has the Premier criticised the opposition's entitlement to use FOI.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Mr SPRINGBORG: If I remember rightly, in November he stood in this place and condemned the

opposition for their abuse of the FOI process. He stood there and said, ‘This is a costly waste of time.This is not what the FOI process is all about.' If that is not the Premier seeking to deter us from gainingaccess to information, I do not know what is. The Premier is embarrassed. His cocky, arrogantparliamentary majority is now going to his head.


There are very few options left available to us to get the information that the government deniesus. The freedom of information process is the only way that we can do that, and it is becomingincreasingly expensive to do it. We are in the fortunate position that we are able to do that.

Recently, we saw the exchange that happened between the Queensland Commissioner of Policeand the office of the Minister for Police and Corrective Services about an information request that hadbeen put in by the opposition. The relay of information was happening days, if not weeks, before theopposition had access to that particular information. That process was never in place prior to the lastBeattie government. There was not that level of involvement.

The member for Rockhampton certainly cannot wear virginal white in this place and say thatbutter would not melt in his mouth because we have had the revelation in the last few days of thecontrivance between his office, his department and the Premier's department over the fuel card affairwhich we were able to expose.

Mr SCHWARTEN: I rise to a point of order. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is a point of order. Mr SCHWARTEN: I take issue with the word ‘contrivance'. I follow the letter of the law with FOI

laws in this state. There is no contrivance. I demand to know everything that goes on in the departmentto the equal level that the opposition leader needs to know it. I ask that that be withdrawn.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I think that we ought not to debate a withdrawal. We should justsay that you find something offensive—which you do. I ask the member to withdraw it.

Mr SPRINGBORG: Well, okay, I withdraw it. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! He finds it offensive. The standing orders are very clear. Mr SPRINGBORG: There have been some quite interesting rulings by the Speaker in this place

in recent times about how there needs to be a direct personal reflection on a person for any sort ofwithdrawal. Does that mean that if we say the government is corrupt, that the government has colludedwith somebody or that a minister's department or officers have done something wrong, the minister cantake personal offence and we have to withdraw it?

Mr Schwarten interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I do not need advice from the minister.Mr Schwarten: The Leader of the Opposition said that I contrived. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I do not need the minister’s advice on this. I tried to rule that way

on the first occasion but I was informed that he had said ‘you’. That ruling still stands. It has to be apersonal reflection, not a reflection on the whole government. But the member then said the contrivanceof the minister.

Mr SPRINGBORG: The minister's office. I said the contrivance of the minister's office and thedepartment. I simply say in this place that the freedom of information material that we received recentlyshows a very, very significant trail between the minister's department and the Premier's owndepartment—the Premier's own office—in relation to our request for information regarding the fuel cardaffair, including asking to talk about disclosing impending decisions. If that is not a contrivance acrossgovernment, I do not know what is. That sort of process was not meant to happen. What we have hereis a contrivance across government in order to be able to second-guess and steer the outcome of anFOI process. That is what we have here. If the minister does not believe it, he should go and read hisown documentation and exchanges of emails from his own department.

Mr SCHWARTEN: Point of order, Mr Speaker!Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! What is your point of order? Mr SCHWARTEN: The point of order is that the member opposite is deliberately misleading this

parliament.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Mr SCHWARTEN: The point of order is that—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet. Resume your seat, Minister. There is no point of

order. I call the Leader of the Opposition. Mr SPRINGBORG: I simply say to the member that he should go and get the emails, the trail that

goes from the department or the office that he is responsible for to Premier's and see if he should not beconcerned about that. This sort of collusion that is happening across government now in the area ofinformation has never happened at any time previously in this state. Indeed, when I was the minister fornatural resources, I can tell you what would happen in the area of FOI. At the end of the week, the D-Gwould say, ‘We have had a number of requests,' and it was no more than somebody asking for someinformation. I used to say to them, ‘What cause of that is mine? If these people can gain access to theinformation, why don't you just give it to them?' There was none of this business of ministerial


involvement across government. That is of real concern because that is what is happening to FOI inQueensland.

We have had the police commissioner's issue recently, we have had the public works departmentissue with regard to fuel cards and we have seen an abuse of cabinet exemption processes like wehave never, ever seen before in this state. It is to the point that FOI, frankly, is becoming a farce. That iswhy we need a strong and independent Information Commissioner in this state. No-one should argueagainst that. Do members know what happened last year when the then Information Commissionerruled against this government in the Berri affair and ruled that we had access to information with regardsto the quantum of government grants? The government said that it repudiated that decision, that thiswould be the last time we would gain access to that and that it was going to fight us in the SupremeCourt. The opposition were going to have to stand in the Supreme Court as the nominal defendant inorder to defend the decision of the independent Information Commissioner. That is the sort of thing thisgovernment is forcing to happen at the end of the day.

Mr Welford: That is what the law allows. It allows for review. Mr SPRINGBORG: The point is: that is what happens when we have been through the process of

freedom of information and internal review and external review through the Information Commissioner.The government did not like it, so off to the Supreme Court it went and we had to be the nominaldefendant. The government turned around and said that it would change the law in Queensland,anyway, so we could not have access to this in the future. That is the government's commitment tofreedom of information in this state. That leads us to be very, very sceptical—extremely sceptical—about its motives.

We will adopt a wait-and-see attitude with regard to Cathi Taylor. If she can follow in the footstepsof the former Information Commissioner, then we will be very pleased to stand in this place, or anywhereelse, and say that she has filled those very big shoes and has filled them aptly—and she may be able todo that.

However, we wanted to be involved in the process. We should have been raising these concernsas part of a selection panel. However, it is legitimate for us to raise these issues in this place tonightwhen one considers the weight of those referees, the person's very close involvement in the Premier'sdepartment recently and the concerns that I have raised here about the exchange of information and thesecond-guessing that is going on across government departments with regards to FOI decisions.

The member for Maroochydore raised the issue a little while ago, at the invitation of the Premier,about a potential conflict of interest. As the member mentioned, Ms Taylor is the wife of Ken Smith, theDirector-General of Education. They may very well be able to clearly separate their responsibilities.However, there is no doubt that the Director-General of Education from time to time will find himself orhis department in a situation where they will be defending decisions in the area of FOI from appeal. MsTaylor will, of course, have to oversee those particular appeal decisions and we are hopeful—and webelieve that it was always her intention—that she will be able to separate quite clearly what couldpotentially be seen as a conflict of interest. As I said, there will be challenges to the decisions of theDirector-General of Education and that department and Ms Taylor will have to oversee those. She willhave a very, very fine line to walk to ensure not only independence in decision making occurs but alsothere is a strong perception of independence.

Again we are left with no choice but to raise these concerns here. We hope that our concerns donot come to fruition in Queensland, but given this government's callous disregard for the FOI process,as originally contrived in legislation in this place by the honourable member for Murumba in 1991-92, wehave cause to be sceptical and we wait to see. It is not what Mr Attorney-General mouths in here as hiscommitment to FOI; it is his actions and his government's actions that cause us concern and we will bewatching.

Hon. DM WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (8.10 pm): The candidate proposed by the Attorney-Generalfor the position of Information Commissioner comes from a department which stands out for its liberalattitude to the release of information. Cathi Taylor is an executive director in the EnvironmentalProtection Agency. Much of the information held by that department is scientific. The culture of thatagency is that debate on environmental issues will be most useful if it is based on all of the factsavailable to the department, thus the culture from which Cathi Taylor comes to the position ofInformation Commissioner is very much a culture that assumes that information should be in the publicdomain unless there is some overwhelmingly good reason to the contrary.

Cathi Taylor was Executive Director of the Policy Division of the Environmental Protection Agencywhen I was associated with that department. In that role her particular responsibilities were inintergovernmental relations and the implementation of whole-of-government policies. In other words,her role included preparing options and papers for meetings of the environment ministers councils toenable Queensland to participate in continent-wide environmental initiatives. She was involved ininterdepartmental implementation of programs agreed to by this parliament.


Tasks of this kind require a great deal of attention to detail and a great deal of objectivity. Again,these are qualities that are very fitting for a public servant who will be in charge of freedom ofinformation. In all of the dealings that I had with Cathi Taylor she displayed those traditional civil servicecharacteristics of impartiality, objectivity and a willingness to give frank and fearless advice. I wouldremind honourable members that it is illegal in Queensland to discriminate in the area of employment onthe basis of someone's marital status. To refer to someone's partner, as distinct from their own suitabilityfor the job, is at the very least a breach of the spirit of the Anti-Discrimination Act. I urge honourablemembers to support the motion.

Mrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (8.12 pm): I rise to make a small contribution to thismotion. I will outline my concerns about what has been raised during the debate. The freedom ofinformation process is important to many in the community who are aggrieved by governmentprocesses, its actions or decisions. I have been of the view since the introduction of the additionalcharges for FOI applications that the community's access to information has been impeded. Noteveryone can afford to pay the cost for third-party type information. The basic tenet of the freedom ofinformation process is sound.

The Information Commissioner will adjudicate on decisions to withhold information from theapplicant. The Information Commissioner must not only be independent but also be seen to beindependent. Every one of us would have been faced in our electorate offices with people coming in withconcerns that are based on perceptions rather than reality, but those perceptions are no less real. TheOffice of the Information Commissioner is one that at times can be very controversial.

My first concern about an applicant of this type is the applicant's strong connection to thegovernment. That does not necessarily rule her out. I do not know Ms Taylor. I may have met her, but Icannot comment. I read her curriculum vitae that was tabled. If I was an FOI applicant aggrieved by thedepartment's decision not to release information, I would be concerned—and this is on the basis offeedback that I have had from people in my community when decisions have gone against them—aboutthe close association that Ms Taylor has had with the government of the day.

People deserve to feel that the ruling on the release of information that they have sought will bedecided by an independent arbiter. Ms Taylor may well be that person. However, in circumstanceswhere a department refuses the release of information and the Information Commissioner upholds thatrefusal, applicants who are in a heightened state of concern, suspicion or frustration could well questionthe commissioner's objectivity.

The previous Information Commissioner made controversial decisions. Those controversialdecisions at times impacted upon the government of the day. Because of those controversies hebrought a great deal of respect to the position of Information Commissioner. I wish to place on record myconcerns after hearing the speeches prior to my contribution. I believe the community could feel a senseof loss of independence. I hope that will not occur with Ms Taylor in the position. I place those concernson the record.

Mrs MILLER (Bundamba—ALP) (8.15 pm): I rise to speak in support of the motion before theHouse. I have followed with professional interest the FOI debate in Australia over many years. TheCommonwealth FOI Act was introduced in 1982. All states have since passed FOI legislation. InQueensland the Fitzgerald report considered the necessity for FOI legislation and, as I recall, EARCstudiously looked into the issue and reported in 1990. Our Labor government passed the FOI Act in1992 when Dean Wells was the Attorney-General. FOI was part of a raft of legislation at that time aimedat improving public administration in Queensland. It aimed to be a fundamental pillar of our democracythat government be open and accountable—that citizens have a right to know what files and whatinformation are being held on them by government.

Contrast this with the 32 dark and dreary years of the Bjelke-Petersen government. Secrecy wasthe rule of the day, public servants could write whatever they liked on clients if they wanted to andgovernment files never saw the light of day. The Leader of the Opposition talks about process. Iremember the dark days of the Bjelke-Petersen government where senior government positions werenot even advertised and people were simply appointed.

FOI legislation brought a new professionalism into the Queensland Public Service. Manythousands of public servants were trained in FOI, including me; citizens' rights; the writing of proper,honest file notes; and the duty to assist members of the community to lodge FOI requests, amongst theirother duties. The FOI Act meant that government was now bathed in sunshine; the government wastransparent, open and accountable.

I recall that there were some government departments and agencies that were reticent at firstabout the implications of the legislation. However, there were excellent spin-offs of the FOI Act in termsof broader public administration. There were better records administration systems. There were moreefficient computerised record systems. There was increased understanding of a public servant's role ingovernment. There were better skills in report writing. There was recognition of any citizen's right toknow about information on themselves. There was also an increased understanding of open andaccountable government. Importantly, it gave records administration a proper place in public


administration. It gave rise to an increased importance in government records administration across thePublic Service, particularly in Police, Transport, Housing and Corrective Services.

I attended the inaugural FOI training in Victoria in 1990 as a public servant in Queensland and Ialso assisted the CJC in the implementation processes for FOI amongst my other duties as a publicservant. It was at that time a privilege to be part of this government change process.

These days FOI is an act of parliament proudly administered in the main by specialist FOIofficers. Some have devoted over a decade of their careers to the administration of the act. They arefine, upstanding Queensland professional officers. They administer the act without fear or favour inaccordance with the law. I want it on record that I salute the professional officers of the Public Servicefor their dedication to upholding the principles of our great democracy in this state.

The Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee of this parliament conducted aninquiry into FOI in 2001. The committee rightly, in my view, concluded that the Information Commissionmodel should be retained and that a separate, dedicated Information Commissioner should beappointed. The Premier advised the parliament on 23 November last year that the government haddecided that the timing was right to have a full-time independent Information Commissioner.

As the Attorney-General has outlined, the position was advertised in the Courier-Mail andAustralian newspapers on 27 November and 4 December 2004. A full Public Service merit selectionprocess was undertaken. The selection panel included representatives from the Department of thePremier and Cabinet; the Office of the Public Service Commissioner; the Legal, Constitutional andAdministrative Review Committee of this parliament; and a former Crown solicitor. The selectionprocess was clearly transparent. Furthermore, before the motion was moved in this House, the Premierand the Attorney-General briefed the parliamentary committee. The merit selection process for thisposition has been open and accountable. It has been transparent and in accordance with the principlesof FOI and it is in accord with our government's commitment to merit selection for appointment to theQueensland Public Service.

Cathi Taylor has been appointed to the position of Information Commissioner and I know that shewill do an excellent job on behalf of the people of Queensland. In her role, she will be responsible for theexternal review of decisions of government departments and agencies. Applicants, including all of ourconstituents, will be able to seek an external review of decisions in relation to FOI requests. I know thatCathi Taylor will conduct herself in this role with great professionalism. The commissioner's decision-making powers are determinative. Written decisions are published in the Queensland administrativereports. An applicant, department or agency or a minister who may be dissatisfied with thecommissioner's decision can seek judicial review under the Judicial Review Act 1991. The InformationCommissioner is required to report on an annual basis to the parliament on the operations of thecommissioner during the year. This is open and accountable government in practice.

Before 1989, when the Bjelke-Petersen government was in full flight, where corruption hadbecome the norm in Queensland public administration, FOI was merely a name on a piece of paper. Infact, the Bjelke-Petersen government mocked FOI. It was in the National Party's interest to keepgovernment a closed shop, to keep as much information as possible secret, to operate government on aneed-to-know basis. It was an era of great shame in Queensland. These days FOI means open andaccountable government; it means transparency in decision making; it means that public servantsactively assist citizens in gaining access to their records, whether or not that is through FOI or throughadministrative access; it means that access to information for the community at large through literature,or the internet, or dedicated webpages has been the norm for government. There is a recognition of therole and importance of records administrators. There has been an increased understanding of the roleof FOI in open and accountable government by our public servants. There is a greater awareness ofpublic servants' almost universal acceptance that their documents may one day be accessed by clientsand the community at large.

Queensland is a better place because of FOI. It is a better place because of the Fitzgerald inquiry.It is a better place because of EARC. It is a better place because Dean Wells had the guts to introducethe FOI legislation into parliament. It is a better place because we have a more professional PublicService bathed in the light of open and accountable government. I have confidence that the newInformation Commissioner, Cathi Taylor, will be strong and independent.

Hon. RE SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing)(8.23 pm): I rise to speak in support of the appointment of the Information Commissioner, who has gonethrough a merit based selection process and has come through as the most meritorious candidate. Withregard to freedom of information, I want to place on record that the matter referred to by the Leader ofthe Opposition whereby information was passed from the director-general of the department of publicworks to the director-general of the Premier's department and into my office and to the Premier's officewas totally legitimate and totally within the laws that enable freedom of information in this state. Thereality is that the Premier of Queensland and the director-general of the Premier's department haveresponsibility for the motor vehicles in question. It was absolutely proper and appropriate that they beadvised, as the minister for Q-Fleet, about those cars being leased to MSU. It would be a dereliction of

94 Petroleum and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 22 Feb 2005

duty not to have advised the Premier and the Premier's department in those circumstances. I do notresile from that position and I challenge any member of this House or any member of the media to pointto any part of the freedom of information laws that have been offended therein.

Hon. RJ WELFORD (Everton—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice) (8.24 pm), inreply: I would like to thank honourable members for their contributions to the debate of this motion. Iacknowledge the position of the Leader of the Opposition in keeping an open mind on the appointment.I believe that the appointment process was such that we have been fortunate to attract a strong field ofcandidates and the ultimate appointment, I think, will be for the benefit of the state, and I commend themotion to the House.

Motion agreed to.

PETROLEUM AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2)

Second ReadingResumed from 23 November 2004 (see p. 3615). Mr SEENEY (Callide—NPA) (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (8.25 pm): The opposition will not

be opposing the passage of this legislation through the House. It is a relatively simple piece oflegislation that seeks to rectify and clarify a number of issues that were apparently left in doubt by thePetroleum and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1), which was passed by this House beforeChristmas.

This is a very simple piece of legislation that seeks to clarify the position in relation to water bores.The minister outlined that in his second reading speech. I will not take the time of the House to repeatthe comments that I made in the debate on the passage of the Petroleum and Other LegislationAmendment Bill (No. 1). Suffice it to say, the petroleum industry is a very important industry forQueensland and the legislation that we considered before Christmas was a long time in the making. Itwas welcomed very much by the industry as it resolved a lot of issues that had been creating problemsby replacing outdated legislation.

The issues that this particular amendment bill will rectify are probably not widespread throughoutthe industry's activity, but for the people who are affected by them they are major issues. I have noissues to raise regarding the particular circumstances of this bill, and I have much pleasure in lendingmy support to its rapid passage through the House.

Mr MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (8.27 pm): In rising to participate in debate on the Petroleum andOther Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2004, I want to address the amendments to the Petroleum Act1923 and the Water Act 2000. The Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 includes ahighly commendable provision that allows a tenure holder to apply for a water licence to supply water toa third party. The act also protects the owner of a water bore from the adverse effects of petroleumproduction. I am pleased to note that the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines has incorporatedsimilar provisions into the Petroleum Act 1923.

The incorporation of these provisions is particularly significant considering that most of the currentpetroleum leases are likely to remain under the jurisdiction of the Petroleum Act 1923. The originalpetroleum legislation did not protect owners of land from the risk that their water bores could be undulyaffected by petroleum production and third parties other than landowners could not benefit from thewater produced during petroleum exploration and production.

The amendments being introduced by this bill address three issues. They will help ensure thatwater produced as a by-product of petroleum exploration and production is used productively. Iunderstand that there has already been significant interest in the ability to access water produced bypetroleum activities. I note that late last year a mining company called Millennium, which is developing alease near Moranbah, saw the minister in relation to obtaining water from the CH4 coal seam methanegas operations at Moranbah to supply water to the wash plant of this proposed mine that is currentlyunder construction. So I could see the benefits of this legislation to my region.

As I said earlier, this interest has come from both the coalmining industry and landowners. Theprolonged and severe drought that has gripped much of Queensland reminds us of the need to use ourwater resources wisely. The ability to supply water to a third party should have wide-ranging benefits forQueensland and the coalmining industry. The coordinated development of both coal seam gas and coalwill result in significant volumes of water being made available for supply. By making this wateravailable, the Queensland government is helping to meet the demand for water necessary to underpinthe future development of the coalmining industry in the Bowen Basin.

The transitional provisions in the new legislation are vitally important. The legislation requiresextensive reporting in relation to activities undertaken or their impacts. A petroleum tenure holder whohas produced petroleum will be required to submit a statement about the need for a water impact report.

22 Feb 2005 Petroleum and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 95

This is intended to reduce the immediate compliance requirements on the petroleum industry. Therequirements for a statement will ensure only holders of those tenures to produce petroleum that arelikely to impact upon an existing bore will need to submit an impact report.

The bill is the last major component of the legislation developed following the review of the lawsgoverning the petroleum pipeline industries in this state. The legislation completes the stategovernment's commitment to the responsible management of the state's resources and, in particular,the use of water as a result of petroleum production. I commend the bill to the House.

Mrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (8.30 pm): I rise to support the legislation and tocommend the minister for recognising a particular situation in relation to petroleum exploration that Ihave personal involvement with in my electorate, although not with petroleum. In the minister's secondreading speech he said—The major inconsistency in relation to the petroleum legislation is the inclusion into the Petroleum Act 1923 of provisions in relationto existing bores and water monitoring authorities as defined by the Water Act 2000.Water is necessarily taken as a part of petroleum production, but our new laws have protected land-holders whose bores areaffected by the petroleum activities.

He went on to say—Including water monitoring authorities in the Petroleum Act 1923 will ensure petroleum tenure holders meet their make-goodobligation relating to bores that fall outside the tenure area.Another important amendment will ensure that any water taken as a result of petroleum production can be made available to thirdparties—a particularly important provision.

Water is the lifeblood of any rural property. Any event outside the control of the landowner thatdepletes that water resource can be catastrophic to the landowner and the business that is carried outon that property.

There is a situation that I know the minister is well aware of where a limestone mining companyhas had an impact on the underground water reserves in the region of the mine. The fact of the waterconing and the depletion is not argued, but the area of impact has been under dispute for many years.While that dispute is being finalised—if ever it is finalised—properties in the vicinity of the mine may beaffected. Depending on the soil substructure and the rock formations, the impact of that water depletioncan extend quite a distance. The properties that are thus affected have no ongoing recourse toassistance at this point in time. Many families have suffered as a result. That fact has been recognisedin this legislation. There will be a period where the effectiveness and the catchment of this legislation willbe tested. The veracity of the amendments that have been made in terms of potential challenges willalso have to be tested, but the fact that the impact on bores outside of the actual licence area is beingrecognised is a very positive step.

As I said, based on the experience of families in my electorate, I know that tensions of this sort donot only affect the business end of farms. The stress and uncertainty affects the fabric of the family. Icommend the minister for recognising that in this legislation and quickly taking steps to ensure not onlythat recourse is available to the landowners but also that obligations are placed on mining licenceholders and petroleum producers who will have to act responsibly in terms of their impact on bores andwater sources outside the tenure.

The other issue that I refer to from the second reading speech is that any water taken as a resultof petroleum production can be made available to third parties and in some way can be used to relievethe impact of the water depletion, particularly if the water taken is unaffected by the actual miningprocess. In certain circumstances the water quality and the electrolytic count can be affected. It canmake the water unsuitable or can at least change its condition and its useability from its original purposeand availability. However, I believe this legislation goes a long way to giving some relief to landowners. Icommend the minister for it.

Hon. KW HAYWARD (Kallangur—ALP) (8.35 pm): I rise to participate in the debate on thePetroleum and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2004, which amends the Petroleum and Gas(Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum Act 1923. My colleague the member for Mackayhas already addressed the major issue that relates to water. I want to take the time of the House toaddress some of the issues of significance in this bill. This bill contains royalty exemptions for thebeneficial use of coal seam gas for existing mining operations on a mining lease. This exemptionreflects the state government's commitment to encourage the use of this gas. Currently this gas may beflared or vented and therefore is a waste of the state's resources.

The Minister for Natural Resources and Mines has previously highlighted this commitment tosafety in the production, transportation and use of petroleum and fuel gas. I am pleased that the ministerhas decided to incorporate the concept of safety alerts and instructions into the new legislation. Nomatter how thorough or detailed legislation is in respect of safety, a combination of unexpectedcircumstances could result in a diminished level of safety. By incorporating the ability for the chiefinspector to issue a safety alert or instruction, emerging safety issues can be addressed. The ability torespond to safety issues in a timely manner should provide workers in the industry and the public with agreater level of safety. I wish to commend the minister for his commitment to safety, as accidents withpetroleum and fuel gas can have devastating effects on life and property.


This bill completes the most thorough review in the history of this state of the legislationadministering the petroleum and pipeline industries and the use of the petroleum and fuel gas. The bill'samendments to the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum Act 1923contain innovative approaches to complex issues. For example, these acts will address, for the firsttime, the complex issue of coal seam gas, especially the differences in various legislation for dealingwith this resource. The requirement to make good the effect of taking water as part of petroleumproduction on existing water bores is also a first. The ability to obtain a water monitoring authority todetermine the impact of the taking of this water and to undertake restoration measures is unique inAustralia. The adoption of the requirement for a safety management plan ensures that the risksspecifically associated with an operating plant are addressed rather than a need to conform to outdatedrequirements or procedures. Specific safety requirements in relation to coal seam gas will assist inensuring that the future effect and efficient mining of coal will not be affected. This has the potential tooptimise the production of both coal and coal seam gas in Queensland.

Queensland has always developed sound legislation in relation to the petroleum and pipelineindustries, as reflected in the longevity of the Petroleum Act 1923. I am confident that the Petroleum andGas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the amended Petroleum Act 1923 and the innovative waythat they deal with contemporary issues will prove to be equally sound. I want to take the opportunity tocongratulate the minister for what has been a mammoth task in the development and implementation ofthese new acts. This bill represents the final step in this significant event for petroleum and pipelineindustries in Queensland. I commend the bill to the House.

Mr McNAMARA (Hervey Bay—ALP) (8.39 pm): I rise to support the Petroleum and OtherLegislation Amendment Bill. This bill is necessary to ensure consistency and efficiency in theadministration of the petroleum and pipeline industries in Queensland, including implementing our vitalcoal seam gas regime. I say ‘vital' because we will soon be faced with the effects of the rundown of theworld's oil reserves after the advent of peak oil. Peak oil represents the most serious and immediatechallenge to our prosperity and security. It will impact on our lives more certainly than terrorism, globalwarming, nuclear war or bird flu. While it may not be a term with which members are familiar now, Ipredict it will come to dominate debate in this place over the next 10 years.

The concept of peak oil was identified in 1956 by the late US oil industry and governmentgeologist M King Hubbert. Dr Hubbert suggested that the rise and fall of oil production in a nation, orindeed the world, would follow a pattern for individual wells; that is, rising sharply from when oil underpressure in the ground is first spiked, increasing as more wells are sunk, plateauing when half the oilhas been extracted and tapering away as the remaining recoverable oil is pumped out. This is nowreferred to as the Hubbert curve. From the halfway peak, all oil flows decrease as the pressure in the oilbasin declines. The cost of recovering the oil rises exponentially from this point as it has to be extractedwith greater degrees of technical difficulty, such as flooding the reservoir with water to float residual oilinto a recoverable position.

Dr Hubbert worked for the United States Geological Survey as a senior research geophysicist for12 years. He was employed as director of Shell's research laboratory in Houston for 20 years. He taughtat Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University andmade a number of outstanding contributions to the field of geophysics. Regretfully, his modelling of peakoil was ignored by government and rejected by industry, but he has been proven right.

As the US energy administration now concedes, oil production in the USA peaked in 1971, as hepredicted it would, and has been in steady decline since. Production for all nations outside the MiddleEast peaked in 1997. The scientific community is currently involved in a vigorous debate about theanticipated date of world peak oil. I quote from an article published in the Scientific American of March1998 by Dr Colin Campbell and Jean Laherrere. It states—Using several different techniques to estimate the reserves of conventional oil and the amounts still left to be discovered, weconclude that the decline will begin before 2010.

I will say more about the date of world peak oil in just a moment, but one fact is indisputable:when the Middle East peaks between 2006 and 2020 the world will have passed peak oil, and oil priceswill commence to climb irreversibly until all recoverable oil reserves are exhausted within 50 years.

The advent of world peak oil will change our way of life forever. The concept of peak oil is nowuniversally accepted by geologists and mining engineers. It has recently gained acceptance by highly-respected oil industry experts such as banker Matt Simmons of Simmons and Co. International and thevastly experienced Washington based energy consulting firm PFC Energy. Matt Simmons has 30 yearsexperience in one of the world's largest energy investment banking groups and served on PresidentGeorge W Bush's Energy Advisory Committee between 2001 and 2004. I table an article byMr Simmons published in Petroleum News in August 2004 in which he concluded that peak oil ‘could bethe biggest energy issue the world has ever faced'. I also table a copy of an article from the BusinessMagazine of 7 November 2004 that contains confirmation of peak oil for the first time by a senior oilindustry executive, Francis Harper of BP. He expects global oil production to peak between 2010 and2020.


Picking the exact date of the peak is difficult because one has to rely on data from oil companiesand OPEC members about their oil reserves. Members may be aware that the Royal Dutch/Shell Groupon 5 February 2005 cut its 2002 published estimate of its total oil and gas holdings by one-third. Itreduced its 2003 estimate of oil reserves by 1.4 billion barrels, or 9.8 per cent, and admitted that two-thirds of its listed prospective wells in 2004 were in fact dry holes. Shell has been fined $US151.5 millionfor misleading stock markets. The US justice department is undertaking a criminal investigation. Giventhat company value is directly related to oil reserves, it is not surprising that Shell has lost its top-tiercredit rating. Oil companies have a vested interest in overstating reserves, and Australian companyregulators should be especially vigilant in this regard.

What does it mean if peak oil is not 2020 but 2006 because oil companies and OPEC membershave overstated reserves? In the late 1980s, six of the 11 OPEC members revised their reserve oilfigures upwards by amounts ranging from 42 per cent to 197 per cent. If those estimates were merelyan effort to manipulate OPEC production quota rules, it means that we have a serious problem rightnow.

There are many things the Beattie government is doing that will help soften the impact of peak oilwhenever it occurs. We are supporting research and development in coal, hydrogen, solar, wind andbiomass power. This is all important and must be continued and indeed accelerated. I note that the statedevelopment minister, Tony McGrady, recently announced a $250,000 grant to help the CSR mill atSarina become Australia's chief ethanol producer. Ergon Energy is investing in wind farm technology, anenergy source that has the best energy return on energy invested ratio of all the alternative energysources. This is an excellent initiative.

But make no mistake: there is no silver bullet to defeat the most serious impacts of peak oil. Wewill not find sufficient new oilfields to meet current demand, let alone to feed the soaring demand ofemerging economies like China. New oil discovery across the world peaked in 1960 and we now findone barrel of oil for every four we consume. The six giant Saudi oilfields that produce the entireeight million barrels a day of Saudi production are all aged between 40 and 65 years. Nothingapproaching the giant Ghawar field’s size has been found in the last 50 years.

We have coal for electric power for 200 years, but coal cannot effectively replace oil. While it ispossible to make synthetic fuels from coal and while hydrogen extracted from coal can power a fuel cell,these processes use more energy than they produce. In other words, they are net energy losers. This isthe unavoidable impact of the second law of thermodynamics. Nuclear power suffers from the same netenergy loss problem, as well as the known radiation and waste storage risks.

The only effective replacement energy source for oil is liquefied natural gas, but it is subject to thesame Hubbert curve as oil and may even be disappearing at a faster rate. All other energy sourcescombined cannot replace the volume of energy we derive from oil. For some alternative energy sources,such as ethanol, far more energy is expended in planting, fertilising, growing, harvesting and processingthan its end product renders. No other energy source can fly planes or drive heavy trucks andmachinery. Further, most of the world's fertiliser is now made from natural gas, and most of the world'spesticide is made from oil. As fuel prices double and then double again in the years after the peak, wewill be faced with some very hard choices in the fields of agriculture, food distribution and transportgenerally.

I congratulate the government on its recent decision to preserve agricultural land in the south-east corner. The challenges we face after peak oil will require localised food production and industry in away not seen for 100 years. Local rail lines and fishing fleets will be vital to regional communities. Self-contained communities living close to work, farms, services and schools will not be merely desirable;they will be essential.

There is much more to say on this topic. I note that it has now found its way into the mainstreammedia via a front-page story in the Wall Street Journal of 21 September 2004 and an editorial in theWashington Times of 2 November 2004. I welcome that public discussion and suggest that this topicshould be considered in detail in Australia and in this place. For members who are interested in a verythorough treatment of this issue I recommend Richard Heinberg's detailed 2003 book The Party's Over.

Let me conclude with this simple statement of fact. Peak oil is coming—soon—and no alternativeenergy source available to us today or in the foreseeable future is going to make up the total energyshortfall. The beginning of the end of the oil age is upon us, and it is time to respond fully to thatchallenge. The petroleum bill before the House is a necessary step in that process. I congratulate theminister on this reform as well as on last year's Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act and thePetroleum and Other Legislation Bill that collectively regulate and encourage the exploration anddevelopment of petroleum and gas resources in Queensland. I commend the bill to the House.

Hon. S ROBERTSON (Stretton—ALP) (Minister for Natural Resources and Mines) (8.48 pm), inreply: First, I thank all members who participated in the debate. In particular I thank the Deputy Leaderof the National Party for his support of this legislation. The Petroleum and Other Legislation AmendmentBill (No. 2) 2004 completes the legislative changes in relation to the petroleum and pipeline industriesand the use of fuel gas in this state. The bill primarily amends the Petroleum Act 1923, the Petroleum


and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Water Act 2000. The amendments to the PetroleumAct 1923 relate to the incorporation of provisions relating to existing Water Act laws and watermonitoring authorities. The provisions added to the Petroleum Act 1923 mirror similar provisions in thePetroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004.

The provisions relating to existing Water Act bores will result in these bores being eligible for themake-good provisions if they become unduly affected as a result of petroleum production from a tenureunder the Petroleum Act 1923. The provisions in the Petroleum Act 1923 are needed as most of thepetroleum produced will continue to come from tenures administered under this act. The inclusion ofwater monitoring authorities into the Petroleum Act will assist in tenure holders under this act accessingland to meet their make-good obligation. Transitional provisions in relation to the impact of petroleumactivities on existing Water Act bores have been incorporated into the Petroleum Act and the Petroleumand Gas (Production and Safety) Act. These transitional provisions require a statement to be submitted12 months after the 2004 act start date regarding the need to provide reports on the impact of petroleumproduction.

A statement is intended to identify only those tenures that are likely to impact on the existingWater Act. This should eliminate unnecessary reporting in relation to existing tenure. Royaltyexemptions are to be provided for coal seam gas from a mining lease that is to be beneficially usedunder the mining lease. This exemption is consistent with the state government's commitment tomaximise the use of the state's resources rather than see this gas flared or vented.

The bill introduces the concept of safety alerts which are advisory and any instructions whichmust be followed. The purpose of safety alerts and instructions is to address important emerging safetyissues that arise and are not specifically mentioned in the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety)Act or the petroleum and gas production and safety regulations. Instructions are for a maximum sixmonths until the necessary amendments to the regulation can be made. The amendment to the WaterAct 2000 ensures that a water licence can be issued for the on-supply of water produced from a tenureadministered under the Petroleum Act. The bill also makes other amendments which aid clarity andcorrect typographical errors.

I will be moving several amendments to this bill in the consideration in detail stage which havealready been circulated to all members. I seek leave to table the explanatory notes to the amendmentsthat I will be moving.

Leave granted. Mr ROBERTSON: In closing, in thanking all members for their contribution to the debate, I concur

with something that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition mentioned in relation to the beneficialprovisions for land-holders contained in this bill with respect to the security of their entitlements to water,and particularly water bores. This is an improvement that I believe will be welcomed by many land-holders in the state who sometimes are unfortunately impacted by petroleum activities over their land.As we saw in the principal act and now under the amendments that form part of this bill, there are nowenhanced protections for the rights of water users as land-holders under this legislation. I commend thebill to the House.

Motion agreed to.

Consideration in DetailClauses 1 to 8, as read, agreed to.Insertion of new clause—Mr ROBERTSON (8.53 pm): I move the following amendment—

1 After clause 8—At page 12, after line 7—insert—

‘8A Amendment of s 756 (Application of sdiv 8)Section 756—insert—

‘(2) Sections 757 to 759 also apply for any coal or oil shale mining lease granted for an application made before 31December 2004 if the land the subject of the application was not in the area of a petroleum tenure.

‘(3) For applying subsection (2), the definition relevant period in section 758(4) is taken to be as follows—relevant period means 6 months after the first anniversary of the grant of the lease.’.’.

Amendment agreed to. Clauses 9 to 48, as read, agreed to. Clause 49—


Mr ROBERTSON (8.53 pm): I move the following amendment—2 Clause 49—

At page 56, line 6, ‘Compliance with Act etc.’—omit, insert—‘Applying for potential commercial area’.

Amendment agreed to. Clause 49, as amended, agreed to.Clauses 50 to 66, as read, agreed to.Clause 67—Mr ROBERTSON (8.54 pm): I move the following amendment—

3 Clause 67—At page 64, lines 14 to 20—omit, insert—

‘(4) Section 292(4) (b), before ‘about the decommissioning’—insert—‘for the well or bore’.’.

Amendment agreed to.Clause 67, as amended, agreed to.Clauses 68 to 85, as read, agreed to.Clause 86—Mr ROBERTSON (8.54 pm): I move the following amendment—

4 Clause 86—At page 73, line 5, ‘operation’—omit, insert—‘operating’.

Amendment agreed to.Clause 86, as amended, agreed to.Clauses 87 to 105, as read, agreed to.Schedule—Mr ROBERTSON (8.55 pm): I move the following amendments—

5 Schedule 1—At page 84, after line 6—insert—

‘Forestry Act 1959‘6A Section 5, definition Mining Acts, ‘, Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety Act 2004’—

omit.6 Schedule 1—

At page 85, after line 1—insert—

‘10A Section 25G(2) (d) (ii), ‘573’—omit, insert—‘25J’.


‘12A Section 74B(2), ‘does’—omit, insert—‘does not’.

‘12B Section 74O, note 3, ‘subdivision 3’—omit, insert—‘subdivision 2’.

‘12C Section 74Q(1), note 1, ‘subdivision 3’—omit, insert—‘subdivision 2’.’.


‘14A Section 74V(3) (b), ‘lease’—omit, insert—‘tenure’.’.

100 Adjournment 22 Feb 2005


‘64A Section 802(1) (a) (i)—omit, insert—

‘(i) carried out under this Act or the 1923 Act and under the authority of a petroleum tenure or a 1923Act petroleum tenure; or’.’.


‘66A Section 878(4), ‘2004’—omit, insert—‘1923’.

‘66B Section 893, ‘lease numbered 195’—omit, insert—‘leases numbered 194, 195, 198, 209, 220 and 226’.’.

Amendments agreed to.Schedule, as amended, agreed to.

Third ReadingBill, as amended, read a third time.

ADJOURNMENTHon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Leader of the House) (8.56 pm): I move—

That the House do now adjourn.

Queensland Regional Business Advisory ServiceMr HOBBS (Warrego—NPA) (8.56 pm): Tonight I want to talk about the Beattie government's

withdrawal of funding for 15 regional business advisers. The Queensland Regional Business AdvisoryService has been an important service for small business operators throughout Queensland. It hasprovided advice for the set-up of businesses and in particular has helped prevent unviable businessesgetting under way. It is very important that businesses do not get so far down the track that they cannotget out of trouble. It has certainly been a good service in that respect as well.

The minister announced at the end of June this year that the service would finish and that the 15advisers would not be further funded. The Local Government Association of Queensland was to get oneadvisor who would be based in Brisbane. There was a bit of confusion between the minister and theassociation as to how many people they would receive, but I understand that one is the final decision.The minister announced recently that seven positions will be created in regional centres. This only cameabout as a result of pressure on the government to reverse its decision. So we have gone from 15advisors to seven so we ended up with a net loss of seven positions. We are still losing a very valuableservice, which is disappointing because it provided a lot of good advice for small business operatorsthroughout the whole of Queensland.

We do not really want these people placed in departmental offices, and this is what is beingproposed at present. The minister has said that these people who were based within the communitieswill now be located within departments. So we are basically getting a bureaucracy set up into the smallbusiness advice area and it just will not work. One of the reasons I say that is that in many instances inmajor towns they already have access to business advisers and financial planners. There is a need tohave them but there is a greater need in areas where there are no private enterprise operators who canhelp.

When the cabinet met in Charleville recently it announced a position to be based in Charleville.They already had a position in Charleville so he virtually announced a position that was already there.We want to ensure businesses can receive good local advice and not from bureaucracy.

Time expired.

Turtle Interpretive CentreHon. NI CUNNINGHAM (Bundaberg—ALP) (8.59 pm): Bundaberg had another windfall from the

Beattie Labor government just a week ago when, following discussions with the Minister for StateDevelopment and Innovation, Tony McGrady, the minister agreed to offer another $800,000 towards aproposed turtle interpretive centre in Bundaberg.

22 Feb 2005 Adjournment 101

In 2001 the Beattie state government offered $3 million towards construction of that turtleinterpretive centre, which was estimated at that time to cost $4 million. Our $3 million has been providedin each state budget since and council has agreed to put in $1 million. While the city council was verykeen to proceed with that project, it had not eventuated and in the ensuing years the costs haveescalated, leaving a shortfall of another $1.3 million.

While I still had some concerns about the future of the Anzac swimming pool currently on that siteand also the availability of enough parking for such a big project, council has assured me that a 50-metre pool will stay and will be part of the new project and that the parking has been addressed. I amvery pleased that our government could offer another $800,00, which will make up the lion's share of theremaining funds needed to get this project off the ground without further delays.

Following the closure of the Austoft factory and more recently the announced closure ofFairymead sugar mill in June, Bundaberg certainly does need projects that create jobs, and we certainlydo need to make a bigger effort to attract a greater share of tourism dollars. This project will provide aneconomic boost to our city. When finished it will give tourist's a year-round turtle attraction to augmentthe environmental turtle rookery in the Burnett shire that encourages visitors to see the turtles on thebeach at Mon Repos during the nesting season each year.

This extra funding is good news for Bundaberg, and it is important to the people of our city thatthere be no further indecision on the construction of this centre. I thank the minister for his outstandingefforts to get this project moving and off the ground.

Kirra HillMrs STUCKEY (Currumbin—Lib) (9.02 pm): It gives me great pleasure to stand here in this

House tonight to congratulate the people in the Currumbin electorate and surrounds who have, throughtheir herculean efforts, saved Kirra Hill from residential development. Once again, the residents of myelectorate have joined together to lobby and apply pressure to the state government over an issue thatmeans a lot to them.

The state government's decision earlier this month to hand over the site that the CoolangattaSpecial School sits upon to the care of the Gold Coast City Council for community purposes is to beapplauded. The handover will occur after the existing school vacates the site for new premises in about12 months time, allowing plenty of time for community consultation as to the future usage of thismagnificent parcel of land. I can assure honourable members that the consultation process will bemonitored very closely.

An allocation of $5½ million to build a new multipurpose school was revealed in the 2004-05budget. Whilst I was pleased for the school population, alarm bells were ringing as to what wouldbecome of the site, and so began the earnest campaign to save Kirra Hill. Together with the SouthernGold Coast Chamber of Commerce, I held a public meeting in August 2004 to ascertain the localcommunity's feelings about future use of this site. The well-attended meeting expressed anoverwhelming desire for the site to be gifted back to the community and saw the formation of Save KirraHill Inc., headed by tenacious long-term resident Jan Derbidge.

Almost 3,000 signatures were gathered and presented by me to parliament in September lastyear, and a submission for heritage listing of the main school building was lodged in November. As thePremier and minister for education are aware, this was an extremely vocal group who inundated theiroffices with letters and postcards from the community, backed up with strong lobbying on severaloccasions here in this House by myself.

On another matter I wish to draw the attention of the House to National Accident Free Day, aninitiative of the Kirra-Currumbin rotary club. Held on Wednesday, 23 February, which is, of course,tomorrow, and coinciding with the celebration of Rotary's 100th birthday, motorists are asked to takeextra care on the roads. Honourable members may remember that many months ago they received aparcel about this. It asked each member to contact their rotary clubs and to promote this wonderfulsafety initiative. Any lives that can be saved tomorrow and in the future are certainly worth while.

Paradise Point CommunityMrs CROFT (Broadwater—ALP) (9.04 pm): The Paradise Point community is a strong, close-knit

and passionate one. Many residents have moved to Paradise Point to flee the hussle and bustle ofurban hot spots to find the relaxed and village style experience of Paradise Point living. As timeschange, redevelopment has occurred, bringing with it associated problems such as increased traffic andincreased density living.

Residents in Paradise Point are quite rightly exercising a deeper interest in the developmentapplication process. Recently residents in Paradise Point formed an action group to demonstrate theirconcerns with regard to a proposed development application in their area to their local councillor. The


group organised a public meeting to put their message across and garner further support from fellowresidents. Over 200 people attended, and the community feeling was very strong in objecting to theproposed development.

Since that time the local councillor has resorted to trying to relinquish his local governmentresponsibilities to the state by recently commenting in a local newsletter article for division 3 that inrelation to the proposed residential development application ‘the state government has the ultimatecontrol'. I take this opportunity to correct his comments and clarify the council's role in such planningissues.

The Integrated Planning Act 1997 establishes the framework for regulating development. Two keyelements of this framework are the integrated development assessment system and local governmentplanning schemes. IDAS prescribes the step-by-step process for assessing and deciding developmentapplications. It does not contain assessment criteria or codes against which local governmentapplications are assessed. This is the role of local government planning schemes.

Planning schemes identify the type of development a local government regulates. It also identifiesthe category of assessment and the assessment criteria or codes for the development. These decisionsabout regulating development are made to achieve the planning intentions for the local area. They alsoaffect how an application is processed, including the opportunity to comment on an application.

Planning schemes are determined by the local council. When deciding an application, councilmay either approve the application with or without conditions or refuse the application. Before decidingan impact assessment application, the council must assess the application having regard to its planningscheme, the requirements of any IDAS referral agencies, any state planning policies and anysubmissions.

I understand that an argument by council to not refuse an application is that if the council did thedeveloper would go to the Planning and Environment Court, where it is likely the council will lose. I thinkthat what councils need to be more concerned about is that local residents can, in fact, take the councilto court should council approve an application that is outside the planning scheme. The IntegratedPlanning Act gives local councils the ability to regulate development, not restrict the council's capacity torefuse applications, as many councillors often claim.

Local Paradise Point residents should not be misled by claims that development applications arenot a matter for local councillors to exercise responsibility for. The local council will be required to voteon such an application should it proceed to a full council meeting. It is from this vote that individualcouncillors demonstrate their understanding of what their communities want. The local councillor shouldindicate to residents his true position on such matters to support the residents.

Killarney Land-holdersMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (9.08 pm): I rise tonight

to pay tribute to and to congratulate a gutsy group of Killarney land-holders in my electorate. Theseland-holders have taken on the department of natural resources in a court battle over unjustifiedvaluation increases and hit the department for six. I will table the documentation for the information ofthis House. Before doing so, I would like to read into Hansard the comments from the judge responsiblefor awarding this matter on behalf of these land-holders.

In handing down his judgment, Judge Wenck launched a scathing attack on DNR's handling ofthe issue, describing it as a ‘debacle'. The judge said that it could be seen, having been first faced withmassive increases in their valuations and then a complete reversal of those increases in someinstances, lesser reductions in others and further amendments, that the appellants were entitled to beless than impressed with the department's ability to get it right. He also blamed a lack of staffing andreliance and outdated and error ridden material for the huge spike in the Spring Creek valuations forthese people.

I also enclose a list of the issued valuations—the trial valuations and the new valuations—for theinformation of members of the House. Queensland's land valuation system desperately needsoverhauling, particularly as a base for levying council rates. The entire system of setting unimprovedland valuations is seriously flawed. It is far from a fair and objective basis for raising council rates, landtax and leasehold land rentals. Land-holders around Killarney in my electorate of Southern Downs havebeen particularly hard hit by ridiculous revaluations done by the Department of Natural Resources lastyear, with some property owners given 300 per cent to 400 per cent increases. Killarney land-holderswho were hit by these ridiculous revaluations were forced to seek redress. It has been interesting toread the Land Court ruling in their favour against the department, which I just referred to.

For one land-holder, the old valuation was $24,500 and the new valuation was $98,000. Afterobjection, it went back to $13,800 which was less than the valuation before the department put it up byalmost 400 per cent. The system of setting values that has been developed under the minister is in noway based on true market values. The system of setting arbitrary 100 per cent, 200 per cent, 300 percent and 400 per cent increases on a computer screen in Brisbane is unfair and dictatorial and has


brought no good at all to land-holders, local councils or departments. This problem is experienced notonly in my electorate but right around Queensland. It has recently been experienced in the Blackall,Barcaldine and Longreach shires and other areas right around the state. It is about time this governmentdid something about overhauling this antiquated system. It is unfortunate that most people do not havethe capacity to take on the department.

Time expired.

Centrelink, Handling of DocumentsMr WALLACE (Thuringowa—ALP) (9.11 pm): On Wednesday, 9 February my electorate office

received a large number of documents from a constituent relating to Centrelink and its clients. Theconstituent concerned claimed that he had found them at his home after splitting up with his then wife, aCentrelink employee. The gentleman told me that he had previously made complaints to Centrelinkabout the conduct of his ex-wife and was concerned that these documents were being used unlawfully.He claimed that Centrelink had refused to act upon his complaints. He did not want to pass thedocuments on to the local Liberal federal member as he was concerned that the matter would be sweptunder the carpet.

Included in the documents were personal details of Centrelink clients such as bank details,addresses, phone numbers, marital status and other confidential information which should never havemade it out of the local Centrelink office. That means that hundreds of Thuringowa and Townsvillefamilies had their personal details open to misuse. Their bank accounts could have faced illegal access,battered women hiding from violent partners could have had their addresses given out and identity fraudperpetrated on unsuspecting people.

Realising the seriousness of this matter, I contacted the Federal Police and made arrangementsfor one of its agents to retrieve these Commonwealth documents. I trust that the Federal Police willinvestigate this as a matter of importance and take the appropriate action. I hope that this is an isolatedincident and not an indicator of the record keeping of the federal Public Service. Unfortunately, there isno federal corruption body similar to Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission to overseematters relating to the Commonwealth. Should the misuse of the above documents have arisen from astate agency, Queenslanders would have had confidence that the CMC would fully investigate thematter and protect their rights and interests.

Members in this place are constantly subjected to the preachings of the federal government thatthe states should adopt its policies in relation to industrial relations, education and the legal system. Isay to the federal government: get your own house in order before telling us what to do. It is imperativethat the Commonwealth establish a corruption-fighting body to oversee the many federal departmentsthat influence and expend billions upon billions of taxpayers' dollars every year.

I am sure that honourable members would be aware of the furore surrounding the federalgovernment's regional grants program or, as it is called, the regional rorts program, especially theHoward government's direction that a New South Wales local council stay quiet about the flushing out ofthe mouth of a local creek that the Commonwealth had given funds to for dredging. Then there are theclaims by the member for New England, Mr Tony Windsor MP, that the Deputy Prime Minister wasinvolved in a scheme to offer him an inducement to resign his seat. These concerns and claims wouldbe best investigated by a federal anticorruption body similar to Queensland's CMC but with widerpowers and more expertise than the Australian Federal Police in dealing with such matters.

All Australians should be concerned about the fact that sensitive personal details from Centrelinkwere able to make their way into the electorate office of a state member of parliament. The federalgovernment needs to get off its high horse and stop dictating to the states how things ought to be done.

Butler, Mr FMrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (9.14 pm): Mr Frank Butler, a respected member of the

Calliope community, sadly died on 23 January 2005. Frank was aged 78 and it was approximately fouryears after he suffered a severe stroke that restricted what had been a very active life. His public lifeincluded several terms as an alderman and councillor on the Calliope Shire Council. Frank Butler wasborn on 18 January 1927 and lived all of his life on a property in Targinie. He began his formal educationat the Targinie school in 1933. He completed his scholarship in 1940. He then attended the BrisbaneGrammar School, where he obtained his junior pass in 1942. He completed his formal education atGatton College in 1944, graduating with a Diploma in Agriculture.

Frank was a keen sportsman and continued playing cricket, tennis and, later, bowls after leavingschool. He married Barbara Jackson in 1954 and raised four children while working for his father on theproperty until 1961, when he took over the running of the property himself. In the late 1980s Frank met asecond partner, Christine Houston. According to his son Craig, his father adored all of his grandchildrenand Chris would often remark that it was a waste of effort trying to move Frank from the house onSaturday and Sunday in case any of the family should visit.


According to his son Brian, his dad was very in tune with the land and took great care to avoidland degradation while working out property development approvals. He said that his father took a keeninterest in what was going on on the property. He said that about six months ago—this was after Frank'sstroke—he and his brother Craig slipped up and put the wrong brand of their property's two brands ontoa beast. It was noticed by his father and, although Frank could not speak, he pointed straight at theanimal as if to say, ‘What are you blokes up to?’

Frank Butler was elected to the Calliope Shire Council in 1961 and remained there for 30 years,the second longest stint on that council. He was deputy chairman from 1970 to 1988, and I had theprivilege of working with Frank for a small number of years. He was involved in a number of bodies andorganisations, including the Targinie Rural Fire Brigade, of which he was a founder, the Yarwun-TarginieCooperative, member and chairman of the Yarwun-Targinie War Memorial Committee, and Secretary ofthe Central Coast Cricket Association. His passing is a sad loss to our community. Our condolences areextended to all of Frank's family. He will certainly be missed.

Aspley HypermarketMs BARRY (Aspley—ALP) (9.17 pm): It is with pleasure that I rise for the 2005 parliamentary

year—I must say with a promise to speak slower for the benefit of the Hansard team. I wish to note thatI am entering the fifth year as the state member for Aspley.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!Ms BARRY: Thank you, comrades. I wish to mark the occasion by thanking the many people of

my electorate who contact, work with and support my staff and me. I thank them for their interest in ourcommunity.

I confess that, while I participate fulsomely within the parliamentary processes, I derive the utmostpleasure by working within my electorate and for the people who live there. In my years as the memberfor Aspley, I am fortunate to have been made aware of the many community and business partnershipsthat operate within our local area. I want to thank them all, but I particularly want to mention onetonight—that is, the Aspley Hypermarket.

Late last year I, along with Eddie Kopcikas, launched the Brisbane North St Vincent de Paul's toyappeal at the hypermarket. Within the first day it had 10 wheelie bins full of toys, including $400 worth oftoys from Pick ‘n Pay at Aspley. I noted at the time of the launch that I had witnessed the AspleyHypermarket management, Retail First Pty Ltd, host and contribute to many such events within ourcommunity. I made a commitment to bring its generosity to the attention of the parliament.

The Aspley Hypermarket opened in 1984 and extended in 1995. The centre now consists of alarge Pick ‘n Pay Hypermarket, Toys R Us, Clive Peeters and 63 specialty stores. The hypermarketbenefits from the large senior community encased within its primary trade area. This communityperceives Aspley Hypermarket as the heart of its community and uses the centre not only for foodshopping and day-to-day services but also, importantly, to provide social interaction and communitysupport.

In recognition of this the hypermarket runs a number of community services free of charge. Thevery important seniors club meets every third Tuesday with free coffee, cake and entertainment,specials and competitions. The current membership stands at 600 and they have been privy to anumber of my spectacular singing performances. The centre marketing also sponsors a shopper hopperbus service initiated to support impaired seniors get to and from the centre and conducts a walkers club.

In 2003, in association with my office, the centre was established as a community hub and nowhosts such things as Crime Prevention Week and Volunteers Week and has had the Prime Minister andthe federal Leader of the Opposition use it. They have developed a working relationship with BrisbaneCity Council's events department and the Brisbane middle north economic strategy which promotes theAspley and North Pine region businesses.

The centre, as a hub of the community, was the ideal site for the Aspley police beat—an initiativethat has cut crime and increased personal safety perceptions. I have little time to talk about the fullrange and the great things that the centre does. I place on record tonight my thanks to the owners andmanagement of Retail First and in particular Sylvia Norton.

Citrus CankerMr JOHNSON (Gregory—NPA) (9.20 pm): Immediate affirmative action must be adopted by both

the state and federal governments in the area of primary industries under the leadership in Queenslandof the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk, and the federal agriculturalminister, Warren Truss, if we are going to save the citrus industry on the central highlands. The issuessurrounding the citrus canker outbreak at 2PH some four months ago have been treated with uttercontempt by both these administrations.


The growers have been waiting for months for the assistance package. The state governmentsaid that it would provide $1.5 million in concessional loans with an interest free period of two years. Thefederal government said that it would provide grants of up to $100,000 per grower per year for two yearsto help them pay the interest on their new and existing loans and 24 months of fortnightly incomesupport payments equivalent to the New Start allowance to meet household bills.

I have to say that this is an absolute load of codswallop. It is not going to help these people onelittle bit. What happened last week? There was another outbreak of citrus canker at 2PH. While thisgovernment procrastinates and Henry Palaszczuk and Warren Truss go on vacation, the people ofEmerald and the central highlands are not on vacation. They are wilting. They are in a state of limbo withnowhere to go and nowhere to turn because we have governments that are procrastinating and notgiving recognition to a serious crisis that could cripple the citrus industry not only in Queensland but alsoin the whole of Australia.

Some four years ago I had a grower at Emerald ring me one day and say that there had been anoutbreak of some disease at Evergreen farm and they were not sure what it was. I say to Warren Trussthat he is the federal minister in charge of AQIS. It is a federal government responsibility. AQIS hasbroken down in terms of controlling diseases that come into this country. If Evergreen is responsible forthat disease, when are we going to have a full-scale inquiry into the Evergreen operation? When are wegoing to see somebody brought to heel for the total and utter destruction of the industry at Emerald?

It is not only the growers who are at their wit’s end; it is the 1,000 people who in the peak seasonwork in that industry as opposed to the 200 people at most other times. Those people have nowhere togo. Jobs have been lost. It has an impact on the economy of the town and the state. It could ultimatelybe the end of the industry in this nation if somebody does not do something soon. Henry Palaszczukand Warren Truss, this is your responsibility—do something about it.

Hospital and Health Services

Dr LESLEY CLARK (Barron River—ALP) (9.24 pm): I rise tonight to join the Minister for Health,Gordon Nuttall, in his condemnation of the AMA earlier today in this House when he tabled thegovernment response to its so-called audit of Queensland hospitals and health services. As the ministersaid of this misleading audit, which was wrong in so many respects, it was a disgraceful attempt toundermine public confidence in our health system. Of the seven claims made by the AMA about electionpromises for far-north Queensland, four of these were absolutely incorrect. In fact, the government hasdelivered on all of the election promises as detailed in that audit. I will take members through those.

Promise No. 1: improved access to cardiac services in Cairns, Townsville, the Gold Coast andBrisbane's Prince Charles and Princess Alexandra hospitals so that more patients can receive diagnosisand treatment quicker. The AMA's verdict: not delivered. Wrong! In fact we have recruited a newcardiologist in Cairns and he commenced duties in November last year.

Promise No. 2: $3.4 million to establish and operate at Cooktown a four-bed satellite renal servicelinked to Cairns to also service Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal. Two new nurses will be employed. TheAMA's verdict: progressing. Correct. We are on track to deliver as promised.

Promise No. 3: $3.4 million to establish and operate a four-chair satellite service for the TorresStrait based on Thursday Island and linked to Cairns and employing two extra nurses. The AMA'sverdict: not delivered. Wrong! We are on track to deliver that by 2007 as promised.

Promise No. 4: $1.5 million to employ six new nurses and open an extra critical care bed inCairns, taking the number to 16. The AMA's verdict: achieved. Correct. The AMA does acknowledgethat we have already met the $1.5 million to employ these six new nurses and open the critical care bedat Cairns. We are delivering on our promises.

Promise No. 5: $2.5 million—$1.5 million this year—to employ a specialist ENT surgeon andtackle long wait ear, nose and throat elective procedures at Cairns Hospital. The AMA's verdict: notdelivered. Wrong! A specialist ENT surgeon has been recruited to the Cairns Base Hospital and beginsemployment next month. In the interim additional ENT surgery has been completed in partnership withthe private sector.

Promise No. 6: $4.5 million over three years to employ 20 additional emergency departmentnurses at some of the state's busiest emergency departments, including the Royal Brisbane, PrincessAlexandra, Cairns, Gold Coast, Logan, Caboolture, Townsville, Redlands, Redcliffe and Hervey Bay.The AMA's verdict: not delivered. Wrong! Funding has been distributed and 19 nursing staff havealready been appointed, including two in Cairns.

Promise No. 7: $500,000 funding for a director for rehabilitation and support staff in order toestablish a dedicated rehabilitation unit at the Cairns Base Hospital. The AMA verdict: achieved. Indeed,that is correct. We are delivering on our election promises.


In addition, of the $20 million provided for elective surgery, all procedures—that is, orthopaedics,ENT and angiograms—made possible through this election commitment funding have been completedfor 2003-04 and 2004-05. Some 363 additional people received their operations. With regard to thecapital works, we are on track to deliver the $7 million central community health centre facility in Cairnsand the $3 million mental health residential facilities.

Motion agreed to.The House adjourned at 9.27 pm.

2005 02 22 WEEKLY - parliament.qld.gov.au · 22 Feb 2005 Legislative Assembly 1 TUESDAY, 22...

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