2004 06 15 hansard - queensland parliament · "a bill for an act to imply terms in...

WEEKLY HANSARDHansard Home Page: http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/hansard/

E-mail: [email protected]: (07) 3406 7314 Fax: (07) 3210 0182

51ST PARLIAMENT

CONTENTS Page

PROOF ISSN 1322-0330

Subject

Tuesday, 15 June 2004PRIVILEGE ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1373

Racing Industry .................................................................................................................................................................. 1373PRIVILEGE ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1373

Construction Industry ......................................................................................................................................................... 1373ASSENT TO BILLS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1373ADDRESS-IN-REPLY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1374

Presentation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1374PETITIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1374PAPERS ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1374MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1376

Special Events Powers, Police and Security Guards ......................................................................................................... 1376MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1377

Ethanol, Brazil .................................................................................................................................................................... 1377MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1378

Chile Trade Mission ............................................................................................................................................................ 1378MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1379

State Budget; Cairns Convention Centre ........................................................................................................................... 1379MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1380

Port of Gladstone ............................................................................................................................................................... 1380MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1380

Regional Events Development Program ............................................................................................................................ 1380MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1381

Smithsonian Fellowships; Mr J. McGrath ........................................................................................................................... 1381MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1382

Children in Detention .......................................................................................................................................................... 1382MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1382

Literacy and Numeracy ...................................................................................................................................................... 1382MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1383

WorldSkills .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1383MINISTERIAL STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 1383

Biotechnology ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1383

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

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

Table of Contents — Tuesday, 15 June 2004

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1384Champions Initiative, Palm Island .......................................................................................................................................1384

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1385Perimeter Patrol Vehicles ...................................................................................................................................................1385

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1385North Queensland Drug Court ............................................................................................................................................1385

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1386Fraud and Corruption Prevention, Department of Main Roads ...........................................................................................1386

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1386Drought Assistance; Mr P. Iszlaub AM ...............................................................................................................................1386

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1387SCAN System .....................................................................................................................................................................1387

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1388Ministerial Regional Community Forums ............................................................................................................................1388

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................................1388Ambulance Response Times ..............................................................................................................................................1388

PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ...........................................................................................................................................1389State Budget .......................................................................................................................................................................1389Member for Broadwater, Family Incident ............................................................................................................................1389Navilla Sedge ......................................................................................................................................................................1390

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE ...................................................................................................................................................1390Commerce Queensland, State Budget ...............................................................................................................................1390Taxation Revenue, Australian Bureau of Statistics Figures ................................................................................................1391HMAS Brisbane ..................................................................................................................................................................1391Woodford Correctional Centre, Prisoner Death ..................................................................................................................1392Aquatic Emblem ..................................................................................................................................................................1392Import Risk Assessments ...................................................................................................................................................1393Hospital Waiting Lists .........................................................................................................................................................1394Overseas Trained Doctors .................................................................................................................................................1394Tourism Industry ...............................................................................................................................................................1395DPI Forestry ........................................................................................................................................................................1395National Livestock Identification Scheme ...........................................................................................................................1395Great Barrier Reef ..............................................................................................................................................................1396Southport Police Station .....................................................................................................................................................1397 State Forests and Parks, Back-burning and Fire Mitigation ...............................................................................................1397Wide Bay Economy ............................................................................................................................................................1397 Gladstone Port Authority; Central Queensland Port Authority ...........................................................................................1398Housing Sector ...................................................................................................................................................................1399Flying Foxes, Charters Towers ...........................................................................................................................................1399Child Protection Week ........................................................................................................................................................1400

MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST ................................................................................................................................................1401Beattie Labor Government ..................................................................................................................................................1401Mobile Telephones .............................................................................................................................................................1402Manufacturing Industry .......................................................................................................................................................1403Seafood Industry ................................................................................................................................................................1404Refugees ............................................................................................................................................................................1405Disability Services Funding .................................................................................................................................................1406Public Dental Health ...........................................................................................................................................................1407Beaudesert Hospital ...........................................................................................................................................................1408Volunteers ...........................................................................................................................................................................1409Currumbin Bar ....................................................................................................................................................................1410International Autism Conference ........................................................................................................................................1411

NATURE CONSERVATION AMENDMENT BILL ..........................................................................................................................1412Second Reading .................................................................................................................................................................1412

BUDGET DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................1416APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL .......................................................................................................................................1416

First Reading ......................................................................................................................................................................1416Second Reading .................................................................................................................................................................1416

APPROPRIATION BILL ..................................................................................................................................................................1417First Reading ......................................................................................................................................................................1417Second Reading .................................................................................................................................................................1417

ADJOURNMENT .............................................................................................................................................................................1424

15 Jun 2004 Legislative Assembly 1373

TUESDAY, 15 JUNE 2004

Legislative Assembly

Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R.K. Hollis, Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m.

PRIVILEGE

Racing IndustryHon. R.E. SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing)

(9.31 a.m.): In a recent Townsville Bulletin article ‘Bush event to run without races’, the shadow ministerfor racing again deliberately misled the people of Queensland. In this article, Mr Hopper states that theformer Minister for Racing cut 200 race meetings from the bush. This is another example of the shadowminister telling falsehoods to bolster himself in the total absence of any policy. The state government didnot reduce the number of country race meetings held in Queensland and did not end the Bowen Riverraces weekend. The state government has never, ever allocated race dates in Queensland and has noauthority to do so. The state government does not set prize money. It does not set race dates, distancesor race venues. These are all decisions of the Queensland Racing Board, the industry's control bodyunanimously appointed by industry representatives. The people of Queensland have a right to expectthat the shadow minister would at least know these basic facts.

PRIVILEGE

Construction IndustryHon. R.E. SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing)

(9.33 a.m.): On Friday, 28 May 2004 the Leader of the Opposition stated that the cost of building had notincreased by 20 per cent over this period, meaning over the last four years. In the same statement heaccused this government of telling lies. I table a list of costs which clearly prove that the Leader of theOpposition is either deliberately misleading Queenslanders or does not know what he is talking about.Further, the Queensland Master Builders have advised me that subcontractor charges have increasedanywhere between 30 per cent and 40 per cent over that period of time. So, in accusing the governmentof telling lies, the Leader of the Opposition is also accusing the QMBA of misrepresentation. I encouragethe Leader of the Opposition to talk to any of the builders currently working in the CBD and the QMBAso that he is better informed on matters relating to the construction industry in Queensland.

ASSENT TO BILLS21 May 2004The Honourable R.K. Hollis, MPSpeaker of the Legislative AssemblyParliament HouseGeorge StreetBRISBANE QLD 4000Dear Mr SpeakerI 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 20 May 2004: "A Bill for an Act to amend the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001""A Bill for an Act to amend particular Acts to increase community safety, and for other purposes""A Bill for an Act to amend legislation administered by the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, and for other purposes""A Bill for an Act to imply terms in construction contracts, to provide for adjudication of payment disputes under constructioncontracts, and for other purposes".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) Quentin BryceGovernor

1374 Papers 15 Jun 2004

GOVERNMENT HOUSEQUEENSLAND1 June 2004The Honourable R.K. Hollis, MPSpeaker of the Legislative AssemblyParliament HouseGeorge StreetBRISBANE QLD 4000Dear Mr SpeakerI 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 31 May 2004:"A Bill for an Act to enable and facilitate exploration for geothermal energy, and for other purposes""A Bill for an Act to amend the Residential Services (Accommodation) Act 2002, the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002and other legislation""A Bill for an Act to provide for admission to, and the regulation of, the legal profession, and for entities involving members of thelegal profession, and for other purposes".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) Quentin BryceGovernor

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

PresentationMr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have to inform the House that Her Excellency the

Governor will be pleased to receive the address-in-reply at Government House on Wednesday, 23 June2004 at 3 p.m., and I invite all honourable members to accompany me on the occasion of itspresentation. Cars will depart the porte-cochere at 2.40 p.m. sharp.

PETITIONSThe following honourable members have lodged paper petitions for presentation—

Liquor Outlet, KawanaMr McArdle from 218 petitioners requesting the House to refuse the application for a bottle shop to be located at Tenancy 3,Kawana Island Boulevard, Kawana.

Commercial Fishing, Deception BayMr Wells from 150 petitioners requesting the House to end commercial fishing in Deception Bay and declare the area arecreational fishing ground.The following honourable members have sponsored e-petitions which are now closed and presented—

Heiner AffairMr Malone from 107 petitioners requesting the House to take all steps to ensure the appointment of an independent SpecialProsecutor with sufficiently wide terms of reference, time and resources to investigate all matters involving the Heiner Affair/Shreddergate and lay charges where sufficient evidence exists so that justice may be done to all and public confidence restored inthe administration of justice so that all Queensland citizens are treated equally before the law.

Diamantina Development Road, Charleville-QuilpieMr Johnson from 5 petitioners requesting the House to widen the section of the road between Charleville and Quilpie on theDiamantina Development Road (93A) toward the Ward River bridge to two full carriage ways suitable for road trains, including flatroad batters, to prevent tipping over, and paint double white centre lines to improve the sight distance and manoeuvring distanceon both approaches so that drivers can clearly see oncoming traffic and, to widen and raise the Ward River bridge, apply speedrestrictions and put rubble strips on approaches before more people are killed or injured.

PAPERSPAPERS TABLED DURING THE RECESSThe Clerk informed the House that the following papers, received during the recess, were tabled on the dates indicated—24 May 2004—• Response from the Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (Mr Pitt) to a paper petition presented by Mr

Langbroek from 120 petitioners regarding implementing an independent commission inquiry into the conduct andmanagement of the Schoolies Week Festival, nightclubs and Indy culture in Surfers Paradise

• Erratum to the Queensland Theatre Company—Annual Report 2003 tabled on 13 May 2004

15 Jun 2004 Papers 1375

25 May 2004—• Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Nuttall) to a paper petition presented by Miss Simpson from 169 petitioners

regarding provision of a Public Radiation Therapy Centre at Nambour Hospital28 May 2004—• Overseas Travel Report by the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth)—Germany 8-13 May,

2004 and appendices2 June 2004—• Response from the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (Mr Robertson) to a paper petition presented by Ms

Lee Long from 4701 petitioners regarding unacceptable treatment shown to David Gill of the Mareeba Wild Animal Park• Response from the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (Mr Robertson) to a paper petition presented by Mr

Langbroek from 1270 petitioners regarding prohibiting removal of vegetation from the north and south of Narrowneckwithin the City of Gold Coast and their further degradation and encroachment in connection with the Gold Coast Indy Raceand associated events

• Response from the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh) to a paper petition presented by Ms Menkens from 88petitioners regarding release of Craig Knight from duties at the Northern Regional Office of Education and return him tohis position as principal at Millaroo State School

• Response from the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh) to an E-Petition sponsored by Mr Choi from 54petitioners regarding a development proposal for 46-68 Windemere Road, Alexandra Hills

3 June 2004—• Response from the Minister for Environment (Mr Mickel) to a paper petition presented by Mr Hollis from 384 petitioners

regarding the restriction on vehicle access on the beach at Comboyuro Point and North Point, Moreton Island proposed bythe QPWS Moreton Island Draft Management Plan

• Response from the Minister for Child Safety (Mr Reynolds) to a paper petition presented by Mr Lingard from 816petitioners regarding a review of the current policies and procedures within the Child Protection Act 1999

• Response from the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth) to a paper petition presented by MrSpringborg from 13 petitioners regarding the public liability insurance implications for community halls

7 June 2004—• Letter, dated 4 June 2004, from the Acting Premier and Minister for Trade (Mr Mackenroth) 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 12 May 2004 and the National Interest Analysesfor each of the proposed treaty actions listed

• Report on a decision by the Minister for Local Government, Planning and Women (Ms Boyle) regarding a call in of adevelopment application under the Integrated Planning Act 1997—development application at Murdering Point Road,Kurrimine Beach (Johnstone Shire Council)

8 June 2004—• Response from the Minister for Child Safety (Mr Reynolds) to an E-Petition sponsored by Mr Lingard from 102 petitioners

regarding a review of the current policies and procedures within the Child Protection Act 19999 June 2004—• Overseas Travel Report by the Minister for Education and the Arts (Ms Bligh)—United States of America—29 April to 8

May 200411 June 2004—• Audit Report No. 9 2003-04—Results of 2003 University and Grammar School Audits (incorporating a Review of

Governance and Risk Management at The University of Queensland)STATUTORY INSTRUMENTSThe following statutory instruments were tabled by the Clerk—Public Trustee Act 1978—• Public Trustee (Fees and Charges Notice) (No. 1) 2004Community Ambulance Cover Act 2003—• Community Ambulance Cover Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 52Gaming Machine Act 1991, Lotteries Act 1997—

"Gaming Machine and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 53Higher Education (General Provisions) Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 56Child Care Act 2002, Education (Overseas Students) Act 1996, Higher Education (General Provisions) Act 2003—• Higher Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2004, No. 57Education (Teacher Registration) Act 1988—• Education (Teacher Registration) Amendment By-law (No. 1) 2004, No. 58Business Names Act 1962—• Business Names Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 59Casino Control Act 198—• Casino Gaming Amendment Rule (No. 1) 2004, No. 60

1376 Ministerial Statement 15 Jun 2004

Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Act 1994—• Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 61Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2004—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 62Integrated Planning Act 1997, Land Act 1994, Vegetation Management Act 1999—• Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 63 and Explanatory Notes for

No. 63Duties Act 2001—• Duties Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 64Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977—• Financial Administration and Audit Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 65Queensland Building Services Authority Act 1991—• Queensland Building Services Authority Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 66Acquisition of Land Act 1967, Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980, Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, Explosives Act1999, Foreign Ownership of Land Register Act 1988, Fossicking Act 1994, Gas (Residual Provisions) Act 1965, Land Act 1994,Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002, Land Title Act 1994, Mineral Resources Act 1989, Mining andQuarrying Safety and Health Act 1999, Petroleum Act 1923, Surveyors Act 1977, Valuation of Land Act 1944, Valuers RegistrationAct 1992, Vegetation Management Act 1999, Water Act 2000—• Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 67Plant Protection Act 1989—• Plant Protection (Lettuce Aphid) Quarantine Notice 2004, No. 68Health Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 69Dental Practitioners Registration Act 2001—• Dental Practitioners Registration Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 70Sugar Industry and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing remaining provisions, No. 71Integrated Planning and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2003—• Proclamation commencing certain provision, No. 72Higher Education (General Provisions) Act 2003—• Higher Education (General Provisions) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 73Electricity Act 1994—• Electricity Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 75Building Act 1975, Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990—• Fire Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2004, No. 76Plant Protection Act 1989—• Plant Protection (Approved Sugarcane Varieties) Amendment Declaration (No. 1) 2004, No. 77MINISTERIAL PAPERS TABLED BY THE CLERKThe following ministerial papers were tabled by The Clerk—Premier and Minister for Trade (Mr Beattie)—• Interim government response from the Premier and Minister for Trade (Mr Beattie) to Report No. 64 of the Crime and

Misconduct Committee entitled Three Year Review of the Crime and Misconduct CommissionDeputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth)—• Response from the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport (Mr Mackenroth) to a paper petition presented by Mr

Langbroek from 1270 petitioners regarding prohibiting removal of vegetation from the north and south of Narrowneckwithin the City of Gold Coast and their further degradation and encroachment in connection with the Gold Coast Indy Raceand associated events

Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas)—• Response from the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (Mr Lucas) to a paper petition presented by Mr McArdle from

108 petitioners regarding implementation of a public bus service operating seven days per week throughout PelicanWaters

Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy (Ms Clark)—• Island Industries Board—Annual Report 2003-04

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

Special Events Powers, Police and Security GuardsHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.37 a.m.): On

Saturday night, 26 June, the Wallabies will have a chance to right the wrong of the World Cup final when

15 Jun 2004 Ministerial Statement 1377

they take on England at Suncorp Stadium. The eyes of the world will once again be on Queensland, andthe government is determined that this event will run safely and smoothly. That is why cabinet has thismorning, on a recommendation from the Minister for Police and Corrective Services, Judy Spence,approved special events powers for police and security guards. These powers were activated for the2003 Rugby World Cup, the Olympic Games football tournament, the Goodwill Games and CHOGM.They enable police and licensed security guards trained in the exercise of the powers to searchspectators' bags, clothing and vehicles, electronically screen them or their belongings, and refuse entryor remove spectators from the match. Police have exercised these powers appropriately and withdiscretion to uphold public safety and security with minimal disruption or inconvenience toQueenslanders and visitors.

A comprehensive review of the 2003 Rugby World Cup police powers, which cabinet consideredlast month, showed that the powers received a stamp of approval from groups involved in the event,including the Australian Rugby Union, stadium managers, tour group organisers, hotel managers andlocal councils. The special event powers deterred bad behaviour and allowed everyone to enjoy awonderful sporting spectacle and a major event for Queensland. I know that Queenslanders will supportthese powers. They are sensible and constructive, and they add to the cabinet decision announcedrecently by the Deputy Premier that the government will also toughen the penalties for pitch invaders—and I think that is appropriate as well. There is more detail, and I seek leave to incorporate that detail inHansard for the information of all members.

Leave granted.457,540 people attended World Cup matches in Queensland, with police and security guards searching the bags of more than60,000 spectators, plus 473 vehicles and 669 people.They found 846 prohibited items across the 12 matches—the vast majority (92%) being tins, cans and bottles of liquor.Only three people were refused entry and 37 were removed from the match sites—that's less than one in every 10,000 patrons.The powers will apply on June 25, 26 and 27. They will cover the stadium and sections of streets that adjoin the stadium.The powers will be implemented through the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Australian Rugby Union Test—Australian vsEngland) Regulation and will be reviewed after the event.As I mentioned earlier, the Deputy Premier announced last month that the government will also toughen the penalties for pitchinvaders, making foolish incursions at venues operated by the Major Sports Facilities Authority a more costly embarrassment foroffenders.At Suncorp Stadium, the Gabba, and Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville the fine for pitch invasion will rise from $1,500 to$3,000, and the penalty for interfering with a person participating in an event will rise from $1,500 to $6,000.Mr Speaker 99.9% of Queenslanders want our major events to run smoothly and safely, so that more event organisers choose ourstate and bring jobs and business.The message for would-be idiots is clear: Stay at home and watch the match on TV.

And the other message: Go the Wallabies!


Ethanol, BrazilHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.39 a.m.): I

begin my reporting on my visit to Brazil and Chile on behalf of the government. My visit to Brazil set thefoundations for a partnership that could give the Queensland sugar industry the keys to a sustainablefuture.

Ethanol could create jobs for future generations and for people now working in traditionalindustries in Queensland's sugar regions. During my meeting with Brazilian President da Silva, heagreed to cooperate on the possibility of using Brazilian technology to develop an ethanol industry inQueensland. We will kick off with a roadshow organised by both our governments here in Queensland inAugust. It will help shatter myths about ethanol and hopefully silence sceptics who make unfoundedclaims about its effects on car engines. Dedini, a leading Brazilian sugar technology company, willpresent information for growers and millers, including new technology processes and biotechnologyinitiatives.

In Brazil, General Motors—and I inspected their plant and had discussions with theirrepresentatives—build cars with moderately modified engines that can take what they call flexi fuel.Volkswagen does the same thing. Flexi fuel gives the motorist choice. On pulling up at a service station,people take their pick of gasoline or ethanol, obviously depending on the price. People can fill their tankswith either, or they can mix it any way they like.

The development of a Queensland ethanol export industry is in Brazil's interest as well. I havepreviously seen Brazil as an adversary in the world sugar market, but now I see working with Brazil as away forward. I have established an ethanol task force, chaired by the Director-General of the


Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Leo Keliher, who was part of the trade and investment mission.It includes representatives from Treasury and the departments of the Premier and Cabinet; StateDevelopment; Natural Resources, Mines and Energy; Primary Industries and Fisheries; Transport; andthe Environmental Protection Agency. The task force will develop a blueprint for further action onethanol in Queensland. It will look at economic and employment impacts, environmental and tradeimplications, and research and development.

In my view, we have a window of only 18 months to two years to build an ethanol export industry.The clock is ticking on a worldwide race to develop and market biofuels. Russia's signal that it will signthe Kyoto protocol means that ratification of the protocol is likely to proceed with major implications forfossil fuel use. Governments and businesses that consume vast quantities of fossil fuels will facepenalties unless they restrict greenhouse gas emissions. The world is working up an appetite for fossilfuel alternatives and the competition to produce large quantities of viable biofuels is heating up.

The European Union has biofuel production targets, Thailand and India are consideringdeveloping ethanol industries, and big business in the United States is investing hundreds of millions ofUS dollars in research and development of bioplastics and fibres. If the Australian sugar industry doesnot move quickly, the sands may shift beneath our feet and the competition will outrun us. TheQueensland government has enacted new legislation, has offered stamp duty exemptions to growerswho want to consolidate farms, and has put up $33 million in funding. The federal government also hasa sugar industry package built on our new legislation. I encourage the Prime Minister, when he makeshis environmental announcement today in relation to fuels, to include a component in relation to ethanol,because ethanol is a much better alternative to petrol when it comes to environmental considerations. Ifhis package does not include ethanol, then it is only half-baked. Business needs certainty in order tofurther invest in an embryonic industry like ethanol production from sugar. That is where the federalgovernment must do more. Ethanol needs an indefinite extension of the fuel excise exemption, whichonly the federal government can give. It also needs legislation requiring oil companies to include ethanolin fuel. There are mandates in parts of the United States, France, Spain and Thailand, and Japan maysoon have a mandate, but only the federal government can apply a mandate here because there areconstitutional, legal and practical barriers to Queensland going it alone. The groundwork is there. Wenow need more action from the federal government.

In closing, I thank the sugar industry delegates who accompanied me for part of the Brazilianmission. The delegation of 12, including the Department of State Development and Innovation DeputyDirector-General, Bob McCarthy, were from across the industry: growers, grower representatives,harvesters, millers and ethanol producers.The Brazilians went to a great deal of trouble for the visitingQueenslanders, and I hope President da Silva will visit us and allow Queensland to treat him with ourusual hospitality.


Chile Trade Mission

Hon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.43 a.m.): I alsowish to inform the House that the Chilean leg of my recent trade and investment mission to theAmericas strengthened my appreciation of the success of Queensland companies in blazing new exporttrails and creating jobs. From soft drinks and software to heavy metals, our food and beverage, IT andmining services companies are stamping the Smart State on the Chilean market.

For example, Queensland food will soon grace the shelves of Latin America's biggest and fastest-growing supermarket chain, Jumbo Supermarkets, which turns over more than $US2 billion per annum.Six Queensland companies will supply to Jumbo, following a senior executive's visit to Brisbane inSeptember 2003. The companies are: Golden Circle, Wicked Products, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks,Buderim Ginger, Meriram and Suncoast Gold Macadamias. Jumbo was looking for innovative, uniqueand saleable food and beverage products. So the senior executive had come to the right place!

This is the first breakthrough for Queensland processed food products in the South Americanmarket. It is just the beginning because, as other companies like Mincom have shown, the LatinAmericans are learning they can count on a Queenslander. When I opened the new Latin Americanheadquarters of Mincom in Santiago, I was able to announce that one of the world's largest copperproducers, Antofagasta Minerals, had upgraded to the latest version of Mincom's flagship softwareproduct Mincom Ellipse.

I will be reporting more details on my visit to South America and the United States including thebiotech conference over the next few weeks right through until August, but I seek leave to incorporatethe rest of my ministerial statement in Hansard for the information of all members.

Leave granted.


The Antofagasta upgrade is worth more than $500,000 to Mincom, which has operated since 1991 in Chile, where its customersinclude the Chilean navy. A Gold Coast based company, Electrometals Technologies Limited, has also won a new $920,000contract to build a plant for a Chilean concern: Tecnologios de Recicloje in Santiago.

The Chilean company will use the Queensland technology to recover powdered zinc metal from hazardous Zinc-rich waste.Electrometals Technologies will construct the plant in Queensland and is scheduled to deliver it in July or August. Such technologygives major benefits to the mining industry by improving efficiency in extracting metals from acid. The plant is this company'ssecond major contract in Santiago, following a $5 million project for a company called Molymet. Electrometals will now targetBrazil, Peru, Europe, Africa, Taiwan, Southern Africa and North America.

These companies embody the Smart State vision of building exports and growing jobs, and I commend them for spreading theword that Queensland is an impeccable trade partner.


State Budget; Cairns Convention Centre

Hon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.45 a.m.):Queenslanders will win today out of the budget and Queenslanders will win on Wednesday night at theState of Origin. In fact, the budget delivered today will show Queensland in its strongest financialposition ever. That is due to the hard work of my cabinet, in particular the Treasurer. I congratulate himon that in advance.

The government is funding major capital work and projects all over Queensland and they arepaying dividends in terms of jobs and economic development throughout the region. The Treasurer'sannouncement that the Cairns Convention Centre will receive an additional $8.5 million in the 2004-05budget is extremely well placed. The funding will be used to refurbish stage 1 of the complex to keeppace with international and national expect expectations. We are looking after the region. I seek leave toincorporate more detail in Hansard.

Leave granted.Rest assured, the Budget to be delivered this afternoon will hold more good news in terms infrastructure in regional Queensland.One great example of a local community embracing tourism and business infrastructure, and working hard and smart to ensure itssuccess, is the Cairns Convention Centre—which employs 28 full time staff and up to 150 casuals during major events.

Work began on marketing the centre 10 years ago last month, before construction started in January 1995.

Stage 1 opened a little over eight years ago—on 1 July 1996—stage 2 was completed in September 1999, and the centre hostedits first National Basketball League Cairns Taipans Game in October 1999.

Global economic shocks and international terrorism have made the past decade a roller coaster ride for Cairns, whose fortunesare linked to international tourism.

Despite the ups and downs, the Cairns Convention Centre management has steadily built the far north's share of the internationalconvention market.

Convention facilities have taken position alongside the Reef, Rainforest and international airport as a drawcard for internationalbusiness in the region.

Figures provided by centre management show that since it opened, the complex has attracted an impressive $250.6 million indirect spending to Cairns.

It has hosted more than 700 events, including more than 180 major national and international conventions.

604, 238 people have attended these events and the centre has generated 593,955 room nights for the city.

On average, each international convention delegate spends $4,073, and national delegates spend $4,041—which is 4 to 5 timesmore than a leisure visitor spends in the region.

The best year was the 2003 calendar year—when 24 international and national conventions attracted 22,000 delegates and theCentre generated an estimated $60 million for the Cairns economy.

This success is a credit to centre management, and to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Cairns community.

The Treasurer's announcement that Cairns Convention Centre will receive an additional $8.5 million in the 2004-05 Budget isextremely well-placed.

The funding will be used to refurbish Stage 1 of the complex to keep pace with international and national expectations.

It will improve technological and communication systems, and improve the centre's aesthetic appeal and comfort—inside and out.

There will be new and improved paving, landscaping, carpets, painting and signage, and upgrades to lighting controls, airconditioning, security, catering, public art, hydraulics, and mechanical services (to improve function and energy efficiency).

The work will be programmed in 2004-05 to minimise disruption and ensure the convention centre can continue to operate

The Cairns experience shows the people of the Gold Coast have good reason to be excited about the opening of their $127 millionConvention and Exhibition Centre on 29 June.

As Cairns has proven: enterprising Queenslanders will ensure a world-class convention centre fulfils its potential to be a magnetfor jobs and new business opportunities.



Port of GladstoneHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.46 a.m.): That

is not all. When it comes to capital works, the $167.5 million expansion, involving up to 250 constructionjobs, of the port of Gladstone will consolidate its ranking as one of the largest coal-handling facilities inAustralia. This expansion further reinforces central Queensland's key strength. I am pleased to detailthat my government will contribute $167.5 million over the next three years to the proposedredevelopment of the R.G. Tanna Coal Terminal. I thank both the Treasurer and the Minister forTransport for continuing to provide funds for the infrastructure of Queensland. I seek leave toincorporate more details in Hansard.

Leave granted.This project will increase the port's capacity from 40 million tonnes to 54 million tonnes per year.Coal is Queensland's most lucrative export commodity, it comprises more than 70 percent of trade at the port of Gladstone, anddemand for it continues to increase to an unprecedented level. This type of investment in the port is required to enable Queensland as a major world supplier to keep up with demand in the mostcost-efficient way.The proposed expansion includes a third rail unloading station, a third shiploader, a fourth berth and two additional coalstockpiles—increasing capacity at the terminal by 8 million tonnes in 2005-2006 and a further 6 million tonnes in 2006-2007.Construction is due to start in January next year for completion by the end of 2006. At its peak it will involve 250 construction jobs.An $80 million expansion of the terminal was completed early last year, boosting throughput capacity to 40 million tonnes a yearwith construction of the third wharf, an additional stockpile and an upgraded train unloading system. That expansion lifted the terminal's coal storage capacity to 42 million tonnes and increased its unloading rate to 6000 tonnes anhour, and enabled the port to service vessels up to 220,000 dead weight tonnage.The port achieved record revenue of $126.7 million last financial year, based largely on its export of a record 38.2 million tonnes ofcoal. Exports from Gladstone were worth $4 billion in 2002-03. I know there has been an issue in the past week with a change in the port's name—however this great—proud port is expandingand will—more than ever—be the Central Queensland's key import/export facility.As more mineral and metal-related expansions come on line it will be Central Queensland's most important developmentcomponent's—just like Central Queensland University—and just like Central Queensland TAFE.


Regional Events Development ProgramHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.47 a.m.): The

state government's hugely successful Regional Events Development Program is to be bolstered with anextra $1.4 million a year in the budget. Not only will we expand the program's funding from $1 million ayear to $2.4 million a year for the next two years but we will also establish within that two new schemes.This is ensuring that we not only get regional events, but that they are run in a strategy to assist tourism.We are funding tourism in the way that we should be, but it needs to also have support for regionalevents, because event tourism is where the jobs are going to be. That is why that is so important. I seekleave to incorporate more details in Hansard for the information of all members.

Leave granted.The two new schemes of the Significant Regional Events Scheme and the Regional Events Innovations Scheme will be excellentadditions to Queensland Events Regional Development Program.This program has been one of my government's greatest regional successes and we are going to make it even better.Over three years there have been 125 events in regional Queensland that have benefited from this excellent program.The new Significant Regional Events Scheme will recognise the growing value of events to regional economies by ensuring thelong-term growth and viability of the most significant events. Under the Significant Regional Events Scheme those significant events will be eligible for up to $50,000 a year for three years.The Regional Events Innovations Scheme is to support new and creative events. It will support event organisers and communities in developing events that capitalise on their region's tourism, cultural and industryassets with targeted assistance.These programs reinforce Queensland as the leader in regional event development in Australia.I'm advised that Scotland has now copied it.This is Smart State thinking at its best. Under the existing program those 125 events have shared more than $2.4 million. This also includes a contribution of $200,000 ($100,000 per year over two years) by Telstra Country Wide, a much-valued sponsorof the scheme.Among those funding successes have been:


Warwick's Inaugural Polocrosse World Cup (24 April-4 May 2003), which generated an estimated $1.4 million for theregion equal to 25 full-time jobs with more than 25,000 spectators attending,Toowoomba's Australian Gospel Music Festival, (18-20 April 2003) in 2003 it attracted more than 31,000 spectators withmore than 17,500 coming from outside of Toowoomba. Total visitor spending in retail and services sectors was estimatedat more than $2.3 million. In 2002—its first year of funding—organisers reported a record crowd of around 30,000 people (despite rain on the firstday)—an increase of 20% over 2001. Ingham's Australian Italian Festival (9-11 May 2003) saw record crowds of 25,000 over the three days—an increase of3,000 on the previous year.Townsville's Australian Festival of Chamber Music, (2-13 July 2003) in 2003 it attracted 1547 persons—a 15% increase on2002 injecting more than $0.5 million in the region.Gladstone's Harbour Festival (5-12 April, 2004) following Queensland Events Regional Development program support fora second consecutive year crowds at the Marina Mardi Gras was around 65,000—up 5,000 people (or 7.6%) over lastyear's record crowd (which also received QERDP funding and resulted in an estimated 10,000 up on 2002).

In March last year the QERDP was extended to encompass the Queensland Community Racing Scheme with additional fundingof $200,000 per year for two years. The Scheme recognises the important role that community racing events have played in the development of the social andeconomic fabric of regional Queensland. Country race meetings supported under the scheme include the:

Morven Race Club Meeting, 11 October 2003;Western Picnic Races, Winton, 26-27 March 2004;Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Meeting, Mattaburra, 10-11 April 2004;Kooroorinya Race Meeting, Prairie, 14-15 May 2004;

Eromanga Race Meeting, Eromanga, 22 May 2004


Smithsonian Fellowships; Mr J. McGrathHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.48 a.m.): There

are two other things that I want to deal with today. It is a pleasure to update the House on the researchundertaken by a Queensland government Smithsonian Fellow, which is building our understanding ofserious illnesses including schizophrenia. This research, by 2003 Smithsonian Fellow John McGrath, istruly where the Sunshine State meets the Smart State. Professor McGrath, of the University ofQueensland's Department of Psychiatry, used his fellowship to spend five months at Harvard University,where he analysed data on the links between the season in which people are born and their growth anddevelopment. He is piecing together a puzzle showing that if pregnant women have low vitamin Dstores, then their offspring’s development may be altered. The affected child may be at increased risk ofa range of adult-onset disorders, including schizophrenia.

This is why the Queensland government developed this partnership at the Smithsonian Institute.Professor McGrath is one of 12 outstanding Queenslanders who put a Smithsonian fellowship to workleading to advances in knowledge and growth of our Smart State stature. I think that it is good story. Iseek leave to incorporate the details in Hansard.

Leave granted.Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because this important growth factor is produced by bright sunlight on the skin. While ithas long been known that good maternal nutrition is essential for the foetal development, there has been a lack of evidence aboutthe role of vitamin D in prenatal development. However, experts have long known that people born in Northern Hemispherewinters and springs have a small but significantly increased risk of developing schizophrenia.Professor McGrath and his colleagues at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research have shown this also applied topeople born in Southern Hemisphere winters and springs.A team centred on Dr Darryl Eyles (based at the University of Queensland) have found that the offspring of female rats with lowvitamin D had different shaped brains and altered levels of important brain growth factors. As adults these animals had subtle changes in their behaviour. Not surprisingly, this Queensland research has attracted international attention. If it is shown that low prenatal vitamin D does lead to altered growth and increased risk of schizophrenia, perhaps maternalsupplements can reduce the incidence of schizophrenia.Much more work is needed, but this is a great example of how a Smithsonian Fellow is pursuing research that has excitingimplications for human health and well-being.Professor McGrath will give a public lecture on his preliminary results at the Queensland Art Gallery at noon on 25 June.People like Professor McGrath are brilliant Smart State ambassadors who collaborate with international experts and spread theword about Queensland innovators.As part of his fellowship he has presented talks in the United States at: Peabody Museum (Harvard University); the Department ofAnthropology at Harvard University; the Department of Medicine at Boston University; and the Harvard School of Public Health.


He has held meetings with key experts including: Nobel Laureate Dr Murray Gell-Man (discoverer of quarks); Professor CharlesDeLisi (widely regarded as the father of the human genome project); Dr Charles Cantor, chief Scientific Officer at Sequenom;Professor Michael Holick of Boston University; and Professor Arthur Kleinman of Harvard University.


Children in DetentionHon. P.D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.49 a.m.): In the

lead-up to World Refugee Day this Sunday, 20 June, it is timely to consider that 162 children are indetention because they have come to this country seeking refuge. Eighty-eight children are held inimmigration detention in Australia and another 74 are held on Nauru. The federal government'streatment of these children diminishes our nation's stature in the world, even though Australia is Chair ofthe United Nations Commission on Human Rights this year. The United Nations Convention on theRights of the Child, article 37(b) states—No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be inconformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

That is not happening in this country, despite the tabling in federal parliament last month of aHuman Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report calling for the release of all children indetention.

Last month one of my parliamentary secretaries, the member for Algester, Karen Struthers,represented me at the Ministerial Council for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and called on thefederal government to immediately release all children in immigration detention and improve theconditions for all people in immigration detention around Australia. She gained unanimous support fromstate and territory leaders.

I have just returned from another successful overseas trade and investment mission that furtherimpresses upon me the global context in which Queensland must operate if we are truly to be the SmartState.

With World Refugee Day approaching, it is worth remembering and valuing the immensecontributions that migrants, including refugees, have made to Queensland. Many of this state's pioneersand leaders across business, industry, academia and in public life are migrants or the children ofmigrants. We must protect our borders—I have no quarrel with that—but we have to cease theinhumane practice of locking up children because their parents seek a better life here.


Literacy and Numeracy Hon. A.M. BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Minister for Education and the Arts) (9.51 a.m.):

During the last sitting of parliament I informed members of the federal Education Minister's disgracefuldecision to exclude Queensland children from the proposed $700 tuition credit scheme. This decisionwas howled down by parents and educators not only here in Queensland but also in South Australia,New South Wales and Tasmania, which were also left out of the scheme. The public outcry clearlycaught the federal Education Minister by surprise and prompted an embarrassing backdown. Just ninedays after announcing Queensland had been excluded from the scheme I received a letter from thefederal minister inviting Queensland to participate. It was a breathtaking backflip.

This was a victory not only for Queensland children but also for commonsense. It was simplynonsensical for the federal minister to say that year 3 students who do not meet the national readingbenchmark in some states are more deserving of assistance than others.

As I said in this House, I have always been willing to make available to the Commonwealth theinformation on individual student performance against the national benchmarks. Given my publicannouncement last year that Queensland parents would receive this information from this year, I believethis matter could have and should have been settled by negotiation. The whole sorry saga is a poorreflection on Brendan Nelson's competence and integrity. However, I am glad that he has now come tohis senses.

To ensure Queensland parents are able to access the $700 credit I instructed the QueenslandStudies Authority to reissue reports to parents and carers of children who sat the year 3 Test in Aspectsof Literacy and Numeracy in 2003 against the national benchmark for reading. These reports areexpected to be provided to schools to distribute to parents from the week beginning 21 June. I would liketo stress that a student's performance against the national literacy and numeracy benchmarks is justone indicator of a child's achievement. It does not provide a whole or complete picture. Schools and


teachers collect a range of rich information on student performance and report this to parentsthroughout the year. Parents should keep this in mind when they receive their child's reissued results.

The statewide overview of student performance in the 2003—years 3, 5 and 7—literacy andnumeracy tests has been compiled. I seek leave to table a copy of the report for the information ofmembers.

Leave granted.Ms BLIGH: From a statewide perspective, what this report tells us is that the range and standard

of student performance was generally consistent with previous years. The percentage of students whoachieved the benchmarks in year 3 reading, writing and numeracy and year 5 writing improved slightlyon last year. At the same time, the percentage of students achieving the year 5 reading and numeracybenchmark dropped slightly. These results are good, but there is plenty of room for improvement. I lookforward to seeing our government's landmark education reforms contribute to better student outcomes.


WorldSkills Hon. T.A. BARTON (Waterford—ALP) (Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial

Relations) (9.54 a.m.): Queensland has just staged the most successful ever Skills Olympics—thenational WorldSkills finals. The event brought out the competitive best of 500 of Australia's very bestyoung trades men and women. The combination of the WorldSkills final and the Careers andEmployment Expo attracted more than 47,000 visitors over the three days from 28 to 30 May. This wasone of the highest attendances on record and not only honoured excellence in trades and skills but alsoshowcased more than 60 careers for the many young people who visited Brisbane's Convention andExhibition Centre.

What a great result for Queensland's finest! Queensland's competitors won six gold, 12 silver andnine bronze medals in the national trade related competition. In the Vocational Education and Training inSchools categories, our team members took one gold, three silver and two bronze. Our trade skills goldmedallists were successful in categories as diverse as floristry and electrical systems.

Daryl McKenzie from Rockhampton not only won gold in the automotive mechanics category buthas also been offered a job as a result of winning his regional contest. For Brisbane's Erica Evans, ourcookery gold medallist, this was her first competition but it has encouraged her to pass on her skills toothers with a passion for food.

Jared Boyle, gold medallist in electrical control systems, and Ben Page, first placed in electricalinstallation systems, are both employed by the Gladstone Port Authority. Our floristry gold medallist, WillMorgan, moved from Dalby to Brisbane to further his career. Jimboomba's Angus Anderson was theonly apprentice to strike gold, in the fluid power hydraulics section. And Stanthorpe High School studentAlex Smithers looks set for a big future in the wine industry with a gold medal in the VocationalEducation and Training in Schools viticulture category of the competition.

All of the gold medal winners in the open competition were trained in the state's TAFE system—evidence that our training programs are world class. In two categories—floristry and electrical controlsystems—Queensland competitors won both gold and silver medals. Many of these young people willnow have the opportunity to be chosen in the Australian team which will represent Australia at theinternational final in Helsinki, Finland next year. I would like to again thank those who supported theevent in the private sector who generously donated materials, loaned equipment and provided judgesfor the various categories.


Biotechnology Hon. T. McGRADY (Mount Isa—ALP) (Minister for State Development and Innovation)

(9.57 a.m.): I would like to report to the House that the Queensland government's continuing efforts topromote and develop Queensland's biotechnology industry were enthusiastically embraced at BIO2004.The Premier and I attended the world's most important biotechnology conference in San Francisco lastweek. We announced that if we continue to give the industry a high priority it could employ 10,000people and generate $4 billion in revenue by 2025.

My business briefings in San Francisco included a meeting with members of the QueenslandBiotechnology North America Council. Members of this council are influential leaders in the US biotechcommunity and they displayed strong support and commitment to work with us for the benefit of ourSmart State biotech industry. I also met with representatives of key Washington State biotechnology


organisations. They are working with the Queensland Chief Scientist on possible collaborations withQueensland.

Our state's relationship with New Zealand was further enhanced through a meeting I held with theNew Zealand Minister for Research, Science and Technology, the Hon. Peter Hodgson. There isenormous potential for further R&D collaboration and investment between our two nations.

I can report that the international community is impressed with our biotechnology industry's trackrecord, with our vision for its expansion and with our incredible biodiscovery potential.

While in the United States I also visited the headquarters of Silicon Graphics in Silicon Valley andtoured the NASA AMES research centre. Here supercomputers are solving problems in just one daythat previously took six months. NASA may be able to help Queensland researchers with information onthe Great Barrier Reef.

In San Diego I visited Raytheon Integrated Defence Systems. The company's Australianoperation is involved in a bid to win a $2.5 billion contract to build two amphibious ships for theAustralian Defence Force. If successful, the ships would be built at Cairncross Dockyard, creating 500direct jobs and potentially 7,000 indirect jobs.

We have developed an aviation industry and now we are embarking on trying to get a shipbuilding industry and all the skilled jobs that will go with it. Queensland certainly is the Smart State.


Champions Initiative, Palm Island

Hon. R.E. SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing)(9.59 a.m.): Through the government's champions initiative, directors-general have taken on personalresponsibility to advance Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities. The Director-General of theDepartment of Public Works, Mal Grierson, has been a champion for Palm Island since late 2002.During this time the Department of Public Works has successfully worked with other governmentagencies to improve opportunities and infrastructure on the island.

One major improvement has been the construction of a helipad adjacent to the hospital whichinvolved working with Ergon Energy to relocate power poles to create the necessary space. By workingwith the Department of Transport we have also had the Palm Island jetty repaired, giving residents safeand affordable access to the mainland.

Unemployment in indigenous communities is very high compared to the rest of the state. Thisyear 10 Palm Island residents gained apprenticeships in the construction industry with the Palm IslandAboriginal Council. Q-Build is the host employer for these apprentices, with responsibility to superviseand schedule their workload and arrange appropriate training opportunities. Initially these apprenticeswill work on the $4.8 million Community Youth Centre now well under way and expected to becompleted in October this year.

The Police Citizens Youth Club has been a key participant in the project and is working with thelocal Coolgaree youth Aboriginal movement and the Office of the Commissioner for Children and YoungPeople to ensure the involvement of all young people on the island in the future of the centre.

The Queensland Police Service has also committed resources to assist with the ongoingmanagement of this centre. I thank the minister for her personal interest in this matter. The Departmentof Public Works is also working with other government agencies to ensure that there is a long-termcoordinated schedule of works to provide these apprentices with the relevant experience needed toachieve their trade qualification. I thank every minister in this government for their personal contributionin that regard.

This is a great program that will have a lasting benefit for Palm Island by building the community'sskills base. It will also help towards the future construction and maintenance of essential infrastructureon the island. In the past, the provision of government services on Palm Island has been severelyhindered by the lack of suitable office space and residential accommodation for government employees.There are now future projects planned on Palm Island to construct new government officeaccommodation. New government employee residential accommodation has also been prioritised toenable child protection officers to reside on that island. This will boost the support and services providedto residents.

I commend this work in addressing the needs of the Palm Island community and the success ofthe government's champions program in making a real difference to the daily lives of Palm Islandresidents.



Perimeter Patrol VehiclesHon. J.C. SPENCE (Mount Gravatt—ALP) (Minister for Police and Corrective Services)

(10.02 a.m.): Since being elected in 1998, the Beattie government has committed itself to providing asafe and secure correctional system. Today this government can proudly say that the current combinedescape rate from prisons is the lowest in 20 years. In fact, there have been no escapes from a securefacility in the six years we have been in government.

As well as community safety, another priority of this government is to ensure that the staff at ourcorrectional facilities can feel safe when performing their duties. Later this month the first of nine newperimeter patrol vehicles will be tested at correctional centres around the state. We expect to have allnine in operation at secure facilities by the end of the year. The new PPVs replace the old Hummerswhich were taken out of service in May 2003 because of safety and reliability concerns and thewithdrawal of registration by Queensland Transport.

The Borbidge coalition government introduced the Hummers as a knee-jerk response to theBrendon Abbott escape and did so at a great cost to the public. It failed to test the vehicles for suitability.In fact, the first Hummer would only go in reverse. The Minister for Public Works will agree that therewas also no proper consideration of all the requirements to fit out the former military vehicles for patrolpurposes. He was left with the $400,000 maintenance bill to fix them when Labor won government in1998.

Mr Schwarten: And now we've got them all out there like albatrosses lined up. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am sure the minister is able to make her own statement. Ms SPENCE: They had mechanical problems, ruptured fuel pumps, oil leaks, coolant leaks,

excessive tyre wear on most vehicles, fanbelts which continually broke, CV joints which could not holdthe load, and power steering and gear problems.

Prior to the withdrawal of the Hummers in May last year, my predecessor convened a jointconsultative working party of departmental officers and the QPSU to work together to find a way to fixthe unreliability of the Hummers. Arising from the recommendations of the working party, the preferredreplacement vehicle is a dual-cab Holden Rodeo four-wheel drive. The first PPV is currently being fittedout on the Gold Coast by a local contractor, helping to provide jobs for Queenslanders. It will have state-of-the-art armour plating to protect officers in the event of an armed assault.

This government appreciates that our prison officers have a right to feel safe in their workplacesboth inside and outside the perimeter fences. The vehicle will have other features to ensure the officerson post are well protected and suitably equipped to handle any situation.

I am pleased to note that the collaborative manner in which the government and the QPSU haveworked together has proven successful in reaching a positive outcome. Millions of dollars of publicmoney might not have been wasted on the Hummers had the Borbidge coalition government consultedwith the QPSU and tested them before they rolled them out. Labor is correcting this blunder because weare committed to community safety and maintaining what are some of the most secure prisons in theworld.


North Queensland Drug CourtHon. R.J. WELFORD (Everton—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice) (10.06 a.m.): I

am pleased to advise the House of a significant milestone in the progress of the Queensland drug court.Last week at the Mirikai Rehabilitation Centre on the Gold Coast, I was joined by representatives ofgovernment and community agencies to celebrate the drug court's 100th graduation. I was particularlypleased my parliamentary colleagues the member for Southport, Peter Lawlor, the member for Burleigh,Christine Smith, and the Liberal leader, Bob Quinn, were also there for this important occasion. I thankthem for their support for the drug court program.

We have come a long way since the drug court was introduced by our government in June 2000.This innovative program, which is also celebrating four years of operations this week, is now a provensuccess in making Queensland a safer place to live. One hundred graduates is a very positive outcomenot only for the families of those people who have kicked their drug habits but also for the entirecommunity.

The drug court deals with people who commit crimes to pay for their addiction to serious drugssuch as heroin, cocaine or amphetamines. It is not a soft option. In fact, many who go onto the programfail and are subsequently sentenced to a term in jail. The reason the drug court program is important is


that it deals with one of the causes of crime. Research tells us that about three in every four crimes,particularly property crime, are drug related, so every successful rehabilitation means there are fewercrimes being committed.

The drug court also represents an innovative and successful direction for the criminal justicesystem. Prosecution and defence lawyers cooperate in a non-adversarial climate, and there is a closeworking relationship between treatment providers, law enforcement agencies and the court. Sevengovernment departments and more than a dozen non-government agencies work together to make thisprogram a success.

Of the 100 graduates, 92 have come from the south-east Queensland program and eight from themore recently established north Queensland trial. There are another 102 people currently undertakingdrug court rehabilitation programs—54 in the south-east Queensland program and 48 in northQueensland.

The drug court provides tremendous social benefits. This has been confirmed through anindependent evaluation by the Australian Institute of Criminology. This study found very few drug-addicted offenders who complete the drug court program are likely to return to a life of crime. The drugcourt offers a solution to one of our most difficult problems, and our government remains committed tothis important initiative.


Fraud and Corruption Prevention, Department of Main RoadsHon. P.T. LUCAS (Lytton—ALP) (Minister for Transport and Main Roads) (10.09 a.m.): I wish to

inform the House of a new series of mandatory fraud prevention and corruption training that will bedelivered to all Main Roads employees. Last month my office received an anonymous, unsourced lettercontaining allegations of Main Roads employees being involved in fraud and corruption. My director-general referred this letter to the CMC for investigation. I should stress, however, that the allegationscontained therein were unsourced and not verified. When an Auditor-General's report into a RoadTekconference for Department of Main Roads staff last year uncovered inappropriate hospitalityexpenditure Main Roads was put on notice. I expect strict adherence to guidelines covering the supplyof hospitality and there are now procedures in place to ensure that this will not be repeated and 17recommendations have been made as a result of internal audits into this matter.

I treat allegations of fraud and corruption very seriously. I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.Main Roads will provide its full cooperation with the CMC to investigate these latest allegations of officialmisconduct. On Friday, both my directors-general and I met with the Auditor-General and shared withhim our ongoing determination to ensure best practice in my departments. Since July 2003 Main Roadshas provided a fraud prevention and corruption training course to a thousand staff on a voluntarily basis.Today my director-general has provided Main Roads staff with a memo instructing them that they will allundertake mandatory fraud prevention and corruption training. Everyone from the director-general downwill need to complete this training. Main Roads has also sent its training material to the CMC to review toensure that it is consistent with the CMC in terms of content and delivery.

Main Roads employees are also being encouraged to report any misconduct in their workplace.Full whistleblower protection will, of course, apply. Main Roads will continue to work with the CMC andthe Auditor-General to establish a best practice framework for fraud and corruption prevention within thedepartment.


Drought Assistance; Mr P. Iszlaub AMHon. H. PALASZCZUK (Inala—ALP) (Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries) (10.11 a.m.):

As Minister I take seriously the role of local drought committees in advising the department and myselfabout the drought status of areas across the state. I have consistently accepted the recommendationsfrom these committees, known as LDCs, to add shires and part shires to the drought list and also theirrecommendations to revoke them.

These LDCs are made up of local departmental officers and local primary producers. Theproducers voluntarily give of their time to offer important input into drought decisions. In recent months,LDCs have recommended the revocation of approximately 40 shires. When a shire or part shire hasbeen revoked, it does not mean an end to drought assistance for producers in the shire. Producers whodo not believe they have received adequate rainfall can apply for an individual droughted property, or anIDP. However, the other producers who are on that revocation list are eligible to apply for freight


subsidies on the movement of stock returning from agistment or purchased for restocking for up to twoyears.

Traditionally, the call on these post-revocation freight subsidies can be higher than during thedrought when freight subsidies on the movement of fodder and water is available. On 2 June federalAgriculture Minister Warren Truss issued a statement claiming our government was revoking shiresfrom the drought list to somehow reduce assistance payable to farmers. Like an echo, the Leader of theNational Party in Queensland repeated the same false claims 24 hours later. Mr Truss and theOpposition Leader have shown their ignorance of the long-established drought processes inQueensland. Mr Truss and the Opposition Leader purport to be primary producers yet they are ignorantof the role of LDCs, which were established in 1982. These men may hope to score a political point, butwhat they are doing is adding to confusion among producers about what producers are eligible for. Bothmen need to realise that there are rules for drought declarations and revocations in Queensland andthose rules must be followed.

In 1989, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee inquired into the administration of thedrought relief by the Department of Primary Industries under the then National Party government. Thatinquiry was sparked by reports of anomalies in the administration of drought assistance, including thedeclaration of Isis shire in 1988 without reference to the local drought committee. The Public AccountsCommittee report was a damning indictment on the government of the day and it is an indictment onthose people who are trying to rewrite those lessons some 15 years later.

While I am on my feet, some good news; I would like to report that on Friday evening, togetherwith the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, I had the pleasure of representing the Queenslandgovernment at a testimonial dinner for the former Mayor of Wondai, Percy Iszlaub AM. It is a tribute toPercy that he was elected in 1982 and did not have to face the voters again. Percy retired at the 2004local government elections. On behalf of all honourable members, I wish Percy, his wife, Alison, andtheir family well in the future.


SCAN System

Hon. M.F. REYNOLDS (Townsville—ALP) (Minister for Child Safety) (10.14 a.m.): The Beattiegovernment is reinforcing its commitment to tackling child abuse and neglect by allocating an extra$24.4 million over the next three years for an improved suspected child abuse and neglect system,which we know as the SCAN team. These funds will ensure that each government department involvedin the improved SCAN process has high-level staff dedicated full time to child abuse cases and isrepresented on the SCAN teams. It means that we will have high-powered teams able to identify neglectand abuse at the very earliest possible stage and to intervene quickly to help children at risk.

This extra money will cover wages of additional people to be hired, the costs of retraining, regulartraining sessions and other costs. For example, as announced already by my colleague the Minister forPolice, Judy Spence, the Queensland Police Service is planning to place an additional 16 detectivesenior sergeants in the SCAN system; Education Queensland will employ extra senior guidanceofficers; and Queensland Health is planning to dedicate additional administrative staff to the SCANsystem. $3 million will be spent by the Child Safety Department and $3.5 million by other departments.

The Premier and I have made it clear that child protection is a major priority of this governmentand I am determined to see each of the 110 recommendations of the CMC implemented as soon aspossible. The implementation of the rejuvenated SCAN system is a major part of those reforms, with 20full-time SCAN coordinators appointed at a cost of $3 million. The new process involves teams ofexperts coordinated by a full-time Department of Child Safety officer and will include seniorrepresentatives from Education Queensland and the Queensland Police Service. Expert medical advicewill be provided through a Queensland Health professional with training in paediatrics. In cases wherethe child is from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander family, a representative of that community willform a very important part of the team.

The new system will be tested in the Townsville and Logan regions from September and will beintroduced into other areas from December this year. The core agencies of Health, Police and Educationhave begun selection and recruitment processes to provide their additional full-time contribution to theseteams as part of the $3.5 million boost to these agencies. Negotiations are under way with Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander communities to identify suitable community representation as part of a$4.7 million provision to give this community much better access to the system.

I am certain the extra staff and procedural changes will create a vastly improved and moreintegrated SCAN system that will make Queensland a safer place for children and, in particular, a saferplace for our most vulnerable children.



Ministerial Regional Community ForumsHon. F.W. PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors)

(10.17 a.m.): I wish to inform the House about the successful launch last week of the Beattiegovernment's revamped ministerial regional community forums. This government first launched theforums in 1999 to give Queenslanders better access to government and input into decision-makingprocesses that affect them. Since then 136 forums have been held throughout Queensland, producingmany positive benefits for our regions. However, it was felt the process could be better. We reviewed theprocess and endorsed changes which I believe will enable the forums to produce better outcomes forQueenslanders.

The new forum model will increase opportunities for more Queenslanders to work with thegovernment to identify and respond to real issues facing regional communities. The program has beenextended to cover western Queensland and greater Brisbane for the first time. About 800 peopleattended 13 events held last Monday to launch the new forum model. Some regions held launches inmore than one location and these events included a call for nominations for forum members. Theclosing date for nominations is 30 June.

In addition to the revamped forums I have established the Regional Queensland Councilcomprised of a government MP from each of my department's 10 regions. This council will provideadvice to me on regional issues and will play a key role in the forum process. As MPs, all of us areaware of the major issues facing our constituents and our responsibility as elected representatives torespond to those issues.

Feedback on the changes to the forum process and establishment of the Regional QueenslandCouncil has been very positive. I thank my parliamentary colleagues, including opposition members whoattended the forums, demonstrating bipartisan support for a great initiative by the Beattie government. Iwould encourage my parliamentary colleagues to continue to support this important initiative. I lookforward to reporting regularly to the House on its achievements as we continue to deliver responsivegovernment.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to correct the record in relation to a ministerialstatement I gave on 12 May, which was during Autism Awareness Week. In my statement, I quoted astatistic that about 10 per cent of the Queensland population has some form of autism. That figure isincorrect. The correct figure, according to a statistical snapshot taken in 2002, is that about 10 per centof Queenslanders who have a disability have some form of autism. I apologise for any confusion thismay have caused.


Ambulance Response TimesHon. C.P. CUMMINS (Kawana—ALP) (Minister for Emergency Services) (10.20 a.m.): The real

story on ambulance response times is that for code 1 cases this year we have seen an increase of 7,370patients who have been treated by our hardworking paramedics. That is a massive amount of growth inlife-threatening call-outs. Just to illustrate the growth we have observed, for code 1 cases, this increaseof 7,370 patients is a 9.44 per cent increase on the same period last year. This is an important point as itmeans that our hardworking paramedics have got to 7,370 more patients than last year to administerlife-saving treatment. That really is an achievement of which all Queenslanders would be very grateful.

Over the last few weeks some members have strayed from their alleged mantra of positivepolitics and have been engaging in cheap political point scoring over ambulance response times. I amvery happy to speak about ambulance response times as it gives me the opportunity to state the facts.Although the record shows that there has not been an increase in non-urgent cases, there has been asignificant increase in urgent cases, code 1 and code 2 call-outs.

Records show that the QAS had an increase of 35,000 urgent responses in the 2002-03 financialyear. That is not far off the population of Bundaberg. I visited Bundaberg last week to open a newambulance station near the honourable member for Bundaberg's electorate.

An honourable member interjected. Mr CUMMINS: That is lovely, that is! Attacking people with disability; that is lovely! She and the

former member for Burnett, Trevor Strong, worked tirelessly to deliver that station for their communityand I thank them for that. The Beattie government values its hardworking paramedics. They are themost trusted professionals out there, closely followed by our firies, and they deserve our thanks.Response times are consistent with the figures for the last two years. The response time performancefor the state in 2002-03 was 66.6 per cent of code 1 cases attended in less than 10 minutes. In the

15 Jun 2004 Private Members' Statements 1389

2003-04 financial year this percentage to June is 66.52 per cent. Mr Speaker, this government makesthe tough decisions when they need to be made. This is why the Beattie government introduced thecommunity ambulance cover.

It should be remembered that the last coalition government's ambulance budget in 1997-98 was apaltry $158 million. The 2003-04 budget for the QAS totals $276.2 million, which enabled the service toemploy an additional 110 paramedics this financial year. The community ambulance cover will ensurethe Queensland Ambulance Service has a solid and predictable funding base for the first time in its 110-year history. This side of the House is not into cheap political point scoring; this government has acted.We have delivered an extra 110 paramedics this year and announced a further commitment of 240paramedics over this term to accommodate the increased demand for ambulance services. This will goa long way to supporting our paramedics and saving Queenslanders' lives.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

State BudgetMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (10.25 a.m.): In recent

times we have heard from the Treasurer that there will be no new taxes and charges in this year's statebudget. I cast my mind back to the last time that we heard that. The last time we heard that was in thelead-up to the 2001 state election. Lo and behold, what happened afterwards? The governmentintroduced a brand new ambulance tax in Queensland. I say to the people of Queensland, ‘Be wary ofthis government. Be wary of this Treasurer, who makes promises of no new taxes and charges.’

What was the basis of the introduction of the ambulance tax in Queensland? The basis was thatwe had an unfunded Ambulance Service and that we needed to put more money into it. The Minister forEmergency Services just stood up in this place and admitted that in recent times there has been anincrease of 7,000 call-outs to urgent cases.

So what would we expect the government to do in that case? We would expect it to put moremoney into the Queensland Ambulance Service. We would expect that the government would fund newand replacement ambulance vehicles. But it is not. Let us look at the figures. The Treasurer said theother day that, because of the ambulance tax, we will be able to spend $9.9 million on new andreplacement ambulance vehicles this year. What did it spend last year? It spent $9.9 million. That wasprior to the ambulance tax. What did it spend in 2001-02 when there was no ambulance tax? It spent$10.5 million. What did it spend in 1998-99? It spent $9.6 million. What did it spend in 1996-97? It spent$9.2 million. The population is increasing, the call-outs are increasing, the call-out times and theresponse times are getting worse. What is this minister doing? He is spending less money on new andreplacement ambulance vehicles and collecting more and more from the state's ambulance tax.

Time expired.

Member for Broadwater, Family IncidentMrs CROFT (Broadwater—ALP) (10.27 a.m.): On behalf of my family and father, I wish to thank

the residents of the Gold Coast and the people right around this state who sent messages of supportand kind thoughts following the recent incident involving my father, Owen, and his partner, Tiny. Thetime people took to express their concerns offered my family and me much strength during that difficulttime. I wish to thank the township of Cloncurry for its support and assistance, the Royal Flying DoctorService and the staff of the Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Townsville hospitals. I also wish to thank memberson both sides of this House for their expressed concerns and kindness.

Still being cared for by the wonderful staff at the Townsville General Hospital, our father is nowfocusing on recovery from surgery to his broken jaw. He can speak now; however, it is expected that hewill spend some more time in hospital. Our father is a strong man. His determination, resilience andcourage are admired by his family and friends. However, with our father's age and pre-existing medicalconditions, Dad will, as a result of this incident, be restricted in his capacity to lead the life that heenjoyed before.

I am the youngest of eight children. Dad has 18 grandchildren and can boast a lifetime ofcommunity involvement. He has been a councillor of the McKinlay Shire Council, a grazier, abusinessman and, as a World War II veteran, is the vice-president of the Cloncurry RSL.

Our father is representative of the many Queensland seniors who live in this state. Our feelingsare no different to the respect that others would feel for their ageing parents. Experiences such as thisteach us the importance of family. As a member of this House, this incident has made me even strongerand more determined to represent the concerns of the senior residents of my electorate. My family hasasked that this ordeal be a reminder to communities of the vulnerability of our senior Queenslandersand that the contribution that they have all made should ensure that they can live their retirement yearsin peace.

1390 Questions Without Notice 15 Jun 2004

I thank the Minister for Police for allowing me to make a submission to the police-led task forcelooking into crime against seniors. Once again, I thank the community and the state for their support.

Navilla SedgeMs LEE LONG (Tablelands—ONP) (10.29 a.m.): Recently an SOS was sent out by farmers on

the southern end of the Tablelands, in the Millaa Millaa area to be precise, which is situated in thewettest rain belt of Australia. This year we have had a normal wet season. The SOS concerned theaggressive spread of the pest weed navilla sedge, commonly known as sedge.

This is a relatively new pest weed to the area. Since the beginning of the year, it has appeared inlarge quantities, particularly on the sides of the spider web of country roads around the Millaa Millaaarea. This pest weed is a profuse seeder and takes over and smothers improved pastures. I drovearound the area last week and found that farms there looked relatively clean and well looked after, and Iknow full well how much it costs these people to improve their properties. Ploughing, fertilising, buyingand spreading improved pasture seed and keeping the paddocks clean afterwards is always at a highcost to the farmer with just the normal pest weed problems. This is without having to contend with yetanother aggressive new pest weed such as sedge, which, as I said before, is growing rampantly on thesides of many roads around there.

Farmers are fearful that the wind will carry seeds on their properties and take over their expensiveimproved pasture. Our local NRM&E pest weed officer has been contacted. As there is only one officerin the whole of the Tablelands area, which is as large as Tasmania, he just cannot spread himself anyfurther while dealing with a number of other serious pest and weed problems in the region. The localcouncil also needs assistance in combating such threatening pests or weeds that have been introducedinto the shire. I cannot emphasise enough the seriousness of this pest and the threat it poses toproperty owners in the area, many of whom have already been devastated by dairy deregulation andare struggling to survive in the dairy industry or have been forced to diversify and have gone into beefcattle. Sedge, I might add, is a grass that cattle will not eat. It is not palatable to them and can even killthem, I am told. I urge the minister to give extra resources for both manpower and poisons to help stampout this pest in its infancy similar to the methods applied to eradicating the crazy ant and the eradicationin the south-east of the fire ant.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time for private members' statements has expired.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Commerce Queensland, State BudgetMr SPRINGBORG (10.31 a.m.): As today is budget day, my question is to the Treasurer.Mr Beattie interjected.Mr SPRINGBORG: I am sure they will ask you a few later on, Premier. I refer the Treasurer to

section 7 of the Anti-Discrimination Act and its prohibition against discrimination on the basis of anumber of grounds, including political belief and activity. In light of this, can he advise the House on thelawfulness of his actions in excluding Commerce Queensland—

Government members interjected.Mr SPRINGBORG: These people bring in these laws and then they ignore them.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will ask the question.Mr SPRINGBORG: In light of this, can the Treasurer advise the House on the lawfulness of his

actions in excluding Commerce Queensland from the government's budget briefing today on the basisof its political belief and/or activity?

Mr MACKENROTH: In relation to today's budget briefing, it is a briefing which is given to industrygroups and groups that have an interest in the budget. The invitations are sent by me to those groups.There are 25 industry groups represented at that budget briefing. I am sure that that does not representevery industry group in Queensland—not every group in Queensland. In relation to CommerceQueensland, might I say that in the recent state election the president and chief executive officer wenton a trip around Queensland where they campaigned against this government, where they continuallytold untruths and where, when information was provided to them to show the inaccuracies in what theywere saying, they never once corrected it but continued to say untruths which were detrimental to thegovernment. I therefore found—

Mr Horan: You dictate.Mr MACKENROTH: I am not a dictator. I welcome Commerce Queensland to come here today

when the budget is delivered. I have ensured by my actions in not inviting it that it will get its mouthpiece

15 Jun 2004 Questions Without Notice 1391

on the TV tonight. Mr Springborg, as you know, at 1 o'clock today a set of budget documents is deliveredto your office. You have a look at them and tell them what you want them to say.

Taxation Revenue, Australian Bureau of Statistics FiguresMr SPRINGBORG: If you do not agree, you do not get a go.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!Mr SPRINGBORG: My second question is also to the Treasurer. Treasurer, I refer to the ABS

taxation revenue statistics for 1998 to 2003 which show that Queensland is the only state to haveincreased per capita taxation levels since 1999-2000 when the GST was introduced, and I table thatdocument. Isn't it a fact that the Treasurer has increased taxes on every Queenslander by an additional$114 since the GST was introduced? Treasurer, doesn't this taxation level imposed on Queenslandersmake you the highest taxing Treasurer in Queensland's history?

Mr MACKENROTH: When the ABS figures were released, Mr Springborg made this claim. Icorrected him in the media then, and I will correct him again today.

Mr Springborg interjected.Mr MACKENROTH: And I will correct him again today. The ABS figures to which he refers are

figures for state and local governments, not only state governments. So he is confusing—Mr Springborg interjected.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has asked the question. We will hear the

answer.Mr MACKENROTH: Hold on. He is confusing and using figures which include council charges

and rates added to what the state charges—Mr Springborg interjected.Mr MACKENROTH: No, the rates and charges charged by councils are not my responsibility. In

relation to Queensland, Queenslanders pay on average 26 per cent less than any other state inAustralia.

HMAS BrisbaneMs MOLLOY: My question is for the Premier. We have heard that the state has signed the deed

of gift for HMAS Brisbane. Can the Premier detail when HMAS Brisbane might actually be inQueensland and how long it will take for it to finally be sunk off the Sunshine Coast?

Mr BEATTIE: I am only too delighted to answer the member for Noosa's question. I look forwardto seeing her on Friday night along with a lot of other people for the official launch of the Noosa longweekend, which I have the pleasure of doing. There are a lot of things happening in her electorate.

The deed of gift for HMAS Brisbane has been signed by the Commonwealth. We have acceptedthe Commonwealth's offer and it will now be sunk off the Sunshine Coast. The first thing I did uponsigning the deed was to thank the Defence Minister, Robert Hill, and his office for agreeing to thechanges that we sought. My colleague the Emergency Services Minister and the member for Kawana,Chris Cummins, has worked tirelessly on this, strongly supported by the member for Noosa.Mr Cummins has copped some flak, but it was our stubborn determination to get the best result for thisstate, and that has prevailed. We fixed the site location problem. It was pretty hard to sink a boat in a—

Mr Cummins: A shipping lane!Mr BEATTIE: I did take some objection to that. I just did not think that was very clever. Call me

conservative and old fashioned, but I did not think it was good to sink a ship in a shipping lane.Mr Cummins: It would slow up our exports.Mr BEATTIE: It would slow up our exports and would cause a few little wrecks along the way. We

would have more than just HMAS Brisbane; we would have a string of wrecks to dive on. So we figuredone was enough! Anyway, we fixed the site location problem. We fixed the state's liability issue and wefixed the long-term risk issues. Chris Cummins has been relentless on this, and I know at times he and Ithought it was not going to happen. But it has, and now we both eagerly await its sinking.

It is anticipated that the ship will arrive in Brisbane by the end of next month—that is, the end ofJuly—or some time in early August. The ship will need to be made safe prior to sinking. This will involvethe removal of all hazardous material on the ship to the required environmental standards of EPAlegislation and those of the Commonwealth of course. It will also involve major structural works to closeoff sections of the ship and open up others so that divers do not risk becoming trapped while they arediving on the wreck itself. These works will be undertaken whilst docked. Tenders for this work havecommenced. The time frame for completing all activities remains between nine and 12 months. So let ussay 12 months, bearing in mind the previous delays. It may be able to be achieved earlier.


However, actual scuttling of the ship is highly dependent on correct weather conditions. If thereare strong swells, storms, et cetera, scuttling will not be able to occur. This time of year is considered theideal time. We have finally resolved this issue. I thank Chris Cummins for his support and the memberfor Noosa. This will be a magnet for attracting divers from around the world. While I was recently at BIOin San Francisco with Tony McGrady, Minister for State Development and Innovation, I had anopportunity to discuss this with a number of people who are not only involved in the biotechnologyindustry but also divers. I know that this will attract international attention and will put the SunshineCoast on the world map, and I think that is a great thing for tourism in that area.

Mr SPEAKER: Before calling the member for Gregory could I welcome to the public gallerystudents and teachers of Aspley State School in the electorate of Aspley.

Woodford Correctional Centre, Prisoner DeathMr JOHNSON: My question is directed to the Hon. the Minister for Police and Corrective

Services. I refer to reports that a prisoner died in the high-security Woodford prison at the weekend andthat a syringe and drug implements were found near his body. Can the minister confirm whether therewas a syringe and implements found and were they used illegally? Why have the minister'sgovernment's security measures failed? Were illegal drugs found? What were they and how did they getinto that prison?

Ms SPENCE: Police and Corrective Services staff are investigating the death of Darren MichaelFitzgerald at the Woodford Correctional Centre over the weekend. A media release from theDepartment of Corrective Services identified that a cut-down syringe was found near Fitzgerald's body.It would be inappropriate for me to comment beyond what has already been made public surroundinghis death. Speculation over the cause of death is inappropriate until Police and Corrective Services staffcomplete their investigations.

This government takes the issue of drugs and drug implements in prison very seriously. It iscertainly a matter of security and prisoner safety. The department seeks to minimise the entry ofcontraband to all prisons. That is why staff undertake random cell searches. That is why we also stripsearch prisoners after contact visits and after their return to prisons. This is not pleasant for staff orinmates, but it is necessary. Visitors attempting to smuggle in contraband are also subject to detectionby passive alert detection dogs and through ionscan machines, which are highly sensitive and can evendetect microscopic particles of drugs on people and baggage.

However, this issue is not new. In the month that the Beattie government came to office in 1998,just after the Borbidge government—

Mr Johnson interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Gregory! The question has been asked. The minister will

answer it.Ms SPENCE: I am just attempting to get some perspective into this matter and show the

parliament how things have changed. In the month that the Beattie government came to office in 1998,in one weekend six inmates suffered drug overdoses—in one weekend. We have come a long way. Itake my hat off to my two predecessors for what they have done to secure our prisons even further.Unfortunately, we still have some evidence of drugs in prisons, but we take this matter very seriously. AsI said, we are minimising it in every way possible. I think that our strategies are working. This is a veryunfortunate case that occurred on the weekend and I am not going to speculate any further as to thereasons why it occurred. But I can give the member my assurance that the issue of zero tolerance ofdrugs in prison will remain firmly on my agenda.

Aquatic EmblemMs JARRATT: I direct a question to the Premier. Last month the Premier invited Queenslanders

to play a part in choosing an aquatic emblem that will symbolise our love affair with the water. Can thePremier inform the House of the public's response to this invitation?

Mr Mackenroth interjected.Mr BEATTIE: I agree with the Treasurer—provided we win. Mr Mackenroth interjected.Mr BEATTIE: All right: when we win. I thank the member for Whitsunday for her question,

because I know that she is particularly interested in this matter. The aquatic emblem is a way to promotethe tourism industry as well as to protect the great environment of Queensland. I have to say thatQueenslanders are enthusiastically backing their favourite fishes, corals, crays, molluscs and mammalsin the aquatic emblem stakes.

Last month, as the member for Whitsunday indicated, I opened nominations for an official aquaticemblem—a species fit to sit beside our existing emblems such as the koala, the Cooktown orchid, the


brolga and the sapphire. I invited Queenslanders to nominate their favourite aquatic creature or choosefrom the selection provided by a panel of experts. The panel carefully selected 11 creatures. For theinformation of members, I table in the House a chart showing them.

However, knowing many Queenslanders have their own passionate views on such matters, thegovernment has invited people to nominate their own favourites. By Friday, 11 June, after less than twoweeks of nominations and discussion, there were almost 1,779 nominations. It is fair to say that a mereminnow, the Barrier Reef anemone fish—the clown fish popularised in Finding Nemo—has already beena hot favourite to win this race. As many would have predicted, Nemo is in front going swimmingly with509 nominations. Next comes the blue sea star on 279, followed by the Lamington spiny crayfish on 118and the white-spotted eagle ray on 101. The field then tightens up with the barramundi cod at 99, theQueensland groper at 92, the dwarf minke whale at 84, the humphead wrasse at 72, the zebra shark at62, the channelled volute at 58 and the Australian brain coral at 42. There is no red emperor yet.

We have had a total of 263 wild card nominations for other species such as the dugong, the turtle,the lungfish, the mud crab and, as of today, the red emperor. The irony does not escape me that theSmart State may soon have a clown fish as an emblem as the brain coral is running stone motherlesslast. But we are going to work on that. Nominations are open until 1 July, so Queenslanders have ampletime to nominate their choice online or by mailing to Protocol Queensland of the Department of thePremier and Cabinet.

To make the aquatic emblem official, we will need to amend the Badges, Arms, Floral and OtherEmblems of Queensland Act 1959. I hope to introduce an amending bill to the House this year. This is avery serious issue about promoting Queensland to the world.

Import Risk AssessmentsMr HORAN: My question without notice is to the Hon. the Minister for Primary Industries and

Fisheries. Did the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries have representation on the import riskassessment panels of Biosecurity Australia that were examining the importation of bananas from thePhilippines, the importation of apples from New Zealand, and the importation of pig meat?

Mr PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for the question. What exactly did the member want toknow?

Mr SPEAKER: I ask the honourable member to ask the question again and I ask the honourableminister to listen to it.

Mr HORAN: My question without notice is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries—that is the minister. Did the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries have representation on theimport risk assessment panels of Biosecurity Australia that were examining the importation of bananasfrom the Philippines, the importation of apples from New Zealand, and the importation of pig meat?

Mr PALASZCZUK: I thank the honourable member for the question. My mind was a little bit awaywhen the member asked the question in the first instance. When we talk about the IRAs in relation tothose three risk assessments, let me just say at the very outset that the whole issue has been bungledbadly by the federal government—bungled, bungled, bungled. As far as I am concerned, BiosecurityAustralia leaves a lot to be desired, because under the conditions that exist currently, unfortunately—

Mr Horan: Answer the question.Mr PALASZCZUK: I will come to that. The federal government is using these IRAs as trade

issues rather than biosecurity issues. Unfortunately, our producers in Queensland—our bananagrowers, our pork producers and our apple growers in the Granite Belt—are the ones who are going tosuffer the most at the hands of the federal government. Unfortunately, if apples from New Zealand areallowed to be imported into Australia, it will cause enormous problems for our apple industry in theGranite Belt. In relation to the specifics, if the honourable member is trying to assert that DPI staff—

Mr Horan: I asked you a question.Mr SPEAKER: Order!Mr PALASZCZUK: If DPI scientists working independently for Biosecurity Australia in any way

make those recommendations, then the honourable member is dead wrong—dead, dead wrong. Thesepeople have been contracted by Biosecurity Australia to do a specific job: to give advice to Biosecurity,to give support to Biosecurity Australia. What happens after scientists from DPI and scientists from otherstates give that advice is up to Biosecurity Australia and then the federal government interprets thoserules.

Because of what has happened and the way our DPI scientists have been handled and treated bythe federal government, I raised this issue at the ministerial council meeting. I received an assurancefrom the federal minister that our scientists will not be—

Mr HORAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. Time has just about run out. I asked a specificquestion about three panels—


Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr HORAN:—and he is refusing to answer it. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat.Mr HORAN: I have asked the question twice and he refuses to answer. He will not answer and he

cannot answer. Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Resume your seat.

Hospital Waiting ListsMr FENLON: My question is addressed to the honourable the Minister for Health. Can the

minister outline the results of the government's $20 million program to reduce waiting lists in publichospitals around the state by 30 June?

Mr NUTTALL: I thank the honourable member for his question. I am pleased to announce todaythat 716 Queensland patients will undergo surgery before the end of this month in the final stage of ourfirst $20 million program, which we began in February. That means that by 30 June this year more than4,600 additional patients are expected to have had their surgery brought forward, which is 600 morethan we promised in February of this year. The efforts of hospital staff around the state over the last fivemonths have been nothing short of outstanding.

Of these 716 additional operations in the final stage, 505 will be carried out in the public sectorand 211 in private hospitals. In public hospitals they are now gearing up for 62 additional knee and hipreplacement operations at the Logan Hospital, 284 additional surgeries at Princess Alexandra Hospital,25 hip and knee replacement operations at Cairns Base Hospital, 19 vascular and hip and kneereplacement operations at Townsville Hospital, three cochlear implants at the Royal Children's Hospital,42 general surgery operations at Mackay Hospital and up to 70 spinal operations for scoliosis at theMater Children's Hospital.

In the private sector they are now gearing up to perform 34 major heart operations at the HolySpirit Hospital in Brisbane, 50 additional ear, nose and throat operations at the Cairns Private Hospital,15 ear, nose and throat as well as gynaecology operations at the Mater Hospital in Rockhampton and 21additional specialist surgeries at Noosa Hospital. Negotiations for a further 91 operations are still underway with the Noosa Hospital.

We promised new strategies to improve health care in Queensland and better partnerships withthe private sector, where they have the capacity over and above their normal workloads, as part of theway forward for us as a government. Already 1,000 public patients are undergoing urgent eye surgery inthe private sector. More than 2,500 additional patients have been treated in the first three months of theprogram, so hospitals are on target going into the final weeks of stage 1. Following the success of thisprogram, today's state budget will include another $40 million to continue the government's electivesurgery program.

Overseas Trained Doctors Mr QUINN: My question is addressed to the Minister for Health, and I ask: do overseas trained

doctors employed in Queensland public hospitals require qualifications from a medical schoolrecognised by the Australian Medical Council or do they just need a qualification from a recogniseduniversity?

Mr NUTTALL: I thank the honourable Leader of the Liberal Party for his question. It is animportant question and one that needs to be clarified. As I have said in this parliament before, there are5,000 young people who actually qualify to study medicine but we have only 1,500 places available.That means that 3,500 young people miss out. Unfortunately, that then requires us as a government torecruit overseas trained doctors. Our figures differ, but last year over 1,200 overseas doctors werebrought into Queensland. The federal government made a commitment for an extra 246 universityplaces for 2004-05. That is not enough and that means we will continue to have to recruit overseastrained doctors.

The Medical Board of Queensland actually registers those doctors with qualifications that aresuitable to allow practice in Queensland. It is actually the Medical Board that does the registering. Theboard verifies the qualifications of these overseas trained doctors who do seek medical registration. Thetemporary resident doctors that seek specialist recognition are also assessed through the respectivespecialist medical colleges. The Medical Board of Queensland considers the college's assessmentwhen determining registration eligibility.

Temporary resident doctors seeking unconditional general registration are required to meetAustralian Medical Council standards. The Centre for Overseas Trained Doctors assesses andorientates permanent resident overseas trained doctors for employment by Queensland Health throughtheir preparation for employment courses. Queensland Health recruitment processes in the selection of


overseas trained doctors include an assessment of qualifications and experience by our districts toensure that the doctor is able to meet the demands of the position being filled. Again I stress that theMedical Board of Queensland is the one that registers these doctors.

Tourism IndustryMs MALE: My question is directed to the Minister for Tourism, Fair Trading and Wine Industry

Development. Tourism is one of Queensland's biggest industries and continues to grow as we continueinto what could well be a record year for the industry. Can the minister advise of work to makeQueensland even more accessible to visitors?

Ms KEECH: I thank the member for her question and her passion in supporting the tourismindustry in the wonderful electorate of Glass House.

Aviation is a key to tourism growth. Thanks to the Beattie government, Queensland is the home oftwo of Australia's aviation success stories—Virgin Blue and Australian Airlines. The Beattie governmentis proud to have lured these operations to our state. These airlines are not only responsible for bringinghundreds of thousands of tourists to our Queensland destinations; they are also providing jobopportunities for thousands of Queenslanders and generating millions of dollars for our state economy.

Tomorrow marks another milestone for Queensland aviation. Qantas flight QF175 will take offfrom Brisbane—the first non-stop service to Los Angeles. This service will operate three times a week inaddition to the already existing Qantas flights from LA to Brisbane via Auckland. These new flights meanan additional 1,300 seats a week on the Los Angeles-Brisbane route—an 86 per cent increase.

Greater access to the North American market is great news, because it is estimated to be worthan extra $89 million a year to our economy. The North American market is Queensland's fourth largestand one of the most important not only in terms of visitor numbers but also in actual yield. More than146,000 North Americans visited Queensland in the year ended December 2003, staying an average 17nights and spending on average $3,300 throughout the region. Tourism Queensland is working hard tobuild demand from North America, coordinating cooperative marketing campaigns with industry partnersand organising trade road shows and training events to raise Queensland's profile in this market. TheMinister for Education and the Arts was recently in LA selling Queensland as a film and TV location.Non-stop flights to Brisbane are an added incentive for producers and film-makers coming toQueensland.

On the domestic level, Australia's newest airline, Jetstar, took off last month. Once again,Queensland is the big winner. More than 64 per cent of Jetstar's operations will service Queenslanddestinations. This new low-fare carrier is already bringing in thousands of new tourists to Queenslandand provides a multimillion-dollar boost to Queensland's tourism industry, particularly in the regions. Thenew services will provide greater access to popular Queensland holiday destinations including HamiltonIsland, the Gold Coast, Maroochydore, Mackay, Proserpine, Rockhampton and Cairns.

The Beattie government works with airlines, encouraging them to offer new services at additionalseating capacity and increase their flight frequencies. More flights mean more tourists. More touristsmean more jobs, which is good news for the Queensland economy.

DPI ForestryMs LEE LONG: My question is directed to the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries. I

refer to the corporatisation of DPI Forestry, and I ask: what does the minister propose in relation to DPIForestry's plantations, native forests and quarry programs? Will there be any further breaking up of thisonce proud, high-performing and internationally renowned organisation?

Mr PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for the question. Unfortunately, corporatisation and anydiscussions regarding corporatisation is very premature at this moment. I do not believe there has beenany consideration by cabinet at all and so I cannot make any comments on that at all.

National Livestock Identification SchemeMrs NITA CUNNINGHAM: My question without notice is also directed to the Minister for Primary

Industries and Fisheries. I refer the minister to the National Livestock Identification Scheme, and I ask:what progress is being made to implement the scheme in Queensland by 1 July next year?

Mr PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for the question. Mr Speaker, before I answer thatquestion, I beg your indulgence to complete my answer to the member for Toowoomba South. Theanswer is this: bananas, yes; pork, no; apples, no. Members opposite should all know that.

Mr HORAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. Mr SPEAKER: Order! We now have the answer. We do not need a point of order.


Mr HORAN: The minister had an opportunity to answer the question. He had to go out, make atelephone call, ask his advisers and then come back in to do it.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat.Mr PALASZCZUK: Mr Speaker, calls of nature come at different times. I would like to thank the honourable member for the question. The National Livestock

Identification Scheme is an electronic beast identification for livestock. The impetus for this scheme hascome from industry in response to growing market demand for precise traceability along the supplychain. Already electronic ID is mandatory for those gaining access to the Europe Union beef market.

Just as September 11 has changed the landscape for security world wide, so too have the twodetections of mad cow disease in Canada and the United States. That has basically meant that theworld has changed and work for our livestock industry has also changed, which means it has gone frombeing preferable to being a necessity. The inability of the US and Canadian industries to show mad cowdisease freedom quickly has cost them billions of dollars. The US remains locked out of the lucrativeJapanese market, and Australia's market share of Japanese beef imports is a record 90 per cent.

As minister I am proud of the current livestock identification and traceability systems we alreadyhave in place. The industry and government have worked hard to ensure we have the best possiblesystems. However, we cannot afford to be complacent. We are a major beef exporter, and our clean andsafe reputation is a key to our success. In recent years Australian agriculture ministers have beenconsidering the introduction of an NLIS scheme on a compulsory basis. Under its chair, federalAgriculture Minister, Warren Truss, the Primary Industries Ministerial Council has endorsed themandatory introduction of NLIS.

As the Queensland minister, I stood, along with my colleagues from Western Australia and theNorthern Territory, for the deferral of NLIS's commencement for 12 months to 1 July next year. Asminister I have been seeking industry's advice about its implementation. To that end, the QueenslandNLIS implementation committee was formed, and it has been headed by the prominent producer andformer president of the Cattle Council of Australia, Peter Milne.

Great Barrier ReefMr ROWELL: My question is directed to the Minister for the Environment. Queensland has

complete jurisdiction over all coastal waters up to the three nautical mile low-water mark of thecoastline. Then there is the territorial waters up to 12 miles from the low-water mark. In view of this, whatinvolvement did the Queensland government have in the Great Barrier Reef representative areasprogram zoning, and what agreements did the Queensland government make?

An honourable member interjected. Mr MICKEL: I will not need a phone call. The issue is this: the federal government introduced a

zoning regime and the Queensland National Party has been out there trying to sheet the blame home tothe state government.

Let me give the history of this. The vast majority of waters off Queensland are federal governmentwaters. They were created by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and this extends to the low-watermark under federal law. Queensland water, therefore, is above the low-water mark. In other words, thiswhole debate that the National Party is trying to engage in is about the intertidal zone.

What we have had over the last little while is attempts by De-Anne Kelly, Warren Entsch and PaulNeville to try to take the blame off their own level of government and try to sheet it home to us. Well, it isnot good enough and we are not going to fall for it, because what we are going to do is engage in fullconsultation with the people concerned. What I have been really concerned about in recent days is theattempt yet again by the federal government to shirk its compensation requirements. Let me give anexample. I am very pleased the honourable gentleman asked me this question without notice because Ireally was not ready for it!

On ABC North Queensland on the seventh of this month the federal Fisheries Minister, SenatorIan Macdonald, said this, and it should send shivers up the spine of every commercial fisherman—There are a lot of other things happening in the fisheries, state controlled fisheries at the moment, and we won't be compensatingfor those.

In other words, what they are prepared to do is implement a complementary zone, change therequirements for commercial fishermen and not compensate them for it. How many times inQueensland have we seen this? We have seen it already with the forestry agreement. We have seen itwith the vegetation management clearing and now we are seeing it with the commercial fishermen. Iimplore all members of this House to get stuck into the federal government to make sure that thecommercial fishermen who are disadvantaged by this federal government decision receive adequatecompensation. We will be in there fighting for the commercial fishermen. I only wish the QueenslandNational Party, instead of trying to stand up for the Howard government, would join us in making surethat the commercial fishing operation receives adequate compensation.


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

Southport Police StationMr LAWLOR: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Corrective Services. Last

week the minister announced that a new police station would be built in Southport. Can the ministerplease inform the House about the timetable for its construction?

Ms SPENCE: The member for Southport has spent considerable time making very strongrepresentations to me about the need to rebuild the Southport Police Station. In my first month asminister I visited the station and inspected the facilities there. I have to say they are a very professionalgroup of officers and staff who work at Southport. They expressed concern that our election promise torefurbish the existing station would be insufficient to meet the future requirements of the Police Service.Last week I was very pleased to announce that the service had found additional moneys and will spend$3.9 million on rebuilding and replacing the existing police station at Southport.

I believe the new police station will be a good investment for the future. It will be a very modernfacility to accommodate the 100 or so police officers and staff who currently serve at that site. Of courseit is a growing area. Part of the new police station will be the requirement for a design that will allowfurther stages in the future as the Gold Coast population grows and policing numbers grow in that area.

I am very pleased to report to the House that the first schematic designs have begun and they willbe completed by August. The drawings will be ready for public consultation in late October. The policeofficers and staff who work at Southport will be able to have a role in determining the design. Weacknowledge that they have a great understanding of the operational requirements of a new policestation, so we will be consulting them throughout the design process.

We expect that the tenders will be completed by February next year and work on the new stationwill begin in April next year. I appreciate that the staff at the Southport Police Station will have to berelocated for about 12 months during the construction phase. They will either be relocated intotemporary buildings on the site or in leased office accommodation in Southport, and those requirementsare at the moment being sorted out.

I appreciate that this dislocation of the staff at the Southport Police Station will make policingrequirements very difficult, but the officers I spoke to last week are very pleased to be put out for 12months or so when they have a new police station on the horizon. As one officer said to me, the light atthe end of the tunnel will make it all worth while.

This is just one of the capital works projects that the Queensland Police Service currently hasunder way. Currently under construction are 11 police stations, police beats, training andaccommodation facilities and we are investigating another 19 projects which are in the planning stage.

State Forests and Parks, Back-burning and Fire MitigationMr McARDLE: My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Given that winter is once

again upon us and is the time when back-burning and fire mitigation operations occur throughoutQueensland's vast network of state forests and parks to reduce fuel loads in an attempt to reducepotential for loss or damage to both public and private property from bushfires during the fire season, Iask: how much back-burning and fire mitigation work has been undertaken so far this year and howdoes this compare with work undertaken for the same period last year?

Mr CUMMINS: I thank the member for his question, but I thought even a new boy would knowbetter than to expect a minister to know that. I will get you that information, but I do not have that type ofdetailed information for response in this House.

Wide Bay EconomyMr McNAMARA: My question is to the Minister for State Development and Innovation. Can the

minister outline some of the government's initiatives in the Wide Bay region that are working to createjobs and boost the local economy?

Mr McGRADY: I thank the member for the question and also want to personally thank him forstanding in for me at a meeting in Hervey Bay last week where he and other business leaders discussedjust how Hervey Bay and the whole area were going to advance.

In reply to his question, this government has put in place a whole range of initiatives aimed atensuring that the Wide Bay region gets a share of Queensland's strong economic growth and, of course,its job creation. All members of this House would be aware that the government has committed to theconstruction of the Burnett River dam. As you know, Mr Speaker, this is due for completion by the end ofnext year. Economists have estimated that the dam and the associated weir projects could result in


more than 7,000 jobs, mostly for the Wide Bay-Burnett region, and generate increased economicactivity of about $1 billion per year.

The Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative has created more than 5,400 jobs in the regionsince 1998. Our government has invested more than $49 million in this program in the Wide Bay-Burnettarea creating apprenticeships, traineeships and, indeed, other associated jobs.

My department centres have presented 60 workshops to more than 1,300 people in Bundaberg,Maryborough and other parts of the Wide Bay region so far this financial year and have conductednearly 1,500 consultations with businesses throughout the area. The government has established theWide Bay-Burnett economic development initiatives with a budget of $250,000 and it will implementprojects that will promote productivity and employment growth, foster innovation and technicaladvantages in priority industries and address skill shortfalls.

$120,000 has been allocated to fund an information communications technology specialist todevelop a strategy for the cost-effective implementation of ICT in businesses right across this region,and through the Queensland Investment Incentive Scheme we attracted a regional call centre toBundaberg creating 145 new jobs just in the past year.

Under the Queensland Industrial Development Scheme, 10 companies in the region havereceived a total of more than $365,000, again this financial year. Under the Regional BusinessDevelopment Scheme four early stage companies have received grants totalling nearly $80,000.

I suggest the member keeps listening to this place later on this afternoon and I am sure he willfind more incentives from this government.

Gladstone Port Authority; Central Queensland Port AuthorityMrs LIZ CUNNINGHAM: My question without notice is to the Minister for Transport. The minister

announced recently the amalgamation of the Gladstone Port Authority and the Rockhampton PortAuthority. The announcements, or more specifically the change of name to Central Queensland PortAuthority, has created a great deal of disquiet in my electorate. Will the minister listen to the concerns ofthose in Gladstone opposed to the change of name and will the minister reconsider the loss of theGladstone Port Authority as an entity which has earned worldwide recognition and acclaim?

Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for the question and I am absolutely thrilled with theperformance of the Gladstone Port Authority; it is one of the jewels in the crown of ports in Queensland.

But what this is about is sharing in the success of the Gladstone Port Authority. No matter whatyou call it, no matter what its corporate structure is, there is one of Australia's world-class ports situatedin Gladstone. There is also a fantastic little port up the road at Port Alma, formerly part of theRockhampton Port Authority. That much smaller port has been doing a good job under difficultcircumstances. It has a very small staff and this financial year is expected to make a very small, verymodest profit.

The real situation is this: the tremendous success of the Gladstone Port Authority is known farbeyond the boundaries of Gladstone. Indeed, the honourable member might recall when the honourablemember was the mayor of Calliope a number of years ago she did not want to share the identity ofCalliope with Gladstone when there was a suggestion that Gladstone and Calliope be amalgamated.So, as the honourable member would know full well, what the names of things are does not changewhere they are situated but it does mean something to people.

I say this to the people of Gladstone: where this government is strong with Gladstone is we put,as the Treasurer says, our money where our mouth is. The R.G. Tanna port and coal terminal expansionis a classic example of that. Last financial year Gladstone had some 40 million tonnes through that greatport under its great management and its great workers.

The new name Central Queensland Port Authority reflects the status of Gladstone as a regionalport and together with Port Alma it is about growing and further developing that. I do understand that inthe local press in Gladstone there have been some people saying that they really prefer the Gladstonename. Gladstone port will be there no matter what; we cannot shift the geography yet. The Premier isextremely competent and powerful, but I cannot get him to shift parts of Queensland into other parts ofQueensland yet, but I understand we are working on that in relation to our biotechnology and SmartState policies.

A government member interjected.Mr LUCAS: We are starting with the Tweed first. That is getting moved into Queensland before

we start moving other parts of Queensland around. We put our money where our mouth is though whenit comes to Gladstone: $167.5 million over five years to the redevelopment of R.G. Tanna coal terminal.That is about encouraging export industries. That is what we think about Gladstone; that is our vote ofconfidence in Gladstone, and we have a further vote of confidence in Gladstone and its managementteam to help Port Alma grow. There are a number of investment and trade opportunities using the greatoffices and the good work of our people in Gladstone to further develop Port Alma, and that is part of a


team package. We are going to ensure—and I say to the people of the Fitzroy and Rockhampton regionthat the statement of corporate intent of the new organisation has a strong commitment to it—that thereis representation there because it is worth it and it matters to Queensland well beyond Gladstone and,indeed, central Queensland.

Housing SectorMr BRISKEY: My question is for the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing. Some recent

reports suggest that the housing sector is starting to stagnate in Queensland. However, many peopleand tradespeople in my electorate tell me that demand is still strong. Can the minister please advise ifthere is any evidence to show that construction is starting to slow?

Mr SCHWARTEN: I thank the honourable member for his question and I concur with hiscomments. Any honourable member in this place who is trying to get a tradesperson anywhere in thestate to do a small job will find it very, very difficult, because what the stats say is that in the last threeyears the number of alterations and additions, extensions to houses and so forth, have risen by 13,300or $284 million.

In 2001-02 there were 29,000 projects costing some $664 million. This year there are 42,300projects costing $948 million. That speaks volumes with regard to the amount of work that is availablefor construction industry people in Queensland.

New residence construction is down by 3,000. But, interestingly enough, it is up by $900 million.The amount of work being done is greater. Today houses are costing, on average, $40,000 more thanthey were three years ago. The fact of the matter is—and I have been saying this for some time in thisparliament, but it has been clearly ignored by members opposite—that the building industry has been ina state of incline and overheat for the last three to four years.

Because the residential construction industry has been so vibrant it has made it very difficult forthe larger contractors to obtain labour. There is more money to be made out in residential development,especially unit development. That is why members will find in Victorian newspapers, for example, adssuggesting that qualified plasterers ought to move up to the Gold Coast with their families and theconstruction company concerned will pay for them.

The total of residential construction projects—that is, for those members familiar with the BSAinsurance scheme, the sum for which every new construction must be insured—over the last threeyears has gone from $5.46 billion up to $6.64 billion. That is a colossal amount of money. It goes back towhat I was saying some time ago when honourable members opposite were saying that the racingindustry was the third biggest industry in the state. I just do not know where it fits in when the housingindustry is worth $6.64 billion. The racing industry is not worth that.

Flying Foxes, Charters TowersMr KNUTH: My question without notice is directed to the Hon. Minister for the Environment. For

four years the people of Charters Towers have been putting up with plagues of flying foxes in theirbackyards, ranging from 400 to 5,000. At present there is a roost of nearly 1,000 bats almost above ahome in Charters Towers. Some home owners are forced to dry their washing in their sheds. This hasunsettled the people of Charters Towers. They have lost sleep and people have fallen ill. The bats are anon-endangered species; they are a non-threatened species. What is the minister going to do for thepeople of Charters Towers to relieve them of this continual scourge? The control permits signed by thegovernment do not work.

Mr MICKEL: Thank you—A government member interjected.Mr MICKEL: I would not blame my dearly departed colleague for anything. I thought he had

suffered enough. I listened to the maiden speech of the honourable member for Charters Towers. Icould see that he had some sympathy for the fact that people in that town were suffering from what hetermed 'the scourge' of flying foxes in Charters Towers. The point is that he did have an opportunity tohelp rectify that problem and chose not to. He could have voted for the vegetation managementlegislation.

Opposition members interjected. Mr Horan interjected.Mr SPEAKER: Order!Mr Horan interjected.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Member for Toowoomba South, that is my final warning.Mr MICKEL: The overclearing has meant that those flying foxes roost in the town.Mr Seeney: You don't get paid to be a clown.


Mr SPEAKER: Order! That was unparliamentary. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition willwithdraw it. We will not have personal abuse in this chamber. You should withdraw your clown comment.

Mr Horan: I never heard him say anything.Mr SPEAKER: I did. The member will withdraw it. Mr Seeney: Whatever you find offensive I will withdraw.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Now we will hear the minister. We will have silence while we hear the

answer.Mr MICKEL: Mr Speaker, forgive him. He has not recovered since the Di McCauley novel. If those in the National Party do not understand what I am saying they should go to Ipswich. What

they will find there is that the community has worked in together. There is a bat problem in Ipswich atWoodend. I invite those in the National Party to go up there and see what the community has done.

In Charters Towers there has been an ongoing effort by the staff of the council and my departmentto relocate the flying foxes. But the Woodend project is the model for it. If the member goes to Woodendin Ipswich, he will see that it has an identical problem but the community has worked in and donesomething positive like create a habitat for those flying foxes. It is not rocket science. If the flying foxeshave no habitat, then they will go into the township of Charters Towers. That is why I made the commentabout vegetation management. One follows the other. If we clear the vegetation, the flying foxes have togo into the town. The member had the opportunity, but he reneged on the people of Charters Towers. Iam sorry about that, but he has to live with it.

Child Protection Week

Mr WELLS: My question is directed to the Minister for Child Safety. What is the minister'sdepartment doing to raise public awareness of child abuse and neglect through the promotion of ChildProtection Week in Queensland this year?

Mr REYNOLDS: I thank the member for Murrumba for that very important question. I know of hisinterest in child protection, both from his discussions with me and his correspondence to me.

Today I urge Queensland community groups to get involved in Child Protection Week 2004 inSeptember by initiating community awareness activities. The theme of the week is child protection iseverybody's business which, once again, reflects the need for a whole-of-community response, not justa whole-of-government response, to the issue of child abuse and neglect. I have encouragedcommunities groups—small and large, formal and informal—to use the week to focus on theircontributions to protecting children and strengthening families.

Community groups can apply for financial grants up to $1,000 to help them take part. Funding of$1,000 to $3,000 may also be available for special projects if groups can demonstrate a major initiativeaimed at raising awareness around child protection issues. These Beattie government grants providethe Child Protection Week Committee with an opportunity not only to encourage participation in theweek but also to acknowledge the special work that is done by community groups in promoting positiveparenting and providing child protection services. In past years, groups have used the grants to fundparenting workshops, information displays and family fun days.

Special recognition will also be given to Queensland child protection workers for their efforts andcommitment towards child safety. I have called for nominations for the annual Child Protection Awards,which will be presented at the beginning of Child Protection Week on Sunday, 5 September. Theseawards recognise outstanding achievements among professional child protection workers, volunteersand those working in my department and the public sector generally. It is an opportunity to showcase theimportant work not only of our child safety officers and other Child Safety Department staff but also allQueenslanders who are contributing to making a safe environment for children.

At a time when the child protection system in Queensland is undergoing major reforms, this is agreat opportunity for everyone to publicly thank those many unsung heroes. Children are indeed ourmost precious resource, and there are a large number of people in this state who dedicate their lives toensuring that vulnerable children and young people are properly catered for. Applications for grantsneed to be in by Friday, 16 July. Nominations for the awards close on Monday, 26 July.

It takes dedication and strong willpower to work in child protection, and these grants and awardsare an important way of raising community awareness and saying thankyou to those dedicated peoplewho give so much of their time to the protection of our children. I know that I am joined by every memberof the House today in thanking all the people who work in child protection. Lets us make Child ProtectionWeek something that we can be very proud of in our individual communities and regions.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time for questions has expired.

15 Jun 2004 Matters of Public Interest 1401

MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST

Beattie Labor GovernmentMr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.29 a.m.): In the last

few days we have seen some rather fanciful predictions from the state Treasurer about things that wecan expect in the budget today. One of those fanciful suggestions came yesterday in the form of abusiness investment projection for Queensland for the 2004-05 financial year. The Treasurer ispredicting business investment growth in Queensland for this coming financial year to be 8.5 per cent. Itsounds good, doesn't it? But how does that compare to last year's business investment projection fromMr Mackenroth and what he actually delivered in that financial year? In this current state budget year,Mr Mackenroth predicted that there would be a 9.5 per cent increase in business investment inQueensland. What is he now saying that this government will deliver? He is saying that the governmentwill deliver no more than 6.5 per cent. The government has fallen three per cent short of what it said itwould be able to deliver in terms of a business investment increase in Queensland. That is a significantfall away from the predicted level. I say it again: the government predicted 9.5 per cent; it says it is goingto deliver 6.5 per cent.

What has Mr Mackenroth done? He has done absolutely nothing to learn from those bogus andbodgie figures that he put in last year's state budget. He has now gone out there as part of his budgetleak process and said that the people of Queensland can look forward to an 8.5 per cent increase inbusiness investment. I would say that the people of Queensland should look at what the Treasurer saysand look at what the Treasurer actually delivers. If he says he is going to deliver 8.5 per cent this comingfinancial year and if we look at what he actually delivered in the current financial year, we can restassured that it will be no more than five per cent or thereabouts.

What has this state government done in the last year with regard to encouraging businessinvestment? It has done very little in Queensland. We have seen the disintegration of the SouthernPacific Petroleum shale oil plant project near Gladstone. We have seen the scrapping of the proposedBrisbane to Darling Downs waste water pipeline. The government went to the election telling people itwas not on and then said that it may have been on if it was elected and then straight after the election itsaid, 'Let's forget about it because it's not on.' We have heard that from the Minister for StateDevelopment and the Minister for the Environment. We have seen the collapse of the proposed$286 million LG chemical plant in Gladstone. We have also seen the breakdown of the planned AMCmagnesium plant in central Queensland and cane harvester manufacturer AUSTOFF's decision tomove from Bundaberg to Brazil. Maybe when the Premier was over there last week he should havedone something about getting it back. We have seen interstate relocations by Kelloggs, IncitecFertilisers and Herron's head office. We have the loss of icon Queensland mining company MIM toSwitzerland and also Qantas's decision to base its new budget airline interstate. Is it any wonder that theQueensland Labor government fell short of its 9.5 per cent projected increase in business investmentand only delivered 6.5 per cent? But Mr Mackenroth did not say that in the parliament today.

We were also treated to the spectacle of the Minister for Emergency Services standing in thisplace this morning and telling us that there has been an increase of urgent call-outs for the AmbulanceService of 7,000 in Queensland in recent times. One would have thought that the government'sresponse to that should have been more ambulances. One would have thought that the government'sresponse to that should have been more ambulance officers. But it is not! The government's response tothat significant and that dramatic increase in call-outs for urgent cases in Queensland with a growingpopulation is to actually cut the amount of money which is going to be spent on purchasing new andreplacement ambulance vehicles in this year's state budget as a comparison to other years.

I want to restate: some seven years ago when the coalition government was in power inQueensland, $9.2 million was spent on new and replacement ambulance vehicles. In 1998-99, theamount spent was $9.6 million. In 2001-02, it was $10.5 million. That is three years ago, and ourpopulation has grown by hundreds of thousands in that time. So we spent more before the ambulancetax in 2001-02 than we are spending now with the ambulance tax. So where is all the money going? Theother day we saw another one of those carefully crafted budget leaks where the Treasurer went outthere and said that in this year's state budget we will allocate $9.9 million for new and replacementambulance vehicles. What happened? The ambulance union came in hook, line and sinker and SteveCrow said that this was great and shows that the ambulance tax is starting to deliver for Queenslanders.

What Steve Crow did not do was see through the spin and go and check what was spent in thiscurrent budget year—$9.9 million. It has not increased, but we have an ambulance tax raking in$100 million or thereabouts. The government will not tell us the figures. Once again, that is thearrogance of this government. It sees no need whatsoever and no obligation whatsoever to beaccountable to this parliament—none whatsoever. It will not tell us how much it has raised. In actualfact, in a letter to one of the honourable member for Darling Downs's constituents last year or the yearbefore, the Treasurer's own department said that the ambulance tax was in fact not designed to gostrictly to the Ambulance Service but was a broad based service tax for the delivery of services in

1402 Matters of Public Interest 15 Jun 2004

Queensland. That letter has been tabled. It is now a matter of the parliamentary record. Is it any wonderthat Queenslanders are growing increasingly more cynical of this government and its incapacity todeliver with all of the spin and the smoke and mirrors?

This morning we heard another abuse of parliamentary process from the Minister for PublicWorks, Housing and Racing. He stood up in this place and used the privilege process to seek to justifyand to walk away from the government's blow-out on the Millennium Arts Project. He sought to say thatthe increase in construction costs in Queensland has been some 20 per cent over the last four years.When this government has been talking in this place and elsewhere about the Millennium Arts Project,as late as last year it was talking about the original cost of $230 million. It was not talking about$277 million. In actual fact, a newspaper article from 3 April last year stated that—... plans for the $228.8 million cultural precinct on the Brisbane River, including an iconic Gallery of Modern Art, will move a stepcloser to reality next week.

The government did not move last year to say that the cost of construction has gone up 20 percent so it is now going to cost $277 million. We heard nothing from it whatsoever. So it kept the lie alive.It kept the lie alive. In actual fact, in this parliament on 9 September last year when the Minister forPublic Works and Minister for Housing stood up and spoke about capital works in Queensland, what didhe actually say? What did he actually say on that date? There are a number of interjections in here, buthe went on to say—This new model is also promoted by Construction Queensland. The contract for the $230 million Millennium Arts Project,incorporating the new Gallery of Modern Art and an expanded State Library, will be finalised within the next two weeks, much tothe joy of the Arts Minister, who sits in front of me.

The then Arts Minister was Matt Foley. Not a word—nary a skerrick of a word—from the Ministerfor Public Works and Minister for Housing about the $50 million blow-out. We never heard it. That was inSeptember last year, a little over six months ago. Where was the Minister for Public Works and Ministerfor Housing then? Keeping it quiet from the people of Queensland because of the upcoming stateelection?

Mr Hopper: Too busy abusing people he was.Mr SPRINGBORG: Too busy abusing people, as the honourable shadow minister says. We have

also done some researching. If one looks at the increased cost in housing, the Courier-Mail of 22November 2003—only two months after the minister stood in parliament in September and did not talkabout the cost going up—showed that the price for a Brampton 232 home was $111,080. Exactly thesame home exactly six months later cost $112,980. That is not 20 per cent; that is only one per cent.Where was this 20 per cent increase in construction costs? This government has kept the lie alive.

The Premier stood up four years ago saying that the Millennium Arts Project will be on budget andon time. It has gone over budget by $50 million. Quite frankly, it is just not on. Also this morning we sawin this parliament the Treasurer dodging around the issue of state taxation. In actual fact, he did notstand there and tell us that per capita state taxation has increased since the GST came in to $1,451 over$1,399. That is state tax, not local government tax.

Time expired.

Mobile TelephonesMs NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (11.40 a.m.): An alarming report on a recent ABC

Four Corners program showed that school students could be running up big mobile phone bills that theyand their parents may not be able to pay. The potentially growing problem was highlighted even furtherin a study by technology analyst IDC reported in the Australian on 24 May, which showed that about70 per cent of 16- to 17-year-olds and 60 per cent of 14- to 16-year-olds had their own mobiles. By theend of next year, there will be more than 17 million mobiles in Australia—the equivalent of one for everyperson aged between 10 and 80. The report also revealed that schoolyard behaviour such as bullyingand flirting could take place using mobile phones without the knowledge of parents and teachers. I knowthat is a fact, because I have a son who is in year 11 and who has a mobile. That is exactly what occurs.It is a very silent, very nasty problem.

Mrs Lavarch: I can't imagine Darcy flirting or bullying anybody.Ms NELSON-CARR: No, not Darcy. The member is right there. In Townsville—and probably

other places, too—another disturbing aspect of teenagers misusing mobiles has occurred when,through the medium of their phones, they have spread the word about birthday parties and other privatecelebrations that are then gatecrashed and turned into wild melees needing police intervention. Onceagain, that is another problem that I know is a fact. It also does not help when sporting stars who areregarded as role models keep grabbing the headlines through making obscene mobile calls or sendingobscene text messages.

Mobile phones might be seen as a modern-day miracle—and like it or not they have become partof our lives—but their misuse aside, they are now a very real source of young consumer debt. I havebeen told that the son of a Townsville resident ran up a $7,000 mobile phone bill and is now paying off


the debt at an exorbitant rate of interest. I feel for the thousands of young Australians who findthemselves in similar circumstances. According to research commissioned by the New South WalesOffice of Fair Trading, which published its findings last November, rising mobile phone and credit cardbills were giving Australians aged between 18 and 24 an average debt of almost $6,000. For youngAustralians aged between 16 and 18, that average debt was in excess of $3,000. In the report, the onuswas placed on mobile phone service providers to more closely assess the ability of young people toservice repayments before offering open-ended contracts. Mobile phone bills topped the list of bad bills.Almost 50 per cent of people under the age of 18 placed it first on their debt list while 34 per cent of 18-to 24-year-olds gave it priority. More than 97 per cent of parents believe that the problem of youth debtwas made worse by lenders who targeted young people with credit offers.

It is a sad fact of modern society that more and more Australians are spending well above theirmeans at a very young age. They could be setting up a heavy debt cycle from which they may neverescape. In many instances, mobile telephone bills could well be the trigger. A study by Insolvency andTrustee Service Australia, which profiled debtors in 2003, revealed that of the total number of bankrupts,22 per cent were under the age of 30. Taking that to the extreme, the Australian Institute for SuicideResearch and Prevention has rated financial difficulties as the second most common form of suicidaltendencies. On the ABC's The World Today on 28 January this year, Liz Curran, a lecturer at La TrobeUniversity, who oversaw research into teenage debit, said the following—There's a real incentive for marketing companies and corporations to really target young people because they're often ill informed.

She stated further—There's an element of need to educate young people ... for the terms and conditions of the actual mobile phone contracts to bemuch more explicit ... and also for mobile phone companies and other credit facilities to start actually thinking about what they'redoing and the consequences. Under the law, there are strong penalties in place for using mobile telephones while driving, butyoung people who get too deeply in debt and build up credit way beyond their means face long-term personal penalties that in noway do they deserve to be burdened with. As a government, as educators and as parents we need to drive home to your youngpeople the likely sorry consequence of digging themselves too deeply into the credit trap. I believe, too, that given as a society wevery often fall into the blame mentality, parents really owe it to their children to explain these details. One of the ways of doing thatwould be to buy pre-paid cards that people can use in their mobile phones as opposed to them accumulating credit bills. It is alsoworth while to teach prevention at a very early age so that later on young people accumulate large debts.

A good place to start is by making sure that young people are well aware of the pitfalls that can beassociated with mobile usage. Service providers and lenders must face their responsibilities. Profit isthe name of the game, but it should not be at any cost.

Manufacturing IndustryMrs LAVARCH (Kurwongbah—ALP) (11.46 a.m.): Before I raise my matter of public importance,

could I welcome the students, teachers and parents from Petrie State School who will be attending inthe gallery shortly. This school is not only one of the oldest schools in the Kurwongbah electorate butalso it has a proud history of achievement. The matter of public importance that I will raise today is thepotential for skill shortages in the manufacturing industry and of trying to impress upon our youngpeople that they can have a successful career in the manufacturing industry. Perhaps one of thestudents from Petrie State School may go on to have a very successful and fulfilling career in themanufacturing industry.

Much effort is being undertaken by the state government in partnership with the manufacturingindustry and the community to address skill shortages in the industry. No-one should underestimate theseriousness of these skill shortages. Approximately 170,000 people across Australia will retire from themanufacturing industry within the next five years and on current rates only 40,000 can expect to berecruited. That will leave a substantial shortfall. I want to assure the House that moves are afoot inQueensland to help meet this very challenging situation. In short, we need to retain our skilledmanufacturing work force and attract more workers to it.

Employers, through the Australian Industry Group surveys, have nominated skills attraction andretention as a major constraint on profitability and growth. Research commissioned by the Departmentof State Development and Innovation supports this view and indications are that we are facing majorskill shortages in key development sectors such as aviation, marine engineering and machinery, lightmetals, electronics, food processing and biotechnology. However, on a positive note, that also meansthat a huge variety of careers is awaiting our young people in particular.

But attracting recruits from generation Y—those born between 1982 and 2000—is provingchallenging. The state government, the industry and other sections of the community, particularly theeducation sector, are trying to turn around generation Y's low image of manufacturing as a careerdestination. We are doing that by giving students, teachers and parents the opportunity to be exposed towhat the Smart State's modern manufacturing sector has to offer. We are finding that when studentshave hands-on manufacturing experience, they view the industry in a much more positive light.

Facilitating that hands-on experience is one of the aims of our Making Queensland's Futureforums, which are held throughout the state. They are held under our Making Queensland's Future—AManufacturing Development Plan and I can personally attest to their success. A north Brisbane forum


that I attended recently is achieving some great results. Teachers from the education precinct will bevisiting manufacturing premises to gain an updated view on manufacturing processes. The end resultwill be more work placements for students. As we know, teachers have a huge influence on our children.If we can harness our teachers' enthusiasm for the industry and industry placement for their students,then a big part of our battle will be won. State government agencies in the district are preparing a list ofcooperative local manufacturers who would be only too willing to play a part in the process. Other localstrategies being developed as a result of the forum include moves to promote manufacturing successstories and to address the need for more industry-specific subjects to be built into the school curriculum.

But there are already local manufacturers doing their bit for skills attraction. This morning I wantto highlight the efforts of Noble Engineering, a boat building and engineering works in the electorate ofKurwongbah, which is based on the Brendale estate. It is a family owned business and it has beenfeatured in the careers and manufacturing brochures on boat building that are issued by the Departmentof Education and Training and which were recently launched by the Minister for Employment, Trainingand Industrial Relations, the Hon. Tom Barton. It is an excellent publication featuring a localKurwongbah industry in Noble Boat Building and young Damien North, a successful apprentice withNoble Engineering.

Rob Noble, the chairman of the company, has for some years had an arrangement with CorindaHigh School where year 11 students undertake the operation of building a boat and then the boat is soldat the Brisbane Boat Show. Last year's boat was sold for $80,000, so it is a substantial boat that thestudents build. This is a means by which the community spirit of the company is illustrated in trying toattract young people into boat building. Noble Engineering won the Australian fishing boat of the yearaward at the recent Sanctuary Cove Boat Show and is off to Fort Lauderdale shortly. I wish it everysuccess.

Seafood Industry

Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (11.50 a.m.): The Queensland seafood industry is thestate's fifth largest primary industry. It is an industry that provides over $800 million in retail valueannually to our state. It supports about 7,000 jobs directly and some 10,000 to 12,000 jobs in associatedindustries. It is a very important industry, particularly along the coastline of Queensland.

I doubt that any other industry in Queensland has taken the hammering that the fishing industryhas received from the Beattie Labor government. This is an industry that is continually striking closures,no-go zones, endorsements and arrangements with its licences. This is making it more difficult forfishermen and their families to make a decent living.

It has all come to a head recently, with some 12 port meetings held in Queensland throughout themonth of June—at Cairns, Townsville, Bowen, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, HerveyBay, Tin Can Bay, Mooloolaba, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. I had the opportunity to attend one ofthose port meetings. It is time for someone to stand up in this parliament and speak up in defence ofthese hardworking families, many of whom have been involved in the fishing industry for generations.The thing that struck me is that they genuinely want to see a sustainable industry, just like farmers andforesters want to see a sustainable industry. But they are taking this hammering from Beattiegovernment ministers, from Beattie government bureaucrats and from the environmental lobby that isnot taking notice of science. It is just going on myth and perception.

In the coral reef line fishing area quotas have been cut from 4,800 tonnes to 3,601 tonnes.Scientists have now come out, through the CRC in north Queensland, and said that there was never anyneed to have the quota cut that low. In fact, they say that it could easily be raised by 400 tonnes. Nowthey find that there are major problems with those fishing families that have been involved in thisindustry for a long time. They did not get the right quotas and the government is going to rob Peter topay Paul—take quotas off people who have been allocated quotas to try to address that particularproblem. All that is needed is to increase the quota a little bit—somewhere in the order of 75 to 100tonnes—and that problem will be solved and the catch will still have been reduced from 4,800 tonnes toabout 3,700 tonnes. Also, the government is giving no thought whatsoever to any form of compensation,regardless of the fishery and the area in which these fishing families are being cut out of their legitimateincome.

The other very serious problem at the moment is the complementary zones. The governmentwould have us believe that this is something that just follows on automatically from the RAP zones put inplace in the Great Barrier Reef area by the federal government in waters under its jurisdiction. That isnot right. The Beattie Labor government has voluntarily gone down to Canberra and said that it willintroduce complementary zones to the RAP zones in the Great Barrier Reef. These complementaryzones cover some 2.5 per cent of the GBRMP area, but in most cases they contain up to 80 per cent ofimportant fishery habitats in Queensland. For example, 80 per cent of the barramundi and 80 per cent ofthe mud crabs for Queensland are in these threatened areas that the Beattie Labor government islooking at closing up under its complementary zones plan. Again, there is no true science, no proper


consultation with the seafood and fishing industry and no real concern for the jobs that are going to belost.

Another important area is the Great Sandy Strait Marine Park. This covers the area from thesouthern end of the Barrier Reef down to the Noosa River—an area where there is a lot ofunemployment, particularly in the Hervey Bay area, which has some of the highest unemployment inAustralia. This is one area where the government needs to work with the fishing industry. It needs tolisten to them—where they say that areas could be closed off and where they say that areas could beprotected, but they still could be able to show where they need to fish.

If any member attended any of these meetings they would have been saddened to hear thestories—people who have virtually lost their life's work or the superannuation that they wanted to retireon. I listened to women speak about how their family has taken a hammering and a bashing. It isinvestment warnings and licence endorsements. If they do not fish every year in every single part oftheir licence endorsement, they are at risk of losing that. They have been told that they will have theirareas closed down. They do not know how to plan. They have no security.

It is time that this state and this government started to appreciate and respect decent,hardworking families like the fishing families along our coastline who respect the environment. It is timeto do things on a science basis, with truth and honesty, not myth and perception in the cheap pursuit ofgreen votes. It is about time we realised there is another endangered species in Queensland; that is, thehardworking fishing families of our state.

Time expired.

RefugeesMs STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (11.55 a.m.): As the Premier announced this morning, it is

World Refugee Day this Sunday. I repeat the Premier's call and say that it is time for the federalgovernment to take decisive action to end the inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers,including children in detention. It is time—in fact, it is long overdue—for all children to be released fromdetention in Australia.

Recently I had the great privilege of attending an evening with Father Frank Brennan, hosted bythe Centre for Multicultural Community Development at the University of the Sunshine Coast. FatherBrennan is a Jesuit priest and lawyer and associate director of UNIYA, the Jesuit social justice centre inSydney. Father Brennan acknowledged the need for border protection and he acknowledged the needfor security and health checks for refugees, but he called for an end to the injustices of the federalgovernment's immigration policy and trafficking in fear at the expense of refugees.

The good sense and truth that people like Father Frank Brennan advocate is helping to turn thetide in public opinion on refugees in this country. Father Frank Brennan spoke with grave concern aboutthe agreement the federal government has with the Indonesian government on upstream disruption todeter refugees fleeing to Australia by boat. It is an understanding of these sorts of policies that theAustralian people need to really see the true inhumanity that this federal government is fostering.

Thankfully, many more Australians are now not supporting this kind of inhumanity of the federalgovernment. Thankfully, many people as volunteers are giving a helping hand to refugees and asylumseekers who have left detention and are settling into our local communities. Today I want to pay tributeto these amazing, compassionate, wonderful Queenslanders. I want to pay tribute to the hardworkingmembers of these community groups and mention a few I have visited recently in my capacity asparliamentary secretary to the Premier on multicultural affairs. Some of these groups include Buddies onthe Sunshine Coast, the Refugee Claimant Centre at Windsor, Access Incorporated at Logan, the RedHill-Paddington Refugee Support Group and the community based refugee health service at the MaterHospital in Brisbane. In the regions, the good work of the Townsville Multicultural Support Group and theMigrant Resource Centre deserve our thanks. There are many, many more around the state.

Just yesterday Buddies on the Sunshine Coast hosted a ‘big day out' event for 60 Afghan refugeefamilies. The day was a great success, on top of what they do day in and day out in providing clothing,housing assistance, love and support to the people who need it most. It is when local people can get toknow refugee families and see how much they are like their own families; it is when local people get toknow the children and see how hurt they are inside but how much fun and support they are gettingthrough their schools and through the local community groups that are giving them a helping handlocally; it is when people meet those families, get to know them, get to see how ordinary they are butalso how insecure and fearful they are that understanding is improved, fear is broken down and positiveattitudes can prevail.

It is the propaganda of the federal government, like the recent kits that were distributed to schoolsunder the authority of the immigration minister, Amanda Vanstone, that perpetrates fear and loathing ofrefugees. Putting out a school kit like that is a waste of money. It does not even mention that childrenare in detention in Australia. It is propaganda to try to make the federal government look better than it is.


It is shameful and disgraceful, and I am glad that the Education Minister, Anna Bligh, has publicly statedher concern about these kits.

On World Refugee Day, and in the lead-up to that day this week, it is time for the federalgovernment to effect policy change. It is time for it to acknowledge that many, many more Australiansare questioning the immorality of our refugee and immigration policies. We must respect the lives ofrefugees and asylum seekers and treat them humanely. We must acknowledge the fear and persecutionthey fled in order to make a safe life for their families here.

This World Refugee Day I ask all members of this House to celebrate the extraordinary courageand resilience of refugees and asylum seekers. I ask all members to acknowledge their contribution tothis great state of ours.

Disability Services FundingMr WELLINGTON (Nicklin—Ind) (12.00 p.m.): I rise to speak today about some people in our

community who are falling through the cracks of this government's rigid rules, budgets and models. Icould speak for hours on the injustices which are currently being inflicted on the Teralba Association atMapleton on the Sunshine Coast—an association which has been caring for intellectually disabled menfor many years.

While on the one hand we have Disability Services Queensland doing nothing to prevent Teralbafrom closing down because, in simple terms, it does not fit into the state government's model; on theother hand some 50 people are having their lives torn apart in a variety of ways at huge expense to thepublic purse. I am not simply talking about the disabled members of families.

For 26 years the ladies who have run this family hostel have dedicated their lives to these men—men whose families have passed on or who have rejected them or who have been unable to care forthem on a full-time basis. These men, with all of their life challenges, are human beings. DorothyCosandey and Phyllis Dixon recognise that and have embraced these people into their Teralba home.They have cared for them both physically and emotionally, and have managed for 24 years withoutgovernment funding. They are now closing due to a lack of funding and support from this stategovernment.

In summary, Disability Services Queensland has, quite rightly, according to its current model,refused funding to Teralba residents while they are in this hostel. Unable as this department has been toassist Teralba financially, until recently it has referred clients to Teralba for care. One does not have tobe a rocket scientist to work out that accommodation and DSQ support workers for each of Teralba's 13current high-level care residents and accommodation for the 21 other residents is going to cost thepublic hundreds of thousands of dollars each year compared with the $8,000 a month which could havekept the Teralba family afloat and improve the residents' quality of life.

Teralba's model is one of an extended family style hostel, taking in adult men who fail to conformto most placement requirements because of personality difficulties, abuse, neglect, some mental healthproblems exacerbated by their disability, lack of family support and so on.

I understand one Teralba resident who had no family when he moved into Teralba now has twoadopted sisters—the daughters of Dorothy and Phyllis. For many years he has received birthday giftsfrom them and is strongly emotionally attached to his sisters and to the Teralba family. I understand thatDSQ now proposes to place this man in a house with two other people and a visiting support worker. Iam informed that he is now to be removed from the community which accepts and supports him and tobe moved away from the only family he has known for many, many years at great expense to the publicpurse. This is one of 34 people who will go through similar emotional shifts and will be required to buildnew relationships in an unfamiliar community armed only with diminished personal resources.

As Teralba folds, I understand Dorothy and Phyllis are also left floundering and deeply distressedthat their staff, who have come to know and care for these people to the satisfaction of their families andguardians, are without jobs. Why? Because Teralba does not fit the current Queensland governmentmodel. Everything could be fixed with a little money, but DSQ is destroying it at great cost to the publicpurse and at the cost of the emotional health and wellbeing of these people, their carers and their family.

I must add that the Department of Public Works and Housing, together with DSQ, is carrying out apilot project study regarding this hostel and has agreed to speed up the process in the light of thecurrent crisis situation. However, I believe Teralba's management is in such dire straits financially that itmay be unable to stay afloat long enough to await this outcome.

As frustrating as I find this situation, these are not the only disadvantaged people in mycommunity who are falling through the cracks. There are many charity based organisations which haveformed to assist the homeless, the physically, psychologically and intellectually disabled who areconstantly struggling to survive while they support disadvantaged people in our communities.

Recent discussions with representatives from the Sunshine Coast Children's Therapy Centre andthe Montrose Access organisation have revealed to me that Queensland's disabled children are starving


for funds and are facing further federal funding cuts. I understand that in the past both gained somefunding from the Commonwealth Special Education Non-School Organisation funding, which has beenfrozen for the 2005-08 period. This means a loss in funding of hundreds of thousands of dollars toQueensland children. On the Sunshine Coast, organisations that I know of which are already strugglingto cover running costs include the Sunshine Coast Children's Therapy Centre, Montrose Access,Sunshine Coast; Cerebral Palsy League, Nambour; Spina Bifida Queensland; and Autism Queensland,to mention a few.

Unlike other Australian states, Montrose Access does not receive funding from education orhealth departments in Queensland. It receives some funding from DSQ and relies on fundraising andgrant applications to help educate children with disabilities. The Sunshine Coast Children's TherapyCentre is partly funded by HACC—which it needs to apply for.

There are some areas within government control where life decisions, regulations and the finestof models need to be applied with commonsense and with true compassion. Yes, care for our disabledand intellectually disabled children and adults is challenging and costly, but surely in this day and agethese organisations caring for these people need to have this government's genuine heartfelt support,not to simply be told to apply for more funding or to conform with a series of unmanageable andunaffordable regulations.

I implore this government and its bureaucrats to work toward a more open-minded andcompassionate approach to caring for these less fortunate in our community. I will be looking forward tolistening to the Treasurer bring down his budget later today to see what real compassion is contained inthere. I seek leave to table a document—

Time expired.

Public Dental HealthMr WILSON (Ferny Grove—ALP) (12.05 p.m.): Two years—that is how long a resident of the

Ferny Grove electorate has had to wait for dental treatment to replace lost fillings. This father of three,on government assistance because of an immune system deficiency, works part time and recentlysought emergency care from the Stafford Dental Clinic of Queensland Health. Some work was able tobe performed, but the resident will have to go on the waiting list for further treatment. This is how mylocal paper drew attention to the issue several weeks ago.

My constituent's predicament is a direct result of the Howard government's 1996 abolition offunding for public dental health. Regrettably, there are thousands like him throughout Australia. It isestimated by the Australian Council of Social Service that over 500,000 Australians are on waiting listsfor dental care from public dental services, and many others are not eligible for public dental treatmentwho cannot afford or access dental care. Some are waiting up to five years.

Hardest hit are often the elderly. Dental studies report that older people have very poor oralhealth, accumulated dental neglect and inevitably nutritionally inadequate diets. Dental disease is aninfection. When you ignore oral health, healthy people get sick, sick people get sicker and health carecosts more. It also affects relationships, quality of life and self-esteem. After the common cold, dentaldisease affects more people than any other.

When the Howard government defunded public dental health, the Borbidge coalition governmentdid nothing. In 1998 the Beattie Labor government, however, filled the federal gap with an extra$20 million funding. Last year the Beattie government committed an extra $10 million over three yearsto deliver an additional 18,000 treatments. Across Australia the states combined will spend $384 millionthis year on dental services for health card holders and school children. Tragically, even this significantboost will not be enough. There will never be enough funds for public dental health until we have afederal government willing to overturn the backward Howard government's decision and investsubstantial funds into public dental health.

The Latham federal Labor government will do just that. Latham Labor will invest $300 million overfour years in a national dental program to help the half a million Australians who now wait up to fiveyears for treatment. We should not be misled by the Howard government's deception that public dentalhealth is not a federal responsibility.

What are the facts? Prior to 1945 the Chifley Labor government funded public dental servicesalong with other social services such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In 1945 the High Courtruled that these programs were invalid as there was no power under the Commonwealth Constitution toauthorise them. In 1946 the Australian people passed a referendum, sponsored by the Chifley Laborgovernment, amending the constitution to add a new head of power for these vital social serviceprograms. That was a momentous decision given that only eight of the 44 referenda have been passedsince Federation in 1901.

For over half a century since that time Labor and federal Liberal and National governments haveall supported federal responsibility for public dental health. That is until Howard came along. His


Attorney-General, Darryl Williams, in a submission to the 1998 Senate reference committee oncommunity affairs, argued that just because the Australian Constitution gave the Commonwealth powerto legislate in relation to dental health services does not mean that the federal government mustexercise that power. That argument is like saying just because the federal government has the power tomake laws to raise income tax it does not have to and might not. Good; no taxes. Likewise, it is similar tothe argument that just because the federal government has the power to fund the multibillion-dollarPharmaceutical Benefits Scheme it does not have to and might not. The Australian people did not givethe federal government unprecedented constitutional powers in 1946 with the intention that they not beused.

Dental health care in Australia is in crisis. In summary, there are several key points. TodayACOSS figures show that over 500,000 Australians now wait up to five years to get dental treatment.Second, dental disease is an infection. When you ignore oral health, healthy people get sick, sickpeople get sicker, and, as I say, health care costs more. Third, since the Chifley Labor government overhalf a century ago, federal governments of all political persuasions have accepted Commonwealthconstitutional responsibility for funding dental health services for low income Australians. Fourth, in1996 the Howard government abandoned all federal responsibility to fund dental services for the lowpaid. Through eight budgets since then it has contemptuously refused to restore equitable dental healthcare to these deserving Australians. Finally, after the next federal election, a federal Labor governmentwill reinstate federal responsibility for dental services through a $300 million program over four years.Bring on the federal election.

Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Jarratt): I welcome to the gallery staff and students from PetrieState School in the electorate of Kurwongbah.

Beaudesert HospitalHon. K.R. LINGARD (Beaudesert—NPA) (12.10 a.m.): When the people of Beaudesert saw a

brand-new $20 million hospital built in 1998 they were entitled to think that all of the services that theywere promised would continue to be provided. However, this ALP government has continued to allowthe hospital to be downgraded and degraded so that all services are now at risk, especially those inmaternity, gynaecology, emergency, surgical, eye and dental services.

The annoying thing for the people of Beaudesert is that questions have been asked in parliament,and I refer to a question that I asked three weeks ago when I said to the minister—With reference to the magnificent maternity facilities at the Beaudesert Hospital which, at present, are not being used—what doeshe intend to do with these facilities.

Of course the answer comes back, which is a fob, in which he says—Use of the facilities is linked to the District Health Services' capacity to recruit sufficient appropriately skilled staff to provide aquality, safe obstetric service.

He went on to say—The District Health Service is conducting a review of the model of care which will involve community consultation. The future useof the maternity facilities will form part of the review process.

I met with the district manager last week and what did the district manager say? Quite blatantly,he said that there are no doctors available for obstetrics. The only doctors that might be provided mustgo to the Logan Hospital. There is no way that they, as district management, can give a qualityobstetrics service. Therefore, the service will not be provided.

So you have a magnificent hospital at Beaudesert that is no more than five or six years old, with20 beds and two birthing facilities which are now completely closed down. When I went around thehospital I found that not only have the facilities been closed down but all of the equipment has alreadybeen moved to the Logan Hospital. You have there a magnificent hospital—20 beds, two operatingtheatres—and everything gone. Not all of those pieces of equipment were provided by the Queenslandgovernment; many were provided by local groups such as Rotary, Lions, Quota and Zonta. Not onlythat, one of them was named the Stinson area in memory of the Stinson crash.

The people of Beaudesert have been provided with a $20 million hospital. They have beenprovided with magnificent maternity services—they had 400 births per year before 1998—and now theyhave a service at Beaudesert which provides absolutely nothing except maybe prenatal and postnatalmidwifery services. The people of Beaudesert have got to go to Logan to have their babies. As a result,you find that when there are concerns in that prenatal and postnatal area, there are absolutely noservices available at the Beaudesert Hospital. Not only has the theatre equipment been moved, theneonatal equipment has been put in storage, and the nursery has been completely stripped and is nowused as a training room.

The rumour going around Beaudesert is that it appears that staff have become so disenchantedthat they will leave and it will be said that the hospital has to be downgraded because there are nocompetently trained staff. That is the strong rumour. Last week I received this letter—


I am writing to you regarding the situation at Beaudesert Hospital and the manner in which it has been allowed to deteriorate overrecent times. This situation was really brought home to me recently when I fell ill and required ambulance transport to hospital. The decisionwas made to take me to Logan Hospital because Beaudesert Hospital was regarded as little more than a first aid station. I am at a loss to understand why millions of dollars were spent on a beautiful new hospital at Beaudesert and then downgradingthe same facility in the face of an expanding population growth. I see continually Queensland being promoted as the Smart State.However I do not see the smartness in what has been done to this hospital.

Even though the minister is saying that they are having a review of the situation and that they aregoing to see how to provide quality service, the district manager has to admit to me that there are nodoctors available in obstetrics, there is no nursery section now at Beaudesert, all of the equipment hasbeen moved back to Logan and yet he has to try to maintain the confidence of the people of Beaudesertin the hospital services at Beaudesert.

If it is that there are no obstetric services available, who is to guarantee that anaesthetists areavailable in Beaudesert?

Time expired.

VolunteersMs STONE (Springwood—ALP) (12.15 p.m.): Volunteering touches every part of our society,

through sport, environment, seniors, youth, the arts and responding to emergencies to name a few.Volunteers give generously to our community. In the Springwood area I have many organisations thatrely heavily on volunteers. You cannot put a price on the time and effort they contribute. When you talkto these tremendous men and women they never seem to blow their own trumpet; instead, they areusually the quiet achievers.

Recently I attended the State Emergency Services South-east District Executive Conference andthe presentation of awards at the Springwood Towers Apartment Hotel. The conference provided anopportunity for SES executives to discuss strategic planning issues, updates and administrativearrangements, the development of training initiatives, and provided an opportunity for them to be briefedon the Disaster Management Act 2003. More importantly, it was an opportunity to provide some well-deserved recognition to a number of SES volunteers for their service. It certainly was a privilege and anhonour to present awards to SES volunteers. The national medal is presented for 15 years continuouscombined service. George Winter from the Esk unit received a 15 year national medal. Beaudesert, Esk,Gold Coast, Ipswich and Logan units all had outstanding SES members receiving certificates for 10, 20,25 or 30 years of service.

Today I will be focusing my speech on the volunteers from the Logan district. Geoff Fox from theLogan unit received an outstanding service certificate and 15, 20 and 25 year certificates. Geoff,formerly the Logan SES unit local controller, commenced his volunteer career with the Logan City SESunit in April 1976. He served as deputy controller for 22 years. Geoff held the position of local controllerfor five years until his resignation in June 2003.

Also from the Logan unit, Richard Bale received a clasp for the national medal and a 25 yearcertificate. Dianne Dennis received a clasp for a national medal and also 15, 20 and 25 year certificates.David Lilliman received a 15 year national medal, while Ian Ross received a 15 year national medal anda 15 year certificate. Terry Chapman received a 20 and 25 year certificate and Elizabeth Chapmanreceived a 10 year certificate. Allen Dennis received a 15, 20 and 25 year certificate. Joe Fisk receiveda 15 and 20 year certificate. Darryl Fraser and Clive Weir received their 10 year certificates. Logan localcontroller, Michael Pipe, received a 10 and 15 year certificate, and Graham Willox received a 15 yearcertificate.

During their years of membership these fine volunteers have continuously trained and served theLogan community and surrounding areas for many hours during operational responses. In October lastyear SES volunteers cleaned up the Gold Coast after severe storms. Australia Day and March this yearsaw many SES volunteers lending a hand to mop up the south-east. In between all that they even lent ahand over the border in New South Wales following severe storms in the Kingscliff area.

SES members are truly special people. They do not get paid a cent for all the hours of trainingthey do and they attend activations. Yet day or night, without any hesitation, they go out, often in dirtyand dangerous conditions, to an incident. The only reward they receive is usually the satisfaction ofhelping others. They definitely are the quiet achievers.

As well as SES commitments they balance family and personal commitments and, for many, apaid full-time job. This is not easy to do. There is no doubt that without the support of family membersour SES volunteers would not be able to do all they do. I thank family members for assisting our SESvolunteers to continue to serve our state with such distinction.

I am extremely pleased that in January the Premier did announce a significant amount of fundingto support our emergency service volunteers. In fact, the Beattie Labor government has committed a$21.83 million package that includes an extra set of protective clothing for the 7,000 active SES


volunteers as well as new money for resources such as flood rescue boats, rescue vehicles,communication and training.

Recently I visited the local State Emergency Service unit at East Logan. On hand to meet mewere local controller Ken Neller, deputy controller Mick Pipe, along with volunteer members. The visitincluded a briefing session, observing training, followed by a tour of the Logan East SES and LoganSES headquarters. I also got to inspect equipment used in rescues and other major incidents that theSES responds to.

This visit gave me a good insight into what the volunteers do with the Logan State EmergencyService and the community. I witnessed a training program for SES members on navigation with mapsand the use of GPS. The training was given in preparation for an exercise to be held in the MountBarney area. As part of their ongoing preparation for bush rescues in rugged terrain, the Mount Barneyexercise taught SES members skills for survival and living in the bush using limited material resources.

I enjoyed the evening very much and have gained an insight into the activities SES members arecalled on to respond to. The selfless dedication of SES volunteers is appreciated throughout the state. Itis important we recognise the great work done by these wonderful men and women. The presentation ofcertificate awards and medals is an important way of doing that. I congratulate all award recipients fromall units. Volunteers are certainly the greatest resource in the SES.

Currumbin BarMrs STUCKEY (Currumbin—Lib) (12.20 p.m.): The current state of the Currumbin bar is a

tragedy waiting to happen as long as this government continues to ignore its responsibility to maintain asafe passage for the local Volunteer Marine Rescue. Put simply, these dedicated volunteers can onlyrescue stricken craft and people in distress two hours either side of high tide. When we consider the factthat over 10,000 boats are logged crossing the bar each year, a greater number than the Southportseaway or Tweed bar, it is not surprising to learn that there were 19 groundings in a 12-day periodduring May. It is a miracle that no-one has lost their life trying to cross the bar in the last couple of years.

Sand siltation at the mouth of Currumbin Creek is hazardous to boaties, whether professional orrecreational. It poses a threat to countless others who flock to this popular estuary and picnic area. Onany weekend, a variety of residents and visitors alike will be participating in water activities such assurfing, swimming, kite surfing, jetskiing, catamaran sailing, canoeing, hand line fishing and so on.

Currumbin has, for many years, been known as a shifting bar. Users are cautioned about itsdangers. However, since the Queensland and New South Wales sand pumping project began somethree years ago, the situation has worsened considerably. Honourable members may be aware that Itabled a petition in this House on 29 April which contained 2,140 signatures from local residents andcreek users. Petitioners asked for this state government to commit to the clearing of a safe passage forour volunteer marine rescue craft and other craft. Despite figures of over 10,000 bar crossings per year,compared to Southport's mere 4,000, this government is not willing to recognise Currumbin as anavigable channel. This lack of recognition supposedly diminishes the government's responsibility to fixand maintain the problem.

In fact, Transport Department representatives stated that the minister has said that no Gold Coastwaterways, nor the 40 plus waterways along the coast of Queensland, will be declared navigablechannels. Why, members may well ask. Apparently the costs would be exorbitant. Spare a thought forour professional fishermen who can only get out to sea for a limited period in mackerel season. Themackerel season attracts boaters from not only all over Australia but also internationally. Manyfishermen rely on a good mackerel season to earn enough money to help cover lean times.

On 27 May, I convened a meeting with the mayor of the Gold Coast and representatives fromlocal council, Queensland Transport, Griffith University, Volunteer Marine Rescue and members of theFix Currumbin Creek Committee to try to work out a plan of action to resolve this problem. QueenslandTransport representatives made it quite clear that it would be prepared to provide technical advice, butany funding from the state government was out of the question.

The outcome from the meeting was that Griffith University would work with members of the wellinformed local group Fix Currumbin Creek to develop a research and development proposal to modeland undertake prototype testing for management solutions for Currumbin. The EPA and StateDevelopment will be involved in this process.

One management solution with a degree of promise was introduced at the meeting by the FixCurrumbin Creek Committee. The idea is to utilise a mobile sand agitation device not favouring anyinvasive permanent structures. This device would enable the channel to remain open but could bemoved to other channels that were in need of assistance. A device built along similar lines has beendeveloped for Evans Head and preliminary findings show it to be effective.

Under the direction of new mayor, Ron Clarke, the Gold Coast City Council has shown that it isextremely concerned with the safety issues surrounding the current situation of Currumbin bar. The


council is to be commended for the action it is undertaking. But, without the financial assistance of thestate government, any solutions that are found as a result of this research may well remain buried in thesand.

To date all that this government has done is regurgitate figures quoted in a council documentalmost five years ago for a multimillion dollar pumping system. This highlights its lack of political will tolook at the best and most cost efficient way to clear the clogged creek mouth. This government putsmoney before people's safety. The people of the Currumbin electorate and the thousands of individualswho enjoy activities in and around Currumbin estuary deserve a better deal from this government.

International Autism Conference

Mrs DESLEY SCOTT (Woodridge—ALP) (12.25 p.m.): It was a great privilege offered to me bythe Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, the Hon. Warren Pitt, to attend as hisrepresentative and open the recent International Autism Conference held at Brisbane Technology Parkon 14 and 15 May. It was proudly presented by Autism Behavioural Intervention Queensland, ABIQ. Inexcess of 450 delegates had travelled from all states of Australia and New Zealand to hear 45presenters, seven of them international, and some of the world's foremost speakers and researchers.

They spoke on topics such as cognitive behaviour therapy for emotion management, recentadvances in treatment, impulse control and anxiety states, the SCERTS model, the biomedicaltreatments of autism and many other vital subjects. The delegates ranged from parents and friends tocarers and teachers. It was a pleasure to meet up with the Hon. Pat Comben, CEO of AutismQueensland, Mr Michael Chan, Chairman of ABIQ, and other members of his committee and a numberof the delegates.

With the theme of 'Reach for the stars', the conference highlighted the wonderful potential ofthese little people to achieve. The first key note address by world renowned expert Professor TonyAttwood was simply inspiring. He has had 25 years as a practising clinician specialising in autism andhis concept of an emotional tool box to deal with anger and anxiety held the audience spellbound.

Following Professor Attwood, Tracy Bester, founder and CEO of Autism Australia and Director ofjesse.ka foundation and owner and managing director of Learning Curve presented topics on educationand showed some of the vital work being performed in our schools. Tracy is a total inspiration. Themother of four children she suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is paraplegic and dyslexic and seesherself not as disabled but as diverse and successful. Tracy has been at the forefront of raisingawareness within Australia of autism and associated disorders.

I have no doubt each delegate who attended this conference went away totally inspired and readyto take on the world, or at least the challenges that they face every day. Disabilities Queenslandsponsored this worthwhile event on the recommendation of Neil Roberts, parliamentary secretary to theminister at the time of planning. A grant of $10,000 was provided which was money well spent, I say. Ibelieve many of the contacts made by delegates will develop into long-term friendships to offer supportto each other.

I understand the proceedings of the conference have been videoed and will be on sale for just$15 per video or DVD and are also available for loan. It is my hope that I will be able to encourage manyof my schools to purchase a set. ABIQ may be contacted on 3264 2852 or by visiting its web site onwww.ABIQ.org. I believe the information will be of significant help to teachers, carers and parents.Information and understanding is vital to those who work with youngsters with autism. We need toincrease public awareness.

Much is yet to be learned but there are many throughout the world who are both researching andeducating our teachers, parents and carers to improve the outcomes and the future potential for thesechildren. I want to commend the organisations who work with these families and assist the developmentof the children. They all have abilities which need to be nurtured and parents deserve our support. Manyvolunteers also give a great deal of their time to assist.

Finally, may I say how much I look forward to the Treasurer's budget today when I believe we willagain see increases in funding for people with disabilities. It is at the heart of Labor Party policy toensure that we assist people with high needs. I thank the Minister for Disability Services, the Hon.Warren Pitt, for his commitment and look forward to working with him to improve services and facilitiesfor people with disabilities, including autism and its related conditions.

Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Male): Order! The time for matters of public interest hasexpired.

1412 Nature Conservation Amendment Bill 15 Jun 2004

NATURE CONSERVATION AMENDMENT BILL

Second ReadingResumed from 20 May (see p. 1366).Mr KNUTH (Charters Towers—NPA) (12.30 p.m.): I support the Nature Conservation

Amendment Bill 2004. However, there are just a few issues that concern me in the bill regardingclassification. I have already raised this issue with the Minister for the Environment—that is, theclassification of flying foxes in the Charters Towers electorate and the state of Queensland. Will they beclassified as of least concern or as a near-threatened species? If they are classified as of least concern,I say to the Minister for the Environment that they are of concern in the Charters Towers electorate.They have been flying around the electorate for nearly four years. People have lost sleep because ofthem. People in the area cannot hang their clothes on the line without them being soiled. I wascontacted the other day by a person who asked if the government will give free rabies shots. Others areconcerned with the lyssavirus.

When the minister suggested that the land is being cleared, the issue here—and it is a veryimportant issue—is that there are too many restrictions on the permits. We need to reduce therestrictions on the permits in order to drive those bats out of the town to the roosting sites. It is not aboutland clearing; it is not about politics. It is about getting the bats out of the town. The area has a riversystem that is one of the biggest river systems in north Queensland.

Mr Lucas: You're a lot nicer than your brother, I reckon. I like you more than your brother.Mr KNUTH: Thankyou, Minister. As I was saying, the area has one of the biggest river systems in

north Queensland. There is plenty of room for the bats there. The township of Charters Towers is not ahabitat for flying foxes; it is a place where people live. Today I am bringing the views of the ChartersTowers electorate to parliament. They want to get rid of the bats. Residents of Charters Towers areasking for the minister's help on this issue. I hope that he will be able to come up with a solution andwork with the people of Charters Towers and travel 1,000 kilometres—

A government member: We could put a bounty on it.Mr KNUTH: Hopefully we can put on a bounty, but we want a solution, Minister. We want a

solution. The government holds the majority in the Legislative Assembly. The people of my electorateare asking for the minister's help. He is a member of the government. If he gets on a plane and flies toCharters Towers in order to find a solution to remove the bats, it will make a difference.

With the restrictions contained in these permits, it is impossible to remove these bats. Therestrictions dictate that we cannot move bats after 7 o'clock in the morning. How are we going to movethem to a roosting place if we cannot remove flying foxes after 7 o'clock in the morning? It is absolutelyimpossible, even though the permit says that we can remove them at 5 o'clock at night. It is absolutelyno good to anybody making noises to scare the bats when they are going out to feed anyway. We wantto remove the restrictions on the permits. We need to remove the restrictions on the permits so that wecan move them to the roosting place that the minister was suggesting. Overall, I support the bill andcommend it to the House.

Mrs PRATT (Nanango—Ind) (12.34 p.m.): I rise to support the Nature Conservation AmendmentBill 2004. One thing I want to say right at the start is that we do have to protect our wildlife. We havesome of the rarest wildlife of any country in the world. There are five categories—extinct in the wild,endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and of least concern. There are many birds, animals andtypes of vegetation that would fit into any one of these categories, but there are also many people on theland who are near threatened, endangered, vulnerable and whose future will be extinct in the wild, asthey say.

As I said, Australia has unique wildlife and tourists come from all over the world to see it.Therefore, we have to have a very responsible attitude towards our wildlife and vegetation. Many peoplein this House would think that I am perhaps going against stances I have taken in the past. The truth isthat I agree with the need to protect wildlife, but there are various ways to do it, and I do not necessarilyagree with the ways the government has come up with in the past.

A government member interjected.Mrs PRATT: Absolutely, and I cannot see any greenies standing up for the cabbage moth, the

cotton weevil and all these other things. Where do we draw the line? We have to draw the linesomewhere. Every time my husband goes over a crop, he kills millions of them. I expect the greenies tobe out there protecting the cotton weevil in the near future if they are really true to themselves.

In saying that, I must tell the House that my husband and I are actually carers of wildlife. We takeon carnivorous birds that have been hurt such as frogmouths, owls, eagles, magpies or currawongs.Many people in my town would say that I am stupid to look after currawongs when one sees the damage

15 Jun 2004 Nature Conservation Amendment Bill 1413

they do to other birdlife. However, we believe that they need to be protected and we are prepared to dothat.

As members know, many areas in my electorate have been in drought for up to 14 years.Because of the drought, we have had a regent bowerbird enter our garden. We are in the middle oftown, so that tells you just how bad it is. They have come in for water. We did a survey on the Internet interms of what wildlife is in our backyard. We came up with 87 birds in our own backyard in the middle oftown. We have lizards and frogs.

A government member: What do the birds say?Mrs PRATT: They say thankyou for the feed, the water and the sanctuary. They have a lot. They

come in all the time. As I said, we have lizard habitats and frog habitats. I would have to say that ourbackyard would have to be one of the healthiest around if that is the litmus test. We do in factdiscourage cats. Quite frankly, if my husband could do it, he would have every one of them taking a leadpellet. But, as we know, that is not possible. We basically discourage them with water when we can.

Mr Shine: What? You drown them?Mrs PRATT: No, not quite. We do not drown them, no. But they certainly do not like getting wet

and they stay away from our yard. Therefore, the birds and the animals live quite happily.As I said, protection of our wildlife is essential. Another thing we must also recognise—and it is

well recorded—is that in land where drought is the norm rather than the exception human interventionhas in fact helped create an explosion of wildlife in some areas. Let us take the kangaroo, for instance.It can take control of whether or not it delivers its young. It can hold it back until the conditions are right.One thing that farmers recognise is that if there is an abundance of roos and other wildlife there is a fairchance that it is going to be an extra good season, because the animals know before we do.

Mr Lucas interjected.Mrs PRATT: Yes, and they are at the bottom of my garden, too. Kookaburras laugh every day in

my town with no rain. They can laugh all they like. If that is the case and it brings rain, they can laugh tillthey drive us crazy. I would not mind at all. We have created water storage infrastructure. We have donemass production plantings with grain and fodder grass crops. We have in fact created an explosion ofroos and birdlife in the area, because that feed was not there quite a few years ago and animals werevery scarce.

So we have actually created our own problem. The cockatoos and the galahs have just strippedthe grain crops. Sometimes it seems like the roos come in in their hundreds of thousands. I know thatthat is not the case, but they can wipe out a whole crop. So we have created a problem that has to berecognised. As well as galahs, cockatoos, kangaroos and wallabies causing programs, I also know thatcockatoos are moving into areas where they were never seen before and that they are proliferating.

The member for Charters Towers mentioned flying foxes. They are a concern. It is easy forpeople to say that flying foxes are not a concern when they do not have to live with the noise and thepollution that they create. I agree that flying foxes need to be protected, but we also need to protect thehuman population that is subjected to the mess created by flying foxes and the diseases that they carry.So members opposite cannot just sit there and laugh, because people are suffering. Sleep deprivation isa hell of a thing for someone to go through. Members opposite might say that flying foxes have a right toexist. Of course they do. But people come first and their health has to be a priority.

I have another bone of contention. Those on the government side of the House are always goingon about tree clearing. I would like to make it known to the government that it has made a major blunderwith the vegetation management legislation relating to the time limit of 12 months that is set on treeclearing permits. If the members opposite lived on the land and if they understood the land they wouldknow that under no circumstances is scrub pulled during a drought. It destroys the land. Farmers waituntil the time is right—the optimum time—to pull the scrub. When the government first said that it wasgoing to clamp down on tree clearing, people went berserk. So the government can blame itself for theexcess of tree clearing. Then to tell people that they have to use their tree clearing permits in 12 monthsis the government's second major fundamental mistake. If a farmer had a permit to clear 500 hectares,2,000 hectares —whatever—the government would have been far and away better asking that farmer todo it over a period of 10 to 20 years. If a farmer pulled 2,000 hectares in a 12-month period in droughtconditions—and most of the areas in my electorate have been in drought for in excess of 12 years—thatfarmer would destroy totally the land's ability to regenerate normally.

Mr Shine: They don't have to clear.Mrs PRATT: Farmers have to clear if they are to survive. It is essential that members in this

House understand that not all farmers are environmental vandals. The government wants to protect thevegetation for the wildlife. That is great. But it would be better for a farmer to clear 2,000 hectares over20 years and to do that gradually when it is the optimum time to do so than for that farmer to pull 2,000hectares in one year, which will destroy the land. That is a ludicrous idea. I cannot understand the logicof it, and nor can anyone who is on the land. What is the difference between pulling 2,000 hectares of

1414 Nature Conservation Amendment Bill 15 Jun 2004

scrub over 12 months and pulling 2,000 hectares of scrub over 20 years? If the members oppositeunderstood the land, they would know that there is a hell of a lot of difference. So the government hasmade a very big, fundamental error.

This bill is not actually about clearing land; it is about nature conservation and protecting andclassifying our wildlife. I support this bill. It has my wholehearted support. But I wish that the governmentwould get other legislation right.

Mr FENLON (Greenslopes—ALP) (12.43 p.m.): I rise to speak in support of the NatureConservation Amendment Bill. This bill may be too late to save the night parrot, but it certainly will not betoo late for many other species in Queensland. This legislation, like many others that have been passedby this House, seeks to establish standards and categories that are consistent with standards that applynationally and internationally. That is very important, particularly for conservation, because, as we haveseen from various High Court decisions, there is an increasing need for Australia's legal requirements tobe consistent with international standards. It is important that the categories that are contained in ourlegislation match international standards so that we can make real international comparisons. Thisstandardisation will also become increasingly important in the future so that we can assess ourprogress.

The eyes of the world are upon us because we have many very special creatures—birds andanimals. We have to take special care to ensure that appropriate levels of protection are put in place. Inthat respect, we have a responsibility to the world. This legislation creates a new set of emphases. Itcategorises creatures in terms of their threat or extinction risk, rather than simply their level ofabundance. In that context, we really have to focus on what species might become extinct. This is anunfortunate situation, but it is certainly a real situation in that many of our species need desperatemeasures to survive. That fact needs to be recognised. This legislation creates a structure that willfacilitate that recognition.

The main elements of this legislation are that it introduces a near-threatened category ofprotected wildlife to the Nature Conservation Act and it changes the names of two existing categories inthe Nature Conservation Act, that is, it changes the common category to the least concern category andthe presumed extinct category to the extinct in the wild category. This change will create five categories:extinct in the wild, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and of least concern.

I should also point out that the rare category will remain in the Nature Conservation Act for thetime being in order to provide time for us to reassess the 843 species that are currently listed under thatcategory. It is also important to point out that this bill will not affect the recent reclassification of the koalapopulation in the south-east Queensland bioregion as vulnerable. The category vulnerable is both anexisting Nature Conservation Act category and an IUCN category. This is very important, because somany people in the south-east corner, including those in my electorate, have an extensive interest in thekoala population. We still have species that live in these inner-city areas.

We in this part of the world are very lucky to have so many magnificent creatures still living in oursuburbs. I for one have had the great joy recently of having a seven-foot carpet snake move along theside fence of my urban block at Holland Park. I could not believe that these creatures still move aroundour suburbs.

Mrs Lavarch interjected.Mr FENLON: It was a sheer delight. I did not go anywhere near it. I watched it with a torch as it

made its way around my property. It is a joy to be able to see such creatures in our suburbs. We are verylucky people in this part of the world to have this benefit.

It must be pointed out that this legislation is going to be absolutely meaningless unless we havethe major settings in place. I am very proud to be part of a government that is indeed doing that. I talkhere about the tree clearing legislation. This legislation will be meaningless unless we get the majorsettings right. We are doing that in this state. We can only hope that the federal government starts towake up to itself and get on with the job of also putting in place the major settings.

I am talking here about the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto protocol will be a very important matter toaddress in consistency with the rest of the world. Greenhouse gases will continue to be a threat to ouroverall environment. That will lead to the decimation of species in the long term.

We must not only make sure that these pieces of legislation get the major settings right in termsof being able to protect our overall environment—our air, temperature, et cetera; we must get down tothe nitty-gritty of being able to identify species and make sure that all appropriate measures are put inplace to protect those specific species. I commend the bill to the House.

Mr WELLINGTON (Nicklin—Ind) (12.50 p.m.): I rise to participate in the debate on the NatureConservation Amendment Bill 2004. I understand, as earlier speakers have, that in substance this billwill better facilitate the management of wildlife in Queensland by providing a consistent method ofclassification of species according to their extinction risk. I note that we talk about the extinction risk ofspecies in our national parks or on Crown land in Queensland. I really hope that when the Treasurer

15 Jun 2004 Nature Conservation Amendment Bill 1415

brings down his budget later this afternoon he actually shows some compassion and commonsense inproviding the appropriate funding resources to the support staff that work in our national parks and ourforest areas to enable them to do the work that parliament requires of them by passing legislation. It isall well and good to come into parliament and pass all of these wonderful bills that in due coursebecome acts of parliament which are law in Queensland, but if the government of the day does notprovide the resources to ensure that the appropriate staff in Queensland are there on the ground to dothe work, I really wonder where we are going.

It is not just about ensuring that there are paid staff on the ground. I think the challenge for thestate government today is more importantly to ensure that we have volunteers on the boundaries of ournational parks and conservation areas working in partnership with the state government to ensure thatour wildlife are not going to become extinct.

That leads me to talk about one important parcel of land on the Sunshine Coast known as theMapleton Forest. Mapleton Forest is currently in what we call a transitional stage. We are waiting for thisstate government to make a decision on the future use of the forest—where people can and cannot goin Mapleton Forest. Again I take this opportunity to urge this minister, his senior departmental staff, thePremier, the Leader of the House and all members of this state parliament to ensure that commonsenseprevails when we look at where Queenslanders and Queensland visitors can go in Mapleton Forest.

At the end of the day, what we do not want to see on the Sunshine Coast is the ridiculoussituation where Mapleton Forest is locked up, the keys are thrown away and the government says, 'Thisis going to be national park and horse riders and others cannot go there.' Quite frankly, if we take theapproach of locking up our national parks and saying that horse riders or neighbours cannot haveaccess and be the eyes and ears of our national parks, what will we see tomorrow? We will not have thestaff there because the government is saying that we are all on cost budgets and we have to reduce thenumber of staff available to do the important leg work in our national parks. So the government will say,'We cannot employ more staff. We do not have the support from local volunteers.' What happens if abushfire occurs?

I look forward to the minister's response to the question on notice I tabled this morning in relationto what is going to happen with controlled burning in our national parks and the commitments that weregiven to controlled burning last year and what is going to happen to that ongoing commitment for the fireseason this year. Quite frankly, I believe we have a lot to learn from history. So often in this chamber wecriticise our grandparents about what they did wrong. Let us look at what they did right. One thing Ibelieve we did do right in the past was have proper controlled burns in our national parks to ensure thatthe many species that inhabit our national parks do not become extinct.

Too often when we look around other states we see where bureaucrats and greenies—call themwhat you like—have simply controlled the agenda on where we can have controlled burns and wherewe cannot. What have we seen happen? When these greenies and these bureaucrats with their ownagenda have taken control we have seen the decimation of many species. We have seen plant lifedestroyed or take years and years to recover. Again I take this opportunity to call on the minister toensure commonsense prevails when he finally makes a decision on future access to Mapleton Forest, toensure commonsense prevails so that there is the good partnership I believe we can deliver on theSunshine Coast to ensure that all the people who have access—the horse riders, who want to beinvolved with the future of Mapleton Forest—have the opportunity to work in partnership with the stategovernment, to work in partnership with the paid employees and to show the other states in Australiahow we can do it better in the Smart State. I commend the bill to the House.

Mrs SMITH (Burleigh—ALP) (12.54 p.m.): I am pleased to rise in support of the NatureConservation Amendment Bill. This bill is an important step forward in the preservation of Queenslandwildlife. The new categories will more accurately describe the status of our native species, allowingbetter strategies to be implemented to protect them. They complement the work the state government isdoing to protect our threatened species.

We are working towards saving some of Queensland's most endangered species, such as thenorthern hairy-nosed wombat, of which there are only 113 left. The work the Environmental ProtectionAgency's Dr Alan Horsup is undertaking is world class. Only last week Dr Horsup received a prestigiousAustralian Geographic Society conservation award for his research. I congratulate him on thatachievement.

In Queensland we are very lucky to have one of the world's leading fauna centres. Fleay's FaunaReserve in my electorate of Burleigh is an internationally recognised leader in the field of preservation ofendangered wildlife. For more than 45 years the David Fleay Wildlife Park has been associated withbreeding and displaying unusual native animals. The park is a great place to see animals which arerarely seen, particularly in the wild.

Apart from raising community awareness about these threatened species' plight, the park alsoparticipates in the Environmental Protection Agency's captive breeding program. Animals bred heremight some day be reintroduced into their natural habitats. Currently 16 endangered, near-endangeredand vulnerable species of wildlife are on display at Fleay's reserve, as well as many others.

1416 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 15 Jun 2004

Australia has the dubious distinction of having lost more mammals to extinction than any othercountry on earth. David Fleay's legacy is to provide a safe haven for those animals close to extinctionand to provide an opportunity for the community to witness those animals and learn about them. I havebeen a regular visitor to Fleay's Fauna Reserve over the last three years and thoroughly recommend itto all. There are some excellent educational opportunities, as well as beautiful and peaceful walks. TheRockin' Ranger Matt presentation gives kids an opportunity for dancing and singing while learning aboutour native animals.

This government is committed to working with organisations such as Fleay's in order to stem theflow of animals becoming extinct. One of our priorities is the protection of natural habitat. If you protectthe habitat, you protect the animal. This is one of the reasons we have introduced a ban on treeclearing. A large number of our native birds and mammals rely on trees for their home and food.Stopping the ongoing loss of their homes will hopefully stem the tide of destruction amongst our fauna.Under a new master plan released recently, the park will be transformed into one of Australia's premierwildlife education and conservation facilities. It will become a campus of excellence for threatenedspecies. The master plan will build on the vision Dr David Fleay had for the park when he established itin 1952 and reflects our Smart State strategy of encouraging research and innovation. It is important thatstudents understand that extinction is forever. I encourage them to become involved from an early agein wildlife conservation and protection.

I also look forward to working with the EPA to ensure that this Gold Coast icon remains viable andcontinues to grow well into this century. I look forward to making an announcement in the near futureabout the amount of funding set aside in this year's budget for the implementation of the master plan. Icongratulate the Minister for the Environment for his ongoing protection of Queensland wildlife andcommend the bill to the House.

Debate, on motion of Mr Lawlor, adjourned. Sitting suspended from 12.58 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.

BUDGET DOCUMENTSHon. T.M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for

Sport) (2.00 p.m.): Mr Speaker, I lay upon the table of the House the following documents—Budget SpeechBudget Strategy and OutlookCapital StatementBudget HighlightsAppropriation BillsMinisterial portfolio statements including the Speaker's portfolio statements for the LegislativeAssembly.

APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILLHon. T.M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for

Sport) (2.01 p.m.), by leave, without notice: I move—That leave be granted to bring in a bill to an act authorising the Treasurer to pay amounts from the consolidated fund for theLegislative Assembly and parliamentary service for the financial years starting 1 July 2004 and 1 July 2005.

Motion agreed to.Mr SPEAKER read a message from Her Excellency the Governor recommending the necessary

appropriation.

First ReadingBill and explanatory notes presented and bill, on motion of Mr Mackenroth, read a first time.

Second ReadingHon. T.M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for

Sport) (2.02 p.m.): I move—That the bill be now read a second time.

I rise to introduce the Appropriation Bill for the Legislative Assembly and the parliamentaryservice for 2004-05. The Government remains committed to the independence and primacy of thisLegislative Assembly and this extends to the means by which public moneys are appropriated to ensure

15 Jun 2004 Appropriation Bill 1417

its continued functioning. We are therefore steadfastly adhering to the recent convention that theLegislative Assembly's appropriation be contained in a Bill separate from the Appropriation Bill for theother activities of government.

The Appropriation (Parliament) Bill will provide the necessary funds to ensure the continuedoperations of the Legislative Assembly and the parliamentary service. These include advisory andinformation services to assist the Parliament, its committees and Members to fulfil their constitutionaland parliamentary responsibilities, the services provided by the Parliamentary Library, CommitteeOffice, Parliamentary Reporting Service and Chamber and Security Services as well as the provision ofaccommodation, hospitality and Members' entitlements. Mr Speaker, I commend the Bill to the House.

Debate, on motion of Mr Springborg, adjourned.

APPROPRIATION BILLHon. T.M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for

Sport) (2.04 p.m.), by leave, without notice: I move—That leave be granted to bring in a bill to an act authorising the Treasurer to pay amounts from the consolidated fund fordepartments for the financial years starting 1 July 2004 and 1 July 2005.

Motion agreed to.Mr SPEAKER read a message from Her Excellency the Governor recommending the necessary

appropriation.

First ReadingBill and explanatory notes presented and bill, on motion of Mr Mackenroth, read a first time.

Second ReadingHon. T.M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for

Sport) (2.05 p.m.): I move—That the bill be now read a second time.

INTRODUCTIONThe Budget that I present today sets the agenda for the third term of the Beattie Government.A Government with a clear vision for building the new Queensland for all Queenslanders.A strong stable Government which delivers disciplined fiscal and economic management.A Government delivering on its promises to improve the quality and range of services and infrastructureto the Queensland community.We clearly articulated our policies and priorities at the election and through this Budget we keep faithwith the trust that Queenslanders placed in us.Our election commitments were targeted at our key priorities and were affordable.This Budget fully funds all of our election commitments to the Queensland community.This Budget continues to build the Smart State.Today I will announce substantial improvements in services and infrastructure for Queensland,including:• a record $6 billion capital program for 2004 05 to meet the challenges facing the growth State,

including initiatives announced as part of our Smart State Building Fund;• full implementation of child safety reforms which will involve additional funding of approximately

$214 million per annum by 2006 07; and• new funding of $220 million over four years to enhance disability services, well above our election

commitment.Given the strength of our finances, this Budget also provides for $300 million of tax concessionsinvolving the abolition of debits tax, the abolition of credit card duty, a reduced rate of duty on generalinsurance and stamp duty concessions for home purchases.ECONOMIC OUTLOOKIn 2003 04 the Queensland economy has again outperformed the rest of the nation, with year-averagegrowth in gross state product estimated to be 4%, the eighth consecutive year that Queensland hasrecorded higher growth than the rest of Australia.This growth has been underpinned by the stellar performance of the domestic economy. Dwellinginvestment has continued to grow strongly driven by a mix of new house and unit construction and a

1418 Appropriation Bill 15 Jun 2004

surge in renovation activity as home owners have capitalised on exceptionally strong increases in houseprices.This increase in house prices and related activity in dwelling investment has also supported rapidgrowth in household consumption over the past year. Businesses have also shared in the strength of domestic demand, with business confidence at recordlevels during the year and business investment enjoying another year of solid growth. Major projectsinvestment also rose 4% to $56.8 billion in the March quarter, the highest growth of any State.Queensland has once again been the engine room for job creation in Australia. Since our Governmentcame to power in June 1998, more than a quarter of a million jobs have been created in Queensland. The State accounted for a quarter of the jobs created nationally over this period, compared with ourpopulation share of around 19%. Employment in Queensland this year is expected to grow by an estimated 3¼%, more than double theestimated growth in the rest of Australia. In the eleven months to May this year, almost 65,000 jobs havebeen created in Queensland, almost 27,000 more than forecast for the entire year. With such strong employment growth, the trend unemployment rate has continued to fall, reaching a 22year low of 6% in May this year.This has occurred despite strong population growth.Queensland is currently experiencing population growth of 2.3%, more than double the rate of the restof Australia.In 2004 05 economic growth in Queensland will strengthen to 4¼%, underpinned by the expectedimproved performance of the State's trade sector. Increased world demand for our exports and improved competitiveness are forecast to lead to a 5%growth in exports of goods and services. Meanwhile, growth in imports is forecast to moderate in linewith a return to more normal domestic demand conditions, with household consumption forecast to growby 4¾% following its exceptionally strong growth of 8½% in 2003 04.Dwelling investment is forecast to stay at its current record levels. Demand for new dwellings continuesto be supported by our strong population growth, while demand for renovation activity by home ownerswill remain high.Business investment is also forecast to continue to grow solidly with a further 8½% increase in 2004 05.In line with the forecast of continued strong economic growth, employment growth in Queensland isonce again expected to outperform the rest of Australia in 2004 05. Employment is forecast to grow by2¼%, with the creation of more than 40,000 jobs, compared with forecast employment growth of 1¾%nationally. The State's year-average unemployment rate is forecast to remain unchanged at 6¼%, thelowest since 1981 82.Mr Speaker, I confidently expect that Queensland will maintain its reputation as Australia's growth State.GROWING A DIVERSE ECONOMY AND CREATING JOBSOur Smart State vision is about using knowledge, creativity and innovation to maintain prosperity andquality of life for all Queenslanders.The Beattie Government has established new world class research institutes in biotechnology, medicalresearch, cancer research, fibre composites, nanotechnology and other emerging areas.A range of Cooperative Research Centres with strong links to Queensland are driving innovation inagriculture, fisheries, forestry, mining, satellite communications, environmental management andmedicine.As announced earlier this year, our Government will invest $20 million in a new $60 million world-leading Brain Institute to be built at the University of Queensland to research diseases such asAlzheimer's, stroke and mental illness.The Premier recently announced the latest round of funding commitments under the Smart StateResearch Facilities Fund. These commitments, of $33.8 million, include:• $9.5 million for the Centre for Advanced Animal Science;• $8.1 million for the Queensland Preclinical Drug Development Facility; and• $5 million for the Medical Engineering Research Facility.The investments under this fund, $130 million since its establishment, are providing Queensland'sbrightest students and researchers with the opportunity to realise their potential—opportunities thathistorically were sadly lacking in this State.Additional funding of $3.2 million over four years has been provided for a range of programs to helpgrow Queensland's small business sector, including the establishment of a technology incubator inCairns.


The Beattie Government's Manufacturing Strategy will be expanded with an additional $11 million overfour years to develop manufacturing excellence, improve manufacturing training and educationprograms and to provide a more highly skilled workforce for the manufacturing sector.The 2004 05 Budget includes an additional $3 million over four years to provide specialist advisoryservices to support Information and Communications Technology uptake by businesses and thedevelopment of industry clusters.This Budget allocates $9.8 million over four years to support the Queensland Biotechnology Strategywhich will include measures to promote the Clinical Trials Network to assess new drugs, vaccines andtherapies.The Beattie Government has a clear focus on creating jobs. Our unemployment rate has dropped to thelowest level in over 22 years. However, it is important that long term unemployed Queenslanders areable to get their share of the jobs being created.The Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative commenced in 1998 with a key focus to help the mostdisadvantaged job seekers to get jobs and acquire new skills. Through this initiative more than 71,000unemployed people have been placed in jobs.An additional $3 million over three years will be invested in the Strategic Employment Developmentprogram, taking total funding for the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative up to $278 million overthree years.REALISING THE SMART STATE THROUGH EDUCATION, SKILLS AND INNOVATIONBuilding on the success of our preparatory year trials, this Budget provides for the introduction of auniversally available Prep Year in 2007.Investing in the early years of schooling pays dividends throughout a person's life and the Prep Year willstrengthen the foundation of our education and training reforms.As part of the move to full implementation in 2007, the Prep Year will be phased-in at a further 40 Stateschools and 10 non-state schools over the next two years.Late last week, agreement was reached with the non-State schooling sector in relation to the capitalfunding for facilities for the implementation of the Prep Year. The findings of the Independent ReviewTeam appointed by the Government were accepted with a total of $56 million being allocated for newand refurbished facilities for students attending independent and Catholic schools across the State.Building on the Government's commitment in the 2002 03 Budget to provide an additional $60 millionover four years for students with disabilities, a further $14 million will be allocated in 2004 05, bringing2004 05 funding up to $32 million for this important program.This year a total of $329 million will be invested in Education capital including upgrades of classrooms,libraries and administration blocks, Prep Year requirements and to complete the air conditioning of up to560 classrooms in the Cooler Schools zone.This Budget provides additional new and growth funding of $118 million over three years for theSmartVET strategy—an approach to vocational education and training that targets skill shortages andthe skilling and workforce needs of industry.Over the next three years the SmartVET strategy will create an estimated 17,800 new training places inpriority industry areas that are central to the economic growth of the Smart State. Approximately 11,800of those new training places will be apprenticeships and traineeships.New entrants to Queensland's growing aviation industry will benefit from an additional $3.8 million overthree years to fund aeroskills training.This additional funding will bring total investment including specialist infrastructure and training fundingover the next three years to an estimated $15.9 million under Queensland Takes Off—the Government'sSmart State strategy to establish Queensland as the aviation hub of the Asia Pacific region.MANAGING URBAN GROWTH AND BUILDING QUEENSLAND'S REGIONSDuring 2003, Queensland's population grew by an estimated 86,000 including 37,600 interstatemigrants and 23,600 international migrants.Queensland's growth brings benefits but it also brings challenges for transport systems and otherinfrastructure, services and our environment.With around 80% of this population growth occurring in south east Queensland, the Beattie Governmentis making the management and co ordination of urban growth in south east Queensland a priority.An Office of Urban Management has been established with funding of $6.7 million in 2004 05.The Office will coordinate regional planning in south east Queensland and work with councils and thecommunity to expedite the review of the existing framework for growth management and implement aSouth East Queensland 2021 Regional Plan.Regional planning outside south east Queensland will be maintained and further enhanced withadditional funding of $3.6 million over four years.


Last year we committed to an additional investment in infrastructure of $1.4 billion over three yearsthrough our Smart State Building Fund to assist in meeting the needs of a growing State. This additionalinvestment was made possible by a prudent approach to managing the State's finances through aperiod of difficult equity market conditions.Reflecting this commitment and additional infrastructure initiatives in this Budget, our capital program for2004 05 is $6 billion—a record capital program. Around 60% of this investment will be outside theBrisbane region. Funding for the State's roads program has been significantly increased. The Smart State Building Fundprovided an extra $186 million for road projects over three years from 2004-05. An additional$301 million was committed in the election for road infrastructure. This Budget provides a new four-year $571 million Arterial Roads Infrastructure Package, including$19.8 million in 2004 05.Over the next four years the Beattie Government will spend an extra $1.9 billion on road and railinfrastructure while the Australian Government's AusLink total five year funding to Queensland is lessthan $1.5 billion.On current projections, passenger rail services in south east Queensland will require the capacity tocarry an additional 13 million passengers a year by 2011. By 2007-08, over $900 million will be spent byour Government on increasing the capacity of Citytrain.The Government will also continue its investment in the Busway network. In 2004-05, $27 million will beallocated as part of a $200 million, four-year program of bus infrastructure initiatives.Mr Speaker, an efficient transport system is vital for our exporters operating in increasingly competitivemarkets. In 2004-05, Queensland Rail will spend over $300 million on track infrastructure and rolling stock,largely to support the State's coal industry. The RG Tanna Coal Terminal at Gladstone will be expanded at a cost of $167 million over three years,and a further $34 million will be spent in 2004 05 on the Port of Brisbane expansion. Reliable, inexpensive electricity is fundamental to Queensland's ongoing development. Over the next 5years, Queensland's consumption of electricity is forecast to significantly increase. In 2004-05 alone, energy GOCs will be spending approximately $1.7 billion on energy infrastructurethroughout Queensland, including $1.2 billion on expanding and upgrading Queensland's transmissionand distribution network. Another major highlight is the commencement of the $1.1 billion Kogan Creek power project nearChinchilla. Queensland continues to lead the country in investment in power generation.IMPROVING HEALTH CARE AND STRENGTHENING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITYQueenslanders enjoy a world-class health system and the Beattie Government is committed toimproving health services.In contrast, the Australian Government is putting bulk-billing General Practitioners out of the reach ofmany Queenslanders, putting more pressure on our emergency departments and not putting in their fairshare of hospital funding.The Beattie Government wants to improve the standard and accessibility of hospital and health servicesfor Queenslanders.Consistent with this priority, the 2004 05 Health Budget will increase by $500 million or 10.8% over lastyear's Budget.After the State election we immediately began to implement our elective surgery commitment andQueenslanders today are benefiting from the extra $20 million injected this financial year with a furtherprogram of $90 million over the next three years.Over the next four years this Budget provides for additional funding of:• $20 million for cardiac services;• $44 million for cancer care;• $13.2 million for oral health care; and• $37.8 million to relieve pressure on public hospital emergency departments.There is also an additional $24.2 million over two years for replacement of three Royal Flying DoctorService aircraft operating from bases in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville.In 2004 05, the Budget also includes funding for: • an additional $13 million for mental health services including the establishment of additional

community, clinical and administrative support positions;• an additional $8.5 million to ensure Queensland patients continue to have access to a safe and

sufficient supply of blood and blood products;


• an increase in State funding for the Home and Community Care program of over $8 million;• an additional $7.2 million for child health initiatives; and • an additional $4 million to improve access to health services for Indigenous Queenslanders.The Beattie Government is also continuing to address the key infrastructure needed to deliver qualityhealth services, beyond what we have delivered through our massive hospital building program.Over the next three years more than $1 billion is allocated for the Health capital program including:• $77 million for a new emergency department and 120 extra beds at Prince Charles Hospital;• $200 million as part of the Smart State Building Fund initiative for the integration of community

and hospital based health services, hospital redevelopments and emergency departmentupgrades and staff accommodation upgrades across Queensland;

• $249 million will be invested in information and communication technologies to improve access toclinical information in both community care and hospital settings, and continue the developmentand replacement of technical infrastructure;

• $148 million for medical technology;• $10 million to enhance renal services across the State; and • $10 million to develop a 24 Hour Health Hotline to assist the community to access appropriate

health services. The Government will also finance the $88 million public component of the Mater HospitalReconstruction Project, which will include construction of a new Mater Mother's Hospital, refurbishmentof the Mater Adult Hospital and deliver an additional 112 public beds, 11 neonatal cots and 2 deliverysuites.Mr Speaker, in last year's Budget the Beattie Government committed $200 million in new funding overfour years as part of our agenda to deliver a better deal to people with disabilities, their families andcarers.Expenditure on disability services has been a priority of our Government so I am pleased to announcethat this Budget provides an additional $220 million over four years to further advance our agenda fordisability services. This goes much further than the commitment we made in the recent election.This new funding will be targeted towards priority areas such as the Adult Lifestyle Program, Support forChildren and Families, enhancing the viability of service providers, respite services and alternativeservices to support people with high support needs and challenging behaviours.Safe, secure and affordable housing is essential to individual wellbeing and helps lay a foundation ofstability in the lives of Queenslanders and the communities they live in.This is why the Budget allocates:• $76.9 million for public rental housing allowing for the commencement of 320 dwellings and the

completion of 285 dwellings;• $11.9 million to the Brisbane Housing Company for the completion of approximately 150 units of

accommodation, taking the total stock to over 300; • $30 million over three years including $10 million in the first year to improve the supply of

affordable housing; and • $30 million over three years as part of the Smart State Building Fund initiative for the construction

of Boarding Housing accommodation and for public housing upgrades across Queensland.The Beattie Government's successful Community Renewal Program will continue at a cost of$75 million over five years and will be expanded into nine new areas from Cairns to the Gold Coast.Infrastructure in the Torres Strait and the Northern Peninsula area will be further improved with fundingof $16.2 million over three years, matched by the Australian Government. We will also be seeking theAustralian Government's support for infrastructure improvements in mainland aboriginal communitiesthroughout the State.PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN AND ENHANCING COMMUNITY SAFETYThe Crime and Misconduct Commission inquiry into the abuse of children in foster care identified thatover a long period of time the Queensland child protection system had failed to deliver the necessarysupport and services.The Beattie Government is absolutely committed to changing that by reforming foster care andenhancing the child protection system in Queensland.We have a Blueprint for implementing the Crime and Misconduct Commission's recommendations andare committed to its implementation.The resources committed in this Budget and through the last Mid Year Budget Review involvesapproximately $214 million in additional annual funding by 2006-07.This additional funding provides for a range of initiatives, including:


• over 500 additional staff for the new Department of Child Safety;• additional staff for the Commissioner for Children and Young People, including an expanded

community visitor program;• increasing the number of alternative care places to 680 over the next four years for young people

not suited to conventional foster care;• more training and recruitment and retention strategies for staff;• staged increases in payments for foster carers;• more therapeutic services such as counselling and disability support for children in care; and• enhanced Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team arrangements.The Beattie Government is committed to ensuring our police are properly resourced and equipped.In 2004-05 the number of sworn officers will grow by 350 reaching our target of 9,100 officers bySeptember 2005. That represents over 2,300 extra police since we came to Government.On achieving this target the Beattie Government will maintain the police to population ratio above thenational average.The Budget also provides $29.5 million for new and replacement facilities for the Queensland PoliceService.The Community Ambulance Cover is now giving the Queensland Ambulance Service a solid fundingbase.Over the next three years ambulance services will be improved through:• the employment of 240 extra paramedics;• 22 new or refurbished ambulance stations; and• 200 new or refurbished ambulance vehicles.PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTUREMr Speaker, it is essential that we manage the development of our natural resources in an ecologicallysustainable way.The sustainable use of natural resources will secure the future of key industries and the maintenance ofbiodiversity will secure the integrity of the natural environment for future generations.Historic new laws were recently passed to phase out broadscale land clearing in Queensland byDecember 2006.This is the most significant environmental decision in Queensland's history.In the absence of Australian Government support, the Beattie Government will double its previousfunding commitment to provide a $150 million adjustment assistance package.This package will include funding to help landholders build up existing enterprises or establish newenterprises on their land, to support rural industry groups in promoting best practice sustainableagriculture and for incentives to support landholders willing to manage and maintain native vegetationas part of their operation.To enhance the protection of Queensland's natural heritage, this Budget commits funding of $15 millionover three years to buy strategic parcels of high conservation value land to add to the protected estate.This includes $12.5 million for land acquisition in Cape York and the Daintree.We will also contribute $5 million to the Queensland Trust for Nature to initiate the establishment of apublic fund which will purchase land for conservation purposes. An additional $6 million over three years is also provided to upgrade visitor facilities in our NationalParks.GOVERNMENT FINANCESMr Speaker, the fiscal principles that have been the foundation of successive Beattie Governmentbudgets have allowed us to manage the effects of external factors, the impact of geopolitical events onequity markets and maintain our AAA credit rating.While the equity markets in recent years adversely impacted our investment returns and our operatingresult, 2003-04 has seen a major upturn in global equity markets.This equity market upturn, coupled with strong property market activity, has contributed to a revision tothe forecast operating surplus for 2003-04 to over $2.3 billion. Even after adjusting for the structure ofQueensland superannuation arrangements, our underlying surplus is estimated at over $1.4 billion.This result more than offsets the two deficits recorded in 2000-01 and 2001 02.Based on our longer term investment return expectations and allowing for a moderation in propertymarket activity, the 2004 05 Budget provides for a net operating surplus of $646 million with surpluses ofthe order of $400 $500 million over the forward estimates period.


The improved operating result forecast for 2003 04 and over the forward estimates period has providedboth the capacity for a major boost to the expansion and upgrading of our service infrastructure and anenhanced capacity to manage external impacts on our operating position.REVENUESMr Speaker, every Queenslander and every Queensland business benefits from our competitive taxregime.Based on Budget forecasts if you live in Queensland you will pay $1,614 per capita in State taxescompared with $2,056 per capita for the average of the other States. In other words taxpayers in otherStates pay 27% more than Queenslanders. Our payroll tax rate is 4.75%—the lowest in Australia.We have committed to abolishing the Bank Account Debits Tax from 1 July 2005 at a cost to revenue ofaround $190 million.The Beattie Government has already honoured our election commitment to help young Queenslanderswho are finding it hard to buy their first home by providing stamp duty relief.From 1 May this year first home buyers buying a house up to $250,000 pay no transfer duty and nomortgage duty and between $250,000 and $500,000 receive a transfer duty rebate on a sliding scale.Most states and territories in Australia do not provide a transfer duty concession for a home purchasethat is not the first home.Currently in Queensland a concessional transfer duty rate of 1% applies for the first $250,000 of thepurchase price for homes other than first homes.As announced from 1 August 2004 the threshold for this concessional duty rate will be increased from$250,000 to $300,000.This enhanced concession will mean that Queenslanders purchasing a home valued at $300,000 ormore will pay $1,250 less in transfer duty.From 1 August 2004 the duty rate for Class 1 general insurance will be reduced from 8.5% to 7.5%. Thisreduced rate will particularly benefit policy-holders of building and contents cover.In addition, credit card duty, currently applied at 10 cents per credit card transaction, will be abolishedfrom 1 August 2004.Together, the abolition of debits tax and credit card duty, the reduced rate of duty on general insuranceand our stamp duty concessions for home purchases will save taxpayers approximately $300 million perannum from 1 July 2005.DELIVERING RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENTThe Beattie Government is a responsive Government.We listen to the community through our regional community forums and regional Cabinet meetings. Wehave held a history-making sitting of Parliament in Townsville and, as the Premier has alreadyannounced, we will be taking a sitting of Parliament to Rockhampton.A number of e-democracy initiatives designed to use information technology to enhance communityaccess to and participation in government decision making processes have been successfully trialledand will be continued.A significant part of being responsive and accountable is ensuring that the community gets value formoney through cost effective services.We are continuing to develop and expand services available to the public through our single accesspoint, Smart Service Queensland.Value for money opportunities to deliver infrastructure are being pursued through our Public PrivatePartnerships framework.Value for money is also being driven through our shared services model for the delivery of corporateservices within Government.CONCLUSIONMr Speaker, at the State election we asked the voters to support the Beattie Government to keep ourState moving and to keep building the new Queensland for all Queenslanders.This Budget delivers on our election commitments and goes beyond that.We are improving core services particularly for those most in need including vulnerable children andpeople with a disability.We are boosting infrastructure spending, including essential transport infrastructure.Our fiscal position is stronger and confirms the Government's fiscal management over recent turbulenttimes.Our economy is growing, diversifying and performing strongly.

1424 Adjournment 15 Jun 2004

We are building the new Queensland for all Queenslanders.I commend the Bill to the House.

Debate, on motion of Mr Springborg, adjourned.

ADJOURNMENTHon. A.M. BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Leader of the House) (2.43 p.m.): I move—

That the House do now adjourn.

Motion agreed to.The House adjourned at 2.43 p.m.

2004 06 15 hansard - queensland parliament · "a bill for an act to imply terms in...

Documents