4957
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Tuesday 6 September 2011
______
The Speaker (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 12.00 p.m.
The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country.
APPROPRIATION BILL 2011
DUTIES AMENDMENT (FIRST HOME—NEW HOME) BILL 2011
Bills introduced on motion by Mr Mike Baird.
Agreement in Principle
Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly—Treasurer) [12.00 p.m.]: I move:
That these bills be now agreed to in principle.
BUDGET SPEECH
The people of this State voted for change on 26 March.
We are grateful for the trust they placed in us—and we respect their mandate.
We understand our obligation to them is to deliver our election commitments, to do what is necessary to fix Labor's mess, and to make New South Wales number one again.
On 26 March the people of this State changed the Government because they know that after 16 years of Labor, New South Wales needs rebuilding.
We were elected to rebuild New South Wales, and that is exactly what we are going to do.
"Rebuilding New South Wales" means repairing what was left behind, improving services, and building the infrastructure we so desperately need.
Through the successful delivery of our 100 Day Plan, we have made early progress.
This budget is the next stage in rebuilding New South Wales, in making New South Wales number one again.
This budget delivers our election commitments for more teachers for our kids, more nurses for the sick, and more police to keep us safe.
This budget delivers our election commitments in infrastructure with record spending to address the building backlog left by Labor—including over a billion dollars on hospitals across the State.
This budget regains control of the State's finances, delivering a turnaround in the budget balance of $5.2 billion over the next four years, while funding our election commitments.
This returns the budget to modest surplus from 2012-13 and protects the triple-A credit rating.
Governments that lose control of their budgets lose control of their destiny.
Governments with debt and deficit problems are unable to deliver the services and infrastructure needed to keep pace with growing public demand.
4958 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
They also have few options available when external shocks emerge.
To look around the world today is to see governments unable to do what they were elected to do, with their fate left in the hands of creditors, not voters.
Like many regional economies around the world, New South Wales is exposed to global events.
The 2008 Global Financial Crisis demonstrated just how quickly global events can turn.
Labor's record of economic underperformance and rising debt has left us exposed.
Labor's Legacy—what we inherited
Let us not forget what we inherited.
New South Wales should be the engine room of the national economy, but in the last 10 years under Labor we had the slowest economic growth of any major State, the lowest jobs growth of any mainland State and over the last five years the lowest business confidence in any State Government, and the lowest housing growth in the nation.
The "Incoming Government Briefing" provided to the O'Farrell Government by NSW Treasury confirmed our worst fears.
Treasury advice was stark. There had been a progressive deterioration in the State's finances, worsening budget results, weak economic performance, and under Labor the budget projections were "not fiscally sustainable".
With expenses projected to grow faster than revenue over the forward estimates, budget deficits were expected to grow, reaching $2.4 billion by 2014-15.
Had these circumstances continued, the triple-A credit rating was likely to have been lost within the current term of Government.
This was the dark economic path ahead under New South Wales Labor, the path that was hidden from the people of New South Wales.
The O'Farrell Government also has inherited an undisclosed $5.2 billion hole in the budget forward estimates. This is confirmed again by Treasury in the budget today.
Irrespective of how it is described, this was the difference between the budget forecasts released by Labor days before the election, and the forecasts provided to the incoming Government by NSW Treasury just days later.
It is a reality that the O'Farrell Government did not create, but we will deal with it.
Budget Result 2010-11
The 2010-11 budget result is a $1.3 billion surplus compared to last year's budget forecast of $773 million.
This better-than-expected headline result has been driven by a range of factors including lower expenses, particularly during the most recent June quarter.
The budget papers outline how it has also been driven by timing differences, accounting adjustments and revaluations.
The surplus is welcome but proper analysis of any budget result, whether household, business or government, requires examination of the underlying position.
Such examination reveals the mirage of budget results under Labor.
Excluding the Federal Government's economic stimulus measures, the New South Wales budget has been in underlying deficit for two of the past three years. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4959
Similarly, the $1.3 billion surplus recorded for 2010-11 is built almost entirely on more than a billion dollars of Federal stimulus funding spent on capital works.
The result was further boosted by $350 million in prepaid capital rail grants shifted into 2009-10 at the direction of the former Government.
Including these rail grants in 2010-11 as intended under the capital program, and excluding the Federal stimulus used to fund capital works, the actual budget result for 2010-11 would have been a deficit of nearly $200 million.
It is a reminder that increased transparency in reporting is required. We have made some progress this year but more needs to be done, and I commit today to fully review the structure and presentation of future budget papers to ensure they are presented in the public interest instead of political interest.
Legacy Liabilities
In preparing the budget the Government has also identified a number of contingent or potentially contingent liabilities that had not been previously disclosed.
In relation to the gentrader sale, we have received advice that the coal sale contracts for Cobbora Coal Mine are at prices below the expected cost of production for currently contracted volumes, with an estimated negative value to the State of $300 million.
Preliminary views also suggest that stranded costs for the distribution networks have blown out by more than $400 million since the deal was completed.
This is not the limit of the Government's concern in relation to the electricity sale. Matters such as amounts received for the assets, process, and ongoing impacts for New South Wales are being considered by the Tamberlin inquiry.
In addition, a range of other issues could present financial risk, noting that Reliance Rail, Tcard litigation and university superannuation remain ongoing concerns for the Government.
2011-12 Budget Result and Cyclical Deterioration
The Government also faces the economic challenge of slowing growth.
Economic growth has slowed in 2011.
Sovereign debt concerns in the Eurozone and uncertainty over fiscal settings in the United Stateshave intensified at the same time that the high Australian dollar has weakened conditions in some non-mining areas of the economy.
In recent months global uncertainty has continued to affect consumer confidence, which has fallen sharply in recent months to levels not seen since the slowdown of 2009.
Treasury has revised down its gross State product forecast for 2011-12 from 3½ per cent to 2½ per cent. This one percentage point reduction will significantly impact the underlying budget result.
Revenues have correspondingly been revised lower in the 2011-12 budget, largely reflecting a more subdued housing market and consumer spending.
Forecasts for GST revenue for 2011-12 have been revised down by $395 million since the half yearly review.
The State's output is expected to recover from a period of below trend growth in 2011-12 to above trend growth in 2012-13 based on the strengthening of private sector spending.
Employment growth is expected to slow in the short term, but the unemployment rate is expected to remain relatively stable at 5¼ per cent over the medium term. 4960 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
The $260 million budget hit from Labor's Solar Bonus Scheme in this year alone is a reminder of Labor's failure, and of the need for all governments to place fiscal responsibility at the core of their decisions.
An operating deficit of $718 million is therefore expected in 2011-12, reflecting the global economic outlook, the downward revision of growth forecasts, Solar Bonus Scheme costs, and restructuring costs.
Rebuilding the Finances
The first priority in responding to the economic challenges we face is to rebuild the State's finances.
Unless we get our finances under control we hand the destiny of New South Wales to the whims of global financial markets.
That is why we have outlined a clear path to surplus.
Return to Surplus
Following the deficit in 2011-12, the Government intends to return the budget to surplus in 2012-13 and beyond.
The budget is projected to return to an average surplus of $200 million over the following three years, beginning with a surplus of $292 million in 2012-13.
Taking into account the over $900 million deterioration in revenues since March this year, the total turnaround delivered by this budget over the forward estimates is $5.2 billion compared to the forecasts confronting us in March this year.
Structural Reforms
To achieve this budget turnaround, approximately $8 billion of savings are needed over the next four years. This requires tough decisions including a combination of long-term structural reforms and additional savings measures.
The Commission of Audit is working to identify potential structural reform options that will deliver improvements to service and value for taxpayers.
The Government has already commenced long-term structural reform in several key areas to deliver better services and savings for the taxpayers.
The restructure of NSW Health involves the abolition of a whole layer of administrative bureaucracy, with about 8,000 staff to be devolved to the new local health districts. This will reduce administrative positions by around 300 and free up more than $80 million for front-line health services.
A major restructure of the Transport portfolio is being undertaken, bringing RailCorp, Sydney Ferries, the Roads and Traffic Authority and other agencies together into an integrated transport authority, "Transport for New South Wales".
This will initially reduce administrative and back office positions by around 350 and free up resources to improve front-line customer service. The next stage of reform will ensure that all transport agencies are run more efficiently and move towards local and global benchmarks.
Contestability
The Government has moved quickly to introduce greater contestability in the provision of public services, for example, through the franchising of Sydney Ferries.
The example of the new fast ferry service to Manly shows that huge benefits can be achieved in patronage increases, customer service, reliability and efficiency. Indeed these vastly superior services save the Government close to $8 million a year. This is exactly what we are seeking across the entire Sydney ferry network. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4961
Within the Transport cluster the Government is now examining the potential for greater contestability in the provision of road maintenance.
Prisons
The Government is also examining the potential for greater contestability in the provision of corrective services, as part of a prison reform process currently underway. We are also addressing the surplus capacity within our State's prisons.
To address this surplus capacity and align our State's prison system with community needs, the Berrima, Parramatta and Kirkconnell correctional centres will be closed and the inmates will be relocated to other facilities.
The prison reform process is expected to involve a reduction of around 350 positions across the Department of Corrective Services to be met through voluntary redundancies.
Police Death and Disability Scheme
The Government is committed to maintaining a death and disability insurance scheme that provides genuine financial support for our injured police officers. Police serving on the front line deserve to know that if they get injured we will support them.
However, the current Police Death and Disability Scheme has been under financial strain for a number of years. The scheme was designed and established by the previous Government in 2005 but has never operated within its budget.
In its current form it is not sustainable. This is the view of the scheme's own actuaries, and it is also the opinion of the Auditor-General.
In response, the Government is considering reform to the current scheme, while supporting the commitment for Government to contribute 3.6 per cent of eligible officers' salaries towards the scheme.
Discussions within a consultative group to date have been constructive, and we acknowledge the role of the Police Association in this process. The Government expects this reform to be completed by the end of the year.
Delivering Savings
These and other structural reforms will help improve the quality of public services. They will also help get our budget back onto a sustainable basis.
These reforms alone will not deliver the savings needed to turn around the finances, and they will need to be complemented by a range of additional savings measures.
Procurement
The Government is implementing its election commitment on procurement. Savings of more than a billion dollars are expected from procurement reform, including improved purchasing, whole-of-government contracts, and reduced expenditure on consultants, travel and advertising.
Wages Policy
The Government's wages policy and changes to managing excess employees are expected to avoid costs of around $2 billion over the next four years.
The previous Government's wages policy, introduced in 2007, required any wage increases above 2.5 per cent to be offset by savings. Labor failed to adhere to this policy, resulting in a savings shortfall of around $900 million over the last four years.
Our approach strikes a balance between maintaining the real value of wages for public servants and the ability of the taxpayers, through the budget, to fund wage increases. 4962 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
The Government has also ended the "no forced redundancies" policy that gave rise to the Labor Government's "unattached" list.
Efficiency Dividend and Program Savings
Efficiency dividend and program savings measures will deliver savings of around $6 billion over the next four years.
Labor introduced an efficiency dividend in 2006 to deliver savings to the budget. While efficiency dividend savings targets were subsequently included in Labor's budget forecasts, many of the savings were not implemented.
The Government will maintain and deliver Labor's efficiency dividend savings over the forward estimates. An additional efficiency dividend savings target of $150 million has also been included for 2014-15.
$800 million in savings will also be delivered through a comprehensive assessment of programs against a range of criteria, including effectiveness and value. Over the next three years, programs no longer delivering for the taxpayers will be discontinued.
Voluntary Redundancies
To underpin delivery of these savings, the O'Farrell Government is prepared to offer around 5,000 voluntary redundancies over the next four years, primarily to reduce the number of head office and backroom positions in non-service delivery areas across the public sector.
This is a difficult but necessary decision. It also compares with similar approaches in other States.
Further reductions are also likely to occur through normal staff turnover and natural attrition.
These measures will be delivered in accordance with our election commitments to deliver improved front-line services.
Solar Bonus—Climate Change Fund
One of the first problems confronting the Government was the blowout in costs of Labor's Solar Bonus Scheme.
The cost of the scheme, initially thought to be $355 million, has since blown out to $1.75 billion, delivering a significant blow to the budget.
To minimise the impact on electricity users the Government has absorbed some of these costs, including an additional $260 million hit in this year's budget.
However, recovering the costs of Labor's failure will require a further $150 million increase in the Climate Change Fund contributions from 2013-14.
This is expected to increase annual average electricity bills by around $10 to $12 per household.
The Government regrets the impact this will have on electricity users, but Labor's failure has made this necessary.
Rebuild Services
These hard decisions to restore the finances have been taken so we have the capacity to rebuild services for the community.
Health and Hospitals
Our first budget commits over $17 billion to health—a record health budget.
The budget includes funding for the first 940 of more than 2,400 additional nurses to be delivered in our first term. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4963
We are also funding the first 660 of nearly 1,400 more hospital beds to be maintained and delivered over the next four years.
Funding is also being provided for an extra 1,600 surgical procedures as part of our commitment to provide 13,000 more procedures over the next four years.
Education
Our first budget also delivers 200 more teachers as part of our Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan, which will deliver 900 more teachers over the next five years.
The budget also increases school maintenance funding to $289 million this year, an increase of nearly 11 per cent on last year, to help address the backlog we inherited from Labor.
Transport
The budget takes strong action to deliver better transport services, with more express rail services, trains, 261 new buses, and an investment of over $100 million to expand light rail services.
Police
We are also acting to deliver more police and improve community safety.
Over the next four years 550 additional police officers will be employed, including 150 more police this year.
The budget also delivers our commitment to four new police stations and station upgrades across the State, and boosts funding to the police and community youth clubs funding for new clubs and club upgrades.
Rebuild Infrastructure
The Government was elected to rebuild the State's infrastructure and that is exactly what we are doing.
It is why our first budget delivers the biggest infrastructure commitment in the history of the State, totalling $62.6 billion over the next four years.
Even including the $5 billion of Federal stimulus, the O'Farrell Government will spend nearly $7 billion more on infrastructure in its first four years than the last four years of Labor—an increase of more than 12 per cent.
This is only possible when hard decisions are taken to get the finances in order.
Hospitals
Nowhere is Labor's infrastructure backlog felt more than in our hospitals, particularly in the regions. We campaigned on an ambitious building program for new hospitals and hospital upgrades across the State and that is what we are delivering.
It is why, at $1.08 billion, the health capital works program in this budget is a record, including a record $343 million for new works.
In fact, the value of major new health projects commencing this year is over $1.3 billion, with around 45 per cent of this expenditure in rural and regional areas.
Total spending on Health capital works over the next four years is expected to be around $4.7 billion—a 50 per cent increase on the last four years of Labor.
From Blacktown to Wagga Wagga, from Campbelltown to Port Macquarie, from Dubbo to the Northern Beaches, hospital projects are being funded right across the State over the next four years.
Transport
The budget invests $6.3 billion in infrastructure investment in transport and roads, an increase of nearly 10 per cent on Labor's last budget. 4964 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
We are also moving quickly to deliver our commitment for greater investment in roads.
$3.2 billion has been committed for roads this year, including funds for our election commitments on road black spots and congestion, upgrading the Princes Highway, and a billion-dollar commitment to the Pacific Highway.
North West Rail Link
The budget invests more than $600 million for our election commitments on the North West and South West rail links.
Since the election we have made good on our promise to fast-track the North West Rail Link. We have established a project team, community information centre, briefed the industry, and awarded tenders.
Today we have backed that up with real money—$314 million this year to develop the line between Epping and Rouse Hill, including $222 million for land acquisition.
This project is well and truly no longer just talk—it is underway.
South West Rail Link
The Government has already overseen the laying of the first track for the South West Rail Link, and we are ready for major construction to forge ahead.
$292 million is being provided to continue work on the South West Rail Link, including twin track between Glenfield and Leppington, two new stations at Edmondson Park and Leppington, car parking, and a train stabling facility at Rossmore.
Delivering Infrastructure
Delivering this record investment in infrastructure requires a new approach and a robust funding program.
We have moved quickly to establish Infrastructure NSW to improve the way infrastructure is assessed and delivered. We are also delivering new options to help fund the backlog of essential infrastructure across the State.
The Government is providing $70 million over five years to address the local government infrastructure backlog. This is expected to provide the capacity for up to a billion dollars in additional investment by local councils.
We are also providing $350 million over four years to establish the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund, and legislation has been passed to establish Restart NSW, the O'Farrell Government's key infrastructure fund.
Around one-third of all funding provided for infrastructure projects through Restart NSW will be quarantined to deliver infrastructure in the regions.
Restart NSW will be funded from a range of sources, including windfall revenues when in surplus, funds made available by the long-term lease of the Sydney Desalination Plant, and Waratah Bonds.
Sydney Desalination Plant
We are delivering on our commitment to refinance Sydney Water's desalination plant to free up funds for infrastructure.
Based on market estimates, up to $1.5 billion or more could be raised through this transaction.
Port Botany
However, the scale of Labor's infrastructure backlog requires more funding. We are making a record investment in infrastructure, but more needs to be done. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4965
The recent funding offer from the Commonwealth in relation to Pacific Highway funding has placed added pressure on our infrastructure spending.
In its last budget, the Commonwealth allocated $750 million for the Pacific Highway to 2014-15, but only on the condition that the New South Wales Government matched this amount.
Notwithstanding our differences with the Commonwealth on other matters, this offer provides an opportunity for a historic contribution to the upgrade. While falling short of previous Commonwealth commitments, we are determined to provide the funds needed to match the Commonwealth offer.
The Government has therefore decided to proceed to market with the long-term lease of Port Botany.
Funds released by the transaction will be used to match the Commonwealth's funding offer on the Pacific Highway and to deliver further improvements in the Princes Highway, as well as for other key infrastructure projects through Restart NSW.
Existing ownership arrangements for the Port of Newcastle and Port Kembla will be retained, and the port facilities in Sydney Harbour will remain under State management.
The introduction of a private operator at Port Botany will increase contestability and help drive further efficiency on the waterfront, which will in turn help to further develop the New South Wales economy.
Rebuild Protection of the Vulnerable
Despite the task left to us to repair the State's finances, this Government will, as much as any financial measure, be proud to be judged on how we deliver for the most vulnerable.
Disability Services
That is why I am pleased that our first budget includes a record $1.4 billion in new growth funding for disability services as part of the five-year $2 billion Stronger Together II program.
This is the largest funding commitment to disability services in New South Wales history and the largest yet made by any government in Australia.
This new funding will boost disability services capacity by an estimated 47,000 new places and provides a foundation to transform disability services, with or without national reform.
Disability Employment Plan
Today I am also pleased to announce a further initiative in the budget that will give those with a disability who are able to work a better chance of finding a job.
The Government will allocate $8 million over the next four years to provide a payroll tax rebate to any employer providing a permanent job for someone with a disability coming through the Government's Transition to Work Program.
We will work with all stakeholders to finalise an appropriate model for commencement in January next year.
Social Benefit Bonds
This Government is determined to deliver better outcomes for less fiscal risk.
That is why we are establishing a trial of two Social Benefit Bonds to focus on improved social outcomes and reduced demand for future government services.
These bonds are financial instruments that pay a return to investors based on the achievement of agreed social outcomes.
This approach changes the culture of service delivery to outcomes, improving the effectiveness of every dollar spent. 4966 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Building on the work of a small trial in the United Kingdom, this initiative intends to target out-of-home care and justice programs.
Rebuild Confidence
After 16 years of Labor we need to rebuild confidence in New South Wales.
Recent global events have reinforced how confidence levels can influence activity.
We will rebuild confidence in the New South Wales economy by taking control of our budget and protecting the triple-A credit rating.
Our Jobs Action Plan is helping build business confidence. We are delivering payroll tax relief to employers to provide a direct incentive to create jobs and economic activity.
Our record capital spending on health and transport infrastructure will also restore confidence. The economic activity generated by this investment will help underpin growth, particularly in the regions at a time when confidence is needed.
Rebuilding the New Home Sector
At the same time, the significant undersupply in the housing market is a major challenge.
We have already undertaken a number of reforms to increase housing supply, including the release of 10,000 new housing lots, a comprehensive review of the planning laws and extending concessions on State infrastructure levies.
We have also extended the Home Builder's Bonus for over-55s who buy a newly built home and abolished Labor's $400 million homebuyer's tax.
With new housing construction at historically weak levels and a weak fiscal position, we need to target our assistance to homebuyers to where it is most needed in the economy.
The Government has therefore decided that from 1 January next year, while all eligible first home buyers will continue to receive the $7,000 first home owner's grant, eligibility for additional stamp duty concessions will be limited to those purchasing newly constructed homes, including those "off the plan".
We recognise this is a difficult decision, but we believe it is necessary to make buying a new home relatively more attractive than buying an existing dwelling for first homebuyers.
We will continue to closely monitor housing sector conditions and will work closely with the sector to develop further options to encourage growth.
A Decision to Stand Up to Canberra
The O'Farrell Government faces additional economic challenges brought about by the current Federal Labor Government.
In this financial year New South Wales will receive around $900 million less GST revenue than is estimated to be raised in this State. Each household in this State will be around $300 worse off on GST.
In addition, the people of New South Wales who paid the most for the flood levy will be hit by Federal Labor's means test of the private health insurance rebate and have also missed out on their fair share of Federal infrastructure funding.
Federal Labor's proposed gambling measures, if implemented, will also hit State revenue.
Federal Carbon Tax—Impacts on the New South Wales Budget
New South Wales will also bear the brunt of Federal Labor's carbon tax. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4967
NSW Treasury analysis confirms that New South Wales will face a larger negative impact than most other States, and that some regions will face disproportionately adverse consequences. The Hunter and Illawarra will be particularly hard hit.
The carbon tax cost to the State budget is also expected to cost up to $900 million or more over the forward estimates, including reduced dividend income from State-owned electricity generators. The value of our generator assets is also expected to diminish by $3.6 billion.
So far, the Commonwealth has refused to discuss the impact of the carbon tax on our budget, income and assets. This is unacceptable.
We cannot stand by while the Federal Government proposes to pay up to $800 million or more in compensation to the French Government through the ownership of generation assets in Victoria while New South Wales receives nothing.
We are not going to accept a multibillion-dollar hit without taking action to protect the budget on behalf of the people of New South Wales.
We are prepared to use all means within our power to recover the costs to the State of the Gillard Government's carbon tax.
The State of New South Wales has levied mining royalties since 1884. Mining royalties are a State responsibility, and, like other States, we maintain our right to set mining royalty arrangements in accordance with the State's interests.
To offset the cost of the carbon tax on the New South Wales budget, the Government plans to increase State mining royalties.
The offset increase will apply only to those companies subject to the Commonwealth's proposed mining resources rent tax.
Noting the commitment of the Commonwealth to reimburse these companies for their State royalty liabilities, the Commonwealth will bear the cost, not the mining companies.
This will deliver Commonwealth compensation to the taxpayers of New South Wales for the carbon tax cost to the State.
We will work with the mining sector on the implementation of the carbon tax offset increase, and will finalise details once the Commonwealth's mining resources rent tax legislation is finalised.
Conclusion
On 26 March the people of New South Wales voted for change, and for the decisions needed to turn around this State.
They voted for change from a budgeting culture that saw deficits hidden, our triple-A credit rating at risk, and long-term challenges ignored—an approach that would in effect have left a mortgage for our kids but not a house.
Today we have taken further strong steps away from this perilous path.
This rebuilding budget delivers for the people of New South Wales.
It takes control of the finances and puts New South Wales on a sustainable economic path.
It enables the O'Farrell Government to get on with the job of improving services, building infrastructure, and protecting the vulnerable.
It is a responsibility we take seriously, and we do not underestimate the scale of the task left by Labor.
Fixing the problems we inherited will take time. It will not be achieved in a single budget. 4968 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
That is why work will begin immediately on the Government's next budget—to be delivered in nine months, in June 2012.
We look forward to being judged on our record, not our words. It is what the community demands, and what we expect.
Let us get on with the job of rebuilding New South Wales.
I commend the bills to the House.
Debate adjourned on motion by Mr John Robertson and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Mr Mike Baird tabled copies of the Budget Speech 2011-12, Budget Paper No. 1; Budget Statement 2011-12, Budget Paper No. 2; Budget Estimates 2011-12, Volumes 1 and 2, Budget Paper No. 3; Infrastructure Statement 2011-12, Budget Paper No. 4; Long-Term Fiscal Pressure Report 2011-12, Budget Paper No. 6; and Budget Overview 2011-12.
Ordered to be printed on motion by Mr Mike Baird.
The SPEAKER: Order! I advise members that copies of the budget papers are available for collection from the Table Office.
[The Speaker left the chair at 12.33 p.m. The House resumed at 1.00 p.m.]
PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ______
HAWKESBURY CITY EISTEDDFOD DIAMOND JUBILEE
Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) [1.00 p.m.]: I inform the House today about the good work of Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod in my electorate of Riverstone. Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod is enjoying its diamond jubilee this year, although this represents its sixtieth eisteddfod, not its sixtieth year. The Hawkesbury eisteddfod's history actually goes back to the 1930s when it began its life at the Richmond School of Arts. It was conducted at this location for a number of years before moving to the church hall in New Street, Windsor, and later in about 1979 to its current home, the then newly completed Cultural and Community Centre in Windsor, now known as the Windsor Function Centre.
Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod is a major cultural event that is held in the Hawkesbury every year. In recent years, annually 5,000 people have performed on stage with 3,500 coming along to watch and support the performances. Although the Hawkesbury eisteddfod has staunch local support, its reputation attracts not only locals but also people from Canberra, the Blue Mountains, Bathurst and the Central Coast. Hawkesbury City Council has a country-city alliance with Weddin Shire Council and Cabonne Council. This year, as a result of its sisterly relationship, the Grenfell Concert Band from Weddin competed at the eisteddfod. The eisteddfod is fortunate to have a high level of support from schools in the area, with students from most local schools participating.
In this year's program at least 35 schools, both locally and further afield, have participated. Between 1,500 and 2,000 school students participate each year. Students compete in events as diverse as instrumental performances on piano, violin and brass, solo, duet and choral singing, all types of dancing, speechmaking and drama. Beyond those of school age, contestants aged as young as five through to mature adults compete as well. This year I had the good fortune to present the award for the category of Community Choral Group to a mature group of participants. Higher School Certificate students have the opportunity to perform on stage before their Higher School Certificate examinations and receive a written critique from a qualified adjudicator. This helps them to prepare for their Higher School Certificate performance.
No event of this scale could occur without the tireless work of volunteers, and I want to take some time in this place to honour those volunteers for their service. Many local volunteers have given their service over 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4969
many years. The eisteddfod committee, which is led by president Gillian Wilkins and coordinator Carolyn McKenzie, works tirelessly towards the event's success. I want to place on record my appreciation for the work of the innumerable convenors, adjudicators and judges and acknowledge a couple of people in particular. Mrs Rose Smith, 91, is one of the pillars of the eisteddfod movement and only recently relinquished her committee responsibilities. She recalls first being on the eisteddfod committee as a young bride. She was a singer in her time and still attends performances and meetings as she is able. She donates prizes, including the Harry Smith Prize for Singing in her late husband's memory.
Mrs Betty Wrigley, 80, is also a mainstay of the eisteddfod, acting as treasurer from around 1979 and again only relinquishing those responsibilities reluctantly within the last few years. She still helps organise events and acts as a point of contact for those who wish to support the eisteddfod. It is heartening to know that the younger generation is coming on as well in support of the eisteddfod. I am proud of the voluntary efforts of students via the Schools Industry Partnership at the Nirimba Education Precinct in my electorate. They are attached to the Eisteddfod for Work Experience and help ensure that the event is well run.
Whereas eisteddfods in other areas have fallen by the wayside due to lack of interest and organisation or tough times, I am pleased to say that the Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod is going from strength to strength. It is well supported by Hawkesbury City Council. That support extends back to Windsor Municipal Council before its amalgamation with Colo Shire Council in 1981, which created Hawkesbury City Council. The council, the staff of Windsor Function Centre, Rotary, the Christian Women's Association, the Hawkesbury Gazette and others deserve mention.
Many participants in eisteddfods gain confidence through the experience and go on to greater things. They apply the qualities and skills they learn to other areas of their life. Some famous past participants of Hawkesbury City Eisteddfod include Duncan Gifford, an award-winning concert pianist and a professor of music in later life, and Silvinia and Catherine Strano who became internationally famous guitarists. Bec Cartwright danced there as a child. Participants learn the importance of presentation and gain the benefits of the discipline they must learn in order to attain mastery of artistic expression. For these reasons, it is fitting that I draw the attention of the House to this most worthy and long-lived community activity.
REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
Mr NICK LALICH (Cabramatta) [1.05 p.m.]: It was a great honour to have been invited to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia. This important celebration was held at the Panthers Triglav Club at St Johns Park on 19 June 2011. I thank Triglav Panthers for inviting me to be part of this significant occasion and for hosting this celebratory lunch. I also was invited to the Slovenian Social Club in Wetherill Park to mark this momentous occasion with the Slovenian Association Sydney, which is proudly led by its president Mr Stefan Sernek. Although the association was officially registered in 1971, it has made an outstanding contribution to the Slovenian community throughout Sydney, from east to west, since 1956.
Australia was one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Slovenia. This occurred under the leadership of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who was heavily involved in preparing Australia's recognition of the Republic of Slovenia. Bob's hard work was carried on by Paul Keating and a few months later Slovenia was officially recognised by Australia as an independent country. I acknowledge Triglav Panthers' involvement in helping the movement of Slovenian democracy achieve its goal. My electorate of Cabramatta embraces its cultural diversity, with people coming from all over the world to build a home in our community.
For over 30 years Triglav Panthers has provided the local and Slovenian community alike with a little piece of Slovenia. The Slovenian people, who pass down their cultural heritage and traditions from the old to the young, are known for their love of folk dancing and the popular bowls sport of bocce. Triglav Panthers Club offers a range of facilities and entertainment, including a language school, drama and choir groups, sporting competitions, dances, picnics and celebrations of key dates in both the Slovenian and Australian calendar. We are fortunate to have the Slovenian community contributing their wonderful culture and traditions to our city.
As well as it being the twentieth anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia, 2011 marks the thirtieth birthday of Triglav Panthers Club. Since its establishment in 1971 the club has been an important social and cultural meeting point for members of the Slovenian community, the people of St Johns Park and the community of Cabramatta. It was intended to be a home away from home, a piece of Slovenia that Sydney could call its own, and a place for Slovenian migrants to meet and get in contact with others from their 4970 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
community rather than feel lost and homesick in a new place. It is with the continual support of clubs such as Triglav Panthers that the Slovenian community and, by extension, the wider community are able to benefit and prosper. Triglav Panthers continues to provide a place where members of the community can come together to enjoy recreation time, meet friends and partake in activities such as trivia, bingo, poker and tai chi.
I acknowledge Mr and Mrs Alfred Breznik, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia; Dr Zvone Zigon, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia; Mr Don Feltis, Chairman of Panthers Group of Clubs, and Mr Peter Krope, President of Triglav Panthers at St Johns Park and I thank them for their ongoing support of the Slovenian community within my electorate of Cabramatta. Members and guests at the club can also enjoy live bands and entertainment. Not so long ago no-one would have thought the Slovenian Club would be promoting a Cambodian band. Cabramatta truly is a diverse cultural centre and we celebrate that fact every day. I commend the Slovenian community for continuing to be a group of fine and upstanding citizens and members of the Cabramatta community. The presence of this community enriches us and I extend my warmest wishes as it celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Republic of Slovenia.
COMMONWEALTH BANK GREATER PORT MACQUARIE BUSINESS AWARDS
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) [1.10 p.m.]: This afternoon I speak in support of small business in the Port Macquarie electorate and acknowledge the fantastic success of the 2011 Commonwealth Bank Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards held on Friday night. The night paid tribute to more than 94 local businesses which are all striving to achieve success in an often difficult economic climate. It is no coincidence that the awards were held during Small Business September which celebrates the important role of small businesses in New South Wales as well as the vital contribution they make to this State. Small Business September offers small business owners and operators opportunities to learn about smart ways to succeed in an industry that forms the backbone of our economy.
The theme of Small Business September 2011 is: "See your business from a new perspective". Last Friday night more than 540 local people filled the Port Macquarie Panthers' auditorium to show their support for local small business in what has become one of the highlights on the Hastings social calendar. Twenty-five businesses won in specialist categories with two businesses inducted into the Hall of Fame. I recognise the outstanding work and congratulate each of the businesses nominated for an award. While all nominated businesses were deserving of a trophy, there can only be one winner in each of the categories.
The winners were: The Observatory, John Oxley Motors, Port Badges and Engraving, St Columba Anglican School, Willing and Able Foundation, Focus Magazine, PC Pitstop, Port Macquarie Day Spa, Finnians Irish Tavern, Peak Coffee and Oxley Insurance Brokers. Other winners include Bendigo Bank, Life Express Fitness Centre, Hastings Valley Landscapes, Zebu Bar and Grill, Men at Work, McGrath Real Estate, Majestic Cinemas, Ken Little's Quality Fruit and Veg, Lighthouse Cellars, Ricardoes Tomatoes, Childish Photography and the people's choice, Bella Rose Cafe. The Excellence in Business Award was won by East Port Veterinary Hospital and the Port Macquarie Community College and Little Brewing Company were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I congratulate all the winners and nominees.
I also acknowledge the many sponsors of the awards night. It takes a lot of time and money to organise such an event and it would not have been possible without the support of these sponsors. Credit should also go to the Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce, especially to Liesa Davies and Chamber President Rob Turner for leading the team to such a successful event. As someone who has run a small business for 15 years I understand how difficult it can be. The long hours and increasing paperwork can take their toll but working for oneself can also be very rewarding. To help celebrate Small Business September I worked on Friday afternoon at Harrington Beachside Meats with Sean and Julie and on Saturday Morning at Kenny Little's fruit and vegetable shop in Port Macquarie. I could only spend an hour in each shop but it was a stark reminder of how busy shop life can be.
I appreciate the support of each of those businesses in allowing me to work behind the counter. I also acknowledged the curious looks from some of the customers until I explained what I was doing and assured them I was not moonlighting as a shop assistant because I did not have enough work to do. Small Business September's month-long focus on small business highlights the commitment and hard work of people working in this sector, as well as offering them the opportunity to enhance their skills and extend their networks. Small Business September is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking for strategies to grow their own business in New South Wales. In what are definitely some of the toughest times for small business in New South Wales, I urge this House to do everything possible to help small business to get back on its feet and once again claim the title as the backbone of the State's economy. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4971
STATE BUDGET
Mr JAI ROWELL (Wollondilly) [1.15 p.m.]: I commend today the 2011 budget handed down by the Treasurer. The budget is a sign that the Government is committed to making disciplined decisions to get this State moving again. As the member for Wollondilly I am pleased to see south-west Sydney as the recipient of a number of funding allocations that are fundamental to the future prosperity of our region. This budget confirms our election commitment to leave no town, suburb or village behind in the State of New South Wales and our commitment to being a disciplined but fair Government for everyone, determined to invest in the services and infrastructure that are so vitally needed in this State.
This budget gets us living within our means, yet it will rebuild infrastructure, rebuild finances and rebuild services. The budget provides a record spend on infrastructure and a record spend on health. We said we would be different from those opposite after 16 years of neglect, those opposite who failed to deliver for their constituents and who took their electorate for granted. We are determined to be different. We have handed down a disciplined budget that was necessary to plan for the future. The budget was made all the more difficult by the $5.3 billion black hole left by Labor, a black hole we inherited as a parting gift from those opposite as a reminder of their economic incompetence. I am the proud member for Wollondilly and a proud member of this Liberal-Nationals Government.
The 2011 election that afforded me the opportunity to stand before you today was not an easy one to win. It came at great sacrifice, with hard work and determination. It required dedication and it required attention to an electorate that made it very clear New South Wales families were unhappy with the current direction of the State. Mums and dads, teenagers and seniors, many who had never spoken up about their political views in the past, were crying out for a change. They wanted and needed change, change that came with a contract between me as the representative for Wollondilly, the Premier and the people of this State. It was a contract that said we would deliver what we had promised. It is because of this that I am a proud member of this place who can say that the hard work has already begun. Just over 150 days in office and in our first budget my electorate of Wollondilly has already begun to reap the benefits of the change we all needed after 16 years.
Labor could not widen the F5 freeway, despite many commuters travelling to the city for work each and every day. Time lost on travel is time not spent with loved ones. But this Government will not forget the working families of New South Wales and has committed $25 million to complete the joint-funded widening of the F5 freeway to ensure one of the main arterial roads to and from the city which serves residents from Wollondilly will receive the attention it so desperately requires. But we are not stopping there—we will upgrade Narellan Road to the tune of $15 million, a main road which services residents of Wollondilly. Furthermore, the Premier has visited Picton Road on a number of occasions and understands the significance of upgrades to this dangerous stretch of road. I am proud that this Government has committed $848,000 in this year's budget as part of $12 million spent over four years.
Labor neglected Campbelltown Hospital for 16 years, only to rely on a political stunt a month before the election in an unpalatable attempt to swing voters. Labor does not care for timely health care services in my electorate, yet we as a Liberal-Nationals Government are set to deliver spending on hospitals and health capital works over the next four years in the amount of $4.7 billion, 50 per cent higher than spent over the last four years. Locally we are investing $139 million to commence the hospital upgrade, which includes the redevelopment and expansion of existing inpatient services by 70 beds to provide a mix of acute services and specialist care. Furthermore, this budget directs $15.5 million for 204 more nurses in western Sydney and $56 million to maintain 130 beds in western Sydney hospitals, including 20 in Campbelltown.
I am proud to see this funding directed to such a vital service: a hospital located in my electorate of Wollondilly that attends to the needs of residents across the entire Macarthur region. This budget includes $107,000 this year to establish the Dharawal National Park so that this unique environment can be protected for future generations. This is a commitment that the Premier took the time to explore himself, meeting local environmental groups. It is a commitment that Labor promised but failed to achieve. We are also delivering on the South West Rail Link, with $292 million invested in this year alone. Western Sydney commuters will also benefit from the allocation of $152 million to buy and upgrade new train carriages.
As part of our priority sewerage program $41 million has been set aside this year to fast-track connection of homes to the sewerage network, including many homes in the Wollondilly area. Additional expenditure in the Wollondilly electorate includes: Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute—$12.5 million in biosecurity upgrades; Warragamba Dam, for auxiliary spillway upgrades; $1.4 million allocated in 2011-12 for 4972 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
improving sections of the Hume Highway, Appin Road and Picton Road and money to complete the Bingara Gorge Public school, the opening of which I look forward to next year. The list goes on. The New South Wales Liberal-Nationals first budget delivers on our commitments and starts the process of rebuilding the State, and I commend the Treasurer and the Premier for their attention to the electorate of Wollondilly.
Mr CRAIG BAUMANN (Port Stephens—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.19 p.m.]: I am sure everyone in this House congratulates the member for Wollondilly on delivering a statement on this year's budget less than 60 minutes after the Treasurer handed it down.
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield) [1.20 p.m.]: On 28 June 2011 I was privileged to be invited by the Principal, Brother Nicolas Harsas, to the official blessing and opening of new buildings at Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School in the suburb of Fairfield. The significance of the day and the milestone that had been achieved were highlighted by the presence of His Eminence Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. On the surface, the festivities were a culmination of 4½ years of building works at the school's Vine Street site. To say that the works were extensive is an understatement. The school received new classrooms, a new library, a new administration area and staff facilities, new learning spaces and a magnificent new school hall, which was the main venue for the celebration. Even the old facilities were refurbished.
At the end of the project every one of the school's buildings was either brand new or as good as new. Of course, projects as grand as the one undertaken at Our Lady of the Rosary could only be possible with financial support from the broader community. I was fortunate to meet some of the people and organisations instrumental in making such an audacious project a reality. In attendance were representatives from the Catholic Education Office in Sydney, who provided significant funding towards the development. Those present included Dr Mark Turkington, Regional Director of the Southern Region of the Catholic Education Office Sydney; Mrs Margaret Heslin, Regional Consultant; and Dr Dan White, Executive Director of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Sydney.
It is fitting to note that Dr Dan White is a former student of the school. Also present was the Hon. Chris Bowen, Federal Minister for Immigration and Federal member for McMahon, who represented the Gillard Government. The Federal Government provided funding towards the building works under the Building the Education Revolution grants. Also present were the ordinary mums and dads of Our Lady of the Rosary, who were instrumental in fundraising efforts and outright donations to the project. Like the Catholic Education Office Sydney and the Federal Government, these mums and dads recognised that the provision of state-of-the-art facilities at Our Lady of the Rosary would complement the quality education provided at the school.
As I have said, the culmination of building works was only one aspect of the ceremony. Whilst it is a significant milestone in the school's history, the real focal point of the day's celebration was the people: the teachers, the priests, the Catholic Sisters, the mums and dads, the grandparents and, most importantly, the students both past and present who collectively make up the community of Our Lady of the Rosary school. This community was established in 1928. Its aim was to provide children of Catholic families in the Fairfield area an education based upon the values of the Christian faith. It was established by none other than the Sisters of St Joseph—the order established by Australia's first Saint, St Mary of the Cross, Mary MacKillop.
Over the years the school has transformed a number of times to reflect the needs of the growing Catholic community in the Fairfield area. The earliest known enrolment figures for the school can be traced back to 1932. In that year the Australian Catholic Directory indicated that the school catered for 130 students. Less than 20 years later, in 1950, the school's population more than doubled to 398 students. In 1953, with the establishment of the boys school Patrician Brothers, Fairfield, on the other side of the Horsley Drive, Our Lady of the Rosary saw the addition of an intermediate school for girls. Throughout the 1950s the school's population grew and culminated in approximately 910 students in 1961-62.
In the mid 1960s the school was again transformed; this time the intermediate and secondary students were moved into a separate all-girls high school. Our Lady of the Rosary once again catered for girls from kindergarten to grade 6 and for boys up to grade 4. It was not until 2007 that the school settled to its present form, catering for both male and female students from kindergarten to year 6. Today Our Lady of the Rosary comprises approximately 55 staff members, catering for the educational and spiritual development of 674 children. The day's festivities managed to include every child of the school and were a showcase of the wide array of talents of the school's present-day students. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4973
The festivities lasted for more than 1½ hours and parents and guests were treated to songs and dances that recognised many of the 32 different cultural backgrounds represented among its student population. I congratulate the Principal, Brother Nicolas Harsas, the teachers, the students, the mums and dads and the spiritual leaders of the Our Lady of the Rosary community in Fairfield on their tremendous achievement in modernising their school, but, more importantly, on developing and nurturing conscientious and well-rounded young men and women.
STATE BUDGET
Mr STEVE CANSDELL (Clarence—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.25 p.m.]: I congratulate the O'Farrell-Stoner Government on its first budget—a budget that some alleged would be severe and would cost thousands and thousands of public sector jobs, wiping out police, nurses and teachers. Instead, we will have 900 more teachers, 2,475 more nurses and 550 more cops, and out of 330,000 public sector workers there will be voluntary redundancies of 5,000 who were backroom bureaucrats. It means that a billion dollars will go into the Pacific Highway upgrade, which will save at least the eight lives a year that are lost in my electorate on that road. It means $2 million for the reconnection of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service—a service that former Treasurer Michael Costa promised he would not cut and then cut straight after an election. We will be restoring services that Labor cut.
This is a great budget considering the tough times we are experiencing due to the mess that Labor left the State in, with revenue virtually plateauing and expenses skyrocketing through the roof to the point where by 2014 we would have been $5.2 billion in the red. I congratulate the Treasurer on putting this fantastic budget together. He is a new Treasurer who has been in the job for only six months but he has probably lasted longer than all the Treasurers Labor had in 16 years. The team of the Treasurer, the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Finance are ensuring that New South Wales comes out of this financial hole, moves forward and becomes the number one State again.
Before the budget I was asked what I wanted for my electorate. There were two things I wanted: first and foremost, funding for the Pacific Highway; secondly, retaining public sector jobs in regional New South Wales and the Clarence. The Government has done that, as well as putting more than $3 million towards the renovation of government buildings. Not only is the Government retaining jobs but it is also supporting services in the Clarence—the $2 billion in disability funding is the biggest amount put into any such service across New South Wales. Labor forgot about the disabled and disadvantaged in rural and regional New South Wales for many years and it has taken a Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government to address that problem. People who live in the middle of the city, in Cabramatta and even in western Sydney do not understand the disadvantage that country people have just by living in the country, let alone having disabilities as well.
Families struggle to get help such as community transport. The $200 million for community transport is another plus for country New South Wales and my electorate. The budget contains many things for which we in country New South Wales are grateful. It could have been a lot worse—it could have been a horror budget—but the Government has balanced real need with things we can do away with. I should not talk about Sydney because I am from the country but I point out all the rail projects that the Government is going ahead with— projects that were promised and reneged on by Labor over 16 years.
Mr Ryan Park: Two million for the Casino to Murwillumbah line.
Mr STEVE CANSDELL: That's right. We can do all these wonderful things. When people from the city come to visit us—like the member for Keira, who comes up to Yamba occasionally—they will know that Yamba and the Clarence are in good hands, looked after by a Government that respects and honours its commitments to regional New South Wales. I commend the budget to the House and I commend the Premier, the Deputy Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Finance for doing a great job.
INNER WEST COURIER CLIMATE FORUM
Mr CHARLES CASUSCELLI (Strathfield) [1.30 p.m.]: On 30 August I had the pleasure of attending the Inner West Courier Climate Forum. At that forum community members engaged with the Prime Minister on a number of issues. I waited with anticipation for the two most obvious questions in the broader Australian community to be asked of the Prime Minister. The first came from an 18-year-old girl—who may end up being a politician one day because her question was a beauty—namely, "Prime Minister, are there any circumstances in which you would not introduce a carbon tax, given that it appears you have pretty much made up your mind?" 4974 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
What a bonzer question. The Prime Minister's response was, "No". No economic calamity that may befall our nation or our State would drive the Prime Minister to make a pragmatic decision in the interests of our nation or our State. To me that is bloody mindedness, an ideologically-driven position demanded by The Greens or an economic initiative driven by some economic pygmies.
That evening the Prime Minister answered all questions asked of her in terms of Treasury models. I wanted to ask the Prime Minister, but I was not given the opportunity, about the impact of a carbon tax on the New South Wales economy. What costs will be passed on to the taxpayers of New South Wales and what compensation will result from that sophisticated modelling? But there has been no modelling as to the impact of a carbon tax on the New South Wales economy. Where is the model for small business? Who has modelled the impact on those heavy energy consumers in our small business sector? For example, the hospitality industry is a heavy energy user. The impact of a carbon tax on the hospitality industry will be far greater than that on families but no modelling and no thought of compensation has been given to small business in that regard.
Finally the question came that everyone was waiting for: "Prime Minister, did you lie to the Australian people?" The forum fell silent. I do not think the Prime Minister lied to the Australian people. No doubt that is a slightly different view from that of most. The only way she could respond was to represent the view of the Australian people at the time. That was right and proper. She acknowledged that the Australian people did not want a carbon tax and she said, "Not on my watch". However, this is what the Prime Minister told the forum, "It was not a lie; I changed my mind." What made the Prime Minister change her mind? Was it new revelations about the threat of climate change? No. Was it some major advances in clean energy production? No. Was it that overseas jurisdictions have indicated initiatives similar to Australia's? No.
Was it because our retail and manufacturing industries are going gangbusters and can easily take another hit from yet another tax? No. Was it because we have so many small businesses in Australia that we can destroy 20 per cent of them and hope that will not affect those families who have invested their life savings in them? No. Have the Australian people changed their minds from prior the last election? They have not. So why has the Prime Minister changed her mind? I know the answer, as did the 100 other community members attending the forum that night. It was about political expediency and a lust for power. That is not right or proper. The outcome of the next Federal election has already been determined, and it cannot come fast enough. Those are the words of those in my community, and they come in vast numbers.
SPRING INTO CORRIMAL FESTIVAL
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) [1.34 p.m.]: This weekend the annual Spring into Corrimal Festival will take place in the electorate of Keira and thousands of locals from the northern suburbs of the Illawarra are expected to attend. The Access Community Group will host the event. I take this opportunity to commend that group for the work it does right across the Illawarra. The northern Illawarra is fast becoming a popular tourist destination and, in partnership with the Wollongong council, I am working towards the area becoming a tourist hub. Collaboration in the area of major events and tourism is important. Wollongong council has provided $1.5 million in tourism and major events funding and I am hopeful that the New South Wales Government will match that funding.
Tourism brings repeat visits to areas such as the Illawarra. With repeat visits comes additional money for the local economy and more support for small business. In the past couple of weeks the member for Wollongong, the member for Shellharbour and I have been shocked by the downscaling of BlueScope Steel. We are now seeking that the New South Wales Government come on board and match the funding commitment made by Wollongong council to major events and tourisms in order to help our region get on its feet again. It is very important for the New South Wales Government to reach out with a helping hand at such a difficult time in our local economy. Sadly, we did not see that in today's budget, but I will talk more about that at another time.
Joint funding will ensure that major events such as the Spring into Corrimal Festival will continue in the region. Countless regional centres hold major events annually. For example, Port Macquarie hosts the ironman triathlon and Geelong hosts significant cycling events. The Illawarra wants its fair share of the State's tourism dollars. Organisations such as the Spring into Corrimal Festival organising committee will ensure that those tourism dollars will go a long way in our community. We are not asking for a lot of money but the money received will be well spent, particularly at this time of need. I call on the New South Wales Government to support funding to tourism and major events such as the Spring into Corrimal Festival and to match the funding provided by the Wollongong City Council to help our local economy move forward and support those who have recently lost their jobs. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4975
RURAL AND REGIONAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONER INITIATIVES
Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [1.39 p.m.]: I endorse Government plans to implement an integrated rural pathway training model to attract and upskill more doctors to practice in rural areas in this State. What doctors need to do if they wish to become a surgeon, a psychiatrist or general practitioner has been clear for some time but there have been no such options for doctors who wish to be general practitioners and to work at rural hospitals. The shortage of doctors in rural New South Wales is long standing. Explanations for this include perceptions of longer hours and lower incomes, availability of more attractive medical career options with clear pathways in big cities and a lack of recognition of rural medical practice as a specialty in its own right.
Younger doctors too are generally seeking a better work-life balance and have concerns not only for their own careers but also for those of their partners, as well educational advantages for their children. A well-implemented pathway for rural generalist practice would help overcome some of these barriers by treating rural medical training as something of value and the trainees as specialists in their own right. It would also provide fair competition with other specialty training programs. To date there have been a range of strategies or solutions to encourage more doctors to practice in rural New South Wales but they have not been properly integrated. The most successful model for us to follow is the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway, which has proven highly popular with junior doctor trainees and rural generalists alike.
In 2011 entry for this pathway via the undergraduate entry process has attracted 45 graduates—an increase of 15 additional quarantined rural generalist intern training positions from the original cohort in 2007. It takes approximately five to six years to train a rural generalist after medical school. The rural pathway would be best implemented in New South Wales by integrating a number of existing strategies, including rural preferential intern recruitment, the general practitioner procedural training program and the general practitioner registrar appointments. It would also ensure that all doctors in the rural pathway program have a high level of emergency training to prepare them for rural hospital practice.
For the last six years final year medical students have been able to apply ahead of the rest of New South Wales for rural preferential internships which guarantee a two-year placement at a major rural hospital. This popular program will have 80 interns enrolled by next year. It is suggested that these interns now be given the opportunity to extend their guaranteed places as medical officers in the health system to five years in order to enrol in a rural pathway.
The general practitioner procedural program offers up to 30 places at a time for general practitioner trainees and general practitioners to upskill in a range of advanced skills relevant to rural hospital practice, including anaesthetics, surgery, obstetrics, mental health and emergency. This program could expand to provide training opportunities for rural pathway trainees, as well as for general practitioners and general practitioner trainees. Existing registrar vacancies at hospitals should also be reviewed, retargeted and extended, and additional posts should be provided where required.
General practitioner registrar appointments already occur in rural New South Wales where general practitioner trainees are attached to a practice involved with the local hospital. Having additional and better trained general practitioner registrars is likely to stabilise local hospital rosters by increasing the numbers for rosters, including procedural rosters, and also reducing the premium locum costs. This would result in budget savings for local hospitals in the long term. Coordination of the program and providing training to the rural trainees in the pathways program would require a government investment of around $2 million a year, a modest outlay in any terms. There is general agreement within the rural health services that the Clinical Education and Training Institute would be best suited to coordinate the program state wide.
There are also initiatives at an undergraduate level to promote rural generalist practice at regional university medical schools and I know that the University of New England would be interested in that. The popularity and effectiveness of the Queensland model is good reason for a rural pathways program to be adopted in New South Wales. It has widespread support from the Rural Doctors Association and the Area Health Services. The key issue is to ensure appropriate resourcing for coordinating and delivering the training. This should be negotiated with the regional general practice training providers. It is a long-term project that will not immediately produce a lot more rural doctors, but over time it will. Our challenge is to implement this positive initiative of the Government as a strategy to overcome the critical shortage of rural doctors in this State. 4976 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
MEMBER FOR WOLLONGONG
Ms NOREEN HAY (Wollongong) [1.44 p.m.]: Last weekend local government elections were held in Wollongong. I congratulate all the successful candidates, including the mayor. However, this is my first opportunity since the challenge to my election to set the record straight on some of the issues. On 26 March 2011 I was re-elected by the people of Wollongong to represent them in this Parliament. It is an honour and a privilege that I have now experienced for a third time and it is one that is no less humbling today than it was the first time I was elected. Again I say that I am grateful to the people of Wollongong for the faith they have placed in me, and I understand only too well the heavy responsibility that is attached to that faith. I am as committed today as I was when I made my first speech in this place to work tirelessly to promote the interests of the people of Wollongong and to ensure that the city, its people and its interests have a strong voice in this Parliament.
But it should be remembered that this was an election I was not expected to win. I was facing a high-profile candidate who was receiving unprecedented levels of support from the media and powerful interest groups that formed a loose alliance to remove me. The media, and in particular the Illawarra Mercury, picked their horse and they backed it to the very end; while the motley crew of discontents, Australian Labor Party rejects, union wannabes and apprentice kingmakers threw money, time and lies into a campaign that can only be described as disgraceful. I have been involved in politics for a long time and I have never seen a dirtier campaign than the one conducted by Gordon Bradbury and his team. There were lies, there were smears and then there was the misconceived legal challenge.
Let it be said from the outset that no-one has said that I was personally involved in the scandalous shenanigans that have been alleged. But they did not need to—this is a classic case of guilt by association. The reporting was always in terms of "Noreen Hay's supporters": I was tarred with the brush of scandal, just as they intended. When they claimed that my supporters had interfered with Liberal how-to-vote cards—an allegation that to this day is not supported by a shred of evidence—they sullied my name. When they dishonestly claimed that my campaign material was being illegally used the intention could only have been to discredit me and, in so doing, to turn opinion against me. When they alleged—again without any evidence, and authoritatively rejected by the Australian Electoral Commission—that a large number of people had double voted the intention could only have been to cast me in a negative light.
Overall the intention was to tell such outrageous lies as to challenge the legitimacy of my election and to turn the people of Wollongong against me to such an extent that they could get their candidate over the line in the by-election they were pushing so desperately hard for. Ultimately what this comes down to is that those who opposed me and supported my opponent were not willing to live with the decision of the electorate. It started on election eve when my opponent claimed victory in an obvious display of his political inexperience and naivety. It concluded when the Court of Disputed Returns threw out their unfounded, ill-conceived and poorly-executed legal challenge.
An example of this is Mr David Swan of Access Law Group, who made a great display of his pro bono efforts to assist Gordon Bradbury in the disastrous legal challenge to my election. What David did not disclose in his many dealings with the media and in his dealings with the court was his status as a failed candidate in the very same election he was seeking to undermine. He was a failed candidate seeking to assist another failed candidate to overturn the decision of the electorate. The great shame of this is that my opponent and his team were never formally put to proof. The public are left with the impression that, but for a technicality, I would not have been entitled to take my place in this Parliament.
The truth is that not one of the scandalous allegations made in the formal pleadings filed with the court was ever supported with any evidence. Not one of the allegations could or would have passed scrutiny and I am disappointed that the matter fell over on a technicality that arose from the incompetence of David Swan and Jane Healey rather than being dealt with on the merits of the case. I want the people of Wollongong to know that I am not a liar, I am not a cheat and I am not a fraud. I won my seat in this Parliament fairly and squarely, albeit with a reduced margin.
I acknowledge that many of the people of Wollongong wished to send me a message and my reply is: Received, loud and clear. I, like them, want to get back to the work at hand. I intend to ignore the distractions and concentrate on the business before us of keeping this O'Farrell Government to account and ensuring Wollongong gets its fair share. The BlueScope announcement was made last week when I had my only other opportunity to set this record straight. Obviously, I had to put the interests of the workers who are going to be disadvantaged by the BlueScope decision first and so I spoke in this place on that issue. But because of 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4977
comments made in the Parliament as well referring to various suggestions in relation to the challenge to my election it is imperative that the record be put straight once and for all. I hope that is what this statement has done.
HUNTER REGION BOTANIC GARDENS TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
Mr CRAIG BAUMANN (Port Stephens—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.49 p.m.]: Today I speak about an incredible community achievement in my electorate: the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens. I was delighted to recently officially open the twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations of the tranquil gardens at Heatherbrae and the launch of the gardens' herbarium building appeal. At the gathering I wondered whether it was only really 25 years since the 140 hectares of natural bushland had been transformed into what must be described as one of the jewels of the Hunter.
Through 25 years of blood, sweat and, no doubt, tears the volunteers have transformed a weed-infested bushland site into a botanic collection enjoyed by the community and visitors from around the world. The story of 25 years of volunteer initiative, which has resulted in the reality of the gardens today, has its beginnings in the nineteenth century. If members indulge me in a pun, the seed for the region's own botanic gardens was sown in 1868 when 96 acres of land was set aside for the botanic gardens in Mayfield West, which was later dedicated by the New South Wales Government as a site for the botanic gardens.
Unfortunately, the site dedication was revoked in 1912 as land was needed for BHP. Fast forward to 1981 and a botanic gardens committee was formed. In 1985 the option of 133 hectares of land at Tomago, owned by the Hunter District Water Board, was taken up and in that same year the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Ltd, a non-profit company limited by guarantee, was officially formed. In 1986 when the site was opened for public inspection most people would have wondered what on earth had possessed the proponents to think that a lantana and bitou bush infested site with no power, no water, no roads and no buildings could possibly become a botanic gardens. Let us not forget the naysayers concerned about the site, right next to a major aluminium smelter, but the sense of purpose and enthusiasm of those original volunteers prevailed.
In November 1986 the first commemorative tree was planted by 100-year-old Bill Howard. What came next was a flurry of activity, planting, donations and community support, and a lot of steady hard work by many hands over many years. Palm, grevillea, succulent, prostanthera, cycad, conifer, acacia and rare and endangered plant gardens were established, along with an orchid shade house and bromeliad house. There have been a few bumps along the way. In September 2005 the gardens suffered a massive setback when $28,000 worth of tools and machinery were stolen from the gardens works compound. There was also a draft proposal to sand mine the site. As part of the F3 freeway upgrade project, the Roads and Traffic Authority had proposed to construct an exit ramp across the gardens frontage with entrance to the grounds under the proposed exit ramp. Thankfully, sanity has prevailed and the Roads and Traffic Authority has agreed to move the ramp to either the north or the south of the gardens entrance. The mission statement of the gardens is:
To grow, study conserve and promote plants, in particular those of the Hunter Region.
Through the steady work of the volunteers, and with support from members and sponsors, the gardens' collections have flourished. The gardens now have a visitors centre, outdoor cafe, gift shop and reference library. Visitors can enjoy Devonshire teas and light lunches or they can picnic in the gardens. The gardens are constantly growing as new displays are developed for recreational, educational and scientific purposes. Easy walking trails provide access to the natural bushland with its mature blackbutt, angophoras and swamp mahogany forests and its understorey of more than 150 native plants. The forests are the natural habitat of goannas, wallabies, lizards, brushtail and ringtail possums, sugar gliders, bats, a small group of resident koalas and many birds.
The work of the volunteers has not gone unnoticed during the past 25 years; they have worked as guides, propagated plants, maintained the gardens and worked in the cafe and office and in conservation management teams. The volunteers who have contributed 10 years to 25 years of service to the gardens are to be commended. They include Kevin Macdonald and Kevin Stokes, with an incredible 25-year contribution. Noel Winney and June Davidson have been contributors for 20 years. Christine Green, Peter Nielson, Elaine Blythe and Bruce Stephenson have notched up 15 years of service. Harry Jones, Rowan Poten, Jeanette Green, Jan Noble, the current chairman of the gardens, John Finlay, Brian O'Connor, Joy O'Connor and Norah Brain have served the gardens for 10 years.
Maureen Schuller, Jeffrey Vanderpal, Enid Gilbert, Robert Reece, Barbra Quinn, Colin Cawthorne, Kevin Worth, Maree Worth, Margaret Faulkner and Steve Hayes have all made a five-year contribution to the 4978 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
gardens. As I said, I was privileged to open the twenty-fifth birthday celebrations with the patron of the gardens, Peter Sinclair. He probably needs no introduction in this place, and is a constituent in my Port Stephens electorate. I commend the gardens to my colleagues not only as a superb showcase for the natural environment but also as an example of what the vision, tenacity and dedication of volunteers can achieve.
OASIS YOUTH SUPPORT NETWORK
Ms CLOVER MOORE (Sydney) [1.54 p.m.]: Today I commend the work of Oasis Youth Support Network, a Salvation Army program that helps troubled young people who are living on the street. About 32,000 young people up to 25 years of age in Australia are homeless: 22,000 of them are teenagers. In 2006 about 5,000 young people aged between 12 and 18 were homeless in New South Wales. Nearly a quarter of those living in crisis refuge are aged between 15 and 19 years. Young people can end up on the street for many reasons: family breakdown, abuse or domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, mental illness, financial hardship, unemployment, eviction or being thrown out of home. Some have left prison or a juvenile detention centre and ended up on the street.
Once they are on the street it is very difficult for them to get back on their feet, especially with poor health, limited support networks, reduced self-esteem, the risk of assault and abuse, anxiety, mental illness and lack of work experience or training. Some young people move into crime, drugs and prostitution, and can easily get entrenched in a vicious cycle of institutionalisation and homelessness, blocking pathways to a better life. A network of services is working in my electorate to help remove these barriers. Kings Cross Youth at Risk catches young people before they become entrenched in street life; East Sydney Community-based High School provides flexible schooling for young people with troubled backgrounds. Oasis works with homeless young people who have complex needs and are entrenched in street life.
Oasis houses about 100 young people in Sydney every night through 24-hour crisis accommodation and supported housing, and engages with them to help them get on with their lives. Oasis provides support services, programs and activities as practical alternatives to destructive street lifestyles. These include guitar and creative workshops, as well as driving courses delivered with the City of Sydney. Companies such as Virgin, Mirvac and Woolworths employ young people through the Oasis Pathways Employment Program, and I commend their contribution. In May I hosted a lord mayoral reception for the Property Industry Foundation, which raises funds and works to support homeless young people. It runs the Rebuild a Young Life Program in partnership with the Oasis Get Ready for Work Program, and has placed 10 young people in property and construction industry jobs. The City of Sydney recently provided accommodation for the young people on the program on a five-year concessional arrangement.
The award-winning Oasis documentary is an eye-opening film that shows how some of these young people ended up needing intensive help. In the film one young person tells of being repeatedly assaulted by his stepfather and escaping to the street. He came into contact with Oasis, took part in a film and television training program, and developed a passion to become a cameraman. The film helps us understand that these are not just bad kids but young people needing help to get their lives back together. The Oasis documentary is now part of the high school curriculum, and school and business tours of the Surry Hills Oasis centre raise awareness. More than half the juvenile offenders in New South Wales reoffend within one year; an overwhelming majority have a mental illness or an alcohol or drug problem; and about a fifth have an intellectual disability. It costs nearly $200,000 to keep a young person in custody for a year.
I believe that this is a poor use of taxpayer funds and little help to a young person in trouble. Oasis offers much better value for money and better outcomes for young people. The 2010 Noetic Solutions Juvenile Justice Report called for the Government to redirect $349 million over six years from imprisoning children and young people into prevention, early intervention and diversion to prevent them developing a crime career. The Oasis submission to the National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness, "Finding My Place", highlights the critical lack of safe, affordable housing and identified the need for alternative learning models, help getting work and help getting affordable health and dental care. It stressed the vital need for supportive environments and supportive people in young people's lives. There is growing international support for action on homelessness.
Australia is a signatory to the International Homelessness Alliance, committing to prevent homelessness particularly amongst young people, and to break the link between homelessness and crime, antisocial behaviour and prison. The later we engage with young homeless people, the more entrenched in street life they become, and the greater the personal and social costs. It is vital that we provide positive alternatives 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4979
such as Oasis that help young people make their way out of street life, drug use, prostitution, crime and violence. Oasis has developed the expertise to engage with homeless young people, get them into housing and on a pathway out of trouble—all priorities under the New South Wales Homelessness Action Plan 2009-2014. I call on the Government to provide greater support for services such as Oasis that help young people with high level, complex needs to get a good start in life.
Private members' statements concluded.
[The Acting-Speaker (Ms Melanie Gibbons) left the chair at 1.59 p.m. The House resumed at 2.15 p.m.]
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
The SPEAKER: I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Mr Jeremy Kinross, former member of the Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Gordon, guest of the member for Coffs Harbour. I welcome also Mr Vic Alhadeff, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Board of Deputies, guest of the member for East Hills, and Mr Malcolm Kerr, the former member for Cronulla.
ASSENT TO BILLS
Assent to the following bills reported:
Australian Jockey and Sydney Turf Clubs Merger Amendment Bill 2011 Gaming Machine Tax Amendment Bill 2011 Restart NSW Fund Bill 2011
QUESTION TIME ______
[Question time commenced at 2.19 p.m.]
STATE BUDGET
Mr JOHN ROBERTSON: My question is directed to the Premier. In light of the global downturn and the loss of 20,000 jobs since he took office, how does making more than 5,000 public servants unemployed help create jobs for New South Wales?
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: I welcome the question from the Leader of the Opposition. For the benefit of people in the gallery I will give them some background. The Leader of the Opposition famously, bravely and courageously as they would say in Yes Minister—
Mr Steve Cansdell: Foolishly.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: —foolishly is not a bad word either—said two weeks ago that in this budget 80,000 public sector jobs would go. It is a matter of public record that I had a bet with the Leader of the Opposition: if 80,000 jobs went in the budget today I would resign and if 80,000 jobs did not go he had to resign.
Mr Michael Daley: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 129. The Treasurer one hour ago failed to rule out how many job cuts there would be. He would not rule out 30,000 job cuts a year over three years—which is at least 80,000.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maroubra will resume his seat. The Premier has the call.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: For the benefit of the gallery, the only person today who was hoping for 80,000 job cuts is the Leader of the Opposition. He was relishing the prospect. We in contrast are committed to improving front-line services. That is why in today's budget there is funding for an additional 900 nurses; funding for the training of an additional 200 teachers; and in part-payment of our promise for 550 police across the State during this term there is funding for 150 extra police.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maroubra will come to order. 4980 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: The only people disappointed that 80,000 jobs in the public sector are not being cut today are the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Minister for Finance, who last week could not even get their lines right. Extraordinarily, having said two weeks ago that there would be 80,000 public sector job cuts in the Treasurer's budget—which was a fantastic budget—the Leader of the Opposition was then reported in the Australian as saying, "Barry O'Farrell has already put the number of 80,000 out there." Well, there are lies, there are whoppers and there are statements by the Leader of the Opposition.
I was watching television on Sunday evening and while skipping channels—I was watching football on Channel Nine and I switched to the ABC—I heard the member for Maroubra say on ABC television that the number of jobs was 20,000. So the shadow Minister for Finance and the Leader of the Opposition cannot get their lines right. The fact is that what the Treasurer has delivered today, and what this Government is committed to, is a budget that starts rebuilding the future of this State. It takes those tough decisions that those opposite squibbed year in, year out, when they delivered budgets that offered no hope and that simply offered excuses as to why infrastructure was not going to be built.
It is grossly hypocritical for the Leader of the Opposition to criticise in these globally uncertain times an infrastructure package that totals $62 billion, that is the biggest in the State's history, and that is 12 per cent or $7 billion greater than what the position would have been had Labor proceeded with its program. We have taken the tough decisions. We have taken decisions to ensure that we grow front-line services across New South Wales. That comes with the decision that we announced today to offer voluntary redundancies to up to 5,000 people in the back offices. We do not back away from that because, as the Treasurer said, unless we get our finances under control there is no future for this State.
One of the proudest boasts that the Treasurer can make as a result of the budget today is that for the first time in a very long time this State, within this term of Parliament, will live within its means. There is only so long one can get away with spending more than one earns—which was exactly the ruse of those opposite. We are not going to sign up to that. This budget is about being responsible; it is about rebuilding this State. It is about restoring infrastructure that was promised by those opposite but not delivered. It is ultimately about securing the best possible future for the people of this State.
Strong economic growth—our number one priority—is about restoring opportunities for the people of New South Wales, whether they live in regional areas or cities, whether they have had a secondary education, whether they have been TAFE trained or been to university. That ultimately will drive us. It is called public interest, not politics. It is called putting the State first, not the party first. It is about taking those tough decisions that every family, every business knows have to be taken if we are to secure that future.
STATE BUDGET AND JOBS
Mr ANDREW CORNWELL: My question is directed to the Premier. How does today's budget rebuild New South Wales and provide front-line jobs?
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: I thank the member for Charleston for his question. It is apparent from the response of the Business Chamber, the Sydney Chamber and the Urban Task Force to the budget that there is a clear buzz across New South Wales because finally after 16 years we have a budget that sets about rebuilding this State.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: As I have said previously, year after year under Labor we had budgets that gave the people of New South Wales no hope. There were no new rail lines. Despite 12 rail lines being promised, seven in western Sydney, not a single rail project was completed; not a single major infrastructure project was pursued. Labor budgets offered nothing except excuses and announcements of firm pre-election promises being ditched. Today, we have started to change all that. We have announced a budget that sets about rebuilding New South Wales and putting the State's finances back in order. Our budget commits $62 billion in infrastructure projects over the next four years.
[Interruption]
I assure the member for Canterbury that she will hear me say those words over the next four years: $62 billion, a 12 per cent or $7 billion increase. Does the member for Canterbury know how many zeros there 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4981
are in $7 billion? That is the biggest infrastructure spend in the history of the State. The only person opposite we have not heard from is Evita, who is sitting on the Opposition backbench. Does anyone remember Kristina? Except nobody is crying for Kristina. As I said, this is the biggest infrastructure spend in the State's history. At last the North West Rail Link has real funding and finally that rail project will be built. We have committed more than $2 billion to the North West Rail Link over the next four years and more than $1 billion to complete the South West Rail Link. The talk is over. Finally this Liberal-Nationals Government is getting on with the job of investing in infrastructure across New South Wales. We have made a $1 billion commitment to fix the Pacific Highway and upgrade the Princes Highway.
We are going to rebuild our hospital system. We have announced a $4.7 billion health capital works program—a 50 per cent increase on what those opposite were proposing over the next four years. And, importantly, we are going to spend $1.4 billion for disability services to protect the most vulnerable in our community. We have approved the largest increase in mental health funding in the State's history. This budget directs jobs to the front line: there will be 4,000 extra front-line jobs in our hospitals, schools and police stations over the next five years, with 200 teachers, 900 additional nurses and 150 extra police this year. As the Treasurer said, and as we have repeatedly promised since the election, despite the former Government's $5.2 billion black hole, this Government will deliver on its election commitments.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Maroubra to order.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: Despite the doomsday bleating of the Leader of the Opposition we intend to deliver on the improvements needed to get the State back on a sound financial footing and to retain the triple-A credit rating. People across this State have waited a long time for this budget. This is the budget that will get the State moving again; it is the budget that will see resurgence in infrastructure construction on rail, hospitals and police stations; it is the budget that will start repairing the State's finances and restoring the hope that we can again be number one.
STATE BUDGET
Ms LINDA BURNEY: My question is directed to the Premier. How can the Premier call himself the Infrastructure Premier in light of the fact that infrastructure spending for the current year will be $400 million lower than was projected in last year's budget?
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: One of the issues that the Treasurer emphasised in this budget is not just the fact that the former Government cooked the books every opportunity it could do so. On page after page after page he said—and if members opposite stopped going out to lunch and actually did some work they would find this—that if the Federal supplement, the economic stimulus, is taken out of Labor's figures, we would find two out of three years of deficits, not surpluses as Labor claimed. The fact is that this Government has committed to a record $62 billion capital works program.
For the benefit of member for Canterbury, that is 12 per cent or $7 billion—which has a number of noughts attached to it—more than would have been the case under the former Government. More importantly, if the Federal infrastructure spend is taken out, there is still growth over the four years. Which Government put money into the North West Rail Link in this budget? Which Government is matching Federal funding of the Pacific Highway? Which Government is accepting responsibility for the Princes Highway? Which Government is ensuring that our Health capital spending over four years is 50 per cent greater than that proposed by those opposite? The list goes on and on and on—like the member for Canterbury.
STATE BUDGET
Mr ROB STOKES: My question is addressed to the Treasurer. How will the tough reforms and savings measures announced in today's budget deliver long-term benefits for the people of New South Wales?
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I thank the member for Pittwater for his question and his advocacy on behalf of his community.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Leader of the Opposition to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: If this is the best the Opposition has got, it will be a long few months.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Leader of the Opposition to order for the second time. 4982 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Mr MIKE BAIRD: It is important for the people of this State to hear some of the reactions to the budget—to know what the community is saying.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Mount Druitt to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: Infrastructure Partnerships Australia stated that the New South Wales Government has passed its first budget with flying colours because it begins a long process to get New South Wales back on track.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Keira to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: New South Wales has to get back on track because the former Government wrecked this State. I should have thought that today the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer would apologise to the people of New South Wales. They should have said, "Gotcha. Yes, we haven't been telling the truth. Yes, we have wrecked the economy. Yes, we have ruined services, and we are sorry."
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Canterbury to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: They should have said, "We are sorry for what we did to the State." Thank goodness someone is here to fix the big mess left behind by the former Government. The New South Wales Business Chamber stated, "The O'Farrell Government has laid a strong fiscal foundation for New South Wales. It is on the way." The Urban Taskforce has welcomed the initiative in relation to first homeowners. "This is good public policy", it stated. That is exactly what communities across the State are saying.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for member for Auburn to order. The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: The Government has made some of these decisions today because the former Government left behind such a mess. We have made some hard decisions across the agencies. We have had some honest discussions with the people of New South Wales so that we can improve services across the State, as the Premier has articulated. I am not sure that members of the Opposition understand this concept, but we speak to people in our communities and we understand the challenges they are facing.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Canterbury to order for the second time. I call the member for Wollongong to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: Of all members representing their electorates in this Chamber how many are asking for more nurses in their communities? They are all asking for more nurses, and that is what this Government is delivering. They are asking for more police, and that is what this budget is delivering. They are asking for improved transport services across the range, for more peak hour services, and for more buses, and that is exactly what they get in this budget. Many members in this House represent electorates through which the Pacific Highway runs. We all remember what happened under the former Government when it had the opportunity to cut funding to the Pacific Highway. What did it do? It slashed funding. This budget delivers $1 billion for Pacific Highway communities. It also delivers money to other electorates across the State through which the Princes Highway runs.
We are not only delivering better services—the Premier has told us about the infrastructure we are delivering—we are also looking after the vulnerable. I know that the member for Heffron raised this matter, and I am happy to acknowledge that the former Labor Government introduced some initiatives in this regard. With Stronger Together II the former Government may have started the process, but this Government has found a way to fund it and to make it happen, and we are proud to do so. I heard the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, ark up today complaining about New South Wales standing up in relation to the carbon tax. Our simple message back to him is that we are happy to stand up for New South Wales and to protect the services that he is trying to rip away. If Wayne Swan thinks we are going to go away, I say to him that we are not going to go away.
STATE BUDGET
Mr MICHAEL DALEY: My question is directed to the Treasurer. Given that the Treasurer has promised to ease the cost of living for families, why is he denying assistance to thousands of young families to buy their first home in order to pay for his election commitments? 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4983
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I am fascinated that the shadow Treasurer should ask a question on the numbers. I thought he would have been in hiding. This is not a day that he would want to come out.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Canterbury will come to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I have said previously in relation to the homebuyer's tax that we have been left some challenges. We have outlined that we need to take some decisions to get the budget back on track, and we will do that. As part of that we will better target our first homeowner's stamp duty concession. The Urban Taskforce has stated that this is good public policy. It will improve the financial viability of New South Wales home development and will make it easier to secure capital for new residential projects. I thought that members of the Opposition would have wanted to read Budget Paper No. 2 for 2011-12; it would be very sobering for them. The Leader of the Opposition has turned away, and so he should. The budget papers contain a number of interesting comments, my favourite among them being the one about what Labor left behind.
Do members remember the former Labor Government talking about an underlying deficit when handing down its budgets in its last two years in office? I cannot remember any member of the former Government talking about the underlying deficit. Why would they have wanted to tell the truth to the people of New South Wales? However, the truth has been revealed today and it is very clear. Members opposite moved the Federal stimulus money from one year to the next and then moved it back again. We all remember the rail capital grants.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Toongabbie will come to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: Under a Labor Government from 2008 to 2015 we would have had deficit, deficit, deficit, deficit, deficit, deficit, deficit, deficit. That is the legacy left by members opposite. They should hang their heads in shame because they were not honest. Obviously they have not yet read Budget Paper No.2. I love reading the shadow Treasurer's press releases. In one he said that the Government should take Treasury's advice. Budget Paper No. 2 confirms the existence of the $5.2 billion black hole, and that confirmation is based on Treasury's advice. What are members opposite going to do with that little bit of information? I do not know. They said that we should take Treasury's advice but now they want to ignore it. They flip-flop between listening to Treasury and ignoring it. What will they do now?
They are in a heap of trouble and they are going around in circles. It is obvious from their question time strategy that they do not know what they are doing. They said that we intend to cut 80,000 jobs one minute and then they said that the figure was 20,000 and that we were cutting too much and then too little. Which is it? I want to know. We are going to have a fun few months as we go through this budget. Treasury stated that the budget position has structurally deteriorated, especially over the past five years, and that if it were left unaddressed—
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Canterbury to order for the third time.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: —these trends would put the State on an unsustainable fiscal trajectory. That is the legacy left by members opposite. They did not care about the long-term interests of this State and they did not take the tough decisions that must be taken to get this State onto a sustainable path. Members opposite squibbed it. The Government has today announced decisions which will put this State back on track and which will improve services across every electorate. Today's budget will allow the Government to build appropriate infrastructure across the State to look after the long-term interests of our communities. Members opposite certainly did not do that.
STATE BUDGET AND REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
Mr JOHN BARILARO: My question is addressed to the Deputy Premier. How will today's budget build regional New South Wales and provide the infrastructure and services regional communities need?
Mr ANDREW STONER: The member for Monaro is one of seven new Nationals members in this place as a result of the March State election. The Nationals won an amazing 18 seats of the 20 seats contested in that election because we campaigned hard on delivering the fair share of services and infrastructure that regional areas deserve. I am proud to say that this Government is delivering for those regional communities. As Deputy Premier and Leader of The Nationals, I am delighted that regional New South Wales stands front and centre in this Government's budget, which is designed to rebuild New South Wales with record— 4984 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Mount Druitt to order for the second time.
Mr ANDREW STONER: —infrastructure spending and enhanced front-line services. From roads to hospitals and the services that improve quality of living, regional New South Wales—
[Interruption]
I know members opposite are not interested in regional New South Wales, because for 16 years they failed it miserably.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Keira to order for the second time. I call the member for Keira to order for the third time.
Mr ANDREW STONER: That is why Country Labor has been wiped from the electoral map.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Shellharbour to order.
Mr ANDREW STONER: This budget delivers key transport projects in regional New South Wales.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Macquarie Fields to order.
Mr ANDREW STONER: The budget includes a massive $4.2-billion investment in regional and rural roads. That is an increase in the regional roads budget of $700 million compared with Labor's budget last year. That is big money for country roads. This Government promised to take action on the deadly Pacific Highway and it has done so with a massive $1-billion commitment for its upgrade. More than $2 billion will also be spent on critical regional highways, including the Pacific, Hume and Great Western highways, the Hunter Expressway and the Princes Highway, which will receive more than $80 million this year for major projects at Gerringong, South Nowra, Victoria Creek and Bega.
In addition, $362 million has been allocated for rural and regional bus services across the State and $159 million for country rail improvements. This budget also delivers record health infrastructure spending, including more than $1 billion for hospitals across regional New South Wales. This Government is investing more than $210 million in rural and regional hospitals commencing with major projects worth more than $1 billion. The regional areas that will receive funding for hospital projects include Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Dubbo, Tamworth, Parkes and Forbes.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Macquarie Fields to order for the second time.
Mr ANDREW STONER: Once again, members opposite are not interested in listening because they failed the people of New South Wales for so long. I am pleased to say that those days are over. The budget also includes funding for work on the South East Regional Hospital at Bega and, following the strong representations of the member for Orange, for the multipurpose service at Gulgong. The electorate of the member for Monaro will get $1 million for the renal dialysis unit at Cooma Hospital, $260,000 for the Braidwood multipurpose service and $408,000 for Queanbeyan Hospital's renal services. Of course, this budget also delivers more nurses, police officers and teachers for the regional communities that need them.
This Government values the State's front-line health workers and the budget provides them with the support they need with more than $27 million allocated to employ 400 extra nurses in regional New South Wales. Our country communities welcome this news. However, one person does not, and that is the member for Maroubra. Yesterday he told the Australian Financial Review that it is no good putting on additional police or nurses if they have no middle management support. That is the Labor Party's approach to administration: more middle management and fewer police officers and nurses.
That is why the people of New South Wales gave members opposite the boot on 26 March. The good news does not stop there; the budget provides more funding for patients with $4.6 million allocated to increase the number of planned surgical procedures and to reduce waiting times for regional patients. It also includes $1.2 billion for ageing and disability services in regional areas and an extra $500,000 for mental health services. It also provides funding to increase the number of front-line police officers to record levels with an additional $214 million and the appointment of 550 extra officers. The budget also allocates $12 million for the Literacy 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4985
and Numeracy Action Plan, which will see 900 extra teachers appointed across New South Wales. Of course, the regional Kickstart Program is also fully funded in this budget. On behalf of regional New South Wales I say, good Treasurer, good government.
BERRIMA AND KIRKCONNELL CORRECTIONAL CENTRES
Mr CLAYTON BARR: My question is directed to the Deputy Premier. What measures has the Government put in place to assist regional communities around the Berrima and Kirkconnell correctional centres to deal with the impact that their closure will have on the local economy?
Mr ANDREW STONER: Although the question would probably be better directed to the Attorney General and Minister for Corrective Services as a member of this Government I am happy to support the measures in this budget that are designed to stop the bleeding of taxpayers' funds—
The SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members will come to order.
Mr ANDREW STONER: —that would have led to a $5.2 billion black hole in this State's finances if a responsible budget had not been delivered today by the Treasurer.
The SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members will come to order if they do not want to be removed from the Chamber.
Mr ANDREW STONER: Members opposite do not want to hear the answer to this question, but I will plough on. Consultations began last July with the unions involved about the closure of between—
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Shellharbour to order for the second time.
Mr ANDREW STONER: —600 and 650 beds following the unprecedented decrease in the prison population. I am sure that members of the Labor Party would like to have prisons and prison officers in this State but with no prisoners in jails—something akin to what one might hear in an episode of Yes Minister. However, the taxpayers of New South Wales simply cannot afford that. These closures, which are part of a savings strategy to address an excess of inmate beds, will save this Government and the taxpayers of this State an estimated $26 million. Voluntary redundancy packages, redeployment measures and additional training have been provided by way of assistance to affected staff.
Mr Michael Daley: Point of order: My point of order relates to relevance under Standing Order 129. The Deputy Premier is limiting his answer to the easy part of the question regarding what he will do for affected staff. The question that was asked related to the measures that this Government is putting in place for those members of our communities who will lose jobs.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier is answering the question and is being completely relevant.
Mr ANDREW STONER: I understand that over the course of the next month support teams, including senior human resource managers, will attend all three of the centres affected in this budget to offer advice and support in relation to employment options. In the case of Kirkconnell prison, all staff members have been offered jobs nearby, including in the correctional centres at Lithgow, Oberon and Bathurst, so the communities and staff concerned have had appropriate support from this Government. However, this Government will not stand by and allow expenditure to spiral out of control which is what occurred in the 16 years in which the former Labor Government was in office.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Toongabbie to order. I call the member for Cabramatta to order.
STATE BUDGET AND HEALTH
Mr CHRIS PATTERSON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Health, and Minister for Medical Research. How does today's State budget deliver on the New South Wales Government's health election commitments? 4986 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: I congratulate the members for Camden, Wollondilly and Campbelltown for being effective members in the Macarthur area. Because of the effort that they made to consult with members of their communities Campbelltown Hospital has been fast-tracked after the provision by this Government of $139 million—more than the amount that was promised before the election. I congratulate those effective members on this side of the House and all those other members who have helped to deliver a record Health budget and unprecedented investment in capital works, and who have helped this Government to deliver on all its election promises. This year the total Health budget is $17.3 billion—an increase of $953 million, or 5.8 per cent, on last year's Health budget. The recurrent budget is $16.4 billion, an increase of $49 million, or 6.1 per cent, which includes making 662 additional beds available and providing 940 additional nurses this year.
This Government is well on its way to delivering on a commitment it made prior to the March election to increase the number of beds and nurses. This record investment of $4.7 billion over four years will rebuild our hospitals, with $1.1 billion being spent this financial year and $343 million being spent on new capital works. Over the next four years we will be commencing major new works, including $139 million for Campbelltown, which will provide 90 additional beds. The chair of the local district health board contacted me and thanked me for helping not only those who rely on Campbelltown Hospital but also those who rely on other hospitals such as Liverpool, as it will relieve the load on other hospitals. This Government has committed an additional $55 million for Royal North Shore Hospital which will provide 60 additional beds—something for which the doctors in that area have been campaigning.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Member for Macquarie Fields to order for the third time.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: The former Labor Government did not provide sufficient beds in the building that it constructed at Royal North Shore Hospital. That $55 million allocation will provide 60 additional beds and two extra floors on the clinical services block, which has been extended to accommodate maternity, mental health and other services from the Douglas Building. A total of $147 million has been provided for the Royal North Shore Hospital extension and $110 million has been provided for Port Macquarie hospital for 30 additional beds. I acknowledge the wonderful work that has been done over many years by the member for Port Macquarie—a person with whom I have had the pleasure to work—who is a nurse and who has hands-on experience of this hospital. She worked hard with me to ensure that we had sufficient funding to attract Commonwealth funding. In addition, $270 million has been allocated by this Government for Wagga Wagga hospital.
Mr Daryl Maguire: Hear! Hear!
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: The member for Wagga Wagga is a champion for the people of Wagga Wagga. Fifty additional beds will be provided in the rebuild of that hospital—a major capital redevelopment.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call member for Auburn to order for the second time.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: I know that the member for Wagga Wagga wants to hear that this will form part of a continuous and long-term redevelopment of that hospital. This Government has allocated also $80 million for Dubbo, which again is more money than was promised but which is as a result of the fantastic representation on the part of the member for Dubbo, the doctors and others in that part of the State. This Government has allocated $47 million for the Prince of Wales Comprehensive Cancer Centre—a commitment that was made by the former Government but that was never funded. In addition, $35 million has been allocated for the St George emergency department and $170 million has been allocated for eHealth projects. I am particularly pleased that we are able to target medication safety in that eHealth funding—something that has not been done before but that will have a dramatic impact on improving quality care.
This Government has planning underway for major health and hospital projects at Bega and Tamworth, and it has planning underway for its election commitments over the next four years, including projects at Blacktown, Hornsby, Parkes and Forbes, the new Hunter Hospital at Maitland and the northern beaches. The Government's election commitment for these projects is included in its $4.7 billion plan over the next four years. By way of contrast, in the 16 years in which the former Labor Government was in office, it went backwards on seven occasions in capital works expenditure on health. This Government's allocation of an additional $343 million is unprecedented. The former Labor Government did not deliver but this Government is now doing so. [Time expired.]
Mr Chris Patterson: I request an extension of time. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4987
The SPEAKER: The Minister has an additional two minutes to provide further information.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: This is such good news that it is hard to finish it on time. I am pleased to remind members that the former Labor Government promised many hospitals but never delivered on its promises.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Marrickville will come to order.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: They are Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Bega, northern beaches and Wagga Wagga. There are two more to add to the list—Blacktown and Campbelltown— which were promised but not delivered or funded. This Government provided funding in this year's budget and it will provide funding for the next three years for all and more of its election commitments. The former Labor Government closed over 1,500 beds but this year the O'Farrell Government will be opening a substantial number of beds. The member for Penrith knows as well as I do that the former Labor Government cut nurse numbers—340 nurses in western Sydney alone. This Government is providing 900 extra nurses, getting rid of that middle layer of bureaucracy and providing support people to assist doctors and nurses deliver care in those districts where it is needed.
PENSIONERS AND CARERS
Mrs BARBARA PERRY: My question is directed to the Minister for Family and Community Services. Why should carers and pensioners have to suffer cuts to their allowances and increases to their rents in order to pay for this Government's election commitments?
Ms PRU GOWARD: This budget, which is intended to address Labor's legacy of financial unsustainability, begins a long reform process to improve services for vulnerable children, young people and families. Those opposite left this State with a budget black hole of $5.2 billion, as the Treasurer so clearly established, and they also left the New South Wales family and services budget with a budget gap of $1.9 billion over four years. For that reason in its first budget the O'Farrell Government has had to repair Labor's fiscal mess and meet its election commitments—election commitments that are in order with its social justice agenda. The New South Wales Government significantly subsidises rent in social housing. For pensioners and welfare recipients it pegs rent at 25 per cent of income, as those opposite well know.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Leader of the Opposition to order for the third time.
Ms PRU GOWARD: In May 2009 the Federal Government announced an increase of $30 a week for single pensioners, which came into effect on 20 September that year—when those opposite were in office. The Australian Government, as Labor governments do, did not ask: it told the States they were to use it as a rent moratorium scheduled to end in September the following year. The State Government could not give an answer and eventually—as the State Government under Labor was always going to do—it deferred its decision until after the election.
Those opposite could not face what they had to do. By not taking a share of that fair increase in rent those opposite denied public housing to vulnerable people in New South Wales—86 houses every year were denied to vulnerable people in New South Wales. I would have thought that with a waiting list of 43,000 people and a maintenance backlog of $300 million the last thing those opposite could afford to do was to sit on their hands for any longer than they did and not pass on that rent increase in order to finance desperately needed housing and maintenance. By not taking a quarter of that pension increase those opposite passed up that opportunity.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Heffron to order.
Ms PRU GOWARD: South Australia and Western Australia now include that same pension increase in their rent increases for the same reason—namely, social housing in this country is desperately needed. We have a backlog of 43,000 people and the failure by the former Government to respond to that rent increase is partly to blame.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Marrickville to order.
Ms PRU GOWARD: There is another reason. 4988 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Kiama to order.
Ms PRU GOWARD: Another reason why this is so important is that single mothers with two, three or four children are paying their rent increase. Only one branch of the welfare sector was not paying that additional 25 per cent. This makes it fair.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Marrickville to order for the second time.
Ms PRU GOWARD: It is only fair that all those in receipt of welfare benefits pay their contribution to increasing public housing in New South Wales. For the benefit of those members who are genuinely interested in this issue, the first rent increase will not occur until October this year when there is to be a scheduled base-rate increase in pensions. Likewise, the second increase in rent will occur on 20 March next year and after April pensioners will pay $5.9 a week, which will not be more than the pension increase to be enjoyed at that time. If the Commonwealth Government wants the States to exclude pension increases from heavily subsidised public rents it will have to give the States the difference in order to provide social housing and to reduce waiting lists. If those opposite really care about welfare housing I hope that they will join that lobby.
STATE BUDGET AND WESTERN SYDNEY RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE
Mr BRYAN DOYLE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Transport. What will today's State budget deliver for the long suffering rail commuters of western Sydney?
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: Today is a great day for public transport in New South Wales. Thanks to the Treasurer, today's budget delivers a record $13.1 billion for public transport and roads across New South Wale; $1.4 billion more than last year, or a 12 per cent increase. What a great result for public transport. I acknowledge Mr Bruce Baird, the last great Minister for Transport in this State, who is in the gallery today, which is more than I can say about the Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Transport.
Mr John Robertson: Point of order: I remember the contribution of that great Minister for Transport: it was called the airport link.
The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The Leader of the Opposition is embarrassed, and so he should be. The Leader of the Opposition is having more to say today than he did when he was Minister for Transport, and he did not have much to say then. This is a great day for public transport, particularly for public transport in western Sydney. After 16 years of broken Labor promises, families in the south-west and north-west of Sydney will finally see the State Government take their infrastructure needs seriously. Under the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Coalition the 2011-12 State budget will deliver more than $600 million to the south-west and north-west rail lines. In the south-west this year $292 million has been allocated to the rail links, and over the next four years it will rise to $1.7 billion. I thank the members for the electorates of Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly for their ongoing support for this project. They know what this will mean for their commuters. The member for Macquarie Fields is smiling, and so he should be. Labor promised this project for more than a decade, yet it did not lay a single sleeper.
But in less than six months those on this side are showing what a real government can deliver. The 11 kilometre twin-track line will connect Glenfield to Leppington via Edmondson Park. It will include two new stations, an upgraded Glenfield rail-bus interchange, a train stabling facility and more than 2,000 commuter parking spaces. Importantly, this rail line will provide the residents of south-west Sydney of today and of the future with direct public transport links to major centres such as Liverpool, Parramatta and the Sydney central business district. Unlike those on the other side who spoke about this project a lot but did nothing, since winning office this Government has done a lot about it. This Government has laid the first piece of track associated with the South West Rail Link, it has installed columns to support the new Glenfield station concourse, it has installed the first structures to support the southern flyover and it has built the ramps that support the northern flyover.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Marrickville to order for the third time.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: And just last week the Government completed the purchase of the former Ingleburn Army Camp, an area that will house the new Edmondson Park station. I thank the Minister for 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4989
Planning and Infrastructure for his help on that. This was an ongoing sore for so many years under Labor which was never resolved. It is also good news for the North West Rail Link. The State budget will deliver $314 million for the North West Rail Link, and over the next four years it will rise to a provisional allocation of $2.5 billion. This is great news for the people of Epping, Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Glenhaven and Kellyville, who have been waiting 16 years for good government. Today is their day. The Government has opened a community information centre at Castle Hill and more than 2,300 people have already visited the centre. Guess who one of those visitors was a couple of weeks ago?
Mr Barry O'Farrell: Robbo.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: No, it was not him; it was the Federal transport Minister. On his first visit he spoke to staff and had his photograph taken in front of the information display screen. The second time he came along he was seen having coffee somewhere outside the information centre. Minister Albanese has taken the time to visit this centre but when will the Leader of the Opposition do so and show his support?
Question time concluded at 3.10 p.m.
PRINTING OF PAPERS
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL tabled a document entitled "NSW 2021: A Plan to Make NSW Number One", dated September 2011.
Ordered to be printed on motion by Mr Barry O'Farrell.
OMBUDSMAN
Report
The SPEAKER announced the receipt, pursuant to section 31AA of the Ombudsman Act 1974, of the report of the NSW Ombudsman entitled "Keep Them Safe", dated August 2011.
Ordered to be printed.
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION
Report
The SPEAKER announced the receipt, pursuant to section 78 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988, of the report entitled "Investigation into corrupt conduct involving fraud on two Sydney hospitals", dated August 2011.
Ordered to be printed.
OMBUDSMAN
Report
The SPEAKER tabled, pursuant to section 43 of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993, the report of the NSW Ombudsman entitled "Report of Reviewable Death in 2008 & 2009—Volume 2: Deaths of people with disabilities in care", dated September 2011.
Ordered to be printed.
JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON ROAD SAFETY
Reference
Mr GREG APLIN: I inform the House that the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety has received a referral from the Minister for Roads and Ports to conduct an inquiry into school zone safety, the full details of which are available on the committee's home page. 4990 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE
Report
Mr Stephen Bromhead, as Chair, tabled "Legislation Review Digest No. 3/55", dated 6 September 2011.
Ordered to be printed on motion by Mr Stephen Bromhead.
PETITIONS
The Speaker announced that the following petition signed by more than 10,000 persons was lodged for presentation:
Performing Circus Animals Ban
Petition requesting a ban of exotic animal circuses, received from Ms Clover Moore.
Discussion on petition set down as an order of the day for a future day.
The Clerk announced that the following petitions signed by fewer than 500 persons were lodged for presentation:
Walsh Bay Precinct Public Transport
Petition requesting improved bus services for the Walsh Bay precinct, and ferry services for the new wharf at pier 2/3, received from Ms Clover Moore.
Pet Shops
Petition opposing the sale of animals in pet shops, received from Ms Clover Moore.
Mental Health Services
Petition requesting increased funding for mental health services, received from Ms Clover Moore.
The Clerk announced that the following Ministers had lodged responses to petitions signed by more than 500 persons:
The Hon. Adrian Piccoli—Riverstone Electorate High School Construction—lodged 2 August 2011 (Mr Kevin Conolly).
The Hon. Greg Smith—Lynette Joy Dawson Disappearance—lodged 23 August 2011 (Mr Mike Baird).
JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE
Membership
The SPEAKER: I report the receipt of the following message from the Legislative Council:
Madam SPEAKER
The Legislative Council desires to inform the Legislative Assembly that it agreed to the following resolution on Friday 26 August 2011:
That Ms Fazio be discharged from the Joint Select Committee on the Parliamentary Budget Office and Mr Secord be appointed as a member of the committee.
Legislative Council DON HARWIN 6 September 2011 President
6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4991
CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO BE ACCORDED PRIORITY
State Budget
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Hawkesbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.13 p.m.]: This is a historic moment. It is an historic day. As the Premier said earlier, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to correct the financial mismanagement on behalf of New South Wales and the abhorrent amount of waste over the past 16 years by a Labor-led State Government. As a western Sydney boy, as a proud member of one of the loveliest electorates—Hawkesbury—and as an equally proud Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney, I can say today that I can venture out into my electorate, look my people in the face, look into the eyes of the people of western Sydney and tell them with great honesty that we will deliver for the people of New South Wales. We will deliver the public transport, the nurses and the front-line police officers they need to correct the problems across New South Wales.
My motion deserves priority, and I ask all members to support it so that we can tell the people of New South Wales the reason for the budget. We can explain clearly to the people of New South Wales what is in the budget. When people ask us, "What will I do when I call the police and I don't get a response?" will I tell them what the member for Maroubra would say? What would the member for Maroubra say? He would say, "Hang on a second. Don't worry about that robber. I'll go and get you a middle manager." What do I say when a constituent rings me and says, "I've gone to hospital and I wasn't really happy about the care because the nurses were run off their feet"? When people say, "Nurse, nurse", the member for Maroubra would say, "Just a moment, I'll duck away and get you a middle manager."
My motion should be accorded priority because this is an historic day in New South Wales politics. The people of New South Wales voted for change on 26 March, and look at the massive change they got. We need to debate the budget and tell people that they will get more nurses, more police and more teachers in their areas to provide the nurses they need when they go to hospital, safety on their streets and education for their children. Middle managers will not do that; nor will the fat cat bureaucrats that the former Government appointed, again wasting our money. We will take the responsible measures that the Treasurer outlined today in the budget. I greatly appreciate some aspects of the budget for western Sydney, such as the long-awaited and much-lied-about North West Rail Link—a rail link that was promised not to be started but to be finished by 2010. In 2010 we should have had trains rolling out of Castle Hill. This is why this motion is so important today.
Today we can outline what is in the budget. I ask all members to show their support today. I implore them to support priority for my motion. On behalf of all of our constituents, whether they are in western New South Wales, in the central business district, the north, the south or the east, I ask members to support priority for my motion so that we can deliver the message to the good people of New South Wales that we will put more front-line people in communities not only in western Sydney but also across New South Wales. For example, I am happy to stand alongside my colleague the new member for Tamworth, who will stand up on behalf of the rural residents of New South Wales and tell them the great message that we have in this historic budget today.
State Budget
Mr MICHAEL DALEY (Maroubra) [3.18 p.m.]: My motion deserves priority because the Government has force-fed New South Wales a double poison pill. Somehow it has managed to hand down a budget that hurts the most vulnerable and slashes at least 6,000 jobs, yet coughs up a budget deficit. The budget will hurt people and hurt the bottom line. This budget directly butchers at least 6,000 jobs. Earlier today the Treasurer refused to rule out a limit to job cuts. This is just the beginning. Behind each job is a human face: health workers, prison warders and forestry scientists, and an anxious family that has lost its breadwinner.
This budget is an assault on ordinary mums and dads who entrusted Barry O'Farrell with their vote on 26 March. They have now been sent to the Centrelink dole queue or had their wages and conditions cut by laws more extreme than WorkChoices. Tonight more than 6,000 families are frightened about their mortgages, frightened about their debts, frightened about how they are going to pay school fees, and frightened about how they are going to pay the car off. Meanwhile the people of New South Wales are wondering what effect failing to replace up to 100,000 workers who will exit the workforce through natural attrition over the next three or four years will have on the essential services in this State. 4992 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Incredibly, after all the pain meted out by the Government today—the sackings, the cuts to wages and conditions, and the hikes in mining royalties, preschool fees, and water and electricity bills, gouging pensioners who live in public housing an extra $10 a week, and hitting foster parents $212 a fortnight—this Government is so rudderless that it cannot deliver a budget surplus. Plunging New South Wales from a surplus into a $718 million deficit represents the mother of all backflips for this Government. On 25 March, the day before the election, the shadow Treasurer told the whopper of a lie, "Not a single dollar is going to be taken off the budget bottom line; not an additional dollar of debt is going to be added to the State's balance sheet". Now the question is whether the O'Farrell Government will ever come out of deficit. Even across the forward estimates the projected surpluses are pathetically tiny.
My motion deserves priority because this Government stands condemned, at least today, for utter hypocrisy. For months the Premier railed about a budget black hole when all the while he was cooking up a $718 million black hole of his own. The previous Labor Government left this Government with a triple-A credit rating. We delivered 15 out of 16 budget surpluses. We weathered the global financial crisis without sacking a single worker. We left the budget in solid shape and in surplus. The Government's monthly statement on the Treasury website confirmed that New South Wales had a budget surplus of $2 billion at the end of May 2011. Today the Premier has wiped almost $3 billion off the bottom line between May 2011 and June 2012—an achievement of historic proportions. The Premier who puffed out his chest on fiscal responsibility has now trashed what little we had of economic credentials. He will forever go down in history as the one who broke the State's budget at the time he broke the heart of the most vulnerable in this State.
This motion deserves priority because the previous Government left unemployment at 4.8 per cent on average in New South Wales. We created 195,000 jobs in our last three years in Government. On Premier Barry O'Farrell's watch 20,000 jobs have gone since March and today at least another 6,000 have been lost. At a time of global economic uncertainty and financial market ructions New South Wales needed a steady hand on the till more than ever. Instead this Government has served up a fiscal turkey, a soft budget deficit compounded by the contraction of more than 6,000 jobs. This will belt business and consumer confidence, and this side of the House will hold the Government to account for all of the harm, failure and debt that is inherent in this budget.
Question—That the motion of the member for Hawkesbury be accorded priority—put.
The House divided.
Ayes, 66
Mr Anderson Mr Flowers Mr Roberts Mr Annesley Mr Fraser Mr Rohan Mr Aplin Mr Gee Mr Rowell Mr Ayres Mr George Mrs Sage Mr Baird Ms Gibbons Mr Sidoti Mr Barilaro Ms Goward Mrs Skinner Mr Bassett Mr Hartcher Mr Smith Mr Baumann Mr Hazzard Mr Souris Ms Berejiklian Mr Holstein Mr Speakman Mr Bromhead Mr Humphries Mr Spence Mr Brookes Mr Issa Mr Stokes Mr Cansdell Mr Kean Mr Toole Mr Casuscelli Dr Lee Mr Torbay Mr Conolly Mr Notley-Smith Ms Upton Mr Constance Mr O'Dea Mr Ward Mr Cornwell Mr O'Farrell Mr Webber Mr Coure Mr Owen Mr R. C. Williams Mrs Davies Mr Page Mrs Williams Mr Dominello Ms Parker Mr Doyle Mr Patterson Mr Edwards Mr Perrottet Tellers, Mr Elliott Mr Piccoli Mr Maguire Mr Evans Mr Provest Mr J. D. Williams 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4993
Noes, 22
Mr Barr Mr Lynch Mr Robertson Ms Burney Dr McDonald Ms Tebbutt Ms Burton Ms Mihailuk Ms Watson Mr Daley Ms Moore Mr Zangari Ms Hay Mr Parker Ms Hornery Mrs Perry Tellers, Ms Keneally Mr Piper Mr Amery Mr Lalich Mr Rees Mr Park
Pair
Mr Grant Mr Furolo
Question resolved in the affirmative.
STATE BUDGET
Motion Accorded Priority
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Hawkesbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.33 p.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to move:
That this House supports a budget that rebuilds New South Wales by providing better front-line services and critical infrastructure.
I commence where I left off by saying that this is an historic day. The people of New South Wales need to understand exactly what the Government was faced with when producing the budget. When the Treasurer unlocked the vault, a deficit—a black hole—was discovered in the finances of the State amounting to more than $5 billion. Before we can spend money to cover the cost of so much as a postage stamp, we must ensure that we replenish the State's coffers with $5 billion. To a large degree, that is exactly what the 2011-12 budget has done and will do in the coming years. Over the term of this Government, $8 billion will be returned to State Treasury.
Expenditure that is allowed to escalate beyond revenue received by Treasury will result in a financial downturn and deficit budgets for the State. For many years, that is exactly what happened: expenses increased by 6.1 per cent a year whereas revenue received by Treasury was sometimes less than 5 per cent a year. That is unsustainable. But for Federal funding from the stimulus package received by the New South Wales Government over the past three years, New South Wales would have had deficit budgets over that period. Of course, that was never acknowledged or explained to the people of New South Wales. The State Government is pleased to provide that explanation.
It will give the people of New South Wales some idea of the challenges we face. I have described the budget as historic, and will continue to do so, because the Government will meet its pre-election promises and commitments to the people of New South Wales and because not many governments in Australia or throughout the world will stand fast and deliver what has been promised to their constituents. The Coalition had a massive win and its many new members of Parliament deserve nothing less than that the Government to which they belong return the favours and fulfil the promises and commitments that were made prior to the election.
A total of $62.6 billion has been committed to various infrastructure projects over the next four years, which represents the biggest spend in the State's history. Up to 5,000 voluntary public sector redundancies will be called for over that period, which will assist in funding the Government's commitments. Funds will be provided for 1,400 additional hospital beds and $2 billion will be provided for disability services. Some $1.1 billion will be allocated for Health capital works, including new hospitals and upgrades. I will deal with that in greater detail at a later stage. An allocation of $6.3 billion will be made to transport.
As someone who represents an electorate that has been let down for so long by broken promises about the North West Rail Link, I greatly appreciate the work and commitment of the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Transport. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that they deliver not only on that particular transport initiative for areas to the north-west of Sydney but also on improvements for the south-west rail line that are so important for the Camden, Wollondilly and Campbelltown electorates. 4994 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Some $3.2 billion will be invested in roads, including the Pacific Highway. For many years we were promised upgrades for the Pacific Highway. Mr Deputy-Speaker would know how important it is for the Pacific Highway to be upgraded. Unfortunately, many lives have been lost needlessly on that and other roadways. Record funding will also be allocated to upgrading the Princes Highway. The budget allocates $314 million to develop 23 kilometres of the North West Rail Line between Epping and Rouse Hill and $292 million to continue the construction of the South West Rail Line, which includes 11.4 kilometres of track between Glenfield and Leppington. Western Sydney commuters will also benefit from the allocation of $152 million to buy and upgrade new train carriages.
Many dozens of people have contacted me in the winter months when it is five degrees and below at Windsor and Richmond stations, outside my electorate, who have to catch the train to town. They get very upset when the trains are not heated. I say to them today that this massive commitment of expenditure on new trains hopefully will ensure that they will never face those freezing conditions again in winter. On the reverse side, my family members have sat in non-air conditioned trains when it is 47 degrees in summer, which is deplorable. I hope that this expenditure will mean that those good people in such extreme temperatures will never have to sit in another non-air conditioned train. The message is quite clear: We will be delivering on behalf of the people of New South Wales. I will go into further detail in my reply.
Mr NATHAN REES (Toongabbie) [3.40 p.m.]: I speak to and against the motion moved by the member for Hawkesbury. The Premier referred earlier today to the buzz across New South Wales. It is the buzz of blowflies hovering around the carcass of public sector employment in our great State. It has taken only six months. The Government's first budget reminds the people of the policy troika of the Liberal-Nationals: privatisations, sackings and hooking into battlers. Over recent months plans have been outlined for privatising ferries. Today we heard more detailed plans to privatise jail services across New South Wales. The member for Bathurst, who is in the Chamber, laid supine as his Treasurer cooked up this plan to outsource jobs in his electorate.
Today the Treasurer announced a plan to outsource the work at Port Botany and, of most concern, particularly for members of The Nationals—and the detail is buried in the documents—road maintenance in rural New South Wales is to be outsourced. That will be of great concern to the thousands of men and women across rural New South Wales who currently provide those services. The real agenda of the Coalition Government was revealed today. The first step is privatisation. The second step is sackings—some 6,000 jobs to go, hundreds in health, hundreds in jail services, hundreds in the public service proper in year one after a record win.
The third element, and the most concerning for those of us in western Sydney, is the unashamed hooking into the battlers in our community. Today there was an announcement of an increase in public housing rents. In some areas of Sydney this will equate to an increase of $10 per week. It will affect some 70,000 pensioners. First homebuyers have been dudded on stamp duty concessions worth tens of thousands of dollars for young families. The allowance for foster carers will be cut by more than $212 a fortnight when their child turns 16 years of age. The allowance for new carers who adopt children and young people in out-of-home care will be reduced. Electricity bills will be increased by $12, on top of the Premier's decision to increase electricity prices by 18 per cent on 1 July.
Water prices are likely to increase as a result of the dodgy deal between the Government and the private sector operators of the desalination plant. Parents will be forced to pay new fees for State-run preschools. Further budget cuts have already been identified in key agencies, including Family and Community Services and Education. The policy cap is a promise to keep wages growth for public servants below the inflation rate, that is, a 2½ per cent cap on pay rises. There has been a lot of talk about bets between the Premier and others in this Chamber but I extend a bet to the Treasurer and all other members of the Cabinet who were involved in putting together this duplicitous and mendacious document, otherwise known as the New South Wales budget. If unemployment figures in New South Wales 12 months from now are below today's rate I will buy those people a good bottle of red. However, if it is above today's rate then I expect to receive a similar bottle. That offer is open to anyone on the front bench.
This budget is about constricting economic growth. It is about sacking workers. It is about sticking it to those battlers who are doing it tough under ordinary circumstances and delivering public sector services over to the Government's private sector mates for delivery. The most concerning element today that has already occurred is the redefining, in the first instance, of accounting standards and, in the second instance, of the definition of western Sydney. Throughout today's question time the Treasurer spoke about how the former Government included Commonwealth Government capital works grants in its budget in order to avoid a deficit. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4995
Extending the same logic to the Government's budget, to be intellectually consistent it should remove all references in its figures to GST grants and moneys that come from Commonwealth Grants Commission grants and so on. I challenge the Government to do so.
Mr Jonathan O'Dea: One is a one-off and one is recurrent.
Mr NATHAN REES: The member for Davidson raises a reasonable point but the Australian accounting standards are international standards that everyone signed on to. The treatment of Commonwealth capital expenditure grants is entirely in accordance with those; it has nothing to do with whether it is recurrent or capital. I said to be intellectually consistent, and that is my point. Secondly, earlier the member for Hawkesbury—and if memory serves me correctly, the north-western reach of his electorate reaches into St Albans—claimed that he was a member for western Sydney. I think his electorate also takes in the Hawkesbury River. The Minister for Transport said that the electorate of Campbelltown is also archetypal western Sydney, something with which I have no truck. However, I do have some truck with the member for Hawkesbury claiming he is a western Sydney Minister.
But, according to the newly defined definition of western Sydney, it stretches from St Albans in the north-west down to Campbelltown and further south, which is probably more than 100 kilometres. Why was that been done? Because not a single new train service or bus service is in western Sydney proper. If we ask the member for Penrith what is in the budget for the people of Penrith who are travelling by train into Sydney each day we know that the answer will be absolutely zilch. Where is the promised $125 million for Blacktown Hospital? It is simply not in the budget. There is planning money, and we know what that means. There is no question that this budget is a return to Liberal Party principles: get stuck into the battlers, return to privatisations and more sackings across the State. It is in the DNA of the Liberal-Nationals. It will constrict the growth of this economy. I look forward to pointing out to the member for Tamworth the unemployment rate in 12 months time. I might even extend my bet to the member for Tamworth.
[Debate interrupted.]
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! I welcome to the gallery the Hon. Jeremy Browne, MP, United Kingdom Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Nathan Blunt, Private Secretary to the United Kingdom Minister, Paul Madden, the British High Commissioner and Alex Pinfield, First Secretary, guests of the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure.
STATE BUDGET
Motion Accorded Priority
[Debate resumed.]
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON (Tamworth) [3.50 p.m.]: I support this motion, which calls on the House to support a budget that rebuilds New South Wales by providing better front-line services and critical infrastructure. I listened intently to the member for Toongabbie, who said that this budget will restrict growth. Some of what he said should be clarified, particularly because I believe he was reading from the 2009-10 and the 2010-11 budget papers. I direct him to the current budget papers, which present a different scenario from that evident when members opposite were running this State—that is, it was spiralling out of control. This State was rapidly going backwards and it needed to be turned in the right direction. The only way to achieve that was to hand down a budget designed to rebuild New South Wales, and particularly the health, roads and infrastructure sectors.
The Coalition's first budget provides a platform on which to rebuild New South Wales not only for those living in the metropolitan areas but also those living in regional New South Wales. I have already congratulated the Premier and the Ministers responsible on ensuring that regional New South Wales was not forgotten today as it has been for the past 16 years. This budget delivers 900 more teachers, 2,475 more nurses, 550 more police officers and record infrastructure investment to address the building backlog left by members 4996 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
opposite. The budget allocates $4.7 billion for hospitals and health capital works over the next four years. That is 50 per cent more than has been spent over the past four years. This Government has committed $200 million to tackle black spots and to reduce road congestion across the State.
In Tamworth $3.2 million will be spent to widen, rebuild and resurface Fossickers Way and the Oxley, Kamilaroi and New England highways. This funding is focused on areas that have been neglected for the past 16 years. Community infrastructure will also be boosted with an additional $35 million allocated over two years through an extension of the Community Building Partnership Program. The member for Toongabbie is obviously on a different planet if he believes that the budget will restrict growth. As I said, he has obviously not read the budget papers presented today, or he was having a nap while the Treasurer delivered the budget and during question time today. The $62-billion capital infrastructure budget is the largest in this State's history. It is designed to restore and rebuild New South Wales and to ensure strong economic growth, and it puts front-line jobs where they need to be.
There is a buzz across New South Wales because the Coalition has delivered a budget that ensures this State will be number one again. How do we get the State moving? We do that by providing a transport budget of $13.1 billion to upgrade the Pacific Highway and the Princes Highway and to build the North West Rail Link. The budget also provides a record $17.3 billion in health spending. The Tamworth Hospital will get $3 million to progress the clinical service plan, which is a hell of a lot more than was delivered over the past couple of years by the former Government. As my colleague the member for Mulgoa said, this is the first time that a government has delivered on its election promises in a generation. Members opposite should read today's budget papers, not their own rhetoric, which only served to take the State backwards. I support the motion.
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) [3.55 p.m.]: This is a true Coalition budget if ever I have seen one. It strikes at the heart of the Illawarra during one of the most challenging times that it has faced. Today's budget targets some of the most vulnerable people in my area. I do not know how members will be able to face their communities after announcing that 5,000 people will be sacked. I do know how they will face the pensioners who lose a significant portion of their pension, and I do know not know how they will face their community given the cuts in allowances for foster carers. I do not know of a more deserving group in our community than those who care for children, and often they come from very difficult environments. Government members will have to explain to those carers why they have cut their allowances. This is a disgraceful budget and that is a particularly disgraceful measure.
Government members are harping on about infrastructure spending. During the election campaign they promised that $500 million would be spent on the Princes Highway over four years. The reality is that the Government has allocated only $100 million to that upgrade. That is an enormous difference. Members opposite have also referred to the education budget. Surely that should be a key priority of any new government, but apparently not. This budget includes $1.3 billion in cuts to the education infrastructure fund. Members opposite will have to explain to their school principals and parents and citizens groups why their toilets, halls and sporting facilities will not be upgraded. According to Government members that is okay because they have provided regional relocation grants. What a fantastic initiative.
A couple of weeks ago the member for Heathcote and the member for Kiama told the House how strongly they felt about the situation confronting BlueScope workers and how they would advocate for the people of the Illawarra. However, they did not say that this Government intends to encourage people to leave Wollongong and thereby precipitate a decline in our economy while at the same time there are substantial cuts to services. This Government has not allocated one extra dollar for Bulli District Hospital or for funding for key infrastructure projects, in particular Fig Tree High School library.
What is most distressing is that we are facing some of the most difficult and challenging economic circumstances in the region but this Government has seen fit to scrap the Illawarra Advantage Fund. Its mates in business harped and demanded that the former Government should retain that fund. It was enhanced and in the process supported hundreds of jobs. However, Coalition members representing the Illawarra have sat back and watched while that fund has been scrapped despite the fact that our region needs that type of investment. We need the Illawarra Advantage Fund more than ever to attract, retain and expand new businesses in our region.
This Government says that it cares for the people of the Illawarra and during the election campaign members opposite said that if people voted for the Coalition there would be change. We have seen not one cent of additional investment in the region and not one cent has been allocated to the Illawarra Advantage Fund—in 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4997
fact, it has been scrapped. This is a disgraceful budget not only for the people of the Illawarra but for all regional communities. It is appalling that members opposite say that they believe this Government has delivered a good budget for the people of New South Wales. The people of the Illawarra do not believe that, nor do the people of regional New South Wales.
The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! I remind the member for Keira that he is on three calls to order and the member for Kiama that he is on two calls to order.
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Hawkesbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.01 p.m.], in reply: In my closing remarks I would like to respond to some of the claims that have been made by members of the Opposition in terms of what they believe is a shortfall in their particular areas. The funding of an additional 550 police on our streets—150 of those acknowledged in this budget—will assist people in every suburb and town across New South Wales. There will be 2,475 more nurses, with 940 acknowledged in this first budget; and some 900 more teachers across New South Wales, with 240 of those acknowledged in this budget. That will be an enormous achievement on behalf of the people in every area of New South Wales.
These workers provide critical services and every person in New South Wales will benefit from more police on the streets, more nurses in the hospitals and more teachers in schools. One of the most important aspects of this funding is infrastructure upgrades: $100 million has been allocated to continue upgrades of the Great Western Highway in the Blue Mountains, something which has concerned the people of the Blue Mountains, and the member for Blue Mountains will appreciate that funding. The sum of $25 million has been allocated to complete the construction of the joint-funded F5 freeway and a further $15 million will continue construction of the four-lane upgrade of Camden Valley Way.
I am sure the members for Camden, Wollondilly and Campbelltown will welcome that funding. The sum of $2 million has been allocated towards planning for the first stage of the proposed Werrington arterial road between the M4 and the Great Western Highway. The members for Mulgoa and Penrith will welcome that. The sum of $2 million has been provided towards the replacement of the Windsor Bridge, which is so vital to many people in the Hawkesbury electorate in their journey to and from work each day. This is a good and sound budget presented on behalf of the people of New South Wales. It contains some significant announcements: $15 million has been provided for 204 more nurses in western Sydney.
Indeed, there is a significant amount of $17.3 billion in funding right across the health budget, which is $950 million more than last year. That is what we need to provide on behalf of the tired, sick and aged. When those people enter hospital they do not want to see middle management—somebody with a clipboard—they want to know there is a nurse available who will be able to cater to their every need. I commend the Minister for Health for the $36 million going to the hospital to make available 150 new acute care beds; the $56 million to maintain 443 acute and subacute beds opened since the first year of the Council of Australian Governments national partnership agreement; the $21 million to make available 69 acute care beds for general rehabilitation; and the $8.8 million for an extra 1,600 elective surgical procedures. That funding will make a big dent in the backlog of people awaiting elective surgery.
The sum of $4 million has been allocated to increase medical graduate positions and $15 million to provide an extra 11,750 enrolments in connecting care programs, which assist people with chronic conditions to remain at home, thus reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. That expenditure is part of the commitment of $57 million over four years to enable an extra 59,000 patients to access that particular program. It continues, right across the regions: $139 million committed to developing hospital infrastructure at Campbelltown; $79 million for Dubbo Base Hospital; $110 million directed to Port Macquarie Base Hospital and $270 million to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.
I know what a tireless worker the member for Wagga Wagga has been. He will now be able to front up to people in his community, look them squarely in the eye and say that a Liberal-Nationals Government delivered that sort of funding in order to cater for the sick, the aged and the ill in the Wagga Wagga area. The Minister for Ageing, and Minister for Disability Services, the member for Bega, will appreciate the $170 million which has been allocated for planning for the south-east regional hospital at Bega. As a member of the Government I am proud to say that this is a good budget.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.
The House divided. 4998 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Ayes, 68
Mr Anderson Mr Flowers Mr Provest Mr Annesley Mr Fraser Mr Roberts Mr Aplin Mr Gee Mr Rohan Mr Ayres Mr George Mr Rowell Mr Baird Ms Gibbons Mrs Sage Mr Barilaro Mr Hartcher Mr Sidoti Mr Bassett Ms Hodgkinson Mrs Skinner Mr Baumann Mr Holstein Mr Smith Ms Berejiklian Mr Humphries Mr Souris Mr Bromhead Mr Issa Mr Speakman Mr Brookes Mr Kean Mr Spence Mr Cansdell Ms Moore Mr Stokes Mr Casuscelli Mr Notley-Smith Mr Stoner Mr Conolly Mr O'Dea Mr Toole Mr Constance Mr O'Farrell Mr Torbay Mr Cornwell Mr Owen Ms Upton Mr Coure Mr Page Mr Ward Mrs Davies Mr Parker Mr Webber Mr Dominello Ms Parker Mr R. C. Williams Mr Doyle Mr Patterson Mrs Williams Mr Edwards Mr Perrottet Tellers, Mr Elliott Mr Piccoli Mr Maguire Mr Evans Mr Piper Mr J. D. Williams
Noes, 18
Mr Barr Mr Lynch Ms Watson Ms Burney Dr McDonald Mr Zangari Ms Burton Ms Mihailuk Ms Hay Mrs Perry Ms Hornery Mr Rees Tellers, Ms Keneally Mr Robertson Mr Amery Mr Lalich Ms Tebbutt Mr Park
Pair
Mr Grant Mr Furolo
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
The SPEAKER: Order! It being before 4.30 p.m., the House will now consider Government Business.
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION AMENDMENT BILL 2011
PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES AMENDMENT BILL 2011
Agreement in Principle
Debate resumed from 24 August 2011.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Premier, and Minister for Western Sydney) [4.14 p.m.], in reply: I thank all members for their contributions to the debate on the Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment Bill 2011 and the Public Interest Disclosures Amendment Bill 2011. These bills will form part of a range of measures that the Government is taking to restore confidence in public administration across New South Wales. As to the comments made by the member for Balmain, it is important that the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption has control over the appointment, discipline 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 4999
and removal of staff. Given the nature of the work of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, it is important that the commission not be placed in the position of having to maintain the employment of a person in whom the commissioner has lost confidence.
The amendments to section 104 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act contained in the bill will ensure that the original intent of section 104 subsection (11) is preserved. Originally, the section provided that decisions of the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption relating to the appointment, discipline and removal of staff of the Independent Commission Against Corruption may not be appealed to the Industrial Relations Commission. When this provision was originally included in the legislation, the drafting of the Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 meant that a proceeding to reinstate a dismissed employee could be dealt with only by making an award determining an industrial matter.
The current wording of the Act is accordingly drafted to create exclusions from what is an industrial matter. Changes to the jurisdiction of the Industrial Relations Commission under the Industrial Relations Act 1996 giving power to hear and determine an unfair dismissal claim will mean that changes are needed to section 104 (11) to bring it into line with the current industrial regime and to clarify that the Industrial Relations Commission does not have jurisdiction to entertain unfair dismissal claims involving commission officers. Finally, I note that the Government will be moving an amendment to the Public Interest Disclosures Amendment Bill 2011. I commend the bills to the House.
Question—That these bills be now agreed to in principle—put.
Bills agreed to in principle.
Consideration in detail requested by Mr Barry O'Farrell.
Consideration in Detail
The SPEAKER: Order! The House will consider in detail first the Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment Bill 2011. By leave, we will deal with the bill in groups of clauses and schedules.
Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to.
Schedule 1 agreed to.
The SPEAKER: Order! The House will deal next with the Public Interest Disclosures Amendment Bill 2011. By leave, I will propose the bill in groups of clauses and schedules.
Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to.
Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Premier, and Minister for Western Sydney) [4.19 p.m.]: I move:
No. 1 Pages 3 and 4, schedule 1 [5], proposed section 6CA, line 25 on page 3 to line 2 on page 4. Omit all words on those lines. Insert instead:
6CA Reports to Ombudsman by public authorities
(1) Each public authority must provide a report under this section to the Ombudsman for each 6 month period.
(2) The report is to provide statistical information on the public authority's compliance with its obligations under this Act during the 6 month period to which the report relates.
(3) The report is to be provided to the Ombudsman within 30 days after the end of the 6 month period to which the report relates, or by such later time as the Ombudsman may approve.
(4) The regulations may make provision for or with respect to:
(a) the statistical information that is to be provided in a report under this section, and
(b) the form in which such a report is to be provided.
(5) In this section, 6 month period means the period of 6 months ending on 30 June and 31 December in any year.
5000 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
I apologise for detaining the House. The Government's proposed amendment has been requested by the Ombudsman and recommended by the public interest disclosures steering committee. Members will be aware that the Ombudsman has a new oversight role in relation to the public interest disclosures regime which commenced in July. The steering committee was also established earlier this year to provide me with advice on the operation of the Public Interest Disclosures Act and recommendations for reform. The Government's proposed amendment is to the reporting obligations of public authorities. Members will be aware that a new annual reporting obligation on public authorities will commence on 1 January next year. This is a comprehensive obligation which requires public authorities to prepare an annual report on their obligations under the Act.
These annual reports will provide useful data to the steering committee and the Ombudsman for his new oversight rule. In addition to the new annual reporting obligation, the bill currently contains, at the request of the Ombudsman earlier this year, before the steering committee came into place, a requirement for public authorities to provide statistics to the Ombudsman regarding their compliance with the Act on a quarterly basis. The Ombudsman and the steering committee now recommend, and the Government's proposed amendment will now require, public authorities to provide these statistics on a six-monthly basis. Public authorities will also still be required to submit an annual return. Together with the annual report, the six-monthly reports to the Ombudsman will provide the information he needs to effectively assess the handling of public interest disclosures by public authorities. I again apologise for detaining the House. At least it was not a quarterly detention.
Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) [4.21 p.m.]: The Opposition does not oppose the amendment.
Question—That the amendment be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Amendment agreed to.
Schedule 1 as amended agreed to.
Schedule 2 agreed to.
Consideration in detail concluded.
Passing of the Bills
Motion by Mr Barry O'Farrell agreed to:
That these bills be now passed.
Bills passed and transmitted to the Legislative Council with a message seeking its concurrence in the bills.
TRANSPORT LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2011
Agreement in Principle
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Minister for Transport) [4.23 p.m.]: I move:
That this bill be now agreed to in principle.
I am pleased to introduce the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill into this Chamber on a historic day for New South Wales and public transport—a day on which the Treasurer and I have announced record spending of $13.3 billion on public transport and roads across New South Wales. This is a $1.4 billion increase on last year—a 12 per cent increase in what we are spending in the important transport and roads portfolio. It is important to discuss this bill today, given the importance of the bill for the future of public transport and the new era of public transport embarked upon by the O'Farrell Government. The Government is extremely pleased to introduce the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 to the Legislative Assembly. The bill represents an opportunity to improve the administration of transport in New South Wales.
This was a commitment made by the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals in February 2008. We knew back then, as we know now, that to improve public transport services, to de-congest our roads and to build those 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5001
vital transport projects we need to break down the silos that exist in the administration of the entire transport sector. This bill implements the announcement made on 15 July 2011 by the Minister for Roads and Ports and me in respect of the most significant restructure of transport in the history of this great State. I am pleased to say that this was a policy of the Liberal-Nationals going back to February 2008, when we released our discussion paper "Towards one Network", advocating for this major reform.
The bill explicitly sets out common objectives for the public transport agencies. These include putting the customer first and ensuring that the transport system is designed around the needs and expectations of the customer. It is about enabling the transport system to support the economic development of the State, with a particular focus on improving the coordination of freight—as my colleague the Minister for Roads and Ports in the other place said, from paddock to port and from ship to shop. This bill also explicitly sets out objectives relating to planning and investment to ensure that good planning informs investment strategies. The taxpayers' hard-earned money can never again be wasted on infrastructure projects such as Labor's proposed Rozelle metro—a project that cost a staggering $500 million yet never delivered one single metre of new rail line.
These reforms will also promote coherence and integration across all transport modes and all stages of decision making; provide a focus on performance and service delivery, with clear accountabilities for outcomes; achieve greater efficiency in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects through improved coordination of freight, maritime and ports operations and their integration into the transport system; promote the delivery of transport services in an environmentally sustainable manner; contribute to the delivery of social benefits for customers, including greater inclusiveness, accessibility and quality of life; and provide safe transport services in accordance with a safety regulatory framework. To achieve the gains we are seeking in public transport performance in New South Wales, it is critical that all public transport agencies are working to the same objectives. Having these objectives enshrined in legislation is vital to achieving this outcome.
The bill requires that each public transport agency exercise its functions in a manner that promotes these common objectives. This will ensure consistency and clarity of approach across all modes and aspects of transport delivery in New South Wales. The bill establishes a new integrated transport authority, called Transport for NSW, which will be responsible for the coordinated delivery of transport services across all modes and a renewed focus on the customer. Policy and planning experts will be brought together from all transport agencies to improve public transport services and ensure a world-class transport system that people want to use. Whether one catches a train, drives a car or truck, rides a bike, hops on a bus or ferry, Transport for NSW will be responsible for making one's trip as easy and as comfortable as possible. The bill makes customers the focus. With the creation of Transport for NSW, transport agencies will be free to concentrate on delivering a quality service to customers.
Under the bill, Transport for NSW will bring together the coordination, procurement, policy and non-service delivery planning functions currently performed by the Department of Transport, RailCorp, the Roads and Traffic Authority, the State Transit Authority, Sydney Ferries, the Maritime Authority of New South Wales, the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority. The bill also provides for the strategic policy, planning and port oversight functions of NSW Maritime to be transferred to Transport for NSW, with the remainder of the functions of NSW Maritime transferred to Roads and Maritime Services. The Government's decision to create an integrated transport authority has already generated widespread support from all sections of the community, including businesses. For example, John Lee, the Chief Executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum—a peak industry group for the tourism, transport, aviation and investment sectors—described the move as a "strong and welcome step". Mr Lee went on to say:
The establishment of a new integrated transport authority will streamline the delivery of transport services across New South Wales. For too long, transport services have been planned independently and without due regard for coordination and the needs of passengers.
Transport for NSW will allow the Government to move resources from administration to the front line, providing a more customer-centric approach to service delivery.
Similarly, the Chief Executive of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Brendan Lyon, welcomed the reform with the following statements:
A single agency to oversee transport planning and procurement and drive accountability from line agencies make sense. This new structure will better equip New South Wales to make the right decisions about its transport infrastructure and services.
This model reflects world's best practice and drives a much clearer delineation of responsibilities and outcomes.
5002 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
On the vital subject of improving freight transport, Mr Lyon explained:
This structure will equip New South Wales with a transport division solely focused on the freight network for the first time. Freight is the lifeblood of the State's economy and bringing together freight planning, maritime regulation and the port authorities will mean we can begin to resolve the kinks and bottlenecks in the State's supply chain.
These comments reflect the Government's determination to get the right load on the right mode of transport by integrating the whole supply chain. The Urban Taskforce also congratulated the Government and said:
…the creation of a single agency to carry out the Government's long-term planning and major procurement is clearly a commonsense move.
Summing up many of the past frustrations of commuters, motorists, transport operators and industry groups, Aaron Gadiel, Chief Executive of the taskforce, made the following observation:
It is amazing that it has taken so many years to get to this point.
Like so many things in public transport, reform of planning and policy-making was something Labor often promised, but never delivered. Interestingly, 16 years ago Labor promised to do exactly what the Coalition Government is now committed to delivering. On 18 April 1995, the Daily Telegraph Mirror wrote:
Rail, bus and ferry services will be managed by a single authority under a plan to encourage commuters to use more public transport the State Government said today.
On the same day, the Sydney Morning Herald reported:
The creation of the authority—the largest restructuring of the New South Wales public transport system for five years—fulfils an election promise to provide a more integrated and aggressively marketed transport system.
By creating Transport for NSW, the NSW Liberal-Nationals Government will fulfil a key election promise— achieving in 16 weeks what Labor failed to do in 16 years. The bill clearly states that the objectives of Transport for NSW are: to plan for a transport system that meets the needs and expectations of the public; to promote economic development and investment; to provide integration at the decision-making level across all public transport modes; to promote greater efficiency in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects; and to promote the safe and reliable delivery of public transport services.
The bill states that the functions of Transport for NSW will be: transport planning and policy, including for the integrated rail network, the road network and maritime transport and land-use strategies for metropolitan and regional areas; the administration of the allocation of public funding for public transport agencies, including the determination of budgets and programs across the transport sector; the planning, oversight and delivery of transport infrastructure in accordance with integrated transport and land-use strategies and available financial resources, including prioritising of expenditure and projects across the transport system; the coordination of capital works programs and budgets across the transport sector; contracting, on behalf of the State, with public transport agencies or the private sector, for the delivery of transport services, including the setting of performance targets and service standards; the coordination of transport services, including timetabling for transport services and providing for effective transport interchanges.
Other functions include: the management of incidents affecting the efficiency of road and public transport networks, including the coordination of communications with and responses by relevant agencies; the provision of information about transport services and transport infrastructure to assist people to use those services or infrastructure; the provision of corporate and shared services to public transport agencies and the deployment of staff; integrated ticketing arrangements for transport services and regulating the types of tickets and other ticketing arrangements for the setting of fares; assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and other relevant agencies with the preparation of precinct plans for the development of land for, or in the vicinity of, public transport stations or wharves and transport interchanges; and coordinating and carrying out procurements of transport infrastructure and vehicles, rolling stock and vessels.
The transport policy and planning function of Transport for NSW will include advising, assisting and making recommendations to the Minister in connection with: the development of policy, including regulatory policy, for or in connection with the implementation or enforcement of the transport legislation; the initiation, development and implementation of proposals for the amendment of the transport legislation; and policy and planning for or in connection with ports and maritime matters. The bill provides that Transport for NSW may, for the purpose of exercising its functions, give directions to the portfolio agencies in relation to the exercise of 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5003
their functions. Under the bill, Transport for NSW may develop, establish, hold, manage and maintain transport infrastructure on behalf of the State. Transport infrastructure includes railways and railway infrastructure, roads and road infrastructure, maritime infrastructure and ports, transport safety infrastructure and systems, works, structures, buildings, plant, machinery and equipment associated with transport infrastructure.
Under the bill, Transport for NSW may also hold, manage, maintain and establish assets associated with transport infrastructure developed or proposed to be by Transport for NSW; make and enter into leases, licenses or other arrangements for developing transport infrastructure; and provide goods and services to the bus, rail, ferry or other transport industries. The bill provides for the strategic policy and planning functions of the Roads and Traffic Authority and Maritime to be transferred to Transport for NSW. The Centre for Road Safety in the Roads and Traffic Authority will be transferred to Transport for NSW and will be responsible for road safety research, policy, standards and guidelines, recommendations on safety issues for national road policy and safety recommendations for New South Wales roads. The Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety will also be responsible for the preparation of legislative and regulatory proposals for road safety laws.
The bill outlines the functions of Transport for NSW relating to promoting or improving road safety, road travel efficiency and traffic management, which include conducting testing, research or investigations; developing and implementing programs, projects, strategies and campaigns; and providing advice and assistance to public and local authorities. The Transport Construction Authority and the Infrastructure Division of the Department of Transport will be incorporated into Transport for NSW as the new Transport Projects Division. The functions of the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority move into the Transport Services Division of the new integrated authority. Transport for NSW will be managed and controlled by a director general under the direction of the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports.
The bill abolishes the Roads and Traffic Authority and NSW Maritime, and creates a new statutory corporation—Roads and Maritime Services. The new Roads and Maritime Services will be the premier roads authority in New South Wales and will conduct road construction and maintenance, driver and maritime licensing, vehicle and vessel registration and property management functions. It will be responsible for implementing road safety programs and laws and operational decisions about roads. The new combined agency will align marine and road safety and customer service, registration and licensing. It will take advantage of the close working relationship and similarity of functions between NSW Maritime and the Roads and Traffic Authority.
The bill provides that each of the publicly-owned service delivery entities—RailCorp, the State Transit Authority, and the newly created Roads and Maritime Services—will continue to operate under their current statutory functions and powers in respect of service delivery, with their other functions adjusted for the role of the new integrated transport administration. Their service delivery activities will be subject to service agreements with Transport for NSW, as will the service delivery activities of private transport operators, such as bus operators and in the future ferry operators. The Ports Corporations will continue to operate as statutory State-owned corporations that are guided by the policy directions of the Minister for Roads and Ports, in accordance with their statements of corporate intent approved by their shareholding Ministers.
The bill will ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in the administration of public transport in New South Wales. Transport for NSW will be responsible for managing the single transport budget, for purchasing transport services and for providing budget allocation funding to transport agencies. Major capital works will be delivered by Roads and Maritime Services or the Transport Projects Division of Transport for NSW. Asset maintenance and minor capital upgrades will be managed and delivered directly by transport service providers. The existing publicly-owned transport service providers will continue to own and maintain the assets, liabilities, rights and obligations attached to their transport services.
The bill also creates the Transport Service of New South Wales—a distinct employment entity to employ staff under New South Wales industrial laws in accordance with terms and conditions set by the director general. In addition, the bill establishes a Transport Advisory Board comprising an independent chair, the Director General of Transport and up to seven independent external transport industry experts, appointed by the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports. The Transport Advisory Board will provide expert advice to the Ministers on planning, delivering and managing the transport system. The bill also provides for the establishment of a Maritime Advisory Council under the Ports and Maritime Administration Act 1995.
The Maritime Advisory Council's members will be appointed by the Minister in accordance with regulations to be made under that Act. The council's functions will be to advise the Minister for Roads and Ports 5004 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
on any matter referred to it by the Minister, or any other matter the council considers relevant to recreational vessel safety, commercial vessel safety, expenditure priorities, research priorities and boating infrastructure. An Office of Boating Safety will also be established within Transport for NSW with responsibilities in relation to maritime and boating safety.
The bill also includes a power under the Ports and Maritime Administration Act 1995 to transfer the regional ports of Eden and Yamba at a later date to a Ports Corporation. These ports have been managed previously by New South Wales Maritime. However, under the bill, the role of New South Wales Maritime is being focused on its core businesses of boating safety, service delivery, and infrastructure and it will no longer have a role in port management. Management by a Ports Corporation will ensure these regional ports continue to support their local economies and they retain access to management with port expertise.
Safety of course remains a priority under the bill. Customers deserve safe, as well as comfortable and reliable, journeys. The Independent Transport Safety Regulator and the Office of the Transport Safety Investigator will continue to exist and perform their current functions, which are not changed by this bill. The abolition and transfer of all the functions of the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority have been announced. However, although their functions are being transferred, the abolition of these entities will be deferred until the completion of a Rail Safety Change Management Project that is being undertaken under the Rail Safety Act 2008. The Rail Safety Change Management Project is a deliberate process to ensure that we continue to enhance safety on the network.
Centralising the standard working timetable from RailCorp and incorporating the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority into Transport Services will require safety change plans. A safety working group is working on developing a safety management system for Transport for NSW and preparing the safety change plans. All the proposed functions for the new organisation are being examined to ensure the changes are managed safely, effectively and in compliance with obligations under the Rail Safety Act 2008. A steering committee has been established to oversight this work. The Director General of the Department of Transport chairs the committee, which also includes the chief executives of RailCorp, the Independent Transport Safety Regulator and other current rail agencies.
Consultation with Unions NSW and the transport unions on the changes has taken place and is ongoing. The integration has commenced already. Employees from a range of agencies have been assigned and are working side by side in the Department of Transport as a temporary arrangement. Amendments to the initial draft of this bill made in the other place mean that government employees who are transferred into the Transport Service of New South Wales by an order made by the director general under section 66 of the Transport Administration Act will work side by side with other government employees, doing the same or similar work, whilst being paid different rates of pay and working under different conditions of employment.
This arrangement, which has been brought about by Labor's amendments with the support of the Shooters the Fishers Party and The Greens, will create administrative problems arising out of the ongoing management of disparate employment arrangements and potential industrial disharmony. The Government will continue to work to minimise the impacts of the amendments on transferred Transport portfolio employees. For staff employed in the newly created Transport Service, the bill empowers the director general to fix the rates of pay and conditions of employment where they are not fixed by other legislation or industrial awards. The bill also enables the director general to enter into industrial agreements regarding conditions of employment.
Following passage of the bill, the director general will lodge an application for a new award consistent with the terms and conditions fixed by the director general. As part of this process, Transport for NSW will enter into negotiations with Unions NSW and the transport unions. In the light of Labor amendments made to this bill in the other place, the Government will reconsider the commitment given in the other place by my colleague, the Minister for Roads and Ports, that no employees who would be covered under this award arrangement would be transferred to Transport for NSW until the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales had handed down the award.
This commitment was given in the context of the bill as presented, prior to its amendment. The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 means real reform in the transport sector. Consolidation of functions in Transport for NSW will mean fewer people in the back office and more on the front line as New South Wales grows and our transport services grow with it. This bill will abolish a dysfunctional structure— which includes duplication and poor communication—and replace it with a streamlined agency that plans and delivers for all transport modes. Staff in transport service agencies will be able to concentrate on the delivery of services on the ground to the people of New South Wales. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5005
Rather than operating in isolation, the bill will introduce an integrated system that will ensure planning for our future transport systems will be strategic and multimodal. This bill ensures that the focus of transport agencies will be on giving customers as seamless a journey as possible, irrespective of the mode they choose. This includes making sure those vital transport projects are delivered on time and on budget. In conclusion, I thank all the staff involved in the process of formulating the bill. I have been heartened by the enthusiasm with which staff across the agencies have embraced this reform and assisted the Government in getting us where we are today. I commend the bill to the House.
Ms LINDA BURNEY (Canterbury) [4.44 p.m.]: The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 will establish the much-vaunted Integrated Transport Authority—or, as it will be known, Transport for NSW. The Opposition had a number of very serious concerns about the bill, and its impact on passengers and the 30,000 transport workers in New South Wales. I make the remainder of my comments in the context of the Minister's comments on the amendments. I state from the outset that the Opposition supports this bill in its current form, which includes the amendments agreed to in the other place that protect the entitlements and conditions of transport workers in this State. The Government dumped this bill in the Legislative Council with virtually no notice.
The Government is now pushing it through the Legislative Assembly on budget day in what can only be seen as a cynical exercise to distract from this legislation to hide the true impact of this bill from the public and workers that it will affect. The Government continues to follow an already familiar pattern of curtailing any opportunity for the members of this Chamber to fully examine the details of bills being put forward. I now turn to the detail of this bill. The bill seems to have been written as though the roles, functions and integration of Transport in New South Wales had not already occurred. In June 2010 Parliament passed the Transport Administration Amendment Bill 2010. Last year when the then Minister for Transport and now Leader of the Opposition and member for Blacktown introduced the bill into this place he said:
... there will be one department, Transport NSW, with overall responsibility to drive better services ... This department will be led by a single Director General who will have responsibility for the delivery of all transport infrastructure, transport policy, planning and service coordination, timetabling, incident management and the power to administer a single transport budget across all transport modes. Having the power to direct those public sector transport agencies in the future will, very importantly, strengthen the Director General's responsibility.
... our transport operators—RailCorp, State Transit Authority, Sydney Ferries and the Roads and Traffic Authority—will report to the Director General of the Department and will work together to deliver better and more integrated transport solutions for the people of New South Wales. These operators will be responsible for the delivery of services, as part of a large coordinated transport system ... there will be a single transport and roads budget. The Minister [for Transport] and the Director General will be able to manage the budget and reprioritise funds within the overall allocation.
The bill previously passed put in place an integrated approach to transport planning and delivery. At the same time it respected and protected the rights of the workers who are responsible for moving millions of people around our State. The bill before the House today will establish Transport for NSW. The role of Transport for NSW will include the planning, oversight and delivery of transport infrastructure, contracting for the delivery of public transport services, transport services coordination, incident management, ticketing services and arrangements. Now that sounds pretty familiar and similar to what was put in place in 2010. This legislation essentially tweaks the changes that were already put in place for better integration by the previous Government and dresses it up as something completely new.
But and there are two very big "buts" in this legislation—transport workers' rights and entitlements. The first and very significant part of this bill, which was almost completely ignored by the Minister in his second reading speech in the other place, is the wholesale gutting of entitlements and protections for transport workers in Transport for NSW. The bill in its original form would have given power to the director general to be able to transfer any transport agency staff to Transport for NSW. In doing so it would have removed workers transferred from being covered and protected by the Industrial Relations Act. The staff affected would have had no rights to keep their current entitlements beyond base salary and superannuation. They would have had no right of appeal. They can be sacked if they refuse to accept transfer—again, with no right of appeal.
The Ministers responsible for this legislation have made much of the so-called protections for staff contained in this bill; but they are a lie, a furphy. The Opposition does not support this wholesale stripping of workers' rights under the cloak of so-called reform and we moved amendments to this bill passed in the Legislative Council to preserve the conditions and entitlements of transport workers who are affected by this legislation. It is clear that today, under the cover of the budget, the Government is seeking to reinstate parts of the legislation that will strip the rights of transport workers. The Opposition oppose these amendments. The 5006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
second and very serious concern of the Opposition is the amendments to section 99D of the Act. This bill, if passed, will remove the current priority given to passengers and instead prioritise freight services on our rail network.
Currently the Transport Act requires RailCorp and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority to give priority to passenger rail services when undertaking service planning. That means that when developing timetables and train path allocation, passenger services on CityRail and CountryLink must be the first priority in decision-making. The change in this bill will, with the stroke of a pen, relegate the 1,000,000 rail passengers from "priority" to "reasonable priority", as stated in the bill. Reasonable priority in this context means that freight will come first and passengers will come second. The Government has talked endlessly about its so-called commitment to the customer, to customer service and to placing passengers at the centre of the system. Indeed, in his second reading speech in the Legislative Council the Minister said:
The objectives are: putting the customer first and ensuring that the transport system is designed around the needs and expectations of the customer.
Transport for NSW will be responsible for making your trip as easy and as comfortable as possible.
This provision in the bill makes the Government's talk of improving services to passengers an utter sham. I foreshadow that the Opposition will move an amendment that will ensure that passengers maintain priority of timetabling and train path allocation across our rail network. We call on those opposite to support our amendment and put passengers first. In relation to other parts of the bill the Opposition raises a number of questions that were not answered in the debate in the Legislative Council. We note the abolition of the Transport Construction Authority, the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority, the Roads and Traffic Authority and NSW Maritime with the transfer of their functions into Transport for NSW. The Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority functions will be transferred to Transport for NSW only after the completion of rail safety change management projects.
I ask the Minister in reply to detail the format of these projects, whether there will be public and stakeholder consultations as part of the projects and whether the results of these projects will be publicly available. The Minister must guarantee that no reduction in transport safety arrangements will occur as a result of these changes. With the creation of Transport for NSW a Department of Transports will remain, which will provide policy advice to the portfolio Ministers. I ask the Minister in reply to outline how many staff are expected to be in this unit. In recent weeks we have witnessed the cracks in the Government between the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure NSW. Unnamed sources from Infrastructure NSW have been bemoaning the Minister's focus on media at the expense of getting the planning finalised for projects like the North West Rail Link. Fears are growing about duplication between Transport for NSW and Infrastructure NSW.
This bill outlines that Transport for NSW will prepare five-year plans of its activities. In reply the Minister must detail how the roles will be delineated between the two organisations and how she will guarantee that effort will not be duplicated. So far the Government has admitted that 350 positions will go under this plan. The Opposition rejects the notion that jobs have to go under these changes. Be under no illusion that the 350 positions already identified by the Government are just the beginning of job shedding in transport. Yesterday an announcement was made that 100 jobs in Sydney Ferries would go, putting safety on our waterways at risk. If the Government has found people in so-called back office jobs it should not cut them, it should redirect them into front-line services.
The Government has also been less than frank about its plans for outsourcing non-core services. I ask the Minister to define just what a non core service is in Transport. Is it corporate services? Is it human resources? Just what efficiencies does the Minister think will be achieved, and at what cost? This bill will abolish the Roads and Traffic Authority and NSW Maritime and combine them into a new corporation called Roads and Maritime Services. The bringing of roads into the one transport budget has already occurred. The Opposition does not oppose this change. The stated aim of this legislation is to better integrate transport across bus, trains, freight, roads and maritime. If this is the case it is unclear why, in addition to the Transport Advisory Board, we need a Maritime Advisory Board as well.
Changing the name of the organisation by adding the word "for" will not lead to better services. Rearranging the divisions and agencies within the Transport portfolio will not lead to better services. Removing the prioritisation of passenger rail over freight will not lead to better services. Cutting jobs and conditions is not the path to better services. By any measure the success of this bill will be determined by the service 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5007
improvements, enhanced and increased infrastructure, greater security on the transport network, and improved customer service and communication with road and transport users. Ultimately it is passengers who will decide the success of this bill. I foreshadow that the Opposition will move amendments to this legislation.
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Hawkesbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.59 p.m.]: The objects of the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 are to establish a new integrated transport authority called Transport for NSW that puts the needs and expectations of the customer at the centre of planning and delivery of transport services through the coordination of planning and policy across all modes. I say from the outset that it is not before time. I commend and acknowledge the Minister for Transport who is at the table for implementing this policy over the past three years. It is a little bit rich for the member for Canterbury to suggest that this legislation has been introduced in a short space of time. It has been on the record as Liberal-Nationals policy for three years. I believe that more than 20 members of the Coalition want to speak to this great new transport initiative for New South Wales. I do not think this legislation will be rushed through the House; it will be here for a matter of days, if not weeks.
The legislation will establish Transport for NSW, a commitment made by the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals in 2008. The bill implements the announcement by the Minister for Transport, and the Minister for Roads and Ports on Friday 15 July 2011. The Opposition has had plenty of time to do its homework and research, but unfortunately it has been too lazy and it has been caught napping. Opposition members need to do as much work as they can to bring themselves up to speed—no doubt they will learn. At present, transport planning, coordination and service delivery is scattered across a plethora of different transport agencies—some eight or nine across State Rail, the State Transit Authority, the Urban Transit Authority, Sydney Ferries, the Roads and Traffic Authority and others. They have limited coordination and customer expectations are not being met.
By creating an integrated agency customers' needs will be at the centre of every decision, as they should be. In terms of delivery and developing policy, planning and delivering transport infrastructure will be coordinated across all modes. The transport system will be designed to support the economic development of the State and planning, investing and delivering transport infrastructure will be done on time and on budget. If the previous Government had achieved only that it would have saved the State hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars.
I do not need to go far back in the State's history to find examples of transport disasters perpetrated by the previous Government. They include the inner-city metro, which cost $500 million but which did not result in the production of even one ticket; a failed ticketing system that cost the State $100 million and so on—the list goes on. We saw the rollout of glossy advertising brochures, helicopter views of the North West Rail Link and the expenditure of many hundreds of millions of dollars. That wasted money could have been allocated in the Coalition's first budget to hospitals and transport infrastructure. The previous Government wasted billions of dollars and this Government has had to make up the shortfall.
As a result of the passage of this legislation, customers will see the integration of train, bus, ferry and light rail timetables, and infrastructure to support walking and cycling will be planned keeping in mind the needs of all road users. Train, bus, ferry and light rail timetables must be integrated. The timetable for the train route from Blacktown through Riverstone to Richmond was cut back to hourly services, but the bus timetable was not adjusted to take that change into account. As a result, a train would arrive at 2.00 p.m. and the connecting bus would arrive at 2.30 p.m. That is just one example of the anomalies that have been created across the State. Hopefully, this legislation will prevent that occurring in the future.
This legislation will ensure the implementation of an easy to use state-of-the-art ticketing system. That comes as music to our ears. Mr Acting-Speaker Geoff Provest will remember the Labor Government's announcement that it would deliver a state-of-the-art ticketing system for the 2000 Olympic Games. Eleven years have elapsed and we still have not seen any sign of that system. As I have said many times, not only have we never seen a ticketing system, we have never even seen a ticket. This legislation heralds a good change. It provides for the establishment of one-stop shops that will issue driving and boating licences and supply information about all modes of transport, which will make life so much easier for everyone. Stakeholders will have a single clear point of contact to discuss their needs, be they passengers or service providers interested in taxis, buses, trains, light rail services, ferries, community transport, cycling or walking.
As I have said many times, governments must consult patrons and public transport providers. One of the Labor Government's failures was that it was not prepared to talk to anyone. During the last term of the 5008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
previous Government members on this side of the House were approached by many station operators, station staff, train drivers, and government and private service providers who told us horror stories about jobs and service slashing. A station officer at Mulgrave was upset because students from Windsor High School would come to the station of an afternoon and, as is their wont, were a bit boisterous. There was no-one to oversee them or to offer guidance and we were lucky that nothing untoward happened. These concerns were raised because the former Government failed to consult the industry.
This bill establishes Transport for New South Wales as an integrated transport authority with six divisions: customer experience, planning and programs, policy and regulation, transport services, transport projects, and freight and regional development. It also provides for the abolition of four existing transport authorities. With the passage of this bill, operating agencies such as RailCorp, the State Transit Authority, Sydney Ferries, and Roads and Maritime will be focused solely on delivering a quality service to customers. That is not before time. Some back office functions or areas currently in operating agencies—for example, those focused on planning, policy and so on—will be moved to Transport for New South Wales. Staff currently fulfilling those back office functions are now employed under more than 10 different awards. It was hoped that they would be transferred to one standard award, but unfortunately that has not happened and an appropriate amendment addressing that will be moved in the other place.
I speak in this debate not only representing my electorate but also having spent 22 years in the private bus industry. I was shocked in 2005 when the then Minister for Transport the Hon. Michael Costa announced that he would reform the industry. The private bus industry in this State has operated in an exemplary fashion for 50 years. The industry grew because the Government could not and did not want to provide services for people in rural and regional areas so private operators picked up the baton. Some operators started out driving children to school in station wagons and later used buses. A program was established—I think it was under the Whitlam Government—that allowed children to travel free if they lived a certain distance from the local school. Funding was provided to private bus operators to transport children to school and different rates applied to metropolitan and regional areas.
That program operated brilliantly for 50 years, but then in 2005 Michael Costa decided to reforms the private industry. At that time the cost to Treasury for the private transport industry was some $490 million. As a result of those reforms the cost of that service has blown out by many hundreds of millions of dollars—in fact, today it is almost double what it was in 2005. One wonders whether the taxpayers of this State are receiving better services. There are more buses, but the Government provides them to the private transport industry and pays for their maintenance and staffing. My former colleagues in the industry tell me that it is nothing short of welfare. Prior to 2005 we had a perfectly sustainable, functioning and brilliant private bus transport industry— the service provided during the 2000 Olympic Games is a good example of that. If it were not for the private bus industry we would not have been able to transport people so effectively.
I worked extensively on the routes with the private bus operators and it was sensational to witness the industry at its best. Why would anyone want to change the way that industry operated? The Hon. Michael Costa believed that the private bus industry was getting far too much of the cake. I argued strongly against the proposed reforms because I believed that if the Government took control of service delivery it would change the way that the industry operated. In 2009 my words were ringing in my ears when the first reforms were implemented. In the Hawkesbury and Dural areas some 25 services were slashed overnight and services from Castle Hill to Pennant Hills were also cut. Even services provided to disabled students travelling between Richmond, Castlereagh and Penrith were slashed. Services were also cut around Mount Druitt.
The Minister will remember the work we did at that time. We worked tirelessly with other members in the House today, such as the member for Londonderry and Mayor of Hawkesbury. We worked across those industries, highlighting the fact that so many routes had been slashed, leaving commuters stranded. On many occasions in the last term of Parliament I would list in a private member's statement the many people who sent me advice and emails complaining about the fact that their buses had been removed overnight. Members will recall the 25 buses that were slashed from Dural overnight with no advice from the Government in relation to the service cuts. People were left standing on the side of New Line Road that morning and the story was picked up by Channels 9, 10 and 7 and by Alan Jones and Ray Hadley. We argued hard against those cuts to services and in a couple of weeks a few dozen were restored.
With the assistance of people such as the member for Londonderry and the Minister for Transport we have proceeded to travel across the western suburbs of Sydney assisting people who have lost so many of those services. I would have a conversation on air with Alan Jones and the phone would ring in my office from 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5009
concerned people in St Marys. The Minister will remember Kenny Moriarty, a mate of mine from St Marys who walked the streets of St Marys obtaining the names of more than 80 people protesting about the loss of the 782 bus service between St Marys and Penrith. Why? Because those people did not have any other means of getting to school or to work. There were pensioners who relied on those services to do their shopping, to get to Penrith Hospital, to get to the rail line at Kingswood or St Marys. They had no other way of accessing the services they needed.
We were more than happy to speak to Alan Jones and to raise those issues in Parliament in order to turn that situation around. Those services are still being restored because of the work of the Minister and the members in Parliament and their staff. I acknowledge the great work that the Minister's departmental staff are doing in consulting with the community to ascertain whether services are needed and which should be retained or restored. This Government is picking up the shortfall left by the previous Government. That is reform under Labor—the sort of reform we do not want to see again. We have presented a great budget and an initiative with the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill which will put customers back at the forefront of service delivery, as they should be. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) [5.14 p.m.]: As the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has outlined, the Opposition will support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill in its current form. Transport workers in New South Wales can be thankful that the Opposition led the challenge to ensure their rights were maintained. The previous bill did not do that but I am proud that the Opposition, along with other members in the upper House led by the Hon. Penny Sharpe, ensured that the rights of workers were maintained.
I have a number of issues to raise relating to the briefing that the Opposition was given by the Government. I also acknowledge the staff in the transport agencies who have built on the work of the previous Labor Government on transport for New South Wales. This is a tough area. This is a tough reform process and to get it structurally right is a challenge. This legislation has been worked on by many people and I reiterate the Minister's earlier comments in congratulating the public servants who have done the work in the respective transport departments. I have concerns in relation to the Transport Management Centre. I seek clarification and the Minister's advice about whether it will still be a part of Roads and Maritime Services or whether it will be a separate entity.
If it will be separate, I do not know why the Rail Management Centre will not be.. I am keen to clarify that because the Transport Management Centre is a key operational integration point for all of our services and when things go wrong, as they inevitably do on the transport network—those on the other side will say nothing goes wrong, but after working in transport for a while one sees that things do go wrong—we should know where the Transport Management Centre is placed. Will it be part of Roads and Maritime Services, accountable directly to the Minister for Transport or to the Minister for Roads and Ports? That is an important matter to have clarified because when things go wrong it is important to have clear lines of communication.
My side of the House has seen issues occur on our rail and road network that could have been handled better from an incident-management perspective and this is an opportunity to get things right. I would also like the Minister to clarify whether the Transport Advisory Board will be a statutory corporation board or purely an advisory board. I feel strongly that the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports should have accountability for the delivery of services on the network. We know that when things go wrong in transport— and I know more than most in this place about the potential for things to go wrong—it is from the Minister that people want information about what is happening and it falls to the Government of the day and the Minister to speak to the community about what happened.
I want to ensure the Transport Advisory Board will be purely just an advisory board. I do not want to see it become a quasi-accountability organisation, as happened in the past, where Ministers of the day were not able to get done things they wanted because we had faceless people on bureaucratic boards set up around statutory corporations who did not do the right thing and who were running their own show under cover of a shareholder Minister. I want the portfolio Minister to be front and centre for the delivery of transport services and road and maritime services in this State. That is what the people of New South Wales expected and that is what they demanded. I hope that that matter will be clarified.
I have already expressed my concern that someone as influential as the Minister for Transport, who has so much at stake in the capital expenditure of this Government, is not represented on the board of Infrastructure NSW. That situation cannot be allowed to remain. The Minister for Transport or her delegate, the director general of Transport, should have a seat at the table. Between them the Minister for Transport and the Minister in the other place spend well over one third of the State's budget on transport. It is imperative that we do not 5010 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
have a conflict between Nick Greiner and Infrastructure NSW and the director general, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports. If we are to have proper integration they need a seat at the table. They are the ones who are meant to be trying to deliver on commitments they made to the people prior to March that they would improve the transport services.
I do not know how they can do that when another body is deciding for them what transport infrastructure projects will be carried out. I do not think that is a good model and I am concerned about it. The Government needs to reconsider the matter to ensure the two key Ministers and/or their delegates get a seat at that table. I am also keen to see consolidation of communication with passengers. Any transport survey in the past 10 or 15 years shows a number of key complaints: a lack of passenger information when something goes wrong; personal safety concerns; the standard of cleaning; and overcrowding on public transport.
Time and again those four key elements are repeated. First, I will deal with passenger information. The 131500 telephone number should include the enhancements that were planned for it. It is the key portal, the one-stop shop for accurate and reliable information for passengers travelling on the network regardless of the mode of transport being used or the time of travel. We do not need separate websites for each agency—that requires each agency to ensure its data and information is up-to-date. Passengers should be able to go to one site for information about the respective transport networks. Existing sites should be consolidated to the 131500 telephone number. Passenger information is an important part of customer service. If the Government is to be believed it should make the issue customer service.
The second key element is safety. Where is the detail about transit officers and their role in conjunction with police under Transport for NSW? Where is the detail on the commuter crime unit under Transport for NSW? Members of the Illawarra commuter crime unit are concerned about the level of resources. I know from having worked in the police ministry—and statistics will back this up—that crimes occurring on rail networks are proportionally higher than anywhere else in the community. Police statistics show that criminals travel by train—the member for Campbelltown will support that claim. If we are to reduce crime in our community we need a robust, well-resourced and well-trained commuter crime unit centred on the Police Force. Transit officers have a role going forward, but the Police Force must play a lead role in order to improve the second component of customer service: the personal safety that passengers cry out for in surveys.
Programs such as Operation Vision, led by Frank Mennilli on the rail network in the south-west region, were very successful, and they should be continued. Such operations have led to incredibly good results in catching crooks on our rail network. They were successful for two reasons: First, we had well-trained and well-resourced police officers working with transit officers; and, second, our well-resourced intelligence data ensured that police and transit officers were operating in those areas of the rail network where the criminal activity was occurring. That needs to be considered in the implementation of policy change in this bill.
The third key element is the difficult one of cleaning. The Minister is responsible for hundreds of different railway stations and many hundreds of bus stops. Cleaning and removal of graffiti are an important component of that responsibility. The bill is not worth the paper it is written on unless there is an integrated cleaning service to ensure that are trains, buses, railway stations and bus stops are safe and clean. Commuters from the Illawarra spend up to three hours per day on trains. Around 20,000 people commute from my part of the world to Sydney each day. It is the second largest commuter corridor in the country. It is paramount that the bill leads to structural change in RailCorp and in the other agencies for adequate resources and adequate trained staff to ensure that our transport modes, our key transport interchanges, our stations and our rail carriages are clean. It is impossible for a Minister or director general to ensure that every train or bus is always clean—that will never happen.
One of the key initiatives initiated by Andy Byford—an absolutely sterling public servant from RailCorp—was spring cleaning and that was taken from his experience in the United Kingdom. He focused on improving the way stations appeared. He strongly believed, as I do, that if something looks good it is likely to stay looking that way. If something looks good we are likely to get additional patronage on the rail network. I want to see more than just boxes on the page as a result of this bill; in a year or two I hope to see real improvements for commuters in New South Wales. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition raised his concern about freight being on par with passenger services. That also needs to be carefully examined. At a time when we are looking to increase rail network patronage we are simply not in a position to put passengers behind freight.
The people of New South Wales did not vote for that. They expect more than that. Freight is important, but the passengers the Minister is responsible for moving each day should be given priority. Many of those 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5011
passengers, including those from the part of the world I come from, rely heavily on the rail network; it is their only way of getting to work. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important bill. I reiterate my acknowledgment of the hard work of all public servants across the transport agencies. I hope that real results will come from this bill. Importantly, I thank the Opposition members in the other place who stood up for the workers in our transport agencies to ensure that their rights and conditions were preserved.
Mr BART BASSETT (Londonderry) [5.27 p.m.]: I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. I commend the Minister for Transport. Today the O'Farrell Government presented a great budget, a budget in which more than $600 million has been allocated to the North West and South West Rail Links. The Government is getting on with the job. Services in New South Wales have come of age and taxpayers are being given what they want. When the Labor Party was in government the member for Hawkesbury and I campaigned for the upgrade of Windsor Road. In that process we dealt with Minister Scully, with whom I enjoyed a reasonable relationship. We were told that we needed only to duplicate Windsor Road because the North West Rail Link was coming. Yawn. How many times did we hear that the North West Rail Link was coming?
If there had been an integrated authority when the commitment was made about Windsor Road, strategic planning and management could have taken place to allow the rail link to be built at the same time. By the time the population grew the road would have been completed and the rail project would have been underway. We would have been catching the train last year. Instead, it has taken this Government to get on with the job. Today's budget is not about talk or lines on paper that were subsequently rubbed out and $500 million wasted; it is about work taking place. I look forward to being part of the Government in the delivery of that infrastructure project.
The member for Keira said that transport infrastructure is not easy to pull off. I am confused: Was he not the Deputy Dof Transport? He could have played a part in making this change in the past. He now wants to say how it should happen. Why did he not make it happen when he was Deputy Director of Transport? Once again, the job was too hard. Labor could not get on with the job. It could not negotiate with the unions, because the unions wanted to tell Labor what to do.
The Government—I commend the Minister—is talking with the unions to ensure that we provide great services to the community. The people of New South Wales do not want to hear excuses; they want to see public servants enjoying their work and providing quality services. Many union members want to be involved in that, and I am sure many union officials want to ensure that that happens. Labor could not stand up to the unions; it could not negotiate because too many factional strings were being pulled. What did we get? We got a system that did not change, money being wasted and ideas changing all the time. Under Transport for NSW, transport, whether it is rail, bus, road or bicycle, will be coordinated by one authority. That will result in efficiencies: Money will be better spent and taxpayers will get much better value for money.
People must have shaken their heads about the Windsor Road upgrade. When I was the Mayor of Hawkesbury people rang me to say that Windsor Road and Old Windsor Road had been upgraded but the Roads and Traffic Authority was blocking roads and disrupting traffic as work began on the bus transit way. The previous Government was not building the North West Rail Link; its priority had changed and it was building a bus transit way, with an additional cost. If we had had an integrated transport authority there would have been proper planning: A road and a bus transit way would have been built in one hit. That would have been a more efficient and cost-effective way to provide that infrastructure. But, no, it was all done in a disjointed way because one department was doing one thing and another department was doing another thing; people were operating in silos.
The greatest example of people operating in silos relates to my position on the Growth Centres Commission. Under the previous Government one day someone had a good idea. I know the Minister for Resources and Energy is shocked, but they did. Unfortunately, because it looked like it would work they got rid of it. The Growth Centres Commission was a way of getting the agencies to negotiate with each other, to talk about the provision of services to growth centres, to work out how things would be delivered and to cut through red tape. As the executive of the commission was working through all that, the growth centres got absorbed into the Department of Planning, which resulted in another disjointed arrangement and things simply did not happen.
We look forward to Transport for NSW providing what the State wants, whether it is taxis, buses, trains, light rail or a ticketing system that will come online without the need for another $100 million being wasted. We hear members opposite scaremongering about how many staff will be lost. No staff will be lost; this was simply a transfer of staff from one agency to another. Under the award no-one would lose any benefits or 5012 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
anything like that. Staff would transfer and people working next to each other would work the same hours and receive the same pay. Everything would be coordinated and people would be working together. But, no, the Opposition in the other place had to throw a spanner in the works because it looked like something was going to work efficiently and cost effectively.
Our idea is about getting efficiency for taxpayers' money. That is what this Government is about and we will continue to pursue that objective. Down the track we will see the benefits that will flow from having an integrated transport authority, even with the most simple things. I am the chair of a traffic committee in a local government area. Our committee has been trying for 18 months to get a set of traffic lights re-phased. Trying to get the Roads and Traffic Authority to work through its system of bureaucracy to rephase a set of traffic lights at a dangerous intersection has taken 18 months. It is still not done because there is no strategic direction and because of the Roads and Traffic Authority bureaucracy.
A person from the Roads and Traffic Authority sits on the traffic committee and genuinely tries to do his job, but when he tries to make it happen the bureaucracy and the different departments within that agency are so disjointed that it is impossible to get a simple rephasing of lights. There needs to be a change in philosophy. The focus needs to be on the taxpayer, the customer, and that is what this bill is about. I look forward to the passing of the bill. I also look forward to better services being provided for the community. I acknowledge the great work that both the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports have done in achieving their objectives to date. I commend the bill to the House.
Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) [5.35 p.m.]: The primary objective of the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 is to establish a new agency called Transport for NSW. What the Government has conveniently forgotten to mention is that it has already made this change. Back in April the Government changed the agency, which was called Transport New South Wales, to the Department of Transport by regulation, and it is now calling the agency Transport for NSW. This makes two name changes for a single department in six months. That must be a record for the Coalition Government. I congratulate the Minister for Transport on breaking records when it comes to inconsistency.
We are led to believe that the significance of this change will be an increased focus on customer service and greater centralisation of policy and planning. Existing agencies such as RailCorp and the State Transit Authority will still be required to operate services. Of course, what the Government has conveniently forgotten to mention is that this division is similar to the division implemented by the former Minister for Transport, the now Leader of the Opposition. The Minister needs to explain to this House exactly what the difference is or admit that this is simply a cosmetic change. There are changes to specific agencies or sub-agencies, such as combining Roads and Maritime—that is a seemingly natural combination—but most of the Government's so-called changes have already occurred.
The amendment to section 99D of the Act has serious implications for many areas, including my electorate of Bankstown. The Government has decided to overturn its predecessor's policy of always giving passenger trains priority over freight trains. This will mean that trains on several lines, including the Bankstown line, will now have to wait behind freight trains. Unfortunately, freight trains are not only often slow but also break down more frequently than passenger trains. Currently CityRail and CountryLink trains must be given priority in timetable and signalling considerations. While in government Labor ensured that passengers were always given priority over freight. The former transport Minister and the now Leader of the Opposition refused to give in to demands for freight trains to be given priority. Yet after barely six months in the job it seems that the Government and the Minister are all too willing to give in to big business and to disregard passenger needs across metropolitan and regional New South Wales.
The Minister needs to realise that real people will be inconvenienced as a result of this decision. Admittedly, it will not be the people of Willoughby, Ku-ring-gai or North Shore who will be inconvenienced; it will be people in Bankstown, Marrickville, Canterbury and Lakemba. But they will not be alone. Coalition members should note that areas such as Newcastle will be affected, as will Gosford, Wyong, The Entrance, Terrigal, the Blue Mountains and Kiama. I look forward to working with these members to ensure that our communities are not disadvantaged and that our constituents are not forced to sit in passenger trains that are stuck behind freight trains. The Minister for Transport has said that every decision made in public transport "will be about the customer".
Earlier the member for Hawkesbury said that the bill is all about customer needs and quality services. I would like to know how the Minister and the Government think that giving priority to freight over passenger 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5013
services will benefit rail customers or provide quality service. The Minister for Roads and Ports in the other place said that managed capital works will be delivered by Roads and Maritime Services or the projects division of Transport for NSW.
This brings to mind another issue to which the Minister referred—the importance of breaking down the silos that exist in the administration of the transport sector. A Liberal Party policy document relating to the Integrated Transport Authority states that the proposed authority will enable a more efficient delivery of major transport infrastructure projects. The Minister needs to clarify whether Transport for NSW will be responsible for all infrastructure delivery, or whether there will be exceptions to this Government's rule. I reiterate the concerns raised earlier by the member for Keira. At this stage transport is not represented by Infrastructure NSW and it certainly needs to be. I cautiously acknowledge that the Coalition Government will maintain the Office of Transport Investigations and the Independent Transport Safety Regulator.
I urge the Government to stand by this decision over the next two years, to guarantee the independence of these oversight bodies, and to guarantee that there will be no reduction in transport safety arrangements. I take this opportunity to congratulate members in the other place for agreeing to amendments that will result in the protection of working conditions for departmental public servants. The Coalition Government has claimed that this bill will produce better services. A name change and the cutting of jobs will not result in better services. A matter of concern to citizens in my electorate is that giving freight trains priority over passenger trains will not result in better services.
Mr BRYAN DOYLE (Campbelltown) [5.41 p.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, which introduces novel reform into the public transport area—putting the customer first and focusing on customer service. A vital element of that reform and change of focus is to put the customer first. Let me relate a classic example of the joy that can be experienced when one catches public transport. When I was transferred from Broken Hill in the electorate of the member for Murray-Darling, Mr John Williams—one of the best car dealers with whom I have ever dealt—my daughters, Sarah and Lauren, who were in years 1 and 3, had never experienced the big city of Sydney, so I chose to take them on a trip to the city. At first we embarked on a bus trip and we then caught the train. Every time the train started as it left a platform in the Campbelltown electorate, the opal of the south-west, they would shriek with joy. They were even more excited when the train stopped at platforms all the way into the city and they were delighted with their trip on the ferry to Manly.
The purpose of the trip was to give my daughters some idea of the size of Sydney and the need for public transport. I am sure all members recall those great memories that they have of their first train or bus trip. Public transport is one of the things that impacts on our culture, our history and how we do things. On that day a fellow who was with us on the train said that it was the most enjoyable train trip he had ever taken after witnessing the joy of my two daughters experiencing their first train ride. My eldest daughter still travels on the train to Sydney for her business studies course and I, as the member for Campbelltown—that opal of the south-west—am a frequent user of train services. I referred earlier to the importance of focusing on customer service and find it strange that members opposite are opposed to such a concept. They would much rather focus on demarcation. However, when we put commuters first we always get a far better public transport system.
Mr Chris Hartcher: And a better Police Force.
Mr BRYAN DOYLE: The Minister for Resources and Energy is correct. I maintain that policing is very similar—it involves policing for and with the community as opposed to policing against the community. This bill will ensure that we provide transport for commuters and not transport that works against them. The provision of public transport involves coordinating timetables. Campbelltown, that opal of the south-west, suffered under the former Labor Government, which limited express trains and slowed down the system. The former Labor Government increased the time that people spent on trains. It thought that people loved trains so much they wanted to spend more time on them. If the former Government had had a customer focus it would have realised that people needed to be transported from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The provision of public transport services involves a great many things. Brian Cheers, the newsagent in Campbelltown, the opal of the south-west, looks after the needs of passengers, as does Rocky at Minto. Rocky sets up a stall at the station and ensures that commuters have their papers and coffee for their daily trip. The provision of public transport services requires also seamless connections with buses and taxis, those who drive 5014 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
or walk to work, and interchanges with other trains. These things are vital in ensuring the maintenance of a customer focus. Recently I attended a wheelchair users' forum at which public transport service and connection were discussed.
Eric Third, a good friend of mine who chaired that meeting, raised an issue that was discussed at an earlier meeting that was held with the former transport Minister who spoke to the forum during the election campaign. That meeting was delayed because of problems with the lift and Eric was late in arriving at the meeting. One of the issues discussed with the former Minister related to the implementation of some sort of system to notify wheelchair users of any commuter lift service outages. Members of the forum sadly advised me that no action had been taken on their behalf. I was pleased to raise that issue on their behalf with the current Minister for Transport—the best Minister for Transport this State will ever have—the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian. I am pleased that customer focus, which is a key provision in this bill, will result in this issue being addressed.
Pricing and seamless public transport service delivery are also important issues. We must ensure that public transport costs are fair and equitable and that people are encouraged to use it. A commuter car park was located right next to Macarthur station, which was very convenient as people could get out of their cars and get straight onto the train. That did not suit the former Labor Government, which did not have a customer focus and which moved the car park half a kilometre down the road. Safety is another important issue that impacts on the delivery of public transport. After 27 years of policing I know that commuters love to see police and transit officers on the beat at stations and on trains. As the member for Keira noted, comfort and the cleanliness of trains are also important, together with air-conditioning and easy access.
I note that Opposition members are deadset against any economic use of freight on trains. As freight has been used on trains for a long time it is important to integrate it into the system. The Minto intermodal at Campbelltown, that opal of the south-west, provides a great train and freight integration service. Removing a number of semitrailers from our roads and instead having goods transported by rail will result in many benefits for the community, but obviously that has been lost on the Opposition. While the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 has much to commend it, its principal feature is customer focused. It places the customer back in the centre of attention. Everyone likes to feel special, and commuters on the New South Wales transport system will be able to feel special as a result of this legislation.
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield) [5.50 p.m.]: It is with pleasure that I participate in debate on the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, which will result in creation of a mega-department that takes responsibilities from existing transport-related statutory bodies, such as the Department of Transport, RailCorp, Sydney Ferries, the State Transit Authority, NSW Maritime, the Transport Construction Authority, the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority and the Roads and Traffic Authority. It is proposed that the last four bodies will be abolished.
The proposal is broad. Not only will it change the service infrastructure of transport-based utilities, it will have a flow-on effect on the services provided to the local community. It is about this aspect that I, as a backbencher of a predominantly working-class electorate, wish to deal in detail. It is common knowledge that the CityRail network is one of the world's most complex rail systems. Commuter reliance on CityRail services are on the increase, having been driven by higher fuel prices and general environmental concerns. The rhetoric relied upon by Minister Gay is that the Government will improve front-line services by rationalising back-office staff. That argument is illogical at best, but does not recognise the fact that back services exist so that front-line staff can provide the best possible service to the community.
I note that Government figures stipulate that restructuring of the transport network will result in 100 job cuts and a reduction of 350 positions. Considering the complexity of the CityRail network, combined with plans to couple it under the same umbrella as the Roads and Traffic Authority, the State Transit Authority and every other transport utility, I hold serious doubts that cutting jobs in an untested umbrella body will deliver the best possible service to the local community. In relation to service provision, in particular for my electorate of Fairfield, I would like to express my opposition to this bill's amendment of the Transport Administration Act 1988 in schedule 1 items [43] and [44]. Item [43] in schedule 1 seeks to change section 99D (5) (a) and (b) of the 1988 Act by removing the word "priority" and replacing it with the term "reasonable priority". Section 99 (5) (a) and (b) of the Act currently state:
(5) A body responsible for network control must:
(a) give priority to rail passenger services, and
(b) subject to giving priority to those services, promote and facilitate access to the part of the NSW rail network for which it is responsible in accordance with the current NSW rail access undertaking.
6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5015
By adoption of the term "reasonable priority", the changes effectively will mean that passenger services do not get an automatic right of way on shared links in the CityRail network. In my electorate of Fairfield, particularly in the suburbs of Chester Hill, Villawood and Yennora, the proposed changes would probably lead to service disruptions. The railway lines servicing these suburbs are shared by freight companies that operate intermodal terminals at the Yennora industrial precinct and also in Villawood. Yennora has the P&O Trans Australia facility as well as the Yennora Distribution Centre facility and Villawood has the Mannway Logistics Intermodal Terminal. While I do not discount the importance of these facilities to the local area, their value to the local economy and the jobs they provide, the changes proposed in this amending bill will affect commuter services.
Members can imagine standing on the platform of their local train station as a freight train passes and counting how many containers pass—anywhere between 30 to 50 containers. Imagine the effect on the commuter network if a freight train stalls during the peak period. Even if a freight train were to stall a number of hours prior to the peak period, the inconvenience it would cause to commuters would be felt throughout the entire line. Currently the only way that RailCorp can avoid significant disruptions due to freight service provisions on the network is by largely not allowing freight trains to run during peak period. The amendment potentially could put the commuter network into chaos. Furthermore, while the Government may argue that any changes to freight running periods are to be accorded "reasonable priority", it is unclear what "reasonable" will mean and who will determine what is reasonable. Item [44] seeks to insert new clause (c) in section 99D (5) of the 1988 Act after clause (b). The new clause states:
(c) allocate priority between rail passenger services and freight services consistently with the requirements of any agreement between the Commonwealth and the State of NSW for the funding of railway infrastructure that is part of the NSW rail network.
Although I applaud any investment in infrastructure for commercial or community amenity benefit, I am concerned the new clause will mean that rail infrastructure in the south-western Sydney area that had not been announced prior to March this year, particularly on the South Line which services the suburbs of Villawood and Chester Hill in my electorate, will not receive any improvements. Already the responses to written questions on notice I have received from the Minister for Transport, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, in regard to access upgrades at Chester Hill and Villawood railway stations are that those railway stations are not a priority. I refer to question No. 0301, which is entitled, "Upgrade to Chester Hill Railway Station's Lift and Access Facilities", and which was directed to the Minister for Transport. I asked:
What are the Government's plans to upgrade Chester Hill Railway Station's lift and access facilities for the disabled and parents with prams?
That is a fair question. The answer states:
I am advised:
The Easy Access Program is prioritised to ensure that those stations in greatest need are upgraded first. The key criteria for prioritisation include patronage, whether the station is an interchange or terminating station, proximity to other accessible stations and other strategic and geographical information.
Based on these criteria, Chester Hill Station is not a current priority for upgrading in the Easy Access Program and as such there are no current plans to install a lift at the station.
The Chester Hill residents deserve a better answer than that. It is obvious that the Minister does not understand that due to the nature of the stairs at the Chester Hill train station many of my constituents cannot access the platform. I also refer to question No. 0364, which is entitled, "Mobility Access to Villawood Station", and which was directed to the Minister for Transport. I asked:
1. In the next 12 months, are there any Government plans to upgrade Villawood Railway Station to assist the mobility impaired?
2. If so, what is the budget for the project?
The Minister replied:
I am advised:
1. and 2. The Easy Access Program is prioritised to ensure that those stations in greatest need are upgraded first.
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That sounds familiar. She continued:
The key criteria for prioritisation include patronage, whether the station is an interchange or terminating station, proximity to other accessible stations and other strategic and geographical information.
That also sounds very familiar. She went on:
Based on these criteria, Villawood Station is not a current priority for upgrading in the Easy Access Program. There are no other planned accessibility works at Villawood Station.
The Minister is neglecting Villawood's Camira Court Project, which is a social and private housing development for over-55s. How will those people access Villawood station? Is that not a priority for our seniors in the immediate area? If infrastructure upgrades at local stations, particularly at Villawood and Chester Hill, are not considered a priority while RailCorp and the State Transit Authority are still independent bodies, what will happen when the proposed overarching authority encompassing the whole gamut of transport services takes over funding provision and project prioritisation of local railway stations? How will the upgrades to the local stations that are essential in maintaining and improving commuter services compete with the broad transport priorities, including road and maritime?
As I stated earlier, the grandiose changes this Government is proposing will have an impact on the lives of everyday people. The issues I have addressed in relation to service provision have not been addressed in any real context. A real commitment is required from this Government to commuters in this State to ensure that these changes will not result in service reduction. From the responses I received from the Government to issues I raised relating to the provision of rail and road infrastructure upgrades in the Fairfield electorate it appears as though this Government still has a lot to learn and it has a long way to go.
Mr CHRIS PATTERSON (Camden) [6.00 p.m.]: I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. This bill and the changes it will bring to our transport system in New South Wales will fundamentally change the way in which we approach public transport in New South Wales. This bill will put the needs and expectations of customers at the centre of the planning and delivery of transport services in our State. Transport for NSW will focus on improving public transport in our State. It has been identified that in order to achieve an improved public transport system a new approach is needed. The Government introduced the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 to achieve just that. This bill will result in significant change for the administration of transport in this State and it will ensure that transport agencies act as one team, with shared ideas, shared solutions and shared outcomes for public transport.
This bill will ensure that the people of New South Wales are provided with a transport system that is coordinated and that has the customer firmly at the centre of its focus, whilst maximising the benefits to our community and our economy. Transport for NSW will allow the Government to move resources from administration to the front line, which will provide a more customer-centric approach to service delivery. This was an election commitment and our Government is delivering. We want the people of New South Wales to have seamless connections in timetables and comfortable and safe services when travelling from point A to point B. I know that the people of Camden want to be able to get from Campbelltown or Macarthur stations and have a bus service that connects to Camden. My electorate, one of the fastest growing communities in Australia, will see an increase from 53,000 to 300,000 people in the next three decades. Public transport is a vital service that is required.
With the lack of foresight by the previous Government to establish good infrastructure, new residents coming to the area to build their dream homes are seeking a public transport system on which they can rely that is efficient, safe and reliable. As many parts of my electorate are semi-rural, travelling long distances forms a part of my constituents' daily lives. We will now have a system that coordinates buses and trains and that enables those who choose to travel out of the area for work to do so in the knowledge that they will have a system that works. Each day when I travel to Parliament I use public transport. I am only too aware of the current problems being faced by my constituents in trying to navigate their way to work with different bus timetables that do not coordinate with train timetables. People often run to catch a train because the bus is a couple of minutes behind in its timetable. Having an efficient public transport system can only be positive for the people of New South Wales and for the people of my electorate.
The roads in Camden are now clogged with motorists trying to get to work only because they have not been able to rely on the current public transport system—a system that was neglected for years by the former Labor Government. The member for Fairfield, who just left the Chamber, referred to the shortfalls at Villawood and Chester Hill stations, which is a bit rich when we take into account the fact that the former Labor Government had 16 years in which to upgrade those stations but it neglected the people of Villawood and 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5017
Chester Hill. Population growth in my electorate has far outgrown the infrastructure. With housing estates such as Oran Park, Gregory Hills and Harrington Park each week new constituents are moving into the area, which in turn results in more people using our roads.
I commend the Government for allocating from today's budget money for the upgrade of roads in my electorate such as the four-lane upgrade of Camden Valley Way between Cobbitty Road and Narellan Road; the upgrade of Camden Valley Way to four lanes between Cowpasture Road and Cobbitty Road; money to continue planning for the upgrade of the Northern Road between Narellan Road and Bringelly Road; and the commencement of planning for the upgrade of Narellan Road, which is much-needed infrastructure. I and the member for Wollondilly and the member for Campbelltown, who are in the Chamber tonight, have been fighting for these improvements.
Mr Tim Owen: The opal of the south-west.
Mr CHRIS PATTERSON: I thank the member for Newcastle for reiterating that fine point. Although the Government has listened to the member for Wollondilly, the member for Campbelltown and me and it has delivered funding for roads in our electorates, people must be encouraged to catch public transport, which can only be a good thing. I know that would be welcomed in my electorate. These days many families are not able to afford two cars per household. If some family members caught public transport that would assist them with their household budgets and it would also support our environment by taking cars off the roads and result in a much better system for all.
Through the establishment of this integrated transport authority, transport agencies will be able to pool resources and to work as one team. A one-stop shop will provide access to driver licences and boating licences, as well as information across all modes of transport. For the first time through Transport NSW we will see a coordinated and holistic approach to public transport. This is the first time that any government has taken seriously the issue of transport integration—public transport, our rail network and our buses. The former Government had no interest in doing so. I commend this Government and this bill to the House.
Mr TIM OWEN (Newcastle) [6.08 p.m.]: I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. As the Minister for Roads said in the Legislative Council, this bill will meet the needs and expectations of the public, promote economic development and investment, provide integration at the decision-making level across all public transport modes, promote greater efficiency in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects and promote the safe and reliable delivery of public transport and freight services. The bill is a commitment made by the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals more than three years ago and it will mean fewer people in the back office and more on the front line. It is about putting the customer first and ensuring that the system works for them and not the other way around.
It is a concept that the former Government seemed either oblivious to or incapable of delivering. I do not know which is worse. This bill is immensely important for the people of my electorate because it will deliver a more fluid transport system. We have buses, trains and ferries seemingly operating independently of each other, and that causes chaos and confusion. I will read part of a letter I received from a Newcastle resident recently recounting her attempts to use public transport in and around Newcastle. She states:
On the recent Easter ANZAC Day public holiday long weekend, this was the situation.
Newcastle Buses operated to Sunday/Public Holiday timetable on the Friday, and the Sunday through to Tuesday. It operated on the normal timetable on Easter Saturday.
CityRail trains operated to regular Saturday/Sunday/Public Holiday timetable.
Stockton Ferry operated on the Sunday/Public Holiday timetable on the Friday and Sunday and Tuesday, but on the Saturday the ferry operated on Sunday/Public Holiday time till noon, then normal Saturday timetable the remainder of the day.
And on the Monday—ANZAC Day—the ferry ran on the normal Monday timetable till 10 AM, then changed to the Sunday/Public Holiday timetable.
Oh what a wonderful mess we have inherited from Labor.
This local resident went on to say:
To try and co ordinate a day out using public transport over the weekend was a logistical nightmare.
A similar debacle occurred on the Australia Day Public Holiday.
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As you can see, a major problem is the access by residents to a decent coordinated public transport service. Maybe if the relevant authorities could coordinate and consider other modes of transport when timetabling and organising public activities and maybe the debacles of Australia Day and Easter Long Weekend would not recur.
I cannot understand why transport is not coordinated especially when we are being encouraged to use public transport.
Never a truer word has been spoken. I am interested to hear what members opposite have to say in response to that resident's conundrum. Why did the former Government fail utterly to provide a decent, coordinated transport system in 16 long years in power? It is mind-boggling that the Labor Government—despite its revolving ministerial door—could not solve a problem that took a constituent of mine one weekend to figure out. It is a disgrace. Fortunately for the people of Newcastle and New South Wales, they have elected a government that will do something about coordinating transport.
I note that the bill establishes a new integrated transport authority, Transport for NSW, which will be responsible for the coordinated delivery of services across all modes of transport and which will ensure a renewed focus on the customer. Transport for NSW will bring together the coordination, procurement, policy and non-service delivery planning functions currently performed by the Department of Transport, RailCorp, the Roads and Traffic Authority, the State Transit Authority, Sydney Ferries, the Maritime Authority of New South Wales, the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority. The bill also provides for the strategic policy, planning and port oversight functions of NSW Maritime to be transferred to Transport for New South Wales, with the remainder of NSW Maritime functions being transferred to Roads and Maritime Services.
This bill will see the creation of an integrated system that ensures planning for our future transport systems will be strategic and multimodal. The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 has been welcomed by industry experts and stakeholders such as Infrastructure Australia, the Tourism and Transport Forum and the Urban Taskforce. I am not surprised. This bill, like so many already introduced by this Government, is proof the New South Wales Liberals and The Nationals deliver on their promises and are serious about cleaning up the mess that the Labor Government left behind. Accordingly, I strongly support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011.
Mr CHRIS SPENCE (The Entrance) [6.14 p.m.]: I also support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. This bill implements an ongoing commitment made by the Liberal-Nationals in 2008 and confirmed on 15 July by the Minister for Transport, and the Minister for Roads and Ports. In his second reading speech the Minister for Roads and Ports stated:
To achieve the gains we are seeking in public transport performance in New South Wales, it is critical that all public transport agencies are working to the same objectives. Having these objectives enshrined in legislation is vital to achieving this outcome. The bill requires that each public transport agency exercise its functions in a manner that promotes these common objectives. These will ensure consistency and clarity of approach across all modes and aspects of transport delivery in New South Wales. The bill establishes a new integrated transport authority, Transport for NSW, which will be responsible for the coordinated delivery of services across all modes of transport and a renewed focus on the customer. Policy and planning experts will be brought together from all transport agencies to improve public transport services and ensure a world-class transport system that people want to use. Whether you catch a train, drive a car or a truck, ride a bike or hop on a bus or a ferry, Transport for NSW will be responsible for making your trip as easy and as comfortable as possible.
The Minister went on to say:
The bill provides for the strategic policy and planning functions of the Roads and Traffic Authority and NSW Maritime to be transferred to Transport for NSW. The Centre for Road Safety and the Roads and Traffic Authority will be transferred to Transport for NSW, and will be responsible for road safety research, policy, standards and guidelines, recommendations on safety issues for national road policy and safety recommendations for New South Wales roads. The Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety will also be responsible for the preparation of legislative and regulatory proposals for road safety laws. The bill outlines the functions of Transport for NSW relating to promoting or improving road safety, road travel efficiency and traffic management, which includes conducting testing, research or investigations, developing and implementing programs, projects, strategies and campaigns, and providing advice and assistance to the public and local authorities.
The creation of an integrated transport system is in line with Liberal-Nationals policies. It will enable the people of New South Wales to access and better use transport and roads in this State. That access has declined over the past 16 years of Labor administration, and roads and transport services on the Central Coast have deteriorated. Given the presentation of the budget today, it is appropriate to highlight some of the transport-related allocations for the Central Coast. The Minister for the Central Coast has issued a media release in which he stated:
Responding to the demands of a growing population and to ease congestion within the region, Mr Hartcher said more than $93 million has been invested in Central Coast roads in the 2011-12 Budget.
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As the Central Coast region continues to grow, this investment will help ensure the infrastructure needed continues in line with that trend...
Key funding commitments for Central Coast roads include:
• $64 million for major road infrastructure projects
• $20 million to maintain existing road infrastructure
• $6 million for traffic management
• $3 million for regional road safety initiatives
Key initiatives for Central Coast roads include:
• $20 million to continue major work on the four lane widening of the Central Coast Highway between Matcham Road, Erina Heights and Ocean View Drive, Wamberal;
• $9 million for planning and preconstruction for the upgrade of the Central Coast Highway at the intersection with Brisbane Water Drive and Manns Road at West Gosford; and
• $4.6 million to start major work on the upgrade of the F3 Freeway and Wyong Road interchange at Tuggerah.
The NSW Government has also committed to a $200 million four year package to tackle congestion and safety on key Central Coast routes. Projects include:
• $2 million allocated this year for intersection upgrades on Wyong Road starting at the Pacific Highway as part of a 4 year $8 million commitment;
• $1 million for investigations for an upgrade to Woy Woy Road at Woy Woy, as the first stage of a 4 year $30 million project; and
• $500,000 for safety improvements on Wisemans Ferry Road as the first stage of a 4 year $5 million commitment.
As part of the NSW Government's efforts to rebuild transport across NSW, the Central Coast region will benefit from a number of major investments, including $110 million to start the rollout of electronic ticketing for greater Sydney.
I applaud the Government for its focus on transport. The Central Coast is one of the biggest commuter regions in New South Wales. More than 30,000 motorists travel down the F3 daily and about the same number catch the train to Sydney and Newcastle. It reminds me of something that appeared in the papers in August last year. I quote Anthony Albanese, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, who said:
A high speed rail link between Sydney and Newcastle was promised 12 years ago by the former premier Bob Carr in a glossy pre-election pamphlet titled Action for Transport 2010. The railway was to have been delivered "in stages" from 2007 but, like most of the booklet's promises, it never materialised.
This is what the people of the Central Coast have had to put up with. In 1999 Bob Carr promised us that we would have a high-speed rail link linking Sydney to Newcastle, yet it never happened. Glossy brochures were published and distributed throughout the electorate. It was meant to be completed last year but we are in 2011 and nothing has happened. It is not the first thing the Central Coast has been promised by the Labor Party. Last year Belinda Neal, the former member for Robertson, produced a brochure, as was referred to in an article in The Australian:
The brochure boasts "Belinda Neal and Kevin Rudd" are helping with cost of living expenses. The pair are also reportedly working together to improve the daily rail trip for Central Coast commuters. "Belinda Neal and Kevin Rudd are delivering on the commitment to build a dedicated freight rail line between Sydney and Newcastle", says Miss Neal's June-July community newsletter.
That was in 2008. Yet an article in the Peninsula News in 2010 quotes Belinda Neal as having said:
I have delivered on all my commitments, including $840 million for improving the freight rail between Sydney and Gosford.
It does not exist. I find it hard to believe Miss Neal when she says that the Central Coast is now in a better position than she found it in 2007. The Central Coast has been ignored by the Labor Party for 16 years. This Government is committed to ensuring that the Central Coast gets the services it needs. We are committed to it in the budget and the four State members on the Central Coast are committed to delivering better transport for the people of New South Wales and for the people of the Central Coast. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr ANDREW CORNWELL (Charlestown) [6.23 p.m.]: It is with great pleasure that I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. The object of this bill is to amend the Transport Administration 5020 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Act 1988 and other transport legislation to establish new arrangements for the administration of the New South Wales transport sector. The new arrangements provide for the following: first, the establishment of a statutory corporation to be called Transport for NSW, which is to have the central role in the governance of the delivery of transport service and infrastructure by transport agencies; and secondly, the establishment of a staff employment entity to be called Transport Service of New South Wales, in which the staff are employed to enable Transport for New South Wales to exercise its functions.
Thirdly, the new arrangements provide for the establishment of a statutory corporation to be called Roads and Maritime Services and the transfer to the new corporation of the functions other than the coordination, planning and policy functions, assets, rights and liabilities of the Roads and Traffic Authority and the Maritime Authority of New South Wales; and fourthly, the abolition of the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Maritime Authority of New South Wales, the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority. The Department of Transport will continue to provide departmental services to the Minister. Transport for New South Wales will have the coordination, funding allocation, policy and planning and other non-service delivery functions that are currently exercised by the Director General of the Department of Transport.
These functions include the planning, oversight and delivery of transport infrastructure; contracting for the delivery of public transport services; transport services coordination; incident management; ticketing services and arrangements and the provision and deployment of staff to public transport agencies. Additionally, Transport for NSW will be responsible for coordinating capital works programs and budgets across the transport sector, and coordinating and carrying out procurement of transport infrastructure, transport vehicles and vessels. It will also have broad powers for the development of management of transport infrastructure across all modes of transport. It will help in developing a strategic policy function and other functions for the promotion of improvement of road safety, travel efficiency and transport management.
Transport for NSW will also be involved in the development of regulatory policy for the transport portfolio, including road and transport safety. It will have responsibility for standard working timetables across all modes of transport in metropolitan areas and it will have the power to determine regulatory policy, and a research and educational role under the Towtruck Industry Act. The functions, assets, rights and liabilities of the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority will be transferred to Transport for New South Wales when these authorities are abolished. Transport for New South Wales will be managed and controlled by the Director General of the Department of Transport, subject to the direction and control of the Minister, and it will be authorised to give directions to public transport agencies for the purpose of exercising its functions.
Transport Service New South Wales will comprise the staff employed by the Government of New South Wales to enable Transport for New South Wales to exercise its functions. The director general will exercise employer functions in relation to staff that includes fixing their salary, wages and conditions of employment. This is a massive reform to the delivery and running of transport in New South Wales. It is the most significant restructure we have seen in the provision of transport in this State's history. The reform will break down the barriers between transport bodies and thus allow coordinated decision-making to ensure projects are delivered in a timely manner and result in good value for taxpayers. It will improve the administration of transport in this State. It places the needs and expectations of the customer as the central role and goal of the organisation.
Transport for New South Wales will ensure transport supports the economic growth of our State—to coin a phrase from the Hon. Duncan Gay in the other place—from paddock to port; from ship to shore. Projects will thus be planned properly. This will ensure we will never see again a debacle like the proposed Rozelle Metro, a project that was surely one of the most spectacular follies of the last Government and one that came to represent a failure of government akin to the last days of the Roman Empire. The reforms will ensure there will be integration of transport, something we in the Hunter have been crying out for for years. We need coordinated planning in that region to ensure road, rail, bus and port services, encourage public transport use and result in efficient movement of freight. It will promote accountability. Its objectives are enshrined in legislation.
Experts are being recruited to ensure that customers have the best possible services available to them, regardless of the mode of transport. Customers will be the focus. John Lee, the Chief Executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, has described the move as "a strong and welcome step". Aaron Gadiel, the Chief Executive of the Urban Taskforce, has expressed his support by saying, "It is amazing that it has taken so many years to get to this point". Transport for NSW has the clear objective of planning for a transport system that 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5021
meets the needs and expectations of the public in order to promote economic development and investment, integration at the decision-making level across all public transport modes, greater efficiency in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects, and the safe and reliable delivery of public transport services and freight services.
Nowhere is this more important than in the Hunter. We are responsible for a large percentage of the State's export revenue and we are the engine room of New South Wales. Commuters need quality public transport to encourage its use and industry needs world-class transport chains to promote economic growth. I commend the Premier and the two Ministers concerned for the strength they have shown in making this important reform and I commend the bill to the House.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER (Terrigal—Minister for Resources and Energy, Special Minister of State, and Minister for the Central Coast) [6.28 p.m.]: I support the Government's initiative in introducing the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, which is an important step forward in improving transport services in New South Wales. The Central Coast, which I have the honour to represent, along with the member for The Entrance, the member for Wyong and the member for Gosford, is the largest commuter area in New South Wales. Some 30,000 people take trains each day, mainly to Sydney but also to Newcastle. It is essential that they have a good and reliable service.
In recent years that service has been deficient. Running times have been poor. The service to customers has been poor and the price has been high. This present Government has sought to address pricing through the MyZone ticketing system and is now seeking to address the level of service, cleanliness and safety. In October 2012 rail services to the Central Coast will improve even more when the Minister for Transport institutes three express services each morning and each evening. In 1965 when the Askin Government came to power it instituted a program to consolidate the State's transport services under one umbrella: the Public Transport Commission of New South Wales. Dr Shirley, a leading authority on railways, administered the scheme.
It worked well, but when the Wran Government took office, from 1976 onwards, it effectively dismantled the reforms of the Askin era at the behest of the unions—the then Bus Employees Union and the Australian Railways Union. An ongoing problem that has bedevilled the administration of transport in this State has been the role played by unions in stymieing the development of new programs such as the Tcard. An analysis of what occurred under the previous Government in the transport system showed that time and again, particularly when Vince Graham and Michael Costa sought to initiate major reforms, if unions were blocked by State Rail or CityRail they would simply take their complaints directly to the Government through the Labor Party and the administration of the railways was overruled.
Over a period of time middle management became demoralised. Through the circuit of going to the Government through the Labor Party, any decisions made in an effort to improve efficiency or the level of service that were opposed by the unions were overruled. But that will not happen under this Government. We are committed to putting the customer first. The Government is committed to working with the unions and to working with all employees, whether they are union members or not. The Government is committed to ensuring that our public transport system operates in the interests of the community and the travelling public—who come from all over the State but especially those from my Central Coast area. Some 900,000 trips are taken by commuters every day on the rail system and the huge numbers of people who use the rail system are entitled to the highest level of service.
The Government is proposing to go back to the old Public Transport Commission model of the Askin Government to ensure an integrated delivery of service. Integrated technology such as the Tcard cost $100 million under the previous Government, but it was never implemented. The previous Government did not implement it, not because of technological problems but because of the unions—especially the bus drivers' union—who were opposed to the recording of their movements and activities by the Tcard. When in Opposition the O'Farrell Government developed a carefully considered program to integrate administration and to work through technological improvements through administrative reforms, to address and focus on the commuting public, and to ensure that the level of change and integration was such that the public was looked after.
The present system is disjunctive and disjointed. There has been a failure to integrate delivery of services and to integrate backup support services such as information technology. There has also been a failure to address industrial relations, which have been allowed to develop on a piecemeal basis and which have never addressed the issue of operational efficiencies. All of those failures were institutionalised by the previous Government. At the end of the day, the previous Government always succumbed to trade union pressure no 5022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
matter how hard people such as Vince Graham—and I pay tribute to him—worked. Michael Costa was in his own crazy and strong way—I say that in the nicest possible sense—determined to reform the transport system in New South Wales but eventually he too came up against the brick wall of union domination. The previous Government was not prepared to take on the unions or to implement necessary reforms.
The O'Farrell Government is determined to implement necessary reforms. It is determined to put the commuting public first. It is committed to ensuring a high-level service, a high level of cleanliness, a high level of safety and reasonable fares. The Minister for Transport has expressed those objectives as part of her vision for achieving the North West and South West Rail links and improvements to the rail system generally. All those objectives will proceed under this reformed administration and the people of New South Wales will be given a new opportunity in public transport. One of the great tests for the O'Farrell Government will be how it develops the New South Wales public transport system—it does not intend to fail that test.
Not only will it ensure that the commuting public of this State receives an improved level of service but it will ensure that come March 2015 the commuting public of this State will be able to look back on the achievements in the level of service and the development of infrastructure, particularly with the North West and South West Rail links. The bill offers a great opportunity to the commuting public of New South Wales. It is an enormous challenge to integrate the various levels of administration, to integrate the various agencies and to develop a workable relationship with the unions to ensure that all of this is done in a cost-effective manner, but it is a challenge the O'Farrell Government intends to meet.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN (Cronulla) [6.37 p.m.]: I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. The Liberal-Nationals Coalition went to the people of New South Wales on 26 March with its Five Point Action Plan: to rebuild the New South Wales economy, to return quality services, to renovate infrastructure, to restore accountability to government and to protect our local environment. As part of returning quality services, the Liberal-Nationals Coalition committed to an integrated transport authority to improve the delivery of public transport services by better coordinating different transport modes and thereby enabling more efficient delivery of major transport infrastructure projects.
The bill delivers on that promise. It represents yet another election promise delivered by the O'Farrell Government. For the first time since the 2000 Olympics, Sydney will have an intelligent, strategic and responsive public transport system to give its customers the service they expect and deserve. Sixteen years of failure in public transport by Labor, demonstrates why New South Wales is desperate for that intelligent, strategic and responsive public transport system. In 1998 our predecessors promised that there would be a Bondi to beach rail link. Did that ever happen?
Government members: No.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: They promised there would be a high-speed rail link to Newcastle and the Central Coast. Did that ever happen?
Government members: No.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: Then a Hurstville to Strathfield rail link was promised in 1998. Did that ever happen?
Government members: No.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: What about a high-speed rail link from Sutherland to Wollongong; did that ever happen?
Government members: No.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: What about a Parramatta to Epping rail link; did that ever happen?
Government members: No.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: What about the north-west heavy rail link project; did that ever happen under Labor? The answer is, no. What about the south-west heavy rail project; did that happen under Labor? The answer is, no. What about the second harbour crossing that was promised under Labor? Did that happen? 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5023
The answer is, no. Did the Penrith fast rail happen? No. What about the $500 million that was wasted on the central business district to Rozelle metro? There was a litany of disasters and non-delivery. There was duplication of the Cronulla railway in my electorate, but that involved a monumental waste of money.
A projected cost of $106 million blew out to $344 million—a 220 per cent increase. I estimate that that has cost every taxpayer in the eastern area of the Sutherland shire about $2,000. Under Labor, without an intelligent, strategic and responsive approach to public transport, the cost of construction was $52 million per kilometre. That compares with $17 million per kilometre to build the southern railway line in Perth. The money squandered by Labor could have been used to build commuter car parks, improve access for the disabled to local railway stations, build a cycleway, or improve the underpass at Gannons Road. Instead, Labor squandered the lot. Travel times for my long-suffering constituents, such as the member for Kogarah, are now longer than they were when the member for Tweed and I were schoolboys at Caringbah North Public School in the 1960s and 1970s. That is extraordinary.
That is why we need an intelligent, strategic and responsive approach to public transport. That is why I support the bill, which amends the Transport Administration Act 1988 and other transport legislation to do the following. First, it establishes Transport for NSW, a new statutory corporation which will have the central role in governing the delivery of transport services and infrastructure by public transport agencies. Secondly, it establishes the Transport Service of NSW, a staff employment entity in which staff are employed to enable Transport for NSW to exercise its functions. Thirdly, it establishes Roads and Maritime Services, another statutory corporation, and transfers to Roads and Maritime Services the functions—other than Transport for NSW coordination, planning and policy functions—the assets, rights and liabilities of the Roads and Traffic Authority and the Maritime Authority of NSW. Fourthly, it abolishes the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Maritime Authority of NSW, the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority.
The bill explicitly sets out the common objectives for public transport agencies. Schedule 1, clause 2 of the bill introduces new section 2B of the Transport Administration Act. That will require public transport agencies to exercise their functions in a manner that promotes the following common objectives. First is customer focus; not to put Labor's union mates in Sussex Street first, but to put the customer first and design the transport system around the needs and expectations of the long-forgotten, long-suffering customer. Second, it enables the transport system to support the economic development of the State, including freight transport systems. Third, it ensures that good planning informs investment strategies. Fourth, it promotes coherence and integration across all transport modes and all stages of decision making.
Fifth, it focuses on performance and service delivery based on a strong purchaser-provider model with clear accountabilities for outcomes. Sixth, it achieves greater efficiency in the delivery of transport infrastructure projects through improved coordination of freight, maritime and ports operations by eliminating duplication of functions and resources and by outsourcing the delivery of non-core services. Seventh, it promotes the delivery of transport services in an environmentally sustainable manner. Eighth, it contributes to the delivery of social benefits for customers, including greater inclusiveness, accessibility and quality of life. Finally, but by no means least, it provides safe transport services in accordance with a safety regulatory framework.
That is why Transport for NSW will be established. It will take on the coordination, the funding allocation, the policy and planning and the other non-service delivery functions currently exercised by the Director General of the Department of Transport. Those functions include the planning, oversight and delivery of transport infrastructure, contracting for the delivery of public transport services, transport services coordination, incident management, ticketing services and arrangements, and the provision and deployment of staff to public transport agencies.
I commend the bill to the House because, by consolidating functions in Transport for NSW, there will be fewer people in the back office and more people on the front line; because the bill abolishes a dysfunctional structure of duplication and poor communications; because it will replace that structure with a streamlined agency which plans and delivers for all transport modes; because rather than operating in isolation, the bill will introduce an integrated system that ensures that planning for our future transport systems will be strategic and multimodal; and because the bill will ensure that the focus of transport agencies is on giving the customer as seamless a journey as possible, irrespective of the mode they choose. I commend the bill to the House.
Mrs ROZA SAGE (Blue Mountains) [6.45 p.m.]: I support the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill. This bill is particularly important to my electorate of Blue Mountains, which is elongated with a train line and 5024 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
the Great Western Highway going through the middle of it. The New South Wales Government is committed to improving public transport in this State for customers through ensuring better integration of all aspects of transport. This can only be done through establishing an integrated transport authority. Any attempt to achieve this without establishing an integrated authority would simply repeat the mistakes of the past 16 years, with the various transport agencies competing for resources based on their own vision of their particular mode's part in the transport task rather than working as one team.
I can safely say that in my electorate of Blue Mountains the working together of various services is critical. The Blue Mountains is a linear city with various distinct townships connected together by the railway line and the Great Western Highway. We have sparse bus services due not to the efforts of the bus company, the Blue Mountains Bus Company, but to the geography of the area being so spread out. The train service is integral to the public transport needs of the Blue Mountains community. Many communities rely on the train to access employment, shopping and recreation. We have a large number of people commuting to Parramatta and Sydney. Some people travel all the way from Lithgow into Sydney. So the train is an essential public transport service for them.
Unfortunately, under the previous regime every time the rail timetable was changed the bus company was not notified until a few days prior to the change, causing problems with changing bus timetables to coincide with the arrival and departure of trains. When my children were at school they needed to travel to school by bus and train. Many a time the two did not meet and my children were left stranded until the next bus or train arrived. With an integrated transport system focused on the customer experience this would be much less likely to happen. I understand that planning for Transport for NSW is well and truly underway.
I emphasise that Transport for NSW will focus on the customer, understanding that the customer will drive evidence-based decision making. I welcome the change to six divisions, separating the politics especially from the infrastructure provisions. The customer experience division will also lead the organisation in ensuring that transport planning, policy, investment and services are driven by customer needs; shape and position public transport as the most attractive option for the people of New South Wales by making it seamless and easy to use; and be the advocate for public transport users and for road users in the operations of the integrated transport authority.
The previous Government only paid lip-service to the commuter experience. The services were slower than in the steam train era. Train replacement was a total debacle for which the people of New South Wales are still paying. The previous Labor Government were very keen to talk about jobs; however, there was not the general uproar when staffing levels on the 16 Blue Mountains stations were dramatically reduced in the guise of rationalisation.
The programs and planning division will bring together the planning of all modes of transport into one division and establish close links between planning and the development of transport investment programs. It will identify transport needs and produce integrated transport plans and manage the overall investment budget of Transport for NSW. We had the ludicrous position with the building of the Great Western Highway that land owned by RailCorp needed costly legal mechanisms to be passed on to the Roads and Transport Authority. Therefore, the planning and programs division will work with the Government, the community and transport customers to develop integrated strategic plans linked to land use. This will overcome such ludicrous situations.
The transport projects division will be accountable for the delivery of major public transport projects, including strategic procurement for rolling stock and fleet. The division will have a focus on delivery planning, including accurate estimating and close monitoring of construction delivery. With this focus we should not have the disastrous Waratah carriage fiasco: we still do not have a reliable carriage in normal service. From the beginning to the end of this project there were delays and cost blow-outs. It was the camel that the committee had developed, and still today we do not have these trains up and running, these trains and carriages that would ensure that a lot of the problems we have with timetabling would disappear.
The new freight and regional development division will ensure New South Wales supports improved productivity—particularly in the regions—with an efficient and effective freight transport system. The freight and regional development division will be the central point of coordination for the Government's role in freight distribution and servicing. In my electorate of the Blue Mountains a more efficient freight route would be very welcome. With the removal of the rail freight subsidy the travel of trucks through the Blue Mountains has noticeably increased. This is causing angst in the community and many truck accidents. Rail is by far the most 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5025
efficient and environmentally sound way to transport bulk freight. The increase in trucks on our Great Western Highway is dangerous: many serious and fatal accidents along the highway occur, especially with speeding trucks.
Only a few weeks ago on the Great Western Highway two people died when a truck overturned at Victoria Pass. I certainly applaud some sensible decision-making in relation to freight. The transport services division will plan and procure the best possible transport services for New South Wales—to deliver on the Transport for NSW customer strategy and standards and to deliver value for money for the people of New South Wales. This is something we have not had for a long time with the cost blow-outs and train lines not being built. This bill will ensure that these things will not happen again. The key tasks for the division will be: service planning, development and improvement; service procurement, including contract development; and ticketing services, including the electronic ticketing system and integrated timetable development.
The public, especially in my electorate, are very keen to see the positive changes that the services division in particular will bring. They are frustrated by the run-down system that this Government has inherited and look forward to the improvement. In particular, an integrated timetable which produces sensible outcomes will be welcomed. Many of the schools in the Blue Mountains use rail to transport students. As far as I can remember, every time there was a train timetable change the schools would have to fight tooth and nail the CityRail bureaucracy over the time for the school service. There was never any real thought given to the fact that service times would not coincide with school start and finish times. Again, with focus on the customer this will be a thing of the past.
The member for Fairfield raised the issue of easy access. The previous Labor Government had a program which upgraded stations at a rate of two a year. In my electorate of Blue Mountains there are 17 stations, of which only three have easy access. We have 17 stations because the Blue Mountains electorate is very spread out. The next station that had been scheduled to be made accessible was chosen because it was between the furthest two easy access stations. The then Transport Minister, John Robertson, stated in a letter that according to the guidelines the station did not fit into the parameters. Many of these types of decisions seemed to be ad hoc with no apparent accountability.
Lawson station requires easy access. Wentworth Falls station, in the mid-mountains, has many stairs and a much larger car parking area. It has snow in winter because it is above the snow line yet it was not even considered for easy access. It also is within the same parameters as it is in the middle of the two most distant easy access stations. The decisions made did not seem to make any sense whatsoever. The formation of an integrated transport authority can only improve the parlous state of New South Wales transport that has been inherited from the previous Government. I am confident that this will most certainly be the case and I strongly commend this bill to the House.
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse—Parliamentary Secretary) [6.48 p.m.]: I welcome the opportunity tonight to speak in support of the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 and I extend my congratulations to the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports, who are responsible for this bill. We must not forget that transport, after all, is about getting somewhere. It is about getting home to family, getting to work, and getting to meet our friends. It is about spending quality time.
Transport is a means to an end. However, under the former Government transport became a barrier to an end, and that was shameful. Rather than New South Wales residents focusing on what they need and want to do, they were sitting in traffic; they were having to buy different tickets for different modes of transport; they were delayed on train station platforms waiting for buses that never arrived; driving to transport because trains and buses did not connect and in my electorate, sitting on buses that did not meet the ferries that were the most efficient way for commuters to get into the city to go to work. The O'Farrell Government is committed to improving public transport and committed to building transport infrastructure in order to decongest our busy roads.
I welcome the recent announcements by the Minister for Transport in relation to ferries. They are an important part of the way in which the people in the electorate of Vaucluse get to the city and get to enjoy the company of their friends. Firstly, there is the reform of Sydney Ferries to deliver commuters an improved and expanded service through the franchising model of existing services and more recently the Minister for Transport has called for expressions of interest in developing and operating new peak hour ferry services. They were welcome announcements in the electorate of Vaucluse. This bill has the hallmarks of what I call a 5026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
Coalition approach to Government. It has a clear policy and a strategy that incorporates that policy. There is a plan for execution and there is an integration approach. They are the hallmarks of our State Plan and the budget that was released today.
Our commitment to improving transport was strongly demonstrated when we detailed a comprehensive plan to improve transport and roads throughout the State. I am pleased to state that work will begin immediately on improving roads and transport in the Vaucluse electorate, which I represent. More than $1.6 million will be spent on improvements for New South Head Road and Bondi Road, which are two of the three main arterial routes in the Vaucluse electorate. In addition to that, there will be 261 new buses across Sydney and improvements to the ferry and rail networks. My electorate welcomes those announcements and improvements in the budget and the State Plan. By virtue of this bill the Government will increase the efficiency of our roads during peak times by building infrastructure throughout the State and by setting a target to ensure 80 per cent of people who travel to the Sydney central business district during peak times will use public transport.
Pursuant to sessional orders debate adjourned and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
RESIDENTIAL PARKS AMENDMENT (REGISTER) BILL 2011
Message received from the Legislative Council returning the bill with amendments.
Consideration of Legislative Council's amendments set down as an order of the day for a future day.
FINES AMENDMENT (WORK AND DEVELOPMENT ORDERS) BILL 2011
Message received from the Legislative Council returning the bill without amendment.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Notices of Motions
General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given.
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
Matter of Public Importance
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Menai) [7.12 p.m.]: I wish to commemorate National Child Protection Week, which began on Sunday 4 September. Members will notice I am wearing a pin tonight in support of Bravehearts White Balloon Day, which is officially tomorrow. The day was specially chosen to fall during Child Protection Week. Bravehearts members and supporters believe that sexual assault must stop and they aim to break the silence, provide healing and support, and encourage protection and prevention strategies. They also advocate for understanding and increased education. Tomorrow is White Balloon Day and a dinner will be held in our Parliament, for the sixth time, to support it. This is also Bravehearts' fifteenth annual day.
Child Protection Week is a most significant event in the calendar. It is an occasion to increase awareness of child protection issues and to take stock of what needs to be done. This year the theme of Child Protection Week is "Play Your Part". The theme encourages everyone in the community to play their part and to be involved. I cannot think of a more fitting way to sum up what needs to be done to make our State a better and safer place for all children. Friends and family members, neighbours and members of the community all have a part to play in speaking up for kids. Parents and carers need to feel it is okay to ask for help. We all need help sometimes. Ideally this help will be located in communities and social networks where there are families.
In servicing the Menai electorate, the Sutherland Early Support Service provides valuable assistance to families with children under three who need some extra support. Community-minded residents gain satisfaction from volunteering their time and sharing their experiences to help families in need. They work with isolated new mothers to develop mothercraft skills and to provide a role model, guidance, information and strategies. They provide an extra set of hands for new mothers who have premature babies, have had multiple births or have young children to care for. They operate a food pantry to assist disadvantaged families struggling with financial difficulties. 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5027
Families who lack strong networks and support may need extra services. This is a part that government can play by making sure there are services in the community that can reach out to families and work with them early on. Sometimes government needs to play a more direct role. I pay tribute to the unique part played by Family and Community Services caseworkers. Caseworkers are the front line of child protection and make up nearly half of the community services workforce. Every day they deal with extremely complex issues, working with some of the State's most vulnerable children and families. They frequently make tough decisions to help give these families the best possible future. I admire the difficult work caseworkers do, which they accomplish with compassion and professionalism. When decisions are made that are wrong, and this can happen, we must identify what went wrong and learn from this experience no matter how tragic it might be.
I know this Government will not shy away from trying to prevent harm to children. But caseworkers can only do their part if we all do our part as well. If there is one lesson we learned from the mistakes of the previous Government, it is that creating a bigger government sector as the solution to all problems actually solves nothing. That is why we have had to take a new approach, one that will reduce the need for "big government" solutions. The O'Farrell-Stoner Government is not afraid to make hard and necessary decisions and that is what the New South Wales budget has shown today. Today's budget lays a solid foundation for the future, meeting our election commitments to protect front-line workers, while placing the Department of Family and Community Services on a sustainable footing.
We will pursue the transfer of out-of-home care services to the non-government sector and organisations that are smaller, more innovative and more flexible than big bureaucracies. This transfer will mean better outcomes for children, but it will be done in stages in order to properly manage the current demands on the system. The importance of this partnership was highlighted in the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in New South Wales, which recommended the transfer of out-of-home care and other services to the non-government organisation sector. The O'Farrell-Stoner Government is truly committed to reducing the growth in the number of children and young people placed in out-of-home care and we recognise prevention and early intervention services are critical to helping to reduce the number of children needing to enter care.
Red tape will also be cut to free up non-government organisations to enable them to work with more families, and to make it faster and simpler for families to access support from the Brighter Futures program. When it simply is not possible for children to remain at home, the non-government organisation sector has an important role to play in helping to meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people. Work is already underway to commence the transfer of out-of-home care services to the non-government sector to organisations that are smaller, more innovative and more flexible than big bureaucracies. This transfer will mean better outcomes for children, because it will be done in a staged way taking into account the improvements in capacity, processes and systems needed from government and non-government organisations alike.
We are looking for a more focused effort on restoring children to their families as soon as it is safe to do so, and I believe there is potential for non-government organisations to play a greater role in restoring children to their parents. One of the ways that we will help caseworkers is by trialling minimum targets for caseworker visits. By having clear, understandable guidelines that establish targets, there will be greater consistency and better outcomes for children. The out-of-home care placement and support services are part of a continuum of integrated service provision to children and families in New South Wales, and placements can be emergency/crisis, short term, long term and permanent. There are a number of ways in which children and young people exit the out-of-home care service system. These include restoration to family, a young person reaching the age of 18 years, the expiration or rescission of the care order, the making of a sole parental responsibility order, an adoption order, or the child or young person moving to another jurisdiction.
We will continue to bring down the number of children in out-of-home care. That is a commitment given by the O'Farrell-Stoner Government. We will do this in a way that is not only consistent with child safety, but is also designed to enhance the children's long-term wellbeing. I believe there is much greater potential for the non-government sector to play a part in reducing the need for children to enter care and ultimately to play a greater role in helping restore children to their parents or to facilitate adoption by their carers where restoration is not possible. Child Protection Week comes at an important and exciting time in the life of Family and Community Services in this State. I ask that tomorrow we all remember Bravehearts White Balloon Day and take a moment to play our part during Child Protection Week.
Mrs BARBARA PERRY (Auburn) [7.18 p.m.]: As I speak, members of Bravehearts are covering the front fence of Parliament with white balloons for Bravehearts day tomorrow. This week beginning 4 September 5028 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
is Child Protection Week. This year's theme, "Play Your Part in Combating Child Abuse and Neglect", seeks to emphasise that protecting children is everyone's business and we can all play a part in making children safe. Last Thursday I was privileged to attend a wonderful event at St John's Primary School in Auburn to mark Child Protection Week. Child protection is close to my heart. I worked as a Legal Aid solicitor in the child protection area for more than a decade. My work had a profound effect on me and was one of the reasons I decided to enter politics in the first place. Let me advise members about one of the cases that I dealt with. I spent a great deal of time with the parents of a newborn. Both parents came from very difficult family backgrounds and both had issues with drugs.
After a lot of work by caseworkers, the court and the parents themselves, I put the case to the Children's Magistrate that the parents should be allowed to look after their baby and show that they were responsible and loving parents. The magistrate ruled that that child should be returned to the care of the parents, subject to a number of conditions. A week later that little baby was dead. It is something that will never leave me and continues to haunt me. I say this because what I learned from my years in child protection is something that anyone working in that area knows—the issues are extraordinarily complex. We are not dealing with black and white; with numbers that add up and can be subtracted. We are dealing with humans in all their complexity and in all their brokenness. It is not possible to pinpoint one cause or one easy fix for broken families and communities. Every story is different and will need different types of intervention and support.
The Australian Government's National Framework for Protecting Children shows that nationally child abuse and neglect has more than doubled in the past 10 years. It acknowledges that the level of child abuse and neglect remains unacceptably high. Each year, more than 30,000 Australian children are officially listed as abused or neglected. And pertinent to my shadow ministry of Indigenous Affairs, the latest research worryingly shows us that while seven in every 1,000 children were subject to a substantiated report of abuse or neglect, the figures for Indigenous children is eight times that rate. Children who are abused are at higher risk of experiencing mental health issues, poor educational outcomes, and developing relationship problems and also more likely to perpetuate the cycle and be violent later in life.
The former New South Wales Labor Government was well aware of the complexity of those issues. National and international research shows that child abuse can be significantly reduced through early intervention programs. It also shows that priority should be given to universal support for families in areas such as health and education. Responding to this, the former Government rolled out a statewide early intervention program called Brighter Futures as well as putting on additional caseworkers. In March 2009 in response to the Wood royal commission the Labor Government implemented the vast majority of Wood's recommendations, which received bipartisan support.
It also released its new approach called Keep Them Safe, which outlined more than 100 new strategies in the area of child protection. It was the result of wide-ranging consultation with child protection workers, stakeholders and experts. It also emphasised the importance of early intervention. It heralded key changes to the child protection system and aimed to broaden the agencies taking responsibility for child protection in order to free up front-line community services workers to concentrate on the most at-risk children. Child wellbeing agencies were introduced in the New South Wales Police Force, NSW Health, the Department of Education and Communities and the Department of Community Services.
Family referral services were also piloted and family case management, a new interagency model for high-needs families, was introduced. The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, recently brought down a report called Keep Them Safe, which examines the new approach to child protection. It should be noted that it is only 18 months since the new system was introduced. It was born out of extensive consultation and a genuine concern to fill the gaps for children who do not get the emotional, physical and economic support they need to thrive. Of most importance is a careful and thorough analysis of what the Ombudsman found. As Adele Horin noted in a recent article:
In child protection everyone wants a quick fix; no one wants a single child to die from abuse and neglect ... the fail-proof child protection system has not yet been invented ... what is abundantly clear is that effective child protection work with highly dysfunctional families cannot be done on the cheap.
The O'Farrell Government's budget cuts announced today could not come at a worse time for children and those supporting and caring for children. One of the absolute basics of effective child protection is a system that supports and encourages families to adopt and foster children. Yet today's budget includes a number of very disturbing announcements—announcements that will undermine those who do the hard and thankless task of supporting high-needs children. Carer allowances will be reduced by the amount of the Youth Allowance when 6 September 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5029
young people turn 16 years old; and allowances paid to new carers who adopt children and young people in out-of-home care will be reduced. It is ridiculous for this Government to claim that "clearing roadblocks to adoption" will make up for its taking away financial incentives to adopt. This comes at a time when the pressure on the system has never been greater.
Minister Goward is upholding the need for children to stay with their families rather than relying on out-of-home care, much like the model possibly expounded in Sweden and Denmark. If that is the case, she must be prepared to provide the intensive and costly measures that are needed for this strategy to work—strategies such as child protection workers moving in with struggling families and the provision of intensive therapy sessions. I do not see that reflected in the budget. I am concerned at the narrative coming from the O'Farrell Government that somehow the former Government was not committed to child protection. Nothing could be further from the truth. As the Child Protection Week theme reminds us, child protection is everyone's business.
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) [7.25 p.m.]: I thank the member for Auburn for her contribution based on her personal experience of child protection. I also want to commemorate National Child Protection Week, which commenced on 4 September, and acknowledge its theme of Play Your Part. In other words, every person in the community must take responsibility and do their bit to protect our children. As the member for Menai highlighted, while we can all help to ensure our children are safe, it is the front-line caseworkers who deserve our admiration for their amazing work. The Liberal-Nationals Government takes child protection very seriously. That is why today it has committed $1.6 billion in this year's budget to take the first steps to rebuild the Department of Family and Community Services to make sure it offers improved support for children, young people and families across this State.
Unfortunately Labor left us with a $1.9 billion budget gap in Family and Community Services over four years from 2011-12, and out-of-home care growing at 15 per cent per annum, with 17,931 children and young people, or 11 in 1,000, now in out-of-home care. That is the highest number and proportion of young people in out-of-home care in the nation, and it is shameful. When it simply is not possible for children to remain at home, the Liberal-Nationals Government believes the non-government sector has an important role to play in helping meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people. To follow on from the comments of the member for Menai in relation to the Government's commitment to transfer out-of-home care to the non-government sector, I further advise the House about what the Government is doing to fulfil its election commitment.
The Government has set up a special Ministerial Advisory Group to provide advice and guidance on ways it can support the transition, deliver improved services in fresh new ways and bring forward transfers where possible. The Ministerial Advisory Group is co-chaired by Andrew McCallum, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies, and Jim Moore, Acting Director General of the Department of Family and Community Services. I appreciate their work and that of their colleagues in the non-government sector and the department. The advisory group is working towards a shared position on the transition process, as well as providing advice on the broader reforms that the Government should prioritise in order to improve service delivery to children.
The Government will perform better to protect children and young people in a real partnership with non-government organisations, as Justice Wood emphasised. The Minister for Family and Community Services previously announced the Coalition's election commitment in its out-of-home care policy, Recovering Children at Risk, to complete the transfer of the Child Death Review Team from the Commission for Children and Young People to the Ombudsman's office. The Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in New South Wales recommended transferring the responsibility for convening the Child Death Review Team from the Commission for Children and Young People to the Ombudsman.
The Coalition in opposition moved amendments to the Children Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 to strengthen Labor's bill. The transfer came into effect in February 2011. However, the omission of associated legislative changes meant that the transfer was piecemeal and inadequate to ensure that the Ombudsman could undertake the Child Death Review Team function more efficiently. The Ombudsman required further legislative amendments from the previous Government that were not adopted, and became the focus of a special report to Parliament in November 2010, entitled "Unresolved issues in the transfer of the NSW Child Death Review Team to the office of the NSW Ombudsman".
The Coalition's transfer of responsibility for convening the Child Death Review Team from the Commission for Children and Young People to the Ombudsman will consolidate the Ombudsman's statutory 5030 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 6 September 2011
responsibilities for child deaths into one Act; consolidate parliamentary reporting on child deaths with the parliamentary Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission; remove the requirement for ministerial endorsement of the Child Death Review Team research program; remove the statutory requirement for the Ombudsman to provide a copy of his report to the responsible Minister before the report is tabled, reducing government spin; and will make the Deputy Ombudsman as Commissioner for Community and Disability Services a statutory member of the team. Yet again, we are seeing the Liberal-Nationals Government delivering for the people of New South Wales and, in particular, delivering on its commitment to ensure that our State is a safer and better place for all our children.
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Menai) [7.29 p.m.], in reply: I take this moment to acknowledge the contributions of the member for Port Macquarie and the member for Auburn. I note that the member for Cessnock wished to make a contribution to the debate on this matter of public importance but was unable to do so. I also take this opportunity to encourage all members to play their part and wear a white balloon pin to show their support of Bravehearts during Child Protection Week, to hang the posters they have been given in a visible place and to blow up some white balloons. Hopefully, this will show the community the importance of Child Protection Week. As I have said, the care and protection of children is everybody's business, and everyone needs to speak up for kids or encourage them to ask for help if they need it. Help is available from the Government, the Department of Family and Community Services and the non-government sector. I thank in particular the caseworkers for the hard work they do tirelessly on a daily basis. I acknowledge also the support of members for tomorrow's event. Once again, I thank members who spoke on this matter of public importance tonight.
Discussion concluded.
The House adjourned, pursuant to standing and sessional orders, at 7.30 p.m. until Wednesday 7 September 2011 at 10.00 a.m.
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