Hansard 13 Sep 1996
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
13 Sep 1996 Overseas Visit 2891 FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 1996 Mother/Baby Residential Unit, Gold Coast From Mr Quinn (1,840 signatories) requesting the House establish and fund the Mr SPEAKER (Hon. N. J. Turner, Nicklin) daily operation of a mother/baby residential read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. unit on the Gold Coast. AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORTS Public Housing Mr SPEAKER: Order! Honourable From Mr Roberts (362 signatories) members, I have to advise the House that requesting the House to take actions to today I received from the Auditor-General a ensure that the coalition Government meets report titled Queensland Audit Office Auditing its commitments to (a) tenants in public Standards July 1996 and the report on Audits housing, that they are not charged more than of Universities and Grammar Schools for 1995. 25 per cent of their income in rent (b) tenants in public housing, that they are not PETITIONS disadvantaged and (c) introduce accountable strategies for addition and replacement of The Clerk announced the receipt of the housing stock to ensure that proceeds of sales following petitions— of public housing to tenants are reinvested in public housing. School Cleaning From Mr Purcell (7 signatories) Suncorp requesting the House to reverse the decision From Mr Welford (1 signatory) by the Minister for Education to privatise requesting the House to reject any move to cleaning in Queensland schools. sell off Suncorp. Petitions received. Colmslie Beach Land From Mr Purcell (51 signatories) PAPERS requesting the House to support and encourage the sale of 8.99 hectares of The following papers were laid on the land—real property description 201432, Lot 2, table— Colmslie Road, Murarrie (also known as (a) Premier (Mr Borbidge)— Colmslie Beach) to the Brisbane City Council Report on visit to the United States of without delay at open space prices for the America from 14 to 25 August 1996 purpose of parkland to be held in perpetuity (b) Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for for the people of Brisbane. The majority of the Arts (Mrs Sheldon)— prime riverfront land has been sold to industry and the undersigned believe the State Queensland Office of Financial Supervision—Annual Report 1995-96 Government should sell this site to the Brisbane City Council for the benefit of the (c) Minister for Emergency Services and people of Brisbane and future generations for Minister for Sport (Mr Veivers)— recreational purposes. Report on study tour to Atlanta, New York and London from 16 to 30 July 1996. Gateway Bridge Toll; Busway Project OVERSEAS VISIT From Mr Purcell (352 signatories) requesting the House to (a) remove the toll on Report the Gateway Bridge to remove the Hon. M. D. VEIVERS (Southport— impediment to peak hour traffic and Minister for Emergency Services and Minister encourage use of the Gateway Arterial which for Sport) (9.34 a.m.): I table a report on a would also reduce traffic congestion in the study tour to Atlanta, New York and London. central city area and (b) support the Brisbane This report informs Parliament of the major City Council's busway project which is purpose of my visit to Atlanta and my designed to massively increase patronage of presence at Queensland's two official Brisbane buses to reduce the increase in functions. I think that I should tell members of private vehicle use. this House about that trip. 2892 Ministerial Statement 13 Sep 1996 These functions had the specific objective would have until June 1997 to place a detailed to attract teams to our State by showing proposal before the bureau for its international sporting teams' management the consideration. A final decision by the bureau's standards of our Queensland's sporting general assembly is not expected until facilities. As can be seen by the report, the trip December 1997. was highly successful in achieving that basic The Government believes it is in the objective. State's best interests to fully investigate the Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is not a feasibility of hosting such an event. The ministerial statement. Co-ordinator-General will oversee the Mr VEIVERS: No. Mr Speaker, I just evaluation process and I will report back to wanted to inform members that Parliament State Cabinet shortly on its outcome. should note—- Mr SPEAKER: Order! This not a MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ministerial statement. Does the Minister have Brisbane Festival something to table? Hon. J. M. SHELDON (Caloundra— Mr VEIVERS: I am about to table the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for report. Parliament should note that most of The Arts) (9.38 a.m.), by leave: I rise in this the international teams' management had not place to speak about the outstanding success heard of Queensland. I table the report. of this year's inaugural 15-day Brisbane Festival, which concluded on Sunday, 8 September. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT As Treasurer and Minister for The Arts, I World Environment Exposition 2005 am proud that the $1m allocated to the Hon. R. E. BORBIDGE (Surfers festival by this coalition Government has Paradise—Premier) (9.36 a.m.), by leave: played a major part in this success by allowing Honourable members are well aware of the programming to be very ambitious and helping success that Queensland has had in staging to keep ticket prices at an affordable level for major events such as the 1982 the general community. Commonwealth Games and World Expo '88. The Government's trust in the artistic These events raised our international profile director, Mr Tony Gould, as evidenced by the and provided a significant boost to economic size of our contribution, has proven to be very growth, primarily through tourism and well founded. infrastructure development. Mr Elder interjected. On Wednesday I outlined to the House Mrs SHELDON: I know that the Deputy Queensland's latest efforts to secure the right Leader of the Opposition does not think much to stage the 2006 Commonwealth Games. of Mr Gould, but I think that he is a man Today, I advise that the State whose ability has been well proven. Government is to undertake an immediate Mr ELDER: I rise to a point of order. I evaluation of a proposal to host a world find those remarks offensive and I ask the environment exposition in the Brisbane-Gold Minister to withdraw. I happen to think a lot of Coast corridor in the year 2005. Tony Gould. As well as the State taking steps to Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of assess the feasibility of such a proposal, it will order. also be necessary for the Federal Government to agree to submit an application to the Mrs SHELDON: Mr Speaker, it is a pity Bureau of International Expositions by 18 that the member said the words that he did October 1996. In this regard I will be advising when he interjected. the Prime Minister of Queensland's interest Over the years, Tony Gould has made the and seek his support for such an application Queensland Performing Arts Complex the provided, of course, that initial assessments most financially successful arts centre in vindicate such action. Australia and a centre which has become very To date, both Japan and Canada have well known on the international scene. notified the BIE of their desire to host the With only eight months' lead time, Mr 2005 environment exposition, so strong Gould and his creative team put together a competition is to be expected. If Queensland, quality arts program where international and through the Federal Government, notifies the national performers happily rubbed shoulders BIE of its candidature before 18 October, it with the cream of our local performing arts 13 Sep 1996 Ministerial Statement 2893 talent, creating a program of huge scope and festival, will both tour regional Queensland. diversity. Importantly, many of the festival's events were Before I talk about the cultural aspects of free to the public, which makes the the festival, I have to applaud its extraordinary Queensland Performing Arts Trust's feat in financial success. The festival's budget of exceeding its budgeted income even more close to $7m was made up of this remarkable. Government's contribution plus $1.5m from I was pleased by the quality and variety of the Performing Arts Trust; a similar amount this inaugural festival, and I intend to see that from corporate sponsorship; $500,000 from the Brisbane Festival continues indefinitely as the Brisbane City Council; $500,000 in part of Queensland's cultural right—a fulfilment carryovers from Warana; $250,000 from of our cultural needs. Elements of this merchandising fees and projected box office dramatic development of the performing arts income of $1.5m. in Queensland will be shared by the rest of Australia via an ABC television documentary In the event, with more than 80,000 which is scheduled for national viewing within tickets sold, box office revenue was in excess the next few weeks. of $1.7m—a figure that augurs very well indeed for future festivals with longer periods This year is an historic one for the of planning time. This is particularly true when inaugural Brisbane Festival, marking, as it one considers that the well-established does, the financial and artistic triumph of Tony Melbourne Festival took a similar amount at Gould and the Queensland Performing Arts the box office at last year's festival and Trust. I congratulate the Brisbane Festival on Melbourne has over twice the population of its outstanding achievement. Brisbane. The Government recognises the flow-on MINISTERIAL STATEMENT advantages from that $7m budget as vital to Neerkol Children's Orphanage economic growth in Queensland's cultural Hon. K. R.