PROOF ISSN 1322-0330

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Hansard Home Page: http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/hansard/ E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (07) 3406 7314 Fax: (07) 3210 0182

Subject FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-SECOND PARLIAMENT Page Thursday, 5 June 2008

SPEAKER’S STATEMENTS ...... 1959 Rules of the House ...... 1959 Incorporation of Material ...... 1959 PETITIONS ...... 1959 TABLED PAPER ...... 1959 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS ...... 1960 Road Accident at Level Crossing, Dalby ...... 1960 Eastern Busway ...... 1960 Roads Implementation Program ...... 1961 City Council, Transport Infrastructure ...... 1961 Organ Donation; World Transplant Games ...... 1962 Operation Golf Cortex ...... 1962 Infrastructure Planning ...... 1963 World Environment Day ...... 1963 Q-Fleet ...... 1964 Magnetic Island, Solar Suburb Initiative ...... 1964 Roads Implementation Program ...... 1965 Tabled paper: Department of Main Roads, Roads Implementation Program 2008-09 to 2012-13...... 1965 Tabled paper: Department of Main Roads, Addendum to Roads Implementation Program 2008-09 to 2012-13...... 1965 Responsible Gambling ...... 1965 Rail, World Environment Day ...... 1966 Children in Care ...... 1966 Smart Moves ...... 1967 Ambulance Service, Recruitment; Bushfires ...... 1967 Tabled paper: Map of Queensland, dated May 2008, indicating potential grassfire risk...... 1968 Outlook Training and Resource Service ...... 1968 Men’s Health ...... 1968 Drive Tourism ...... 1969

M F REYNOLDS N J LAURIE L J OSMOND SPEAKER CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENT CHIEF HANSARD REPORTER Table of Contents — Thursday, 5 June 2008

SCRUTINY OF LEGISLATION COMMITTEE ...... 1969 Report ...... 1969 Tabled paper: Scrutiny of Legislation Committee, Report of Study Tour—, 4 and 5 March 2008, Report No. 37...... 1969 MEMBERS’ ETHICS AND PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE ...... 1970 Report ...... 1970 Tabled paper: Members’ Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee, Matter of privilege referred by the Deputy Speaker on 28 February 2008 relating to alleged reflections on the Speaker, Report No. 90...... 1970 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE ...... 1970 Land Release ...... 1970 Land Release ...... 1971 Government Borrowings ...... 1971 Sunshine Coast, Land Release ...... 1972 Urban Congestion ...... 1973 Sunshine Coast, Land Release ...... 1973 Infrastructure ...... 1974 Public Transport Network ...... 1975 Infrastructure ...... 1976 Fuel Subsidy Scheme ...... 1976 Healthy Waterways ...... 1977 Queensland Disability Housing Coalition ...... 1977 Police Induction Ceremony ...... 1978 Environmental Impact Assessments ...... 1978 Gold Coast City Council, Media Expenditure ...... 1979 Registration of Motorised Wheelchairs ...... 1980 Beechwood Homes; Building Insurance ...... 1980 Traveston Dam ...... 1981 Climate Change, Government Policies ...... 1981 APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL; APPROPRIATION BILL; REVENUE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL ...... 1982 Second Reading (Cognate Debate) ...... 1982 Tabled paper: Document titled ‘Nanango Electorate Budget Allocations 2008-09’...... 2006 Tabled paper: Copy of an article titled ‘Regional Brain Abnormalities Associated With Long-term Heavy Cannabis Use’...... 2021 SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT ...... 2093 ADJOURNMENT ...... 2093 Gold Coast Green Space ...... 2093 Brisbane Islamic Community ...... 2094 Wide Bay-Burnett, Maternity Services ...... 2094 Tabled paper: Copy of letter, dated 7 April 2008, from Mr Messenger to the Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Robertson MP, relating to birthing services at the Bundaberg Base Hospital...... 2094 Tabled paper: Copy of letter, dated 26 May 2008, from the Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Robertson MP, to Mr Messenger relating to birthing services at the Bundaberg Base Hospital...... 2094 Springwood Electorate, Art and School Events ...... 2095 Tablelands Electorate, Electoral Redistribution ...... 2095 Burleigh Heads Scout Group, Gold Coast Blaze ...... 2096 Queensland School Sport 15 Years & Under State Touch Championships ...... 2096 Skilling Queenslanders for Work ...... 2097 Gas Pensioner Rebate Scheme ...... 2097 Far- Indigenous Artists ...... 2098 ATTENDANCE ...... 2098 05 Jun 2008 Legislative Assembly 1959 THURSDAY, 5 JUNE 2008

Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly met at 9.30 am. Mr Speaker (Hon. MF Reynolds, Townsville) read prayers and took the chair. Mr Speaker acknowledged the traditional owners of the land upon which this parliament is assembled and the custodians of the sacred lands of our state.

SPEAKER’S STATEMENTS

Rules of the House Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, a member recently wrote to me seeking clarification on matters of privilege suddenly arising. Other members in recent times have asked me about the rules relating to personal reflections. On 25 May 2005, then Acting Speaker Fouras made a lengthy statement explaining the common rules of the House such as interrupting members, points of order, matters of privilege and language. On 20 February 2007 I made a statement regarding parliamentary language generally and members speaking across the chamber rather than through the chair. I generally endorse both of these previous statements and explanations. Rather than read the statements again to members, I have asked that both of those statements by myself and former Acting Speaker Fouras be circulated to members in the chamber today.

Incorporation of Material Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, in accordance with recent practice, I advise that for debate on the appropriate bills, which is commencing today, I am willing to relax the general rules for incorporation of material. Members may incorporate a portion of their speech in the second reading debate. The following rules must, however, be followed: firstly, the member’s total speech must not exceed that which would normally be allowed in a 20-minute speech, thus no speech should exceed 3,500 words; secondly, speeches should not include graphs, charts or other material; thirdly, members must be able to provide Hansard with their speech in electronic form; and, fourthly, all speeches must be shown to myself as Speaker or the Deputy Speaker prior to leave being sought for incorporation. Mr Lucas: Lucky you! Mr SPEAKER: The Deputy Speaker shares that great load with me. Thank you, Deputy Premier.

PETITIONS

The Clerk presented the following paper petitions, lodged by the honourable members indicated—

Livestock, Sporting Activities Ms Lee Long, from 9 petitioners, requesting the House to continue the existing mob-based system for livestock used in campdrafting, rodeo and other sporting activities.

Metropole Hotel Ipswich Ms Nolan, from 283 petitioners, requesting the House to redress the problems associated with the Metropole Hotel Ipswich, by amending the Liquor Act to enable persons in the locality of the hotel to seek a remedy to problems through the Chief Executive at any time. Petitions received.

TABLED PAPER

MINISTERIAL PAPER TABLED BY THE CLERK The following ministerial paper was tabled by the Clerk— Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations (Mr Mickel)— • Queensland Government Industrial Gazette Notice, dated 9 May 2008, advising that, in pursuance of the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, Her Excellency the Governor has approved the payment of $41,324,932 (GST inclusive) by the Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Authority in 2008-09 to the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations for the prevention of injury to workers. 1960 Ministerial Statements 05 Jun 2008

MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

Road Accident at Level Crossing, Dalby Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.35 am): It is my sad duty to report that a tragedy has occurred on the western this morning. Police, ambulance and fire and rescue crews are in attendance and details are still coming to hand. It is reported that a six-year-old child has died in an incident involving a loaded coal train and a school bus. It appears that just before 8 am a loaded coal train travelling east from Macalister, south-west of Dalby, toward Brisbane collided with a school bus at a level crossing at Pirrinuan Road between Chinchilla and Dalby. Initial reports are that there were only two people on the bus at the time. Conditions were reported to be foggy with 50 metres of visibility. Two other people are reported to be injured. Queensland Transport has begun investigations and is providing assistance to investigating authorities on site. Education Queensland is also gearing up to have guidance officers on hand as required. You will appreciate, Mr Speaker, that there are very limited details available at this time and more will be provided throughout the day. I have this morning spoken to the member for Darling Downs about the tragedy and the Minister for Emergency Services will continue to update him today as details come to hand. I am sure I speak for everyone in the House when I say that our thoughts and our prayers are with the families and friends involved this morning. Honourable members: Hear, hear! Eastern Busway Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.36 am): Today is World Environment Day and in the fight against climate change one of the biggest challenges facing our community is encouraging people out of their cars and on to public transport. To that end, I am very pleased to announce today the next stage of our congestion busting Eastern Busway from Buranda to Main Avenue at Coorparoo. I can also announce that the Queensland government has approved the Eastern Busway concept design and impact management plan. Under this plan, the entire 18 kilometre Eastern Busway route from Buranda to Capalaba is now confirmed and residents and businesses will be formally advised from today. This means the busway can be built and opened in progressive stages along this corridor over the next 20 years. Construction of the first stage of the Eastern Busway between the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the South East Busway at Buranda is well underway and is due for completion by late 2009. Today we commit to $465.8 million in investment in the next 2.7 kilometres of the Eastern Busway route. Of that, $123 million is for property resumptions along the route and the remainder is for the construction of the 1.05 kilometre surface and cut and cover tunnel section between Buranda and Main Avenue. A state-of-the-art bus station will be constructed at a revitalised Stones Corner and a high-quality covered bus terminal will be constructed at Langlands Park. Construction on this new section will begin in mid-2009 and is expected to be completed by early 2011. In the latest edition of SEQIPP we identified a significant additional spend for the Eastern Busway. The blueprint for this next stage outlines an improved project that goes far and beyond the original proposals. The Buranda to Main Avenue section will connect the existing South East Busway at Buranda with Coorparoo via Stones Corner and 560 metres of tunnel and 490 metres of surface busway. This busway will be a real congestion buster that will carry massive advantages for the people of the eastern suburbs. It will bypass four sets of traffic lights and the heavily congested Logan Road, Ipswich Road and O’Keefe Street roundabout at Buranda. It will shave up to eight minutes off bus trips through the most congested section of Old Cleveland Road and will save regular commuters from Coorparoo to the city nearly 1½ hours in travel time every week. By 2016, this section of the busway is expected to carry up to 7,000 passengers in the morning peak. To carry the same number of passengers by car, you would have to build two extra traffic lanes along Old Cleveland Road. Detailed plans of the exact route of this exciting public transport infrastructure will be released today. These plans will provide certainty for the residents who have waited patiently to learn how this next vital link in our city-wide busway network will affect them. It will also provide certainty about the future of Coorparoo junction as a local commercial centre. The design is a significant improvement on the original busway, which would have caused more resumptions and more disruption to residents in the area. But sadly, as with all gains of this nature, there will be some pain for local residents. My advice is that a total of 96 properties, including 21 partial and 16 volumetric resumptions, are required for the Buranda to Main Avenue section, with resumptions due to begin in July. Of these, 21 property owners have already taken up the state’s offer to buy their land early and a further eight are currently under negotiation. Nine of the required properties are owner occupied and all are within the original proposal. I 05 Jun 2008 Ministerial Statements 1961 recognise that resumptions cause a lot of pain, and my government is committed to being as sensitive as possible in acquiring the properties needed to create this essential piece of public transport infrastructure. My advice is that a further 256 properties are impacted by the confirmation of the entire busway route. TransLink will contact all affected property owners between Buranda and Capalaba today and in the coming days to advise them of the impacts. This announcement is about my government making firm plans for the future of this state while getting on with the business of building congestion-busting infrastructure today. The new certainty of the busway corridor provides a unique opportunity for the government to partner with the private sector to deliver transit orientated developments along the route. The recent changes to the Transport Planning and Coordination Act makes it easier for us to develop these residential and commercial hubs. Proposals for a transit oriented development at the site of the old Megamart centre—or some who are older might remember it as the old Myer centre—at Coorparoo, which has been dormant now for 16 months, are one step closer because of today’s announcement. We will now move to begin resumptions of the property and associated areas with a view to putting that to market for a substantial redevelopment for commercial and residential purposes with a major bus station sitting below it. It will be a significant revitalisation of that very important part of our city. We will now be able to start acquiring properties and go to market with a view to building that site as soon as possible. My government is building tomorrow’s Queensland today and laying firm foundations for the future of this state. The next stage of the Eastern Busway is a concrete example of that.

Roads Implementation Program Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.42 am): Today, I can advise the House of my government’s record $16.2 billion five-year road map. The Roads Implementation Program—or RIP, as we all know it—for 2008 to 2013 is looking over the horizon and making long-term detailed planning for the future of our state’s road network. Our government is building the road networks that this state needs. We are already laying more bitumen on more roads than at any time in this state’s history. If anybody doubts that then this $16.2 billion RIP is a rock-solid piece of evidence. Funding in this program has increased by $2.9 billion—or 22 per cent—over last year’s program of $13.3 billion. Almost $12 billion is provided from the state budget and there is funding of $4.2 billion from the federal government. This investment is statewide, and projects totalling $5.8 billion have been provided for in our regional and rural areas over the next five years. These are huge sums of money and they will deliver a record program of roadworks for all the people of Queensland. It is no secret that Queensland’s population is growing rapidly, with more and more people moving to Queensland each week. Urban congestion is an emerging problem, with the number of vehicle kilometres travelled in metropolitan Brisbane alone rising by a quarter over the past six years. Many of the projects in the RIP will go a long way to easing this congestion for the benefit of the whole community in south-east Queensland. Similarly, many of the projects outlined in this five-year RIP go to meeting the needs of rapidly growing regional centres and provide much-needed improvements and maintenance to many of our to rural and remote roads. The Minister for Main Roads and Local Government will formally table the full RIP later this morning. I urge members to ensure that they become familiar with it.

Brisbane City Council, Transport Infrastructure Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.44 am): I am happy to advise the House today of two major congestion-busting projects in Brisbane, both being done in cooperation between the state government and the Brisbane City Council. Firstly, I can confirm that the government is in a position to reimburse the Brisbane City Council for the costs that it incurred and committed to the Airport Link and Northern Busway projects. This amounts to approximately $30 million that was to be paid by the Brisbane City Council to the state government in support of these projects. An amount of $20 million has already been paid and will be reimbursed. The remaining $10 million, which was to be provided at project completion, will now not be sought. We are able to provide these funds because the preferred bidder on our project required only a $50 million contribution from state government funds rather than the $850 million that was originally expected. So due to smart management and prudent financial decisions, our government is able to hand Brisbane ratepayers a $30 million windfall. However, in line with our commitment to addressing the challenge of urban congestion, we have asked that these funds be utilised for the purpose of improving the council’s Hale Street Link project. In particular, we have asked the council to use these funds to provide for a grade separation of the Hale Street-Coronation Drive-Riverside Expressway intersection. I am pleased to advise that the Lord Mayor has welcomed our decision to reimburse these funds and has agreed that the contribution will be used for this purpose related to the Hale Street Link. 1962 Ministerial Statements 05 Jun 2008

Further, the state government and the Brisbane City Council are also working together on a range of other transport solutions for Brisbane, such as future mass transit corridors. The government is currently concluding investigations on bus access capacity for the inner city and will ensure that this body of work can be captured in the broader context of mass transit solutions for Brisbane. As an extension of this work, I can announce that the state government will contribute $1 million and the council will contribute $1 million to cofund a full-scale feasibility study into a Newstead to West End mass transit system. The first stage of this work will explore options between Newstead, Fortitude Valley, the city, South Bank and West End and will explore options such as light rail, trams and buses. This is one of the most heavily travelled routes in the CBD area and we are hoping to have the route identified and finalised, if feasible, by the 2010 financial year. It is an exciting project that has the potential to tackle inner city urban congestion head-on. It will help to get people out of their cars and on to fast, reliable public transport in and around the CBD. It will not only reduce congestion but also be a significant benefit to the environment. Organ Donation; World Transplant Games Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier) (9.47 am): In April I spoke in this House about how the story of extraordinary Queenslander and 2020 delegate Janelle Colquhoun struck me and ignited a desire to see more Queenslanders register as organ donors. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, Karen Struthers, is now chairing a bipartisan parliamentary select committee examining an opt-out scheme and identifying other ways we could improve Queensland’s rate of donation. That committee met for the first time last month and will meet again today with special guest Tina Coco, who is the manager of Queenslanders Donate. The work of this committee will better inform government as to how we can make a real difference in increasing donor rates and improve or save the lives of the Queenslanders waiting for a transplant. There are many transplant success stories and today I will launch the 17th World Transplant Games, which celebrates many of these success stories. More than 3,000 athletes from 70 countries will compete at the games, which will be held on the Gold Coast in August 2009. Children and adults whose lives have been saved by transplants, including heart, liver, lung and kidney transplants, highlight the living proof that transplantation works. The World Transplant Games demonstrate that people who were once terribly ill can not only be given a second chance but also go on to achieve a high quality of life and, indeed, become high achievers. That is reason enough for us to improve donor registrations in this state. Operation Golf Cortex Hon. JC SPENCE (Mount Gravatt—ALP) (Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport) (9.50 am): I can reveal today that in one of the largest operations of its kind in Queensland, 40 offenders have been arrested for the possession and distribution of child exploitation images. The operation was part of an international operation involving 170 countries. In early April, officers from the Queensland Police Service’s Task Force Argos and the Australian Federal Police commenced the Queensland component of an operation targeting people using the internet to access and download child exploitation material from a European based web site. The operation, codenamed Operation Golf Cortex, utilised specialist Queensland Police Service child protection investigators from across the state as well as Australian Federal Police officers. The operation has so far resulted in the arrest of 40 people to date from a broad range of occupations. This includes four teachers, all immediately suspended, and six blue cardholders who have had their blue cards suspended and those cardholders engaged in regulated employment have had their employers notified. Investigations into other targets are continuing. The variety of occupations of offenders charged in this operation illustrates that all facets of society are represented. Obviously, Task Force Argos has first targeted those people they know to have access to children, before moving on to targets in the general public. This explains why it appears to be a high presentation of teachers and blue cardholders at this stage. In total, the operation identified about 200 Queensland targets out of more than 1,500 in . Not only has the investigation identified those who have allegedly committed the offences of accessing and downloading child pornography, but also it has identified alleged contact offences including rape and indecent assault. The present results of the joint investigation are that in excess of 106 warrants have been executed with 40 persons arrested on 133 charges and with in excess of 100,000 images being seized. The QPS alone has executed 90 warrants with 27 persons arrested on 102 charges. I ask members to reflect on the very significant work that executing 90 warrants entails in an operation that only began four weeks ago. Along with the AFP in Queensland, 26 warrants have been executed with 13 persons arrested on 31 charges. We will see more arrests today and in the weeks ahead as every single person who contributed to the exploitation of children by using this site receives a knock on the door from Queensland and Australian police officers. 05 Jun 2008 Ministerial Statements 1963

Often these images being downloaded show young children being brutalised sexually, physically and psychologically. All members of the community must accept that possession of child pornographic images is not a victimless crime. Images of children being sexually abused and exploited may be readily available via the internet but it is illegal to access and download them and there are severe penalties for doing so. Queenslanders need to understand that operations like this will continue in the future and people who download child pornographic images will be identified and prosecuted. The operation once again highlights the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies working together to identify those who seek to abuse and exploit our children. Infrastructure Planning Hon. PT LUCAS (Lytton—ALP) (Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning) (9.53 am): The $107 billion infrastructure program announced this week is proof of the Bligh government’s commitment to planning for the future. This is our focus not just in south-east Queensland but across the state. Queensland is blessed with the opportunity to enjoy a prosperous future shaped by smart planning today—smart planning like state development areas to encourage continued economic and industrial growth but, just as importantly, to manage its impact on communities. In Townsville, a state development area looks to the region’s future potential as a major base metals processing centre, locating new industries with established ones like the Xstrata copper refinery and the Sun Metals zinc refinery. When constructed, the Eastern Port Access Corridor will provide a direct, efficient and safe transport route to the nearby Port of Townsville. This is smart planning that paves the way for continued economic growth and jobs. Near Bowen, a state development area is proposed for Abbot Point. An existing deep water port and distance from major urban areas make this an ideal place for large scale industrial development and minerals processing. I am very excited about that—in fact, it will be like a second Gladstone. At the same time, the proposed state development area features buffers to protect the wetlands adjoining the port. In the south east, a state development area is proposed at Bromelton near Beaudesert, an area strategically located for industrial uses and logistics operations—with the support of both the mayor of Scenic Rim and the mayor of Logan, I might add. This is smart planning aimed at creating jobs for the people who will live in the residential communities proposed for the western corridor, Beaudesert Shire and Logan City areas. The Premier yesterday spoke of the five high-calibre companies lining up to invest in liquid natural gas projects at Gladstone. I recently visited this regional powerhouse to announce the start of public consultation on a proposal to extend the Gladstone State Development Area to include part of Curtis Island. The member for Gladstone was with me on that occasion. The existing state development area does not provide an appropriate waterfront site for LNG processing facilities; however, a study has identified southern Curtis Island as a suitable location. Three of the five interested companies, including Santos and the BG Group-Queensland Gas Company, have expressed interest in locating their plants on Curtis Island. This is the sort of planning needed to see Queensland cash in on its chance to become a major exporter of LNG thanks to untapped coal seam reserves in the Surat and Bowen basins. The potential benefits are huge. These projects add up to over $17 billion worth of planned capital investment and around 3,000 construction jobs. If all of these projects come to fruition, Queensland’s LNG would have a potential long-term economic benefit of more than $15 billion and about 600 permanent jobs. While in Gladstone I also declared the Stanwell to Gladstone infrastructure corridor, another important step to plans for future growth. In the future it will be the route for underground pipes to carry water, gas, mineral slurries and telecommunication cables between the Stanwell Energy Park and the existing Gladstone State Development Area. This corridor not only encourages future industrial growth, it provides certainty for landowners and protects them from multiple pipeline routes. Planning for the future is not just about building new roads in the south east, a job the Bligh government is tackling head on. Queensland is enjoying an economic boom in its regions and the Bligh government is working to make sure this continues into the future. Smart planning now will shape the prosperous Queensland of tomorrow. World Environment Day Hon. AI McNAMARA (Hervey Bay—ALP) (Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation) (9.56 am): As the Premier informed the House earlier today, today is World Environment Day. World Environment Day is one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is ‘Kick the CO2 habit: towards a low carbon economy’. On World Environment Day 2008, we recognise that a rapidly growing population, consuming more land, more energy and more water, while generating more waste, is putting pressure on the natural systems that support life. The specific issues of water security, 1964 Ministerial Statements 05 Jun 2008 energy security and climate change are now more prominent than ever before. Unlike the incoherent rabble opposite, the Queensland government takes very seriously its responsibility to protect and preserve our environment so that it can sustain our community for centuries to come. The Bligh government has both the commitment and a plan to tackle the impacts of climate change. Scientific consensus is that two degrees of global warming is already locked in because of past actions. Our challenge is to stop that getting any higher and to find ways to mitigate the negative impacts of the two degrees that is already happening. A complex array of initiatives such as education programs, legislation and regulation, partnerships, research and monitoring is all part of the response directed towards conserving Queensland’s environment for future generations. The Queensland government’s ClimateSmart Living campaign led by the Environmental Protection Agency is already helping Queenslanders to kick the CO2 habit. In response to the campaign’s calls to action, Queenslanders have been reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by turning off their appliances at the wall, checking tyre pressure, checking their fridge temperature, as well as changing to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights. One person making one of these changes might not seem like a big deal, but when hundreds of thousands of people take action, it makes a world of difference. These easy personal actions are all part of the Queensland government’s ClimateSmart 2050 strategy, which will help ensure that Queensland plays its part in meeting a national carbon reduction target of 60 per cent below 2000 levels by the year 2050. I encourage every member of the House to ask themselves what they can do to kick the carbon habit and to take the message back to their electorates.

Q-Fleet Hon. RE SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology) (9.58 am): In October 2005 the Queensland government introduced a range of measures designed to reduce both the cost of managing its motor vehicle fleet and its impact on the environment. Included in those changes was a total ban on the use of eight- cylinder passenger vehicles in the Queensland government fleet. At that time Q-Fleet had around 220 eight-cylinder passenger vehicles in its fleet. The Premier, ministers and CEOs were moved into six- cylinder and smaller vehicles as the leases on their V8s expired. I am pleased to announce today, World Environment Day, that the last of those leases has now expired and there are no V8s in the passenger vehicle fleet. As I mentioned, the intent of eliminating V8s in the fleet was to save money and help protect the environment. Eight-cylinder vehicles are often gas guzzlers and high emitters of carbon dioxide, which has a detrimental effect on the environment. The government has delivered on its promised to eliminate V8s from its fleet. We are now implementing one of the most innovative and ambitious overhauls of the government vehicle fleet to make it even ‘greener’. Under the ClimateSmart 2050 policy for the government vehicle fleet, the primary focus for vehicle selection has moved from the number of cylinders to the greenhouse emissions of the vehicle. Q-Fleet will now apply the Commonwealth government’s Green Vehicle Guide greenhouse ratings used to compare the environmental performance of vehicles. A minimum greenhouse rating of 5.5 now applies for all passenger vehicles offered by Q-Fleet. Our goal is to cut emissions for the entire fleet of 14,000 vehicles by 15 per cent in three years, growing to 25 per cent in five years and 50 per cent in 10 years. Based on current annual carbon dioxide emissions for the Q-Fleet fleet, this would result in a reduction from 79,300 tonnes per annum to approximately 39,000 tonnes per annum. This is the equivalent of taking approximately 8,000 vehicles off the road. Those on this side of the House are serious about climate change and we are determined to reduce the impact of the government’s vehicle fleet on the environment.

Magnetic Island, Solar Suburb Initiative Hon. GJ WILSON (Ferny Grove—ALP) (Minister for Mines and Energy) (10.00 am): Magnetic Island will soon be projected onto the world stage as a state-of-the-art solar suburb. Greenpeace wants to feature our Solar City initiative in a new documentary to bring more people around to the benefits of renewable energy. It is about tackling climate change and we can literally shout it from the rooftops on Magnetic Island. It is also about a cleaner, greener energy future for Queensland. Last month I inspected the first residential solar system installed on a home on Magnetic Island under the Solar City initiative. It is the first in a mass rollout of solar systems by our government owned corporation Ergon Energy, and it will transform Magnetic Island into a truly solar suburb. The Bligh government through Ergon is investing $15 million into this world-class Solar City initiative, along with $15 million from the federal government and funds from consortium partners, including the Townsville City Council. 05 Jun 2008 Ministerial Statements 1965

Part of our contribution has helped fund the Nelly Bay ferry terminal’s solar PV system. It is an iconic project. It shows how communities can harness solar energy and be more energy efficient in their daily lives. The solar suburb will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 50,000 tonnes over the next seven years. That is the same as taking 1,700 cars off the road for the same period. I commend householders and businesses on Magnetic Island for their enthusiasm for solar energy. They are helping to create a blueprint for future sustainable energy use, and the world will soon be watching. As part of the trial, and at no personal cost, households and businesses have been invited by Ergon Energy to host up to 500 PV solar panels. I am delighted that so many people are keen to learn how to conserve energy and save money on their electricity bills. The community has climbed on board to such an extent that we can be very confident in pursuing our all-important environmental and energy conservation goals. This is about government working in partnership with the community and industry to tackle climate change.

Roads Implementation Program Hon. FW PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (Minister for Main Roads and Local Government) (10.02 am): The Roads Implementation Program is a key aspect of the state government’s approach to planning and managing for the future. For the benefit of the House, I table a copy of the 2008-09 to 2012-13 Roads Implementation Program. Tabled paper: Department of Main Roads, Roads Implementation Program 2008-09 to 2012-13. Tabled paper: Department of Main Roads, Addendum to Roads Implementation Program 2008-09 to 2012-13. As the Premier has already outlined, this five-year plan details the thousands of road projects to be built throughout the state during the next five years. As we would expect, many of these projects are designed to manage urban traffic growth and congestion, particularly in the south-east corner. The south-east corner makes up one per cent of the state’s area but is home to more than 60 per cent of the population. But this plan tackles more than just congestion. The $16.2 billion outlined in this RIP also directs funds to other government priorities such as safety, preservation and maintenance of our road asset, and supporting rural and regional communities. It is worth repeating that this RIP represents an increase of $2.9 billion, or 22 per cent, over last year’s program. We said we were committed to building the infrastructure that Queensland needs, both now and in the future, and this RIP delivers on that commitment. This year’s RIP shows a continued focus on safety, with $235 million provided over the five years of the RIP, or $47 million a year, for the Safer Roads Sooner program. This program aims to address the road toll and reduce the number of people who sustain serious injuries in road crashes. Main Roads manages the state’s single largest asset, valued at an estimated $37.3 billion. This RIP provides a greater level of funding to preserve and maintain this road asset, with $2.39 billion—including AusLink maintenance—allocated over five years towards maintenance, preservation and operation of the state’s road network. This RIP will provide sustainable employment opportunities for an annual average of more than 46,000 people in road construction and other industries supporting the roads task. The new five-year works program will build and maintain the vital road system that connects Queensland, while supporting economic success and embracing growth in cities and rural and regional areas.

Responsible Gambling Hon. AP FRASER (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Treasurer) (10.04 am): This government is at the forefront of the national gambling debate and a leader in responsible gambling initiatives. In April we announced a sweeping overhaul of gaming regulation in Queensland. But we are not resting on our laurels. This government is continuing to push for improvements to the industry regulation. We want to do as much as we can to reduce problem gambling in this state. The Queensland Responsible Gambling Advisory Committee produces our Responsible Gambling Code of Practice, recognised as a leading document in the field. One element in that is that automatic teller machines, or ATMs, not be located in close proximity to designated gambling areas or in the entry to gambling areas. This is enforced through the plan approval process and conditions of licence. But this government intends to take this further. This government is only too aware of the potential negative impact of poker machines. The fact is that 99.5 per cent of Queenslanders do not have a problem with gambling. The rate is low and falling. It is commensurate also with the rate in Western Australia, where gaming machines are only available at casinos. However, we do not believe that blanket banning of ATMs from gaming areas is the best solution. Past reports by KPMG, commissioned by the Australian government in 2002, and the Commonwealth Productivity Commission in 1999 provide evidence to this effect. 1966 Ministerial Statements 05 Jun 2008

The reality is that such a move has the potential to cause great inconvenience for patrons who may need money for food, drink or transport without providing a demonstrated ability to reduce problem gambling. Other factors are relevant to this issue. For instance, many older patrons make a point of accessing funds through their club’s ATM because they feel that it is the safest place to do so. We believe that players’ ability to access high levels of funds through ATMs needs to be addressed. Our current review of the Responsible Gambling Strategy puts forward the view that the more sensible approach, we believe, is to look towards withdrawal limits. ATM bans proposed in other states have not included EFTPOS withdrawal facilities, undermining the integrity of a policy of blanket ATM banning. We are particularly interested in investigating the possibility of restricting withdrawals to a daily limit and/or restricting multiple transactions. The Commonwealth has constitutional responsibility for banking and we will need to work closely with it on this front. The Ministerial Council on Gambling will meet next month to discuss issues about problem gambling which are the subject of public debate. Our proactive policies will ensure that the Bligh government remains at the forefront of responsible gambling policy and initiatives in this country.

Queensland Rail, World Environment Day Hon. RJ MICKEL (Logan—ALP) (Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations) (10.07 am): World Environment Day is a time to celebrate the fact that is hosting a week of activities with the Environmental Protection Agency at Central Station. This year’s theme for UN World Environment Day is ‘CO2 Kick the Habit’. This week’s displays and activities have included 502 biodegradable balloons, which represents 25 kilograms of CO2 which would be saved if a commuter took five return journeys from Corinda station to Central Station by train rather than by car. Two computer screens have also been set up for commuters to log onto the carbon calculator. You can also find the carbon calculator on the internet at www.qr.com.au. All you have to do is type in the station you catch the train at and the station you hop off at and your CO2 savings are automatically calculated. It drives home the message that simple acts, like catching a train, can make a real difference to our carbon emissions. These simple acts can make a great difference when you consider an average family, I am told, produces about 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually—4.5 tonnes from car travel alone. There are other displays, too—water-saving devices used at train stations, energy-efficient lighting and recycling bins. Through initiatives like this, Queensland Rail saves 6.8 million litres of water each year and it has reduced its water use at inner city rail stations by 38 per cent. The displays highlight that the advantages of rail go well beyond greenhouse benefits to reducing the incidence of road accidents and road congestion. One peak hour suburban train, I am told, keeps 500 cars off the road. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world—with four out of five Australians living in urban areas. Clearly there are benefits of public transport in reducing greenhouse emissions and road congestion, along with environmental and community benefits. I would encourage everyone to go and inspect the display today on World Environment Day.

Children in Care Hon. MM KEECH (Albert—ALP) (Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Women) (10.10 am): The Bligh government is committed to improving services for the almost 7,000 children in the care of the Department of Child Safety. These vulnerable children and young people have suffered severe trauma and abuse at the hands of those they trusted most—their own parents. For those of us lucky enough to have grown up in homes where we were loved, nurtured and cared for, it is difficult to even begin to understand what family life was like for these children before they came under the protection of the state government.

New research conducted by my Department of Child Safety has painted a stark and disturbing picture of what ‘home’ was like for many of these children. Sadly, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and domestic violence are often an everyday part of the lives of these young people before they come into care. My department’s report Characteristics of parents involved in the child protection system shows: 47 per cent of children had one or both parents with a drug or alcohol problem; 35 per cent had experienced two or more domestic violence incidents in the past year; for 25 per cent, the primary parent had been abused as a child; and for about 20 per cent, the primary parent has or has had a mental illness. This is a grim but realistic picture of the issues the Bligh government investigates as a result of more than 64,000 reports a year of harm or risk of harm to children in Queensland. The research is very important because it allows us to know the issues we are dealing with and it also allows us to target our actions to keep our children safe. 05 Jun 2008 Ministerial Statements 1967

One of the most common risk factors for abuse, including sexual abuse, was that parents had been previously abused themselves. This shows how important it is to break the cycle of abuse. That is why the Bligh government is improving early intervention services for families at risk, the counselling and support for children in care and the caring foster-parents who take children into their homes and provide stable, nurturing environments. These services are critical in breaking this cycle of abuse, and that is why the Bligh government is investing $15 million in recruiting and supporting foster-carers as part of our commitment to improving services. Whilst those opposite have an opinion on everything and a solution for nothing, the Bligh government is getting on with the business of improving outcomes for Queensland’s most vulnerable children and young people.

Smart Moves Hon. RJ WELFORD (Everton—ALP) (Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts) (10.12 am): The health and wellbeing of children and young people is a key priority for the Bligh government. That is why I declared 2008 the Year of Physical Activity in Queensland Schools. Opposition members interjected. Mr WELFORD: As part of the year of physical activity, which honourable members opposite could well do with a bit more of—I am sorry, Mr Speaker; I was provoked by one of them pretending he was fit—schools across Queensland are implementing the Smart Moves program, which is a physical activity program in our schools. It is about increasing the curriculum time in which students are effectively engaged in physical activity inside and outside the classroom. This year, all primary schools are allocating 30 minutes a day of physical activity during curriculum time. Secondary schools are providing at least two hours of physical activity for lower secondary school students each week. All state schools will begin officially implementing their Smart Moves programs next month, with full implementation to be achieved by the end of the year. In May, more than 500 teachers attended year of physical activity conferences in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Townsville. Teachers at these conferences were inspired by the keynote speakers and stimulated by the physical activity programs showcased by our schools and which teachers are able to apply in their own schools as professional development. They also worked up a sweat in practical sessions provided by various sporting organisations. Feedback from teachers at the conferences shows they now understand why we need physical activity in our schools, how active classrooms and engagement in regular physical activity can enhance learning and the need to champion change in our schools to ensure our schools are role models of best practice in terms of building the whole character of students. Members will be interested in some of the schools which were showcased at the conference. Forest Lake State School embeds physical activity within its maths program. Tallebudgera State School integrates physical activity across the key learning areas. Southport State School is building strong community partnerships by working closely with not only local high schools but also community and sporting organisations. MacGregor and Birkdale South state schools’ senior administrators are leading physical activity with various classes in their schools. We all know that success breeds success. What we are doing now with the year of physical activity and our Smart Moves program will put our children in a great position to make physical activity part of their daily lives and will improve their learning outcomes.

Ambulance Service, Recruitment; Bushfires Hon. N ROBERTS (Nudgee—ALP) (Minister for Emergency Services) (10.16 am): I would like to add to the comments by our Premier this morning about events unfolding in Dalby. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the people involved in this tragedy. Later today I will welcome 13 new qualified officers to the Queensland Ambulance Service. Of these officers, nine are from the United Kingdom, one is from New Zealand and the other three come from other states in Australia. Once these officers have completed a three-week induction program they will be assigned to an ambulance station where they will work alongside a qualified ambulance paramedic for a minimum of one month. The Queensland Ambulance Service has been undertaking a record recruitment drive of additional ambulance officers. Recently we upgraded the 2007-08 recruitment target from 250 to 255 extra ambulance officers. I can inform the House that these 255 extra officers have been recruited. These are additional ambulance officers—over and above attrition. Indeed, the recruitment strategy has been so successful that the aim is for the first 40 of the next intake of extra ambulance officers to be recruited by the end of this month. The Bligh government is making a record commitment to ambulance services. We are planning for the future and improving front-line emergency services. 1968 Ministerial Statements 05 Jun 2008

On a separate matter, recent widespread heavy rains have not dampened the bushfire risk across Queensland. In fact, these rains have put a temporary halt on controlled burns in the south-east part of the state. Fire authorities are concerned that recent rain will reduce the time for controlled burning and hazard reduction in high-risk areas. Controlled burns are a practice used by fire services, landowners and land managers to reduce the threat of bushfire, particularly in the lead-up to the traditional Queensland bushfire season, which starts during late winter. Ironically, the current bushfire risk in Queensland was exacerbated as a result of rains in January, February and March this year which fuelled growth in grasslands and shrubs. I table the grassfire risk map published on the Queensland government’s climate information web site, Long Paddock, this week. Tabled paper: Map of Queensland, dated May 2008, indicating potential grassfire risk. It shows approximately three-quarters of the state is a high potential grassfire risk. Fire authorities are expecting and planning for a busier-than-normal bushfire season this year. I would like to draw to the attention of the House the fact that firefighters are testing their skills in a technical rescue on the Q1 high-rise building on the Gold Coast this morning. Fire and rescue officers will participate in two exercises, including a scenario rescuing a window cleaner from a height of 280 metres. Queensland fire and rescue officers will be scaling down the side of the Q1 building from these heights. Queenslanders know that firefighters will go to any lengths to protect people and property, and today they are going to record heights. Outlook Training and Resource Service Hon. LH NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (Minister for Communities, Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Youth) (10.19 am): The Outlook at Boonah is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a training and resource service, helping vulnerable young people reduce offending behaviour and assisting them to integrate, engage and make positive contributions to their community. The Outlook supports government and non-government agencies to deliver services to vulnerable young people. Operated by the Department of Communities, The Outlook uses adventure based learning methods to assist young people to learn and grow. It is a wonderful program and has achieved many great things since it started 25 years ago. Last year alone in 2006-07, 191 programs or 2,750 vulnerable young people were conducted through The Outlook. The service works through partnering programs such as Kokoda Challenge Youth Program, the Caboolture Motor Vehicle Offenders Program and the Mibbinbah Indigenous men’s health program. The dedicated staff are an important part of The Outlook’s success, and currently 63 government and community workers are engaged in Outlook’s community training program. Fifty-five per cent of these workers are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are either working or volunteering for Indigenous agencies. Agencies using The Outlook have reported a 95 per cent satisfaction rating with the quality of the services that are provided and the achievement of the case management outcomes for their clients. During the past 25 years, The Outlook has achieved widespread community support. Giving vulnerable young people a chance through program resources such as The Outlook is essential and another example of the Bligh government providing the best possible future for Queenslanders. Men’s Health Hon. S ROBERTSON (Stretton—ALP) (Minister for Health) (10.20 am): In Queensland two-thirds of all premature deaths are potentially avoidable. Of these, more than 50 per cent involve men and result from diseases and injuries that are preventable or treatable. It is well known that men are generally more reluctant than women to visit their doctor for regular check-ups or to have symptoms investigated. Some men are often too embarrassed to participate in preventative programs such as cancer screening. In short, awkwardness over health issues is killing some Queensland men prematurely. All that can change next week when we celebrate International Men’s Health Week 2008 from 9 to 15 June. Men’s health week gives Queensland males the opportunity to take charge of their health and make an effort to see their doctor for a check-up. It should also inspire men to stop smoking, eat a better diet, exercise more and lose weight. You would expect men would be encouraged to act when you consider the following: men have a shorter life expectancy than women by an average of five years; coronary heart disease is still the major specific cause of disease in Queensland men, followed by diabetes, anxiety and depression; and high blood pressure is one of the top five risk factors in developing chronic disease, yet a staggering 60 per cent of males with high blood pressure go untreated. 05 Jun 2008 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee 1969

Men may prefer to adopt a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude when it comes to their health, but the fact remains they are dying from preventable chronic disease simply because they are not comfortable seeking help when symptoms emerge. For example, death rates across all cancers have decreased for men since the mid-1990s. This has resulted from improved early detection of prostate cancer and continuing improvements in prevention and treatment of lung, colorectal and stomach cancers.

The Bligh government is doing its part through community awareness campaigns encouraging Queenslanders to participate in cancer screening programs, to quit smoking, to eat more fruit and vegetables and to be more physically active. But we each remain masters of our own health. That is why I am urging all Queensland men to use International Men’s Health Week to take charge of their own health.

Drive Tourism

Hon. D BOYLE (—ALP) (Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry) (10.22 am): The Queensland government recognises that drive tourism is an extremely important tourism market for Queensland. In fact, drive tourism is such a major focus of Tourism Queensland’s activities that we have dedicated specialists working with industry and regional tourism organisations to continue developing this important market. The state government is currently investing $6 million in a three-year drive tourism program with an additional $1 million for drive tourism initiatives in 2007-08. The state government has also worked closely with industry including such organisations as RACQ and Caravanning Queensland to encourage grey nomads to take drive working holidays across the state. And watch this space as we prepare to announce an amazing multimillion-dollar national drive tourism campaign with RACQ later this year.

I am also happy to say that, as part of the Bligh government’s $1.6 million per hour of everyday commitment to building and rebuilding our infrastructure grants for tourism projects in north-western Queensland, I will shortly announce with the member for Mount Isa 11 new roadside infrastructure projects to support drive tourism. The reality is that the opposition has plenty of opinions but no policies or programs. It has plenty of opinions about tourism issues but at the same time it criticises the Queensland government’s plan for Queenslanders to benefit from the Queensland petrol rebate. The opposition has ignorantly claimed that it will stop people from interstate taking drive holidays to Queensland. This shows how out of touch the opposition is. If the member for Burnett would have done some actual research, he would have found out that in fact this would be a win-win for Queenslanders.

More than 70 per cent of drive holiday nights spent in Queensland are actually from everyday Queenslanders. I hardly think they will be complaining when they are paying less at the pump and I would expect to see more of them encouraged to holiday locally. In a time where our industry is hurting because it is easier and cheaper for Queenslanders to holiday internationally, there is no better time for Queenslanders to have another incentive to hit the road and holiday locally, supporting the regional centres of this great state.

In a recent Courier-Mail letter to the editor a New South Wales resident who comes to Queensland on holiday each year has stated that, by his calculations, the Queensland fuel subsidy for Queenslanders proposal would cost him an extra $15 on his total holiday bill after paying for motels, restaurant meals, tourism experiences and generally having a good time. Also on this topic, this week Campervan and Motorhome Club of Queensland, a 52,000-member organisation, commented that when many people are paying $60,000 on a four-wheel drive and $100,000 or more on a campervan, an extra 5c or 10c more on a litre of petrol is not going to make any difference. Once again, the opposition has proven that it does not have the capacity, especially in this difficult time for tourism, to lead the industry.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! That concludes ministerial statements.

SCRUTINY OF LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

Report

Mrs SULLIVAN (Pumicestone—ALP) (10.26 am): I lay upon the table the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee’s report No. 37 on its study tour to Melbourne on 4 and 5 March 2008.

Tabled paper: Scrutiny of Legislation Committee, Report of Study Tour—Melbourne, 4 and 5 March 2008, Report No. 37. 1970 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

MEMBERS’ ETHICS AND PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE

Report Ms PALASZCZUK (Inala—ALP) (10.26 am): I table report No. 90 of the Members’ Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee titled Matter of privilege referred by the Deputy Speaker on 28 February 2008 relating to alleged reflections on the Speaker. Tabled paper: Members’ Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee, Matter of privilege referred by the Deputy Speaker on 28 February 2008 relating to alleged reflections on the Speaker, Report No. 90. I commend this report and the recommendations to the House.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Land Release Mr SPRINGBORG (10.27 am): My question without notice is to the Premier. With the Premier’s announcement yesterday of the release of 135,000 new housing blocks in south-east Queensland over the next 12 months, can the Premier inform the House which local councils were consulted prior to the announcement, or were the developers the only ones the Premier spoke to prior to the announcement and the release of details yesterday? Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question. It gives me an opportunity to correct a false assumption made in his question and to give some background to what I think is a very important part of our planning to make sure that housing remains affordable. Firstly, I did not announce that the 135,000 blocks would be sold within the next 12 months. I announced that we had conducted a review as part of our Housing Affordability Strategy last year. That was a publicly announced review to councils, developers and the broader public. That review identified, firstly, 12 sites that were currently close to or actually ready to go to market but were held up because of bottlenecks in approvals either in councils or, in many cases, state government departments. I announced that there would be an implementation team to fast-track and accelerate all of those sites by Christmas so that they could be free of any regulatory hurdles either in councils or in state government departments. Secondly, I advised that there were a further five much larger greenfield sites that were not ready for market but required some further work done by both councils and state government departments to either master plan them to identify infrastructure needs or to eliminate other regulatory hurdles. I indicated that we would be working with councils on those five sites over the next 12 months to ensure that within 12 months they could be, what I referred to as, ‘developer ready’, not market ready—that is, ready for developers to start developing the infrastructure needed to make them market ready if the developer is in a position to do so. An opposition member interjected. Ms BLIGH: I think that was an interjection from a man who is getting one of the major tertiary hospitals built in his electorate, which I think he opposes. Secondly, in terms of consultation on this issue— Mr Lucas interjected. Ms BLIGH: Yes. I would have thought that someone who represents a place like the Sunshine Coast would welcome an announcement that we are going to do everything in our power as a state government to ensure that land is brought to market in a timely fashion so that housing prices are such that nurses, health professionals and young working families can actually move into these areas and work in the hospitals, work in the tourism facilities, work in all of the places that the employers in the member’s electorate tell me regularly they cannot get staff for. Mr Elmes: Did you talk to the council before you made your announcement? Ms BLIGH: I am trying to answer but I am getting a lot of interjections, Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Ms BLIGH: These issues are the subject of regular discussions with the south-east council of mayors. They are talking about it at just about every meeting we hold with them. What I announced yesterday is that we will sit down with them and talk through each and every one. 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1971

Land Release Mr SPRINGBORG: My second question without notice is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. Will the minister table any reports and studies he has relating to the impact on existing roads, public transport, hospitals and schools from the government’s land release announcement made yesterday? Mr LUCAS: This government has the most comprehensive set of infrastructure plans called the Infrastructure Plan that is Australian renowned for its detail and the way in which it sets out our infrastructure plans up-front. Today the Premier announced details of the Roads Implementation Program. One or two other states do something like it, but it is unique in terms of a two- year committed and a five-year indicative program for roads expenditure. I am very, very disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition is taking a stance that is against housing affordability. We need to understand this. If a person is my age and they are in the housing market they are in a totally different situation to a 20-year-old apprentice about to start a family. What they need is access to land. Someone renting a house and saving up to put a deposit down and buy a house needs access to land. I will say this in relation to the announcement by the Premier yesterday. It is not just a question for councils and it is not just a question for state governments; it is a question for developers. The Premier made it very clear that if there are hold-ups in relation to state government approvals they will be dealt with. If there are hold-ups in relation to council approvals they will be dealt with. I also indicated, as I did in the Sunshine Coast media this morning, that if there are developers sitting on land then they should not come to the government when they have other land parcels that they want to have developed that are having an impact on affordability. If they have got the approvals to proceed for one parcel of land they should proceed to develop it. We will expect them to do that. But the simple fact of the matter is: when we have growing communities like we do we actually need to have a supply of land to reduce the pressure on rentals, we need to have a supply of land that makes sure that the nurses, the teachers, the apprentices, the chefs and the hospitality workers who provide benefit to our communities can afford to live in these communities. This government makes no apology for that. It is interesting that the shadow minister for infrastructure did not ask me the question. If she had I would have got up and contrasted the amount of expenditure on roads on the Sunshine Coast under the Borbidge administration and what this government has provided up there. It is about five or six times as much that we have been spending in recent years. We only need to look at the Maroochy River bridge, the Sippy Downs interchange, the work on the access road and the work on the Sunshine Coast highway across to . All of those sorts of things those opposite could not deliver on. Mr Johnson: We started it, didn’t we? Mr LUCAS: Of course you are upset. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr Johnson: I’m talking to him, Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: You will be talking to me but you will be talking to me possibly outside. I warn the member for Gregory. Mr LUCAS: The truth hurts.

Government Borrowings Ms GRACE: My question without notice is to the Premier. Good government must undertake a balancing act—managing the economy while continuing to build services and infrastructure. Can the Premier explain the role debt plays in achieving this goal? Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question. I outlined yesterday, and Treasurer has outlined at some length, the importance of putting together a fiscally responsible package of both equity and debt funding for the projects that Queensland needs both now and well into the future. What I have noticed in the last couple of days is an opposition that has got itself in a terrible cleft stick. On the one hand those opposite want to campaign against borrowings and on the other hand they realise very quickly that if they do that they are against building. I challenge them to outline every project they would stop, every project they would cut and every project they would scale back or slow down. If they cannot do that today then we know they are not serious. Of course they know they cannot do that. 1972 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

What did I hear on radio this morning? I heard the desperate Leader of the Opposition come up with an absolute ripper strategy. What would he do? He would involve the private sector more. That would be like in a PPP arrangement that they voted against. When the private sector invests in public infrastructure it does so on the basis that it will get a return. That means for things like Airport Link and the Hale Street bridge—whether it involves the city council or the state government—those roads would be toll roads. That is how the private sector gets its return on investment. So the challenge for the opposition leader is, instead of just mouthing off crazy views about private sector investment, to let us know which roads he is going to toll. Will he put a toll on the Forgan Bridge in Mackay? Will he put a toll on the Townsville port access road? Will he put a toll on the busways? Is that how he will fund the Eastern Busway—with a toll? Will he put a toll on the Northern Busway? Because if he is not going to put a toll on it the private sector is not going to pay for it. That is how it works. They do not come along and say, ‘Look, I have a lazy $2 billion. I do not know what to do with it. Can I donate it to the government?’ It does not work like that. Mr Lucas interjected. Ms BLIGH: I take the interjection. An honourable member: Get Clive to do it all. Ms BLIGH: There is a problem with Clive doing it. Clive has borrowed money in his time. I am afraid to say that the vast wealth accumulated by Mr Palmer, which is relied upon by the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Southern Downs, was achieved on the basis of prudent financial borrowings, just like any decent government and just like any responsible business. He actually borrowed money to buy the National Party, which is probably one of his worst ever financial decisions. I note that he has bought a football team. I tell him that he will have a lot more luck with that.

Sunshine Coast, Land Release Mr McARDLE: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Premier said she is forcing local councils to rush through master planned approval processes for large development sites in south-east Queensland. With the Sunshine Coast Regional Council grappling with forced amalgamations, new obligations from the EPA, SEQ water reform, a major Integrated Planning Act review, a major Local Government Act review and implementing the SEQ Regional Plan, can the Premier outline what consultation she did with my local council or local community and environmental groups before the announcement? Ms BLIGH: I would draw the attention of the member for Caloundra to a document called the South East Queensland Regional Plan. Does he know what that plan does? Has he read it? He has not read it. Mr McArdle interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Please sit down Premier. I will not tolerate the behaviour of the member for Caloundra who asks a question and then immediately interjects when it is being answered. I would ask the member not to interject when he has asked the question. Let the Premier answer it. Ms BLIGH: I thank you, Mr Speaker. The announcement that I made yesterday was for the acceleration of land development for land that has already been identified by every council involved as a suitable development site within the urban footprint. I have not gone off and dreamt up a block of land. These are all sites that have been identified, and many of them actually have development approvals on them. What is happening is that those approvals are being slowed down, sometimes in state government departments. I have indicated that the powers that we put into the Integrated Planning Act at the end of last year—most of which, if I recall rightly, were supported by those opposite—will be used to accelerate them, where appropriate and where possible, to bring that land to market sooner. Let us see what we have seen this week. First of all, we have seen an opposition that does not believe that Queensland motorists should get the benefit of the petrol subsidy that they pay for. It wants to give the Queensland petrol subsidy to drivers from New South Wales and Victoria. It took those opposite a full day and a full question time to realise that that was really dumb, and we have not heard another word about it, have we? We have not had another question on petrol all week. They went back and thought, ‘Oh dear, oh dear. That’s a mistake. Put that shovel down,’ so that shovel has been put back in the cupboard. Mr ELMES: I rise to a point of order. The Premier was asked whom she consulted with and she has not answered the question. I would like to know whether it was the council, whether it was Bob Abbot— Mr SPEAKER: Member for Noosa, that is not a point of order. If you do that again, you will be warned and out of the House. I am tired of members getting up on frivolous and vexatious points of order. The standing orders clearly show that you are not allowed to do that. I ask you to desist from that, member for Noosa. 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1973

Ms BLIGH: I have already answered the question on whether mayors were consulted. They were consulted at a specific meeting on this issue and they are consulted on an almost weekly basis as part of the referral agency process on every block of land. So on Tuesday on the issue of petrol those opposite lucked out and we have not heard about it again. What did we hear yesterday? We heard that borrowing is bad. Of course, they have all learnt that that does not work because they are not prepared to say what they will not build. Today what we have from those opposite is that young Queenslanders should not be able to aspire to own their own home. That is the policy position from the ‘Pineapple Party’ this week—no petrol subsidy, no affordable housing, no borrowing to build for the future. Urban Congestion Ms DARLING: My question without notice is to the Premier. Today is World Environment Day and the slogan for 2008 is ‘Kick the habit! Towards a low carbon economy’. Can the Premier advise what action the government is taking to reduce carbon emissions by tackling urban congestion? Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question. She is someone who cares passionately about the environment generally and particularly with regard to the very precious parts of the area that she represents in this House. It is a simple no-brainer that more cars off the road equals less pollution. Emissions can be reduced by people not only spending less time in their car generally but spending less time sitting in traffic when it is traffic that could and should be moving. Congestion busting, therefore, is one of our highest priorities, and to that end the government firmly believes that there is no one single silver bullet that will fix this. Rather, it has to be tackled on a number of fronts, and we are tackling it on five fronts. Firstly, we are working smarter to improve our existing network—that is, getting more out of the road and public transport networks we already have. Secondly, we are using available land to make our journeys shorter and easier. Thirdly, we are building new roads and new infrastructure to ensure that we are building the capacity not only for now but well into the future, and we saw that this morning with the announcement on the Eastern Busway. Fourthly, we are creating more options and better public transport, cycling and pedestrian services such as end-of-trip facilities. Fifthly, we are reducing demand for cars by improving public sector travel demand using smarter ways to move commuters in and around the CBD and across all of south-east Queensland. People will see us tackling congestion on every single one of those fronts, and we are determined to make sure that we have an integrated response to this issue. One of the key messages that the United Nations has announced for World Environment Day is advocating partnership, understanding that working together we can achieve more than if we were working separately. It seems a timely opportunity for me to reflect on the partnership of those opposite. Things are not quite as rosy as they might have been even this time last week. When it comes to a partnership on the environment, what can we expect from Queensland’s new ‘Pineapple Party’? Of course, that all comes down to what the Liberal Party of Queensland is prepared to do. Is it prepared to sign up to a wacky policy on greenhouse gases where the leader believes that greenhouse gas emissions are caused by oceans as they heat up and mostly by volcanos? So we have the volcano theory on greenhouse gases that the Liberals are going to lock up to. Then there is the recycled water theory where the leader of the new ‘Pineapple Party’ says that, with regard to hormones, they have an effect on the feminisation of fish and other animals that drink it. So the Liberals are going to lock up to the feminisation of fish theory. Then of course there are the clearing laws where the former Leader of the National Party said, ‘This is the most repugnant law I’ve ever seen.’ Whether it is greenhouse gases, recycled water or tree clearing laws, what will the Liberal Party sign up to? How far will it capitulate to the National Party? Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have pleasure in welcoming to the public gallery today teachers and students from the Kenmore State School in the electorate of Moggill, which is represented in this House by Dr Bruce Flegg. Sunshine Coast, Land Release Miss SIMPSON: My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. I refer to the government’s announcement yesterday to use ministerial override powers to rush through mass land releases on the Sunshine Coast, particularly Maroochydore. As the government has not planned to provide major public transport infrastructure to Maroochydore until 2025 under CAMCOS, does this not condemn Sunshine Coast residents to greater road congestion and environmental degradation by promoting growth without the right infrastructure? Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for the question, because the other day when I was speaking with the mayor of the Sunshine Coast he said to me that he did not think the CAMCOS corridor was such a large priority on the Sunshine Coast as in fact intraregional public transport. So clearly the member opposite is not talking to him and did not speak to him with respect to that attitude. I will say one thing—and I made this clear to councils when I spoke to them the other day about what is happening in south-east Queensland—and that is that some of them need to take a leaf out of the book of the Ipswich 1974 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

City Council and the Brisbane City Council. Indeed, I note that the new Logan mayor, when I was talking to her yesterday, indicated this as well—that is, it is not just about housing; it is also about development of land for jobs and industry. The honourable member would know that the Maroochy town centre is just as much about creating jobs as it is about housing. It is about both. This is the problem with members of the National Party: they have an opinion on everything depending on who they are. The member for Maroochydore has a view about what development should happen there and other members from the area have their own views, but the problem is that all of them get out and say it separately. It is a bit like desalination. All of these parcels of land are in the urban footprint and a number of these parcels of land are currently under the active town planning process of the councils involved with council referrals and state referrals taking place. The member opposite wants to play politics. I want to say—and the Premier made it quite up-front here—this: I do not care whether it is state government departments, councils or indeed developers sitting on land. We want to put the people who need to live in these properties first, and that is what we will do. If the member does not want to support people living in these communities, then so be it. But I tell you now: what has made the most significant— Miss SIMPSON: Mr Speaker— Mr LUCAS: Here we go! Miss SIMPSON: I rise to a point of order. The minister is not answering the question. What about the public transport? Mr SPEAKER: I say to the member for Maroochydore—and I say it to you as I did to the member for Noosa—that you are very aware that that is not a point of order. Member for Maroochydore, you know that that is not a point of order. You have been warned on a number of occasions by me and previous Speakers in that regard. I would ask you to respect the standing orders of this House. There is no point of order. Mr LUCAS: I meet with mayors all of the time. In fact, what I am doing as part of the south-east Queensland regional review is meeting with each of them individually in the next few weeks. We will sit down and they will roll out the maps and they will talk to me about what they think about the urban footprint. I actually like meeting mayors. I know they do not like meeting you, member for Maroochydore. I know that when she went to meet representatives of the North Moreton Regional Council they were horrified by what she said to them about her lack of consultation with respect to the Bribie Island desalination plant. Did you talk to Allan Sutherland about it beforehand? Did you? Take a point of order on that one! Did you talk to Allan Sutherland before you announced the Bribie Island desalination policy of the opposition? No! So what is good enough for the member for the Maroochydore is not good enough for the rest of us.

Infrastructure Mr MOORHEAD: My question is also to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. Can the Deputy Premier advise the House of the importance of ensuring a dedicated approach to the provision of infrastructure and planning? Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for his question. I was just having a bit of a flick through things over here, as I do, and I just noticed a BankWest media release dated 2 June stating that two-thirds of council areas in south-east Queensland were too expensive for key workers to buy a house in 2007. Obviously, the member for Maroochydore did not consult that report before she spoke to anyone; otherwise she would have known what it said. This side of the House has a coordinated approach. I am absolutely thrilled to serve on a team that is united. I am absolutely thrilled to serve on a team made up of the calibre of the ministers with whom I work and the backbenchers but, most importantly, a leader of outstanding ability as the Premier. We agree on things on this side of the House. We do not have to have conferences, meetings, discussions and mergers that are on again and off again. We agree on things. That is because it is important for the South East Queensland Regional Plan to deliver for the people of Queensland. Let us have a look at a few other things that people need to have agreement on. No-one could miss the media reports in recent times stating that the Liberal Party blew $1 million on the tremendously successful Gold Coast election campaign. That is the one that the member for Robina was so enthusiastic about. The member for Robina is not giving me eye contact at the moment. He must be looking at the member for Gregory instead. Who could forget that election campaign? Who could forget the parlous financial state of the Liberal Party? As I have said before in this House, the Liberals are like the bankrupt titled aristocracy. The Liberals need someone with money. The good news is that the Leader of the Opposition is flying in, cashed up on the Clive Palmer jet, to whisk them off away on a honeymoon. 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1975

But the problem is that the fights have started before the honeymoon has begun. Last night in federal parliament who could miss the Liberal Party and the National Party, at their first opportunity to vote on something, voting against each other on the issue of single desk selling? Who could forget the statements of Warren Truss, the federal leader of the National Party—a Queenslander—in the past couple of weeks, in which he said, to adopt the words of Fleetwood Mac, ‘We’ll go our own way when it comes to policy issues?’ Who could forget when the Liberal Party stood for things? Who could forget the other day watching Malcolm Turnbull saying one thing and the hopeless, incompetent federal Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson—egged on by the extreme Right Nick Minchin—saying something else? The members opposite are papering over the cracks because they want to get the wedding on the road. But let me say that if you are an urban Liberal, if you are someone in south-east Queensland, remember this: money talks. The big money of the National Party, with its superior numbers—people who voted against the Liberals in a division last night in federal parliament—will be coming to Liberal Party branch meetings. The National Party will be rolling over the top of you. National Party policy on tree clearing and on destroying the environment is all coming to a leafy suburb of Brisbane near you soon.

Public Transport Network Mr NICHOLLS: I am sure I do not know who the Deputy Premier is referring to. My question is to the minister for transport. I refer to the Premier’s announcement yesterday about land releases, and I ask: has the Premier sought any advice from the minister’s department about the capacity of the public transport network to cater for an additional 135,000 homes in south-east Queensland? Given that the public transport network already struggles to meet current demand, what new action does the minister plan to undertake to meet this growth? Mr MICKEL: I thank the honourable member for the question on notice and without notice. Of course, the honourable the Premier outlined one of our great initiatives this morning, the Eastern Busway. That is one thing we will do. I will tell members what I am not going to do, though. I am not going to follow the example set by the member for Clayfield who, when he was in the council, presided over the finances. What happened when he presided over the finances? In the face of growth, the subsidies set by the Brisbane City Council flatlined. What did we have because of that flatlining? I am advised that, in March, 1,100 council buses went by commuters with their ‘bus full’ sign. Last month—in April—1,800 buses went by commuters with their ‘bus full’ sign. Mr Schwarten: How many? Mr MICKEL: One thousand eight hundred. That is the legacy left to us by the member for Clayfield when he was presiding over the finances of the Brisbane City Council. There is a wash- through with these things. This year we are providing $950 million for public transport in south-east Queensland. But I could do no better than the member for Clayfield the other night on Stateline. When he was asked what he would do he said— I think you can take risks. I thought, ‘Here comes the hairshirt.’ He stated further— On planning I think at the larger level planning does assist. Then he said— We need planning to determine the routes that roads will take. There is a revelation! Fancy planning for the routes that roads will take. Then he went on to say— At a micro level I don’t think planning works quite so well. So not only does the opposition has a policy that cannot get them through from breakfast-time to question time, the member for Clayfield does not even have a policy that gets him through from the start of Stateline to the end of Stateline. And they are talking to us about planning, for heaven’s sake! ‘At a micro level I don’t think it works so well!’ This is why the opposition cannot match us when it comes to infrastructure—the south-east Queensland plans for transport and the busways; all the great projects that are underway at the moment to meet the problem of congestion. That is why, under the Borbidge government, a fifth of the amount of money that we are spending now was available for things like Citytrain. That is why this year $950 million is being spent on passenger transport. This morning the member for Moggill, the shadow Treasurer, asked how much it would cost to make passenger transport free for pensioners. I will tell him what it would cost. It would be at the diminution of the revenue that we collect to run passenger transport in south-east Queensland. We are on about the plans for the future. 1976 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

Infrastructure Mr WENDT: My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer detail the government’s longstanding commitment to infrastructure in this state? Mr FRASER: I thank the member for Ipswich West for his question, because it provides the opportunity to once again affirm our government’s commitment to building the infrastructure of Queensland, to implementing the South East Queensland Regional Plan, to implementing the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program—the documents that lie at the forefront and at the core of our government’s long-term plan and long-term funding strategy to build the infrastructure to provide for the population growth that is occurring in the south-east corner. We await with interest the revelation from those members opposite about their alternative plan, because they propose this week that they do not believe in responsible borrowing. They propose that responsible borrowing is not a part of what they will take to the people of Queensland next year when the election is due to be held. We have been trying to explain to them, the Property Council has been trying to explain to them and others have been trying to explain to them what is responsible borrowing for long-term infrastructure. So I thought what I might do today is make it easier. I will drop off all the zeros to make it less confusing. So imagine you drop off all the zeros from the state budget. You end up with the analogy of someone who last year earned $32,500 and paid $390 a year in interest. Take off all the zeros, that is the result. The opposition reckons you cannot afford to do that. But the opposition’s solution is to go to the magic pudding of PPPs. What a journey they have been on with PPPs. They have been up hill and down dale as they have sought to find out their views on PPPs. We know back in 2004 that the then Leader of the Opposition committed to abolishing all the limits on PPPs. He said, ‘Take off the handbrake when it comes to PPPs.’ Then, of course, my good friend the shadow minister for local government at the time, Mr Hobbs, the member for Warrego, said that he wrote to all the developers wanting to have PPPs for hospitals, schools and roads. Then we got into a debate in this parliament about private involvement in education and the Liberal Party put forward a case that they should have private investment in schools. The member for Surfers Paradise said— I say to the minister at the outset that we have no problem with the concept of a school from which profits may be returned to shareholders. What does the Liberal Party say now? Thank God the shadow Treasurer is not working on the budget reply. Thank God we read in the Brisbane Times that it is Cameron Thompson who is doing the work on the Leader of the Opposition’s budget reply. Thank God, because the shadow Treasurer put forward the brilliant view in April this year that it was extraordinary that government schools could no longer be funded out of taxation revenue. My question to the shadow Treasurer is this: who does he think is paying for them? The man in the moon? Who does he think is going to provide the money to fund school construction? It comes out of the budget. It is not free. No-one is donating the schools. Mr SPEAKER: It is with pleasure that I welcome to the public gallery a further group of teachers and students from Kenmore State School in the electorate of Moggill which is represented in this House by Dr Bruce Flegg. Fuel Subsidy Scheme Mrs CUNNINGHAM: My question without notice is to the Premier. I am going to pick up that petrol shovel and perhaps start digging. Residents in my electorate have expressed concern in relation to the price of petrol and particularly diesel. Given that diesel requires less refining than petrol, why is the price of diesel now 18c to 20c higher and can the government’s rebate scheme proposals be developed to also give relief to diesel purchasers? Ms BLIGH: If I understand the member’s question, she is asking why diesel on average is more expensive than petrol. My understanding in terms of the effect of world demand is that diesel is in much higher demand within the region, in particular out at mining communities but also beyond our own shores in markets in Indonesia, China and India. Demand is driving the price up. While I am on my feet can I say a few things about some of the issues that have been raised here this morning. There seems to be this view from those opposite that our decision to accelerate the release of land is somehow an attack on local governments. Local government have been working closely with the government on these issues and, in fact, have been partners by and large in many of the cases. I am very happy to advise that the following consultation meetings were undertaken on the greenfield strategy. In April all local governments were invited and represented. On 2 April industry were invited and peak bodies and major landowners were there, including representatives of the Council of Mayors. On 10 April final consultation was held, including with peak bodies, the LGAQ and the Council of Mayors. I am advised that the LGAQ did not attend or send a representative but the Council of Mayors did. 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1977

Members might have noticed reference to a survey released earlier this week by a very reputable financial organisation called BankWest, an organisation expanding in Queensland at the moment. What BankWest did was compile a measure of affordability for what it calls key workers right across Queensland in regional LGA areas. Key workers were defined as people such as police, nurses and teachers. It looked at average salaries in those classifications. What did it find? The three most unaffordable LGAs for key workers anywhere in this state are Noosa, Maroochy and Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. The most unaffordable local government area in all of regional Queensland for key workers is Noosa. That is what is driving our determination to open up some of these areas. Let me just talk a little bit about infrastructure. Of the 12 areas that I identified yesterday, Rochedale was identified about four or five years ago as an area to open up and release for housing. As education minister four years ago, I announced that we would buy extra land for the Rochedale State School to cope with extra growth. That land has been bought. It is sitting there and it is waiting. Secondly, the Eight Mile Plains busway station is sitting there and waiting. The Lord Mayor supports it. Healthy Waterways Mr ENGLISH: My question without notice is to the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation. Can the minister advise the House what measures are being taken to protect the health of south-east Queensland waterways in the face of rapid population growth and economic development? Mr McNAMARA: I thank the honourable member for the question and acknowledge his deep commitment to improving the health of our waterways and particularly the process of coming up with a better zoning plan for Moreton Bay. Two weeks ago on a Wednesday night—State of Origin night, in fact—I had the opportunity to attend the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Strategy launch. I guess it is a measure of the importance of this issue that some 250 people turned out on a State of Origin night—though next year we could do it on a Tuesday. Nevertheless, it was certainly a very well- attended and important night. I congratulate the Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre which won the minister’s prize for its work on its catchment program and note that Dr Col Limpus and his turtle conservation program won the government award. He is a world leader in that area. The Healthy Waterways Clean Up Program is a $20 million, four-year commitment to making sure that we improve the health of our waterways. It is a partnership between local and state government which is gaining interest from around Australia and the world for the results that it has been achieving in improving waterways. It is certainly a program which I strongly support and I encourage all local governments to keep supporting. The program includes 500 very specific actions. It is a reported program with measured outcomes. It is open and transparent—much more transparent, regrettably, than some of our waterways which still need work. Today, World Environment Day, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider some of the challenges that are facing our waterways. The IPCC report from last year said that we could expect global warming of two to 2.4 degrees over the course of this century. The Stern report, which perhaps brought public knowledge of this most sharply into focus, said that above two degrees of global warming we could look at 15 to 40 per cent extinction rates. That means that we have two challenges: first, to stop that two degrees of global warming becoming four; and, second, to make sure that we mitigate the impact of the global warming that we know is coming. The Healthy Waterways Clean Up Program is our program for doing just that in south-east Queensland. It is about recognising that our waterways are not just a matter of allocations between commercial and recreational fishers; they are the home of our biodiversity, which must be strengthened if it is to be able to withstand the impact that we know is coming. Some 750 species of fish and 120 species of coral exist in Moreton Bay. The work that the Healthy Waterways Clean Up Program is doing to reduce sediment run-offs and protect and better maintain discharge standards is critical to looking after those waterways. Queensland Disability Housing Coalition Mr STEVENS: My question is to the Minister for communities and disability services. I refer to the Strengthening Non-Government Organisations Strategy which was launched in August 2005 and to the collaboration between the Department of Communities and the Department of Housing in the One Social Housing System plan for 2006-11. Why has the minister cut funding to the Queensland Disability Housing Coalition, the only peak body dealing specifically with disabled homeless people? Mr Schwarten: Why don’t you ask me? Ms NELSON-CARR: I thank the member for the question. I think it might be a little misguided in its direction, however, and I think the member would get a better response from the correct minister. A government member: You are the shadow minister. Ms NELSON-CARR: That is right. Since you are the shadow minister I guess your understanding— 1978 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

Mr Stevens: I am not. Ms NELSON-CARR: You are not? Then what are you? Mr Schwarten: You are the shadow minister to me. Ms NELSON-CARR: That is what I am talking about. Disability funding has received—and the member will hear the finer details about this—a huge boost in the latest budget. The member’s particular issue does not rest with me. However, I can assure him that the disability sector out there, whom I have met with extensively this week and more recently, are very pleased with our future direction and with the partnership that we have built between the non-government sector and various government departments. I do not think we have ever had a better scenario than we have today. Coupled with that, as I recollect, we also have one of the best relationships with the federal government where we now attend regular meetings at which we actually get not only support but also outcomes.

Police Induction Ceremony Mrs SCOTT: My question is to the Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport. Would the minister please outline to the House the significance of the police induction ceremony to be held at Chandler on 25 June? Ms SPENCE: I thank the member for Woodridge for the question. I am very pleased to answer it. The police induction ceremony on 25 June is special for a number of reasons. Firstly, we will be inducting our 9,840th officer into the Queensland Police Service. Due to the great success of our police recruitment campaign called ‘We don’t do boring’, we are getting hundreds of applications each month. I know that the police who are going to graduate in this induction ceremony are amongst the cream of the applicants throughout the state. The other reason this ceremony is significant is that it is an anniversary. It is 50 years ago that we first introduced police induction ceremonies in this state. On 29 May 1958 Commissioner Bischoff introduced for the first time the police induction ceremony. He said at that time— Honourable members interjected. Ms SPENCE: Uncle Frank, yes. He said, ‘Life in the police force is seldom easy but often rewarding.’ Mr Lucas: It was for him. Honourable members: Very rewarding! Ms SPENCE: He introduced police induction ceremonies with a view to raising the morale and status of the newly sworn-in personnel. It is also very special for me because I was a one-year-old when I attended my father’s induction ceremony in 1958 and it took another 45 years for me to go to the next one. Mr Schwarten: I think you were more than one. Ms SPENCE: Very nice! I am a very frequent attendee at induction ceremonies these days. They are a great occasion, and I know that all members of parliament who have attended one appreciate the significance of the event. Certainly the families and friends of the police officers remark on what a very good event it is. I would like to comment on a number of historical facts. In 1957, according to the book written by W Ross Johnston, Queensland had the best police to population ratio in Australia. In 1986 Queensland had the worst police to population ratio in Australia. Students of history would know that in 1957 we had a Labor government and in 1986 we had a National Party government. In fact, during the years of the National Party governments the police to population ratios were: in 1972, one police officer to 619 Queenslanders; in 1979, one officer to every 564; in 1985, one officer to every 525. Is the police to population ratio in Queensland today? It is one officer to every 429 Queenslanders. We made a commitment to keep our police to population ratio above the national average, and we have done that.

Environmental Impact Assessments Mr GIBSON: My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation. Mr Mickel: Are you going to hang around for the answer? Mr GIBSON: I will certainly hang around if the truth is given. I am always happy to ask a question and stay for the answer if the truth is given. I refer to the Premier’s announcement that this government now expects local governments to rush through planning processes for large development sites in south-east Queensland. What guarantees will the minister give that all of the appropriate environmental impact assessments will be undertaken before Christmas so that the quality of life of existing and future residents of the affected areas will not suffer with the influx of up to 350,000 new people? 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1979

Mr McNAMARA: I thank the honourable member for the question. Indeed, I congratulate him on his elevation to his shadow ministry position. This is the first question he has asked me this year. It is marginally associated with the portfolio, so that is not a bad first effort. Of course all relevant environmental standards are met. The EPA is either a compliance or a concurrency agent on all— Opposition members interjected. Mr McNAMARA: Are you interested in the answer? Not really. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr English): Order! Please direct your comments to the chair, Minister. Mr McNAMARA: The EPA is either a concurrency or a compliance agency on all of these large developments, and that is a role that is played seriously. I make no apology whatsoever for saying that I will be making sure my agency works as hard and as smart and as fast as possible to deal with an issue that is of crucial concern to young families across this state. When a government is saying, ‘We can do more. If we are the roadblock, if there is something happening in a government agency that is going too slowly, we are going to act to fix it,’ I find it extraordinary that the opposition would question whether that is a sensible approach. Across Queensland housing affordability is a critical issue. Mr Gibson interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Gympie, you have asked your question. Mr McNAMARA: In these growth areas the Environmental Protection Agency plays a very proud role in making sure that development is handled in an environmentally responsible fashion. I think we can do more. I am more than happy to work with the Premier, the Deputy Premier, the transport minister, the roads minister and all of the other agencies that are part of a government, a cohesive unit, a party with a single policy and a group of people who will work together. I am happy to play a role in that. My agency has a job to do. Today is World Environment Day, and I am absolutely committed to the highest environmental standards. Nevertheless, we can play a role and we will play a role. My agency is in the process of recruiting more staff. I will not go on about that much because it is part of the budget. We are beefing up our capacity to play a role in building tomorrow’s Queensland today. We are making sure that we are part of the solution to Queensland’s problems. The nay-saying from an opposition with no policies, with no clear line of objectives, with no clear consistency between one seat and the next, will not be any part of a solution to Queensland’s problems. We have a clear role to play. We will obviously maintain those standards. But the suggestion that somehow being part of a ramped up and more vigorous effort at meeting one of Queensland’s most pressing problems is an abdication of our responsibilities is absolute nonsense. As I said, it is not a bad start but the member can do better. Better luck next time. Gold Coast City Council, Media Expenditure Mrs REILLY: My question is to the minister for local government. Could the minister shed any light on why the Gold Coast City Council has written to media outlets asking them to provide details of expenditure they incurred for political purposes in the lead-up to the local government elections in March this year? Mr PITT: I thank the member for the question. I really wish I could shed some light on this. It came as quite some surprise to me, as it did to the mayor of the Gold Coast, that his council would take this course of action. It is rather bizarre. Somehow or other they have misinterpreted section 430A of the Local Government Act. That section refers to third parties making political donations or supporting people who are standing for local government elections. It expressly applies to people who incur expenses for political purposes. Not by any stretch of the imagination could you consider the media to be part of that. By way of background for honourable members, the Gold Coast City Council last month wrote to a range of media outlets. I understand there were 20 media outlets in all and they spread their web far and wide—newspapers, television and radio stations, the Gold Coast Bulletin the Courier-Mail and the Sunday Mail. They wrote to anyone they could in putting forward this quite harebrained idea of theirs that somehow or other the media should have to explain why they incurred expenses in the electoral process. Media outlets are in the business of making money. They write articles and pass opinion and comment for the purpose of selling newspapers. They are not in the business of expending funds for the political purpose of getting one person or another elected. It has never been the intention of the act and it has not been the policy of the government that this should be the case. I have instructed the director-general to take this matter up with the Gold Coast City Council. I understand the director-general has contacted them to tell them to cease and desist because they are barking up the wrong tree. The director-general has done that, and my understanding is that the council has now sent out letters of retraction to all those people it offended by taking this particular course of action. 1980 Questions Without Notice 05 Jun 2008

I would urge the Gold Coast City Council and any other council in the future which has difficulty interpreting the Local Government Act to contact the department first and get an opinion before running off on some misguided adventure like this. It has really done the Gold Coast City Council no credit and has caused concern for the media. In my view, freedom of the press is very important and they have no role to play in party political purposes by incurring expenses, as has been indicated by the Gold Coast City Council. It is one of those things where there has obviously been a rush of blood to the head. The individuals concerned will no doubt be speaking with Mayor Clarke and I would urge him to take that matter in hand as soon as possible. Registration of Motorised Wheelchairs Mr RICKUSS: My question is to the Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations. I refer to the registration requirements for motorised wheelchairs. The current requirements force users to fill out five forms and provide a doctor’s certificate to the department before they receive a registration, which is free. Why has the minister put such onerous paperwork on elderly and disabled people when surely one form would be sufficient? Will the minister review the requirements of the department? Mr MICKEL: I will give the honourable gentleman this undertaking. I will certainly check the circumstances that he has outlined. If improvements can be made to help people in those circumstances, of course I will act on it. Beechwood Homes; Building Insurance Mr HAYWARD: My question is to the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology. I refer to the recent collapse of Beechwood Homes, one of the biggest project builders in New South Wales. Do those consumers waiting for Beechwood to complete their homes have the same level of protection that consumers have in Queensland? Mr SCHWARTEN: I thank the honourable member for the question, and the short answer to it is no. The reality is that the people of Queensland can be very thankful that my predecessor with responsibility for the BSA, who is now the police minister, had the foresight and courage to overturn the madcap policy of the Borbidge government which sought to privatise the Home Warranty Insurance Scheme. I presume it is still their policy but I would not have a clue because in 10 years they have never produced a policy on the BSA. I assume it has not changed and that they would go down the same pathway that all the other states went in privatising it. We could not see a sharper contrast than what has happened with Beechwood and what happened with Real Property Constructions earlier this year. In February, there were something like 303 houses where people had possible claims against that company as a result of the collapse of the company. As far as I know, every one of those claims that ended up coming in—and there were 208, which included 77 deposits—has been dealt with. While those people had enormous tragedy in their lives with one of the biggest building collapses in Queensland’s history, we were able to deal with it and the payout figure was around $3.1 million. That is the benefit of a statutory compulsory scheme that we have in Queensland. Contrast that with what has happened with Beechwood Homes. There are 700 people down there in various stages of involvement in a contract and, as far as I know, not one of them has yet received any satisfaction. When they do, they will only get 20 per cent of the value of the home up to a maximum of $300,000. Of course you have to be building a house worth $1.5 million to get that sort of return. So I am indeed indebted to the foresight of my predecessor in this portfolio who put her foot smack bang down on the whole idea of privatisation of that scheme. The scheme is in very good shape and it deals with consumers appropriately. It is the envy of all other jurisdictions in Australia. Ms Spence: It was Ray Connor and Joan Sheldon who were in then. Mr SCHWARTEN: Ray Connor and Joan Sheldon, yes, that is right—those two geniuses who occupied this side of the parliament. I just say to the shadow minister that he is quite welcome to ask me a question about matters relating to my portfolio. I will get him a bit of coaching about it. The reason that organisation was defunded along with others is that we funded Shelter as an umbrella organisation and it is to fit into those. That particular organisation did not provide me with any housing advice. Instead, it provides advice to other ministers. So I tell the shadow minister that he should not be afraid to ask me a question. I am quite happy to answer any question that he wants. Mr Springborg: Are you being nice to them, Robbie? Mr SCHWARTEN: I am always very nice. It is one of my great attributes. I am a very nice person. I am a nice man. A government member: Congenial? Mr SCHWARTEN: And genial, exactly. Mr SPEAKER: All right, don’t get too carried away, Minister. Thank you very much. 05 Jun 2008 Questions Without Notice 1981

Traveston Dam Mr FOLEY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation. Minister, tomorrow morning at 11 am a number of people will be gathering on the footpath here to protest the environmentally damaging Traveston Dam. It would seem that the government has elevated duplicity to an art form because this morning he congratulated people on saving turtles yet this dam will be significantly damaging to the Mary River turtle and other animals. Mr SCHWARTEN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. I would ask you to rule on this question on the basis of the sorts of rulings you have made before. It is at least verging on contempt of what you have said previously. Mr SPEAKER: I remind the member for Maryborough, as we have done before with respect, that you need to get to the question without as much of a preamble and you need to make your points in a temperate way. Mr FOLEY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the minister acknowledge the devastating effects on the downstream ecology of the Mary River? Mr McNAMARA: I thank the honourable member for the question and I acknowledge that he has been consistent in banging the drum on this issue. Regretfully, he continues to bang the drum long after he has actually been given the facts. Accordingly, that does not do as much for his credibility as he might like to think. This House has heard at length on previous occasions about the steps which this government, the Bligh government, is putting in place to look after the threatened aquatic species that occur in the Mary catchment. The Mary River turtle, the Mary River cod and the Australian lungfish have all been extensively discussed and planned for in this process. The completed environmental impact statement was quite clear on the impacts of the Traveston Dam construction. The Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning is responsible for the development of new water infrastructure decisions, but the reality is that the modelled EIS on this dam suggests that the water flows at the end of system on completion will drop from 92 to 88. It is simply a furphy to go on and continue to run the line that there will be this devastating effect on this river. That is why we do an EIS. It is to take the politics out of these situations. To continue to run lines after the facts have been given, after the science has been done, does no credit to the honourable member. I would suggest he might be better pressed in working a little harder for his electorate so that when budget day comes around next year he can point to an achievement.

Climate Change, Government Policies Mr LEE: Happy World Environment Day, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Mines and Energy. Minister, with climate change being talked about in boardrooms and lounge rooms across the country, could the minister please inform the House what steps the government is taking to tackle climate change and develop less polluting and cleaner energy right here in Queensland? Mr WILSON: The Bligh government is rolling up its sleeves and getting on with the job of tackling climate change. We are delivering a cleaner, greener energy future for Queensland. Members would be pleased to know—or maybe disappointed to know—that today is 104 days since the leader of the ‘Pineapple Party’ announced that they were going to have a renewable energy policy. This document is the renewable energy policy they announced on 22 February; it is 31 lines. It is now 104 days since that was released. The opposition has an opinion on everything and a solution for nothing. What has the Bligh government done in the same period of time? We fast-tracked the 13 per cent gas policy to 15 per cent by 2010. We have announced a $100 million green energy package for the Renewable Energy Fund and the Smart Energy Savings Fund. We have introduced legislation for the smart energy savings program for business to conserve energy, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have announced tenders for 13 new geothermal exploration areas within Queensland. We have granted the first exploration permit for geothermal energy in Queensland. We have announced the $7 million contribution to the solar thermal project in Cloncurry. The Bligh government is tackling climate change head-on. We are getting on with the business of tackling climate change. The opposition has an opinion on everything and a solution for nothing. It has been 104 days since this marvellous announcement and we have 31 lines about how important renewable energy is for the opposition. The ‘Pineapple Party’ has no position on renewable energy other than 31 lines on 21 February. In the meantime, in that same period of time, the Bligh government has been getting on with the job of tackling climate change. We have also put $7.5 million into the CSIRO solar thermal gas project. We have also been working with the Rudd Labor government on a renewable energy target. Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, the time for questions has expired. 1982 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL

APPROPRIATION BILL

REVENUE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading (Cognate Debate)

Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill Resumed from 3 June (see p. 1858), on motion of Mr Fraser— That the bills be now read a second time. Mr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.31 am): I rise today as the Queensland Leader of the Opposition to respond to the 2008-09 budget delivered on Tuesday by the Labor government. I deliver this speech in response to a government which has been in power for 10 uninterrupted years. It has ruled Queensland for all but two of the last 19 years. This is the Beattie- Bligh government’s 10th budget. It should be a celebration of the largest economic boom in Queensland history. Driven by the rise of China as Asia’s economic powerhouse, its demand for resources and its proximity as both a market and a resource for growth in Queensland and linked to accelerating growth and diversified opportunity across the region, our state should be in the box seat. This is our fortunate position. Those are the positive circumstances we enjoy. Those rich and abundant opportunities are with us today because we are located in a region which is the envy of every other region on earth and we possess the skill as well as the economic, material and financial resources to benefit most from the situation. These beautiful fundamentals are the economic bedrock—the foundation on which this Queensland state budget is based. So why is this budget such an anticlimax? Why is it so underwhelming? Ten years ago the former Premier, the man who was the aspirational model for the Premier and her government, rebadged Queensland. He named it the Smart State. For a decade his policies and the policies of his successor have held sway. During that time our state more than any other has benefited from the economic reforms of the former Howard government. It has reaped a massive financial windfall from the goods and services tax and from payroll and other tax revenue boosted by the former federal government’s many reforms. At the same time, opportunities in China and across our region have blossomed. After 10 years of Smart State Beattieism and five full months after the Australian government signed the Kyoto protocol limiting greenhouse emissions, we are presented with a Queensland budget that more than ever relies on the revenue from coal. It sure is an anticlimax. It sure is very underwhelming. Ten years of the Smart State and at budget time it is back to the sixties. It should be a budget which builds on a decade of economic growth, on a China-inspired resources boom, on a huge influx of property taxes and stamp duties into the state’s very own coffers. That is what we were told. That is what we were promised. We were told that this would be a budget that would build Queensland beyond the resources boom. Instead, this budget would be broke if it were not for the resources boom. It should be a budget which proudly professes Queensland’s long-held advantage—its low tax and its low debt position—even within the Australian Commonwealth, where Liberal and National governments have eliminated net debt altogether. Unfortunately, this budget is none of those things. Instead it is a budget which promotes Queensland’s status as a high-tax state. Instead, it is a budget which highlight’s Queensland’s high debt position. Instead it is yet another budget which exposes the appalling mismanagement of decades of the Beattie and Bligh governments. As leader of the alternative government, I have been aware of the mountain we face in bringing Queensland back to its historic position of strength, of locking in our long-held and much appreciated lifestyle. I knew we faced the challenge of building key areas like roads, hospitals and our education system. But we now face another very major challenge: reining in the massive state debt this government has accumulated and plans to continue accumulating at an exponential rate over the forthcoming years. It is a debt reaching $59 billion by the 2010-11 financial year and $65 billion dollars in the following year. It is a debt costing Queenslanders $10 million a day in interest payments alone. Let us contrast this government’s projected debt of $65 billion with the debt that it had of around $10 billion when it took government in Queensland a few short years ago. This debt will mean that we will pay more than $3 billion—that is billion dollars—in interest a year by 2010-11. While Queensland families worry about rising interest rates, rising petrol prices and rising taxes, fees and charges, they will be burdened with a Queensland government debt of $15,000 for every man, woman and child living in Queensland. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1983

The worst aspect of this massive debt is that it does not provide for the future. This massive, Keatingesque debt has nothing to do with the future. While we are talking about Paul Keating, we remember many commentators—and some of those who may have been commenting positively in recent days in favour of this government and its debt burden—fretting about Paul Keating’s $96 billion worth of debt only 10 years ago, and that was a debt for all of Australia. We are talking here about Queensland, which has less than a quarter of the population of Australia at that time and a debt which is fast rivalling and fast approaching the quantum of Paul Keating’s debt. This budget is all about the past—the past 10 years of poor management; the past 10 years of inaction. It builds on the neglect of the past and puts it on the bankcard for tomorrow. Instead of future generations of Queenslanders paying off the debt for infrastructure which has grown up with them, they will be paying off the debt caused by Labor’s half-baked infrastructure catch-up plan. We have heard a lot in recent days about how we can equate this to a mum and dad Queensland situation. Mum and dad Queenslanders absolutely understand that, when you borrow, you pay off the interest but you also pay off the loan. Mum and dad Queenslanders do not believe that you just borrow, pay exponential interest and keep borrowing some more so you can pay some more interest for the future. Mum and dad Queenslanders have a loan repayment plan which this state Labor government does not have. This government has not built anything for a decade and then rushes through a poorly conceived, jerry-built catch-up all in three years. This has caused unbelievable infrastructure cost blow-outs— $2.4 billion alone for water projects—and a pump-primed construction industry that can hardly believe its luck. We are now building less but it is costing so much more. Never before has so little cost so much. We saw in this parliament today the Deputy Premier stand up and talk about the government’s $105 billion infrastructure plan. It really is only a $55 billion infrastructure plan but the price of it has doubled in the last three years. So what those opposite keep doing is re-evaluating it and keep saying that it is going to cost more but they deliver the same amount or even less than they original promised. I am not against borrowing for infrastructure. In these days it is essential— Government members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I think we will listen to the Leader of the Opposition’s response. Mr SPRINGBORG: I am not against borrowing for infrastructure and never have been. That is the hallmark of previous governments in Queensland. The issue is responsible, prudent borrowing practices and having a proper schedule of repayments and making sure that we get value for money and that we do not put future Queenslanders into hock because of government financial mismanagement. However, in the case of the Bligh government budget we have borrowings and blow-outs blossoming at a speed and level unheard of in Queensland’s history. Even worse, there is no plan on how to pay them off. So, while borrowing for non-recurrent expenditure and, in particular, infrastructure is a basic tenet of government budgeting and an appropriate way to provide infrastructure for the future, doing so because the government has failed to plan and doing so without a plan to pay it back is, indeed, very irresponsible. It is bad government—plain and simple. We also have to view the rampant, out-of-control borrowing of this Labor government against the backdrop of one of the most halcyon boom times that Queensland has ever seen. This government cannot even properly equate, budget or predict the amount of revenue that it is going to have streaming into Queensland that every year exceeds its expectations. Instead of providing a platform for the future, this government is providing a millstone—a noose around the necks of future generations which will be forced to pay for the failures of the last decade of lost opportunity. What Labor never seems to understand is that it just cannot throw money at a problem and hope that eventually it will go away. It is about management. Management may not be a sexy word, but it is the principal ingredient that this Bligh government is lacking in its running of this great state’s economy. Since 1989, and over the last 10 years in particular, the key attribute of Labor governments has been mismanagement. It is mismanagement with plenty of spin—fewer doctors and more spin doctors, fewer civil engineers and more truth engineers, less nursing in health and more media nursemaids. In Education, the Queensland government has given up on the much-vaunted numeracy and literacy benchmarks which were to be a platform for the so-called Beattie-Bligh Smart State agenda. Not only has this government presided over 17 out of the 24 literacy and numeracy targets missed this financial year; it has completely abandoned Queensland’s benchmark targets for next year. Isn’t that great? ‘If we cannot reach or even aspire to some of our benchmarks, what we do is not plan to try harder next year but get rid of the benchmarks altogether so we cannot be judged.’ That is the hallmark of this government—set underperforming targets, underperform on them and actually do away with them altogether. 1984 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

This budget provides no gain in education. Spending from last year has been redirected. No wonder teachers are so angry at the pathetic response of this government to the massive growth in demand being experienced across the education system. So much for the Smart State! In Police we see that there has been a real decrease in new recruit numbers and that the total new police officers of 200 will not even match the current number leaving the service which was 269 in the first nine months of this financial year. Overall, we are going backwards with the numbers of police. This is at a time when the minister for main roads is demanding money just to maintain existing roads. They have been found out to have a complete inability to manage the roads budget. As my colleague the member for Warrego has pointed out, on just five roads there has been a $500 million blowout in costs. The Centenary Highway has blown out by 43 per cent. Forgan Bridge near Mackay has blown out by 80 per cent. The Ipswich Motorway upgrade has blown out by 119 per cent. The Cunningham Highway has blown out by 44 per cent. The Charters Towers-Hughenden road has blown out by 41 per cent. We also have to look at this against the backdrop that infrastructure costs are rising at a rate of 15 to 20 per cent per annum. This government cannot manage, cannot cost and cannot build to a budget. But capital works is not the only area in which this government cannot manage. In the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions we saw an increase for staff of half a million dollars. This is despite the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions itself recommending a funding boost of $5.9 million dollars per year for the next three years. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in this state is in crisis. As the Deputy Leader of the coalition, Mark McArdle, has successfully prosecuted in this House and in the public, secret leaked reports have indicated that Queensland’s 67 crown prosecutors handled 7,650 matters in Supreme and District courts last financial year. That is an average case load of 114 matters per prosecutor compared to an interstate average of 27 per prosecutor. No wonder our courts are struggling. No wonder cases are so backed up that prisoners on parole are given thousands in compensation because their cases cannot be heard. Failing to prosecute crime is failing to protect Queenslanders. Even in Emergency Services, where our hardworking ambulance and fire officers along with our SES and other emergency volunteers put their lives on the line, we have seen mismanagement and smoke and mirrors from this government in this budget. This budget repeats an Emergency Services standard—announcing, reannouncing and announcing again the same projects. Whether it is an ambulance station at Ashgrove or Clermont or Ipswich or the Palm Island emergency services facilities that keeps appearing in the budgets, nothing ever gets built. Here we even have a cut of $600,000 in funding from last year for SES volunteers. Can anyone believe that they will need less money this year than last? Let me also speak about one of the biggest black marks on this budget. At a time when the Queensland tourism industry is under greater threat than any time since the Asian economic meltdown, what has this government done to assist this vital industry? As we all know, tourism is the second largest industry in our economy. The government has actually cut funding to it. It has cut funding year after year in this crucial area of Queensland’s economy. This government has downgraded the importance of tourism to the Queensland economy year after year. We saw the minister in here today hopelessly spinning away the government’s mismanagement of the budget on tourism in this state. She is saying now that fuel price increases are not going to impact upon drive tourism in this state, yet she stood up in this place yesterday and said that the increase in fuel prices was actually impacting upon those people flying to Queensland. It is a totally incongruous argument. How can she stand up here one day and say that rising aviation fuel prices are having an impact upon tourism in Queensland and then when the government plans to put up fuel prices for interstate tourism by 8.3c a litre say that is not going to have an impact on tourists driving into Queensland. That is an argument that is completely incompatible. While Qantas and Jetstar cut flights to the state, Virgin considers doing the same, Japanese and South Korean tourists travel elsewhere and the strength of the Australian dollar encourages our own to travel overseas, this budget cuts $3 million from the Tourism budget. That, quite frankly, is short termism at its worst. In this budget we get a glimpse of the way ahead. But it is not a plan for Queensland beyond the resources boom. Instead we see Labor’s vision— Queensland as a Labor managed state. At the most we have about 15 months to go until the next state election. By then we will have had two decades in which Labor policies have been the dominant force driving our way of life and also shaping our future. Labor has shaped Queensland from a state with ever-increasing opportunities into a state with ever-diminishing returns. This speech comes at a time when Queenslanders—conscious that a state election is not far away—look at the government, consider its failings and look for an alternative. They look to me. They look to me and my colleagues as the alternative government. Mrs Reilly: Are you serious? You say that with a straight face! 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1985

Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is the opposition leader’s response to the budget and I would ask you to treat the opposition leader with the same respect as that afforded to the Treasurer during his speech. Mr SPRINGBORG: In this speech I want to make plain the basic difference between Labor and the strong new alternative that we represent. In this speech the people of Queensland will see the wide gulf that lies between the basic philosophy of this capricious, self-serving, spin doctoring, underperforming Labor government and the Springborg alternative. With the Australian federation, state governments are structured as the agents of service delivery. These governments are decentralised to provide tailored services effectively and efficiently. In Queensland we have been conditioned by a decade of Beattie, Bligh and Labor to expect little from state government, and for those expectations to be met! Labor has failed so often, so regularly and so spectacularly on delivering the basics of good government services that now the people of Queensland have almost given up on expecting anything from their state government. I say ‘almost’, because I believe and the Queensland opposition believes that Queenslanders deserve much better—now more than ever. The essential difference between the opposition and the government in Queensland is the difference between management and mismanagement with spin. The difference is between fixing the problems of the health system and not just talking about them. It is making roads, not talking about roads. It is valuing teachers and public servants, not blaming, neglecting or firing them. It is implementing policies responsive to community needs, not spinning community needs to suit compromised policies from the government. Any Queenslander asked to describe their chief concerns about the performance of this Beattie-Bligh government would turn almost immediately to the declining state of our health system and the maladministration of Queensland Health by this government over almost a decade. Crises within Queensland Health are an emblem of this government. Let us not wade back through 10 years of chaos, but isn’t it ironic that the state Treasurer was in here this week trying to once more sell a dud prescription for Queensland Health? There have been hundreds of millions of dollars in blown-out allocations and lengthening waiting lists while in the US Jayant Patel’s extradition slipped by another three weeks because of—you would not believe it, Mr Speaker—faulty paperwork! Now the Rudd Labor government has added to the burden on Queensland Health by boosting Medicare levy thresholds. This dangerous strategy will add up to 100,000 formerly private patients to public waiting lists in Queensland over the next couple of years. And what is being done by the state government to oppose it? Absolutely nothing! The front line is not getting what it needs from this government. In fact, a comparison of Queensland’s health waiting lists reveals an increase in the number of patients waiting for operations despite a 36 per cent increase in health funding since 2005. In 2005 when the budget was $5.3 billion, just over 34,600 patients were waiting for surgery. Today, with a record $8.3 billion Health budget, more than 36,000 patients are languishing on waiting lists. Again and again, this government is spending more but achieving less. The last time Queenslanders had a sense of confidence about the state health system Mike Horan was the health minister. At that time the National-Liberal government ran health in this state with an ironclad principle of management. Every resource provided to health went to the front line and nowhere else. Contrast that strong focused management with the chaotic mismanagement and the spin we are getting today and no doubt tomorrow and beyond from Labor. Remember that this is a system that is supposed to be about health—health for the elderly, for the chronic and acute sufferers, for children and infants. Some 4½ years ago this Labor government called an early state election, claiming it needed a mandate to protect children. Of course, most people had always thought the protection of children was a duty of government. But this government did not see it as a duty; it saw it as an option. We all recall the lead-up to that election. We all well recall how the then minister for families had neglected children in the care of her department. We all recall how the CMC had launched an investigation into how children in the care of this government were being abused. And we all recall who that minister was, and that minister is the Premier today. Some 4½ years later, this government now thinks the spotlight has gone from the care of our children. Now it thinks it can slip back into the bad old habits and hopes that these habits slip even further under the radar of parliamentary scrutiny, of public scrutiny and of media scrutiny. Queensland has been riding a 10-year wave of economic prosperity. The Queensland government has been in receipt of the largest taxes in the history of this state. The Queensland government has also been in receipt of the largest take of Commonwealth grants in history. We are a prosperous state in a First World country riding an economic boom. Yet our children—our kids—still cannot get their surgery on time. Last month the latest hospital waiting lists were released. As at 1 April 2008, there were 862 children late for surgery, and that is just from the Mater Children’s Hospital and the Royal Children’s Hospital. We do not know the number of children from other hospitals across the state. We also used to know the exact number of children who were late for urgent surgery, category 1—that is, lifesaving surgery. Since the last state election this government curiously no longer publishes those figures in an exact format. But what we do know is that in the last quarter there were at least 31 children from the Royal Children’s Hospital who needed urgent surgery—needed lifesaving surgery—who did not get it within the required 30 days. 1986 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

This is a shameful product of mismanagement in Queensland Health, and it is about time that we committed ourselves to putting that right. Let us ensure that in this prosperous state a child scheduled for category 1 urgent surgery will not be left waiting. A Springborg government will give this undertaking. We will establish a protocol that will provide a guarantee of timely treatment for these children—that is, to ensure surgery for these children within 30 days; that is, a 30-day period accepted by the Council of Australian Governments as the required benchmark with no exceptions whatsoever. Under the protocol, children waiting for 15 days will have their names listed on a central register. Medical staff will be required to follow a three-staged process to ensure that all have their surgery completed within the next 15 days. Stage 1 is an assessment on whether treatment within the specified time is already provided for and, if not, stage 2 will identify another hospital to complete the treatment as specified. Stage 3 will ensure the necessary transfer of patient records to ensure that the surgery is conducted on time. This is a stark contrast between me, the children waiting in Queensland hospitals and the families of Queensland, and the Labor government. No children on a category 1 waiting list will be left behind. That is an ironclad promise. It is a simple understanding given by me on behalf of this alternative government to people who deserve better from the Queensland health system. Many times I have described the failure of the Beattie and Bligh governments to provide for water infrastructure. I have described their failure to provide roads, to provide hospitals and also to provide schools. Whilst we have those people on the other side and some in the general community questioning what we are saying about Queensland’s spiralling debt burden, I want to remind this House of a few salient points from the past. In the early 1990s and 2000s in this parliament, as well as publicly, we reminded the government year after year after year after year about the emerging problems we were going to have with the state electricity network. That is something that was not acknowledged. It was denied by this government and also many people externally. We were proven to be correct in the fullness of time. Similarly, in each of my earlier budget replies in this parliament I reminded people of the neglect of this government in the area of water infrastructure. Government members would stand up and say, ‘There is not a problem.’ They would condemn us for raising the issue and say that it was in hand. We have been proven to be correct. We will similarly be proven to be correct when it comes to this government’s spiralling debt burden. The emerging trend in the Labor Party is to blame the public for these failings. So Labor’s decades of failing to build dams or recycling capacity as a source for our industrial or agricultural water supply has been turned around by them into an aggressive program to require cuts to household water supplies and to condition Queenslanders into having long-term water restrictions. Because of Labor mismanagement, we have less planned flexibility in our water resources and more threats against householders who fail to address target 140, or target 170, or whatever level of restriction is necessary to make good the failings of this nanny state government. Of course, now we are paying through the nose for a haphazard mishmash of water projects. This Labor government is out there blowing the budget on its water pipeline and the inefficient Traveston Dam, but at the same time it is telling Queenslanders who to blame: just remember, water shortages are the fault of Queenslanders, certainly not their Labor government. Similarly, Labor’s failure to provide road infrastructure has become the fault of motorists. In the past 19 years, it is no surprise that the biggest leap forward in road infrastructure in Queensland occurred in 1996 when the National-Liberal government of the day approved the M1 from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and built it in 2½ years. Today, it has taken Labor 10 years to build a seven-kilometre bypass at Tugun. In this budget, as the RACQ has noted, investment in Queensland road infrastructure in real dollars has actually fallen. The fact is that, on this side of the House, there is an alternative government that believes that real investment in roads and transport infrastructure is essential. Rates of population growth in Queensland have been at or beyond the often-discussed rate of 1,500 a week for much more than a decade. Sitting opposite is a Labor government that is looking for excuses—any excuse, be it oil prices or climate change—to underfund our essential road and transport needs. One road that has constantly been neglected by this Labor government—a road that is significantly important to the continued growth of our state—is, of course, the Bruce Highway. For too many years the Labor government has passed the buck on this road that supports our mining, fishing, freight and tourism industries. Against Main Roads advice it has refused to make even a small contribution—of just 20 per cent of the cost—to these essential projects to get them started. The opposition will not stand by or join in the Labor Party tradition of playing the blame game with Canberra. The Bruce Highway link between Cairns, Townsville and Mackay—three of Queensland’s most important mining and tourism areas—is in desperate need of a better flood-proofed road. We will take the department of transport’s own advice and work towards the long-awaited 20 per cent contribution to our National Highway to fast-track the Commonwealth contribution and allow work to proceed. When it comes to roads and transport and the important part they play in putting food on the table and attracting interstate tourists, this budget provides another strong example of the divergence between the opposition and the government on the implementation of effective policy: our management, 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1987 their mismanagement and spin. In 1997, when the National-Liberal government was in power in Queensland, interstate fuel franchise fees on petrol were found to be unconstitutional. Queensland had so much resting on not having a fuel tax as it provided the state with a strong competitive edge. So at that stage we took the major, dramatic step to put in place a fuel tax rebate scheme to ensure that Queenslanders and those travelling into Queensland could maintain their competitive advantage. As I said, when the Commonwealth took over the fees, our Queensland government ensured that this competitive advantage was put in place and maintained the 8.3c a litre competitive advantage. Since then, the Beattie and Bligh governments have failed again and again to understand the value of a scheme that provides Queensland with such an important competitive edge. Firstly, they set out to remove the Queensland subsidy altogether and were rebuffed by a loud community protest. They then switched to a retail scheme that has weakened the impact of the subsidy and allowed 2c a litre to flow back into the pockets of the oil companies. Now, instead of going back to the scheme that protected Queensland’s competitive advantage, the government plans a total administrative meltdown with a scheme to put bar codes on Queensland drivers licences and to withdraw the fuel tax rebate for interstate trucks delivering groceries into Queensland and those interstate tourists who choose to holiday in Queensland. As I have pointed out over the past couple of days, even the analysis from within the Queensland government said that any move to change the existing fuel tax rebate scheme would put inflationary pressure on prices in Queensland. A big slice of the value of the fuel tax rebate will be lost when this silly scheme comes into play. The price of goods and services and groceries in Queensland will jump in line with the added cost of their importation. This will be state inflicted inflation. The tourism industry will be hit because of the impact on caravanners, driving tourists and rent-a-car patrons. The price boards at service stations will all show jumps in the price of petrol by 8.3c a litre. No longer will news coverage of fuel prices advertise our low-tax status interstate. On our side, we see the need for a simple fuel tax rebate scheme to demonstrate Queensland’s low-tax status and to help keep downward pressure on inflation and fuel and grocery prices. Those opposite stand for a scheme that will be inflationary, needlessly complicated, costly to administer and intrusive. It will impact badly on Queensland businesses, particularly those that trade interstate or rely on tourism. We are not far from the next state election, and I am determined that at this coming poll Queensland voters will have a clear choice. I, along with my colleagues, have been working hard to make the opposition in this state competitive and a real alternative. I always take the time to consider the difference in philosophy between our side of politics and the Labor side. Sure, we can speak of Labor’s union base and our entrepreneurial small business base and how Labor believes in high taxes to provide social infrastructure while we believe in incentives to lift and strengthen our community and its needs. But I also look at the practical outcome of that difference in philosophy. For example, with this budget I am again driven to despair at the government’s failure to honour its promises to the disabled. For six consecutive years I have spoken up at every budget as the disabled are brushed off by this government with false hope and promises of a brighter future. In 2002, this government promised to spend $12.5 million on infrastructure for the disabled. It spent just $6.7 million. In 2003, this government promised $22.4 million for infrastructure for the disabled. It spent just $8.2 million. In 2004, $34.3 million was promised. It spent just $14.9 million. In 2005, the promise was $40 million. Less than a quarter of that amount was spent—$6.8 million. If members think this is beginning to sound repetitive they are dead right, because this government has repeatedly failed the disabled. So let me continue. In 2006, the government promised $50 million for infrastructure for the disabled. It spent just $29 million. Last year the promise was $64.7 million. This week I went to see if finally—finally—this government was honouring its promises and its commitment to disabled Queenslanders. What did I find? It spent just $47.3 million—almost $20 million short of its promise to disabled Queenslanders. Once again, what does this government do to try to cover up? Again it promises record funding of $71.6 million in this budget. You can bet your bottom dollar the government is going to undershoot that next year. Before I move to the next topic I ask members to recall the government trumpeting its progress with implementing the recommendations from the Carter report which were made earlier this year. I ask my colleagues to note that despite all of the hot air the government has not even spent a tenth of its budget for the last year on delivering its response. Of the $5.838 million by year’s end, the government has succeeded in spending only $426,000. So even when it comes to the Carter report this government’s attitude to the disabled is nothing more than duplicitous. Next year, if this government is still in office, I fear I will be back in this chamber highlighting yet another failure. Let us look elsewhere. Project funding for families, youth justice and Indigenous centres, for example, was underspent by more than $32 million this year. Spending on early years education and service centres came in more than $14 million short. One would have to say that this year’s allocation of $6.6 million is too little, too late. The Brisbane Youth Detention Centre missed out on more than 1988 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

$5 million of its allocation and of the $1.9 million set aside for the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre only $261,000 was spent. The youth justice fitout and management project was budgeted for $1.446 million. Not one single red cent was spent. This year the allocation has dropped to $231,000. One of the Labor government’s biggest scandals of recent times came with revelations about the appalling state of accommodation for Torres Strait island nurses and the extreme risks they endure because of the failure of the government to meet its own workplace health and safety laws. Members know that a nurse on one of the islands was allegedly raped and there have been other horror stories about conditions endured by nurses and other public servants at various remote locations throughout the state. Everyone in this House would remember the health minister’s ridiculous denials and cover- ups about the extent of the problems and then his embarrassing, futile, ineffective and costly expeditions to the islands carrying bags full of deadlocks and duress alarms. In the wake of all of that it is confounding to learn from the budget papers that Queensland Health underspent on property, plant and equipment at primary health care centres in the straits and at various remote Aboriginal communities across Queensland. On Thursday Island, for example, it underspent by $5.7 million, at Hope Vale $2.5 million and at Yarrabah $6.6 million. According to the glossy ads we now see on our television sets every night, workplace health and safety is a high priority for this government. But it is only after I wrote in person to the government’s office of workplace health and safety that orders to require the health department to fix its remote area accommodation were issued. This is another example of mismanagement and spin as government policy compared to direct action from me and my alternative government in Queensland. I would suggest that everyone is appalled by the government’s mistreatment of its remote area nurses, and they should note another provision in this budget. Accompanying an increase in the mining royalty tax that this Labor government has introduced is a mine health and safety levy. I quote Budget Paper No. 4 which details the purpose of the levy. It states— Recover the cost of safety and health services provided by the Department of Mines and Energy to the mining industry. That sounds great. The government will collect $19.5 million in 2008-09 for mine safety but in the same Budget Paper No. 3, the government sets aside only $1.75 million for expenditure on the mines and energy safety and health initiative. So once again the government is taking far more than it actually intends to return in this crucial area of mine workplace health and safety. This government is so desperate for money and so cynical about its obligations to Queensland workers and the industries that employ them that in this budget it is using workplace health and safety as a revenue raiser. Labor spins and obfuscates. It is in love with the process but has no commitment to the end result. On our side of politics we are different. For a start, we are prepared to acknowledge those occasions when the government does the right thing. For example, while we are concerned that the increase allocated in the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries is just 3 per cent, it is at least an increase—the first true increase we have seen in this allocation since 2001. While one might say that that is not even enough to cover the increased fuel and running costs of DPI vehicles, at long last we are pleased to see an increase in this budget to provide for work skills training at agricultural colleges. In the rural sector, the fate of our agricultural colleges, including the members of the Australian Agricultural College Corporation, the Longreach Pastoral College, Emerald Agricultural College, Dalby Agricultural College and the Australian College of Tropical Agriculture, is causing real concern. We propose the transfer of those colleges from the Department of Education, Training and the Arts into DPIF. We believe that this will be a very positive and productive move. We do not accept the government’s proposed partnering arrangement. Each college should have local ownership through local boards and share in an increase in funding for research and development to deliver more flexible training. Colleges dying on the vine under Labor need support and revitalisation. A Springborg government would ensure that a greater focus and emphasis is placed on rural training by ensuring that the department has agricultural expertise. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries takes the lead on this important issue. Across the government we have had debacle after debacle after debacle. We have a stumbling, tired, complacent and arrogant government which has no plan, no vision and no idea how to turn around the train wreck it is managing. Let us look at the last few months: the Pat Purcell affair; the Torres Strait island nurse safety scandal; teachers striking over personal safety issues; nurses striking over safety and wages; electricity workers striking over wages; firefighters marching in the streets over conditions and wages; the ridiculous gravy train affair; the disaster and changes to bus and train scheduling which left thousands stranded; mismanagement and denial in the Woorabinda and Aurukun Aboriginal communities; a crisis in child protection and safety years after former Premier Peter Beattie went to an election vowing to fix it; hospital waiting lists exploding while the minister pretends it is all someone else’s fault; doctors, nurses and police leaving the system so fast they can barely be replaced and when replaced it is often by inexperienced recruits from overseas; a doubling in the number of people on urgent category 1 hospital waiting lists; changes to payroll taxes in Queensland which add up to an extra $4,500 to the cost of building a new home in Queensland—at a time when we are welcoming the government’s reductions in stamp duty for first homeowners in this state we have a government that 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1989 is taking with one hand and on the other adding up to $4,500 extra to the cost of building a new home in Queensland through changes to payroll taxes on contractors; the Commonwealth government’s $150 million cut in GST revenue to Queensland and the state Treasurer’s plan for a state based income tax regime; budget blowouts totalling billions of dollars across almost every capital works project on the government’s books; the opening of the Tugun bypass 10 years after it was started; the destruction of more than 70 local authorities in Queensland; the closure of the Townsville cardiac unit; and Dr Patel has still not been brought back to Queensland. Mr Horan: After they flew him out. Mr SPRINGBORG: As the honourable member for South says, after they flew him out—business class. Mr SPEAKER: I have actually said to the government members that this is not a matter for interjection and debate. I would ask members of the opposition to respect that. This is the Leader of the Opposition’s budget reply. Mr SPRINGBORG: We have had the funding crisis hitting the department of public prosecutions, which I outlined; the disaster of road access to Brisbane’s vital airport which has created a Third World travelling time for this essential gateway; the queues of ships waiting to enter our underfunded ports; level 6 water restrictions despite years of warning that necessary water infrastructure was lacking; Queenslanders standing on trains from the Gold Coast every morning on what is now called the ‘Bombay Express’. That is just in this calendar year. It is a litany of mismanagement, a sorry record of failing to plan. This is a government which is out of ideas and, frankly, out of time. From our side I have outlined five key policy areas which we will focus on leading up to the next state election. These are: one, climate proofing our state; two, becoming the renewable energy capital of Australia; three, creating a caring social system underpinned by world-class health services; four, sustainable development and housing affordability; and, five, building Queensland for the world after the resources boom. Under these overarching policy directions, the Queensland opposition will provide a genuine alternative to the stale Labor government that sits opposite. As part of our ClimateProof SEQ water policy, we have now unveiled innovative measures to maximise every drop of rain while embracing new technologies and water sources. The policy will deliver permanent water security to south-east Queensland. There will be incentives to help households and businesses maximise their use of rain and stormwater runoff, while bringing bulk water supplies online and relieving the region of harsh water restrictions sooner than under the government’s proposed plan. A large drought water supply ‘buffer’ would be secured, putting an end to Labor’s severe level 6 restrictions and a new non-climate dependent water supply source will be established—a desalination plant at Bribie Island. Close to $1 billion in capital spending will be saved in the short term, providing funds to build more hospitals, schools and roads. Fresh water supplies will be safeguarded, with recycled water dedicated to industry, agriculture and power generation. It is time Queensland was led by a government which does more than flip-flop from one crisis to the next. We must work harder to better manage the trust placed in government by all Queenslanders. We must strive to turn the dividend of our good fortune and strong economic management down the path of sensible energy policy, towards a greater use of renewable energy. Making progress on climate change—and that is a major issue for all of us—has not been easy. If we compare it to when we faced the problem of the hole in the ozone layer, the science regarding climate change has been more vigorously debated, the number of key players is much larger, the policy and program options more varied and potential solutions far more complex. Climate change is not simply a phase-out problem; it is ultimately about the prevention of and adaptation to damaging climate change impacts and the implementation of sustainable development, and that of course must include renewable energy. Solar energy is for several reasons an attractive option for adding safe and clean renewable energy. It is versatile in scale, it has low environmental impacts, it can work on-grid or off-grid and it is the most advanced renewable energy option. Domestic microgenerators based on this established technology are readily available—that is, they are available to every household to put on their roof. It is as my children would say ‘a no brainer’. Yet, despite these attributes, Queensland currently contributes only a small share of solar to overall energy capacity. Now is the time to show vision. Now is the time for strong and reliable support for the renewable energy business from governments. Now is the time to recognise the need to develop strong renewable energy sectors. Now is the time for a Springborg government to bring in real incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy and not the symbolic ‘greenwash’ we have been subjected to from the Bligh Labor government. My government will pay a gross feed in tariff for all suppliers of solar energy systems. What this means is that everyone who contributes power to the grid under this policy will be paid for every kilowatt hour they generate, unlike the government’s policy under which no Queensland home based system would ever hope to generate enough electricity to be able to feed back into the system under its net tariff proposition. 1990 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

My government would take first mover status and put Queensland at the forefront of the solar industry in Australia by providing certainty to the market and to the industry. We will provide that, as I said, by bringing in what will be a gross feed in tariff. Such a move we expect would encourage investment in ‘green collar’ industries in our state. This is something that the industry itself has been calling out for because it has said to us that the government’s arrangements will not encourage the uptake in Queensland of microgenerators. In actual fact there is a disincentive. If you couple that with what the Rudd Labor government has only recently done with regard to its appalling means testing of solar initiatives, that will mean a dramatic fall off in the uptake unless we go towards the arrangement which I have outlined here today. By extending a gross feed in tariff to our schools, shopping centres, sporting clubs and community halls, along with government buildings and ordinary Queenslander’s homes, we will put Queensland on the map as being serious about renewable energy, and this will set a framework to build the market and the scale of solar systems in the state which will see a reduction in the cost of those systems. A solar gross feed in tariff has been universally adopted by 46 countries around the world as governments get serious about renewable energy and the planet’s long-term health. It is time Queensland did likewise and under a Springborg-led government it will. On top of this dramatic improvement to our state’s solar commitment, as I announced in February this year, a Springborg government would also empower our regions to develop genuine alternative energy resources. Today I announce that a Springborg government would allocate $120 million over three years as a fund for local authorities to apply for feasibility and seed funding to develop regional alternative energy schemes which would provide power both to their own communities and potentially into the main grid. This significant boost to alternative energy development would make Queensland the capital for alternative energy development in Australia by 2015, if not before. It will mean that regions where wind farms are the best form of alternative energy will receive financial assistance to develop them. Where geothermal energy could be developed utilising the vast artesian basin, it will be developed. Where ethanol and biofuel can be developed and utilised, they too will be supported proactively by my government. Where our vast coastline and strong tidal flows can lead to the development of alternative energy delivery utilising the sea, we will also support those communities. These programs will allow the development of a state-wide industry, forward decentralisation of our state and give local regions the power and incentive to provide electricity and energy well into the future. I believe this policy will create genuine excitement across the state, from Coolangatta to Cairns and west to the border. These policies on renewable energy, which will be complemented by others in the lead-up to the next state election, provide a stark difference between a Springborg government and the Bligh government, which only provides incentives for 1,000, or probably fewer solar panels and a home service where people come to your home and tell you whether you are using the right light bulbs. Rather than tinker at the edges, we must change the way people think about alternative energy in Queensland and we need to involve our community to be part of the solution in a proactive way which provides them with a real incentive to invest in solar alternatives in Queensland, to be part of the generating sector. Not only that; it will make sure that there is a real system in this state where we can reduce our contribution to greenhouse gases in Queensland and actually build a better environment for the future. There has been an enormous amount of spin in this budget from this state government. We heard the other day about its so-called cuts in the areas of payroll tax, land tax and stamp duty. But how many Queenslanders would be aware that the sum of those cuts is no more than $150 million, yet the sum of its revenue increases is over $4 billion? So this state government is giving back one-27th of what it has taken in additional revenue rises from the people of Queensland. Again, this is the sort of sleight of hand which we have come to expect from this government. What the people of Queensland genuinely want from us in the future is a contrast between a government which is tired and stale and believes it now has a right to govern and spin its way out of a crisis and a new alternative government which will build for the future, which has meaningful renewable energy policies in the state, which actually cares for our kids who are on hospital waiting lists, which is actually fair dinkum about doing something about traffic congestion and which is fair dinkum about doing something about decentralisation into greenfield sites and other areas around Queensland that can take some of our enormous population growth. The people of Queensland do not want a government which is about fixing in its own mind a congestion issue by actually adding further congestion and not providing the public transport and the other things that will be required to make their lifestyles something they will be proud of and comfortable with in the future. What this government has done in the last few days is build up expectations but not actually deliver on them. What this government has done is actually condemn future Queenslanders to paying back the government’s bankcard because the government has fixed the problems of the past by putting them on the bankcard. That is the stark contrast between our side, which responsibly manages, and that side which talks so much about things. At the next state election, Queenslanders will have a stark contrast. I look forward with my team to being able to point out to Queenslanders the many and varied 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1991 deficiencies in this state budget, the cuts in crucial areas of service delivery, the blow-outs and the underfunding. I will be able to contrast that with our real vision for the future of Queensland as we go forward in the 21st century. Hon. D BOYLE (Cairns—ALP) (Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry) (12.31 pm): A sum of $1.9 million every hour of every day constructing and renewing the state’s infrastructure, building tomorrow’s Queensland today. That is what this budget is delivering. It is continuing the huge works program that had been commenced back in Peter Beattie’s day and that has been strongly driven now by Premier Anna Bligh and Treasurer Andrew Fraser. I am sorry to say that some quite incorrect and mischievous remarks have been made by the Leader of the Opposition in his presentation, particularly in relation to the tourism budget. He alleged that the tourism budget has been cut, and that is not correct. It is mischievous at worst and ignorant at best and shows that he and his opposition spokesperson are not able to read the figures in the budget. I am pleased to take this opportunity, therefore, to correct these misunderstandings or this mischief because it is a difficult time indeed for the tourism industry. I will talk about the budget for Tourism Queensland first. Tourism Queensland is a statutory authority constituted under the state government. The substantial part of Tourism Queensland’s budget comes through an allocation from the state government. However, Tourism Queensland receives other moneys from the tourism industry. In 2007-08, Tourism Queensland’s proposed budget was $66,459,000. The components of that in fact were some $49,988,000 from the state and $16,471,000 from other sources, largely industry co-contributions to campaigns. In this financial year coming, 2008-09, Tourism Queensland’s budget is projected to be $63,498,000. The components of this are a grant from the state of $49,070,000 with $14,428,000 from other sources. Therefore, it is correct that Tourism Queensland’s overall budget is $3 million less this year. This $3 million, however, is not due to a reduced grant from the state government but rather is made up of expiring special allocations and a forecast that industry will contribute less to joint marketing this year. What is apparent is that the Queensland government base funding has actually increased by $230,000 this year. It is not much of an increase, you might say, and I would take that on the chin because that would be true. Nonetheless, the fact is that it is an increase in the base budget. As is usual, in 2007-08 there were special allocations for a variety of projects, including the Queensland Tourism Strategy, to a total of $2,510,000. Most of these were time limited projects which have now been finalised. I would like to make specific reference to the Queensland Tourism Strategy and its funding. This is a 10-year program to which the government allocated $48 million commencing in 2006-07. This $48 million comprised new money for the implementation of the strategy as well as reallocations for particular projects under the strategy. A four-year program to implement policy projects under the strategy allowed for allocations that were biggest at the front end of the strategy, in 2006-07 and 2007- 08, and reduced in the third and fourth years—that is, 2008-09 and 2009-10. It is obvious that as the various projects are ticked off the remaining number of projects and therefore the money needed to complete them gets smaller until the projects are all finished. Nonetheless, I draw the attention of honourable members of the House to a particular new allocation of funding to tourism in the budget—that is, $500,000 for Tourism Queensland’s marketing promotion of a very important event for Queensland, the Rugby League World Cup. I am sure many honourable members in the House will enjoy participating in that event later this year. As difficult as the situation is for tourism at the moment, there is also some good news, but we do need to be mindful of the very difficult circumstances in which tourism finds itself. Airlines, both international and domestic, are increasing prices and rationalising routes as a result of record aviation fuel prices. The high Australian dollar is making it less attractive for overseas visitors to come to Australia and more attractive for Australians to travel overseas. Underlying this is the well-documented drop in Japanese tourist numbers to Australia which has been occurring year after year. Research recently released by the Tourism and Transport Forum, TTF, has indicated that Australia has lost esteem and standing over the last decade in international circles. You would have to wonder whether that is connected to our previous federal government and its policies of aligning Australia with George W Bush and the Iraq war. Australia has lost its profile as a great place to come for a holiday. The CEO of TTF, Chris Brown—one of the leaders of Australia’s tourism industry—has been blunt. He has said that Australian tourism has ‘lost its mojo’ and the number of international visitors to Australia is flatlining. This storm of negative events may not have ended yet. Further announcements of further route reductions in relation to domestic and international routes may be made in the days and weeks to come. The problems for airlines in relation to rising fuel costs are not confined to Australia. Three international airlines have announced financial difficulty over the last month. However, as they say, when the going gets tough the tough get going. The Queensland tourism industry is strong and resilient. We have faced tough times before—the pilots strike, the Sydney Olympics, the SARS epidemic and the dreadful terrorism events in the United States—and we have 1992 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 come through with flying colours. We will come through these hard times—again, with flying colours— and the Bligh government will be there to help. I have spoken with the Treasurer several times about the difficulties facing the tourism industry. The Premier, Anna Bligh, and the Treasurer, Andrew Fraser, have both assured the industry that they are watching the situation closely. I am working already with Tourism Queensland on some new and exciting projects to encourage international tourists to visit Queensland, to encourage those from the colder states of Australia to visit Queensland and to encourage Queenslanders to consider holidaying at home. We are not resting on our laurels. There are things we can do in the short term to increase our market share of those who are still travelling. Just as importantly, we will continue to work on the long-term and strategic issues we must tackle, particularly in relation to developing new tourism products in Queensland in the years to come. In fact, as part of my ongoing efforts, I am meeting this afternoon with the Tourism and Transport Forum, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, key wholesalers from Sydney and Melbourne, Tourism Queensland and officers of the federal minister for tourism to continue to develop responses both in the immediate term and for the longer term to assist our tourism industry. It is certainly not, though, all doom and gloom. We have strong prospects of growth in tourism from China, and we are in discussions with several of the major Chinese airlines about increasing services to Queensland destinations. That will be a major focus for this year and, in fact, probably for the decade to come. I am pleased to say, too, that I met only on Monday evening of this week with senior international airline executives who are considering expanding airline routes into Queensland. May I also make some remarks about what a solid budget this is from my point of view as the minister for regional development and industry. There are huge benefits in this budget for industry and business in general—payroll tax relief to those businesses with taxable wages between $1 million and $5 million, changes to the amount of tax payable at the land tax threshold, and further extensions of course of the infrastructure budget by 21 per cent. The Premier announced Smart State 3, which will be a huge contribution to continuing the expansion of our Smart State industries which are now well established but which will under this government’s stewardship grow in the years to come. Biotechnology, aviation and aerospace, marine, manufacturing, ICT, creative industries, mining, environmental technologies as well as tourism and other industry sectors will all be better supported thanks to this budget. As the regional development minister, I have to say that the greatest benefit in this budget for all the small businesses around regional Queensland is the huge rollout of capital projects. These are opportunities for so many small businesses in the regions to tender for, to supply and to do better business that will allow them to not only make better profits but also strengthen their workforce. I also thank the minister for public works. With my department’s support over recent years, we have particularly campaigned for local businesses to tender for and win wherever possible the tenders to supply the infrastructure in regional Queensland. Thereby, they have built their capacity and are securing on very many projects the great majority of the subcontracts that come in under that project heading. As the member for Cairns I would like to take a couple of minutes to thank some ministers who have made this a very special budget for the seat of Cairns and the people generally of far-north Queensland. No. 1 on the list is the Minister for Health. We have huge growth in Cairns and the urban area generally. That has put huge pressure on our amazing staff at the Cairns Base Hospital. They have been scrambling. Apart from getting more staff on board, however, a real problem at the Cairns Base Hospital has been that there has been no room for the increased services that we have needed and which the minister has been keen to fund. We need, therefore, a major rebuilding and expansion program, and that has been announced with funds that will be found through the sale of the Cairns domestic and international airports. But the health minister is not waiting on that. He has in this budget signalled some $460 million for the total project to expand and refurbish the Cairns Base Hospital, with $24.2 million to be spent in the next year as we kick-start this massive redevelopment project. The total project will mean enhanced health services for the community, additional cardiac care facilities and a full day-surgery unit. It will mean that the main section of the hospital, so-called B block, will be completely refurbished to provide a new home for specialist clinics and pathology services. The best received news of all is that Cairns will be getting a radiation oncology service as part of an expanded and comprehensive cancer care unit. No more travelling for Cairns and far-northern people for radiation oncology to Townsville or to Brisbane. They are crucial healthcare boosts and these services, particularly the cancer care unit and the radiation oncology services, will be planned in consultation with local stakeholders. A group known as COUCH has raised very considerable funds locally to support this project. It has led the community in expressing its very strong wish for these services to be provided in Cairns, and Queensland Health looks forward to working in partnership with COUCH and accepting the promised donation towards cancer care facilities and machines from the federal government to make this happen as soon as possible. In addition, aged care and rehabilitation facilities will be upgraded, and the mental 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1993 health unit will be considerably expanded to provide additional beds. The continued redevelopment of the emergency department will go on over this year, and I am also pleased to say that as an immediate measure 12 extra beds will be allocated and staffed in the general hospital. There is another little bit of good news. It may not be a major feature of the Treasurer’s budget, but it is a matter that has been a source of such annoyance to very many in Cairns. A relatively small amount of money that it is, it is great news. The Queensland Transport service centre in Cairns has been crowded at peak periods so much so that people in their lunch hours have had to wait more than an hour. It can be hugely frustrating. Our city is growing and I do thank the minister for transport, who with his staff after some investigation of the situation has recognised that our staff there—nothing wrong with them—are run off their feet at certain times of the day and the centre is just too small. So I welcome through the transport budget the news that Cairns will get a second transport service centre. The minister for main roads similarly deserves congratulations. We have roads projects in the north, in the west and in the south. They are very important roads projects—resealing, lights, traffic signalisation, upgrading of the pavement and so on. I particularly welcome the planning money for southern Cairns. Under the proposed boundary changes I am excited that I will be, I hope, looking after an area of Cairns further south that is known as White Rock and Forest Gardens. I am already aware that roads issues problems, traffic jams and congestion on the roads coming into Cairns in the morning, in particular, are probably at the top of their list of concerns. So I do welcome the planning money that has been signalled by the minister for main roads for us to sort out those issues—hopefully with federal assistance as it is the Bruce Highway—and I let the residents of those suburbs know that I not only look forward to representing them in general but that I will be on to these traffic and roads projects just as fast as I can. We also have some additional moneys for improving the safety of people in the CBD of Cairns. The best way to do that is through increased activity, better surveillance through CCTV cameras and through improved lighting. There is good news for kids in terms of our schools funding, TAFE funding and a technical college, and there is good news for our young adults who are the future of Cairns, particularly in terms of the abolition of stamp duty and mortgage duty. That should help them to get their first start in the housing market. I welcome, too, Minister Schwarten’s $13.8 million budget vote for building, purchasing and upgrading public houses in Cairns and the surrounding area. Seniors and pensioners have not been left out. There is an increase in the electricity rebate and my office has already had grateful calls that indicate that that has been well received and indeed noticed. I thank the Treasurer for this very good budget for Queensland, for building tomorrow’s Queensland today, for regional Queensland, for business in regional Queensland and for all of those who are so reliant on government services. Dr FLEGG (Moggill—Lib) (12.48 pm): This budget is a continuation of the great Labor tradition of old—a high-taxing, high-borrowing budget. This is a budget that has continued the trend of the previous budget with state borrowing set to soar even further to a projected $64 billion by the end of the forward estimates. This is a truly worrying figure that has severe consequences for the ability of this government to deliver services for Queenslanders in the future. The Treasurer’s debt splurge is particularly felt in the GOC sector where borrowing in every year across the forward estimates has been revised up on the previous year. Projections for 2008-09 are up by $6 billion and the further we go out the more the debt goes up. This government loves to create debt in GOCs and then claim debt is manageable in the general government sector. All Queenslanders know that it does not matter where we hide the debt, we will still be paying the $10 million a day in interest one way or another. I have grave concerns about the ability of the GOCs like Queensland Rail, energy generators and transmitters and ports to deliver services and build infrastructure when they are so badly indebted. In fact, we have seen the debt to asset ratio in GOCs jump to well over 50 per cent. This is far in excess of the levels of debt carried in GOCs in any other state. In some cases, it is three or four times the level of gearing of GOCs in the other states. If these companies were privately listed I am sure that the analysts would be cautioning investors to stay away on the basis of the strain on their balance sheets. This is the largest debt burden placed on GOCs by any state government in Australia. We also have a deficit for the year of almost $1 billion. This is the first deficit since 2001. Mr Fraser interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wendt): Order! Treasurer! Dr FLEGG: It is unbelievable that at a time of the biggest economic boom this state has ever seen— Mr Fraser interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer, direct your comments through the chair. Dr FLEGG: I can tell the Treasurer that if I was raking in that sort of money in state taxes I would be doing a lot better than he is. 1994 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

It is unbelievable that in a time of the biggest economic boom this state has ever seen a government could deliver a deficit. Our southern neighbours in New South Wales and Victoria, despite having seen nothing like the sort of boom here in Queensland, have both managed to deliver healthy surpluses. Yet this government’s mismanagement has left us in Queensland in the red. Previously it has been said that with the growing debt burden the Queensland government needs the economic sun to continue to shine and shine and shine. I think I said that in my budget reply last year. We saw this sharply demonstrated this year when a flood event was enough to plunge the government towards deficit. In fact, a stock market decline which was inevitable sooner or later and some heavy rain have plunged us deep into deficit and forced a total backflip in relation to accounting standards to try to make the situation look better. I note with some irony that the government has reversed its position taken last year to include government superannuation earnings on the books of its budget. Now that superannuation earnings have turned sharply downwards we have seen this government abandon the policy that the Treasurer’s predecessor, Anna Bligh, so vehemently defended during last year’s estimates committee. Then it was expedient to leave superannuation earnings in because they were going gang busters. This year the accounting rules have been changed now that the inevitable correction is there. It really is a case of voodoo economics and fudging the books when it is politically convenient to do so. Mr Fraser interjected. Dr FLEGG: Anna Bligh spent the last estimates defending the way it was done previously. Now the Treasurer is saying it is not transparent. How can Queenslanders have any confidence in the ability of the Treasurer to deliver his promised $800 million surplus this year when in fact his estimates from last year were out by $1.3 billion? How far is he going to be off the mark next year? If the pictures of the Treasurer portraying himself as impotent and tied up in ropes in the media are anything to go by, Queenslanders could be forgiven for thinking that we are somehow tight for money and in need of a quick budget fix. Yet this budget will see revenue jump by a massive 13 per cent on last year’s figures. That is despite the long anticipated abolition of mortgage duties. And yet the Treasurer is still trying to tell Queenslanders that the budget is tight. The budget is not tight. In fact, the budget income is up by 13.3 per cent. Inflation is in under four per cent. Revenue is up more than three times the rate of inflation. This is, in fact, as good as it gets. I welcome moves in this budget to reduce the burden of stamp duty for first home buyers. I note, however, that the government is still raking in a motza in duty revenue despite the changes it has foreshadowed. It is still anticipating a rise of six per cent again this year. Changes to stamp duty may— Mr Fraser interjected. Dr FLEGG: He is desperate to justify some of this. Changes to stamp duty may actually have an effect on housing markets that I do not think the Treasurer has contemplated. In a climate of a housing affordability crisis and rental shortages, whacking up the tax on the provision of such accommodation is certainly not going to help. We have also seen a startling increase in land tax receipts. They are set to increase by an amazing 28 per cent this year. We should not forget the raft of tax increases we have seen in the 12 months since the previous budget—hikes of up to 100 per cent on the duty to purchase motor vehicles, changes to payroll tax that will affect particularly the housing industry, retrospective changes to land tax in some circumstances that move away from the unimproved capital value, a raft of other new fees and charges including increased EPA fees, increased heavy vehicle charges and the list goes on. I notice in this budget that stamp duty on the purchase of motor vehicles is predicted to rise by over 30 per cent this year alone. Problem gamblers continue to be exploited by the government, with an expected jump of over seven per cent in gambling revenue. It seems that like so many problem gamblers this government is just unable to shake its addiction. We accept that like death and taxes gambling is here to stay, but gambling can ruin the lives of people in Queensland and parliaments have to stop looking at gambling just as a revenue source and have regard to the full effect of its impact. Coal royalties will provide a $3 billion boost to revenue in this year’s budget. It is up $2 billion on last year’s result. This is largely as a result of increases in royalties and prices. The government’s decision to suddenly up the take of coal royalties sends a disturbing signal to people who want to invest in Queensland—that is, they cannot invest here with certainty. The real issue here is that the many companies that might think of exploring or spending hundreds of millions of dollars investing in Queensland who have already faced a doubling of their capital costs, a dramatic blow-out in their operating costs and who plan for the long term based on the return of their investment through the cycle—the good years as well as the bad years which are sometimes loss making years—now have the additional uncertainty that if they invest in Queensland and the government’s budget is in trouble they may get slapped with an additional tax without any warning and that they were completely unable to budget for. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1995

This is the DDT budget. It is the budget about debt, a deficit and taxation increases. This is on top of the fact that the government has been progressively selling off many of its assets. I have no doubt, given the circumstances it is in with debt, that there are many, many more on the sales block. One measure contained in the budget that is quite astonishing is the Treasurer’s claim that he is going to fund part of his budget by cutting the first home buyers grant to purchasers of property over $1 million. It sounds good but does not stand up to any scrutiny. On closer examination, the saving produced in the current year is slightly above the taxpayer-funded credit limit that the government has provided former Premier Peter Beattie with. I am not quite sure how much of the budget Mr Fraser thinks this will fund. What it really is is this government breaking a promise. It is this government breaking a promise that this money would be returned to first home buyers to compensate for the feed-through effects of the GST on housing prices. It is a pretence that somehow cutting an insignificant amount of expenditure will make any sort of difference in the budget. In fact, the figures are that of the 33,500 first home buyer grants in Queensland 62 were for properties over $1 million. The Treasurer has not said a word about the cost of the enforcement regime that he will have to put in place to make sure that this is abided by. This is just a pretence to make it look like a cut has been made— Mrs Reilly interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Mudgeeraba, if you wish to interject please return to your seat. Dr FLEGG: The first home buyers grant was part of a promise to people that would offset some of the effect of the GST on purchasing their homes. Sitting suspended from 1.00 pm to 2.30 pm. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! Before calling the member for Moggill, I acknowledge in the public gallery staff and students from the Allora State School in the electorate of Southern Downs, which is represented in this parliament by Mr Lawrence Springborg. Dr FLEGG: Elsewhere in the budget I note that duty on life insurance products is down to $6 million. That is the subject of a private member’s bill that I have introduced as well as the budget, so I will not speak about it here. Clearly, it is costing more than that for industry to collect that small amount. I also note that with the petrol subsidy of $580 million there was a commitment from the Treasurer that he would return all of that to motorists, and we will be watching this very closely. If his new scheme does not return that to motorists we will be calling on him to increase the rebate. We have heard a lot here today from the government about debt and how good debt is. But I am afraid that for the Treasurer, just as in Seinfeld where there is good naked and bad naked, there is good debt and bad debt. Debt that is used to build economic infrastructure that produces a return either in its own right or indirectly by building the economic strength and prosperity of the state could be seen as good debt. One can understand why some business groups, desperate for long overdue infrastructure, have argued for its use in economic infrastructure. However, there are three sorts of bad debt that this government likes to use. Firstly, debt that you are forced to borrow because you ignored the infrastructure needs of the state for so long that the cost of providing it spiralled upwards and out of control is clearly bad debt, and clearly Queenslanders would have been far better off had appropriate economic infrastructure been built in a timely fashion with a reasonable amount of debt rather than what we see as out of control in this budget. Secondly, debt that is used to fund social infrastructure like schools and hospitals is bad debt in the sense that Queensland has always been able to pay for its social infrastructure out of the tax revenue of the day. Sadly, the economic management of this state is now so poor that we have to look to borrow to fund what we could once afford out of— Mr Fraser: A new economic principle that the costs should be shared by the generations that take the benefit of the infrastructure. Dr FLEGG: The Treasurer will get his turn. He is trying to waste my few remaining minutes, I see. He would rather not hear it. Thirdly—and every householder in Queensland knows this—if you blow your budget and you have to go and borrow in order to keep going, then the debt you have to use because you have blown the budget is bad debt. If one looks at these budget papers closely in terms of the general government sector with some $37 billion of revenue after borrowings, only around 10 per cent of that extraordinary amount of revenue has actually been spent in that sector on capital spending. On matters local in my electorate of Moggill, emergency services remain a major issue and top of mind for myself and many of my fellow residents. After some years of urging the state government and a number of emergency services ministers, the First Responder Program is finally up and running. I canvassed widely throughout the local area and about 75 community minded people responded to my flyer expressing their interest in further information. From that, we have now recruited the 10 people that are required to get the scheme up and running. We kicked off in the month of May—just within the last month. Of our 10 responders who are grouped into a number of groups which share a couple of emergency supply kits, there were 10 emergencies, sadly one of which was a fatal emergency, that they 1996 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 were called to respond to. I note that there are only two emergency kits and one defibrillator currently being shared among the four groups comprised of those 10 volunteers, and they are covering huge areas in Moggill, Bellbowrie, Anstead and Pullenvale. Subject to the feedback from those first responders, we may well be asking the emergency services minister to expand the number of kits that are made available to them. Whilst referring to budget matters relating to emergency services in my local area, something bizarre happened on the way to the office. The state government has long owned Emergency Services land near the Anglican Church on Moggill Road at Moggill. But with no fanfare—in fact, it would be fair to say secretly—this land was disposed of to a private developer. This prompts me to ask the question: why on earth would the government sell Emergency Services land far removed from any present facility in a rapidly growing community and where, by the government’s own admission, response times are inadequate? I would dearly love to have answers to these questions. So seeking them, I wrote to the minister directly to explain this apparently bizarre behaviour that possibly has a logical explanation. Sadly, I still do not know the answer because the minister has not bothered at this stage to reply to my correspondence. Sadly, I suspect the nonreply is the answer in itself. For many years now I have been urging the state government to take seriously the deteriorating traffic conditions along Moggill Road and the extremely limited access to public transport and public transport infrastructure. The government is currently doing two big transport studies within the local area—a Kenmore bypass study and a western Brisbane transport network investigation. I place on record here again for the benefit of the minister that studies are well and good and necessary, but what people want to see is some action to address what is clearly a completely inadequate situation. In relation to public transport, I have been urging the minister—Moggill is the largest electorate in Brisbane currently without any park and rides—to look at providing a park and ride on the corner of Grandview Road and Moggill Road in addition to one that he has promised but not yet built along Moggill Road at Kenmore. This sort of public transport infrastructure is urgently needed in the local area. Another area where the government’s services in the local area have fallen behind is that of education, particularly in the Mount Crosby-Karalee area. An absence of a high school for many miles in either direction coupled with many young families and a growing population and poor traffic conditions have compounded the problem. With over 1,300 children in just two local primary schools, this is now a significant priority for the local area. I note that the minister’s response is that there are not a lot of enrolments in public high schools. In the words of Homer Simpson, ‘Doh,’ because there is not a public high school in the local area for them to enrol in! Before concluding my comments today, I want to place on record my special thanks to Geoff Howie, who uprooted his family from Hong Kong to come on as my Treasury adviser last year during my time as leader. Geoff’s assistance with making sense of the budget and the figures has been absolutely invaluable, and we miss Geoff following his return to work in the private sector earlier this year. In the meantime, Geoff has added to his growing family and I congratulate him on the birth of his second son, Jethro. Time expired. Mr McARDLE (Caloundra—Lib) (2.39 pm): I rise to contribute to the debate on the Appropriation Bill 2008. As the shadow Attorney-General, the shadow minister for justice and fair trading and the member for Caloundra, I am very concerned about the appalling situation that is facing our courts. Labor has delivered the most congested court system in Australia and it just needs to be fixed. We must never forget that justice delayed is justice denied. Queensland’s justice system is now in crisis and will remain in crisis until Queensland has a government that not only talks about social justice but also practises what it preaches. The Beattie-Bligh governments’ 2008-09 state budget does nothing to change this situation. As I advised the House on Tuesday, I was provided with a copy of a review of the Office of the DPP. The former director of the ODPP, who the Attorney-General has now advised signed off on the review before she was appointed to the District Court, produced a report that should form the policy and funding priorities of this government. It is a damning report on this government’s running into the ground of the state’s public prosecutors. It talks of the miscarriage of justice issues that will occur as a matter of course because of a chronic underfunding of the ODPP and it lays the blame of the ‘Aurukun Nine’ miscarriage of justice firmly at the feet of the Beattie-Bligh governments. Under the Westminster system, the person who must accept full responsibility for the state in which we now find the ODPP is the Attorney-General and, through him, this government—not a low- ranking, overworked prosecutor acting under instruction in the Cairns based District Court. While the Court of Appeal is still considering— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! That is right and that is probably why you should not refer to it Mr McARDLE: Mr Deputy Speaker, this is not a rehearing. It is not sub judice. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: As you said, it is a matter that is currently before the Court of Appeal. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1997

Mr McARDLE: But it is not sub judice under the rules of the House, as I understand. Mr SHINE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I have informed the House previously— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is a point of order, I take it? Mr SHINE: I rise to a point of order. Both the Solicitor-General and Mr Davis, who did the report and review, have advised that the report should not be released prior to the handing down of the judgement of the Court of Appeal. Likewise, no comments should be made in reference to that case until that judgement is handed down. Mr McARDLE: May I— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, you may not. Sit down. Resume your seat. Member for Caloundra, I think we should have an abundance of caution in relation to this matter. This matter is before the Court of Appeal and I would ask you not to refer to it again in your speech. Thank you. Mr McARDLE: As you wish, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Labor government has designed—by policy, by poor planning and by serial neglect—a justice system that cannot adequately represent the interests of victims and the broader community. The ODPP’s review articulated very clearly the main difference between the Labor government and a Queensland Liberal-National government. Page 33 of the report says it all. It states— The current funding model gives the impression that funding for criminal matters in Queensland favours the accused rather than the victim, or the community as a whole. That simply endorses the comment that this side of the House has been making for some time— that this government is weak on crime and favours the accused and does not protect the victim. That is exactly what the report states. I turn to the funding for the ODPP since 2004 as set out in its annual reports. As at 30 June 2004, its budget figure was $23.585 million. As at 30 June 2005, that figure was $26.432 million. As at 30 June 2006, it was $26.288 million. As at 30 June 2007, the figure was $28.945 million. For 2008, again based upon the annual report, it was $30 million. I contrast those figures with the budget of the CMC. In the financial year to 30 June 2006, the CMC’s budget was $35,588,000. To 30 June 2007, its budget was $35,660,000. That is a significant difference in funding between two very important agencies. In no way am I stating that the CMC is not a more important agency than the DPP; the DPP is an equally important agency. But this government has failed to provide the DPP adequately with funding and resources to do its job. Queensland’s ODPP has only 67 prosecutors who handle 7,650 matters in the Supreme and District courts alone. That figure equates to a case load of 114 matters per prosecutor, while the national average is 27. The ODPP states that its vision is to— Create a high performing prosecution service through effective performance of prosecution functions; excellence in service delivery; a contemporary approach to emerging criminal justice and organisational issues and responsiveness. The ODPP plays a uniquely important role in the criminal justice system. The ODPP represents a community in the conduct of prosecutions of criminal matters in the superior courts throughout Queensland. The ODPP appears in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the District and Supreme courts, the Children’s Court, the Mental Health Court, the Mental Health Review Tribunal and in appeals in the District Court and prosecutes committals in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, in the Ipswich Magistrates Court and, in certain categories of matters, in the Southport Magistrates Court. The ODPP cannot attract and retain suitably skilled and experienced prosecutors to deliver a high level of prosecution service to Queensland. From poor pay to lack of recognition to a chronic underresourcing in regional Queensland, it is clear that unless major changes are made to the ODPP and the justice system as a whole serious miscarriages of justice will occur. The ODPP’s own report recommended that funding to the office be increased by $5.4 million each financial year for the next three years, which would bring the office budget to $47.8 million by 2010-11. The ODPP says that it needs less than 10 per cent of what the Beattie-Bligh governments spent on advertising in 2007. That extra funding will enable that office to better represent the interests of the public in our courts. When we consider that the Queensland government spent between $65 million and $70 million in advertising alone in 2006-07, the recommended budget increase for the ODPP is small. Indeed, the Premier has finally revealed that there are more spin doctors in Queensland Health than there were public prosecutors representing the interests of the public in courtrooms across the state. This is a problem, and the flood of full-page ads and the saturation advertising on prime-time TV show that the Bligh government is spending a lot of money on self-promotion which should be going towards reducing waiting times in our ports and our hospitals and on our trains and our roads. Let us face it, a glamour shot of the Premier is no substitute for a justice system that can deliver justice. I read with disgust and extreme disappointment the contempt that the Attorney-General and the government have shown for the ODPP in this year’s state budget. A throwaway $500,000 for the 2008- 09 financial year is $5.4 million short of what the Attorney-General’s own report recommended. 1998 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

I turn now to the way in which the budget papers represent and report on the performance of the portfolio of Justice and Attorney-General. It is clear that our courts are straining under the growing court case intake and the explosion in the backlog of cases. I am disturbed to read that the government will now cease to measure key indicators of matters older than six and 12 months in the system. In just six short years, the state court case backlog has blown out to the point that the courts are now working above and beyond current case loads. Yet the backlog continues to grow. In 2002-03, the Magistrates Court case backlog for matters over six months old and 12 months old was 2,880. In 2006-07, that backlog had skyrocketed to 17,650 cases. The 2008-09 department budget outputs are estimated to be $317,351,000—a seeming cash windfall of about $56 million from the last financial year. That money would go a long way towards improving the most congested court system in Australia. I also note that the Office of Fair Trading, Body Corporate and Community Management, the Commercial and Consumer Tribunal Registry, and the Retail Shop Leases Registry are all being incorporated in the overall department budget. Last financial year alone, the OFT full-year budget was just shy of $40 million. The bundling of a number of new agencies within the purview of the department has given the appearance of an overall budget increase that it does not, in the final analysis, deliver. It does not offer much promise in easing the Beattie-Bligh government justice crisis. At a time when the court system is buckling under extremely high volumes of work and with massive cuts in real funding, this means that instead of getting better the situation will only get worse and this perhaps explains why we have seen the government move to cover up the terrible state of our court system. ‘ The Attorney-General can blame the current fiscal climate for neglecting the state’s justice system, but it is an unsustainable argument when the Beattie-Bligh government is spending so much money on glossy glamour shots. The Attorney-General also juggles claims that attracting prosecutors to work in the ODPP is difficult at the same time as he thwarts attempts to increase their pay packages. If only he showed as much commitment to finding and funding prosecutors as the Premier did recruiting her Chief of Staff. With nothing done to address the needs of the ODPP the consequences of such neglect are reflected in the comments of the review— Without a properly resourced and skilled prosecution service, the ODPP will continue to struggle to meet its obligations. Growing concern within the practice has been that more junior and inexperienced staff are allocated work beyond their level of expertise. There is an increased level of risk of mistakes being made because the consideration of matters is, by necessity, rushed. The lack of appropriate resources to deal with the prosecution of these matters, particularly in regional areas, exposes the ODPP and the community to rushed decisions and inadequately prepared matters. The current difficulties being experienced in the recruitment and retention of suitably qualified and experienced staff in Brisbane is compounded in regional areas. This creates a situation where regional Queensland receives an even lower prosecution service than Brisbane. As there are only three prosecutors in the Cairns chamber dealing with 522 matters received for trial, the workload precluded a prosecutor being available to circuit Aurukun for sentencing of this matter. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! I have given a ruling in regard to that matter and I ask that you abide by that ruling or I will sit you down. Mr McARDLE: I apologise, Deputy Speaker. This budget should have delivered the funding and resources to repair and rebuild the ODPP for the future. This budget does not look toward the future; it does not even look to the present. It has not yet made up for the funding inadequacies dating five years back. It also saddens me that this budget means that Queensland’s victims of crime continue to suffer. The department has once again failed to meet its capital acquisition statement goals. The prime example of this is the IJIS project which I will not touch upon as it is the subject of a bill before the House at this point in time. In its failure to meet its capital acquisition requirements the government has not established infrastructure across Queensland in which legal issues can be dealt with whilst providing a modern, safe environment for Queenslanders attending court. The Beattie-Bligh government has failed to conceive and deliver an efficient process for legal issues to be dealt with quickly whilst preserving the principle that the decisions are delivered with justice and equity. Not one of the three successive Attorneys- General in the past five years has provided a budget which has delivered services and infrastructure in these two areas. If one looks to the actual spending on capital works within the department itself we see that some $332.7 million is to be spent on the department in its entirety, including its subsidiaries, the Public Trust Office, Legal Aid Queensland, the Anti-Discrimination Commission and the Crime and Misconduct Commission. Many capital projects within the portfolio have had their budgets blow out while others have been reduced in the past financial year. This government has failed to reconcile the huge demand on the civil courts where finalised figures in the Magistrates Court have fallen 8,000 matters short of its 2007-08 budget target. Increasingly, public prosecutors are not able to keep up with the workload and are not prepared for court. Judges are at their wits’ end with complaints that they are not ready to 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1999 proceed. We now have a court system accustomed to delays. This government has delivered the most congested court system in this country. While the Attorney-General now recognises that there is a serious understaffing problem, there is still little evidence that he is doing anything about it. If I can now turn to the state seat of Caloundra. Caloundra is a growing and expanding area, not only across the Sunshine Coast but also in relation to the balance of Queensland. However, we still have enormously long elective surgery waiting lists. In April of 2008 that waiting list had blown out to in excess of 300. In October 2005 it was slightly over 100. There are no funds available in this budget to deal with the urgent needs of the residents of the Sunshine Coast and in particular Caloundra to have their needs met on a daily basis. More important than that, the Premier stood up in this House yesterday and told the people of the Sunshine Coast and Caloundra that the government was going to ram through a new process and put in place a system which will bring tens of thousands of people to Caloundra but it is not going to provide them with the infrastructure needed even to deal with the current population. We have the situation where CAMCOS will not be in any way efficient or effective until 2025. The cost of the Kawana Hospital has now blown out to $1.2 billion and one more year has been added on to its construction deadline. At a time when the Sunshine Coast is enduring a transport system that is struggling to cater for the current population, we now face the real risk that within six to 12 months tens of thousands of residents will be moving to the Sunshine Coast. That alone is not a problem, but sustainable development and delivery of infrastructure must go hand in hand. The government cannot simply throw more and more people into a region without expecting a backlash across the whole community. In addition to that, it is quite clear that prior to making this announcement the Premier did not consult with community organisations or the environment council on the ground. At a point in time when we have just gone through a local government election campaign in which the people across the region overwhelmingly endorsed the policy that we would protect the environment and have sustainable development, this government has thrown that out the door. This government has determined that it will ignore the wishes of the people across this region and do what it wants to do. Today’s Sunshine Coast Daily quite clearly indicates the outrage felt across the Sunshine Coast. We are a tourist destination that derives its income in the main from our pleasing environment and the lifestyle that we offer not only to locals but also to tourists. Families with young children who visit on a daily, weekly and monthly basis spend money in retail shops, accommodation houses and many other businesses across the region. This plan by the Beattie-Bligh government will simply destroy the atmosphere of the Sunshine Coast and adversely affect the attitude of the local residents for one selfish reason: to support its mates, the developers, in achieving their own personal goals. Simply removing the rights and ignoring the wishes of Sunshine Coast residents is very wrong and flies in the face of every democratic principle of engagement with the community before taking on board major initiatives of this nature. The , which I have spoken of in this House on many occasions, is a collection of aircraft that is integral not only to the Sunshine Coast but also the whole of Australia with regard to the history of aviation in this nation. It is a collection of aircraft and memorabilia from the early 1920s right through to the current time. It encompasses the world wars, Korea, Malaya and also general aviation. That collection is situated at the Caloundra Airport and with the move by the state government to push forward development in that region it is even more urgent that that collection is protected for generations to come. This budget does not in any way, shape or form protect the Queensland Air Museum. It does not in any way, shape or form enliven more funds for the waiting list at the Caloundra Hospital. It does not move CAMCOS forward. It does not in any way, shape or form assist in the development of the Caloundra Hospital. It does not make provision for meeting public transport needs. In essence, what it does is simply leave things as they are—that is, running 10 years behind the times. At the same time this government thinks it can tell Sunshine Coast residents that they will do what they are told without taking the fight up to the government. I can assure the government that Sunshine Coast and Caloundra residents will not sit back and take this dictatorial attitude without a hell of a battle. Hon. KG SHINE (Toowoomba North—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland) (2.58 pm): I have great pleasure in supporting the Appropriation Bill introduced by the Treasurer. May I commend the Treasurer on the first of what I am sure will be many budgets that he will successfully introduce into this House. I seek leave to incorporate the remainder of my speech in Hansard. Leave granted. The 2008-09 budget combines the perfect combination of fiscal restraint and economic creativity to forge a strong financial path for a State that is experiencing unprecedented growth in a tight economic environment. In both my capacity as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, and also as the Member for Toowoomba North, I welcome the commitment of this Government to the ambitious program of infrastructure which is aimed at providing a framework for growth for this State. 2000 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

A record $318.7 million will be spent on capital works in my portfolio during 2008-09—with $236 million going towards the construction of Brisbane’s new Supreme Court and District Court facilities in George Street, scheduled to open in 2011. Other highlights to this year’s record $318.7 million capital works budget include: • funding to finish construction of a $92 million courthouse in Ipswich; • funding to complete construction on the $6.1 million Courthouse, expected to be finished during 2009; and • A further $2.5 million towards the $8 million upgrade of the Toowoomba Courthouse. I am particularly excited about this project. I spent much of my time in practice in this building, and, while it has served the community well to date, I am well aware of the need for a refurbishment. But it is not just capital works that will benefit from this Budget. My Department will have an injection of increased operational funding as well. I expect to appoint a new Director of Public Prosecutions later this month, and as a start to improve the operation of this Office, an additional $3.5 million has also been provided over four years to allow the ODPP to employ additional prosecutors, and a further $2.2 million over four years so the office can continue with its highly effective program for the confiscation of the proceeds of crime. A new Coroner for Brisbane, with the necessary support staff and a designated office for the Northern coroner in Cairns will improve coronial services to Queenslanders. The pilot of the Judicial Registrars has already proven to be a great success, and this budget provides $1.1 million to continue this innovative program. One of the major focuses of my Department has been the protection of vulnerable Queenslanders. Legislation passed earlier this year in this House introduced a cap on the interest rate that can be charged in Queensland of 48%. To complement this legislation, and to provide an alternative source of finance for vulnerable consumers in urgent need, the budget commits $600,000 this year, to a total of $1.2 million over two years, to assist the Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service to provide a no-interest loan scheme which provides low-income earners with safe and accessible credit for purchasing essential household items such as whitegoods or furniture. The Guardianship system for the protection of Adults with impaired decision-making capacity has also benefited from this year’s budget, with increased funding being allocated this financial year to provide advice and support, and enhance service delivery, including the establishment of a much-needed office in Townsville. My Department has been committed to reducing the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal Justice System, and the Murri Court has been an important way of addressing this concern. This financial year, $1.7 million will be provided to ensure the continued successful operation of the Court, which currently operates in the Brisbane, Caboolture, Mount Isa, Rockhampton and Townsville Courthouses, including Children’s Court jurisdictions. Safety of all Queenslanders is a priority for this Government. The Security Providers Act 1993 provides a licensing regime for crowd controllers, security officers, private investigators and security firms. Tighter laws on their own will not improve practices within this industry. The allocation of $2 million will provide for implementation and enforcement of new laws to raise standards in the security industry. I am pleased with both the capital works and the operational aspects of this budget for my Department. This budget provides admirably for an open, fair and accessible justice system that enhances community safety. Within my own electorate, some exciting projects have been funded, and I am pleased that Toowoomba residents will have such an increase in services and infrastructure over the coming financial year. Education is the big winner, with almost $1 million being committed to the development of new automotive teaching facilities at the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE. More than $1 million has been allocated to the Toowoomba North State Preschool Early Childhood Education Centre. Over $½ million has been provided for replacement amenities at the Toowoomba West Special School, and almost $300,000 for a multi-purpose indoor centre at Highfields State School. With the growing population in our region, road safety dictates that upgrades of roads and major intersections is a priority for our government. Almost $1 million has been allocated to commence improvements to the Ruthven Street and North Street intersection. Almost a further $1 million has been provided for improvements on Murphy’s Creek Road. $4 million has been provided to continue intersection improvements at the Ruthven Street and Jellicoe Street intersection. The provision of safe drinkable water for Toowoomba residents has become a serious priority over recent years, and this budget provides almost $6 million towards the construction of emergency bores at Toowoomba. Sporting facilities within the electorate have benefited from an injection of funds. The Toowoomba Turf Club will receive almost $300,000 to offset costs of maintaining training facilities. The Toowoomba Sports Ground redevelopment will receive $1.79 million for the redevelopment of the Clive Berghoffer Stadium. I have been particularly pleased to work with both the Premier and the Treasurer to provide funding from the Queensland Government for the National Carriage Project at the Cobb and Co Museum. This is just a start for the project, which has already received significant support of both a financial and non-financial nature from the local community. Funding for planning will be provided this financial year, and the transfer of property of a value of $2 million will be facilitated from Education Queensland. These initiatives will provide enormous benefits to the community in all areas of community life. Education, health, sport, recreation and disability services areas have all been well served by this year’s budget, and I commend the Treasurer on a thoughtful, well-considered and responsible budget. We hope to see many more from him in this House in the future. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2001

Hon. LH NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (Minister for Communities, Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Youth) (2.59 pm): I too join with other speakers and congratulate the new Treasurer on his first budget. As I have said in a number of forums of late, it is very good to have faith and confidence in someone so young, coming from an old girl anyway. The Bligh government is securing Queensland’s future with the 2008-09 budget, enabling the best delivery of human services. Disability Services Queensland and the Department of Communities are at the forefront of these efforts. This budget recognises this with a total allocation of almost $2 billion, an increase of approximately 14 per cent on last year. I do thank the Premier and the Treasurer for understanding the value and importance of the crucial work undertaken by this portfolio and its leadership in steering change and championing the non-government services sector. This budget will enable us to continue building on the achievements of the past nine months. We will be working in partnership with the Rudd government and the NGO providers across Queensland to deliver to our most vulnerable and at-risk citizens. I am also proud of what this budget provides for my electorate of Mundingburra, both within my portfolio and beyond. I seek leave to incorporate the rest of my speech in Hansard. Leave granted. For DSQ, the record operational budget of $1.235 billion represents an increase of $152.8 million. The breakdown of funding is $825.1 million for disability services, $386.3 million for home and community care services and $23.1 million for mental health services. We will spend an extra $68 million over four years to support people sooner, reducing stress and anxiety. As part of this four-year allocation, $15 million each year will support people through responses such as accommodation support, respite, and day services. It also includes $6 million over four years for non-government organisations so they can provide non-clinical support to people with a psychiatric disability. This funding for the Housing and Support Program will assist Queenslanders live sustainably in their communities, with the help and support they need. This Budget also provides DSQ with an extra $25 million over four years to support people with a disability and their families who are in urgent need of assistance. Mr Speaker, our partnership with the Rudd Government has delivered additional Commonwealth funds of $165 million over four years along with $18.3 million capital funds this year to support some of Queensland’s most vulnerable citizens. Mr Speaker, turning to the Department of Communities, I can report recurrent expenditure of $680.9 million in 2008-09, supported by $101.5 million in capital expenditure. This represents an increase in recurrent expenditure of $84 million on last year, and $72.6 million in new recurrent and capital funding over four years. Our focus will be on the central area of early intervention and prevention. This is further evidence, Mr Speaker, of the Bligh Government tackling issues in the ‘too hard basket’. In the area of Youth Justice, for example, this budget features $3.8 million recurrent and $16.4 million capital funding. A key element will be $11.4 million capital funding for land acquisition and planning for additional youth detention capacity in north Queensland. Another priority area is our major commitment for young children and families through our investment in the Early Years. Our innovative Early Years Centres in Caboolture, Browns Plains, Nerang and Cairns will provide services like early childhood education and care, parenting programs and even health services. Early Years is all about giving our children the best possible start in life, and this Budget demonstrates the Bligh Government is securing Queensland’s future. The Bligh Government is seeing over the next horizon, anticipating and solving problems, with this Budget investing in the social and economic well-being of our State. To capitalise on Queensland’s recent investment in the early years, this Budget has allocated $2 million in 2008-09 to support planning and implementation. As part of this, we will be working in partnership with the Rudd Government to secure our fair share of federal money for Queensland. The Australian Government, for example, has announced $520 million over four years to support early years reforms, and a further $450 million per annum from 2013. We are already working hard to secure our share of federal funding for up to 260 new early learning and care centres. We’ll use these initiatives to target areas of child-care need in Queensland, especially areas where there is socio-economic disadvantage and also our Indigenous communities. We are using our good relationship with Kevin Rudd to ensure a better deal for Queenslanders. Already the Commonwealth has agreed to provide Queensland with $2.5 million in 2008-09 to trial early learning programs in remote locations. Mr Speaker, the Safe Havens initiative is being supported in the 2008-09 State Budget with recurrent funding of $5.6 million and capital funding of $4.8 million over three years. Safe Havens respond to the needs of children and young people affected by domestic and family violence in Coen, Cherbourg, Mornington Island and Palm Island. 2002 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Under this initiative, office accommodation will be built in Cherbourg, Mornington Island and Palm Island, while investigations are underway in possible locations for Coen. Importantly, the department is working in partnership with communities on the ground to ensure their Safe Haven model takes into consideration each community’s needs. We are also providing: • A Commonwealth-State funding package of more than $100 million for alcohol reform initiatives in discrete communities; and • A $40 million Queensland Government contribution to the Cape York Welfare Reform trial. These are aimed at “closing the gap” in life outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. COAG’s “closing the gap” targets, include: • closing the life expectancy gap within a generation; • halving the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under 5 within a decade, and; • ensuring 4-year-olds in remote communities have access to early childhood education within five years. These targets require strong commitment by governments and all sectors of the community so we can make a substantial and lasting difference. This State Budget, Mr Speaker, also considers younger and older Queenslanders. There’s an allocation for youth justice and grants for youth, as well as more rebates for seniors. From the point of view of my electorate and the community of North Queensland, possibly nothing will be seen as more important and welcome than the extra money committed to Townsville Hospital. Mr Speaker, the $10 million allocated to the emergency department—$7 million to be outlaid in this coming financial year, and the $10 million towards 72 additional beds, also to be spent in 2008/09, will go a long way to help relieve overcrowding and often frustrating delays for people needing treatment. When the new $182 million hospital in the Townsville suburb of Douglas was opened on the 21st of November 2001 it was hailed as a state-of-the art tertiary hospital for the greater Townsville region and all of North Queensland, supporting residents west to Mount Isa, north to the Torres Strait and south to Sarina. The hospital has more than fulfilled its promise, however population growth has exceeded hospital planning expectations. In the five years to the end of June 2007, Townsville and Thuringowa combined increased by over 20,000 residents. Today, Townsville’s population is more than 165,000 and over the next 20 years is expected to swell by over 80,000. Put simply, the demands on Townsville Hospital and the people who work there have been far greater than was anticipated. I praise the hospital staff on the wonderful job they do in coping with the demands on their time and resources. This extra money in the Budget will mean more staff, more room and a greater capacity to deal with the large numbers of patients who will seek expert attention in the quickest possible time frame. The budget has also delivered $2.2 million for the birthing centre. Only last week at the end of Community Cabinet in Townsville, the Premier and Health Minister marked the start of construction of the centre with a sod-turning ceremony. By having midwives in attendance right through pregnancies, at birth and for about six weeks after that, the centre will offer a homelike alternative to traditional hospital maternity care. The guarantee of funding and the start of construction is a great credit to the Friends of the Birth Centre who lobbied long and hard to make the facility happen. Mr Speaker, the hospital is in my electorate. So too is James Cook University and I commend the $7 million budget allocation to JCU to establish the Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct. The venture, in partnership with the CSIRO and other leading research organisations, will enhance the university’s standing as one of the leading tropical research and educational institutes in the world—and indeed Townsville’s standing as the home for research and innovation in land and ocean-based tropical sciences. Townsville is blessed with a wonderful network of bikeway/walkways, thanks in no small part to collaborations between the Queensland Government and Townsville City Council. Ross River Parkway which extends along both sides of Ross River through several suburbs including Mundingburra is a focal point for community relaxation and physical fitness. I’m happy to say a budget allocation of $900,000 to Townsville City Council will enable the Stage Three development of Ross River Parkway to proceed. Works will include completion of the bikeway system including vital connecting links from adjacent areas, signage, new park benches, drinking fountains and bins, more landscaping, playgrounds and revegetation and construction of purpose built access points to the water to provide for activities such as small boat landings and fishing platforms for people with a disability. I note the budget delivers $7.5 million for commendable initiatives and campaigns aimed at combating obesity and encouraging Queenslanders to get active. I can say, Mr Speaker, the Ross River Parkway in Townsville is already out there playing a major part in keeping people fit and healthy. This latest allocation of $900,000 will help to make the Parkway even more effective than ever. I also applaud abolition of stamp duty for first home buyers on properties up to $500,000 from September 1, and the bringing forward to July 1 the anticipated full abolition of mortgage duty. Townsville, like most Queensland and Australian cities, is experiencing situations where house prices are growing out of reach. These and other budget initiatives announced by the Treasurer will go some way to helping make the prospect of owning one’s home a little brighter. As for housing, I make special mention of a budget allocation of $3.36 million to complete construction of 24 community managed studio apartments in Townsville, with a total cost of $3.74 million. As well, $15.7 million to expand availability of public housing in North Queensland including purchase of six homes and a start to construction of a further 51 homes. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2003

I am also very pleased $6.5 million has been set aside in 2008/09 in North Queensland for community housing programs and services to address crisis and long-term housing needs, and $1.688 million to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Community Renewal Program which is responsible for a variety of first-class community projects in the Townsville suburbs of Vincent and Heatley in my electorate and in suburbs within the Thuringowa, has received a budget allocation of $995,000 for the North Queensland region. Community Renewal is making inroads into producing happier, user-friendly and more caring neighbourhoods and I regard it very highly. Mr Speaker, continuous road and footpath improvements around schools, upgrades and targeted maintenance programs are of vital importance. This budget provides: • A further $138,000 for multi-purpose courts at Pimlico High School at a total cost of $277,000; • $104,000 for high priority maintenance at Aitkenvale, Heatley, Pimlico and Mundingburra schools; • $90,000 for parking and passenger set-down facilities at Ignatius Park College and Holy Spirit School Cranbrook; • $117,000 to construct a footpath at Cranbrook State School; • $45,000 for a pedestrian refuge and footpath at Ignatius Park College and Holy Spirit School; and • $30,000 to construct a bikeway and footpath at Annandale State School. Despite challenging fiscal times, Mr Speaker, it is fair to say this Budget is responsible. As a local package and a significant investment in my portfolio, Mr Speaker, I have no hesitation in praising this budget and commending it to the House. Mrs PRATT (Nanango—Ind) (3.00 pm): I rise to deliver my speech in reply to the 2008-09 budget. I would like to thank the Treasurer in advance for the moneys allocated to the Nanango electorate. I recognise that there is never enough money to go around and the old saying is that you cannot please everyone. But like everyone else in this chamber I will be holding my begging bowl out for a lot, lot more. I could not help but notice to a certain extent that this budget is primarily a south-east corner budget, and there will be many in the House who will ensure that the government is fully informed of the vastness of the state when it comes to disbursement of funds. It is my responsibility, however, to make the Premier and the Treasurer aware of the needs of the Nanango electorate. On many issues I will sound like a broken record as once again I will raise roads, health and many yet unmet needs. I will start with our roads. RACQ recently graded the D’Aguilar Highway as one of the worst and most needing of urgent upgrades. This particular road is the artery for those travelling north via the inland route. Many travel this way to get out of the coastal road chaos and it is this highway which runs right through the Nanango electorate that is the preferred route for many heavy transports. Yet it is a road that continually misses out on appropriate and necessary reworking but instead continues with merely patches and bandaids. How many of the fatal crashes could have been reduced by engineering improvements to roads and roadsides? I do not ask for this road to receive essential overhauling just because I think it needs it but because it is a highway where three roads merge into one. The Beerwah Road, as many know, is renowned for car and motorcycle accidents. Because of the number of injuries and deaths, this road has received much-needed attention. The Beerwah Road feeds Gold Coast traffic on to the D’Aguilar Highway, doubling the traffic flow on what the RACQ itself has rated as one of the worst and most needing of urgent upgrades. There is a third road. The Brisbane Valley Highway also feeds on to this particular road. There are three very busy roads channelled into one and yet this road cannot get the attention it needs. All this traffic threads up the Blackbutt Range, a road recognised as needing major work. It gets put on the RIP and then removed again. The need to upgrade the Blackbutt Range cannot be put off forever because the cost of upgrading is only getting dearer. But to date it gets patches and bandaids as well. It has a very steep pitch. No truck, unless broken down, would dare to stop in the tiny lay-bys and risk losing what little forward momentum they have. Anything other than a small truck will not pull over to allow passing traffic. By the time they get the prime mover over they head out again before the tail of the B-double even clears the main road. Cars simply cannot pass—the lay-bys are far too small. Queensland Rail should be carrying much of the heavy goods that these trucks carry but, as members know, we do not have any trains left in the South Burnett or the Burnett. The trucks are bigger, heavier, more numerous and service more industries and businesses as the districts grow through people taking a tree change. The cars and caravans are more numerous as baby boomers join the older generation of grey nomads. Please give us a break. Do not try to tell us that the opposite of what we know is true. The road is busier, more dangerous and desperately in need of overtaking lanes. Overtaking lanes are needed to accommodate the increased traffic flow. Join up the little lay-bys. Put in an overtaking lane. A little imagination, the will to do it and a fair bit of cash will in fact achieve it. 2004 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

We have the Gold Coast traffic via Beerwah Road, as I said, the north Brisbane-Caboolture traffic via the D’Aguilar Highway and the south Brisbane-Ipswich traffic via the Brisbane Valley Highway all funnelled up this very dangerous range on a road that is described, as I said, as the worst and most needing of upgrades. Yet nothing substantial is achieved and this can only be called a shame and a disgrace. But let us keep going along the D’Aguilar Highway for it is a long road. The Yarraman section of the highway has the dubious honour of being named as one of the most dangerous stretches of road. An AAA research report allegedly shows that a one-star improvement in a road’s design has the potential to halve the community’s cost from crashes involving death and serious injury, while a two-star improvement halves it again. Surely this is an admirable thing to achieve. The Kilcoy-Murgon Road from Jimna to Landcruiser Mountain Park is another dangerous road. There are 15 kilometres of dirt. It is made more dangerous due to the influx of tourists from the cities who are inexperienced in driving on gravel roads. It is not unusual to meet vehicles on the wrong side of the road and on crests and curves and sometimes they are even parked side by side on blind corners while the drivers talk to each other. It is unbelievable but it is true. Most city drivers believe that if there is no white line on the road they can have all the bitumen, but as most country people know you head off onto the grass verges to allow anyone to pass and you do slow down just in case people do not realise they should. The government has a duty of care to our tourists. Bitumen, signage and a centre white line will help prevent serious mishaps. We are currently seeing far too many children critically injured or dying in accidents involving off- road, unregistered motorcycles. In Blackbutt a man by the name of John Trousdell, a semiretired cattle farmer, has turned his farm at Blackbutt into a place where four-wheel drives, trail bikes, mountain bikes and quad bikes can be driven and ridden for fun but with extreme safety. He tolerates no misbehaviour, unlike many of these parks. His dream is to turn this facility into a training area where kids can be taught how to handle these powerful machines under strict supervision. He believes that they are currently let loose by indulgent parents without any training at all. He wants to see the government become as concerned as he is about the waste of young lives on unregistered motorbikes and to do something about it. He and I both encourage the government to look at having no-nonsense facilities like John’s in every town. Coming from a rural area, biosecurity is a major concern. Although I do believe Labor governments never fully understand the requirements and the value of this sector—and I base that on the continual reduction in the DPIF budget every year—I was pleased to see $90.3 million going towards boosting biosecurity measures. I can only credit this 10 per cent increase to the equine influenza outbreak last year and the impact it had on associated industries. I never thought I would be thanking an outbreak of a disease for anything, but EI brought to the attention of the government the devastation that the loss of biosecurity can bring to our shores. Closure of biosecurity offices all around the state will cost those producing food and the state very dearly. There is, however, much more funding needed for groups such as catchment care groups to help in the control of blue heliotrope, African lovegrass, parthenium, creeping lantana and cat’s claw to name but a few. Invading weeds will strangle food production unless adequate funding is earmarked to stop them. We hear so much of an impending food shortage but little or no increase has been given to controlling these weeds. Governments must increase the fight to control or eradicate invasive weeds that threaten the little productive land that still exists. I note the $5.6 million enhancement for establishing more state owned hardwood plantations but the dropping of drought assistance at the same time when, although there have been deluges on the coastal fringe, much of the state remains in drought. Land converted to lifestyle blocks and hardwood forests do not produce and feed the country. It is well known that seasonal crops do more to offset carbon emissions and which become neutral after a few years, yet governments invest in timber but not food crops for the populace. It is a case of more timber and less tucker. Speaking of timber, my office has been called by Rod McInnes from the Queensland Timber Board. Apparently Forestry Plantations Queensland is refusing to proceed to arbitration as directed by Minister Mulherin. This may result in the complete closure of the Yarraman sawmill by the end of the month. I ask the minister here to urgently attend to this matter. Get Forestry Plantations Queensland to the table and protect the jobs of the workers of the Yarraman sawmill. The mayors of the region have stated that, since the amalgamation of the councils, needs associated with the moves have been exposed which were not recognised at the time of amalgamation. There exists a need for additional funding towards information technology set-up costs—a uniformity of equipment which will assist with the linking of council offices in the various towns of the region—and a need for more office space. The council believes there is a need for government to implement town- planner training, possibly through the local TAFE colleges, even if it is only for a junior assistant level. There is the issue of the sealing of the Bunya Mountains Road and the fact that roads and bridges are in extreme need of repair. Some have been closed for over 18 months and this, too, is a shameful occurrence. Funding is needed for repairs to collapsed culverts and assistance with funding is needed to 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2005 attend to the repairs and/or replacement of local infrastructure, such as filtration systems on the local pools. There are many areas where financial assistance is required, and it is asked that the government look favourably on these and future regional council requests. The South Burnett Regional Council has also asked me to put forward a request for funding towards a Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen memorial cultural centre. Although there was a reluctance by the previous Beattie government to supply any substantial funding towards this project, the council is hoping that the Bligh government will be a little more willing. A lack of town-planners in the new amalgamated shires is causing enormous problems also. Each officer has up to 50 applications in front of them at any given time, but a lack of available trained people is preventing council from hiring anybody suitable to take a load off the present officers. Due to the workload the error level is unacceptably high, and the council has asked that government initiate a drive to encourage more future town-planners. Now to the major issue of health. More incentives to attract dentists, doctors and other medical staff to the South Burnett are needed. I know that the minister knows this, I know that the Premier knows this and I know that every member knows it: dentists and doctors in many areas have closed their books because they are unable to handle any more patients. There are no replacements when doctors go on holidays or are sick or when specialists get sick and go on holidays, and one has to ask: what is the government doing to help fill these vacancies when they occur? One of my constituents broke a tooth recently. He always goes to a private dentist but the private dentist could not fit him in until the end of July. His broken tooth not only ached but also lacerated his tongue and his mouth and he could not eat. He decided he would go to the public dentist, but they turned him away because he did not have a pensioner card. He found relief only by travelling all the way to Toowoomba to find a dentist there who took pity on him and his pain. Surely, utilising mature-age, retired professionals to fill gaps during sickness or holidays could be an option. At this point, there is only one dentist operating at the Kingaroy Base Hospital dental unit when there should be four. There is no way that person is able to make any impression on the waiting lists and they continue to blow out. I have been told that more dentists will arrive in approximately 12 weeks to four months. This is not going to make a dent in the waiting list at all. As I said, we need another two beyond that. Establishing a renal unit at Kingaroy Hospital remains a passion for me and many others in the area. We were informed last year that we would get one and then we were told we would not. The minister says in one breath there is a two-chair, self-care renal dialysis unit at Cherbourg Hospital available to South Burnett residents but then in the next breath states that none of these people currently travelling from the South Burnett to Toowoomba three times a week for haemodialisys are able to use it. That in itself was a useless statement. Tell us what we do not know. Tell us when a renal unit will be built. I have to state here that the money has been set aside to look into establishing such a unit in Kingaroy, and I thank the Treasurer for that very small step in the right direction. The price of petrol is everyone’s concern. One alarming trend from higher fuel prices is that dealers are reporting to me that a large number of young people are now using their credit cards to obtain fuel. This can only compound an already dire situation of rising personal debt and will ultimately lead to more bankruptcies. I can only hope that the measures put in place by the government will work. Fuel prices continue to impact heavily on people in the patient travel assistance scheme. Fifteen cents a kilometre is better than nothing, but really not even 50c is going to help the terrible financial pain South Burnett patients are going to feel when they travel to Toowoomba or Brisbane on a regular basis for specialist care. Concern has been expressed in news items on ABC regional radio recently that people will stop travelling to the cities for medical treatment because they will not be able to afford it. This I know to be true. I have had this stated to me personally by a local man who was recently diagnosed with cancer. His words were along the lines of, ‘It’s too hard, too costly, and I don’t want me or my family to waste what little time I have trying to work within a system that fights you for every penny.’ That is a very sad state of affairs. Why isn’t it possible to pay the South Burnett Community Integrated Transport Service, known as SBCITS, to help provide transport for anyone who needs to visit one of our major hospitals? They do a huge amount towards relieving the lack of transport in our area. Their drivers are all volunteers, and passengers can make a donation if it suits their pride. I believe the government would overcome rural transport problems by funding SBCITS and allowing them to travel further afield and not restricting their movement. Please remember that we are talking about patients undertaking long trips, often in great discomfort, and I ask the government to seriously consider this. It is a cheaper option than many others. Consideration must now be given to building a new hospital for the South Burnett. The current hospital has been tweaked and stretched and has no capacity to be tweaked anymore. I note the assertion that our health system and hospitals will receive the majority of funding received from the sale of our airports, and I ask: is any of this actually going to go into the Nanango electorate? Let us look at the statistics. As much as I hate statistics, these are so bad that doctoring them in any way will not even 2006 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 make them much better. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is how I see selling the airports to improve hospitals. Isn’t it like major retail stores selling off all their delivery vans to maintain their shelving? At least the airports are major profitable assets giving good return. Kingaroy Police Station is still so far below standard, even after minimal renovations. I have been told there is nothing wrong with it that a bulldozer couldn’t fix, and I have to agree. I was also told that the commissioner is well aware of Kingaroy Police Station’s increasing ‘dump’ status and is doing whatever he can to remedy the situation, but the fact is that the government must erect an entirely new station. The government is currently spending money on termite checks every six months to keep the insects at bay and, believe me, that is not cheap. A lick of paint can cover a multitude of sins, but they are still there and the government can only fool itself for so long. The police at Kingaroy deserve a new police station. I thank the government for the new station at Woodford, but Kingaroy police have waited long enough. Please let it be their turn to have a new premises. Those who are forced to work in the courthouse and serve jury duty deserve to do so in a decent building. They should not be forced to wait outside in extreme heat or cold weather or be housed in the nearby CWA. At least they have shelter and water, but they deserve better. I note that a lot of money is being spent on new ambulance stations. Although I know that is necessary, too, I wonder whether we have enough staff to man them. I would expect the answer is no. There needs to be more training for new emergency staff and greater support for the staff we have now stretched to their limits. The non-emergency ambulance transport that constituents in my area, such as dialysis patients, heavily rely on needs some sort of assistance to enable it to be on time, at the very least. Patients have been forced to miss their appointments they have been waiting a long time to get because the non-emergency ambulance has been an hour late picking them up. This often results, I am told, in patients being forced to wait several extra weeks or months for a new appointment. Although it may not seem much to members here in the House, the stress, added expense and other associated costs et cetera for the patients and their families are an impost they cannot afford. The chronic shortage of affordable housing in my area is a huge concern. I have been told by one of the community services in my area that there are up to seven new homeless people each week. It is sometimes necessary for the government to repair, repaint and recarpet commission houses after tenants have left, but is that always necessary? Being provided some accommodation that has had a good clean-up is preferable to sleeping rough, and this would shorten waiting lists. The Kingaroy TAFE facility is a major asset which is underutilised. It would be a fantastic teaching facility with some forethought and the provision of a bus to transport students from outlying towns such as Yarraman, Proston and Murgon to the north. I have mentioned in this speech the possibility that training could be undertaken in this facility, and I ask the government to do everything in its power to allow this much-needed facility to be a shining light for education in the state. Education has virtually been ignored in this budget, and teaching staff feel affronted by this omission. I have not had a lot of feedback yet but what I have had is very negative. The WaterWise rebate scheme has been refused to those who are not connected to a town water supply, but where do these rural residents get their water from when their tanks and dams run dry? They get it from the town supply, of course. It would therefore be in the government’s best interests to continue rebating rural residents for tanks, and I ask the government to review this decision. Toogoolawah Golf Club is in dire need of help with their greens. Their sister club in Esk has been able, with the help of a federal grant, to get greywater, but this has not been possible for Toogoolawah. A treatment plant capable of treating Toogoolawah effluent to the point where it could be used will cost $60,000 and then there would be another $120,000 for pipes, storage et cetera. Although Brisbane has had a good downfall, it is essential the government does not forget these small towns which struggle on a daily basis to maintain community facilities, and offers of assistance or favourably looking upon grant applications from these organisations by government would be a great help. This budget has its negatives and positives for the Nanango electorate, and I ask that the budget allocation to the electorate be recognised. I table the budget allocations that apply to the Nanango electorate. Tabled paper: Document titled ‘Nanango Electorate Budget Allocations 2008-09’. As I said, there is good and bad in this budget. It is city centric; it is south-east corner centric. However, I congratulate the Treasurer on his first budget. It could not have been an easy thing to do, and I congratulate the Premier as well. There are so many things I could raise but I have very limited time, so I will finish now and I ask that all the things that I have addressed and many of the other things that will be brought to government in the next few months will be looked at favourably and addressed with the hope of seeing them all come to fruition. Hon. TS MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries) (3.20 pm): I rise to support the 2008-09 state budget handed down on Tuesday by the Treasurer, Andrew Fraser— the first budget under the premiership of Anna Bligh. This is a budget that looks into the future. It is a budget which responsibly caters to a rapidly growing state. With an operating surplus of $809 million in 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2007

2008-09 and net worth budgeted to increase to more than $140 billion by 2012, there is no doubt Queensland is in good shape. We are, again, outpacing the national economy—a situation that has become the norm after 13 years. I congratulate the Treasurer on a budget that provides the means by which Queensland will grow even further. It is a budget that boasts significant increases in funding and focuses on health and infrastructure including in the Mackay region. In fact, the Mackay region, represented by me and my good friend, the member for Whitsunday, Jan Jarratt, is a major beneficiary of the Bligh government’s focus. Before I speak about the region of Mackay, I want to stress that this is a budget for all Queenslanders. It is not south-east Queensland centric, as some have claimed. In fact, government agencies including DPIF, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, the Environmental Protection Agency, the department of local government, and the Office of Climate Change have collectively increased their budget investment in the rural sector by 4.9 per cent, from $886 million in 2007-08 to $930 million in 2008-09. Moving to the Mackay region, there are many highlights—too many to mention today, but I will speak of some. The first allocation towards the new Mackay Base Hospital, almost $173 million to be invested in the region’s electricity network capacity and reliability, $66 million to duplicate the Forgan Bridge and more than $21 million to be spent on the Peak Downs Highway are just a few examples of benefits to the region. Yesterday the Treasurer announced a record infrastructure budget of $17 billion—up 21 per cent on last year’s budget—and the Mackay region has featured prominently. The region, with just on four per cent of the state’s population, has scored just under 10 per cent, or $1.63 billion of the state’s total in infrastructure spending. This recognises that the resource-rich Mackay region is a significant contributor to the state’s economy. The Bligh government is committed to meet the growing needs of the community, spending on health and safety infrastructure and initiatives including $5.3 million to commence construction on the new $405 million Mackay Base Hospital. The Bligh government is delivering on its commitments to health services. I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. In our region there also will be: • $7.1 million for the Home and Community Care initiative; • $3.3 million to support people with a disability through a range of programs; and • $1.2 million for counselling and support services for victims of domestic and family violence. $600,000 has been earmarked for Mackay community-based rehabilitation transition health services as part of total State Government funding of $2.2 million with a total cost of $3.6 million. The Bligh Government recognises the Mackay-Whitsunday region’s growth. Almost $173 million is to be invested in the region’s electricity network capacity and reliability including: • $73.2 million to construct a transmission line between Nebo and Strathmore; • $56.0 million to reinforce electricity supply to the coal ports and surrounding area of Hay Point/Dalrymple Bay; and • $43.6 million for a new substation at Glenella and upgrades at Airlie Beach. There will be considerable expenditure on the Peak Downs Highway—$21.8 million—including work on the Clermont to Nebo and Nebo to Mackay sections. There also is $2.5 million for work on the Mirani-Mount Ossa Road and $450,000 for work on the Sarina-Coast Road at Eversleigh Road. $173,000 has been earmarked to construct a new bridge on the Pleystowe Connector Road and $47,000 to realign sections of Christoe St near the Taylor St intersection. An allocation of $400 million has been made to improve rail infrastructure as part of the $500 million Jilalan yard upgrade and $355 million for the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. This includes: • $250 million of $818 million towards the terminal’s X50 Expansion to increase its capacity to 50 million tonnes annually; • $70 million as part of a total of $95 million towards the terminal’s X25 Expansion to increase its capacity to 25 million tonnes annually; • $35 million towards the $68.3 million renewal of the terminal’s stacker reclaimer 1 and 2; • $32.5 million towards the duplication of the track between Broadlea and Wotonga; • $16.8 million towards replacing the St Lawrence River Bridge; and • $14.4 million for initial infrastructure work between Goonyella and Abbot Point Expansion as part of the $46.1 million Northern Missing Link project. $66 million is earmarked to duplicate the Forgan Bridge, $11.6 million to construct the Hospital Bridge and $8.12 million to improve the reliability and supply of water including $6.2 million for the Sarina Water Supply Pipeline. There is $15,000 this year for the installation of traffic signals at Shakespeare St and Goldsmith St and Shakespeare and Milton St intersections. 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Other infrastructure allocations include: • $3 million for improvements to the runway, taxiways and aprons at at a total cost of $7.12 million; and • $500,000 this year to renovate terminal space for retail opportunities at Mackay airport. Looking to education and training there is some $32.2 million to deliver over two million hours of vocational education and training in the region, including $0.6 million to provide additional trades training places as part of the Queensland Skills Plan. This is expected to create an additional 780 training places in the Mackay-Whitsunday region by 2010. There is also $14.4 million towards developing a specialist trade training centre in Mackay; $6.6 million to widen the Mackay-Bucasia Road; and $6.2 million to widen the Rockleigh-North Mackay Road at Twelve Mile Creek, south of Nebo. School maintenance and capital works programs have also been recognised with: • $625,000 to complete additional amenities at Homebush State School; • $590,000 to complete replacement amenities at Mackay North State School; • $300,000 for additional amenities at Bowen State High School; • $350,000 for additional amenities at Nebo State School; and • $60,000 to subsidise undercover walkways at Seaforth State School. • $35,000 will be injected this year for high priority maintenance at the Mackay District Special School; • $17,000 for targeted maintenance at Slade Point State school; and • $12,000 for high priority maintenance at Mackay State High School. The Queensland Government is also very conscious of improving housing affordability. Low-income families and individuals in the Mackay-Whitsunday region will receive: • $11.9 million to construct, purchase and upgrade public housing and land; • $2.7 million towards affordable rental accommodation; and • $2.1 million for community housing programs and services to address crisis and long-term housing needs. The Government will also increase its supply of social housing in the Mackay-Whitsunday region in 2008-09 by purchasing or completing construction of 78 homes and commencing the construction of 21 homes. This comes on top of the Treasurer slashing stamp duty and mortgage duty to give Queenslanders greater access to the housing market. What this means is for someone spending $450,000 on their first home in Mackay, there will be a real saving of more than $9000. I would also want to speak on my portfolio of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Mr Speaker, Primary Industries and Fisheries is poised for a fresh approach. The key is a strategy to expand primary industries’ workforce skilling and training to meet industry needs as part of an Enhanced Service Delivery and Investment Blueprint. The Blueprint includes developing an integrated model to deliver science and industry training services in partnership with the Australian Agricultural College Corporation. It also involves streamlining our Research and Development facilities to build opportunities through co-located science, training and extension facilities. And it includes expanding the Department’s current extension activities through training partnerships with industry. In brief the 2008-09 Budget allocation for DPI&F is $342.3 million, up from $332.5 million in 2007-08. The State Government investment in 2008-09 is $259.6 million, up from $248.3 million in 2007-08. A key plank of the budget is that DPI&F will support the national R&D Framework by developing a network of Centres of Research Excellence and taking the lead in research areas where we have key strengths. For instance in 2008-09, we will be supporting investments in research in tropical science and biosecurity in North Queensland. We will be making North Queensland a focal point for world-class research and other areas of the state also will benefit. It makes good sense for the Smart State to focus on developing centres of excellence supported by world-class field and experimental facilities in the agreed priority areas. We have already started this process with plans to relocate research activity in Brisbane to the Ecosciences Precinct at Boggo Road and to the Health and Food Sciences Precinct at Coopers Plains. We are now looking at regional Queensland. We will develop centres of excellence where staff will undertake highly innovative research at a scale and a focus that will lead to national and international recognition and tangible outcomes for Queensland’s primary industries. The field and experimental facilities supporting these centres include the Queensland Centre for Crop Development at Redlands; the Centre for Advanced Animal Science at Gatton, which is probably the world’s best animal research centre examining nutrition; and a redevelopment of Bribie Island Research Centre to accommodate partners such as CSIRO. A similar building of capacities regionally, particularly in North Queensland, will focus on emerging opportunities in tropical innovation; respond to anticipated industry expansion associated with the Northern Economic Development Triangle plan; and provide an enhanced biosecurity response capacity. I will be providing further details on this fresh approach later this month. But, Mr Speaker, we have not forgotten our bread and butter—our extension work. Queensland livestock and crops will be better protected thanks to a major funding boost to biosecurity in the Bligh Government’s 2008-09 budget. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2009

$90.3 million will be spent on surveillance, emergency response and eradication services to protect Queensland’s primary industries. This 10% increase in funding will help protect communities and fragile ecosystems from the potential impacts of plant, insect, animal and marine pests and the improper use of agricultural chemicals. The impact of biosecurity incursions was emphasised no more so than last year. The equine influenza outbreak had the potential to destroy several industries and thousands of jobs. It was a tough time for many associated with the racing and pleasure horse industry. The tough restrictions implemented by DPI&F to contain the disease were effective. It highlighted to the Bligh Government just how vigilant we must be in matters of biosecurity. Biosecurity funding will go towards maintaining our vigilance, fighting and eradicating exotic diseases and pests. The money will also go towards establishing a detailed Biosecurity Strategy for Queensland. To ensure that the state maintains its high level of performance in primary industries, other funding will be allocated to key areas including: • $205.34 million for Industry Development for research facilities, world-class science, sustainable industry development and the extension of innovation to industry to assist Queensland maximise trade and export potential of primary industries. • $46.71 million for Fisheries programs that manage and protect all aspects of Queensland’s unique marine and freshwater fish and seafood resources to ensure that commercial, indigenous and recreational fishing remains sustainable. Mr Speaker, it is obvious that this is a budget that looks to the needs of all Queenslanders from pensioners to first home-buyers. It shows that the Bligh Government has a clear focus on ensuring a rapidly growing state has the infrastructure to match. I commend the Bill to the House. Miss SIMPSON (Maroochydore—NPA) (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (3.23 pm): Building a sustainable future for all of Queensland requires a different vision. There is a choice of philosophies between the Labor side of politics and our own: either Labor’s high-density, centralised, urban living model where infrastructure construction is always in catch-up mode, never ahead of the game, like a dog catching a rabbit it will never catch; or our belief in a choice of lifestyle options through decentralisation which supports vibrant cities, towns and communities, a network of sustainable communities connected with quality transport linkages, particularly public transport. Labor’s planning model delivers hotter, more congested cities. Our vision promised cooler, greener cities and towns with greater water self-sufficiency. This is part of our ClimateProof policy released last month. I refer you to our web site www.climateproof.com.au. Our vision also rewards communities which innovate with green power and which can help supply the grid, and that is also part of our policy announced today by opposition leader Lawrence Springborg. Labor’s planning model rewards the big end of the development industry which, under Anna Bligh’s plan, is winning ministerial overrides of local government, communities and environmental stakeholders. Under our policy we believe planning and approval schemes should be open and transparent, not favouring big or small developers but streamlined to deliver a fair and balanced approach for all, respecting the community, the environment and local government. It should be a system which works for everyone, not just a few. After the state government’s appalling announcement to rush through new housing approvals with no extra public transport against the wishes of local council or without their input, we have to ask: who is in control of our local communities? Not local councils and not the local people. Labor’s Queensland is about control and centralisation. It is a Brisbane centric party with no understanding that having sustainable regions and neighbouring communities improves the liveability of Brisbane and those communities. However, as we heard this morning in question time, if we express concerns about growth without adequate infrastructure, be prepared for abuse from a tired old Labor government which believes it is born to rule rather than serve the people. I believe there is room for improvement in the development approval process, but it must be one with transparency and involving public consultation. It should serve local communities and not be skewed to a favoured few. It also requires timely infrastructure provision which helps communities adapt to climate change with better access to public transport, less congestion and access to localised services and work. Let me talk about the borrowings in this budget, but I want to do so in connection with the cost blow-outs, because you cannot separate the two. Much of the increased borrowings in this budget are not about achieving greater service delivery; they are about bailing out the government’s poor cost controls and scoping of capital projects and just lousy management. Let me be quite clear: we support responsible borrowing which can be serviced and repaid for economic-generating infrastructure for properly cost controlled projects. We do not support the state government borrowing money to simply cover cost blow-outs which are due to bad planning and bad project management. Queensland’s infrastructure budget has been badly impacted by cost blow-outs on existing projects such as the $700 million cost blow-out in the western corridor recycled water pipeline—one project alone. This project rose from $1.7 billion to over $2.4 billion. But the Labor government says that it is not a cost blow-out. What cost blow-out? It still claims that its water projects are on budget. Boy, it 2010 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 has a strange definition of fiscal responsibility! Let us have a look at this: $700 million is a lot of money and it is more than the total capital budget for the Department of Housing this year. It is also 10 times the capital budget for the struggling disabilities sector, four times the capital budget for emergency services and 2½ times the total capital budget for police and corrective services. When I hear Labor Party hacks, who do not care about poor fiscal management and bad cost control, bleating that they do not care about that, let us look at the people who are hurt because it is those projects that suffer. Let me repeat: the $700 million cost blow-out due to poor management on one belated water project of this government is equivalent to about 1,800 new public houses or 230 ambulance stations or 140 police stations. They have been taken away from the people of Queensland because of bad cost control and bad management by a government that does not know how to manage money. The beneficiaries of that belatedly built water project have been rubbing their hands together with glee. It is well known that money is no object for this project which will go down in history as one of the most outrageously, poorly cost controlled projects of this government. They could see this Premier coming when she was the infrastructure minister and Treasurer. There was no care about or constraint on how taxpayers’ money was spent. Queensland was desperate for water but there was no care about or constraint on the way this government applied funding for this project. There was also no cost control. It had gold plated contracts and invoice tendering. The wastage in this project is legendary in the construction industry. This is a scandal which deserves the attention of the parliamentary Public Works Committee. I challenge the Labor Party to allow its members to investigate this project. I have asked the committee chair whether the committee would investigate this project and her answer was that the subject of future inquiries is a matter for the committee as a whole. I ask the chair of that committee what that means. Does it mean that the Labor majority will determine whether or not this significant blow-out in the capital works budget will be investigated? I hope we will see this committee investigate this project urgently as it has implications for the rest of the infrastructure budget, particularly alliance projects and project procurement. I asked the Public Works Committee chair whether the committee has already been asked to consider this project. It is time it was investigated. I think the parliament and taxpayers deserve an explanation. SEQIP, the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan, has increased from a projected $50 billion a few years ago to $100 billion this week. There are many great projects in the plan which we support. The cost controls applied to these projects deserve scrutiny. This document is becoming an aspirational statement rather than an actual guide about the timely delivery or the actual delivery of projects. It has the credibility of a Nigerian lottery scheme when it comes to costings. I would like to refer to some of those costings. Only last year the Ipswich Motorway upgrade— Dinmore to Darra to Rocklea—was estimated to be $2.6 billion and this year it is $3.1 billion. Let us look at the busway projects. The Northern Busway—from the Royal Children’s Hospital to Kedron to Bracken Ridge—was last year estimated to be $1.243 billion and this year it is $2.53 billion. Let us have a look at the Eastern Busway—Buranda to Capalaba. Last year in SEQIP it was listed as a $600 million project. This year it is a $3,079 million project. There is a whole list of significant cost variations on estimates for projects in this document over the 12 months. The Gateway Motorway upgrade—Mount Gravatt- Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway—has increased from $55 million to $1,100 million. Let us look at the Brisbane urban corridor. It has gone up from $260 million last year to $991 million this year. The list goes on. There are many worthy projects, but we have to wonder how on earth the costings were done 12 months ago given that they are so significantly different this year. How on earth can we have a government that says it is planning for the future when it cannot even get it right in the last 12 months! The cost variations are significant. The concern is that some of these projects have started but many of them are yet to start. We realise that this government has a very poor track record in terms of the cost control of projects already underway. Let us look at debt. Our concern is about using debt to fund blow-outs, getting cost controls right and having an infrastructure plan that is properly scoped. This government is now looking at a debt of $59 billion by 2010-11 and rising to $65 billion in 2011-12. By 2010-11 there will be something like a $3 billion interest payment. We have heard the state government say that it really cares about affordability; it really cares about housing affordability. Yet what we have seen is a government that is willing to poorly manage the way it scopes its own projects, poorly manages projects when they are underway and then justifies them as not being cost blow-outs. I think householders know what a cost blow-out is. I draw the attention of the House to other areas of Queensland and the regional budgets. There is a need to have 20-year infrastructure plans in place for the rest of Queensland. They are being left behind in this process. There is a lack of attention to the forward planning of the needs of these areas. A lot of the funding, particularly for water projects, still does not have actual allocations for construction. It 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 seems that this government is repeating its past mistake—wait until there is no rain, wait until there is a drought and then it will consider whether it will build many of those water projects. That is a concern that I flag in this House. I also refer to the lack of investment in road and transport infrastructure outside south-east Queensland. It is quite substantial. It is time that these things were put on budget and there were proper costings put in place to be able to plan to bring those things forward. I want to address some issues in my own electorate. As we have heard in the last couple of days, this state government has decided to override local councils and their concerns about growth without adequate infrastructure and push through up to 75,000 new homes on the Sunshine Coast. Across Queensland the government is talking about bringing on stream several hundred thousand new homes. Our concern is that if there is a problem with the planning scheme the answer is not to have ministerial override and to force things through without local input and no infrastructure in place to deal with the new housing stock that is brought on line. The answer is to ensure that we have a proper system in place to fairly assess projects and to move them to market in a timely way. We should not have this process that lacks transparency and takes away the rights of local communities. In my own community it will be something like 2025 before the major public transport infrastructure CAMCOS is due to come on line. We are still waiting to see the multimodal aspects of that project and line projects allocated substantial funding so that they can service the whole of the Sunshine Coast. We are most concerned that this government has learnt nothing from other areas of high growth and it is wanting to promote high growth without public transport in place. Only about one per cent of people movements on the Sunshine Coast are by means of public transport. What we have seen in this budget this week does nothing to significantly address that issue. In fact, the announcement about high density overrides of local council will only make that worse because there is no investment in real public transport for the Sunshine Coast. That is setting the Sunshine Coast up to become congested and threaten our environment rather than a place we love and want to see properly sustained into the future. I want to also mention cancer services. Two elections ago the state government made a commitment to roll out public access to cancer services on the Sunshine Coast by a contract with a private provider. The government was matching our commitment in this area. I was pleased that it did that. What has happened since then? It took four to five years before it signed a contract with the provider and then the contract was for 12 months only. That contract has not been renewed. While we have the blame game about why it has not renewed that contract, we still have hundreds of public cancer patients who are unable to access services locally. They are finding it too difficult and too dear to get services locally and too difficult and too dear to go away for treatment. That is of real concern to me. I am calling on the government to address this issue of providing cancer and radiation services for the hundreds of patients who need these services. We have also had people from as far away as Rockhampton coming to the Sunshine Coast to access these services. It is a major concern that there is now no longer public access to services on the Sunshine Coast. With regard to the new Sunshine Coast Hospital, yes, we are concerned that it is proposed for a very flood-prone area with road routes which are also extremely flood prone. It is time that this site was examined to ensure that we have the most flood immune site and one that is accessible for the residents of the Sunshine Coast. However, the major concern is about the funding model. The state government’s cost estimates have seen this project blow out from about $900 million up to $1.2 billion and another year added to the likely delivery of this hospital. We have also heard that it is waiting for private sector interest—and there has been some surprise that there has not been any private sector interest—yet on the other hand we are told that it has not finished the business case. There are conflicting messages about whether there in fact is a straightforward process in terms of this major new hospital for the Sunshine Coast. Mr Fraser: So do you support a PPP for it? Miss SIMPSON: The concern here is that, if the government has not done the business case and it has been mucking around for the last 12 months, is it really serious about this? I say to the Treasurer that given the government still has not finished its business case it is not serious. It is time that we saw some commitment to this process rather than continuing to blow out the time frames of the business case. We already know that the transitional beds before the hospital comes online are half what the planning studies required in the interim, and that is also a major concern, because that means that ambulance officers will spend longer ramping up at emergency departments to unload patients and people will wait longer to get access to emergency services and still there is a lack of commitment to see that business model completed to move this hospital project forward. I want to address the issue of law and order, and there is great concern about the rising number of issues around the Mooloolaba entertainment precinct. Also, the area has growth corridors where there are 30,000 people such as on the Maroochy North Shore and there is no permanent police presence. I call on the government to implement a full-time police station at Mooloolaba. Something like an extra 5,000 people flood into this town on weekends and holidays, yet the real numbers of police 2012 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 have not increased to keep pace. There has been a shuffling of police numbers across the stations rather than a real net increase of real additional police, and that is of concern. At Pacific Paradise there is a great advantage in that there is already crown land there which is very central to the North Shore that would be a fantastic site for a police station. The state government must ensure that the future of that site is set aside for that purpose, because strategically it is right on the airport access now with the realignment of the Pacific Paradise bypass, David Low Way and the new access point to the . With regard to another issue of importance to the Sunshine Coast community—though obviously public transport, the health issues and the justice issues are certainly the higher ranking matters—I want to mention the need for a Sunshine Coast arts and convention centre to ensure there is a deeper base in the economy, because the area has an economy that has tended to be very reliant on the construction industry and on tourism. It is necessary to see that economy base expanded with value adding by having a convention market and an exhibition market, as well as adding to our local arts and culture. In this budget we have seen a lot of catch-up funding on existing projects. While I have strongly fought for and welcome the funding being spent on the Maroochy River Bridge, the Pacific Paradise bypass and Maroochydore Road, we know that the infrastructure for the future has still not been committed to in this budget. That is why we are concerned about the lack of commitment to public transport on the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast’s future sustainability necessitates investment in real public transport. The Sunshine Coast of the future, particularly given the numbers that the government wants to accelerate into our area, must have sustainable services as well as infrastructure. I would urge the government to rethink its current approach to override the concerns of the local community in terms of giving us greater congestion with no relief. Time expired. Mr O’BRIEN (Cook—ALP) (3.43 pm): Am I the only person in this House who is already sick of the whingeing from those opposite? I have listened to opposition speakers here today. If I have to sit here and listen to them whinge for another two days, fair dinkum I am going to poke myself in the ear with a pencil. It is outrageous! Someone listening to what those opposite are saying would think that we were parked on the banks of hell and we lived in the worst place in Australia. The reality is that we live in the best state in the best country on the face of the earth. It is about time those opposite started to realise that. All my life I have saved my money and have used my spare money to travel in order to broaden my horizons. I have travelled through South-East Asia into East Asia, I have been through Europe, through the Balkans and into Russia and other places in between, and I can tell members without fear of contradiction that this state is the best state in the world. The services and the infrastructure that we have in this state are the envy of every other country in the world. And under this Treasurer and under this government, it just got better. My part of Queensland is in fact the part of Queensland that has been developed the least post colonisation. It is the part of Queensland that I represent that has had the worst services and infrastructure. I can assure this House again without fear of contradiction that under Labor governments these services and this infrastructure have been improved and have been improved in a way that has not been done by any other government in the history of this parliament. A number of those opposite have said that this is a budget for the south-east corner, but I am more than happy to hold up the budget papers in terms of money that is going into my electorate against any other member—against anyone in Brisbane, anyone on the Gold Coast. If they put their budget papers up next to mine they will see that the largest amount of money spent by this government is going to my electorate in far-north Queensland, to those people who need it most. I am very proud of what this government is doing to assist the underprivileged people who live in my electorate. I am very proud of the fact that the Treasurer took time in his budget speech to mention what is happening on Cape York Peninsula and the enormous amount of work that this government is doing to improve the lot of my constituents in the Torres Strait. He is trying to address the injustices that have existed there for so long, and he is putting his money where his mouth is to address those injustices in order to put those services and infrastructure into those places. The roads budget for the Cook electorate this year runs to five pages, and so it should. The Peninsula Development Road— something I talk about incessantly in this House; I am happy to admit that—has never been in better condition than it is right now under this Labor government. I want people to stop listening to the whingeing of those opposite. One would think that we are going to hell in a hand basket. But the reality is that 1,800 people a week are moving to this state. They come to this state because they have heard what is going on here. They know the opportunities that exist in this state. They are aware of the great potential of this state and the way this government is growing it, and they want a piece of the action. That is why they are flocking here from Victoria, they are flocking here from New South Wales and they are flocking here from overseas, because this is the state to be in. As I said, this year the budget papers run to nine pages in terms of the Cook electorate. There 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 are a number of projects across-the-board that have been funded. The Weipa Hospital is funded as part of this budget. That is the largest capital infrastructure project north of Cairns. It is a $40 million project that will turn Weipa into the great Queensland town that we know it can be. All of us in this place like to read and we are driven by books. Many members in this place are driven by the Bible, and that is an important book for them and a book that drives their world view and their philosophy. The book that has had the most influence on me is a book by Neville Shute called A Town Like Alice. We are not building a town like Alice in Weipa; we are building a town that is going to put Alice to shame. Weipa is going to be one of the most fantastic towns on Cape York Peninsula. That growth is being driven by the mining operations of Rio Tinto. The state government is coming in and supporting that by making Weipa the service hub in north-western Cape York Peninsula. Similarly, Cooktown is also becoming a service hub. We have seen investment in the Mulligan Highway drive further private investment in that town. Now we are seeing the state government put in other services to support that growth and to make sure that Cooktown becomes the service hub for those surrounding communities, cattle stations, farms and what have you. I am very happy with the amount of money that has been put into child safety in the budget. A number of safe houses are going to be put into Indigenous communities on Cape York to improve the safety of the children in those communities. But the government cannot do that alone. It can put in services, but we have to have the community work with us. We have to have cooperation with other levels of government—local government and the federal government. But let the record show that the state of Queensland is at the table with its chips stacked high ready to play its role in addressing the issue of child safety on Cape York Peninsula. There are other allocations for other infrastructure projects throughout the Torres Strait. This year a lot money is going into marine infrastructure. That is the lifeblood of the Torres Strait. They rely on the barge ramps to get their product. They rely on the safety of the buoys and the channel markers to get their product into their community. A lot of money is being put into making sure that those facilities are right. Finally, in this year’s budget there is money set aside for maintenance and new properties throughout my electorate for public servants working for the departments of health and education as well as for other public services. There are over 25 properties alone in Weipa for police, child safety, education and health workers. Other building and construction is going in at Bamaga and throughout islands in the Torres Strait to make sure that those public servants have suitable accommodation. I thank the Treasurer for his efforts. I want to thank him for singling out yesterday in his second reading speech the injustice on the Cape York Peninsula. I ask him to ignore the whingeing, the moaning and the negative comments from those opposite. I commend the bills to the House. Mr BOMBOLAS (Chatsworth—ALP) (3.52 pm): I take great pleasure in rising to speak to the Bligh government’s first budget and its implications for the people of Chatsworth. I, like the member for Cook, wish to be positive in this debate. Our government’s focus on services and, in particular, law and order has again been reinforced with funding for a replacement police station in the Chatsworth electorate to the tune of $2.27 million. I can report to the House that with the money allocated the QPS is finalising a suitable location. In general, the budget has focused on getting the balance right for our community. Along with the new police station, we can feel safe knowing that there will be road improvements locally and maintenance will continue at our schools. Among our local education initiatives, over $160,000 has been allocated for much-needed double glazing and air conditioning at the Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School. This has been an ongoing issue and I have been calling for the urgently needed funding for some time. The school’s P&C has also been very active, and I congratulate Rosemary Swann on her efforts. In handing down his first budget, Treasurer Andrew Fraser announced additional funds for maintenance of schools. I applaud him for this initiative. There is another big win for the Carina State School. After a long campaign, which began when I was the candidate leading up to the 2006 election, half a million dollars has been allocated for an amenities upgrade. I am pleased the Treasurer listened when I pleaded with him and urged him publicly to consider providing the funds to either upgrade the existing toilet block or construct a new toilet block, which is well and truly needed. This is a great result for the young kids who attend Carina State School. Other extra funds have been allocated in the education budget. They include $55,000 for targeted maintenance at Mayfield State School, $22,000 for targeted maintenance at Whites Hill State College and $13,000 for high-priority maintenance at Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School. These amounts are above and beyond the moneys allocated to those schools for their regular maintenance. The commitment to transport and main roads in and around the Chatsworth electorate is also welcomed. Over the next four years the Bligh government will invest more than $7.7 million in transport and roads infrastructure to deliver better transport solutions for all Queenslanders. Some of the projects 2014 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 we will undertake or complete include $1.38 million this year for intersection improvements at New Cleveland Road and Tilley Road, Chandler; $225,000 to complete resurfacing between the Gateway Motorway and the Sleeman Centre on Old Cleveland Road; and $115,000 to complete improving traffic signals at Old Cleveland Road to the Gateway Motorway on-ramps at a total estimated cost of $630,000. There is $100,000 allocated to continue improving traffic signals at the New Cleveland Road and Old Cleveland Road intersection, West Capalaba; $123.89 million for the Buranda to Main Avenue section of the Buranda to Capalaba Eastern Busway; $5.54 million to complete concept planning between Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road and the Pacific Motorway on the Gateway Motorway south; $1.6 million this year to commence repairing and strengthening pavement sections between Old Cleveland Road and Vienna Road on the Brisbane-Redland Bay Road; $438.7 million to continue work on the Northern and Eastern busways; and $537.6 million towards the $1.883 billion Gateway Motorway upgrade—and I see there has been some fantastic progress already. The government will also invest $168.4 million over the next four years to improve customer services across the TransLink network. Public transport will be boosted with 12 new trains and 90 new buses in 2008-09. An amount of $33.7 million has been set aside to provide new cycling facilities across the south-east of the state. The budget, which featured a record allocation for health and a record capital works program to meet the demands of a growing state, also delivered for community services and disabilities. Some examples are more than $755,000 for the Carina Youth Agency for the Phoenix program, the SWISH program and the MARS program to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless. I must say the Carina Youth Agency does a great job in my community. I have been lucky enough to host a ‘Bomber’s barbecue’ on their behalf—but not quite raising as much as the Treasurer has allocated. An amount of $78,000 will go to Carina Meals on Wheels to provide a range of basic support and maintenance services for frail aged or younger people with a disability to allow them to remain living in their homes. I have also staged a ‘Bomber’s barbecue’ in aid of Carina Meals on Wheels. Mr Fraser interjected. Mr BOMBOLAS: I will take that interjection. More than $861,000 has been put aside for Ozcare Brisbane South, which is located in Carina Heights. This allocation is to provide a range of basic support and maintenance services for frail aged or younger people with a disability to remain living in their own homes. There is $1.33 million for adults with a disability to live and participate in their communities and to provide postschool options for young adults with a disability and their families. These funds will go to the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland. As an uncle of a teenager with Down syndrome, I know just how valuable this ongoing funding is and what great work such organisations do in our community. This is a responsible budget and I congratulate the Treasurer, ‘AAA Andrew’, and his department. I commend the bills to the House. Hon. AI McNAMARA (Hervey Bay—ALP) (Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation) (3.58 pm): I rise to address the appropriation bills. At the outset I also congratulate my good friend Andrew Fraser for an outstanding achievement in his first budget which, I have no doubt, will be the first of many. This is a budget that really delivers for my electorate. It has been said here before that the government is spending some $1.6 million on infrastructure in Queensland every hour. I want to assure the people of Hervey Bay that Hervey Bay is certainly getting its share of that spend. Mr Fraser: It is now $1.9 million. Mr McNAMARA: Indeed. It is good that the Treasurer is continuing to increase that spend. In my view, the job of a local member in a fast-growing area such as Hervey Bay is absolutely to make sure that we have the nuts and bolts in infrastructure to enable that growth to continue. Accordingly, I have always paid close attention to the fundamentals of growth, which are our water supply and our power supply. Without power and water, which are not so glamorous, there simply cannot be the sort of growth which Hervey Bay has had. This budget again delivers in spades. The 132kV feeder line through Nickenbah has a commitment of $10 million in this year’s budget out of a total spend of $21 million. It will significantly enhance the power security and supply into Hervey Bay and thus absolutely maintain our power. Power and water are perhaps not always in the forefront of people’s minds. We tend to take them for granted but we certainly miss them when they are gone. Recently I had the opportunity to officially open the raising of , which I had campaigned for over a number of years to make sure that Hervey Bay has a secure water supply out to a population of 80,000. This budget also includes $8.27 million for the Fraser Coast Regional Council towards the construction of the new Eli South waste water treatment plant. That is out of a total state contribution over two years of $20.9 million. Making sure that we have those fundamentals right, our power and water supply secured into the medium term, means that we can then get on and fund all the other areas that make Hervey Bay such a wonderful place to live—the lifestyle areas. I was delighted to see another $950,000 going towards the water park. This was a project first committed to last year. There was $2.5 million allocated in last year’s budget. Owing to the intransigence of the former mayor, Ted Sorenson, none of that money was spent. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015

That is a disgrace. Now that he has passed on to a life beyond politics the council has recently committed to building the water park exactly where it was always going to be built, where two council reports recommended it go, at the end of Main Street at Pialba adjoining the Seafront Oval. This budget sensibly makes provision for nearly another $1 million and the balance of the funds of nearly $5 million in state commitment will come in the following year’s budget. It is a pity it has been delayed by a year for no good reason other than the aspirations of the former mayor to not let infrastructure be built in his city if it was being provided by a Labor government. That kind of party political partisan behaviour has absolutely no place. For any elected official to stop money coming into their city simply because it might make the Labor state government appear that it is delivering what the people want is an issue of severe concern in relation to the character of the person involved. Nevertheless, we move on. Similarly, there is also $273,000 going towards the construction of a new two-lane boat ramp at Gatakers Bay. Locals have been telling me for some time that they have wanted this and I am delighted that we will partner with the council in building some very good new facilities there. There has been some sadly misinformed comment around what this budget provides for health in Hervey Bay. Let me put on the record clearly that the health budget for the Fraser Coast health service in this budget is $132,771,177. This is not final, I might add. Additional allocations are expected throughout the year. This represents a 6.3 per cent increase over the previous financial year. Again for the record, when I had the good fortune to be elected to this place in 2001 the Fraser Coast health district budget was $65,478,231. Over the last eight years the budget for the Fraser Coast district has doubled from $65 million to $132 million. Calls and cries from those opposite that health is not getting the finance that it deserves are simply thrown into the bin where they belong when the facts are put on the table. That sort of funding for my district is deserved, it is necessary, and I am very pleased about it. It includes, in particular, money being directed towards oral health. There is a sum of some $17 million to be spent on oral health in the Wide Bay oral health cluster, which includes Hervey Bay and Bundaberg, for capital works to meet demand for oral health public services. That is very welcome. That has certainly been an issue I have been speaking to the health minister about in relation to making sure that our health services stack up. There are hundreds of millions of dollars of expenditure in this budget for Hervey Bay. There are a couple of critical things that I am delighted to see and which I do thank the Treasurer for because I spoke to him directly about them. It was a delight to see $1 million in capital funding for the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre. Joyce Chorney, the coordinator, and Susan Lewis, the president of the committee, are wonderful people who have been running a great network of services but there is no doubt that the existing building is inadequate for a city of Hervey Bay’s size with the community needs that it has. This $1 million towards a new building is on top of the proceeds of sale which Warren Pitt committed to when he was the minister for communities. This means that there will be a commitment of at least $1.5 million from the state government, together with the council’s commitment of $1 million plus land. That is a wonderful result in this budget for my community. I also mention the $930,000 for a new music block at the Yarrilee State School. Yarrilee State School is probably Hervey Bay’s fastest growing school. A purpose-built million dollar music block will, apart from providing a great new facility in its own right, alleviate some stresses by freeing up two existing classrooms so that they can be used to pick up growth. There are many other highlights in this budget for Hervey Bay: some $2.1 million in the communities area; $5 million in disability services funding; $26 million in roads funding. That clearly is a significant spend on the state roads in the area in the space of only one year. Finally, I mention some of the environmental spend. Obviously as the minister I am keen to make sure that the incredibly valuable environmental assets which Hervey Bay is blessed with, particularly Fraser Island, receive the sort of support that they deserve. This budget includes over $1 million for new infrastructure on Fraser Island—new toilet blocks, water treatment systems, renewable energy power systems and a substantial amount of money for planning new and improved facilities and services on the island. Fraser Island is a wonderful place, but it does need this level of additional expenditure to make sure that we do not love it to death. As part of what I think is a very significant increase in the overall environment budget—we have had a 23 per cent budget increase for the Environmental Protection Agency—I am delighted to see Fraser Island getting its share of the capital spend. This is a budget that truly delivers for Hervey Bay. It absolutely hits the key targets of infrastructure spending—water and energy. It hits the hot issues around education and health and it delivers on roads and other community support. I am very proud to commend this bill to the House. Mr KNUTH (Charters Towers—NPA) (4.07 pm): In response to the 2008-09 budget, Queensland is without a doubt the lucky state. The state government has been able to paint the town red with massive revenue from an economic boom due to increased property prices, huge royalties from the mining boom, GST revenue, increased land rent, taxes on bores, higher water charges, increased boat registration, ambulance tax, stamp duties and the list goes on. Despite all the additional revenue, the people of Queensland are questioning where all the money has gone. 2016 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Under the previous Bjelke-Petersen government we boasted of the world’s best health system and infrastructure development—the cranes moving the equipment. Roads were built, power stations were built and water infrastructure was put in place. We had a government with vision and without debt and 20 years ahead of its time. Now after 19 years the Labor government has achieved a $59 billion debt, costing Queenslanders $10 million a day in interest payments. This is a result of this government’s ideology to ride on the back of what Joh built and put in place rather than investing in infrastructure with its ‘no new dams, new power stations’ policy coupled with the removal of hospital boards. This policy has created the health, energy and water crises. This government has no other choice but to borrow to fix these crises and now we are paying $10 million a day in interest. There is a lot to be done and I note that the minister boasts of the injection of the $8.35 billion to fix the health crisis. This is welcome. However, if the government embraced two of the coalition’s election commitments there would be no health crisis. One is to provide the framework to ensure that all nurses in Queensland will do a large part of their training in hospitals, not just universities. This will ensure that the nurses will get hands-on practical training from day one and will solve the problem of nurse shortages. Most importantly, we need to reinstate local hospital boards made up of nursing, medical and hospital staff and members of the local community, not Brisbane based bureaucrats who do not have a clue about how hospitals operate especially in rural and regional areas. I am pleased to hear the announcement by the opposition leader that a Springborg-led government will provide $120 million to an alternative energy fund for a new scheme where Queenslanders will be paid for every kilowatt of solar energy they produce. The scheme would pay a gross feed-in tariff for all owners of solar energy systems, ensuring that everyone who contributes power to the grid is paid 44c per kilowatt. What this means is that, if you have solar panels on your roof and create excess electricity, you will be paid enough to cover the costs of the panels over 15 years. It was also disappointing that there was no increase in the Patient Transport Subsidy Scheme. This is an ongoing issue and has been raised numerous times through petitions and by other members of parliament. The subsidy is still only 15c per kilometre and has only been raised once in 15 years. As fuel prices keep rising and we continually see more and more health services removed, patients are travelling further and further and more frequently to access health services that were once provided in their home towns. It is costing patients, especially the elderly, an arm and a leg to travel these distances, and for all the red tape they go through to get access to the subsidies what they get back is only a pittance. I am pleased to learn that this government has embraced the coalition’s election commitment during the last election campaign to remove stamp duty on all property transfers which will give ordinary mums and dads the incentive to purchase their own home. However, I do believe that the first home buyers grant needs to be raised to $10,000, especially since over the last five years Queensland’s share of GST revenue has soared by 63 per cent, topping the $7 billion mark. The state government has revealed that the registration of tinnies up to 4.5 metres will rise to $50.35, up $15, while owners of 20-metre plus craft will pay $598—an extra $360. It is disappointing to see the increase in trailer registration for recreational fishers. This is disappointing as this government does little to provide support to recreational anglers. The recreational fishing industry has become so overregulated and underfunded that many fishers are questioning why they pay for boat and trailer registrations, other than financing the government’s bureaucratic policing of the industry. For example, the greater Townsville district alone hands the state government a few million a year through boat and trailer registration fees, and what has it seen in return? There has been virtually nothing done to improve parking facilities or widening of current boat ramps for at least 10 years. Recreational fishers have to contend with overcongested ramps, often with no means of parking, and many are being forced to park illegally. What do recreational fishers receive in return for registering their boats? They are not even covered by third party in the event of an accident on the water. Currently Queensland fishers are now coming under review in the form of more regulations for the inshore finfishery. People are saying that the industry is so besieged by regulations that many recreational fishers are gripped by fear when they see marine park or DPI fisheries vessels approaching. It has come to the point that you need a masters in law to know whether you are committing some kind of offence or not. Fishers from my electorate are telling me that it is hard enough for someone on the coast who fishes regularly to try to keep up with all of these new regulations. However, for us north-westerners who may come to the coast occasionally fishing with the family, it is becoming all too confusing. The state Labor government claims that many of its new and past regulations have come about from its many consultancy meetings held to seek recreational fishers’ views and input for the benefit and sustainability of the industry. However, these meetings have been receiving poor attendance from the majority of fishers due to a handful of the same self-interested individuals who coincidentally always seems to get the attention of ministers’ advisers, while anyone having a different view is simply ignored. Fishers do not need any more fees and regulations. Even cutting back on some of the ridiculous, unneeded and unworkable ones would be a move towards reasoning. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2017

What we are not seeing is a proactive approach to the industry by responsibly utilising boat and trailer fees by funding the implementation of the already successfully proven artificial reefs along our inshore coastline. Fishers are crying out for more all-tidal access points with quality four-bay boat ramps, toilets, washdown areas, security cameras and better parking facilities all shrouded in a more common-sense approach to the whole industry. Equally, reef fishers are sick of the continual barrage of new regulations and fees hitting them on a yearly basis, with three nine-day closure bag limits and the stupidity of having to mutilate their catch by removing pectoral fins. Considering that the only time fishers can get out to the reef is when weather conditions are favourable, which by DPI figures is four times a year, I question the need for any regulations and fees at all. I personally, after four failed attempts, got out to the John Brewer Reef myself and I could not believe the abundance of popular targeted fish species. Fishers do not need more fees and regulations—just a fair go and common sense. The budget provides a big boost to the region, with $16.1 million for the Gregory Development Road from Cape River to Lynd Junction. This road has been known as a billy goat track and a death trap. This is something that we have been lobbying for for years. It is a single-lane highway most of the way. I believe that it is downright dangerous for anybody to be confronted by triples or road trains. The only place they can go when that happens is either down a ditch, into a tree or into an oncoming prime mover. This $16.1 million is very welcome. The minister for main roads came to Charters Towers and spoke to all of those who were interested in this road being upgraded. I hope as a result of this we can see a good amount of funds put into that road and see that road graded and sealed once and for all. As I said, it is a billy goat track and a death trap. We also welcome funding of $9.5 million to upgrade the Flinders Highway between Townsville and Hughenden. I believe most of that is for Torrens Creek to Hughenden. I am hoping that once this is all completed the majority of these funds then can be transferred from the Flinders Highway—it is almost complete from Townsville to Hughenden—to the Gregory Development Road. We probably need $25 million for the year. We need that road sealed and upgraded once and for all. The minister had the meeting in Charters Towers. The people of Greenvale would not attend the meeting because they had to travel 210 kilometres on a billy goat track and they felt it was too dangerous to attend the meeting. It is good to see extra funding for disability services, up $152.8 million from last year, with a total operational budget of $1.235 billion. This funding boost will provide new and improved services such as respite care, access to speech therapy and social workers. This is very important for the electorate of Charters Towers—the Charters Towers township itself and the surrounding district—because it has one of the highest per capita figures for people with disabilities in Australia. In education, it was great to see that Hughenden and Prairie State School will receive an air- conditioning upgrade. We know how hot it is out in those western areas. There is funding for the completion of the neighbourhood centre in Charters Towers, and we know how important that service is to the Charters Towers community. There is $370,000 for stage 3 of the revitalisation of the Hughenden CBD, which has come a long way. There is $156,000 towards the construction of the new airport terminal at Richmond, and $60,000 for the reconstruction of Cambridge Downs store at Richmond, as part of Queensland’s 150th Legacy Infrastructure Program. Another boost was the $500,000 for the upgrade of the Charters Towers water treatment plant, and that has been a very big issue for Charters Towers in relation to quality water and pressure. I note that the government will receive an increase in royalties. Moranbah produces over $6 billion to $7 billion a year in gross revenue and probably pays the state government up to $1 billion in royalties, yet we have a housing crisis, we have an aged-care crises and there are no maternity services at Moranbah. When a township contributes so much to Queensland, it is about time the government looked at providing services to those townships. I fully support any moves by this government to invest in infrastructure in those townships, especially the township of Moranbah. I wanted to bring that to the attention of the House. Mrs ATTWOOD (Mount Ommaney—ALP) (4.20 pm): I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Treasurer on his first budget. It was last September that the Hon. Andrew Fraser was appointed as our state Treasurer and I was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer. As members are aware, the ministry also has responsibility for the portfolio areas of liquor licensing, gaming and racing and there have recently been some proposals for significant legislative reforms in some of these sectors. This year’s budget provided large increases in funding for: Health, 17 per cent; Police, nine per cent; Disability Services, 14 per cent; Emergency Services, 11 per cent; Education and Training, 4.9 per cent; Child Safety, seven per cent; and a $70 million allocation over four years for a new prevention and early intervention incentives pool. To meet the growing infrastructure needs of Queensland, the budget commits over $17 billion in 2008-09 to build vital infrastructure across the state. With respect to my electorate of Mount Ommaney, there has been huge growth in the population across suburbs in the south-east corner over the last few years. This has had a considerable effect on government services and there is now a need for more infrastructure relating to my area. Some of the 2018 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 budget highlights which will reach the young and the not so young are: allowing people to purchase their first home under $500,000 without having to pay stamp duty; assistance provided to our seniors in relation to various rebate schemes for water and natural gas, rates and electricity; and tax arrangements relating to aged-care facilities. Over the past 10 years I have represented constituents to ensure there have been significant improvements to amenities in my local suburbs. Some of the major facilities constructed have included: major sports facilities and performing arts centres both at the Centenary State High School, as part of the expansion, and at the longer established Corinda State High School—Centenary’s expansion also included a TV/media facility; a major resource centre upgrade to support ICT initiatives at Jamboree Heights State School and funding for an outside school hours care facility; a new arts centre and preschool building for Corinda State School; a library extension and outside school hours care facilities for Middle Park State School; funding assistance for community halls at Jamboree Heights, Jindalee and Middle Park state schools which are currently being constructed, and other items including tuckshop upgrades, new classrooms, the refurbishment of buildings and environment projects; and new preparatory year facilities at primary schools. Also there has been the construction of the Centenary Ambulance Station, which has since been upgraded to a 24-hour ambulance station with more vehicles and paramedics; the recent extension of the Corinda Community Health Centre, with the services being expanded; an improvement in public safety with a new police station at Sherwood and an increase in police numbers for that area; and two police beats established to cover Oxley and Jindalee. Also we have seen environmental and safety concerns tackled through a major upgrade to drainage works along the Centenary Highway; completion of a bikeway from Sumners Road to Toowong; the relocation of the Centenary Rugby League club’s football fields to Wacol with additional facilities, with the preservation of a vast amount of green space which was previously earmarked for development in that area; capital funding for the construction of the Wesley Mission Brisbane and YoungCare facility at Sinnamon Village and ongoing recurrent funding; and a high-voltage feeder line out of a new Sumner power substation and the rebuilding and upgrading of the electrical switch yard at the West Darra substation at the end of Sumners Road. Oxley and Corinda stations have been upgraded with lifts and extra car parks, a new platform and a pedestrian bridge, and a third track will be installed at Oxley station over the next few months. Darra station will be upgraded later this year. As the local member, I believe that it is important to keep in touch with the local community, our schools and institutions to hear the issues which people face every day. It is not always possible to anticipate when problems will arise, but by ensuring that people have easy communication with me I am able to keep well informed, resolve issues and be better able to plan for the future. Although this year has been tough financially for everyone, I am pleased that there are some winners in my electorate as a result of this budget. The Bligh government’s first state budget has delivered a significant funding package for my electorate’s state schools. A further $1.83 million has been allocated for a three-space science block at Corinda State High School. After inspecting the current ageing science block at the high school a few weeks ago with officers from Q-Build, I spoke to teachers about their concerns regarding the uneven flooring and some cracks appearing in the existing structure and foundations. Although the building is still structurally sound, a new science block will provide a better learning environment for students at the school. This is a project that ultimately will cost the government $2.75 million. It is so critical that we get the best front-line services in place as our population continues to skyrocket, and education is front and centre. Our future community leaders deserve the best schools and educational facilities we can offer, and today the budget delivers on that for my constituents. I am happy to say that further education funding has been provided for maintenance and other much-needed facilities, including $300,000 for additional amenities at Corinda State High School; $24,000 for extra maintenance at Corinda State High School; $12,000 for extra maintenance at Jamboree Heights State School; $75,000 for passenger set-down facilities at Jamboree Heights State School; and $52,000 for passenger set-down facilities at Corinda State School. It is not just about giving our kids the best classrooms and amenities to learn in but also about making sure they are safe at our schools. The local community will also benefit through an additional $54,000 grant—and last year $107,200 was provided—to the Corinda Bowls Club to complete the extension to the clubhouse. This will mean the club will have new toilet facilities, including a disabled toilet, and a meeting room to support lawn bowls at their facility near Nosworthy Park. This government has provided funding for a range of services across my electorate, and I will mention them by their portfolio area. In Communities, there is $85,000 to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In Disability Services, there is $2.44 million to increase the availability of Home and Community Care services to support frail aged 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 and younger people with a disability; $416,000 to assist adults with a disability to live and participate in their community; and $381,000 to provide for short-term and limited respite support for families, carers and people with a disability. In Main Roads, there is $3.18 million to complete concept planning and design work between the Ipswich Motorway and the Toowong roundabout on the Centenary Highway-Western Freeway to improve traffic flow. Local commuters will also benefit from $3.05 million for a single intelligent transport systems platform at various locations in the Brisbane area. In Transport, there is $78.14 million to construct a third track between Corinda and Darra as part of SEQIPP. As members of this House may be aware, I am very proud of all of the community and sporting groups and the volunteers who support their work in my electorate of Mount Ommaney. I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard, along with a list of groups who work extremely hard for the benefit of our community. Leave granted. I realise that there is a lot more that has to be done in my electorate to assist with growing congestion problems particularly along the Centenary Motorway and the Sumners Road on and off ramps. Currently Main Roads is upgrading the Centenary Motorway from Ipswich Road to Sumners Road and will add another lane to the Sumners Road off-ramp (inbound). This is part of the $700 million Wacol to Darra upgrade and includes major improvements to the Centenary/Ipswich Motorway interchange. The SEQ infrastructure plan allocates $310 million to construct a future transit lane along the Centenary Highway. This is one of the proposals put forward by the Western Brisbane Transport Network Investigation (WBTNI) study to reduce traffic congestion into the future. Recently I set up a Local Transport Committee to talk about these proposals and a submission has since been forwarded to the WBTNI. I am pleased to say that I have been able to assist businesses within the Sumner Park Industrial Estate in relation to the proposed closure of Bullockhead Street due to the upgrade of the interchange. After lobbying the Minister for Main Roads with a number of businessmen over the last few months, he has made the decision to delay the permanent closure of Bullockhead Street until further access and egress via Wacol Station Road by Brisbane City Council can be fastracked with the help of the Alliance. Recently, draft amendments to electoral boundaries were announced by the Electoral Commission. Proposed changes mean that the Sumner Park Industrial Estate will be included in the electorate of Mt Ommaney. Part of the suburb of Oxley was excised from the electorate in 2001, and I am pleased to say that this has once again been included in Mt Ommaney along with parts of the suburb of Darra. The boundary line has been extended to Ipswich Road and to Darra Railway Station. Hopefully these will be endorsed as final later on in the year when submissions close. I look forward to serving and representing all of the residents in my electoral area for many more years. It is important to me that their voices are heard at the highest levels of government and that we continue to aim for better educational opportunities, improved health services and increasing the quality of life for families and individuals, particularly those who are economically or socially disadvantaged. Mr Speaker, again I praise the hard work of all our community workers and our volunteers who just keep on giving to make someone’s life a little bit easier. I work with some of these people and witness first hand the extraordinary contribution they make to our society. I commend the Bligh government and the Treasurer, the Honourable Andrew Fraser, for his foresight with regard to our State’s economical future particularly when times are difficult in the wake of a long period of investment market volatility. LIST OF GROUPS WITH MEMBERS IN THE MT OMMANEY ELECTORATE 5 June 2008 AGED CARE FACILITIES CORINDA—Bethesda Caring Centre; Hopetoun Aged Persons Complex JINDALEE—James Ommaney Village; Jindalee Tri-Care Nursing Centre OXLEY—Canossa Hospital and Nursing Home 17 MILE ROCKS—Sinnamon Village Aged Complex, Young-Care CHURCHES CORINDA—Corinda Christian Brethren Assembly; Riverside Christian Church (Assemblies of God); St John’s Lutheran Church; St Joseph’s Catholic Church DURACK—Phap Quang Temple JAMBOREE HGTS—Westside Church of Christ; Kingdom of Christ Ministries JINDALEE—Darra-Jindalee Catholic Church; Universal Apostolic Church MIDDLE PARK—Centenary Uniting Church; Evangelical Presbyterian Church; Good News Lutheran Church; St Catherine’s Anglican Ministry; Salvation Army Centenary; Centenary Baptist Community Church 17 MILE ROCKS—Cornerstone Christian Family Church OXLEY—Apostolic Church; Oxley Methodist Church; Presbyterian Reformed Church; South-West Brisbane Uniting Church SHERWOOD—Sherwood Uniting Church; St Matthew’s Anglican Church COMMUNITY GROUPS Apex Clubs—Jindalee Bushcare and Environmental Groups—Blackheath Road Bushcare Group; Centenary and Districts Environmental Action Group; Cliveden Reserve Bushcare; Fort Road Bushcare Group; Friends of Sherwood Arboretum; Horizon Drive Bushcare Group; Jamboree Sustainability Committee; Jindalee Bushcare Group; Oxley Creek Catchment Association; Oxley Creek Environment Group; Rana Frog Group Inc.; Save Our Riverfront Bushland Group; Westlake-Riverhills Bushcare 2020 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Children’s and Women’s Groups—Centenary Community Connections; Centenary Evening View Club; Focus on Youth Incorporated; Kiwanis; Montrose—Queensland Society for Crippled Children; Nursing Mothers Association; QCWA Oxley; The Inner Wheel Club of Brisbane; Vietnamese Women’s Association; Young Widows & Widowers Support Group of Brisbane; Zoe’s Place Girl Guides—Sherwood Guides; Jamboree Heights Guides, Jindalee Guides; Centenary Trefoil Guild Lions Clubs—Jamboree Heights; Jindalee; Oxley-Sherwood Meals on Wheels Associations—Centenary, Sherwood Multicultural Groups—AI-Risalah Islamic Association Inc.; Borrel Club Brisbane; Brisbane Marae Community Centre Inc.; Egyptian Australian Association of Qld; Hindi-Speaking Congregation; Hindu Ahlaya Sangam Qld Inc.; Islamic Society of Darra Inc.; Latvian Arts and Crafts; Linh Son Nunnery; Island Sensation Dance Group; Qld Chinese Community Voice; Qld Sri Lanka Buddhist (Vihara) Temple Association Inc.; Serbian Society Vuk Karadzic; St. Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church; Taiwan Friendship Assn of Qld; Tamil Senior Citizens Association (Qld); Tetun Cultural Assn Inc.; The Qld Kosciusko Polish Association of Darra; Ukrainian Association of Queensland Inc.; Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble Kalyna; Ukrainian Senior Citizens Club; United Vietnamese Buddhist Congregations of Qld; Van-Lang Cultural and Social Welfare Association; Veterans Federation of the Republic of Vietnam in Australia; Vietnamese Buddhist Church Association of Brisbane Inc.; Vietnamese Community of Australia (Qld Chapter); Vietnamese Forum for Multiculturalism; Vietnamese Senior Citizens Association in Queensland Inc.; Vietnamese Women’s Assn of Qld; Women’s International Zionist Organisation; World & Asian Pacific League for Freedom & Democracy; World Lebanese Cultural Union; World Orthodox Buddhism Association Neighbourhood Watch Committees—Corinda, Jindalee, Middle Park, Mt Ommaney, Oxley, Riverhills, Sherwood, Sinnamon Park, Windemere Other Groups with Mt Ommaney Electorate Affiliations—Anti-Graffiti Group (Rotary); ARAFMI Queensland Inc.; Association of Independent Retirees Inc. (Brisbane West Branch); Benarrawa Community Development Association; Brisbane’s West by Southwest Historical Society; Carers Connecting; Carer’s Queensland; Centenary Community Connections; Centenary & Districts Chamber of Commerce; Centenary Flexible Support Service; Centenary Local Ambulance Committee; Centenary Suburbs Historical Society; Citizen Advocacy South West Brisbane Association Inc.; Corinda Bridge Club; Corinda Residents’ Association; Graceville Anxiety Management Support Group; John Oxley District Orchid Society Inc.; McLeod Country Golf Club; Obedience Dog Club of Brisbane; National Assn of Watch and Clock Collectors; Oxley Progress Association; Seventeen Mile Rocks Progress Association; Sherwood Community Festival; Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre Inc.; Sherwood Respite Centre; Sinnamon Park Residents Progress Assn; South West Brisbane Community Legal Centre; South West Interagency Committee; St Vincent de Paul; Stroke Community Support Program; Transport Options Project (TOPS); University of the Third Age; Wesley Central Mission P&C Associations—Centenary State High School; Corinda State High School; Corinda State Primary School; Darra-Jindalee Catholic School; Good News Lutheran School; Jamboree Community Kindergarten and Preschool; Jamboree Heights State Pre- School; Jamboree Heights State School; Jindalee State School; Middle Park State School; Mt Ommaney Special School; Oxley State School; Sherwood State School; St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School; St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School; Yuingi Child Care Centre Probus Clubs—Centenary; Combined Probus Club of Sherwood; Jindalee; Mount Ommaney Rotary Clubs—Centenary, Jindalee, Sumner Park RSL Clubs and Associated Organisations—Centenary Suburbs RSL Sub Branch, Jindalee; Sherwood/lndooroopilly RSL Sub- Branch, Corinda; Scouts—Centenary Scouts; Sherwood and Oxley Seniors Associations—National Seniors Association Centenary Branch; National Seniors Association Corinda Branch; Senior Citizens Association of Oxley, Tamil Senior Citizens Assn and Vietnamese Senior Citizens Association Sporting Groups—Brisbane Radio Yacht Club Inc.; Brisbane Strikers Supporters’ Association; Ski Club Inc.; Brisbane Wakeboard Association; Carrington Boating Club; Centenary Bikeways Group; Centenary Canoe Club; Centenary Rowing Club Inc.; Centenary Community Sporting Association; Centenary Cricket Club Inc.; Centenary Little Athletics; Centenary Netball Club; Centenary Junior Rugby League Football Club; Centenary Soccer lnc.; Centenary Swim Club; City West United Football Club; Corinda Bowls Club; Corinda Horse and Pony Club; Dragon’s Volleyball Assn; Falcons West-Brisbane Basketball Association; Jamboree Heights Swimming Club lnc. Assoc.; Jindalee District (Jags) Australian Football Club; Jindalee District Netball Club; Jindalee Ladies Bowling Club; Jindalee Men’s Bowls Club Inc.; Jindalee Pony Club; Jindalee Swimming Club Inc.; Oxley State School Amateur Swimming Club; Oxley United Soccer Club; Queensland Darts Association Inc.; Raiders Netball Club; Sapphire Netball Club; Sherwood AFL Club; Sherwood State School Amateur Swimming Club; South West United Hockey Club; Southern Cross Junior Rugby League Football Club; St Catherine’s United Soccer Club; St Joseph’s Netball Club; West Brisbane Basketball Club; Western Suburbs District Cricket Club; Wests Baseball Club; Westside BMX Club; Y-West Youth & Community Centre. Mr WELLINGTON (Nicklin—Ind) (4.27 pm): Madam Deputy Speaker, I apologise for not being ready to take the call earlier when I was in discussions with the minister for education. We were talking about Kenilworth school. While speaking about education, I would like to initially thank the minister for education for his recent support for the Palmwoods school for the purchase of an adjoining house so that the Palmwoods school can eventually grow. In terms of the budget, I would like to thank the Treasurer for the assistance provided by his office in clarifying a number of budget items in my electorate. I congratulate him on what must have been a difficult budget—trying to balance the expenditure with the income that was available to him. I also thank the Treasurer for the funding projects announced in the budget and use this opportunity to remind the minister and other ministers of the government of other ongoing funding needs for the growth area of my electorate, which is Nicklin in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. Health is still the most important issue to many of my constituents, and improving the level of health services continues as a very high priority. The working conditions of our health workers are very important, and I know that last year the government allocated $2½ million for the purchase of land so it could expand the existing hospital car park. As I speak, I note that the car park is nearing completion. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021

I refer to the announcement earlier this week by the Minister for Health that a proposed 96-bed ward would be constructed at the Nambour Hospital. I understand that the new ward will consist of a 24- bed paediatric ward, two 24-bed general wards and a 24-bed respiratory ward. It is also designed to accommodate a specialist outpatient department, preadmission clinic and a seven-chair renal dialysis training unit. I take this opportunity to flag that, while one car park is almost finished, the Nambour Hospital is due to embark on another major building program. I just hope that we can accommodate the car-parking needs of not just staff but also patients and relatives of patients who will need to visit the new facility in the future. I note in the budget that $90.5 million is allocated for the new $1.2 billion hospital proposed for Kawana. I cannot wait until the new regional hospital is built, because it will certainly take a lot of pressure off the existing Nambour Hospital and that part of Nambour. I also note that there is a proposed addition of 60 beds to be allocated and provided to Nambour Hospital, with the first 30 beds due to become operational later this year and a further 30 beds to be delivered by 2010. While on the issue of health, earlier today I had a meeting with Dr Reese and he indicated to me the concern many medical practitioners have with the effect that heavy cannabis use has on the brain and mental health. I would like to read into the budget debate the conclusions of this paper, which I intend to table, where it states— These results provide new evidence of exposure-related structural abnormalities— in the brain— in long-term heavy cannabis users and corroborate similar findings in the animal literature. These findings indicate that heavy daily cannabis use across protracted periods exerts harmful effects on brain tissue and mental health. Tabled paper: Copy of an article titled ‘Regional Brain Abnormalities Associated With Long-term Heavy Cannabis Use’. The reason I table that paper during the debate is that I believe it is time Queensland Health joined with private enterprise to continue real research into the effects that high cannabis use has on the brain. We on the Sunshine Coast at Nambour Hospital have unbelievable demands from people needing to access the mental health unit. I am concerned that there is going to be an inability to cope with the significant increased need for our mental health services. I acknowledge the $10.13 million allocated in the budget for the continuation of the construction of the new residential aged-care facility which will replace the existing Hibiscus House Nursing Home located on the Nambour Hospital grounds. I know that residents, staff and relatives of residents of the existing Hibiscus House Nursing Home are all looking forward to the commencement of construction of the new nursing home. If members are not aware, the new site is located on Glenbrook Drive just around the corner from the existing Nambour Hospital. On education, I note that the redevelopment of the Nambour TAFE campus is again continuing to receive significant funding, with a further $3.8 million allocated in this year’s budget. On the issue of local schools, I note an additional $486,000 was allocated for the Montville State School amenity block; $14,000 was injected for target maintenance at the Burnside State School; $17,000 was injected for high-priority maintenance at Burnside State School; and $12,000 was injected for high-priority maintenance at Bli Bli State School. While on the issue of Bli Bli State School, I take this opportunity to flag for the benefit of the minister for transport that there is an urgent need for the upgrade and construction of a footpath/bicycle path on the southern side of School Road up to Willis Road to secure the safety of children walking there and attempting to access the bus. $21,000 is also allocated for high- priority work at Mapleton State School; funding is provided for Palmwoods State School; and more money is allocated for high-priority maintenance at Nambour State School. North Arm State School, to the north of my electorate, has had a major growth in student numbers. At the moment there is a cap on the area from which students can attend the North Arm State School. I take this opportunity to flag that there is certainly a need for increased funding to improve the bus set-down and pick-up areas near that school, because during drop-off time it is chaotic near the school and we need to ensure that that school is as safe as possible. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the minister for public works and housing, the Hon. Robert Schwarten, for his recent support for the calls for help from the Yandina State School P&C Association. I understand that funding has been allocated and that work is about to commence. On behalf of parents and students of Yandina State School, I thank the minister for his prompt response to our calls for help for funding to meet the growth needs of the Yandina State School. In relation to the Nambour Fire Station, last year Pat Purcell, the then Minister for Emergency Services, allocated just over half a million dollars so we could purchase a new site. I would once again like to echo my support for the purchase of that site. It is great to see in this budget a further $1.8 million has been allocated towards the replacement of the existing Nambour Fire Station. I take this opportunity to thank new minister Neil Roberts for his ongoing support for the Nambour fire brigade. It was great that he was able to visit my electorate of Nicklin on the weekend. I hope that the new design of the Nambour 2022 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Fire Station will ensure that there is capacity for future expansion as the area continues to grow. I look forward to the minister attending in the near future for the sod-turning exercise so that we can all see the start of the new Nambour Fire Station. On the issue of the railway line duplication upgrade from Landsborough to Nambour, I note that in the budget there is an allocation of $58.3 million to continue the planning work for the north coast railway line. Only last week I met with residents in Nambour in the Price Street precinct who are very concerned about the future of their properties. I take this opportunity to flag the urgency that I believe there is for the government, and I suppose the next state government, to consider bringing forward the construction of this duplicated railway line between Landsborough and Nambour. I believe as the price of fuel continues to increase there will be more and more pressure placed on our train service. I think it is time that the government, and perhaps the alternative government, considered this very important funding priority to ensure that the railway line is upgraded and built to a high standard so we can have many more people travelling from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane without having to travel on our busy, congested roads. I note that at the moment many people do currently travel from Nambour north and south to Brisbane. They commute daily. I would hope that the current time needed to be spent on the duplication can be significantly reduced and we can see a significant increase in the number of people who will be able to travel to and from Brisbane daily on a regular basis on the train. Whilst on the issue of transport, I hope that the minister for transport will support my calls for a continuation of the funding of the currently jointly funded Hinterland Connect bus service, which in the past has been jointly funded by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and the state government. I would hope that this bus service can continue to be trialled until the end of the year so that the council, the community and the state government can get a better understanding of passenger numbers. I believe that with the growth of population in Nambour it is very important that people are able to access public transport. I would hope that the minister for transport and the government can support my request for the continuation of funding for this very important new trial bus service. I note that $219.8 million has been allocated for the continued construction of the northern interconnected pipeline to deliver water to the northern areas of Brisbane. In the budget papers they refer to stage 1 consisting of a pipeline from Morayfield to Landers Shute to access the water from the . I note that significant money is allocated in the budget for continued work on the proposed Traveston Dam, but I need to sound a note of caution to the government. I know that at the moment it is currently with the federal government. Even if the federal government does support the state government’s proposal, I have no doubt that this matter will end up in the High Court and I have no doubt it will be the High Court which will finally decide the outcome of the state government’s proposed Traveston Dam. As we speak, there are people in my electorate concerned about the continuation of this proposed northern connector pipeline from Landers Shute to Lake Macdonald in the Noosa area. There are currently two corridors under investigation. No-one affected by those two corridors has any certainty at the moment. I hope that the government can bring forward resolution as to where it proposes to build this pipeline, if it is the case that the High Court decides to approve the construction of the Traveston Dam. I note in the budget there is also an allocation of further funding to undertake the completion of construction of a bridge at Ferntree Creek Gully on the Nambour Connection Road, three kilometres north of Nambour, and $1.11 million to construct a bridge and approaches at Dusty Rhodes Bridge on the Petrie Creek Road at Diddillibah. I know the upgrading of this bridge is considered of high priority for locals. I certainly look forward to that work happening in the near future. There is also funding allocated for the further upgrade of the Kenilworth-Eumundi Road and there is $9.8 million to complete the construction of the bridge and approaches at the Belli Creek Crossing No. 2. On Monday when I went to go to my office in Nambour I found the bridge flooded. Unfortunately, I had to work from home on Monday. It is unbelievable that the flood waters can come up so quickly. But once the rain stops it does not take long for the flood waters to recede. There is also $18,000 allocated for further bikeways and footpath construction for Perwillowen Road in the Nambour area. I hope this year we will see the new Sunshine Coast Regional Council access the significant funding opportunities from the state government for the building of more bicycle paths and footpaths in the greater . There is also $870,000 allocated to complete intersection improvements between the Kiel Mountain Road overpass and Erbacher Road on the Nambour Connection Road. Whilst I am on my feet, I would like to use this opportunity to again mention for the benefit of the minister for main roads the need to consider the provision of a pull-off lane on the Nambour to Mapleton section. Also in the budget papers there is $112,940 allocated for bikeway and footpath construction at Eudlo Creek bridge on the Maroochy-Noosa Road. I know that that work will certainly be appreciated by the locals. There is $104,000 allocated to complete planning for bridgework at the Caboolture Creek south-east of Yandina on the Yandina-Bli Bli Road. This has been a dangerous area for many years. It is great to see that there is more money allocated for this very important road network. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

On the issue of community funding, I note there is $150,000 allocated in the budget for the design and construction of a replacement bridge at Picnic Creek Crossing in the Kondalilla National Park. I know many of the visitors to the park will certainly appreciate the allocation of this money so that the walking trails can be used to their full potential. There is also $24,000 allocated to rebuild the horse yards at Charlie Moreland camping grounds in the Kenilworth Forest Reserve. I hope that when we finally see the Mapleton Forest Park designated a national park next year and the identification of the horse-riding trails in the Mapleton Forest area we can see similar funding allocated by the minister for sustainability to build similar horse yards near the Belli Park rest area on the Kenilworth-Eumundi Road, which I understand is being considered as a future site for horse riders to ride in the Mapleton Forest. There is also funding allocated to the Nambour-Yandina United Soccer Club Inc. to construct a football field with lights at Yandina. This is funded to the tune of about $67,000. There is also $875,000 allocated to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council for the Nambour revitalisation project. I know that this is a project that has been ongoing for some time. I am very pleased that the state government has joined the council in the very important Nambour revitalisation project. I know that there is funding from the federal government as well. I am looking forward to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council bringing down its budget next month and seeing the Nambour revitalisation program continue, ensuring the funding and support from all levels of government which it justly deserves. There is $789,000 allocated to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless in my area. There is also $1.12 million for the relocation of the Nambour department of primary industries facilities which are currently in rental accommodation at Howard Street, Nambour. The new site is to be built on its land out at the research station. It will be great to see the new facility opened. Everyone involved with the department of primary industries will work together on their own site at the Maroochy research station. I note there is $5.76 million allocated to increase the availability of Home and Community Care services to support the frail aged and younger people with a disability in the community. It was only last week that I attended two community meetings with incorporated associations dealing with the disabled. I know there is a great need in my community. I thank the minister for funding this as much as he is able and for the increased allocation to support those in need in our community. There is also $1.21 million allocated to provide post school options for young adults with disabilities and their families as part of an ongoing commitment. I think it is very important that we do as much as we can to support young adults with a disability and ensure that they receive the best services possible from the government. I know my time is almost up but I use this opportunity to thank the Treasurer and the government for its funding commitments for my electorate of Nicklin. I know there are other needs that we had. I look forward to attending the next stage of the budget process where I will be able to join other members of parliament at Estimates Committee C and question the minister for education and the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government on the finer details of the funding allocated in their respective budget portfolios. I commend the budget to the House. Ms STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (4.45 pm): It is through the state budget that a government can very clearly show its colours—show very clearly what it stands for. There is no doubt whatsoever what our government, led by Premier Anna Bligh, stands for. This government is balancing the need to build the solid structures—the roads, hospitals, schools—with the need to build community and individual strength to meet the challenges that all of us face daily. The Premier has been a community builder in her previous life, in her previous work roles, and now she has the clout to be a statewide community builder. We are seeing that evidenced through the way in which this budget and the work of this government is building a strong economy, building modern hospitals, schools and roads, building a better quality of life. In particular, the thing that impresses me about this budget is what might be seen as the little things rather than the big solid structures. A lot of little things are helping families and individuals who are under financial and emotional pressure. That is the real sign of a good government, a caring government. I am very proud to be part of a government that pays attention to the big issues and the little issues—and I use the word ‘little’ in a broader way. They are very important issues. The Australian and Queensland economies are experiencing the greatest prosperity ever. This government is clearly making a stand to ensure that all people get a share in this prosperity. We must do everything possible as a government to reign in the gap between people on fixed incomes who struggle to make ends meet and those who are thriving on the prosperity. We must do everything possible to ensure that the gap in the quality of life and life expectancy for Indigenous people relative to the general population is reigned in. 2024 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

We must do everything possible to make sure that people and carers struggling with disabilities, mental health problems and other illnesses get much needed support. The state governments have limited responsibility or capacity for income support, but this budget instigates a number of measures to share the prosperity of our economy around and to give financial relief to pensioners and low-income earners. This budget funds the massive infrastructure building projects—the water grid, the congestion- busting projects, the Gateway upgrade of over $500 million, the Northern Busway and Eastern Busway of over $438 million, the three new hospitals and much more. This budget also funds additional concessions that will help people on low incomes pay their energy and water costs. The budget gives much needed mortgage and stamp duty relief to home buyers at the lower end of the market. First home buyers will pay no duty on a house valued under $500,000. In my area where there is a lot of housing development going on this measure is very welcome. The budget funds the much needed respite and supported housing for many more people with mental health problems and disabilities. We have been known to measure our building activity by the number of cranes on the Brisbane skyline. I now measure and know how extensive the building projects are in Brisbane and throughout the state by the number of graders and cranes—the Scoops and Loftys in Bob the Builder language. My two-year-old son, Alex, gets so excited every time we travel around the south-east corner or throughout state when he sees those Scoops and Loftys. He comments on them all the time. A lot of people in the community do comment on that. They do not call them Scoops and Loftys but they talk about the earthmoving equipment and the number of cranes and graders around. Everywhere we go—the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, around the south-east corner and the northern regions of this state— there is certainly a lot of activity going on. We must also measure and value the importance of our family and community-building activities as a government. Members of this government know the value of our substantial investment in early intervention child support programs, mental health, chronic disease prevention and other activities that strengthen individuals and families. Again, I am very impressed at the way both our Treasurer and our Premier at various events, including the business budget lunch yesterday, talk up these sorts of issues that might be seen as soft infrastructure issues. The Treasurer talked about the need for early intervention projects, and he seemed very proud in what he said about a focus on new funding in the early intervention area. We all know that a dollar spent in early intervention can save many dollars later on in the care that is provided by governments and the broader community on a number of issues, including substance abuse, mental health issues and early childhood problems. This budget has a big focus on early intervention across a range of social program areas. Members of this government also understand that at the end of a week many people run dry of funds and that an extra $10 on an electricity bill can cause a lot of worry for individuals and families. I am very proud, as I said earlier, to have been part of Labor governments that have injected unprecedented levels of funding into concessions and services that we have seen grow under this government like the disability support programs, the mental health programs and child protection services. I am proud to be part of a government that is determined to improve housing affordability and access to housing, and community building must continue to be a top priority. In my former life in the community sector in my work at the Queensland Council of Social Service I put lots of submissions to various governments about the need for more public housing and more supported housing in the community. Finally, governments at the federal and state levels are really responding. I commend the Housing Affordability Strategy that this government has initiated and the additional funding that we are seeing in the Housing budget. In my electorate in Acacia Ridge and other suburbs there is a high concentration of public housing, and over the years we have certainly seen the effects of the former Howard government’s policy on not providing capital funding to the states under the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement. There are many vacant lots of housing department land in my electorate where houses have been demolished with a view to building seniors units or high-density complexes or replacing them with housing. However, there have not been the capital funds to do that, and that is one of the great legacies of the Howard government in that it really let people down on the housing issue. I have heard lots of comments around my community where people ask, ‘What are we doing with that land?’ I urge the housing minister to have another look at the land supply we have. Given that there was not the same sort of level of capital funding coming forth from the previous federal government— and I am not sure where we might go with the current federal government in relation to capital funding— it seems as though we could do well to sell off some of that land, and that is the comment that people are making in my local community. They say, ‘Couldn’t we sell off 20 or 30 blocks and in place of where one house was put 10 or 12 high-density dwellings?’ When I have been at the official opening of seniors units in my area, it is so wonderful to see those people. They feel like they have won lotto. They walk into those little units and it brings a tear to your eye, because they look around and they know that they are secure, they know that they are safe and they know that they have a comfortable place to stay. I think we could do a lot more of that. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

In my view—and I know the minister for housing has been very clear about this—it has certainly been a great shame that the Howard federal government in its 10 years did very little for those battlers. We have only been able to help a handful of people when we should have been helping hundreds and hundreds of them. I ask that in future budgets we continue to negotiate with the federal government, particularly around our capacity not just to support the community housing sector and social housing initiatives—they are very important—but also issues around land release and all of those things because they are critical steps in improving housing affordability. I really would like to see us act locally and very quickly to do a lot more with the asset base that we have in order to produce more housing stock. Locally, I also welcome the additional building and maintenance funds for schools in my area and the continued expansion of the world-class SkillsTech trade training centre at Acacia Ridge. I also welcome the additional bus services and public transport initiatives. As I said, with hundreds of new houses appearing each month across new developments in Parkinson, Forest Lake and Calamvale in my area, I know that people are worried about the cost of housing and the cost of living. I certainly can talk up with confidence in my local area that this budget has something in it for everybody and that it is a community-building budget, and I certainly commend it to the House. Mrs SULLIVAN (Pumicestone—ALP) (4.53 pm): A typical day of media negativity did nothing to enlighten Queenslanders about the many positive aspects of the first Bligh Labor government budget. Listening to the radio on Tuesday afternoon, one would have thought that there was no good news at all. Of course that is not the case and many groups and individuals have praised the Treasurer, the Hon. Andrew Fraser, and the Premier, Anna Bligh, on a sound budget with the future of Queensland in mind. As a government we need to be forward thinking. There are as many as 1,000 people moving into south-east Queensland every week. As much as the opposition wants to drag us back to the time of the dinosaurs, we will not be in it. If one looks back like those opposite, how can we meet future challenges? As well as look after our existing Queenslanders, we need to cater for new arrivals, and that means more spending on services, infrastructure and facilities. I fully support the government’s priorities: building infrastructure; improving housing affordability; delivering front-line services with significant funding boosts to health, education and emergency services; tackling climate change; and assisting the most vulnerable in our community, the elderly and the disabled. With regard to tax reform and housing affordability, Queensland is still a low-tax state, with taxpayers in other states paying an average of $274 more than every Queenslander. However, our economy is outpacing the rest of Australia. While cutting and abolishing taxes is good news for the hip pocket, it means that substantial revenue is lost by the government and we have to pick it up somewhere. The Treasurer forecasts that by 2011-12 this will amount to over $1.3 billion. At the centre of this budget is sweeping changes to stamp duty. Queenslanders seeking to buy their first home under $500,000 will not pay any stamp duty. This will take effect from 1 September 2008 and the Treasurer’s announcement that the first home owner concession will immediately be raised to $350,000 has been welcome news, particularly from the housing sector. Mortgage duty will be abolished on 1 July this year and other tax reform measures will mean that, for every home purchased under $1 million, whether to first homes buyers or to families upgrading to a new home, Queenslanders will pay the lowest stamp duty in the country. Some $125 million will be released from the Queensland Future Growth Fund for social housing. Relief was given in last year’s budget on land tax and now there are more reforms. These will further lessen the impact of higher land values on tax liability. With regard to health, the Pumicestone electorate has fared well in the Bligh government’s record allocation of $8.35 billion in health funding, up from $7.15 billion last year. Currently the state government spends over $16 million a day on the health of Queenslanders. This will rise with our ageing population and rapid technological advancements. The highlight is $9.79 million for the Caboolture health precinct. The budget has allocated a total of $200 million over four years to help alleviate waiting lists for elective surgery. Further funding has been allocated to provide more medical aids, new health technology and equipment. Some $35.8 million will fund the employment of 50 nurse practitioners over four years. Dental health has always been a priority for the state Labor government, and this budget has seen an allocation of $14 million over three years to acquire nine new mobile dental clinics and refurbish the existing fleet. It is a record budget for the Ambulance Service of $455.7 million, including 250 additional ambulance officers and 145 new ambulances. With regard to education, over the past years under Labor there has been an emphasis on education—a genuine passion to give every child and young adult the best education and training possible. Costs escalate daily and we rise to meet those challenges. The education budget tops $6 billion this financial year. We implemented a raft of new initiatives to tackle priorities in schools and will fund the cost of 270 new teachers and aides, up from 192 last year. Some $100 million has been set aside to boost school maintenance over two years through the Tomorrow’s Schools initiative. Locally, schools will share extra funding for high priority maintenance works and money has been approved from the Department of Communities for the first Queensland-wide early learning centre in Caboolture East. 2026 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Mrs Jacqui King, principal of the Banksia Beach State Primary School, and her dedicated staff on being awarded a state government development grant for an innovative ICT program, Engaging Learners Through Engaging Teaching. Over the past three years the school has created an ICT learning centre for all students in the middle years where lessons focus on embedding ICT into all facets of student learning, showing significant improvements in literacy and numeracy. I seek leave to incorporate the rest of my speech in Hansard. Leave granted. State Roads and Public Transport Because of this forward thinking government, Queensland is in the midst of the single biggest program of infrastructure upgrades; roads, tunnels, bridges, extending and duplicating rail-lines. Locally we can see the duplication of the Federal Highway to the Bribie Island turn-off and when finished, work will begin on four laning Bribie Island Road. This first stage from the highway to Pasturage Road will cost $13.78 million. Add this to the opening recently of the Caboolture Northern By-Pass at a cost of $65 million shows this government is looking after road users in Pumicestone. $500,000 has been allocated this year to commence widening, repairing and strengthening parts of the Beachmere Road and $722,544 to construct a new two lane sealed standard on section/s of Pumicestone Road. $275,000 to complete concept planning between the Bruce Highway and William Street on Lower King Street, Caboolture, at a total cost of $1 million. $75,000 is designated for passenger set-down facilities at the Caboolture Special School and $47,500 for parking facilities at the Bribie Island State Primary School. Community consultation has begun on a proposal to construct a park-and-ride facility on Bribie Island. Police and Community Safety This budget sees funding to the Queensland Police Force (QPS) increase by $134 million to $1.57 billion up from $1.44 billion last year. Extra funding will provide for more safety improvements in communities. Another 200 police will ensure the government’s commitment is maintained to having a police to population ratio at national levels. The new Caboolture Police District is now operational with extra police and resources. The Bribie Island 24-hour police station extensions are almost completed and should be functional later this year totalling $2.6 million. This budget delivers an additional $3.5 million over four years to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to increase the number of prosecutors. The State Coroner also receives a funding increase. Jobs Queensland’s unemployment figure is the lowest in a generation. It is well below the national average, but our rapidly growing economy needs a skilled workforce. That’s why in the north coast region, $71.5 million has been provided for vocational education and training and 4,250 trade training places to help address skills shortages. The Pumicestone electorate continues to benefit from the Skilling Queenslanders programs. A high percentage of participants gained employment after becoming skilled under this supervised state government work plan. Additional funding of $43.4 million over four years has been allocated to increase apprenticeship and training places with over 7,500 places in 2008-09. Assisting the Elderly and Disabled The budget provides a Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme at a cost of $50 million over four years. For those who are eligible it will mean a $40 rebate this year and increasing next year. This is in addition to the existing state government rate rebate of $180. Also there is the introduction of the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate Scheme. The electricity rebate will also increase from $20 to $165. This is more than double the increase of electricity and demonstrates a commitment for the state government to assist with rising costs in these areas. Disability Services Queensland will receive $99 million over four years to increase early intervention and other support services available to help people with a disability. Adults with a disability with be assisted further to live and participate in their community as part of an ongoing commitment and $654,000 will provide short-term and limited respite support for families, carers and people with a disability. There are seven new mental health beds being built at the Caboolture Hospital due to a growing demand and $175,000 will be used for promotion, prevention and early intervention strategies for people with moderate to severe mental illness living in the community, their families and carers. Environment The government is committed to promoting modern and effective environmental management practices. $30 million for new climate change initiatives like the Climate Smart Home Service will provide Queenslanders with the tools to monitor and reduce energy use to deliver savings in household electricity costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Again locally the National Parks, one of our greatest assets, continue to be funded for more infrastructure and facilities. Road access and walking tracks have been improved to enable more people to see the beauty of our natural resources. This budget builds on from the previous one and provides many things to many people. We can’t provide everything but it is a sound document catering for Queensland now and in the future. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2027

Mr SEENEY (Callide—NPA) (4.58 pm): I rise to make a contribution to the consideration of the budget bills before the House this year. At the outset, I note that the state budget is characterised by a significant increase in state debt and a significant increase in the contribution that is made to the state finances by the mining industry. I want to talk about both of those things and also to make some comments about the budget allocations to my own electorate. I turn first to the issue of debt. This issue has been well highlighted by previous speakers in this debate and certainly by a lot of public commentary that has been made since the Treasurer introduced the budget bills to the parliament on Tuesday. There is no doubt that there has been a significant increase in the level of state debt. Queensland has always been a state that has been characterised by low levels of debt. Previous governments have taken particular pride in the fact that the state economy has been able to develop and grow while at the same time ensuring that debt levels were kept relatively low. In that respect, the budget this year and I think the budgets last year and possibly the year before have been particularly significant in that they have been a major departure from what Queenslanders have been used to in that we have seen levels of debt escalate. This year, that escalation has been at a level that nobody would pretend is not significant. There has been considerable debate about the significance of that debt. The Treasurer and various government members have tried to run the defence that that sort of increase in borrowing is necessary to pay for the additional infrastructure that the state requires. There is no doubt that the state requires significant financial input into publicly funded infrastructure to a very great extent to catch up for the lack of spending over the previous terms of the Labor government. But I think that some of the analogies that have been drawn by the Treasurer and other members of the government have been quite erroneous and quite misleading. Simplistic as they may be, they certainly do not portray the extent of the situation that faces not only Queenslanders today but also generations of Queenslanders to come. The Treasurer and other members of the government have drawn the analogy of people borrowing money to buy houses or borrowing money to invest in businesses or other analogies to try to justify the extraordinary increase in the level of state debt. But one thing that anybody who has been in business knows is that when you borrow money, you eventually have to pay it back. Any situation that brings about a significant increase in the debt levels of a household, a business or a state also brings with it the question of how that debt is going to be repaid. I have no fear of debt. I do not think people who stand up and make accusations about the level of debt as though somehow or other debt is bad are making a reasonable or thoughtful contribution to the debate. But the important thing about debt is to understand its significance. In a business situation, an increase in debt should bring about an increase in a business’s capacity to generate income. The question that all Queenslanders should ask themselves when they listen to the debate about the significant increase in the state debt is whether or not that increase in state debt has increased the state’s capacity to generate income, because a bigger proportion of the state’s income in the future will be required to service that debt and to make the necessary repayments. If it can be shown that the incursion of that debt increases the ability of the state to generate income into the state’s coffers in the future, then in my opinion that debt is serviceable. But no such attempt to do that has been made by the Treasurer or any other member of the government. I draw the analogy—and I think it is a better analogy than some of the ones that the Treasurer has drawn—of a business situation where an operator is faced with the necessity to develop or to invest in infrastructure. That operator would expect the end result of that investment to be an increase in the gross inflow of cash into the business. So the operator borrows the money and spends it, earns more and those extra earnings allow the operator to not only pay the interest on the loan but also repay the loan on time. I do not believe that is the situation that the state finds itself in at the moment. The extra debt that we have incurred is a catch-up measure for the failure of the government to provide infrastructure in the past. The extra income that will have to come out of the state’s coffers to both service that debt and repay that debt will not be generated by the areas where that money is going to be spent in this financial year and the next financial year as that debt level ramps up to $59 billion and then to $65 billion. There is no indication to me that that expenditure of that money will increase the state’s capacity to earn money. There is no indication that there will be a corresponding inflow into the state’s coffers as that debt is incurred. That means that the money that will be required to both service and repay that debt will have to come from what would normally have been the cash inflows in those coming years. That means that in those years there will be less of that cash inflow to provide the normal services that the government has a responsibility to provide. The other significant part of this budget is the contribution that is made by Queensland’s mining industry. Ever since I have been in this parliament I have been a passionate defender of Queensland’s mining industry. Sometimes I have had to defend the Queensland mining industry against quite unwarranted and unjustified attacks by members of the government. I was first shadow minister for mines and energy in 1999. I can remember then the attitude that was very clear in the government—and those members who doubt it can read the Hansard debates at the time—was that the mining industry 2028 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 was somehow a sunset industry, it was something that was going to fade away, it was something that Queensland would not need anymore once we became the Smart State as we embraced the biotech industries that were going to be the industries of the future. In a lot of the debates that we had at the time there was a contempt for the mining industry shown by the members of the government. But how that attitude has proven to be misplaced, misguided and quite simply wrong as the mining industry continues to make an enormous contribution to Queensland’s economy, as it has done for many years. Generations of Queenslanders can thank the mining industry for the lifestyle that we enjoy. They can thank the mining industry for the schools, the hospitals, the roads and all of the other state infrastructure that has been supplied in Queensland for a great many years. The coal industry, particularly in and in the Bowen Basin and now the Surat Basin, has made an enormous contribution. It has been the centrepiece of the Queensland economy for many years, not just in terms of the coal royalties and rail freights which are the direct result of some very wise investment that was made by previous coalition governments on behalf of the people of Queensland that is bearing fruit now and has provided those rewards for many years but also in terms of the electricity industry. A major strength of the Queensland economy has always been the coal-fired power stations that sit at the mouth of the mines in central Queensland and provide base load electricity at a world competitive price. Too few members of the government have ever acknowledged that. There has been very little acknowledgement of that contribution that the mining industry has made over those years. But in this year’s budget the extent to which the mining industry underpins the Queensland economy in terms of the royalties that are paid, the rail freights that are generated, the jobs that are provided, the economic opportunities and the employment opportunities that are provided to so many young Queenslanders right throughout central Queensland stands out for all to see. The government has gone one step further: rather than just acknowledge the great contribution that is being made by the mining industry in this particular budget, it has sought to take advantage of the fact that there has been a boom in mining receipts for everybody in the mining industry over the last couple of years and opportunistically increase the royalties to fill, as much as is possible, the hole in its budget. The budget has been propped up on two sides: on one side by this extraordinary level of borrowing and on the other by this opportunistic raid on the mining industry in the form of increased royalties at this time. It can be argued, as the government has argued, that in a mining boom situation the industry has the capacity to pay and that all Queenslanders should benefit from that. All Queenslanders are already benefiting from it. There is no doubt about that. Every Queenslander should realise that. It can be argued that the industry has a capacity to pay, but I say to the government that it should not make the same mistake it made with the electricity industry. In the years that I have been in this place I have seen other budgets propped up in a similar way—by borrowings on one hand and this opportunistic raid on some other form of income on the other. While in this year’s budget that opportunistic raid has been made on the mining industry, in previous years that opportunistic raid was made on government owned electricity generators. The government was in a similar financial squeeze and it reached for the extra money from the GOCs—from the electricity generators—and used that money to fill the hole in its budget. It was warned over and over again in the years it did that that sooner or later it had to put something back into the industry to ensure those amounts of money could be there when the industry needed them. Those who delivered those warnings were proven right in time. And so it is with the mining industry. The government has to realise that it can take the money at the top of the boom but it also has a responsibility to put some money back into the mining industry to ensure there is some infrastructure in central Queensland so that the mining industry can continue to produce those great income flows for all Queenslanders in the years ahead. The government needs to ensure that there is a future for the mining industry, that the inputs are put back into the industry at this time when the money is available so that for generations to come Queenslanders can continue to enjoy those benefits. The government should not make the same mistake it made with the electricity industry whereby it bled the industry of the dividends year after year without putting anything back into the industry. I believe that the mining industry has certainly made a case for some badly needed infrastructure spending in central Queensland so that we can reduce the queues of coal ships that sit off places like Dalrymple Bay, Gladstone and Abbot Point at Bowen so that we can become a more reliable supplier of coal to the world markets, which certainly need the product we can produce to the benefit of all Queenslanders. I want to make some comments about the budget allocations in my own electorate. Of course, they are not separate and distinct from the references I made about the need for the provision of infrastructure for the mining industry in central Queensland because my electorate, like other electorates in central Queensland, has felt the pressures build as the mining boom has built up in central Queensland. The pressure on infrastructure has certainly reached a breaking point. It is good to see in this budget that there are allocations for things like roadworks on the Dawson Highway between Gladstone and Biloela. Finally we have some money for the infamous Calliope Range. That is a 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2029 welcome allocation, I say to the Treasurer, but it is a long way overdue. I hope that job is done in the first half of the financial year and not next June, which tends to happen. I know that the member for Rockhampton and the member for Fitzroy, were he here today, would agree with me that the road from Gladstone to Biloela and on to the coalfields of Moura and the mines west of there is probably the most overtaxed road in Queensland simply because it has borne the brunt of the development that has happened in central Queensland. I know that the member for Rockhampton will tell me that the Capricorn Highway is similarly carrying an enormous load—and it is. If the member for Mirani were here he would tell me the road west from Mackay is carrying a similar load—and it is. But I think both of those roads are of a higher standard than the road from Gladstone to Biloela and Moura, and I am pleased to see that that allocation for the infamous Calliope Range is in the budget. I look forward to the day, member for Rockhampton, when we can stand at the top of the range and together take pride in the fact that that has finally been fixed. That day cannot come too soon. There are also allocations in the budget for some work to be done on the road north of Biloela to Rockhampton. It, too, is a road that certainly carries more than its fair share of traffic because of the mining boom and the development that has occurred in central Queensland. There is a road that is not in the budget. Search as I may, I could not find any allocation for the Burnett Highway—the road that leads from the south into the Bowen Basin coalfields. Unfortunately it has become the forgotten highway as central Queensland struggles to deal with the growth pressures and the increased traffic that are part and parcel of the boom that is occurring in that part of the world. Some time ago I asked the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government a question on notice about the amounts of money that had been spent on the Burnett Highway over the last three years. He was not able to point to one major project. All he could do was point to a couple of bridges that had been replaced under a bridge replacement program. They needed replacing. Of course they did. They were old wooden bridges that are so characteristic of roads right across Queensland and they certainly needed replacing. But there was not one major project over the last three years that the minister could point to on the Burnett Highway. It is a road that carries an enormous amount of the traffic that is going to central Queensland to support the mining boom. Anyone who wants to drive down that road can be assured that they are going to meet a couple of wide loads—big, heavy loads of the sort of equipment we all know is moving to those development areas in central Queensland. There is still no budget allocation for any improvement on the Burnett Highway. I say to the Treasurer and the minister for main roads that it can no longer remain the forgotten highway in the government’s budgeting process. It must be recognised as a priority for this government because of the important role it plays in ensuring that the development that is occurring in central Queensland can continue to occur for the benefit of all Queenslanders. There is also in the budget a welcome allocation for the Prospect Creek State School. This type of allocation, while it is relatively small in the context of the budget, is particularly welcome at the community level. I note the comments that were made by the member for Algester earlier that sometimes we forget that those are the types of budget allocations that have the biggest impact on the people that we represent. It is those smaller allocations that have an impact on the daily lives of our constituents and, in this case, on the daily lives of the children who attend Prospect Creek State School and the teachers who work there. In that respect those sorts of allocations are particularly welcome. There is also an allocation for a new police station and a new ambulance station at Murgon. Both of those projects have been a long time on the drawing board and I hope to see them completed this year. I hope to see those amounts of money spent to bring those projects to completion. We see these projects year after year and what we want to see is those projects brought to completion. Ms LEE LONG (Tablelands—ONP) (5.19 pm): I rise to contribute to this appropriation debate and acknowledge that this year’s budget delivers significant funding for a range of projects across my electorate. More than $159 million is to flow into the Tablelands electorate from the 2008-09 budget towards new and ongoing projects, with a total commitment to the Tablelands of some $528 million. I thank the government for this injection of funds. The largest single commitment is $118.33 million for the start of work on the upgrade and expansion of the Lotus Glen correctional facility, with a total project cost estimated to be $443 million. Lotus Glen is a major employer in my electorate and the expansion of an additional 300 beds will mean a significant construction force will be required for a number of years, as it is not expected to be completed until 2011. After the extension becomes operational, there will be additional long-term jobs in the future across a range of areas. The existing centre caters for low, medium and maximum security prisoners and has a large prison farm attached. The addition of another 300 beds will be a major increase in capacity and this injection of funds will see this project announced last year moving forward. This year’s budget will also see the bulk of funding delivered for the new police station and watch-house in Mareeba. This is part of the justice precinct for the town which also includes a new magistrates and district courthouse. 2030 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

The police side of the project is to receive $7.49 million in this budget from a total cost of $10.35 million. The new courthouse, with a total cost of $6.08 million, is already underway and there is $2.86 million in this budget towards its completion. This is a complex project where on completion of the new courthouse the existing old courthouse will be knocked down and the new police facilities will be built on its current location. It is pleasing to see this project moving forward. The new police station will also allow for an increase in police officers from under 30 to 50. Again, this is welcome news for the region provided these additional police will be allowed to carry out the real grassroots policing and not have to spend their valuable time doing the work of the transport department. Also in this budget Ravenshoe has received $300,000 towards a $1 million replacement of its aged police station and watch-house. This project has seen some delays in preliminary tasks such as securing a site. Again, it is a good to see this project finally on the move. Population growth in the Ravenshoe area has been very strong and the new facilities and extra police officers will be welcome additions. In total there is nearly $129 million towards law and order and corrective services infrastructure to be delivered to the Tablelands in the life of this budget, and I acknowledge the relevant ministers for this result. In addition, there is a commitment of $10 million to the purchase and refurbishment of a government office building in Mareeba, and this project has a total estimated project cost of $15.5 million. This will be a significant project and hopefully it is also an indication that administrative and other duties will continue to be provided in rural and regional centres rather than being continually centralised in Cairns. There is continuing funding in this budget for two new replacement fire stations at both Malanda and at a total project cost of over $1.3 million. I thank the minister and his predecessor for their longstanding support in my electorate with regard to emergency services. I also acknowledge the current minister for his close support of and attention to officers at the Atherton Fire Station in relation to the unidentified cancer cluster there. He has visited a number of times and continues to keep everyone well informed which is very much appreciated. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the minister that the Mareeba Fire Station is inadequate and its replacement should be provided for as soon as possible in the budget process. It is too small to cope with the large new appliances and its location near a T-junction on an increasingly busy main street is simply not safe for the public motorists and pedestrians, not to mention the fire officers themselves. Fire officers have to stop their engine in the middle of the busy roadway, reverse across two lanes of traffic, across pedestrian walkways and then back the large engines into the narrow doorway of the station with only a few centimetres to spare. Sooner or later one of the many near misses will not be a miss and there will be damage and possible injury. I believe that there is a duty of care in this case and that adds to the urgency of a budget allocation for this project. I will briefly mention concerns about the Rural Fire Service. In particular, it is vital that senior officers have a local connection with rural industries and rural fire practices. For example, many industries use fire as a normal part of their production processes. National parks use it for biodiversity management. It is a complex issue involving more than simply whether a fire is lit or not, and there are many differences from one end of a state to the other which must be understood. Within the portfolio of Infrastructure and Planning, my electorate and the far north is in the process of assessing the draft far-north Queensland 2025 development plan. This plan, which will influence budgets in the future, is based on a projected population growth of some 100,000 people in the coming years spread across the far north. My electorate and I believe the region is nervous about this plan based on its experience with other government plans such as the Barron water resource plan. That experience shows that these plans can be far too inflexible when put into practice. No plan can possibly address every potential set of circumstances, yet when those people who fall through the cracks seek relief they are simply told that the plans do not cater for them. They remain stuck in the gap wherever they fall through. It has happened with the water resource plan and I believe that it will happen again with this regional plan. The implications are wide reaching as this plan affects every area of life in the far north, even beyond the budget process. It is far-reaching in its influence and frightening in its level of arbitrary control. Yet there are almost inexplicable conditions—for example, the Mareeba urban footprint does not include the short distance to an existing subdivision of some 200 blocks which has been there for more than a decade and is barely a kilometre from the proposed urban footprint. On the other side of town a similar situation occurs. This plan promises to put an enormous additional workload on local authorities, yet the issue of their capacity to undertake this work is not addressed at all and nor is there any funding for it in this year’s budget. That is symptomatic of this government. It legislates and regulates but does not meet its obligations to facilitate. This budget is based on projected growth, both in my electorate and across the state, yet questions have been raised about the presumed growth underpinning this plan. We are told that 100,000 more people are expected to come, but then the ECQ strips the far north of a state seat on the basis that our numbers are behind and will fall further behind in other areas. Either we are facing the kind of growth that needs this kind of planning or we are not. We cannot be facing both at once. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2031

It is also notable that the plan indicates, and I quote, ‘The coastal plain becomes less desirable due to climate change impacts such as increased temperature, increased flooding, more severe cyclones and sea level rise,’ and yet goes on to say that it intends for most of the region’s 100,000 new residents to settle in Cairns, which is, of course, on that very same flood plain. It is because of the core planning role this document will fill, especially in terms of projects funded in future budgets, that I believe it needs very close scrutiny indeed. The electorate of Tablelands is highly dependent on its road network and, as industries expand and change and as the rail network is wound back, road links are becoming ever more vital. Approximately $13 million in this budget will see work carried out across the electorate. This includes funding to complete the upgrade of the Kennedy Highway between Mount Garnet and the Three Ways, including the section from Mount Garnet to the racecourse—we are all anxiously awaiting its completion—and also the widening of the narrow sections east of the town at Battle Creek and Big and Little Dinner Creeks. There is also money allocated for the Palmerston Highway, other sections of the Kennedy Highway and the Gordonvale-Atherton Road including from the van park into Atherton. I am also pleased to see a number of bridges identified for replacement or major repair in this budget, including at Leadingham Creek Road, Curtain Fig Tree Road, McKeown Road, East Emu Creek near , Maroobi Creek and the Big Malaan Bridge both near Yungaburra and the North Walsh Road Bridge. These projects in total will cost some $1,750,000. While I thank the minister for the funding for roadworks in my electorate, it should be noted that a recent RACQ report identified the Kennedy Highway as being one of the worst in the state. While of course there is always more work that needs to be done, the glaring omission in this budget is the lack of the Kuranda Range Road upgrade—which is not in my electorate but which is a vital link to and from the coast for tablelanders and people from the cape and the . With the constant reduction in rail services, it is inevitable that the burden of transport falls on to the shoulders of the trucking industry. Yet this industry, so vital to the economic strength of this state, finds itself under what has been described as sustained attack by this government with little sign in this budget that anything will change. While the intention of the chain of responsibility legislation was aimed at helping to protect truck drivers from unscrupulous operators pressuring them to run heavy or run long, it is now seen by some as posing a threat to the very viability of the sector. Also the way demerit points are issued in relation to logbook offences is a concern, as it is a 36-month period before lost points can be recouped. It is a heavy burden on people whose livelihood revolves around their ability to drive. While a national audit has identified that there are insufficient rest areas along this state’s highways for truck drivers, there is no funding in this budget for the kind of major construction program needed to address this statewide need. Yet drivers can be fined and lose points for exceeding their hours even when they may simply be trying to reach the closest of these limited number of rest areas. There are proposals being put forward by some in the industry which appear to be proactive on these matters, but its complaints are being met simply with more and more regulatory constraints. The continued growth in production and value of primary industries and the booming mining industry, including in far-north Queensland, are underpinning this budget. It also means that easy access to export outlets is vital. In particular, I believe there needs to be work put into expanding both Mourilyan and Cairns ports as export facilities. In the longer term, with the expected move north of large- scale farming operations and the predicted increasing price of food, Normanton, too, could become a major export facility. It has been identified by primary industries’ representatives that this budget does nothing for farmers. That is extremely disappointing, considering the agricultural sector is second only to mining in its contribution to the state’s economy and a major employer, yet it is so consistently left out in the cold come budget time. Tablelanders are also concerned about the future of their three DPIF research stations. The Kairi station serves the dairy industry and conducts experiments in a range of crops grown in and around the Tablelands, while Walkamin fulfils an important role in fisheries research. Yet there is no indication in this budget that these facilities and their experienced staff will be expanded in any way. It is essential to have strong scientific support, research and development to allow local industries to meet the rising demands placed on them and to best capitalise on the demand for their products. With so many local issues such as soil types, water availability, rainfall, climate, crop varieties and so on all playing important roles in crop viability, research and development has to be carried out on a locality basis. The retention and expansion of scientific and extension support staff is also vital. The dairy industry has sustained difficulties since deregulation in 2000. However, it is now facing an additional problem coping with the spread of the pest weed navua sedge, particularly in the southern Tablelands area around Millaa Millaa. This quickly spreading grass is a major threat not only to the dairy industry but also to grazing production. It urgently needs to be officially declared a pest and budget allocations made for its eradication, as its spread at the moment is mainly along roadways on crown land but it is not being controlled by EPA, DNRW or DPIF pest weed officers. Future budgets need to provide funds for this essential control work to be carried out as long as necessary. 2032 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Health is one of the areas of severe disappointment for my electorate in this budget. Health services and facilities in the Tablelands electorate continue to fall far short of community needs and expectations. The need for a new hospital in Atherton is growing more and more urgent. There have been bandaids applied over recent years, but they are much more a sign of how far past its use-by date this hospital has gone than anything else, and the neglect stretches to equipment. Atherton is fortunate to have some extremely highly qualified and experienced specialists and doctors in the area who are prepared to offer surgical and other services above and beyond what may be expected from a hospital of a similar size, but they need ready access to, in particular, a CT scanner. Regrettably, this budget does not indicate any specific funding for this kind of support to these doctors and their patients. Instead, those patients now have to be sent down the range to Cairns to simply clog up its already overloaded base hospital. Mareeba has a hospital which could also cope with better facilities and an increase in staff. It has also recently been robbed of equipment to the underresourced Cairns Base Hospital, which normally has three instrument washers. Recently, one of its main washers broke down and, despite having two back-up washers, the answer chosen by Queensland Health was to take the only washer at the Mareeba Hospital to Cairns. Initially it was to be away only as long as it took for Cairns to get a replacement, which took months. That replacement arrived but now Mareeba’s washer is to stay in Cairns until the Cairns back-up washers are also replaced. So what is Mareeba doing about getting their instruments washed? They now have to send their instruments to either Atherton or Cairns to be washed. Where is the expanded Health budget going if it is not providing for such basic equipment as instrument washers? It is due to the dedicated efforts of staff at both Atherton and Mareeba hospitals that both facilities enjoy strong support from their communities and are held in very high regard. This year’s Health budget delivered to the Tablelands $179,000 towards the Sexual Assault Support and Prevention Program and $87,000 towards chronic disease health worker positions. They are both worthy programs, but it is a long way short of the new hospital that Atherton so desperately requires and the additional equipment and staff necessary to alleviate the extraordinary pressure on the Cairns Base Hospital, which is itself in deep crisis. Ambulance ramping is far too common, and there are shortages in almost every area, including mental health. The desperate shortage of doctors, nurses, dentists and other allied health professionals continues to plague us. The waiting lists at the public dental clinics on the Tablelands are approximately four years in Mareeba and six years in Atherton. It is disappointing that there is no substantial injection of new funds in this budget towards resolving these issues, given we have ALP governments wall to wall. I am pleased that there is funding for the development of a number of trails at Mount Baldy near Atherton and the Herberton Range provided for in this budget and I welcome that commitment. The public housing crisis continues to be a major issue for my electorate, as the waiting lists extend out to eight years and more. I now turn to the Department of Natural Resources and Water, which plays a major role in my electorate through its control of our water resources, vegetation management, leasehold land and a raft of other matters. An important part of that water management is the water resource planning process, and we would all be aware of the importance of water planning to the economy and to the budget process. The Barron WRP is now a mature document. The community has had a number of years of experience under its control and a number of problems have become apparent. An example has been described by growers in regard to recent announcements that the carryover water scheme will end. The loss of this carryover facility has highlighted problems with the water allocation system and in particular the fact that they will not know until very late in the season what percentage of their allocation will be available. Representatives have said— This is too late for irrigators to find out whether their announced allocation has been increased in November or December. By then farmers will have already altered their irrigation scheduling to account for a lower allocation, which in turn impacts on yield and quality. A call has been made for the carryover scheme to be continued for this season and investigations carried out into an alternative way of managing allocations called capacity sharing. There is also a call for quick movement on a review of the ROP and I support those calls. More generally, I note that the feasibility study into the Nullinga Dam on the Walsh, which was funded in last year’s budget, is continuing. I believe the lesson has to be learnt. This week, members opposite have made much of how many times the Traveston Dam would have been filled if only it was already constructed. They should be equally enthusiastic about constructing the Nullinga Dam and many other dams across the state, otherwise in a few years time people will be saying that if only these dams were already built they, too, would be filling over and over again. The public education system in the Tablelands electorate is very fortunate to have teaching and support staff who are generally very dedicated and highly professional people. It is a pleasure to attend events at our schools and see the pride the teachers and children have in their achievements. In this 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2033 year’s budget there is funding for a range of projects that will help make many schools far more accessible. This funding includes allocations for footpaths and cycleways in Malanda, Atherton, Mareeba and Mount Garnett, and passenger set-down facilities at Mareeba and Atherton high schools for a total project cost of some $362,000. There is also $200,000 for projects with a total cost of $500,000 to provide additional amenities for each of Atherton and Mareeba state high schools, $40,000 for targeted maintenance at Chillagoe State School, $51,000 for Atherton State High School for outdoors arts in the tropics, and $74,000 for Herberton State School for an ablutions block. My electorate is also home to two of the areas thrown open for exploration aimed at the development of geothermal power generation. I am a strong supporter of the clean, green Tully- Millstream hydro-electricity generation scheme but welcome this new opportunity. With the far-north Queensland draft 2025 plan indicating another 100,000 people and of course the industries to support them coming in over the next several years, the need for a baseload power station will only increase. With this predicted population growth and further growth in and around Townsville, it is timely to reconsider the benefits of the Tully-Millstream hydro-electricity scheme. I am also pleased to see that the Yungaburra Bowls Club is to get $55,000 of a $110,000 state contribution towards an upgraded lawn bowls green. I know that this club is extremely competitive and will make full use of this upgraded surface. While there are some disappointments, it cannot be denied that there are some real wins for the Tablelands in this budget. Hon. RE SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology) (5.38 pm): I rise to support the Bligh government’s first budget. At the outset, I congratulate Treasurer Andrew Fraser on continuing the Labor tradition of delivering for the people of Rockhampton and central Queensland. It is a good budget which, among other things, increases the Electricity Rebate Scheme for seniors and pensioners from $20 to $165; abolishes the duty on first home owners, saving up to $9,500 on a house; puts an extra $1.024 billion into Health, and I can remember when that was the budget of Health; increases the number of teachers, nurses and police; puts an extra $100 million into maintenance of our schools; will start construction of 561 social housing dwellings and complete 1,260 social housing dwellings, and that is close to home for me as the minister for housing; and adds an extra $182 million to the Disability Services budget. I can remember when that was the budget of the entire Disability Services portfolio and that is now the extra money that is being put in. They are just a few instances but they highlight exactly what this budget is about. It is a budget for all Queenslanders. It is a budget, however, delivered at a time when the stock market, the American dollar and interest rates are not helping the bottom line. I am pleased as a central Queenslander to see that our mining resources are being expected to return more to those who own them—the people of this state. For those who have doubts about this, just ponder the fact that coal prices have more than trebled, to around $300 per tonne. This is money being made out of people’s resources and, as such, it is fitting that some of that profit is returned to them. Returned it is, of course, to central Queensland, with over $700 million in road and rail projects alone. I see that the National Party has criticised us for borrowing money to build the roads, pipelines, dams, water infrastructure and so on for tomorrow. If my constituents followed the National Party lead on this key, they would be living in grass huts to save up for a house. That is the mentality that underpins that theory. The fact is that we will be paying just 3.2 per cent of revenue on interest costs for debt to sustain such borrowings, or put another way it is the equivalent of someone earning $40,300 per year and paying $1,292 or about $25 per week. I ask any member in the House who likes that to put their hand up—everybody. Exactly! This budget is entirely sustainable, sensible and responsible, and ensures that future generations help pay for the infrastructure that they use. This budget will provide not only essential infrastructure for Rockhampton and surrounding areas but also jobs. Health, sport and local government are certainly the big winners in my electorate. The jewel in the crown, so to speak, for Rockhampton and central Queensland as a whole is the allocation of $31.65 million towards the upgrade of the Rockhampton Base Hospital. I heard the member for Mirani comment that nothing is being spent on the hospital. He will be the ex-member for Mirani at the next election with an attitude like that. He does not know what is going on in Rockhampton. I know that his comments about the people of Mount Morgan and other areas of the Fitzroy electorate have not endeared him. His comments about your electorate, Mr Deputy Speaker, show that he has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to keep up with us in central Queensland. In total, some $74 million will be spent upgrading the hospital and positioning it to cater for an ever-increasing demand in years to come. The schedule of work includes a new emergency department with more than double the capacity, a new rehabilitation, learning and development building, a four-level extension to the clinical services building and refurbishment of the existing clinical services building. There is also $1 million to complete the new staff accommodation at the hospital, $160,000 for the Sexual Assault Support and Prevention Program in Rockhampton, and $82,000 for chronic disease worker positions. 2034 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Tennis Queensland and the Rockhampton Regional Council have been allocated more than $2 million for a major upgrade of tennis facilities. Over the next two years a new clubhouse will be built, lighting will be installed on 20 courts, and 25 courts will get fence upgrades. This $3.3 million project will be a major shot in the arm for the sport in the region. In view of the time constraints that we are under, and out of respect for the people who work in this place, I seek leave that the remainder of my speech be incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. There’s also funding in this budget for a new ‘learn to swim’ pool at the Rockhampton Council’s southside pool complex and money to install Australian-standard lighting to a softball diamond at Kele Park. A new Community Resource Centre will be developed in the region thanks to more than $3 million allocated to the Rockhampton Regional Council in this budget. One million dollars will also be spent to redevelop the Botanic Gardens Boutique Zoo in Rockhampton. Mr Speaker, I could speak for hours about the benefits this budget delivers for the people of Rockhampton. There’s money for the arts, child safety, transport projects, the environment, education and corrections. There’s funding for three road projects and four bikeway projects. One project that is especially close to my heart, the redevelopment of the Rockhampton Riverbank, has attracted $3 million in funding. Since stage one of the redeveloped riverbank was opened by the Premier in December, locals and tourists alike have swarmed to the area, enjoying the new facilities and the unprecedented access the project has given them to the mighty Fitzroy. The funding allocated in this budget will see stage two of the project completed, including a new pontoon, shade structures and the renovation of Hegvold Stadium. Mr Speaker, I am proud to be a member of a government that is willing to embark on a ambitious and historic infrastructure program in order to build tomorrow’s Queensland today. I am also proud to be a member of a government that tailors a budget that continues to invest in Rockhampton and Central Queensland. I well recall the days of National Party neglect of our city and I am delighted to be part of a team which has corrected this neglect. I commend the budget to the House. Mr MESSENGER (Burnett—NPA) (5.43 pm): The member for Cook in his speech earlier today likened Queensland to paradise, and I would have to agree with him. Then he said that because we live in paradise we should not complain. That is where I disagree, because when those opposite start pillaging paradise do not expect us on this side of the House to remain silent. At best, this budget could be described as wildly aspirational; at worst, this budget contains documents which are some of the most deceitful financial reports to have ever been presented to the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Once again we have budget papers which clearly show crisis management and cover-up in a time of economic prosperity. The Courier-Mail got it right when it said that cold cash saves lives. God help Queensland if the resources boom ever stops and the development in China significantly contracts. As a state, we are ensuring that many generations of Queenslanders will be paying for unproductive bad debt which this government has been forced to hastily rack up because of almost two decades of inaction by those opposite. It is a fact that this government will run a mile and try to hide from it, but the official debt is almost $60 billion and rising, with no plan to repay the principal of the loan and interest payments of $10 million a day. What these fundamental financial conditions create is a shortage of cash for this government. This government is running out of money and has in a very clumsy manner tried to cover up that fact by failing to deliver on many of last year’s budgeted capital commitments. We have in place a covert capital works freeze. This year’s 2008-09 figures in the established capital expenditure to date figures compared to last year’s budget figures of 2007-08 prove that this government has talked big but delivered little. The presentation of this budget has seriously undermined the financial credibility of this government and this Treasurer. In reality, this government has placed hundreds of projects on the backburner while it presents glossy leaflets and press releases promising great deeds, promising great future budgets, promising record spending but all the while knowing full well that it can never deliver, knowing full well that it will only occasionally be held to account by a media inundated and sometimes mesmerised with propaganda, stunts and deceptive press releases generated by one of the most sophisticated public relations machines in the nation. This budget is a triumph for the 367 Labor spin doctors who the Courier-Mail reported work for Anna Bligh’s government. Every contemporary social and/or health study shows that Australian Indigenous socioeconomic or health status is significantly lower than non-Indigenous Australians. It is no different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. The gap in human wellbeing indices between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders remains. While there are some good and helpful initiatives in this budget, there is nothing fundamental in this budget which gives hope that the massive disadvantage for Indigenous Queenslanders will be overcome. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2035

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health needs a massive injection in dollars to effectively put in place strategies designed to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders, and this budget has not done it. It has a few useful initiatives which, if delivered, will make a difference and in the meantime generate some favourable media headlines, but the status quo will remain—which means Indigenous Queenslanders will die sooner than non-Indigenous Queenslanders from underresourced medical care and massive social disadvantage. It is therefore critical that the limited resources promised to Indigenous people by this government in this year’s budget are delivered. Lives depend on it. However, the government’s track record as revealed in this budget shows that the government will not keep its promises and non-Indigenous Queenslanders will continue to die unnecessarily. There are three examples of this government breaking promises to Indigenous Queenslanders. It talks big and delivers little. No. 1 is the Thursday Island chronic disease centre. The total cost of the project is $39.345 million. In 2007-08 the government had already spent $853,000 and promised to spend $5.94 million. In 2008-09, of that $5.941 million promised in last year’s budget, the government spent only $235,000, making a total of just over $1 million spent on a project costing $39 million. It then raises the question of whether we can trust this government to actually spend the $5.428 million which is budgeted for this coming year, 2008-09. My bet is that it will not spend it, and this very important project will be drip-fed and take forever to complete. My hope is that this government keeps its promise to the people of Thursday Island. The government rightly takes the glory when it announces these projects; it deserves our condemnation when it does not deliver. The Cairns Hospital emergency department is a place of great importance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The total cost of the project is $11.1 million. This government promised to spend $1 million on the Cairns emergency department last year. Did it deliver? No. The government’s own figures show that it delivered just over one-third of its commitment—$383,000. The government failed to deliver two-thirds of its promise. This year it has promised to spend $7.617 million in the next 12 months. I hope it happens for the sake of all north Queensland families including the disproportionate numbers of Indigenous family members. The Yarrabah primary healthcare centre is another fine example of talking big delivering small. The total cost of the project was $15.77 million in 2007-08. Last year this government promised to spend $6.6 million. Did it do what it said it was going to do? No. Its budget papers show it only spent $1.1 million. That is a massive underspend of $5.5 million. Even though this government promises to spend $8 million in the next 12 months, the Yarrabah community, given the government’s obvious broken records, has every right to ask, ‘When will our healthcare centre be built?’ I welcome $6.7 million to provide eight Indigenous health hubs to meet alcohol and drug treatment requirements in Weipa, Mount Isa, Bamaga, Mossman, Cooktown, Palm Island, Woorabinda and Cherbourg. The challenge for the government will be to keep its promise and deliver these much needed services. With the tightening of alcohol restrictions in many Indigenous communities, this is the sort of program that we need to help reduce the harmful physical and social effects of alcohol and substance abuse. According to the departmental overview, tourism is the state’s fourth largest export industry— worth $3.2 billion in 2006-07—and a fundamental contributor to the Queensland economy. Expenditure by overseas, interstate and local tourists in 2006-07 was $12 billion according to the department’s papers, an increase of $1 billion on the 2005-06 year. Tourism Queensland statistics show the industry contributes $8.1 billion to the state economy and employs over 100,000 people or 5.6 per cent of the workforce. Some 80 per cent of these people are in small business. Why then would this government, which says that tourism is a fundamental contributor to the Queensland economy—it is a wealth creator—have to suffer a decrease in overall funding from $66.459 million to $63.498 million, a loss of $2.961 million and a decrease of 4.45 per cent in one year. If we examine the amount spent on tourism in 2006-07—that is, $69.75 million—we find the department has suffered a decrease of $5.577 million in two years or in real terms a decrease of 8.88 per cent. It is a fact that shows this government is prepared to be there for the good times but when the going gets rough and tough—as it was described by the minister in an answer to a question on Wednesday, 4 June from the member for Maroochydore—she allows the money to be taken away from her industry, a fundamental contributor to the Queensland economy. The minister’s inaction and the government’s flawed policy is being noted not only in this House but also in the broader community and the tourism industry. Word has just come through recently that Qantas is to dramatically cut back its operations in Cairns. I think it is going to take out 40 pilots and send them back to Sydney and reduce its flights to Japan. More than ever we need a minister who is prepared to fight for this industry. In her own backyard it is being decreased. She has to do more. 2036 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

There are number of headlines which back up what I have been saying. In the Courier-Mail on 4 June we had ‘Funding for Tourism Queensland cut $2.2 million’ and in the Australian Financial Review we had ‘Beautiful one day, short of cash the next’—that is referring to tourism. ‘Tourism snub pain’ was from the Cairns Post. The tourism minister must listen to the cries of help from the industry and produce a package which helps it through this very, very rough time. In looking at my electorate of Burnett I turn to health. The total amount of capital money for the Wide Bay-Burnett statistical division has actually decreased from $26.3 million to $8.7 million. No matter what the member for Hervey Bay says, it is the least amount of money spent on the Wide Bay-Burnett hospitals in more than four years and it is a dangerous trend for the region given that the government’s own growth figures say that we are going to experience the highest and largest growth rates in this state. There are a string of broken health promises. In Bundaberg and Burnett we are still living with the legacy of Australia’s worst health disaster. This budget was an opportunity for this government to show that it really cared for the people of Burnett and Bundaberg. In the lead-up to the last elections, that is two budgets ago, former Premier Beattie was forced to promise that this government would deliver a $41 million upgrade to Bundaberg Base Hospital, with 30 new beds and accompanying qualified staff by the end of this 2008. According to figures supplied in this year’s budget, only $1.9 million will have been spent to the 30th of this month while the government promised to spend $2.3 million. It has delivered $1.9 million which is an underspend and a failure to deliver $394,000 worth of upgrade. That is not to mention that the upgrade should have been finished now anyway. Labor’s promise to spend $6.73 million next year and then $32.46 million in the future shows that it has no shame, no honour and does not care. The care factor is zero about fixing the chronic underfunding and understaffing of the Bundaberg Base Hospital. There is a shining light. Mental health services will receive extra beds and $2 million in capital works which is very welcome. The closure of the unit by this government for over 18 months caused massive hardship for many families in the Burnett area. We also desperately need an upgrade of our maternity ward, and I will elaborate on that particular issue later tonight in my adjournment speech. Dental services also need a massive injection of funds and resources. There is a six- to seven- year public waiting list for dental services. I would like to know what the health minister is going to do to decrease that. The Patient Transfer Subsidy Scheme desperately needs to be increased. As the member for Charters Towers says, 15c per kilometre is not good enough. The tilt train from Bundaberg carries an army of walking wounded travelling to Brisbane every day and those people deserve more help and support from this government. I turn now to roads. It is a life and death issue once again. On paper this year’s budgeted capital expenditure on state main roads has increased by six per cent from $3.49 billion to $3.235 billion. I say hip hip hooray! However, of that $3.049 billion promised last year, guess how much it has delivered? It has only delivered $2.2 billion in roadworks around our state. This government has underspent by $800 million or more than 20 per cent. This real world spend of $2.2 billion on roads in Queensland is remarkable when we consider that almost $1 billion or 83 per cent of all the money spent on roadworks in Queensland last year was spent on the Brisbane Gateway Motorway upgrade project. In real terms, outside of Brisbane, regional and rural centres had a share of $1.2 billion of a $3 billion roads project. It is proof positive that this government has dudded Queenslanders outside the south-east corner and the capital city. Looking at projects for the Burnett and Bundaberg region we are very grateful for the Bundaberg ring-road at an estimated cost of $92 million. The expenditure to date has been $27.17 million. It is a very much needed and valuable piece of infrastructure used by many of my constituents. We want to make sure that this government stays the course and delivers the road as it was planned and does not try to cut corners and cover the cost overrun which is around $9.17 million to date. We are also grateful for the Bundaberg Port Access Road. The total estimated cost there is $1 million. The government had made a commitment in the 2007-08 budget to spend $925,000 on the port access at Burnett Heads. It failed to do that. In fact it only managed to carry out $22,000 worth of the work. So it means that it has again recommitted the money and promised to spend $903,000 this year. Let us hope the government keeps its promise. There is a statistical division that we have all become acquainted with in the budget papers called ‘various’. Instead of the government properly and reasonably detailing where capital funds are expected to be directed, the government has become lazy and deceptive and stashed away funding in a hollow log called ‘various’. In this year’s ‘various’ we have something like $871.794 million or 76 per cent of all the money spent on capital road upgrades in Queensland, excluding the work carried out on the Gateway Motorway project. This will be the minister’s various funds. If this sort of financial reporting was attempted in any private company or business shareholders and auditors would smack the institution over the knuckles and say, ‘Try again. This time do it without the trickery and creative accounting and in a manner that is more open and accountable.’ 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2037

Rosedale Road is becoming one of the busiest roads in our region and there are some genuine black spots on it, and we need to get them fixed as soon as possible but I have not been able to find in the budget papers where the funds are. The project was promised by the manager of Bundaberg Main Roads, Doug Wass, for the upgrade of the Rosedale Road and the replacement of two bridges at Yandaran Creek and Cockatoo Creek after a local driver lost his life after crashing. I am assuming that the funds for this project are part of the $871 million-odd in the various categories of funding. Raines Road is another local road project that I am going to be writing to the minister about and speaking about in parliament. The Bundaberg Regional Council has agreed to do the right thing and seal all of the unsealed section. However, there still remains a dangerous single lane sealed section that should be upgraded as soon as possible. The minister should be able to help out the Bundaberg Regional Council also with the replacement of the bridge at Smiths Crossing. I recently attended a public meeting where 100 local residents made it clear that the tourist route should be reopened. Coonar Road leading to the Coonar sand mine is earning the region lots of money and helps workers get to not only the sand mine but also farms along Coonar Road. It is very dangerous and the state government needs to help the local government to fix it up. I suggest that we invest in a study that looks at the cost benefit analysis and the social and environmental impact of building a bridge over the Burrum River and connecting north Hervey Bay and the Gooburrum Road which heads from Woodgate to Bundaberg. It is a worthwhile study and would open up that complete area from Bundaberg through to Hervey Bay. In terms of education, this year’s budgeted capital expenditure of the Department of Education, Training and the Arts has on paper increased almost 50 per cent from $619 million in 2007-08 to $929 million in 2008-09. However, of the $619 million promised last year in the budget papers, the government has only delivered $150 million—$150 million delivered of a $619 million promise. The government has underspent by almost $468 million or more than 75 per cent. If last year’s guide is anything to go by, we can expect the government to only spend what—25 per cent of the $927 million? Nothing in the budget papers indicates that there is specific capital funding for Burnett state schools. However, there is significant funding—$237.29 million—allocated to the ‘various’ category, and I will be helping my state schools throughout the Burnett and P&Cs fight for their fair share of the education budget. There is also a growing need for an Indigenous high school. A significant population of Indigenous high school children are enrolled at the major high schools in the Bundaberg-Burnett region and there is a high truancy rate and a lot of scope for improvement in the academic outcomes. Indigenous liaison officers are trying very hard to service all of the Indigenous students and help produce good educational outcomes, but they are being overwhelmed by the numbers and so they also need help. This situation, I would suggest, is being replicated around the state in different places. We need more Indigenous liaison officers in every department. They are worth their weight in gold. I also want to make advocacy for police services in the Wide Bay and Burnett. The Moore Park community deserves a permanent police presence. The Bargara community deserves a 24-hour police presence and the Woodgate community deserves a far greater police presence. In closing, why has this government without consultation with local communities released or fast-tracked 17 parcels of land in the south-east corner when the Deputy Premier has used his call-in powers in the Wide Bay-Burnett to limit development? Mr GRAY (Gaven—ALP) (6.03 pm): It is my pleasure to rise today to support the Appropriation Bill before the House. In doing so, I want to congratulate the Treasurer and the Premier on a carefully crafted budget in trying economic times due to a range of global economic forces outside their control. This budget meets the current and forecasted needs of Queenslanders and Queensland in terms of hard infrastructure, recognises and meets the need of Queenslanders facing difficult times buying their first home and pensioners meeting higher electricity and water costs, and also addresses the need for soft infrastructure to meet the needs of families raising children in trying social times. The emphasis on funding for early childhood services is particularly needed and insightful. The electorate of Gaven, which I have the pleasure to represent, has within it one of the fastest growing areas in Australia with a high density of young families as well as an older settled area which is heavily populated by people who live on fixed incomes, many of whom are single parents and thus single income families for whom access to parenting and early childhood services is most welcome. For the electorate of Gaven, this is a most beneficial budget. It addresses the need for infrastructure in terms of schools, roads and transport. I am particularly pleased to see the $3.75 million allocated for the new fire and rescue station in Nerang. During the September 2006 campaign the government, at my prompting, promised such a facility within the current term. While this term is due to run to September 2009, in the 2009-10 budget cycle I am pleased to see the station allocation funded to the sum of $2 million in this financial year. The station will be a state-of-the-art station providing needed services to the suburban and rural areas of the Gaven electorate. It will replace a previous Nerang fire station closed and demolished by the Bjelke-Petersen government over 30 years ago. It closed the 2038 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Nerang fire station using the same logic it used to rip up and sell off the south coast railway. While the National Party destroys, the Labor Party rebuilds. I thank the Treasurer and extend my thanks to the Minister for Emergency Services, Mr Neil Roberts, for his full support in the pursuit of this matter. In meeting the needs of students in the Gaven electorate, I am pleased to see the allocation of $1.1 million for stage 2 of Park Lake State School, a school which in five months since opening has established a great record for quality education delivery. I am also pleased to see a further $200,000 towards stage 5 of Pacific Pines State High School, $136,000 for additional amenities at Helensvale State High School and $20,000 for additional maintenance at Helensvale State School. The provision of increased support in child safety of over $1.3 million for foster and kinship care programs, residential care for 12- to 15-year-olds and specialist foster care services for nine- to 17-year- olds is a real boost to our community and is most welcomed by those working in this difficult field, as it is by the recipients of these additional services. Added to this is some $1.24 million to provide integrated help, family support and early childhood education and care services through the Nerang Early Years Centre. The $552,000 to provide comprehensive integrated service programs that fully support the complex and diverse needs of young people, including early intervention and engagement services, is also most welcome. Working with clients who have diverse and complex needs is an area of great difficulty, and this allocation of funds is much appreciated. I am also particularly pleased to see the allocation of $101,000 to provide youth justice programs which will help young people develop successful living skills. This call came strongly from the Nerang Police Consultative Committee and in particular Lynn Ogden, a tireless community worker in the area. Well done, Lynn, and thanks to the Minister for Communities and the Treasurer for this money. An additional $266,000 for the Nerang Early Years Centre will continue the great work it is currently undertaking. Also, the $220,000 for disability provision will be warmly received by our disability support community. Earlier today I heard members on the other side of the House say that the government does nothing for disability provision. The government has done a lot and will continue to do so. I want to turn my attention briefly to Main Roads. The $57 million allocated for a wide range of upgrades, new roads, noise barriers, M1 widening and the rebuilding of a major overpass which fall within the electorate of Gaven are a credit to this state government. The people of Oxenford, Helensvale, Gaven, Mount Nathan and Nerang will be thankful, as will all of those from outside the electorate who use our busy roads as they visit our beaches. The provision of some $7.23 million for the new Coomera police district will be most welcomed by a hardworking Police Service and the fast- growing communities around the Coomera district. My final comment is to congratulate the Treasurer on the support he has given to new home buyers who will welcome this assistance, as there are some 700 new homes to be built in the Pacific Pines suburb of the Gaven electorate, many of which will be occupied by first home buyers. I commend the bill to the House. Hon. KW HAYWARD (Kallangur—ALP) (6.09 pm): It is an honour to rise in this parliament this evening as the member for Kallangur and contribute to this debate on the 2008 state budget. This budget provides real benefits to local residents in the electorate of Kallangur and I want to spend some time during this speech detailing some of those benefits, because in a state budget with a total income and expenditure of billions, it is easy to gloss over items of specific importance and need to an individual electorate. I am determined to ensure that that will not happen. I am pleased to see that representations made by me on behalf of local residents have been met and election commitments have been honoured. This budget recognises that the Kallangur electorate is one of the fastest growing areas of Queensland. During the last state election campaign I made commitments on behalf of local residents. Firstly, I made a commitment to a new police station at Burpengary to service the Narangba and Burpengary areas. I am pleased to see that the budget provides $8.572 million towards its construction. Work has commenced on preparing the site in Station Road, Burpengary. That station will provide the operational headquarters for the new Caboolture Police District. Secondly, there is a commitment to a new fire station at Burpengary. This budget provides $2.4 million towards its construction. That work has already commenced in Pitt Road, Burpengary. When completed—and it is estimated to be completed in September this year—the fire station will improve response times in the fast-growing Burpengary and Narangba areas. In recognition of the expanding population growth in the Kallangur electorate, the budget provides money for the Burpengary Meadows State School. The previous budget provided money for stage 2 planning of the Burpengary Meadows State School. This budget, in recognising that planning work has been completed, sets aside $3.29 million to complete stage 2 of that school. It is turning out to be a great school in that district. Funds have been set aside for classrooms and building structure maintenance at Dakabin State High School, Narangba Valley State High School, Kallangur State School and Morayfield East State School. Money is provided in the categories of targeted maintenance and high-priority maintenance. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2039

Both Morayfield and Dakabin state high schools need substantial maintenance money spent on them. Although I am pleased to see that this budget has provided additional funds specifically for targeted maintenance projects, I will continue to present the case for additional funding for school maintenance. I believe that both of those schools have a specific case for additional funding. They are unique in that they had the same builder who went broke when building them. Consequently, what has since been discovered is that many of the problems described as maintenance issues really relate to their inadequate initial construction—and not what could correctly be termed actual maintenance—when serious skimping occurred. I shall continue to present this case to the Treasurer’s office. I am pleased to see that $58,000 has been set aside for an outdoor learning space at Narangba State School. Over eight years ago the upgrade of the Bruce Highway to six lanes began. Eight years is a long time, but this is a major project and during this time I have always urged road users to show patience. This budget sets aside $82.76 million to continue the widening of Bruce Highway from four to six lanes between Uhlmann Road and Caboolture. This is a massive project, mainly funded by the federal government and administered by the state through the Department of Main Roads. I have previously outlined in this parliament an election commitment to upgrade Morayfield Road from Gaffield Street to the Bruce Highway at the Uhlmann Road connection. I am pleased to see that $2.12 million has been set aside to continue the planning phase for the duplication from two to four lanes. This budget speech has given me the opportunity to detail many of the capital works benefits for Kallangur—capital works that recognise the growth and prosperity of my local district. However, this prosperity is not enjoyed by everyone. For example, many young people are locked out of the housing market because they cannot afford to enter it. The budget sets out housing affordability initiatives that effectively abolish first home owner’s stamp duty on a property under $500,000 in price, providing a saving to the purchaser of nearly $10,000. Specifically, for other home purchasers, the budget increases the concession to $350,000 of the value of the home loan from 1 July 2008, effectively saving about $300 on a $500,000 house purchase. We all know housing affordability cannot be solved by these measures, but they provide specific and targeted assistance. These measures assist those who are locked out of the housing market. Separately, and I think just as importantly, Kallangur’s older residents and pensioners will receive a $20 increase in the electricity rebate—up to $165 per annum. As I have said before, the Kallangur electorate comprises some of the fastest growing areas in Australia. Whole new communities have been created in the electorate. By any economic measure Queensland is a powerhouse of the Australian economy. Economic growth in Queensland is forecast to grow at 4¼ per cent compared with 2¾ per cent nationally. That is a rate exceeding national growth for the 13th consecutive year. Employment growth in Queensland is 2½ per cent, which can be compared with a national employment growth of 1¼ per cent nationally. Unemployment is forecast at a rate of 3¾ per cent compared with a national rate of 4½ per cent—a record low for Queensland. Queensland’s population is forecast to grow at 2¼ per cent compared to 1¼ per cent nationally. This is a budget that has real benefits for the people of Kallangur. By listening and talking with local residents, I am pleased to have played a direct role in the budget process. I am pleased to support the 2008 state budget. It is certainly welcome in the electorate of Kallangur. Hon. KR LINGARD (Beaudesert—NPA) (6.16 pm): I welcome the specific funding that has been allocated to the Beaudesert electorate, specifically the ambulance station at Mount Tamborine, even though it was approved previously in July 2007. It is much needed. I notice the community care improvements that have been made at Boonah Outlook—and I will talk about that more specifically—the bridges in Beaudesert that have been included in the Regional Bridge Renewal Program; the $4 million that has been spent on the Mount Lindesay Highway, and while not specifically in the Beaudesert electorate it benefits my electorate; and also the work that is being done on the . I am concerned about the statement that supposedly this is a coordinated approach by this government. I worry about some of the thoughts that are arising because of the changes in the attitude of this government. The council amalgamation process was supposedly undertaken for the financial security of new councils, such as the Scenic Rim Council. We must remember that the northern area of Beaudesert was taken away from the council area. So it is really up to this government to ensure that a new council such as the Scenic Rim Council is financially capable of operating and that it receives some benefits. I remind the Treasurer about that, especially if any further funding is provided to councils. The South East Queensland Regional Plan took away the ability for rural residential land to be subdivided. Although the council retains that right in terms of the urban footprint, we must remember that many people who had 20 or 30 acres regarded their land as their superannuation plan as they could subdivide it in the future. The South East Queensland Regional Plan took away that ability. But yet in the past 24 hours in one fell swoop we find this government approving greenfield sites. The Premier said that there will be no further urban sprawl, yet in the past 24 hours all of a sudden subdivisions in areas 2040 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 such as Flagstone have been approved. I find it difficult that areas such as southern Flagstone are now approved for smaller development while areas to the north—close to Brisbane city—still have larger blocks of land. There is a lot of indecision. I know that the review is another one of the state government’s strategies to address housing affordability in addition to setting up the Urban Land Development Authority and implementing reforms to the state’s planning and development systems, but this government must realise that many private people were hurt in these inner rural areas such as Beaudesert because they are now not allowed to subdivide their land. This comes on top of the difficulties with the dairy industry and other industries that are now not viable. On top of that there is a concern about what will happen with water. The water in the Logan River system will continue to be a problem. I know that this government has set aside money to continue to look at what is happening with Wyaralong Dam, but I say to the Treasurer and to the government that what is happening with Wyaralong Dam and is of concern to the farmers because those farmers cannot be certain about the amount of water they get through irrigation. It sounds simple in periods like the present when the rainfall is okay, but when we have difficult times, such as two or three months ago, people who are on high-priority water—that is, urban people, businesses and probably those who come into the eastern corridor—will be assured of their water but the farmer is not assured of his water. If he does receive what we call credit water—that is, water in good times like we are having now when he can harvest water, take that water off into dams and store it—he has some sort of surety for his crops. At present, people in the Beaudesert area in south-east Queensland do not have surety of water and therefore have no surety in their crops and do not have the confidence to continue to plant their crops and experiment in horticulture. I find that it is very limited. In the Boonah area, which is coming off the , we see more surety in horticulture but certainly not in the Beaudesert areas. This government has said that these areas are not to be subdivided, are not to have any part in the urban sprawl and are to be maintained as rural land, yet they have no confidence in the water they are using out of irrigation. We are continually trying to ensure that out of Cedar Grove Weir the bulk water system ensures they tell the farmers what will happen in the future. is on a creek which a long time ago supposedly never ran dry. The government decided to build Maroon Dam. Those farmers would be entitled to say to the government that they need to ensure they get the same amount of water through Reynolds Creek or Burnett Creek they have always had. Now they find the creeks are dry and they therefore have to turn around and say that their farms are not viable. Somehow we have to be able to tell these people what will happen most definitely in the future. I also have concerns in relation to Beaudesert Hospital. As I have continued to say, this is a brand-new hospital, built in 1998, with a brand-new maternity section—a magnificent 40-bed hospital, which now has no maternity section whatsoever. It has no dental services, which it was always provided with. It has no elective surgery. The government says to the people of the Beaudesert and Rathdowney areas that they are entitled to come to Logan or into the city and use those services. That is not good enough for those rural people who were promised and provided with a maternity hospital. They have had a maternity hospital for 40 or 50 years. Once again this budget has no specific funding to assist the Beaudesert people in terms of their problems with the hospital. As I said, I appreciate the ambulance station at Mount Tamborine and the work that was done at the Boonah Ambulance Station. I believe that that is a good thing. I am intrigued with the money that is now being provided to Boonah Outlook. I heard the minister this morning talking about the 25-year anniversary of Boonah Outlook. Boonah Outlook has long been a concern to ministers and families. It has magnificent facilities. It has magnificent access to Maroon Dam. It has magnificent access to outdoor activities. There have been concerns in relation the programs that it runs. This government has always had a concern about institutional care. Because of that concern it closed BoysTown. BoysTown had facilities for up to 80 young people who were able to go there in times of difficulty. We hear this government still has concerns about placing young people in motels. In the olden days what we did was place those students at BoysTown. BoysTown has gone. This government said it would not continue with BoysTown as it was an institution and it closed it. It seems to me that it is specifically providing institutional care with Outlook. I am not criticising it for the programs it provides. It provides an excellent program for families that have broken down. Parents and young people are taken in and provided with a week or two weeks during which they can learn to become a family again. I will look with great interest at exactly what happens at Outlook. Bus services are a concern in the Beaudesert area. I am concerned that in asking for bus services the minister for transport has written back to the Beaudesert people saying— Low density rural and semi-rural residential areas such as Beaudesert are significantly more expensive to serve and demand is generally inadequate to justify regular scheduled services. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2041

The minister has said there will be no support for a bus service to Beaudesert. The people of Beaudesert turn around and say that this is exactly what is provided to the people of Brisbane, that Brisbane people get support for their bus programs so why should they not get support for their bus programs? Therefore I would say to the minister that it is a concern. I have mentioned water. Water will be a perennial problem in the Beaudesert area. The Logan river system, which is now being upgraded with Cedar Grove Weir and Wyaralong Dam, is not of benefit to the people of Beaudesert. It is of benefit to the people of Brisbane but not the people of the Logan river system and, therefore, does not provide security for farmers. Under the South East Queensland Regional Plan we need three specific things. One of these things is water security for farmers. They also need a coordinated planning process and they need creative policies to promote more profitable and sustainable farming. The Beaudesert area is switching to the breeding and care of horses. That is good, but it is still a magnificent area for horticulture. If the government goes ahead and says ‘no more development of rural residential areas in that area’, it must then provide the farmers with water security. Finally in relation to the road program, I welcome the interim measures. I heard the member for Kallangur speak about the same issue. In an area such as ours with a massive highway developing to the south, unfortunately the four-lane highway must be developed north of us. I appreciate the $4 million provided for the upgrading of the Mount Lindesay Highway, but this has to be done quickly so that the rest of the road can be continued and become a four-lane highway. I remind the government that the Mount Lindesay Highway was considered one of the seven worst highways in Australia. I know what is happening. To the north it is being improved and to the south there are interim measures such as sets of lights to provide intersections with some sort of surety for the people. But the fact is that this has to be done quickly so that the people at the southern end can benefit and live in safety. Sitting suspended from 6.28 pm to 7.30 pm. Mr FOLEY (Maryborough—Ind) (7.30 pm): I rise to contribute to this debate on the budget tonight and note with some degree of pride that the Holden Maryborough Technology Challenge, the human powered vehicle challenge, features prominently in the regional budget statement. It is a great event. I could not find anywhere in the budget statement where it was funded, but it is good that that event is acknowledged and we look forward to further funding. Turning to the Capital Statement, there are quite a few areas receiving funding for Wide Bay. In the area of child safety, we have had a new child safety building opened in Maryborough which is absolutely state of the art. It is first-class. I note $2.168 million is to be spent on child safety in Wide Bay. In the area of corrective services, of course most people would realise that Maryborough has a highly secure facility. I must say that, despite some people being concerned about that facility being in our community, we really hear little or nothing of it, yet it contributes significantly to the economy not only in terms of goods and services but also as a major employer in our region. In relation to education, training and the arts—and I am only going to highlight some areas, not all of them—$24 million is to be spent in our region. I will go into greater detail about those in a moment. In relation to Emergency Services, members may not be aware that Maryborough is the regional office for Emergency Services, and there has been a whole building fit-out for Emergency Services in the region which we are very pleased about. In relation to mines and energy, $462 million will be spent in the Wide Bay area. A lot of that is electricity infrastructure—repairs, replacement, upgrading of lines. In relation to the police, again like Emergency Services, the Maryborough police district takes in Hervey Bay. The headquarters there are a beehive of activity. The tactical response group that we fought very, very hard for has carved a great niche there. Finally, in relation to transport, members would be aware that Maryborough’s EDI Rail is the premier rail-building facility in Australia, and that is certainly reflected by $219 million to be spent on transport, and a lot of that will be rail contracts which are big ticket items. Looking at some of the other details, $2.2 million will be spent in Maryborough in the disabilities area, to complete an innovative housing project for people with intellectual disabilities with high support needs. In relation to our local schools, there will be $300,000 to complete additional amenities at St Helens State School, which has just recently had its anniversary and I was very pleased to attend. It is certainly one of the most historic schools in Maryborough. Roads feature very well in our budget—$8 million to duplicate the Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road from two to four lanes, which is something we have been talking about for a long time, between the Torbanlea turn-off and Dundowran Road, south of Pialba; and $10.7 million to widen the Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road between north of Dundowran and the Pialba-Burrum Heads Road. It is very important that this road is upgraded because of the Maryborough Base Hospital situation, which I have spoken about at length in this House. A lot of intensive care type patients at Maryborough Base Hospital have to be taken very quickly to Hervey Bay for treatment. That necessitates a road. In recent times ambulance officers have really been very concerned about transferring critically ill patients on very bumpy roads. It is a feature of rainfall that we get very large potholes. You could just about park your car 2042 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 in some of the ones on our roads. But, as the rain subsides and the Main Roads crews get out and fix them, that will be good. With the proposed reshuffle of boundaries I have had some areas of Craignish and Dundowran that have come into my state seat as well. The Moonaboola Industrial Estate north of Maryborough is an absolute beehive of activity. Some very, very efficient and high employment orientated businesses have started there and continue there. There is another $50,000 to be spent on upgrading the Moonaboola estate. Just over half a million dollars, $501,000, will be spent on Gayndah Road West to construct a bikeway and also a footpath overpass. For the benefit of those who do not have knowledge of the geography of Maryborough, the new TAFE college is out along Maryborough west and you have to go out along Gayndah Road to get there, and that is one of the major overpasses. The bikeway and footpath will be used not just by people going to TAFE but also by people in the community for jogging and bicycle riding. In the transport area, in relation to coal and QR Freight, there will be 15, 4000 class locomotives built for around $5 million and 15 new diesel locomotives for $68 million. Some of that money is from previous commitments dished up again. Even still, I am very glad to have those contracts for our signature industry, EDI Rail. On the passenger services side, there is an additional $117.804 million in contracts for additional Citytrain rolling stock. The MetTRIP additional Citytrain rolling stock contributes another $14,371,000. All of those are under area 15 which of course means Wide Bay. As we are the only rail-building facility in Wide Bay, you do not have to be Albert Einstein to figure out where those dollars are going. Again, we are very pleased about that. Some of the more innovative spends in our region have been in the public housing area. The Spanish Motor Inn in Maryborough was a very popular motel that was purchased and renovated and re- fitted to provide short-term accommodation, despite some disparaging comments from some of the locals who live around there. We all tend to suffer from a bit of nimbyism occasionally, and I understand the concerns they have. Having looked at the project with its very high separating fences and so forth, I think it is a very innovative model for providing low-cost alternative housing. Also, Coololi House has a very strong history of providing places for men who have fallen on hard times and have nowhere to go. I have long been very supportive of the work of Coololi House. That has now been shifted and renovated into very much a state-of-the-art facility. I must say—and I have taken this to the minister on a number of occasions—there have been residents around that area who are very angry that that facility was put into such a high-density mix with old people and young families and so forth. I guess we have to balance that with the fact that it is good for the people who really need that service to be provided with it. But I did want to put on record their concerns. The Maryborough area is just a fabulous place to live. Work continues on our cityscape. In relation to the Wharf Street precinct, recently we had the launch of Heritage Week for the whole of Queensland in Maryborough. We had the good doctor from Ipswich who is the chairman of that particular organisation come. We were talking afterwards about how much she enjoyed the experience. There is also the Bond Store Museum. In recent times, a number of brand-new tourism initiatives and ventures have come up in our area. As the Fraser Coast Regional Council has now picked up the other councils under its jurisdiction, we are looking forward to seeing many different iconic projects moving ahead. A huge airline pilot training facility is being built at Maryborough. Hervey Bay has of course got its big harbour development. In tandem with that, we are pushing to see the industry marine precinct finished so that Maryborough can be true to its engineering routes and continue the service as boats move up and down the Queensland coast. It will provide that great marine servicing for the upgraded facilities in Hervey Bay. Whilst I am always asking for more, like Oliver Twist, generally this has been a good budget for Maryborough with some— Mr Rickuss interjected. Mr FOLEY: I’m not like Oliver Twist? I am not as thin as Oliver Twist perhaps. I will take that interjection from the member for Lockyer. That could be the pot calling the kettle black but I will leave it there. With that, I would like to finish my contribution on this debate. Mr ENGLISH (Redlands—ALP) (7.41 pm): I know that a lot of members wish to speak on this very important piece of legislation because this is a bill which has something in it for everyone. I would like to take a few minutes to briefly outline some of the benefits in this year’s budget for the electorate of Redlands. I think one of the most important announcements to come out of this year’s budget is the $3 million in funding for the fire and rescue station at Redland Bay. This has been a long time coming and there have been many hurdles and a bit of bloodshed along the way. I have to put on the record that part of the delay for this project was the hard battle that the member for Capalaba, the member for Cleveland and I fought to ensure that three stations remained in the Redlands. This station could have been built earlier if the three local members had rolled over and agreed for the two-for-two deal, but the member for Capalaba, the member for Cleveland and I did not believe that this two-for-two swap would deliver good outcomes for our community, despite the comments by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2043

So our fight did delay the project to some degree but, again, we have finally got the good outcome. We have the agreement by the minister for three stations and, in this year’s budget, the Treasurer and the minister have delivered the money to build the station at Redland Bay. I congratulate both the minister and the Treasurer on that outcome. A number of growth pressures exist in my electorate. There is a lot of urban growth down in Redland Bay and in the area of Mount Cotton. The Treasurer and the minister for education have recognised this by delivering a lot of funding to the Mount Cotton State School and the Redland Bay State School. The Mount Cotton State School is located on a very small block of land. The Treasurer has allocated $2.64 million to build a new general learning area block at the Mount Cotton State School. I have to say that in my day they were called classrooms but now, no, they are called general learning areas. Again, with the growth pressures on these schools, I am pleased to see that the demographics have been read correctly by the state government and a permanent block will be built. Growth will continue to occur there and it will not be temporary in nature, so the government did not go for the demountable option; it went for a full general learning area. I congratulate both the minister and the Treasurer on that. The Redland Bay State School has lobbied me for a number of years. Last year we were successful in getting the funding for the planning for the new library at Redland Bay State School. Again, this year’s budget has delivered for Redland Bay State School. I was down at the school last week and the P&C, the teachers and everyone was over the moon with this outcome. I would like to put on the record the thanks of the Redland Bay school community to the Treasurer for delivering on that undertaking. With the growth pressures that my electorate is feeling, the Minister for Mines and Energy has also delivered, with a $1.7 million upgrade to the Mount Cotton electrical substation. This is a topic very close to my heart, having originally worked as an apprentice electrician for SEQEB for many years. This will support the substantial urban growth that is occurring in and around Mount Cotton and some future planned industrial activity in that area. I believe there is also money in the budget—and I am trying to clarify some details on this—for a new regional substation complex down at Carbrook. Again, it is an area where there has been some urban growth and there have certainly been a lot of complaints to my office about the continuity of electrical supply. I believe this new regional substation at Carbrook will provide the southern end of Redland Bay and the people of Carbrook and Cornubia with a much more consistent supply. They have had feed problems over such very long 11kv lines. There is money in the budget to dredge the Canaipa Passage, which sits between Russell Island and North Stradbroke Island. Having sailed around there many years ago, I know this can be a very difficult area to navigate and I do appreciate the half a million dollars allocated to dredge the Canaipa Passage. I would like to put on record my and the community’s concerns about the environmental impacts of this. I ask the minister for the environment to ensure that his agency examines what is proposed in the Canaipa Passage and ensures that what is occurring there will not upset that very important, pristine part of our environment. I would like to briefly comment on some of the things in the budget that will benefit first home buyers. We have seen the removal of stamp duty for new home owners on houses up to half a million dollars. I would like to congratulate the Treasurer on that. The abolition of mortgage duty from 1 July will also hopefully bring down the cost for homeowners. First home owner concessions will increase from $350,000 from 1 July and then to $500,000 from 1 September 2008. While speaking about trying to bring down the cost of housing, I would like to comment briefly on the proposal by the Premier and the Deputy Premier to fast-track land development in the Redlands area. I would like to point out that the two sites that have been proposed—the Kinross Road site and the South East Thornlands development area—have been in the urban footprint since the South East Queensland Regional Plan was first developed. The structure planning process has been underway in both those areas for quite a considerable time. The council has been regularly informed and consulted when it comes to this fast-tracking proposal, but this fast-tracking proposal will not limit in any way the public’s or the council’s right to comment on these proposals. I am sure all councillors receive complaints—and I know that I as a state member often receive complaints from the councillors themselves—about unreasonable delays within state government organisations. I have received complaints from constituents about unreasonable delays within council as well. All this does is commit the government to focusing on these areas of development; it does not undermine anyone’s rights to comment. At the same time, it is focusing the state government’s efforts to make sure we minimise any unreasonable and unrealistic administrative delays within our process and within council’s process. It is not steamrolling over the councils’ decisions. They have been intimately involved from day one. I commend this year’s budget to the House. Mr CHOI (Capalaba—ALP) (7.48 pm): I thank the Speaker for the opportunity to rise in this House to support the Appropriation Bill 2008. In doing so, at the outset I congratulate the Treasurer, the Hon. Andrew Fraser, on his very first budget for the Bligh government. 2044 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

I concur with the Premier that this is an A1 budget from an A1 Treasurer—not because it is an easy budget, not because there is money to throw around and not because everything is hunky-dory in the financial world. It is quite the opposite. The coffer of the Treasurer has been hit hard with the global financial fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis; interest rates have gone up countless times in the last 24 to 36 months; inflation rates on infrastructure projects have soared above CPI; and, on top of that, we have seen the devastating effects and subsequent financial impact of flooding rains after a prolonged period of drought, the worst in 100 years. By all accounts, the budget for this year should be one that we should forget, but it is not. In the midst of all these challenges, the Bligh government has delivered a fair and balanced budget which looks beyond today and into the future. Housing affordability is a serious problem. I often wonder how my children are going to afford to buy their first home. With the average median price in Brisbane now at $330,000 and housing affordability at an all-time low, the state government is stepping in to help. Notwithstanding some of the initiatives already announced by the Bligh government to tackle housing affordability, this budget provides further assistance. Sweeping reforms aimed at helping Queenslanders, particularly those buying their first home, into the market, mean that a first home buyer will pay no duty on an average price home purchase or mortgage thanks to this year’s budget. The first home transfer duty exemption threshold will be increased to half a million dollars from 1 September—a saving of up to 9½ thousand dollars. The changes will also mean that Queenslanders will pay no duty or less duty than any other jurisdiction for all homes valued up to a million dollars. Mortgage duty will be abolished in full from 1 July 2008, another saving for those looking at buying their first home. In terms of health, again, this is a record budget of $8.35 billion—a massive 25 per cent of the state’s revenue. A lot of townspeople complain about the lack of specialists and long waiting times at our hospitals and that as a government we have not spent enough on health. It is true that we have a shortage of specialised personnel, be they surgeons, specialists, allied professionals or nurses, but it is not a Queensland problem, it is not even a national problem; it is a global one. However, the Australian experience has been made worse by the lack of vision of the previous Howard government in not funding places for medical students in our universities. The Bligh government intends to increase the Health budget by $1.2 billion and besides building hospitals this includes an additional $200 million over four years to sustain increased elective surgery activity, close to $36 million to employ 50 new nurses over four years, and another $9 million over four years to trial a patient focused, nurse led, community based midwifery model of care in rural and outer urban areas. Running a state budget at times is akin to running a household budget. The incomes are finite and the demand bottomless. The Bligh government commits to spend 25 per cent of its revenue in health alone. I doubt many households spend that much on one aspect of their expenditure. I am also pleased to be informed that additional funds have been allocated for the purchase of land for future expansion of Redland Hospital in Redland City. Redland City, being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, needs to have the assurance that its own local hospital has room to grow when the time arrives. Again, this is another fine example of forward planning by this government. My constituents keep informing me of their frustrations when they are sitting in gridlock due to traffic congestion on our roads. In a sense we are choking on our own success. Over 1,200 people are coming to Brisbane every week, putting additional strain on our infrastructure. This budget allows for 250 new buses and encourages more participation on public transport and the continued duplication of the Gateway Bridge and associated arterial roads. There will be $162 million over the next four years to purchase 58 new train units to cope with increasing demands as well. In addition, $168 million will be injected into the TransLink public transport system. Notwithstanding some teething problems, which are to be expected, go card is now gradually being implemented around the south-east corner and the take- up rate has been exceptional. Within my own electorate I am pleased to receive $9.06 million to complete the duplication from two to four lanes from Vienna Road on Redland Bay Road, Alexandra Hills; $1.2 million for resurfacing of asphalt between Old Cleveland Road and Windermere Road; over half a million dollars to complete improving traffic signals at Allenby Road and Vienna Road, which is a very important intersection as there are a lot of incidents at that intersection; over $100,000 for parking facilities at Capalaba College; and $2.12 million under the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Project to continue the planning phase for intersection improvements on Redland Bay Road between Tingalpa Creek and Taylor Road. My constituents also repeatedly tell me that the proposed Eastern Busway needs to be fast- tracked. We will only see an increase in patronage of public transport when taking a bus from Capalaba to the city is faster than driving your own car. Having a dedicated busway will enable this change to take place. I know that the government has many funding priorities, but I do believe an Eastern Busway will be great news to commuters from Stones Corner all the way to Redland Bay. Physical infrastructure is important but so is social infrastructure. This budget is not just about bricks and mortar; it is also about building our communities. The budget for the Queensland police for the first time in the history of this state breaks the $1 billion mark. It also gives the state another 200 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2045 extra police. I take this opportunity, as I always do, to thank the men and women in blue for their dedication and service to our communities. It is at times a thankless job but one that I value and respect and will always support. With an increase of 14 per cent over last year, the budget for the Department of Communities will continue to deliver on the Bligh government’s commitment to people with disability, children and their families, and people who are experiencing hardship, economic or social disadvantage. Some of the increase will be directed towards planning for early childhood reform, assistance for people who are homeless and building capacity to improve youth justice services. As a multicultural society, it is important that we not only learn how to live with each other but also develop a culture of accepting people’s differences. I am pleased to see that a commitment of $1 million has been allocated to help further enhance community harmony in our great state. I would like to especially thank the Premier, the Treasurer, Mike Kaiser and Stephen Beckett as well as my minister, Lindy Nelson-Carr, for their support with this allocation. The staff at Multicultural Affairs Queensland are fantastic people, and I could not have asked for a more dedicated and committed bunch of people to work with. I would like to thank the past executive, Steve McGuire, and the current director, Gary Page, for their continued leadership and support. The Queensland government intends to maintain our strong economy, strong population growth, strong balance sheet and therefore a strong future. For that to materialise, we need a strong Treasurer, and we have one, and a strong and responsive government, and we have that, too—a government which, on the one hand, manages the economy and its finances well to continue to achieve our goals and, on the other hand, ensures that the disadvantaged and vulnerable are not left behind. This will be the hallmark of the Bligh government. I am proud to be a member of this government. I congratulate the Treasurer, Andrew Fraser, on his first budget and I commend the bill to the House. Hon. FW PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (Minister for Main Roads and Local Government) (7.57 pm): I rise in support of the budget as outlined by the Treasurer on Tuesday. This is a budget that truly looks to the future. As the minister responsible for one of the departments that is helping to deliver the record $17 billion Capital Works Program, I am acutely aware of both the challenges ahead of us and the absolute commitment of this government to delivering this infrastructure. Beyond roads and transport, this budget provides us with a framework for responding not only to the challenges of growth but also those of a successful, contemporary society. This is particularly evident in our plan to tackle urban traffic congestion. In the next financial year, the budget will provide $3.235 billion in capital funding for road improvements and other initiatives across Queensland as part of the state’s continuing infrastructure divestment. Much of this funding will be directed towards major infrastructure projects already underway that will help Queensland manage the impacts of rapid population growth and the ongoing challenge of traffic congestion. It means more funding to keep building the critical infrastructure already being constructed across Queensland and more funding to enhance our planning for future growth. The funding increase means that more than $60 million will be spent on building and preserving Queensland roads each week throughout 2008-09. The record spending includes $2.462 billion for Main Roads’ capital works program, $682 million for works being delivered by Queensland Motorways Ltd including the $1.88 billion Gateway upgrade project, and $51 million in grants to local governments for local road improvements as part of the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme. This funding will drive a number of major projects in south-east regional Queensland towards completion in the 2008-09 financial year. By early next year the first stage of the long-awaited Ipswich Motorway upgrade will be completed at Goodna with motorists using additional lanes and new, safer left-side merging ramps. Also ahead is completion of the Sunshine Motorway upgrade, the Centenary Highway extension from Springfield through to Yamanto, Mackay’s new hospital bridge and North Ward Road in Townsville. These new and upgraded road connections will form part of a road network that provides safer, more efficient and more convenient transport for Queenslanders. The Bligh government has a long-term plan for this great state—one that goes beyond next financial year and beyond the electoral cycle. That is why the Premier and I launched the five-year Roads Implementation Program earlier today. The Roads Implementation Program is a key aspect of the state government’s approach to planning and managing for the future. This plan details the thousands of road projects to be built throughout the state during the next five years, building on the progress we made in 2008-09. It is a $16.2 billion strategy to address key government priorities such as urban congestion, safety, preservation and maintenance of our road asset and supporting rural and regional communities. This year’s RIP represents an increase of $2.9 billion or 22 per cent over last year’s programs and is further evidence that the Bligh government is planning for the future. I seek leave to incorporate the remainder of my speech in Hansard. Leave granted. In respect of the funding allocations in the Budget, other major projects that deserve mention include: • $537.6 million to continue construction of a second Gateway Bridge and to increase capacity on the Gateway Motorway between Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Nudgee Road, at a total estimated cost of $1.883 billion 2046 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

• $200 million towards the federally funded Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Wacol and Darra, at a total estimated cost of $700 million • $168.7 million towards the Centenary Highway duplication between Springfield and Darra, in conjunction with the Darra to Springfield rail extension, at a total estimated cost of $414.6 million • $150 million towards the construction of the new Houghton Highway Bridge between Brighton and Redcliffe, at a total estimated cost of $315 million • $70.7 million to upgrade the Pacific Motorway between the Gateway Motorway and the Logan Motorway and between Nerang and Tugun, at a total estimated cost of $910 million (funded equally by the Australian and Queensland governments) • $50 million to improve flood immunity on the federally funded Bruce Highway between Corduroy Creek and Tully High School, at a total estimated cost of $172.4 million • $34.5 million towards construction of the Bundaberg Ring Road, at a total estimated cost of $92 million • $32.4 million for construction of the Pacific Paradise interchange and access to David Low Way on the Sunshine Motorway, west of Pacific Paradise, at a total estimated cost of $85 million • $27.2 million to widen Caloundra Road to four lanes between the Bruce Highway and Pierce Avenue, west of Caloundra, at a total estimated cost of $80 million • $24.4 million to construct a bridge and approaches at Mulgrave River, south of Cairns, on the federally funded Bruce Highway, at a total estimated cost of $50 million • $24 million in federal funding to widen the Bruce Highway in Gympie to four lanes between Kidgell Street and Pine Street, at a total estimated cost of $70.8 million • $20 million to widen the Gold Coast Highway to four lanes between Government Road and Robert Street, at a total estimated cost of $128 million • $18 million to continue widening to four lanes in sections between Santa Barbara Road and Columbus Drive, on Hope Island Road, at a total estimated cost of $109 million. These are just a sample of the numerous projects that will be built during 2008-09. Another significant project to start next year is the special $150 million funding package to improve roads servicing central Queensland. Rapidly growing areas in regional Queensland require spending on roads just as the surging south-east corner of the State does— and this funding allocation demonstrates our commitment to provide for all Queenslanders. This targeted funding boost will provide a huge injection of funds to support central Queensland communities generally, and the mining sector in particular. This funding recognises the significant role both the Bowen Basin and the Callide Basin provide in powering Queensland’s economic development. It builds on $200 million for road upgrades in this area over the last five years, and is in addition to other road spending that already had been planned. Mr Speaker, on the other side of my portfolio, the budget provides funding for the continued reform of local government in Queensland. Next financial year will see significant organisational change within the Department of Local Government as progress is made on the department’s move to establish a stronger presence in five key regions. Additionally, the department will play a major role in the delivery of key projects under the Q150 program this year. As a regional member and minister, I am particularly committed to strengthening rural and regional communities. Mr Speaker, I must also commend the Treasurer for ensuring that regional communities—such as my own in north Queensland— have not been forgotten in this year’s budget. I am pleased to say that the budget has delivered major boosts to health, education and roads in the Mulgrave electorate. A total of $8 million will be spent to construct a primary health care centre at Yarrabah, while another another $1.39 million has been allocated to finalise the redevelopment of the Innisfail Hospital, which is a $41 million project. This is great news for the people of Yarrabah and Innisfail, and will make a huge difference in their lives. For Yarrabah residents, being able to access a primary health care centre in their community means residents can receive health advice and help where previously they would have had to travel into Cairns. The Innisfail hospital upgrade will mean that patients will be able to access improved facilities in their own community. I am also pleased to see that $37 million has been allocated for the Schools of Tomorrow initiative, which will replace the existing Innisfail High School. The Innisfail community has shown great character and great resilience in getting back on its feet since Cyclone Larry, and this is another step in the right direction. Also in education, some $7.7 million has been allocated for stage three of Isabella State School at Edmonton. It is important that the school facilities keep up with population growth and this project will do just that. Our students are the future of the far north, and it is important they are learning in the best environment possible. Finally, I want to mention the $24 million that has been provided for the new, federally funded bridge over the Mulgrave River. This new bridge will provide a valuable and vital piece of road infrastructure and will significantly reduce the length of time that motorists are inconvenienced by road closures during floods. Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I want to congratulate the Treasurer for preparing a budget that is true to Labor ideals while at the same time addressing the challenges of the future. I commend the Bill to the House. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2047

Mr HOBBS (Warrego—NPA) (8.00 pm): I am pleased to speak in the appropriation debate tonight. I want to cover a few very important issues relevant to my shadow portfolio and my electorate. The budget is very disappointing in terms of local government in this state. We have had forced council amalgamations, changes forced on communities and costs forced on ratepayers. There is nothing in the budget that is really going to help them. Those forced changes will cost at least $200 million according to the figures coming in. Those figures will be justified. Local government has been given $27.1 million. This great amalgamation process that we have gone through is going to cost ratepayers all this money and we are not going to get anything for it. The Treasurer, who was the minister for local government at the time of the amalgamations, should at least take some responsibility for his incompetence which has resulted in people having to pay this money. We would have thought that a person in that position would at least have a conscience and be able to say, ‘Okay, I did not do all that well there’ or ‘I did okay’ or ‘I was happy with what I did.’ At the end of the day, at the least the community would not have to pay. But instead the community will have to pay. The community will pay dearly. They will not just pay now but will pay for years to come. The last 12 months in local government has virtually been lost due to the forced amalgamation process. The next two years will also be difficult because the councils are still going through the implementation process. The communication networks that some of them are putting in in their amalgamated areas are costing at least half a million dollars. The highest figure I have heard is $15 million. And there is no assistance from the state government. It made it happen and now it wants ratepayers to pay. In terms of Main Roads, we see that the TIDS, the Transport Infrastructure Scheme, funding is down by $28 million. That makes matters even worse for local government. At least before they had some money coming in to keep the plant going and the staff going. They have had this hit as well. The funding has gone from $93.6 million to $65.6 million. That is an extraordinary drop in funding. I turn now to the number of kilometres rehabilitated by Main Roads. Some 234 kilometres less will be done next year than last year. We have seen all the press releases about how wonderful things are, but we are actually going to be doing much less rehabilitation. We will be doing some 200 kilometres less than we did last year. It is down from 774 kilometres to 540 kilometres. That is extraordinary. The RACQ even admitted that this government is going backwards—and it is. The construction costs are going up. While there has been an increase in overall funding for Main Roads, the reality is that there will be less funding for roads in this state. You have had borrowings. Any fool can borrow, but it is a matter of whether you can pay it back. It is important in any business to have a debt structure. It is essential in business to have some mechanism for borrowing. When businesses borrow they borrow for revenue earning enterprises. For the state government it is different entirely because governments borrow for social infrastructure and there is no fiscal return for that borrowing. So you have to be able to balance it. There really is no comparison. You can go out, as this state government does, and say, ‘We have very low percentage borrowings overall,’ but the reality is that you are borrowing for social infrastructure that has no financial return. The level of borrowings that we have now is heading us into the John Cain and Joan Kirner era of Victoria. That is where we are heading. Unless the government takes a reality check on this desperate bid for borrowing we will find ourselves in serious financial trouble down the track. We should have a quick look at the graphs included in the budget. Debt is not necessary for infrastructure. The government is saying that this debt is essential to build infrastructure in the state. Sure, infrastructure is important and we have to have it, but you are not necessarily borrowing for infrastructure. You are borrowing for other things. That is the issue. I ask you to have a good look at the figures. You are racking up a record debt because you are borrowing to build infrastructure. But the budget papers show the level of debt far exceeds the projected infrastructure. You are borrowing above that. The 2008-09 state budget shows that you plan to borrow $41.6 billion but intend to spend just $17 billion on capital works. That is just a fraction of the borrowings. You have to understand where you are heading. You are taking us into a very serious situation. We will be in the situation that Victoria was in and we will be ridiculed. You should cast your minds back to what happened to Victoria. The people left and came to Queensland. That was great. You are heading us in the same direction. I ask you to consider it. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr English): Order! Member for Warrego, please refer to the members by their title, not ‘you’. Mr HOBBS: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I think the government certainly needs to consider those very important matters. 2048 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

There are a number of important issues in my electorate that I would like to cover. There is some very basic stuff that impacts on people. People cannot get their Patient Transfer Subsidy Scheme payments through. They are not being approved in some of the hospitals. There is not a lot of money involved but it is important. Families have to travel to get services. They have to pay accommodation and travel expenses. They put in their claim and they hope they will get paid the pittance they are entitled to. They cannot get the money. We have had to ring the hospitals. I must say that the staff in the hospitals are very good and try to do the best they can. We should not have to keep doing that. We should not have to keep ringing up the district director and saying, ‘Mrs so and so has not got her claim yet and it has been in for three, four, five or six months.’ I have some people who have had claims in since August 2007 that have not been reimbursed yet. They are genuine claims. I am sure they will be paid in the end. We cannot have this. The government is running short of money and it cannot pay its bills. This is the situation now. There are other situations in Health. Those opposite cannot even pay for their carpet cleaning in Augathella Hospital. The Mungindi baker has threatened to not provide bread to the hospital because they have not paid the bills. Surely the government can pay for the bread and butter issues that are so important to run our hospitals, our schools and everything else. However, it cannot pay them. Is something going wrong in this state? Those opposite talk about big projects worth billions of dollars and doing this and doing that, but the reality is that the government cannot pay the basic bread and butter bills. I ask the government to consider this and I also ask members of the backbench if they could ask their ministers if in fact they are paying the bills in their local communities, because I know of cases where they have not paid those accounts. This is a pretty important issue. Mr Bombolas: Have you paid your bills, Minister? Mr HOBBS: Did somebody make a comment? Mr Bombolas: I was just asking if they paid their bills. Mr HOBBS: I am pleased the member asked whether they had paid their bills. I would hope that the ministers do in fact pay their bills. But the fact is that they have not been paying their bills. The baker is going to pull out. The carpet cleaner has not been paid. I am not talking about a huge amount of money; it is $300 or $400. So it is not a lot of money. The gas rebate for pensioners is another very confusing issue. Only those on reticulated gas can receive the rebate. Most homes in Warrego do not have reticulated gas but use bottle gas so they cannot get the rebate. That is another deceitful promise from this government. I turn now to the issue of electricity. Glenmorgan is a great community where a vintage car museum is going to be opened this weekend. It is a great little community at the end of the railway line, and there is a rail museum there as well where the railway line has been closed down. However, for a number of years that area has had real problems with its electricity supply. People in the area cannot get enough full power and it is continuing to be a real problem. There has been work done in the past and new substations were put in. That boosted the supply for a while and improved it, but this problem keeps recurring. I ask the government to seriously look at trying to help the people of Glenmorgan to have at least a reasonable electricity supply. I turn now to the Moonee catchment flood victims, and I have spoken to various ministers about this issue including the Minister for Communities, Lindy Nelson-Carr. I believe very strongly that some of those people should be eligible for natural disaster relief assistance. I have provided photographs that quite clearly show that those people were in fact in a natural disaster. They have not been able to get this assistance to date, and I do not know why. I think there has been some mistake made somewhere and I hope it is rectified. In this case I have photographs of children lying on kitchen tables in life jackets while water was halfway up the stove, yet these people were not eligible for natural disaster relief assistance. There has been a mistake made so let us hope that we can fix it, because many of those people really deserve our help. This flood was a one in 100 year flood in the middle of the night. I certainly hope that there is some compassion for those people. I turn now to the need for doctors at Cunnamulla. This town desperately needs at least two full- time doctors, even though they are very hard to get. There are contractors there now who have provided great assistance, and we thank them for the work that they have done. But the reality is that if people have to go to a doctor they want to see someone who has consistent access to their records and history. People just do not go to the doctor when they have to find a new one. As a consequence, there have been some serious situations where people have not gone to the doctor and they have not done very well as a result. I do not think that this is a satisfactory situation and we have to do a lot more work in that regard. There are a number of other issues I want to talk about. MacAir, which is an air service to the western Queensland region, has had some dreadful situations recently where it has not been able to keep on time, run planes and so forth. That is slowly improving, and I thank the department of transport 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2049 for its assistance in this matter. We have talked to it about some briefings and I certainly hope that at the end of the day we can get a reliable air service to the western region of Queensland, particularly to my electorate and also the member for Gregory’s electorate in the far west. This is a valuable service. We have to have it. It is essential for emergency medical services so that people can get medical help. The flying specialists services review has been going on for quite some time. I am convinced that the government is determined to close that system down or to reduce it quite dramatically. It is now based in Roma, where there are two planes for the Flying Obstetrician and the Flying Gynaecologist. It is my view that the government will close that down or part of it down. It does not have to and it does not need to. Originally there were two services based out of Roma and Longreach, and it worked extremely well. The Longreach service was then transferred to Mount Isa and it failed. It failed because it could not get specialists to live in Mount Isa and it just did not work, and ever since then it has deteriorated. The service operating out of Roma has been working very hard. If the government winds this service back, it will end up with a lesser service. If people cannot get to see a specialist, they tend to just drive somewhere else and therefore the service is reduced. The reality is that if a service is unreliable and the records show that nobody uses that service—whether it is in Chinchilla, Miles, Stanthorpe or Emerald— people will have to find some other way to get that service. But that is not the best way. If the government can provide a reliable and recurrent service that is guaranteed, people will support that service. They have in the past and they will in the future. The government is trying to cut the cost back and my guess is that one of the planes will go and the service will be based in Rockhampton or Toowoomba, all the while slowly heading the service towards the east coast where it is easier. But the reality is that the services are needed in the west, and it is so far. Roma is at least five hours drive from here. It is another three hours to Charleville. Even in an aeroplane in critical situations, we are talking about a few minutes in terms of life or death. The reality is that in some cases when trying to get a plane off the ground to fly from Rockhampton to the west it can take a couple of hours. Even from here to Charleville it may take a couple of hours. But if a plane is based in Roma, that plane can be there within half an hour or an hour so that those professional services can be provided to those people who need it. We have to be able to provide the people with the skills at the time when they are needed, and that is very important. Roads are also another important issue, and it just goes on and on and on. There is obviously less money for roads. While there has been an increase in funding this year in the budget, there is less value for money. The cost of construction has gone up, as we know. Speed limits are being reduced. We have seen speed limits reduced from 110 kilometres an hour to 100 kilometres an hour. Why? Simply because the roads have deteriorated. I have actually seen the bump meter that Main Roads has and it shows that it is not keeping pace with the maintenance on those roads. The government has to provide more funding for those roads. The highway from Macalister to Brigalow—Macalister was where that tragic accident occurred this morning with the school bus—is a bad stretch which needs some serious rehabilitation. The speed limit on the road from Roma to Wallumbilla has been reduced from 110 kilometres an hour to 100 kilometres an hour. The road is not that bad, but the reality is that it does not meet the standard. There simply has not been enough funding provided to maintain the roads. We are going backwards. Even the Department of Main Roads itself in the information that was provided recently under FOI said quite clearly that it is not getting anywhere near enough money to provide maintenance for the roads and nowhere near enough money for new roads as well. At the end of the day, the government needs to provide these resources to its departments to keep communities going. I think there is a serious situation in relation to funding in this state. I know the government is seriously in debt. But it has to be able to manage that money in a better way. It can manage it far better. Any fool can borrow money. It takes a better man to pay it back. Time expired. Mrs CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (8.20 pm): I rise to speak in this budget debate and to acknowledge some money in the budget for my electorate but also to outline a number of needs. Mandy Jones in her contribution to Creating and Securing Sustainable Equity, a community based consultation coordinated by Futureye Pty Ltd and funded by Rio Tinto Alcan Yarwun, commenced her contribution by saying— The Cheshire Cat from ‘Through the Looking Glass’ was always grinning because it was a wise little moggy. Alice: Which way should I go? Cat: That depends where you are going. Alice: I don’t know where I am going. Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go! If someone wants to get somewhere, they need to have an idea of where it is they are going. Planning is a map of the ideas and the actions we will take to get to where we want to be. 2050 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Budgets are about planning, and the people in my electorate have greater plans and aspirations than the budget reflects. If we look at the Australian way, we see that equity is about fairness—a fair go for all. Ideally, everyone in a community shares in its wellbeing. Where there is equity, the decisions are based on fairness and everyone, regardless of race, income, sex, age, language or disability, has opportunities and is treated with dignity. I wish to put before this parliament the issues that concern my community in their quest for equal access to government services. Despite one or two contributions earlier, I hold the view that the 2008-09 Queensland budget is directly targeted to the south-east corner. Even though my electorate contributes substantially to the Queensland economy, it received relatively little in terms of infrastructure funding that is essential to the development of the community to sustain current and future growth. I wish to comment on a number of areas. Over the past few years, rather than having our hospital grow, wards have been closed. An example is the children’s ward, which shrank from being a full sized operating ward to being two rooms of four beds each, right outside the birthing area of the hospital. The oncology services, which were being provided by Dr Kerry Atkinson, ceased a month or two ago. Kerry’s workload just became too high. I was advised by representatives of the hospital that advertising and recruitment was occurring. A month or so ago I asked the Minister for Health to detail what advertising had been done and in what publications. The response from the minister completely ignored that part of the question. He talked about the difficulty of employing oncologists and the process that was in place for Gladstone patients to go to Rockhampton and then to have subsequent treatments in Gladstone with senior medical officers. My community wants to know what actively has been done—what budget has been expended to advertise and recruit. It may not be that you advertise for an oncologist in the Courier-Mail. But there must be publications such as Lancet or other medical journals where advertising can occur. The community deserves to know that that is occurring. My electorate has one or two satellite renal chairs, but generally renal patients who need full care are still travelling to Rockhampton to receive that care. My community wants to see three or four renal chairs established in Gladstone. Over a number of years it has always been said that it is impossible to get a specialist to oversee the renal unit. Yet in that period new renal units have been established at hospitals—new ones, not extensions—where specialists were able to be sourced to oversight the application of the renal unit. The people of Gladstone deserve no less. They need better access to specialists. I have not been able to identify in the budget that there has been any money allocated for a secure mental health unit, even if it is for stabilising patients who have gone off their medication. My community is looking for that. Like every community, my community has a number of people who have difficulties in the mental health area. In the main, their families are very supportive and want to be able to support them in their home town. It was disappointing to learn that from the Emergency Services point of view one small program— at least it could be interpreted to be small—called PrimeSafe has been done away with because, I was told, it does not make money. This program was targeted to students in prep to year 3 so that they could understand how to respond to emergencies in the home—how to ring 000, how to give people information. It was a very important service. Periodically in the media we hear about young children who have done that for their parents who have gone into a coma or who have had an accident. The ability of that young child to respond to the situation by dialling 000 to get help has been life saving. I think it is a backward step that PrimeSafe has been stopped, at least in my electorate. We need a dedicated patient transfer officer and a vehicle instead of using the ambulances. Other centres have PTO vehicles and I believe we certainly have need of one, particularly for the number of transfers that do not just go to Gladstone Hospital but go to Rockhampton Hospital. I believe the main ambulance station needs to be reassessed in terms of its location. Historically, it was central in the Gladstone city area, but the city has grown in different directions. My discussions with emergency services personnel indicate that they would like to see the ambulance station relocated into the centre of the developing community. There are a number of state development areas in my electorate, such as the old Yarwun Industrial Estate. But more recently, the Aldoga industrial area has grown to 22,000 hectares now. As the Deputy Premier indicated this morning, he visited Gladstone to announce the extension of the state development area to include the southern portion of Curtis Island, excluding South End but including Kangaroo Island. I would like to mention that Kangaroo Island has for many years been identified as a future airport site. Even when I joined the Calliope council in 1988 the forward planning was for Kangaroo Island to be the new airport. So in one fell swoop the future planning was done away with. I checked with the CEO of the regional council, who was formerly the CEO of Calliope council, to see what negotiation had occurred with the council prior to this announcement. But there had been none. By removing the future airport site, the government has impeded ’s growth significantly. I believe the government must now look at how it can extend the life of the existing airport site to allow time for the aerodrome board to identify an alternative site. Finding an alternative site is not 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2051 an easy task in any location and Gladstone is no different. Certainly, I believe that it is now incumbent on the government to assist with the finances to upgrade the airport. That site will have to remain viable for a lot longer. The clean air study indicates that there are a number of matters that will have to be addressed in the electorate. In the budget the Gladstone Port Authority is allocated $4.3 million for dust suppression. For many years the port stated that it was at world standard in terms of dust control. But an independent study released earlier this year indicated that that was not the case and $4.3 million has been allocated for dust suppression. However, it is important that we recognise the aspirations of people in the community when allocating funds for industrial development at budget time. In the community based Futureye study there was a cross-section of contributors to the public consultation on where we are now and where we want to be in the future. When the groups got back together to share the discussions that had been held in the various break-out groups there were a number of themes. One of the themes was that the community wants Gladstone to be a place of balance—a balance between industry, family, work and opportunity. They want community connectedness and care. They want to maintain smaller communities that are around the greater Gladstone city area such as Miriam Vale, Agnes Water and Mount Larcom. They want Gladstone and the region to be a place of choice for families and individuals with an equity of access. They want it to be a place where people know and acknowledge each other and care for each other. They want a balance between business, industry, family and environment. Those sorts of themes continued to be raised during that discussion. They were in some instances statements of reality but in many instances aspirations that can be achieved with the proper investment by government in infrastructure—not only the hard infrastructure but also the social infrastructure so vital to a community’s survival and growth. In the area of the Attorney-General, we have a Public Trustee’s office and I wrote to the Attorney- General some weeks ago now in relation to the refurbishment of that building. The Public Trustee and his officers in Gladstone provide an invaluable service to the community. However, they are working in very cramped accommodation. Even though there is additional Public Trustee owned buildings adjoining its office space they are currently sublet. It is a building of its age. It is old and reflects the style of construction at the time. It is multilevel with very poor disability access. With appropriate planning and refurbishment a more efficient workplace could be achieved, not with just a cosmetic job but with proper planning on that building and a retrieval of the extra office space to allow for better use of space and better coordination between the staff. The current building is multilevel and has very poor disability access. If a person wants to access the building in a wheelchair they have to go up a narrow alleyway that has four or five rubbish bins along it. So whoever is in the wheelchair has to somehow get the rubbish bins out of the way. We desperately need face-to-face legal advice and community education. Over a number of years there have been various applications for face-to-face legal services. We have had satellite services out of Rockhampton but invariably they fall over in a very short period of time because of the unreliability of staff—not because the staff are unreliable but because they are committed to their own region of Rockhampton or Mackay. It is incredibly important that we achieve an independent face-to- face legal service for people in the community. The offices of the department of transport desperately need expanding. It is not uncommon for people who attend in their lunch hour to wait 35 to 40 minutes to have their item of need addressed. The office needs extension either outwards or upwards. The Calliope Police Station is a demountable building that was moved in a number of years ago and has outgrown its effective life. The township of Calliope has grown exponentially. It is currently a two-officer station and it needs to be a five-officer station. I believe that is planned for. The intention is to expand the current station outwards into the backyard of the police house, even though there is an entirely vacant allotment next door—one that would accommodate a properly planned police station with proper off-street parking. I have already written to the police minister in relation to this matter but I raise it because I believe that it is important that funding and effort be put into establishing a police station in the right place for Calliope. In relation to Child Safety, everyone in this House and the majority of people in the community wholeheartedly support the need for good child protection and, where a family is not able to sustain their family structure, for children to be accommodated in an appropriate way. We need programs in Gladstone for parents who have lost their children to re-establish their parenting skills. I know of a number of couples who have been told to undertake courses for self-improvement. It may be anger management, it may be parenting skills or it may be counselling. But either they cannot individually access the counsellors or the waiting list to access counsellors is so long that there is a significant dislocation between the parents and the children while they are accessing that counselling and support. We desperately need more counsellors to provide either early intervention or support for parents so that reunification can occur where possible. I acknowledge that there has been an allocation of $1.8 million for child safety services in Gladstone. These will be provided by a non-government agency, Lifestyle Solutions. I welcome that. I also welcome the $600,000 refurbishment of the South State School for Disability Services. There are 2052 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 people in our community with children who are needing support, whether it is emotional, physical or psychological support, and these parents provide an incredible service to the community in looking after children with special needs. In a press release the minister congratulated Gladstone’s growing band of foster- and kinship-carers for providing safe and stable homes to children and young people in their care, but I do believe that there is a need and a responsibility for the community and government to support those foster-carers and kinship care providers because they themselves experience a very special pressure in providing that love and nurture. Affordable housing will always be a matter of concern in my electorate with the industrial development that occurs. We tend to live at times in an inflated market so that people who are on fixed or low incomes cannot afford to rent. Some families need two jobs. Recently a constituent with a child with special needs and another couple of children approached me. She had to go back to work and be a two-income family because of the high medical costs of the special needs child. That second income pushed them over the threshold for living in a housing commission house. They have been advised that they are going to have to leave, even though much of the additional income is expended on medical care for this disabled child. That information will be sent through to the minister. There is a hiatus in the normal processing. I do not think many people in the community want to see high-income earners who do not have these special needs in public housing—they should be in the private rental market—but there needs to be flexibility in the Affordable Housing Scheme to allow for these special circumstances, where the gross income may exceed the threshold but there are extenuating circumstances. I have had concerns raised with me in relation to training and the access to training by people in my community who have to go out of town. The most recent concern that was raised related to the very specialised area of jeweller training. We have a number of jewellers in the city. One or two have apprentices who have to come down to South Bank TAFE. South Bank TAFE has some new facilities, yet when one of the apprentices travelled down to South Bank TAFE she found that there were insufficient work benches for the number of students, there was none for the tutor, there was no room for extension and there was no bench lighting. This is a craft that requires very careful lighting because of the detail and meticulous nature of the trade that they are learning. There were no computers installed, which is essential for student access to information on very technical modules. Other issues that this employer raised were: the age of the tools provided—screwdrivers and the like were ancient and in poor condition—the pin vices were worn, movement holders were worn, saw blades were inadequate, gravers required replacing, tweezers required replacing, eyeglasses were scratched and it was difficult to see. Only two baskets for cleaning machines were provided for nine students. I acknowledge that this is only one small area of training, but it is indicative of the needs of people who are going to be our future. I commend the government for the funding for the Calliope Range section of the Dawson Highway. It is the missing link, as has been said, and a very dangerous section of road. There have been a number of accidents there. More funding is required for the Calliope roundabout. I welcome the funding for the Calliope Library. That, as I said, is a growing community and certainly the student population there will increase. However, teachers across the state feel neglected by this budget and feel that their needs have not been met or discussed appropriately by the government. I do have a dynamic electorate. Mr WETTENHALL (Barron River—ALP) (8.40 pm): I would like to begin by congratulating the Treasurer on bringing down a budget that lays such a strong foundation for Queensland’s future. Yet again the Queensland Labor government has managed an economy that is outperforming all the other states. For the 13th consecutive year, Queensland’s economic growth rate has exceeded the national rate. Our population growth rate exceeds the national rate as well. Employment growth and business investment is strong and unemployment is at a record low of 3¾ per cent, whereas the national rate was 4½ per cent. These economic strengths underpin a budget that will produce a projected $809 million surplus in 2008-09. The $17 billion capital program to build the infrastructure needed to service our booming state includes $2.551 billion on water, $6.968 billion on health and $3.108 billion on energy. Although government revenue in 2007-08 is below projections due to international factors beyond the government’s control, the Treasurer has nevertheless created a budget that will boost revenue through coal royalty reforms but it will also provide assistance to Queensland in key areas of need. Of particular note are the stamp duty cuts for first home buyers who will pay no duty on homes up to $500,000 from 1 September 2008 and the abolition of mortgage duty from 1 July 2008. Median home prices in Cairns are nudging $400,000, with new building activity enjoying strong growth. This measure will particularly help young first home buyers. Changes to payroll tax will benefit small to medium sized businesses and land tax adjustments will make it easier for 15,000 residents and 17,500 companies, trustees and absentees. Like last year’s budget this budget bears all the hallmarks of a true Labor budget, adjusting revenue measures according to the prevailing economic conditions but based on capacity to pay and funding a range of concessions and rebates for those who are doing it tough. The seniors package has 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2053 been particularly well received in my electorate, with land tax abolished for aged-care facilities and the electricity rebate increased. The budget also recognises the importance of regional Queensland to the Queensland economy and the social fabric of this great state. I would like now to turn to some specific local budget measures. Recently I had the pleasure of officially opening stage 2 of the Redlynch State College. This state- of-the-art new school in a rapidly growing area of my electorate provides a truly outstanding educational experience for its students. This budget allocates $16.58 million to stage 3 of the project and will fulfil the government’s 2006 election commitment to create a P-12 campus at this beautiful site in the Freshwater Valley. Residents of that area will also enjoy a new multipurpose sports facility for which the state will be contributing $900,000 this year, and construction of that project I am glad to say will be commencing next week. I am also particularly pleased that the Treasurer has injected an additional $100 million around the state for maintenance of state schools. Members might recall that earlier this year parents at Trinity Beach State School in my electorate drew attention to facilities at their school. I want to take this opportunity of thanking the minister for education for listening to their concerns. Trinity Beach State School will receive a maintenance injection of $86,000 plus an additional $292,000 for replacing shade structures and external maintenance of teaching blocks. Other schools in my electorate will receive a further $114,000 in targeted and high-priority maintenance. Residents of the northern beaches and Barron River will be pleased to see the start of the construction of a new $1.3 million upgrade of the Smithfield Police Station. This project will enhance the capacity of locally stationed police to respond to call-outs and improve the working conditions of our hardworking police. Not only must we provide our police with the facilities and equipment they need to fight crime; this government is also committed to fighting the causes of crime. That is why I am so supportive of the funding of the Northern Outlook project to be constructed on a parcel of unallocated state land adjacent to the Barron Gorge National Park. The amount of $2.03 million is allocated to build this facility which is designed to steer young people who are experiencing family dysfunction or other problems away from antisocial behaviour and crime. Just like south-east Queensland—and we hear a lot about south-east Queensland in this parliament and rightly so—Cairns and the far north is also experiencing rapid population growth. That is putting pressure on our roads, schools and hospitals. The Bligh government is well aware of these issues and has responded with a range of budget measures to upgrade public infrastructure. Most important of these perhaps have been the funds that have been allocated in this budget to commence work on the redevelopment of the Cairns Base Hospital without waiting for the sale of the to be concluded. Major funding is going to key arterial roads including intersection and bridgeworks on the Captain Cook Highway, further safety improvements on the Kuranda Range Road, floodway improvements on the Yorkeys Knob access road and widening and bridgeworks on narrow sections of the Myola Road. Cyclists have not been forgotten, with funding for new bikeways between Machans Beach and Holloways Beach and on Redlynch Intake Road. Cairns is one of the best places you will ever find to ride your bike. Amidst all the prosperity we are experiencing however, this Labor government remains true to its core values of looking after the most vulnerable in our community. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the government’s partners in the community sector who deliver welfare and support services to the frail aged, the young and people with a disability and carers and their families. Organisations like St John’s, Anglicare and Lifeline are just some among many who undertake this vital work in our community. I thank them and look forward to supporting them in any way I can in the future so they may continue their valued community service. I commend the bill to the House. Ms PALASZCZUK (Inala—ALP) (8.47 pm): I rise to support the Appropriation Bill 2008. This year’s budget is a budget for all Queenslanders. It is also a good budget for the residents of the Inala electorate. As Queensland is the growth state, so too is the electorate of Inala as it is the major gateway to the outer western suburbs of Springfield and Ripley Valley. As the Treasurer stated in his second reading speech on the Appropriation Bill, ‘This is a budget that looks beyond tomorrow and out to the horizon. It describes our priorities and reflects our commitments. To delivering front line services. To building infrastructure.’ The Inala electorate is showing many signs that the infrastructure that we are building today will benefit not only families now but generations to come. More and more families are moving to the south- west corridor, and the Bligh government is committed to providing the necessary housing and associated infrastructure that comes with this ever-increasing growth in our corridor. As more and more people are moving to the south-west, the Bligh government is committed to easing traffic congestion through major Main Roads projects, and anyone driving on the Ipswich, Centenary or Logan motorways will see the construction of two significant road interchanges. 2054 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

The first Main Roads project is located at Gailes, the Logan-Ipswich interchange. This $225 million project is part of the federal and state government’s commitment for a growing community and improving the safety and traffic flow along the Ipswich Motorway. This work also includes the Ipswich to Logan interchange and a two-kilometre stretch of the Ipswich Motorway between Goodna and Gailes. Residents of Camira and Gailes will benefit once this interchange is completed, ensuring the smooth passage of traffic from Ipswich to Logan and from Ipswich to Brisbane. There is $100 million provided in this budget to complete construction of this major interchange. The second major Main Roads project is located at Darra, the Centenary-Ipswich interchange. The Ipswich Motorway will be widened from four to six lanes with the provision for eight lanes into the future. There is $200 million in this budget allocated to widening the Ipswich Motorway between Jervis Street, Wacol, and Sandy Creek, Darra. Both of these projects are clearly aimed at easing traffic congestion. The Bligh government is committed to building the Darra to Springfield railway. Already land is being cleared around the site at the new Richlands train station, with the sod turning expected for July or August this year. Residents driving around this site can clearly see that the Richlands Railway Station— for so long just a dream—is now becoming a reality. This is good news for the residents of Inala, Richlands, Carole Park, Camira, Forest Lake and Springfield. This budget allocates $130 million for the construction of this new railway line. The Richlands Railway Station is due to be built by 2011. In addition, $168 million is allocated under the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program to continue the duplication of the Centenary Highway from two to four lanes between Springfield and Darra. As we plan for the future, the remaining part of the Ipswich Motorway needs to be addressed. There is $1 million allocated to commence a planning study between Darra and Rocklea. I also hope that as part of this plan the Oxley roundabout at the Blunder Road and Oxley Road intersections will be examined in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council as more and more families are moving out to Heathwood, Forest Lake and the planned development at Oxley Wedge. In addition, $78 million is in this budget to construct a third track between Corinda and Darra. Money has also been earmarked for the construction of the new Darra and Oxley stations. Both stations will provide much needed additional car parking stations and disability access. Once again, we are easing congestion on our roads. In 2008-09 we will see the completion of the $2.5 billion western corridor recycled water project, Australia’s largest recycled water project and one of the world’s largest advanced water treatment projects. It is expected to be completed in December this year. From Oxley through Wacol and out through Camira, the western corridor recycled pipeline is weaving its way through the western suburbs. The pipes for this construction are produced locally by Tyco at Carole Park. This budget provides $516.9 million for capital funding for housing. Housing is one of the biggest issues facing residents in my electorate as rents continue to escalate at an alarming rate. In some cases, I am now seeing situations where two families are living under the one roof and people on disability pensions are being told by real estate agents, ‘You can no longer afford to rent in Inala.’ Therefore, the prospect of owning one’s own home becomes a distant dream. However, this budget addresses a fundamental barrier to entry into the housing market with a significant tax reform. The budget highlights document states— Under sweeping reforms aimed at helping Queenslanders into the housing market, a first home buyer will pay no duty on an average priced home purchase or a mortgage thanks to this year’s State Budget tax cuts. As the Treasurer stated, this significant tax reform— ... will give a generation of Queenslanders the opportunity to break into the housing market at a time when the great Australian dream appears to be moving beyond their reach. He continued— Whether you are looking to take out a mortgage and buy a house in the growth corridors of Ipswich or Logan, the expanding suburbs of the Gold Coast, in outer Cairns, in suburban Brisbane ... you will now be able to do so under the lowest tax regime in the country. From 1 September 2008, the changes to the tax system will result in savings of up to $9,500 for first-home buyers on properties up to the value of $500,000. This means that young couples and families will find it much easier to purchase their first home. I also welcome the Premier’s announcement that further land release will be a priority for this government, with the aim of adding an additional 350,000 housing dwellings in south-east Queensland. The Bligh government is committed to looking after the seniors in our community. The budget increases the Electricity Rebate Scheme for pensioners and seniors by $20 to $165 a year. In addition, the budget also provides funds for the new south-east Queensland pensioner water subsidy scheme to assist with rising prices in the south-east corner. It is due to commence on 1 July 2008 with a rebate of $40 rising to $70 and $100 in subsequent years. I welcome the proposal for the new Westgate Police Academy to move from its current home at Oxley to my electorate in Wacol. Last week the member for Mount Ommaney, Julie Attwood, the new councillor for the Richlands ward, Milton Dick, and I attended a community information evening at the 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2055

Wolston Park Golf Club to explain to residents what the new academy would offer. Representatives from environmental groups and the South West Progress Association joined with local residents to hear firsthand the benefits that this development will have not just for the region but for the thousands of police recruits who will train through this state-of-the-art police academy. As it states in the police ministerial portfolio statement— ... this $450 million project will deliver a state of the art Police Academy at Wacol by 2012. This will help position us to meet the challenges of modern day policing. The Academy will be built on a 106 hectare site and will have an education and an operational precinct to support training in the latest investigative techniques and technologies. This budget marks the start of the construction of the new Westgate Police Academy with the allocation of $5 million over the 2008-09 financial year. This year the Bligh government has announced a record budget for people with disabilities. This year’s budget is a 14 per cent increase on last year’s and now reaches $1.2 billion. The core to a Labor government is how we treat those less fortunate in our society, and I pay my respect to the thousands of carers out there who day in, day out go about their lives looking after their loved ones with a disability. Over the past 18 months, one thing that has alarmed me in my electorate is the number of families with children with a disability who are just simply unaware that there are funding rounds which they can apply for for assistance. These families just simply get on with the job. I want to make special mention of the departmental officers who accompany me on home visits to talk with the families about their situation and their needs. Last budget I spoke at length about the Carter initiative aimed at creating a positive model of care for people with an intellectual disability who exhibit challenging behaviour. This year $5.41 million has been allocated to upgrade 12 villas under this initiative at Wacol. Domestic violence is a very serious issue in our society. After 18 months of lobbying, I am pleased to inform the House that the official opening of the Inala-Carole Park domestic violence service is on track to happen next month. I am pleased that this year’s budget delivers the funding for the commencement of this service. There is $93,000 allocated to provide support in response to domestic violence in our local area. This will be a valuable service for women and their children who are escaping domestic violence. The community groups in my electorate are outstanding. This year the Treasurer is also providing a focus on prevention and early intervention for children. I applaud him for this initiative, especially in relation to the $70 million incentive pool that the Treasurer discussed this morning at the QCOSS breakfast. Over $1 million has been allocated to Inala Community House to provide specialist support. Just before closing, I want to make brief mention of the ClimateSmart Home Service. The first major initiative of the Queensland Climate Change Fund will be the $20 million ClimateSmart Home Service which will provide Queenslanders with tools to monitor and reduce their energy use, delivering savings in household electricity costs and greenhouse gas reductions. I would urge residents in the Inala electorate to take up this opportunity and register with the ClimateSmart Home Service as soon as possible. Their web site is www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au, or residents can phone 1800199794. This service will commence on 1 January 2009. In conclusion, the residents of the Inala electorate will indeed benefit from this year’s budget. It provides the necessary capital expenditure to build the infrastructure for our ever-growing, ever- expanding region. I congratulate the Treasurer on an outstanding budget that delivers not just economic infrastructure but the necessary social infrastructure as well. I commend the bill to the House. Mr HOOLIHAN (Keppel—ALP) (9.00 pm): In speaking in this debate, I recognise that it is a cognate debate on the Appropriation Bill, the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill and the Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. I believe that every member of this House without exception, and despite any whining and whingeing to the contrary, has good reason to thank the Treasurer for a far-sighted budget and to congratulate him, his advisers and staff on a responsible and sensible approach to caring for all Queenslanders and funding the government’s agenda for Queensland. Similar to the member for Cook and many others who have spoken, I believe we live in the greatest state in Australia and one of the best places on earth. I cannot understand how the members opposite can live in such a grey world where everything draws criticism and nothing good happens in the community. Open your eyes and look around you, is what I say to them. Everything may not be perfect but we are currently building tomorrow’s infrastructure and having it completed at today’s values, and the next generation will contribute to that cost at a fraction of tomorrow’s value. Last year I expressed surprise that the Leader of the Opposition could stand in this House and make assertions about infrastructure spending. Today the current leader claimed that he was not against infrastructure, but he has encouraged advertising which clearly indicates he would not spend any money on infrastructure. I do not know where he is going to build the infrastructure to which he refers. He probably missed the fact that infrastructure has been funded on an increasing basis each year with over $10 billion in 2006, more than $14 billion in 2007 and a further increase this year to $17 billion. The good aspect of that spending is that approximately 56 per cent of the total will be spent outside the capital city. 2056 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

He also claimed that Queenslanders get nothing from government, so I suppose that is as good a reason as any to explain the increasing number of people who want to come and live here. Water, roads and transport, education and training, health, energy and the communities and disabilities sectors all received funding boosts. I do not know where the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else in his team direct their selective myopia but they surely do not look at Queensland. A government member: He wants to give it to interstaters. Mr HOOLIHAN: I will take that interjection and I will deal with that shortly. Health has had a specific funding boost from the implementation of the Health Action Plan, and people are flocking to hospitals because of the quality of care received. I say to the members of the opposition, as I said last year, that if this budget is so bad and if they believe that the future of Queensland is not assisted by this budget then I invite them to emigrate somewhere else. That will cause a difficulty for them because Labor governments are building each other’s state and territory while the new Rudd federal government is working cooperatively with each state and territory to endeavour to remove the anomalies caused by the Howard years. One of the major proposals which will impact on families throughout Queensland who have suffered under the cost of housing is the change to stamp duty on first home purchases from 1 July and 1 September, and the move for the abolition of mortgage duty on 1 July 2008. That has been brought forward from 1 January 2009. First home buyers will pay no stamp duty or mortgage duty on a purchase up to $500,000. As a lawyer I know that the changes which will result will benefit all Queenslanders, as will the other budgetary measures such as land tax relief for homeowners, corporations and aged-care homes and the increasing funding for those disadvantaged Queenslanders and decent, hardworking people who need the support of a caring government. The Bligh government’s insistence on returning the petrol subsidy to Queensland drivers must concern the opposition because they are really in favour of exporting any value to other states. We are the only state which returns this money to our citizens because we did not have a fuel tax at the time the original state tax was deemed unconstitutional. I am a strong supporter of this rebate because, surprisingly, some 18 months to two years ago I proposed to the then transport minister that Queensland motorists when paying their registration be issued with a swipe card for the repayment of our rebate at the point of sale because the fuel companies were robbing Queenslanders blind. I am pleased that the concept has now been accepted, albeit using another basis for its return. Seniors and people on fixed incomes will benefit from the continuing and increased support provided in this budget by way of subsidies and rebates for water, electricity and gas. The community and disabilities sectors have already received a boost which has been welcomed by most in the social security and support sectors. Queenslanders will benefit from a raft of road funding, which has been financed partially from Queensland but also from money withheld by the previous federal government but which has commenced to flow to the state as genuine discussions are held on needs. My region generally will benefit from $576 million in rail track funding in central Queensland for coalmine infrastructure, $320 million for the upgrade of Abbot Point coal-loading facilities and $150 million for specific road purposes to the Dawson Highway. For the member for Gladstone to say that very little benefit has come to her electorate when multimillions of funding has gone to Gladstone or areas which support Gladstone is nonsense. Funding for coalmining areas in Rockhampton also benefits Gladstone as it does the people of Keppel, of which approximately 54 per cent of the electorate is in north Rockhampton and rural areas which are north of the city and between the city and the Capricorn Coast. In my own electorate, the needs of the Environmental Protection Agency in its care for the Byfield National Park and other environmental needs are being met by upgrading of the regional office and Byfield office accommodation at a cost of $1.186 million. There is also a further $246,000 for development of Byfield beach access and camping on Nine Mile Beach and palleting for beach access, and $14,000 for planning for a park and forest interpretation centre. Child Safety receives $577,000 for a residential care program provided by the Baptist Union for six young people in care, and Communities receives $122,000 for youth development programs and community support services. Disability Services receives a total of $2.95 million for a mixture of home and community care for frail and younger people, short-term and limited respite support for families, carers and people with a disability, and assistance for adults with a disability to live in their own communities. $249,000 of those moneys is for an all-abilities playground and postschool options for young adults with a disability. An earmarked $4.74 million was allocated for completion of the construction of the Yeppoon Police Station, which is probably about 40 per cent complete. Our water police received a further $1.42 million for their new boat, for which the price has risen to $3.55 million from its originally promised price. Further funding of $15.93 million was earmarked for completion of the $20.6 million Yeppoon Hospital, for which construction commenced in February. My constituents in Rockhampton will benefit 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2057 from the almost $70 million redevelopment of the Rockhampton Hospital. The $100 million area health service demand management capital will also fund an air-conditioning upgrade and maintenance at the North Rockhampton Nursing Home. Further funding for the upgrading of the Cawarral Creek boat ramp, known locally as Coorooman Creek, and the construction of the unloading pontoon at Rosslyn Bay will benefit the large boating facility in central Queensland. Rockhampton Regional Council will receive another $5.88 million of the state government’s contribution to the Capricorn Coast-Fitzroy River water pipeline and also funding from the overall allocation for fluoridation costs. I believe that our government should continue to support our new regional council, which has really shown how effective good local government can be. Schools receive a funding boost with $200,000 of a total of $350,000 for additional amenities which include a new toilet block at Mount Archer State School, $143,000 in program and targeted maintenance at Taranganba, Yeppoon and Parkhurst state schools and Yeppoon State High School. In addition, Taranganba, Emu Park and Cawarral state schools receive $155,000 road funding for passenger set-down and parking facilities at their own schools. Roads generally will receive a total of $5.44 million across a variety of individual roads and there is a total of $970,000 for bikeways at Yeppoon and Emu Park, and that also includes money for a bikeway on Moores Creek Road in north Rockhampton. Since my election in 2004, substantial funding has been allocated to my electorate on an equitable basis and the people of Keppel are aware of that. All though multimillions of dollars are not included in this budget, funding covering the needs of our community and the many necessary areas of everyday life attests to the quality of this budget. Funds are raised from the area where the people of Queensland deserve to receive a return on society ownership, such as coalmining, and substantial support throughout the state for those less fortunate. The real powerhouse of Queensland—our people—is the real value of the budget. Queensland must continue to power ahead, and I believe that the first Bligh government budget, brought down by a caring Treasurer like the Hon. Andrew Fraser, will provide the fuel for that power. I have no hesitation in commending all three cognate bills to the House. Mr RICKUSS (Lockyer—NPA) (9.09 pm): I rise to say a few words in the debate on the appropriation bills currently before the House. I congratulate Queenslanders because they are a resilient bunch. They are really great the way they put up with things. They have put up with this government for a long time now. I heard the member for Keppel complaining about how we do not support Queenslanders. I will tell those opposite now that Queenslanders are a great bunch because they have managed to put up with this useless mob for a long time. The real story of this budget is what the government has not put in the budget. In my area it has allocated $4,000 for maintenance at Grandchester State School. One of the key budget items for the Lockyer district is the $4,000 maintenance budget—whoopee! That should be just for ongoing services to the school. We have been waiting for over 18 months for a decision on the Amberley State School. The federal Labor government is procrastinating about this. There is nothing in this budget about it. Mr Wendt interjected. Mr RICKUSS: Is it coming? Mr Wendt: It was announced a month ago in the federal budget. Mr RICKUSS: Where is it? Where is it going? We have not had an announcement of where it is going. Where is it going, Wayne? Where is it going, Wayne? Where is it going, Wayne? I am waiting and waiting. Where is it going? The people of Willowbank are waiting to hear where it is going. We need some more support for the Laidley police. We need a Queensland Transport centre in Gatton. It is the second busiest police station in the state for issuing drivers licences. This is a growth area. The population is predicted to grow by 20 per cent by the time of the next redistribution and we cannot get a Queensland Transport office. How ridiculous is that. People are waiting weeks to have driving tests. It is absolutely ridiculous. Greenbank State School has received quite an amount of funding for a building. There is chaos on the roads out the front of that school. Unfortunately, a child was hit out the front of the school only a couple of weeks ago. I have written to the minister about this. I have spoken to federal politicians about this as well. Greenbank army barracks is across the road. The government is procrastinating about this. We need to address the social infrastructure that is required for areas like Flagstone. There is a real demand out there. There are 700 children in the primary school and 800 or 900 children in the high school. That is the only social infrastructure in that area. There are no other services. There is nothing other than that bit of infrastructure. We need some assistance with social infrastructure around Flagstone. Unfortunately, the Warrego Highway is a federal highway but I was expecting some more funding announcements to improve the safety of the Warrego Highway in my area. Some of it is extremely dangerous. At Minden the speed limit is down to 80 kilometres simply because the potholes are that big 2058 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 that people cannot drive past them. I am sure the member for Ipswich West is keen to have that area fixed up as well because it is a dangerous stretch of road. The speed limit has been reduced to 80 kilometres because it is too dangerous. The DPI budget has been cut. It is an important area that should not be cut. It needs to be boosted. I see the minister is sitting in the chamber. The DPI is an important driver in this state. The horticulture industry in my area creates a lot of jobs. Some of the bigger farmers in my area employed 400 or 500 people. Unfortunately the DPI budget has been cut. The DNR budget has been cut. The management of our natural resources is important for areas like the Lockyer Valley. We did receive some funding for some small items like the $4,000 in maintenance funding for the Grandchester State School and $6,000 maintenance funding for Peak Crossing State School. We also received $196 million for the first stage of the correctional precinct in Gatton. Two years ago the minister promised that it would not be called the Gatton prison precinct. It is being called the Gatton super prison. I have given suggestions for names. The government cannot even make a decision on that. Two years and it cannot make a decision. It should be called the Judy Spence lockup. It cannot make a decision on a name, unfortunately. It is too hard. It is too complex an issue. That is a bit of the problem. There are other things that have been funded. There is some community housing support for the frail and elderly. That is always welcome but never enough. The Lockyer council has received $63,000 for CCTV surveillance. That will be an asset for the area. It has received $300,000 for the cycle way to the Gatton university. Unfortunately, if money is not spent on the Warrego Highway I do not know whether too many people will be cycling out that way. Mr GIBSON (Gympie—NPA) (9.15 pm): I find myself rising tonight like the young boy in the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist, with a bowl in my hand and asking, ‘Please, Sir, may I have some more.’ I can almost hear the Deputy Premier bellowing, ‘More? Why would he dare to ask for more? I have given him $442 million for a dam. Surely that boy has had enough.’ Like the fact that the gruel that Oliver Twist had to live off provided him no nutritional value, the commitment to the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam provides my electorate no beneficial economic value. My electorate needs more. We need better patient transport. Despite the matter being raised very publicly on the floor of this parliament, we find no funding provided despite a need clearly being there for Queenslanders who require patient transport. We need more resources for our local hospital—a hospital in which the staff do an outstanding job. We need to engage better with the local private hospital. There used to be a scheme from this government whereby local residents were able to get a cataract operation at the Cooloola Private Hospital under an arrangement with Queensland Health. Please, Sir, may I have some more of that once again? Those days are gone. Residents of my electorate are now required to travel down to the Sunshine Coast for a day operation with no public transport provision. This makes it a very difficult situation. Surely we could look to some common sense with our funding to ensure that people in those areas have the health services in those areas. We need more in education. In my maiden speech I spoke of the Gympie Special School—a school in which the most vulnerable students in our society are taught, a school that clearly needs better facilities, a school that is only really existing on the great work of the P&C and is constantly having pressure placed on it to fund what Education Queensland does not fund. This school is a blight on the Queensland education department and must be better funded. We also need more for maintenance in schools. I was recently at Gympie East State School. Their sewage treatment plant failed some months ago. The sewage that overflowed into the school areas provided E. coli levels so high that they fenced it off and told the students to avoid the area. It was a temporary fence. Days dragged into weeks, weeks dragged into months and still nothing has been done. Gympie East State School’s maintenance budget is now taken up with pumping out sewage from holding tanks. They have no money for the school’s normal maintenance requirements. Yet in this budget we find nothing for this school. The special education units at our high schools require additional funding for the services that they provide. The Teachers Union recently met with me to see what could be done to help them with the workload they face for challenging students. Please, Sir, we need some more. We need more in roads. The Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra is consistently recognised as one of the deadliest stretches of highway in Australia. I welcome the announcement that we heard today that a Springborg led government will take the advice of the Queensland Department of Main Roads and work towards a 20 per cent contribution to our National Highway network to fast-track the Commonwealth contribution and allow work to continue. What we have seen from Labor at a federal and a state level is that it is willing to put working Queenslanders’ lives at risk by failing to sign off on a bypass that is clearly needed and demanded by the people of Queensland. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2059

If I continue with my Dickens theme, I want to turn to another classic—A Tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times, and so is this budget under Labor. No-one doubts that these are the best of times. The rise of China as Asia’s economic powerhouse, the demand for our resources within the state, and our proximity to our markets within South-East Asia and the world have provided a bonanza for Queensland. These are indeed the best of times. We are experiencing the largest economic boom in Queensland’s history—indeed, a decade of historic economic growth. Accompanying this growth we have seen a huge influx in property taxes and stamp duties into the state’s coffers, and yet they are indeed also the worst of times—a debt reaching $59 billion by 2010-11 and $65 billion by 2011-12. They are the worst of times, costing Queenslanders $10 million a day in interest payments alone. They are the worst of times, because whilst Queensland families worry about rising interest rates, rising petrol prices, taxes, fees and charges, every Queenslander in this state will be burdened with a government debt of $15,000. I am certain, like the people in the Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities, that the people of Queensland will rise up and destroy their masters at the next election, as they have become sick of the shameless spin and mismanagement of this state. I think the member for Cook summed it up best when he described our perception of this budget as ‘hell in a hand basket’. He was absolutely right. He was also right in describing Queensland as the best state in the best country in the world. What he failed to realise is that the best state in the best country in the world has a below-average government. The member for Algester also made a very valid point when she said that you can tell what a government stands for by its budget. Well, this budget obviously stands for an addiction to fossil fuels. Apparently we are to believe the spin from this government that climate change is real, just not real bad, so let us not worry about it too much. Rather than taking climate change seriously and investing in projects that would get freight off our roads and on to our rail networks, we see more in this budget on fuel subsidies than on new rail rolling stock. But what should I expect from this government? I notice that the minister for climate change is in the chamber. I recently attended the session on peak oil at the town hall along with the member for Indooroopilly. I heard the minister complain about how his flight from Cairns was shorter than his trip from the airport but then how, as a result of his work, the next day he was flying back up to Mount Isa. An individual in the row next to me said, ‘What a hypocrite! Hasn’t he heard of videoconferencing?’ I guess that sums up this government’s approach. It is not willing to embrace a paradigm shift in the way it operates. It is not willing to do things differently. Let me make reference now to the last of Charles Dickens’s works for tonight—Great Expectations. Mr Elmes: More Dickens? Mr GIBSON: More Dickens because Dickens is good. How appropriate it is on World Environment Day that we have heard from the Leader of the Nationals and the Leader of the Opposition a vision that provides great expectations for our environment. The policies that he announced today with regard to renewable energy provide a stark difference between a Springborg government and the Bligh government. The Bligh government is only willing to provide incentives for 1,000 Queenslanders to get solar panels and it has a service whereby people will be able to come and energy audit their homes. I commend the minister for the ClimateSmart home service. It has very great merit. It will bring about great education and understanding about how we can make small changes. But in a classic way of not looking at the holistic approach, it does not address the issue of waste management when it comes to CFLs. I am sure the minister is aware that CFLs contain, albeit in a very minute amount, mercury. We do not have in Queensland any closed system of recycling or waste management for those CFLs. Rather than play Russian roulette with the environment on waste landfill sites, we should have seen a complete policy that not only addressed the ClimateSmart home service but addressed waste management so we can provide a better service for our children in managing the mercury within these globes. As has been rightly said today, we are making progress on the climate change issue, and it is not easy. There is recognition that climate change is not simply about phasing out greenhouse gases and then all things will be fine. It is of course about prevention and adaptation. It is about implementing strategies that assist in this area. The solar energy announcement of a gross feed-in tariff under a Springborg government is indeed exciting. It poses great expectations. But do not take my word for it. Let us see what the Clean Energy Council has said— Today it endorsed the Queensland opposition’s plan for a gross metering feed-in tariff for all solar PV generators in the state. The scheme involves a guaranteed premium payment for all solar energy produced, both domestic and commercial. The Clean Energy Council, the peak industry body for clean energy including solar power, is seeking a nationally consistent gross metering feed-in tariff from 1 July 2009. We would welcome Queensland becoming the first mover ahead of a national scheme. Great expectations are expectations that will be delivered on by a Springborg government, because it is not going to tinker at the edges, it is not going to deal with the little things and put out the greenwash like we saw from this government with its net feed-in tariff. A Springborg government will not discriminate against mums and dads who stay at home, our senior citizens, students who are at home during the day, or those who choose to work from home because of their understanding of the climate change factors that we face. What we find under a net system is that those who are at home during peak production times are those who are penalised. That is what Labor is doing. What a Springborg-led 2060 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 government will do will revitalise and provide market signals as a clear indication for people to invest in solar energy in their own homes. We will not discriminate against Queenslanders; we will inspire Queenslanders to rise to the challenge. The gross feed-in tariff is paid to all suppliers of solar energy. What this will mean is that everyone who contributes power to the grid under this policy is paid for every kilowatt they generate. Under this system, every Queenslander—whether they are in a business, whether they are involved in a sporting club, whether they are part of a church which has a hall or whatever the case may be—has an opportunity to do their bit. A Springborg-led government is committed to providing certainties to the market and to the solar industry. We are committed to encouraging green-collar jobs to develop in this state. We are committed to developing a manufacturing base that is about the future of renewable energies that is not solely dependent upon coal. By extending that gross feed-in tariff, we show that we are serious about putting Queensland on the map as the renewable energy capital of Australia. It is interesting to note that a gross feed-in tariff has been universally adopted by 46 countries around the world—countries that have become serious about renewable energy, countries that are serious about their commitment to the environment, countries that are not engaged in token greenwash but are addressing the problems today with solutions for the future. What we have seen from Labor with its net feed-in tariff is again tinkering at the edges. They do not have the vision or the courage to take on the real challenges. Further, we heard today that a Springborg government will also empower our regions to develop genuine alternative energy resources by allocating $120 million over three years as a fund for local communities to apply for feasibility and seed funding to develop regional alternative energy schemes which will provide power to both their own communities and potentially into the main grid. This initiative is about the empowerment of our local communities across our great state. This initiative will enable ordinary Queenslanders to rise up to the challenge of climate change and provide local solutions. We could see initiatives such as the people who live in the Daintree developing a localised green grid based on either solar or micro hydro. We could see solar thermal energy being developed in remote areas. What we will see is the people of Queensland rising to the challenge and deciding what they want to do to fix the problems that they find locally rather than being told what to do and in which areas they can do it. The Solar Homes Program is a classic example of that. Apparently under this government climate change is impacting on only certain electorates. Surprisingly—or perhaps not surprisingly—the electorates that can access the Solar Homes Program are predominantly Labor electorates. The rest of Queensland is excluded from that program. That is a disgrace. It has been my experience from my time in the army, from my time in business and from being involved in various community organisations that when you give people the opportunity they will generally surprise you with their own innovative solutions to the challenges they face. The challenges of climate change are real, and despite what this Labor government has not done to address the issues of climate change they will still be there. Mr Lee interjected. Mr GIBSON: I take that interjection from the member for Indooroopilly. Let us talk about what this government is doing in regard to the greenhouse gas emissions that will be produced from the Traveston Crossing Dam. Let us talk about the failure of this government to address those issues. As we move towards a carbon-trading society, we must be willing to make the difficult decisions. We cannot tinker at the edges. I know that the minister for sustainability understands this issue probably better than any of the others in his cabinet, but I also see that the Bligh Labor government is not prepared to address the real concerns. It will tinker at the edges. It will spin around. It will get out the green paint and try to say how good it is for the environment. But when push comes to shove, as we have seen in this budget, this Labor government fails the environment. Under a Springborg government we will invest into renewable energy. We will invest in a commitment to the environment. Once again, Queenslanders will have a future that they can believe in, a future that they can afford and a future that, as the centrepiece of a Springborg government, is committed to renewable energy. Ms STONE (Springwood—ALP) (9.32 pm): I rise to speak in support of the state budget and give my congratulations to the Treasurer on his first budget. He has presented a budget that is building infrastructure where it is needed now and for the future. It is a budget that tackles the challenges that face us now and prepares for future challenges. It is a budget that gives a major boost to health. It is a budget that understands the hurdles faced by people who are trying to break into the homeownership market. It is a budget that provides support for our seniors. Queensland’s population growth rate of 2.2 per cent remains above Australia’s national population growth rate of 1.5 per cent, giving Queensland the second fastest population growth rate in the country. Those figures highlight Queensland’s need for a responsible investment in infrastructure that will navigate the continuing growth of our great state. I am pleased that the Bligh government’s first budget has developed a landmark investment in Queensland’s future. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2061

The people of Queensland do not want to hear whingeing and whining. They want their politicians to get on with the job, and that is what we are doing. The people of Queensland do not want history lessons and they do not want to hear recitals; they want action and they want the job done. That is the clear difference between the opposition and the government. We are the ones getting on with the job. This budget includes infrastructure boosts for water security, a continued focus on traffic congestion busting and responsible population growth plans. Three key features of the budget that help out Springwood residents are the smashing of stamp duty, putting money back into pensioners’ pockets and giving motorists the full fuel subsidy. As our population increases in pockets across the state, the onus is on us as representatives of our local communities to ensure that our communities have access to the services they need. I now want to outline some of those services that this budget delivers to Springwood residents and to Queenslanders. I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. Emergency Services Along with the Member for Woodridge, I have been actively working to address a service need of the local community. The Woodridge Fire Station services a large part of the Springwood electorate, and a recent inspection of the station with the Hon Emergency Services Minister, and the Member for Woodridge revealed that this facility had passed its used by date and needs to be upgraded as a matter for urgency. I thank the Fire Officers stationed at Woodridge for having a frank discussion with us. After this meeting the Member for Woodridge and myself decided to write to and then meet with the Treasurer and impress upon him the need of our local communities—the need for the station to be improved to bring it up to date to meet a growing city and meet the needs of today’s fire service. After a numerous representations and meetings I am pleased to inform the House this budget includes $500,000 announced for a replacement fire station at Woodridge Fire Station site, as part of a total commitment of $3.7 million. I am told that the firefighters at the station are extremely pleased with this outcome and the local community has welcomed it warmly. In fact many are over the moon as the $3.7million committed for this project will give the community a well equipped and modern facility. This immediate injection of $500,000 will allow planning to take place and will ensure that the residents of the Springwood and Woodridge electorates have access to a new station as soon as possible. I want to thank the Member for Woodridge who first raised this matter with me. Working together and with our communities we were able to achieve a great outcome for our firefighters, a great outcome for both our communities and for Logan City. It is essential that a community has access to the best emergency services facilities available, and I am confident that this new station, when combined with the Springwood Ambulance Station, the Slacks Creek and Loganholme Police Stations, the Springwood and Rochedale South Police Beats and the Logan East SES will round out a well equipped and highly trained emergency response to any issue that may arise in the Springwood Electorate. Ambulance Services The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) will recruit an extra 250 ambulance officers and buy 145 new vehicles with the Department of Emergency Service’s near-billion dollar 2008-09 budget. The 250 additional ambulance officers funded in 2008-09 will be in addition to the record 255 extra officers funded and recruited in 2007-08. I know the additional frontline officers will be welcomed by our hardworking paramedics. Police This Budget sees funding to the Queensland Police Service increase by $134 million to $1.57 billion in 2008-09, an increase of nearly 10%. The city of Logan will benefit from $7.3 million for the new Coomera District Headquarters and an additional $2.5 Million for the refurbishment of Beenleigh Police Station. A boost of nearly 10% to the police budget will help put 200 extra police on the frontline. The 200 extra police positions, at a cost of $18.3 million, will mean by October 2009 we will have more than 10,100 police officers helping to keep Queensland safe. Planning continues for the development of the $450 million Police Academy at Wacol which when completed in 2012 will be one of the best facilities of its kind in the world. This year’s budget allocates more than $22 million to reduce the tragic loss of life on Queensland roads. This includes funding of $6.9 million to provide 72,000 officer hours for on-road enforcement. There is also more than $13 million operating and $1.5 million capital funding to deliver 70,080 hours of mobile speed camera operations and to continue red light and fixed speed camera operations. And there is a new weapon in the fight to reduce the road toll. From July 2008 our tough new vehicle confiscation laws come into force statewide. People who repeatedly drink drive, drive while disqualified or unlicensed, drive unregistered and uninsured or illegally modified vehicles face losing their vehicle permanently. Criminals who prey on children are a major concern for parents. Paedophile Task Force Argos detectives will be supported with a $94,000 upgrade to their computer networks. An additional $122,000 will be spent warning about the dangers of the internet by further developing the successful ‘Who’s Chatting With Your Kids’ and ‘Surf Safely’ initiatives. Spending on information technology is essential to ensure police remain at the cutting edge in fighting crime. More than $36 million in operating funding and more than $48 million in capital funding will support continuing projects including QPRIME (for recording all crime incidents statewide), the Public Safety Network (a more reliable shared data network), and Policelink (a new system for the public contacting police). 2062 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

This record budget delivers funding for the safety and security of all Queenslanders. An initial $3.5 million over four years is provided to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to increase the number of prosecutors. An assessment of future resourcing of the DPP is an early priority this financial year. The State Coroner also receives a funding increase. Building Infrastructure Water This budget outlays $2.22 billion for South East Queensland Water Grid projects during the 2008-09 financial year. South East Queenslanders have eagerly watched the progression of the water grid and specifically Tugun Desalination Plant which remains on track to be finished by the end of the year. The budget’s commitment to this project, and to the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project demonstrates this government’s commitment to navigating the worst drought on record and investing in infrastructure to accommodate our population growth into the future. Roads As the member for Springwood, whose electorate is defined by one of Queensland’s largest Motorways, I can report to this parliament that traffic congestion remains an incredibly important issue to the people of Queensland. Travelling to and from the Springwood electorate is largely impacted by local motorways, including the Gateway Motorway, which is used by many residents of the Springwood electorate as they travel to work or to the airport. Given our reliance on this, I applaud the $682 million for works being delivered by Queensland Motorways Limited, including the $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project. This budget includes $59,000 to allow the complete provision of median barriers between Gateway Motorway and Logan Motorway, on the Pacific Motorway, at a total estimated cost of $67,000. This money has been allocated under the Queensland Government’s Safer Roads Sooner Program and I am sure that it will have an impact on all users of the Pacific Motorway. I join many in welcoming the $80 million set aside in this budget for Airport Link, which will reduce traffic on local streets by up to 40% and solve the airport roundabout bottleneck. This is not just a congestion busting investment; it is an investment in driver safety into the future. This is a congestion busting budget, and I am pleased to report that this budget will have an impact on the lives of Springwood residents. Tackling the challenges Climate Change In recent years an awakening has occurred, and issues like the environment and climate change have gained importance in the community. The literature does not contest the growing challenges that climate change presents to our state and our country. Many people are asking—what can I do to make difference? Well there are a number of things we as individuals, as households can do. For those not too sure I am very pleased to inform you the State Government has announced a new $60 million home-based service to help Queenslanders reduce their household greenhouse gas emissions. The program, which will commence in January 2009, will be funded from the proceeds of the Queensland Government’s Climate Change Fund. The new service is modelled on the successful Home WaterWise Service, and will help Queenslanders make a difference. The service will involve the installation of energy-saving devices and detailed advice on ways to further reduce their carbon footprint. For $50, a tradesperson will visit your home to provide advice and energy saving tools, including a smart energy monitor, compact fluorescent light globes (CFLs) and water efficient showerheads. The ClimateSmart Home Service will be available statewide to homes connected to the Energex and Ergon energy grid. Queenslanders who are keen to register interest now to receive the ClimateSmart Home Service can do so at www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au or by phoning 1800199794. Water Waterwise Rebates will continue with a further $32.1 million provided in this Budget. A total of $339.3 million has now been provided for the scheme. The scheme provides rebates to Queenslanders who install rainwater tanks, water-efficient washing machines and shower heads, dual-flush toilet suites, greywater systems, pool covers and rollers and Water-efficient garden products. To date, 423,917 applications have been approved worth more than $260 million. Environment The local environment was a big winner in the budget for the Springwood electorate, with Daisy Hill Forest receiving a total commitment of $300,000. There is no doubt that the Daisy Hill Forest Reserve is becoming more and more popular with locals, domestic and international tourists. I am extremely pleased that facilities will be upgraded to meet the needs of this growing demand. The budget allocated $80,000 this year to design and construct upgraded facilities at the Daisy Hill Day Use Area in Daisy Hill Forest Reserve. Daisy Hill Forest Reserve has forged ahead making this spectacular and unique bushland inclusive for all that visit. Picnic tables designed for wheel chairs, safe ramps and paths and wheelchair accessible boardwalks are just a few of the examples of the facilities at Daisy Hill Forest Reserve that encourage people to enjoy this very beautiful part of the world. I can also confirmed $60,000 had been earmarked for the completion of the development of the Daisy Hill Outdoor Koala Enclosure for Daisy Hill Koala Centre which is one of the most popular attractions at the reserve. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2063

The Daisy Hill Koala Centre located at the reserve offers the opportunity to see koalas close up and learn about a range of wildlife through interactive displays, multimedia show and of course walking through the forest. Not only does this centre and forest cater for people with disabilities; it is also very family friendly with boardwalks and the centre being suitable for strollers. Also this year $20,000 has been set aside for planning the construction of a Carpark at a total cost of $150,000. I believe this new carpark should allow room for vehicles with horsefloats. As more and more horseriders are enjoying this spectacular and unique area. There is no doubt that the reserve is becoming more and more popular and I encourage members who have not visited this spectacular part of our state to come along and see the beauty that for us who live in the Springwood Electorate are very pleased to have as our backyard. I am very pleased to see this funding as it enables more people to enjoy this beautiful place. This is great news for our area and demonstrates this is a government that is committed to preserving our environmental corridors—no matter how big or small—for our future generations. Assisting local motorists The full 8.354 cents per litre fuel subsidy will come back to all motorists, stopping oil industry rorts of the $540 million per annum subsidy. A point of sale system will be provided to Queensland drivers’ licence holders that entitles them to the full 8.354c per litre deducted at the checkout. It could be as simple as a bar code sticker on Queensland driver’s licences, but its effect will be vital in easing the strain on the family or business budget. Energy Keeping up the services for a growing area can be quite challenging and I am pleased to see the following will do just that for the Springwood electorate: • $3.42 million allocated to install a new powerline to increase network capacity and improve reliability in Loganholme and • $9.34m to install new transformer to boost capacity in North Springwood substation. Health This year’s budget includes a massive boost of $1.2 billion will take the Health budget to a record $8.35 billion in 2008-09. This budget includes $3 million for elective surgery at Logan Hospital and an additional $10 million (with a total commitment of $15.5 million over 2 years) for the redevelopment of the Logan Annexe to accommodate additional acute services. Other new funding provided includes: • $54.9 million over four years to meet the increased demand for medical aids, together with increased subsidies for clients of the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme I am extremely pleased to see this funding as I know just how important this service is to people of all ages. Whether it be an aid needed because of the ageing process or an aid needed for a young person who has had a sports injury or anyone who may be recovering from surgery and needs a medical aid this is a very important service. The flexibility this service provides allows people to have the aids they need without having to pay upfront for something that may only be needed for a short time. The Logan Hospital has a great reputation when it comes to maternity care. That is why I am very happy to see the budget provide $35.8 million to employ 50 new nurse practitioners over four years and train more nurses to work in neonatal intensive care units and special care nurseries. Also the Enhanced Maternity Care of $9 million over four years has been allocated to support the trial of a patient-focused nurse- led, community-based midwifery model of care in rural and outer urban sites. An area that I often receive enquiries on is dental health. I am proud to say that Dental health is a priority of the Bligh Government and we are also allocating $14 million over three years to acquire nine new mobile dental clinics and refurbish the existing fleet. Building better lives for children Child Safety Prevention and early intervention is critical and so much preferable to cure and that’s a key reason why the budget delivers big dollars for child protection throughout the state and specifically in my electorate. A number of non-government agencies have received money in this budget to continue with this vital work. They are: • $3.11 million to Life Without Barriers located in Springwood for the Specialist Foster Care program providing intensive levels of care • $628,000 to Anglicare to provide a residential care service in Springwood electorate for young people in care • $568,000 to Anglicare for the Specialised Foster Care Service providing intensive levels of care • $215,000 to Lifeline Community Care for their Healing, Opportunities, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Service providing a sexual abuse counselling service to children and young people in care • $665,000 to provide support services for children and families who have been affected by sexual assault • $289,000 to provide non-clinical counselling and support groups to at risk youths This budget demonstrates the State Government’s support to families and has a strong focus on building better lives for children. Education This budget’s provision of Education funding is an exemplary feature of a budget geared towards the future. Education is undoubtedly a steadfast investment in the economic future of our great state, but is also an immeasurable investment in the lives of every individual and community, allowing them to overcome adversity and disadvantage to enjoy new opportunities. 2064 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

In 2008-09, the Government will continue its focus on education and early childhood development with: • employment of 270 new teachers and teacher aides to meet enrolment and other growth • $18 million for the Literacy Framework for Action in state schools. Upper primary students who require extra assistance will also receive intensive literacy support as part of the $10 million instalment in 2008-09 of the four-year $35.6 million program • $100 million injection for school maintenance over two years through the Tomorrow’s Schools initiative. • $38.9 million for community kindergartens affiliated with the Crèche and Kindergarten Association of Queensland • more than $100 million for Smart Classrooms initiatives to improve student, teacher and parental access to electronic learning materials And after school—we need to create a larger, more highly skilled workforce. I believe we need to help train the next generation for the jobs of the future—improving workers’ qualifications and ensuring that the Smart State keeps up with its interstate and international competitors. I am pleased to see this budget deliver a $716 million investment in vocational education and training programs which includes: • $186.5 million to develop the skills of apprentices and trainees • $9 million for additional trades training places as part of the Queensland Skills Plan. • $14.9 million for 3500 additional training places at Certificate IV level or higher This clearly demonstrates that the Bligh Government is tackling the skills shortage head-on. Seniors Assisting Pensioners and Seniors The budget will also give back to those who have given so much to our community, our state, and our country Seniors. • $10.6 million to increase the pensioner and seniors electricity rebate to $165 • Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme for eligible pensioners in the south-east corner, at a cost of $50 million over four years, will provide a rebate of $40 this year, rising to $100 in 2010-11 • This scheme is in addition to the Pensioner Rate Rebate Scheme which applies across the state and provides up to $180 off local government rates charges • $2.96 million Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate Scheme for pensioners and seniors This budget commits to easing the pain in the hip pocket many pensioners are feeling from their water, rates and energy bills. Housing affordability Assisting local first home buyers With changes to Queensland’s stamp duty regime, local families hunting for their first home priced under $500,000 will not pay a single cent of stamp duty. A crisis in housing affordability in recent times had closed the door to many local families seeking to purchase their first home so I am certain many families will welcome the news that we will immediately raise the first home owner concession to $350,000 from the start of the financial year and then to $500,000 by 1 September 2008. On top of that, we have abolished in full mortgage duty. I am pleased the Bligh State Government is assisting home ownership. Final remarks Our State has a strong economy, a strong balance sheet and a strong future and this budget will deliver frontline services and continues to build record infrastructure projects. It is a budget that looks at the longer term, recognises the need to invest now and tackles the challenges ahead. Ms van LITSENBURG (Redcliffe—ALP) (9.34 pm): I rise to speak in support of the appropriation bills. The Treasurer and the Bligh government have delivered a budget for the future. This budget tackles the big issues of today with measures to keep the Queensland economy strong, and it continues to deliver the infrastructure that our state needs to ensure that we have a world-class economy and that we have the quality of life and infrastructure that we need for the future. This is a budget that also supports those Queenslanders who are hurting in today’s climate of high interest rates and increasing petrol, rent and food prices. Most importantly, it delivers for the Redcliffe community in many of the ways it needs the most. As this is bare-bones budget, I have had to fight hard for many items in it. The infrastructure budget is the largest in the country at $17 billion. An amount of $150 million has been allocated for the ongoing duplication of the Houghton Highway. The total cost of this bridge is one-tenth of the annual budget for the Department of Main Roads. This bridge will be a huge asset for the Redcliffe community. It will help ease the road congestion that is experienced by my constituents as they travel into Brisbane for work. But this is just the beginning of a whole raft of major infrastructure that will ease the traffic congestion problems for the Redcliffe commuter. Some of this infrastructure includes the duplication of the Gateway Bridge, the bypass to the airport, the Eastern Busway and the Northern Busway. There are also a variety of creative solutions to tackle the problems of traffic congestion in the suite of TravelSmart initiatives. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2065

Housing affordability and homelessness has been a huge issue in the Redcliffe electorate. Many people have been hurting. This budget contains some important measures for first home buyers, which will help them get their first homes, leaving rental accommodation free for others. Considering the number of members who wish to speak to these bills, I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. From the 1st of July this budget increases the first home buyer exemption from Stamp Duty on a house less than $350,000 from $320,000. On September the 1st the first home buyer exemption from Stamp Duty will be on all homes less than $500,000 providing savings of $9500. That is almost the price of a deposit. For anyone buying a principal place of residence the one percent concession rate will now apply up to $350,000 from $320,000. From July the 1st Mortgage Duty will be abolished. This will mean a saving of about $300 on a $500,000 house. These savings will be available for all home buyers. Many people will not be able to buy a home so there is over $3.75million in the budget to commence construction of two blocks of 32 public studio housing units. There will also be a set of six and a set of 8 public housing units built. This is a great outcome for people with disabilities and our elderly who have lived in Redcliffe for most of their lives and wish to remain in the community. These measures will go some way towards increasing the stock of affordable accommodation for Redcliffe residents and it will ease the pressure on the private housing market. For those young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of being homeless the budget has provided $369,000 to support them in their time of crisis. I believe these measures will make a start at tackling this complex and difficult issue. Redcliffe has a high percentage of seniors and pensioners and they have felt the pinch with the increases in cost of living. This budget increases the electricity concession for concession card holders to $165 per annum. The South East Queensland Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme will be phased in over three years providing subsidies of $40 in 2008/09, $70 in 2009/10 and $100 from 2010/11. The measures to reduce housing costs for seniors include: • from the 1st of January the land tax will be abolished on aged care facilities • there will also be an exemption of land tax in cases of illness requiring someone to leave the family home • the transfer duty concession for home buyers will be extended to help residents of retirement villages who adopt lease and sub-lease occupancy arrangements • 50% discounts on motor vehicle and boat registration for pensioners and seniors saving $109 on registration of a four cylinder car Local Schools have been granted around $155,000 for maintenance and there is money for passenger set down facilities for Clontarf State School. Redcliffe Special School has funding for four new classrooms and amenities. This is great news as Redcliffe special school has been using older demountables which are difficult for students with disabilities to access. One of the most exciting announcements in the budget is the $1.5million for the new ambulance station. The current ambulance station in Oxley Avenue was built in 1957 with the capacity for eight ambos but at least 20 are needed to staff the ambulance service today. The new station will enable our ambos to provide the most effective service to the community. A significant amount of money has been allocated to projects in which the State Government is partnering with the Moreton Bay Regional Council. These include: • $1.5 million for the refurbishment of the Woody Point Jetty • $44,000 to the Moreton Bay Regional Council for a Remote Intelligent Mobile Surveillance Camera Trailer Platform • $9,000 of a total Government contribution of $38,000 for the Redcliffe Shoreline Erosion management Plan Our vibrant community groups haven’t missed out either with money for a variety of support services including: • $91,000 for youth justice services • $62,000 for counselling and support services for families affected by domestic violence • $72,000 to provide services for seniors to enhance their wellbeing and safety • $926,000 for post-school options for young adults with disabilities and their families • $247,000 to assist adults with a disability to live in the community • $660,000 for respite services for families, carers and people with a disability • $339,000 for promotion, prevention and early intervention strategies for people with mental illness living in the community There is also almost $2 million for upgrades of state roads in the electorate. These include: • $1.51 million for complete resurfacing of asphalt between Duffield Road and Anzac Avenue on Elizabeth Avenue • $309,000 to continue the resurfacing of Oxley Avenue from Cox Street to Cowen Street • $150,000 of state government funding for improvements at the Oxley Avenue and Eversleigh Road intersection • $75,000 of state government funding for improvements at the Duffield Road and Elizabeth Avenue intersection. There has also been funding for a boardwalk on Moreton Island. But business has not been left out either. In these days of difficult trading for many businesses this reform to payroll tax will enable small and medium companies to consolidate and grow their business. This budget extends the $1 million payroll tax threshold so that it phases out at a rate of $1 in every $4 of taxable wages above the taxable threshold rather than $1 in every $3. The recent introduction of legislation to harmonise our payroll tax laws with NSW and Victoria will kick in from the 1st of July. 2066 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

The 2008/09 Budget is a responsible and balanced document which delivers to most sectors of the community. Redcliffe has had a disproportionately large slice of the budget pie. We may not have got everything we would have liked but we have got most of them and some things we didn’t expect. I believe our budget funding has gone a long way to addressing our major issues in Redcliffe such as affordable housing, transport and the economy. It is up to us as a community and me as your State Government Member to improve on these strengths and to formulate a plan to convert our weaknesses to strengths in the future. Mr WENDT (Ipswich West—ALP) (9.37 pm): I rise tonight to provide my support for the first Bligh- Fraser budget, and I will try to keep my comments brief. I am particularly keen to support this budget, because I think it has all the fundamentals of a strong Labor budget, with huge spending increases having been signalled in Health, Education, Police, Main Roads, and the list goes on. I can report to this House that my constituents feel that this budget has delivered for them and their families. Firstly, a number of new measures have been introduced by the Treasurer, but the one that appeals to me the most is the planned cuts to stamp duty for first home buyers. This effectively means that first time buyers of homes under $500,000 will no longer pay duty as of 1 September this year. That will have a direct saving of approximately $9,500 for many young people, and I believe that will be greatly appreciated. I am sure we would all agree that our first home buyers need all the help they can get in the current housing market, and as such this benefit plus other benefits such as the full abolition of mortgage duty on 1 July of this year will have an enormous impact on their ability to enter the housing market. However, this budget will also help relieve the financial pressures on some of our older residents. Specifically, this budget will include over $1 billion in rebates and concessions to help assist average Queenslanders cope with rising prices. Those rebates will take the form of an increase in the electricity rebate for pensioners and seniors, taking it to a maximum of $165 a year; a one-off home energy emergency assistance payment of up to $360 in any two-year period for low-income households suffering financial crisis; a reticulated natural gas rebate, which will mean savings of up to $57 per year, which should benefit around 50,000 pensioners and concession card holders; a new pensioner water subsidy scheme to commence on 1 July for those affected by new charges in the south-east corner as a result of the drought; and, of course, our centrepiece, the government’s announcement that it will spend around $570 million during 2008-09 on revamping the 8.354c per litre fuel subsidy for Queenslanders. I should also declare that I am very happy to hear that this government will continue to build Queensland. This is nowhere more evident than when one considers that we are planning on spending $17 billion in the coming year on infrastructure projects. This figure represents a 21 per cent increase on the previous budget and will also support around 119,000 full-time jobs. One might think that $17 billion sounds like a lot of money, but when one considers that nearly $7 billion of this has been allocated for transport and roads, over $1 billion extra has been assigned to Health, nearly an extra billion for Education, Training and the Arts, $2.5 billion to continue the water infrastructure program and over $3 billion extra for energy infrastructure one starts to realise that Queensland really is ahead of the pack. I could also go on about the budget statistics—things like how Queensland’s net worth is budgeted to grow to $140 billion next year, how our economic growth is forecast to strengthen to 4¼ per cent, outstripping the rest of the nation for the 13th straight year in a row, or how, because our jobs growth is outpacing the rest of the country, our unemployment rate is anticipated to fall to 3¼ per cent which puts it below the national average for the fifth consecutive year, or how our average tax paid per person is $274 lower than the average for other states and territories—but I will not. I will not because I do not need to; the community knows what this government is doing. I think the Premier explained it all pretty well yesterday when she announced in the House that we are the government that is building Queensland and making it a better place to live. That is right; we are a government that is listening and planning for the future. Before I conclude I want to also take the time to personally thank the Treasurer for delivering extra funding to Ipswich West so that we can continue to improve our road network. I particularly want to thank him for recognising the need for funding to commence planning for the western bypass which will link the Warrego and Cunningham highways to the west of the city of Ipswich. I also want to pass on the thanks of the teachers and parents of the Fernvale State School which will get a new amenities block out of this budget. Overall I think this budget will be well received in Ipswich West and I commend the bill to the House. Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (9.41 pm): As we debate this budget tonight we are under a dark cloud of debt. I want to speak a little bit about the debt which will be some $65 billion by 2011. We all know that a person has to borrow to build and get ahead but they also have to repay their debt and ensure that it is within their capacity and will not constrain them in the future from doing things. Imagine a future government coming in and finding that there are a whole lot of things that need to be done and going along to the bank and it says, ‘Hang on, there is $65 billion and you have not repaid any of it. You have been paying your $4.1 billion a year of interest but you have not been paying off any of your loans and we want a bit of money back before we lend you any more’. That is the situation that we are getting into in Queensland. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2067

It is interesting to look at the debt figures. If we go back a number of years the amount of debt that we had in Queensland was always less than the actual state revenue each year. But now we are getting to a situation where, as of 2007 going right through to 2011, the amount of borrowings that we have will be up to 33 and a third per cent more than the actual state revenue. When we see the amount of debt, it is becoming quite a difficult situation for the state. By 2011, $4.1 billion has to be found every year to repay that borrowing. How is that reflected? It is reflected in expanded costs. Part of that debt relates to government owned corporations and a growing part of that debt is government debt. It expresses itself in electricity and gas prices. That has been hurting people to the extent that this budget has had to bring in rebates for pensioners which do not go anywhere near covering the costs that they face. I have railed in this parliament often about the pensioners in Toowoomba who have had a 350 per cent increase in their gas prices because this broke government had to sell off its gas arm. They have been left with this massive increase. Part of it is just a new access charge. That is the impact of that debt; that is how it hurts people. Someone has to find the $4.1 billion a year, someone has to find the $10 or $11 million every single day that has to be paid. It has to come from money that the government forgoes by not providing other services; it has to come from new taxes and charges. We saw the registration costs of boats go up this year. Last year we saw the stamp duty on cars go up. It is hard enough for people to get the fuel to run their cars. Even an old second-hand Ford costs people a lot more to buy now because of the stamp duty. Mr Gray: I have three very nice Fords. Mr HORAN: You look like an old bodgie from way back. Mr Gray: Iam, mate. Mr HORAN: Belting around in a red Falcon or something with a couple of dice hanging off the rear vision mirror. That is where it hits people—the extra stamp duty they have to pay and the costs of services going up all the time. Those on the other side have dodged this issue of debt but it is a serious matter. No matter how many times we have challenged the Treasurer he never stands up and tells us what the plan is for the repayment of the capital. How much are we repaying of the capital or is it interest only? No wonder he gets worried about possible rises in interest rates. We are all concerned about that and the impact it will have on householders. If there was a quarter of a per cent rise in interest rates it would be a big hiccup for this government because of the borrowing costs that it would be hit with and new borrowings that it would have to undertake. Queensland has moved into new and uncharted waters with this massive level of debt that it has got itself into. As I said at the outset, there is nothing wrong with debt if it is balanced debt and what a person is doing with those borrowings is for a good purpose. What we have seen here is a headlong, blind panic to rush into debt because of mismanagement in the preceding years by the Labor government. All of a sudden, about two or three years ago, government debt rose. If we look at the figures, from about 2005-06 the debt levels of this state started to go way up almost exponentially. In fact, in the period 2005-11—some six years—the debt levels of this state have approximately trebled. That is because this government did nothing and then all of a sudden there was blind panic and it rushed into building things. What happened? It had no negotiating powers whatsoever. Everything it wanted to build, it wanted to build now. It did not worry about the cost. Whatever it cost the government said, ‘Do it. Just get it done in time.’ Naturally the cost was hundreds of millions more than it would have been had it been carefully programmed, costed and done in a sensible way over a period of years. There would not have been any need for this obscene borrowing. As I said, this Labor government has almost trebled the levels of borrowing in the period of six years. It is borrowing with the disadvantage of massive contractual costs because it is being done in a boom time when there is hardly a spare contractor around. It was saying, ‘Do it now. Do not worry about the cost. Tender by invoice’ and so on. The wastage and the extra borrowings that this state has had to undertake has been absolutely massive. We saw that every time it was in trouble the Beattie government would spin its way out of trouble with money that could have gone into infrastructure. Peter Beattie bought his way out of the health problems, he bought his way out of the child safety problems, he bought his way out of the poor electricity supply problems. There were massive wage rises all over the place with no more services. It was a case of keep the unions quiet, keep people quiet by buying its way out of trouble and now we find ourselves with this massive debt. That is the situation that we are in with this budget. It is becoming a serious situation. Anyone who looks at the figures and sees the escalation of the debt and has a serious and sober look at the interest costs and notes that there is no repayment schedule would have to be worried because there comes a time of reckoning. If China tightens its belt after the Olympic Games and says, ‘We don’t want to pay this much for coal. We don’t want much more coal. We want to just dampen things down a bit’, watch the situation and see how the government goes then with its $4.1 billion a year in interest repayments. Watch to see if someone doesn’t come along and say, ‘We would like these debts to be repaid. We would like another $3 billion or $4 billion a year to put a bit of a dint in this debt.’ 2068 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

There is one aspect of the budget that I want to give a tick to, and that is the measures to assist first home buyers. I think young people and young families deserve a go and deserve a start in life. I am always a bit cautious about first home buyers schemes. Whether it is a cash grant or a reduction, or in this case the elimination, of stamp duty and mortgage duty, sometimes it can affect the market. Because a number of people are going out to buy a house at the same time, the price of a house that might have been $240,000 or $250,000 suddenly jumps up to $260,000 and that negates the saving. We will have to wait and see what effect this measure will have. It will depend on whether the market is coming down or going up or what pressure comes on the market because of this. In any case, to give young people who are buying their first home a chance is a good thing. We have all been through it, when a modest fibro three-bedder was the dream of our life to get started. It is a good thing to get young people started. I certainly give that a tick. At the same time, we have seen the increase in boating registration fees. For many people, particularly those who live along coastal Queensland, their tinnies are what they enjoy. Registration has gone up between $15 and $360. They are all having enough trouble as it is now being able to buy fuel to enjoy their hobby. The increase in the coal royalties is a very risky process. The mining industry and coal in particular is the great mainstay or backbone of Queensland. If we destroy the competitive advantage of our coalmines and our mining companies then we really damage our economy. We all know in our electorates all the people who rely on that industry or associated industries. If we start to destroy that great wealth earner for the state then that will be a very dangerous thing to do indeed. We make a lot out of royalties. We always have, and there has always been enough to be able to fund all that has been needed in this state. I turn to my shadow portfolios of the DPIF and sport and racing. In the case of the DPIF, we have seen since 2001 a continual erosion of the budget and the staffing which has led to a massive reduction in its morale and its ability to undertake the tasks that it does. It has caused problems where there have been never-ending investigations into the department. Currently it is looking at whether it should be client centric or service centric, whatever the difference is. The staff of the DPIF are worrying about those things instead of having some direction, knowing what they are doing and getting out and doing the work. The DPIF got a three per cent increase in its budget. Mr Mulherin: Five per cent. Mr HORAN: No, it was not. The minister should have a look at the figures. It was a three per cent increase in the budget. The minister can put all the spin he likes on it but it was a three per cent increase. From memory, the increase was from $332 million to $342 million. That increase will hardly pay for the extra cost of fuel for the vehicles run by the DPIF. We see again that the staff numbers are down. I know they fluctuate a bit, depending on fire ants or EI. But basically staff numbers are down again. Within the budget itself, the biosecurity unit has been increased but the industry development unit has been decreased. It has such a paltry budget that it cannot have any substantial increase. We have seen in the agricultural colleges a system called ‘partnering’ brought in. During the last election campaign we said that agricultural colleges should be transferred from employment and training to the DPI, given some local ownership, given some real vitality and a reason to exist. They would be part of the research and development as well and have field days and activities happening at the agricultural colleges so that people would want to go there. They need flexible courses, not necessarily long courses, that address the needs of people and the staffing needs of the state. I do not know why the DPI does not have the courage to get them transferred, instead of this windy, woofy idea of partnerships that it is going to do. Why does it not get them transferred, run them properly, get some DPI people involved doing their research on bottom line costs of production and all the rest of it, whether it is pastoral or agricultural or intensive farming, and make these places vibrant, make them something everyone is proud of and that the young people of Queensland will want to attend. That would get the numbers up whereas currently they are withering on the vine. Also we have seen in this budget new taxes that are going to be levied, up to some $20 million, on the intensive industries in the state. Everyone is worried about the cost of food. But here the government is whacking more taxes on the intensive piggeries and poultry farms and prawn farms— anything that produces. With the way we are going in this state with taxes on primary producers and with all the radical green restrictions the government is putting on forestry, fishing and everything else, it is no wonder we are getting the great bulk of fish from overseas, no wonder we are importing so much timber from overseas, no wonder we are importing so much food from overseas. We could produce it all here. We could produce it cleaner and better. We could look after the environment better and do a decent and protective job. Instead, we are taking products from these places where they do what they like—where they rape the forests, where they poison the fisheries and where they produce food under whatever guidelines they like. We are the silly ones who have all of these restrictions and then our people who can and should be producing first quality products have all these problems. One of the latest problems is the matter of the bats. The minister for primary industries has a welfare committee which makes a decision and there is no ministerial power involved. The committee’s decision is it and the minister for environment has to put the decision in place. So people have to spend 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2069 hundreds of thousands of dollars on nets, if in fact they can get them because there is nearly a two-year wait to get them, when it should cost them about $10 or $20 a year for a mitigation permit and, in a proper humane process, shoot a few flying fox scouts that come in—they only come in one year out of five or six anyway—and the problem is solved. But, no, we have this ridiculous process. No wonder we are importing lychees and everything else from China when these people are forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars putting up netting which in many cases is totally unnecessary. We have seen the budget of Forest Plantations Queensland cut. If anything needs its budget to be maintained or grown, it is forestry. Whether it is to provide timber for Queensland and Australia in the future from all the native forests that have been closed down under our environmental arrangements here in this state, or whether it is simply to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and doing a far better job with the environment by having more extensive forest plantations, this is the one area where we should be working. In the budget there is some $17 million for compensation for the poor fishing families of Moreton Bay who will lose their livelihood due to regulations that are about to be brought in for the Moreton Bay Marine Park. I can tell the government that what is needed is something in the order of $100 million. They need at least $40 million for the fishing families who fish in the bay; they need somewhere around that amount for those fishing families who fish outside the bay and will be restricted by this marine park—those who fish on the eastern side of Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island; and there will need to be some compensation for all of those families on the edge. I know, Madam Deputy Speaker Darling, you come from an area that will be greatly affected by this. All of those fishing cooperatives and businesses and so on will be affected. If the government wants to do things like this—if there has to be a public conscience, if there has to be an environmental result—then the families who are knocked down by this should morally and ethically get decent and proper compensation. There is still no answer in the budget about what compensation is going to be provided to the greyhound racing industry for any loss that it may have at Parklands on the Gold Coast. I know the industry is keen to redevelop a facility at Logan. It would be good to see that. I will say this about the sporting budget: it has gone up from $136 million to $152 million and, generally speaking, the programs in the sporting budget, as they were previously, are mostly very good programs. In my own electorate of Toowoomba, there have been some funds provided for further works to continue in Ruthven Street; the tennis centre in the city, along with other tennis centres in regional Queensland; some special cots for the hospital; and a community health pilot scheme that is being developed through the hospital. There are some further funds for the National Carriage Factory at the museum. I see that there are differing amounts for disability and community care programs that we provide in Toowoomba. It has been disappointing to see how much of the funds provided in the area of disability for the past number of years has not been spent. I think that has been a callous thing. I think in the area of disabilities there should be funds provided and then there should be every endeavour made to spend 100 per cent of those funds on people. I do not think it is right to not spend that money. The opposition leader in his speech pointed out the serious underspend each year for about the past five to seven years in the area of disabilities. I think that is a disgrace and something the government needs to fix. I fought for some time to get nine additional professional full-time firefighters for Toowoomba in the fire service. I see there are only 36 extra firemen for the whole of Queensland in the budget. I certainly hope the Minister for Emergency Services takes nine of those 36 firemen and puts them in Toowoomba, because we have had the same number of professional full-time firefighters in our city for many, many, many years, despite a massive increase in the area and the population they serve. Water continues to be a major issue for our city. I see there is about $170 million listed for a proposed pipeline—and it is still being called a proposed pipeline—from to Perseverance Dam. Toowoomba is down to about 10 per cent water and we need a pipeline in place. There is some funding in the budget to the council for a bore, and I think that is the bore that has already been drilled. We need water from extra sources. I put a submission into the Water Commission, and I hope the commission takes notice of it because it has got some good short-term and long-term proposals in it. Finally, the issue the government needs to push for Toowoomba—especially when we see all the new ports, roads and everything else—continues to be the issue of the second range crossing. I know it is funded by the federal government and I know the Rudd government has said, no, it will not fund it for the time being, but if anything is nation building for Australia it is the second range crossing. It is the heaviest freight-carrying road in Australia, with thousands of B-doubles going through 16 sets of traffic lights in the biggest inland city in Australia. This state government needs to push the federal government to get that funding through because that second range crossing will make Queensland. It will make the bottom half of Queensland. It will be unbelievable what it will do in freight terminals, in linkages with railway lines, in the whole system of the transfer of containers and goods and freight within Queensland. I finish my speech by sounding a dire warning about the debt situation for Queensland. 2070 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Mr STEVENS (Robina—Lib) (10.01 pm): In rising to speak in reply to the government’s budget bill for 2008, I would like to reinforce the comments the shadow Treasurer expressed and add my disgust at how the Treasurer could lose out on the state investments to the tune of $1.26 billion. That is what has been lost off the bottom line of the Queensland Investment Corporation. This hurts and it hits hard the people of Queensland who are struggling with their mortgages and bills and just trying to pay for their families. He should be ashamed of his first nine months as Treasurer. Further to this, the Treasurer has blamed the US subprime mortgage crisis for the drop in investment returns from 7½ per cent to two per cent. Isn’t it the Treasurer’s job to invest wisely and protect the finances that he has been entrusted with by the people of Queensland? This means he has had a budget deficit from 2007-08 of $995 million. With the Bligh government at the helm, it is only going to get worse. In this budget, there will be an increase in coal royalties by the government introducing a two-tier system, which will be seven per cent of the value up to $100 per tonne and 10 per cent on coal that sells over that price. This will mean a $578 million tax grab in 2008-09 for this desperate and cash strapped Bligh government. I am really disappointed that the Treasurer has to leave and will not listen to the rest of my speech. The Bligh government is in dire straits and is trying to find money anywhere it can and it does not care about the consequences of its actions. This tax grab on coal royalties will encourage anticompetitive behaviour and, as the shadow Treasurer has indicated, will force future mining enterprises to look overseas. The stamp duty budget initiative that the Treasurer has introduced appropriately targets a section of our community which is really hurting. It is the Labor government’s planning policies over the last 10 years that have created this hurt, but the removal of stamp duty is not a new initiative. If the Treasurer thinks back a little while he will realise it was the policy of the coalition at the last election to abolish all stamp duties, once and for all. That being said, this will come as some relief to the stressed demographic of our society—the low-income earners and first home buyers, who need all the help they can get. My only concern is that it is too little, too late and any savings to the first home buyer that this scheme will provide will be swallowed up by the rising interest rates that have taken effect since the federal Rudd government came to power. The interest rate bill for the projected $59.2 billion government debt will be $10 million a day in 2011-12, and $10 million a day would fix a heck of a lot of home mortgage pain that has been inflicted by the Labor government through its poor planning policies. With unprecedented economic growth and boom times over the last 10 years, this state Labor government should not be in this position. The Premier and Treasurer should remember that the federal Howard government took 10 years to wipe off the massive $96 billion debt that the previous federal Labor government had racked up when it was in power, and it will probably take us 10 years in power to pay off this government’s overdraft racked up through indiscriminate spending in the best economic boom time Queensland has ever experienced. Another rehashed announcement by the Treasurer is the abolition of the mortgage duty. This has been announced previously but, big deal—oh, it is a small deal—it has been brought forward to 1 July 2008. The payroll tax announcement will benefit all businesses with taxable wages between $1 million and $5 million. This will be achieved by extending the $1 million deduction so that it phases out at a rate of $1 in every $4 rather than the current $1 in every $3. The increase in rebates for pensioners on their electricity, gas and rates, including a pensioner water subsidy scheme which will be $40 for the first year, is a political strategy to win back pensioners and seniors who were hurt and ignored by the recent budget of the Rudd government. The Rudd government refused to look after this section of the community which has given so much over their lifetimes. With an expected unemployment rate of 3¾ per cent, export growth that will continue to grow exponentially and the coal royalties being such a lucrative financial revenue income for the state, it is hard to believe that this year we have a budget deficit of nearly a billion dollars. With less GST revenue forecast for the period from 2009 to 2010 from its Labor colleagues in Canberra, it looks like the Bligh government needs to do some very effective relationship building with its federal colleagues to ensure that Queenslanders receive the amount of GST they are entitled to. The Treasurer is expecting an operating $809 million surplus in 2008-09 with borrowings of $2.9 billion, but what he forgot to say is that the net debt for the year will be $21.9 billion. The capital budget of $17 billion for 2008-09 is classic Labor Party catch-up football, using today’s funding to do yesterday’s jobs. If the government had been injecting revenue into infrastructure for the last 10 years, we would have never had this mad rush for the building of water infrastructure, road infrastructure and public housing infrastructure. It is one thing to construct new infrastructure—for which this government has been on the back foot for so long—and it is another thing to make sure there is enough funding available for updating the existing infrastructure. We have a water infrastructure crisis, we have a health crisis, we have a housing crisis and now we have a fuel crisis. Having Labor in power federally and in all the states and territories means we have an economic political crisis that only the good people of Queensland can reverse. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2071

As shadow minister for housing affordability, I have seen firsthand in Queensland the crisis in the housing affordability sector. We have had call after call from people who are struggling to pay their mortgage and rent, people waiting forever for public housing—and there are 38,000 people waiting for public housing—and people sharing accommodation and even living in cars. This has major implications on their ability to provide the basics for their families. The government needs to see the bigger picture and do all that is possible to help middle- and low-income earners. As reported in the Gold Coast Bulletin last Friday, the REIA’s housing affordability report found in the March quarter that in many cases Queenslanders needed 40.5 per cent of their weekly family income to service the average new home loan, spending an average of $2,120 a month on loan repayments. This is squeezing people out of their homes and preventing potential buyers from ever being able to afford their own home. At the beginning of this week it was revealed by a BankWest survey that it is too expensive for key service workers to purchase their own homes. It said that housing affordability for the state’s 91,000 key service delivery employees—such as nurses, teachers and paramedics—had rapidly deteriorated in the last five years. Guess how many years this government has been in power during those last five years? Finally, the government has realised the enormity of the problem and delivered stamp duty exemption for properties up to $500,000. But this will provide only minor relief to those first home buyers and low-income families who are trying to force their way into the homeownership market, which has always been a great Aussie dream of the little Aussie battler. There needs to be an increase in land release for suitable affordable housing. This government still has not put in place a procedure for the ongoing continuous supply of land for housing, and it is Queenslanders who are missing out. The state Labor government’s planning policy has hindered the release of suitable land. After two years of its South East Queensland Regional Plan— A government member: Where were you this morning? Mr STEVENS: Hang on. After two years of its South East Queensland Regional Plan, it is back to the drawing board, admitting that it got it wrong and asking councils for new input by 24 June into a new regional plan—a plan that was not supposed to be reviewed for seven years when introduced in 2005. We note that 12 locations across the south-east will be fast-tracked and available by the end of the year, but this is a direct result of 10 years of not planning and foreseeing our potential growth in Queensland. We should have had a staging of the release of that land over that 10-year period so as to avoid this current supply crisis. When the housing market is spluttering, now is not the time to dump a heap of extra product on the market to flood a slowing market. This shameful bandaid fix too little, too late will only put pressure on the housing market and prices may even crash for people who have already bought into the market. The state Labor government needs to reduce red tape and relax local government development laws to make sure that the process of development of land and construction of housing is not confined to long and protracted time frames for completion of these developments. I remember 15 years ago Terry Mackenroth, the local government minister, coming down to the Albert shire and saying that he was putting through PEDA, a new planning environment development act, and we were going to fast- track all the approvals through local councils. We were going to put in a system that would not have any hold-ups through councils. We spent years on that before the new act was introduced, and here we are 15 years later and we are still complaining about the fast-track that has been organised by the Labor government. The cut to the land tax threshold from the current $1,200 plus the rate of 0.7 per cent for land valued at $600,000 to $749,999 to $500 plus the rate of one per cent for land valued at $600,000 to $999,999 is also welcome. I would like to congratulate the minister for public works and housing on bringing the issue of public housing into the public arena, as I always give credit to the minister when credit is due. The one thing I would like to say to the minister for public works and housing is that he can do more and needs to do more to ensure shelter for the people of Queensland, particularly for the below-state average Gold Coast region. At this point I would also like to say that the reform of public housing through the one housing policy and the review of the public housing waiting list for the 38,000 people on the public housing waiting list—really looking after the good little folk of the Labor Party—is creating a feeling of restlessness and even frightening people who are on that list, and some of them have been waiting for at least nine years. They are concerned that they will be reassessed, and their position on the public housing waiting list will be pushed down and they will have to wait even longer for the chance to get into public housing. Some 38,000 people on the waiting list is a sad indictment of the Labor Party that professes to look after the battlers. I would also like to question the revenue-raising exercise that the Department of Housing has been involved in through the sell-off of hundreds and hundreds of parcels of land throughout the state. We have a list of parcels of land all over Queensland that have been sold off. Why hasn’t this land been used for the development and construction of public housing? 2072 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

I do note the following budgetary initiatives for the Department of Housing—$125 million from the Queensland Future Growth Fund in 2008-09 for the provision of a range of social housing; the final year of the Responding to Homelessness initiative will have a funding commitment of $7.4 million; $11 million in 2008-09 as part of the government’s spinal cord injuries initiative to commence construction of 11 dwellings, complete 23 dwellings and acquire land to facilitate future construction; and $90.2 million in 2008-09 for Indigenous community housing through the Housing Improvement Program. I would now like to turn to my electorate of Robina—soon to be renamed Mermaid Beach—and the Gold Coast region. With the Gold Coast region being the fastest growing region in the state and the sixth largest city in Australia, I see that infrastructure for roads, health and water, and increased services such as police and education is vitally needed. We need new projects and new initiatives for our region, and this state Labor government just has not delivered for the Gold Coast commensurate with the fastest growing part of Queensland. Necessary infrastructure such as the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Skilled Park and the Tugun bypass is always delivered by Labor years and years after it is required. There are relatively no new initiatives and projects for the Robina electorate and the Gold Coast regions, and yet again the Bligh Labor government is rehashing old projects and taking the credit as though they are new initiatives. They have taken credit for all of the old projects and money that has already been promised. By stalling the building process, for instance, projects such as Robina Hospital go from costing $220 million to $250 million. To give another example, it announced $103.7 million to commence early on-site work for the $1.55 billion Gold Coast University Hospital. It had already been announced in the last election campaign, and of course the original costings get increased. There has been $55.4 million to commence construction of the $240 million expansion of the Robina Hospital—already announced; $11.5 million for the Robina health precinct—already announced; $4.9 million to install a radiology system at the Robina Hospital—already announced; $3.6 million to construct a new 24-hour police station at Reedy Creek—well, it was Reedy Creek until the member for Mudgeeraba was hopeful of becoming the member for Robina; now it is Reedy Creek-Robina—already announced; $2.4 million for the Surfers Paradise Police Station—already announced; $3.6 million to upgrade Beenleigh and Mudgeeraba police stations; $2.7 million to finalise development of the Southport fire and rescue station—already announced. The costings for the proposed rail link between Robina and Tugun have me completely stumped. According to Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Robina to Tugun rail impact assessment study, the following costs are stated on pages 1 to 14: Robina to Reedy Creek (Varsity) substation, $38 million; Reedy Creek substation to Stewart Road, $127 million; Stewart Road to Coolangatta, $129 million—a total of $294 million. The member for Mudgeeraba, Dianne Reilly, in parliament just the other day quoted $324 million just for the Robina to Varsity section of the rail link. The figures just keep growing like Topsy. They are already announced, so they keep rehashing them time and time again and they never, ever get them right. The other blow-out that this state government would like to forget is the newly opened Tugun bypass, which originally was to cost $157 million but ended up costing $543 million, which the Courier- Mail by the way reported as costing $72,800 per metre. This is an enormous blow-out. No wonder the government is strapped for cash, as its mismanagement of the budget this year and for the past 10 years is making patently evident. We are now in a serious situation on the Gold Coast with inadequate numbers of police. We need on-the-ground, front-line police to service our community and be there for the people of Queensland. Where was the allocation for more police for the Gold Coast? We have a unique environment in the Gold Coast region and we would like to preserve this from the hinterland to our beaches. For retention of green space, the government needs to make this a funding priority. The six silent Labor MPs on the Gold Coast are not able to lobby their own government for the infrastructure and services that are desperately needed for the people of the Gold Coast region. This state Labor government cannot ignore the fact that we are in the middle of a housing affordability crisis, a rental crisis, a public housing crisis, a water crisis, a health crisis and now a fuel crisis. They have to stop sitting on their hands and act now to address these urgent matters for the people of Queensland. With consumer confidence down by 11 points, according to ACNielsen on 3 June, is it any wonder that the people of Queensland are reeling from all the pressures that have been placed on them by a state government that has mismanaged this state through the best economic times we have experienced, and over the last 10 years? Ms BARRY (Aspley—ALP) (10.20 pm): I rise to speak in support of the Appropriation Bill 2008. In doing so, I congratulate the Premier, the Treasurer, the ministers and their hardworking staff and public servants, all of whom have worked tirelessly to deliver a great budget. The first budget of the new Bligh government is one that delivers a record-breaking infrastructure program across the state, tax relief to first home buyers, businesses and seniors and puts health, education and social services at the centre of funding delivery. Residents of the Aspley electorate are keenly aware of the challenges that a booming state like Queensland faces. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2073

Surging population growth, particularly in the northern corridors of Greater Brisbane, creates traffic congestion and a high demand on public transport systems, our schools and our hospitals. Such growth is felt strongly in our community and it requires a commitment by the government of the day to build now for the future. The 2008 state budget delivers a $17 billion Capital Works Program to build to meet this demand. At the same time, we have delivered stamp duty relief for first home buyers to help, in particular, young people get into their own home, relief for seniors through new water and gas rebates and land tax relief for those moving into aged-care facilities and retirement villages. There is further payroll tax relief to help business meet growing costs. The budget is an extensive document and my speech can only give a snapshot of the measures contained in it. I always love budget time because it allows me to take a little trip down memory lane. The person who sparked my little journey was the Leader of the Opposition, Lawrence Springborg, and his budget reply. I have earnt my grey hair and I have to face that I am getting on a bit. I have been around the health system in Queensland— Government members interjected. Ms BARRY: Thank you, but I have been around the Queensland health system since 1977. If I recall correctly, Joh Bjelke-Petersen was the Premier of the day and had been there for a very long time. Mr Gray interjected. Ms BARRY: That is right. Mr Stevens interjected. Ms BARRY: I take the interjection from the member for Robina. I will tell him what was not in great shape. Queensland’s public hospitals were not in great shape in 1977. Let me recall for members a shift on night duty at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, in the wards that have been demolished. The power failed one night. So bad was one gentleman’s temperature that we all had to run to the other wards to find ice to pack the man in to keep his temperature down because we could not fan him. I would like to think that was a one-off but it was quite a regular occurrence in 1977. It took this Labor government $10 billion to rebuild those facilities. Then I go on to the 1980s. I think I have waxed lyrical about this before. The opposition leader and former health minister Mike Horan talked about people waiting for beds. It was not unusual in the 1980s for us to have people lining the corridors and in the TV room. It was considered that the TV room at the end of the Prince Charles Hospital ward I worked in was not a TV room but a four-bed ward. It was a lovely spot. It had a great view. It was not very private because it still had the TV in it. I now look at the speech that the Leader of the Opposition gave today. He stated— The last time Queenslanders had a sense of confidence about the state health system Mike Horan was the health minister. At that time the National-Liberal government ran health in this state with an ironclad principle of management. Every resource provided to health went to the front line and nowhere else. Guess what? I remember that front line. So ironclad was the principle of management under the then minister Mike Horan that he introduced a lovely thing called productivity measures. So popular were productivity measures that Queensland nurses held a party for him out the front of Parliament House. I think 5,000 of us on the day stormed Parliament House to object to the cuts to the front-line budgets by the then minister for health, Mike Horan. Let me tell members what productivity measures meant. They meant that we cut beds. The media of the day acknowledged regularly the cuts to acute beds by the then minister for health. Productivity measures meant no replacements on rosters for staff who were off sick or on holidays. Productivity measures meant staff freezes. Productivity measures meant we had to discharge people who perhaps were not quite ready to be discharged. Quite frankly, I remember the front line under the then minister for health, Mike Horan. I have this to say to Lawrence Springborg—it is a quote, seeing the member for Gympie was big on quotes: ‘Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’ I have worked under many National-Liberal governments. I can tell him that Queenslanders do not want to repeat their management of health ever again. With those few comments, I seek leave to have the rest of my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The centrepiece for infrastructure in Aspley is delivered through the commitment to build the Carseldine Police Station on Gympie Road in the 2008-09 financial year. An $8.4 million commitment to build a 24 hour police station on a road that carries over 60,000 cars a day and to a community that deserves to feel safe and secure in their homes and businesses. The new station to be built on the corner of Denver and Gympie Roads Carseldine is ideally located to serve the Aspley electorate and give a much needed boost in police presence and police numbers for Brisbane’s outer northern suburbs. This presence is in addition to the two police beats at Bald Hills and Aspley Hypermarket that our government has delivered during my time as the local member. This budget includes the capacity to ensure the employment of more police, taking the number of Queensland police statewide to over 10,000 officers. Construction of the Bald Hills Rail Station second car park is set to commence now that the Treasurer has committed the funds required to build it in the 2008-09 year. 2074 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

South-east Queenslanders are listening to Anna Bligh’s call to work with her to tackle the problems of traffic congestion and climate change, with more of them making the change to using public transport. This is great news for traffic congestion and for the environment, but for my community that means there is pressure on railway station car parks. The Bald Hills Rail Station southern car park will provide approximately 150 additional parking spaces increasing the total number of car parks to approximately 300 spaces. I am delighted to see schools in my electorate receive both capital and maintenance funding in the 2008 state budget. During my time as the local member schools in the Aspley electorate have received over $10 million in funding for facilities. The 2008 budget announces further funding through a $2.19 million commitment for a General Area Learning Block at Pine Rivers Special School and additional maintenance funding for those schools with greatest need. The new facilities at Pine Rivers Special School, including four classrooms and an amenities block will make a valuable addition to the school’s new administration block and early childhood unit that I opened recently. The funds for these improvements are part of a commitment for specialist assistance to students with disabilities. Other schools in the Aspley electorate gain from budget boosts to their usual maintenance funding are: • $19,000 for Craigslea State High School • $14,000 for Strathpine State School • $8,000 for Pine Rivers State High School This funding will be provided to supplement each of the school’s regular maintenance budgets enabling the schools to carry out additional maintenance projects. In addition the electorate will share in the overall boost across the state to extra teachers and teacher aides announced in the budget. Residents of the Aspley and Kurwongbah electorates can look forward to celebrating Queensland’s 150th birthday in 2009 in a new outdoor performing arts venue following the commitment by the state government to provide $500,000 to the Moreton Bay Regional Council to help it build the venue in Pine Rivers Park on Strathpine Road. To celebrate this occasion the state government is funding projects across the state which will create a legacy and be enjoyed by generations to come. The outdoor performing arts venue will include an outdoor stage with seating for 15,000 people, as well as a multi-function facility to service the stage and adjacent recreational spaces. It is intended that venue will become a landmark and visual icon for the area, marking the Gateway to the Moreton Bay Regional Council area. The budget sees record spending in health and the continuing investment in the Prince Charles Hospital, RBWH and the new Queensland Children’s hospital. The investment in front line staff since the implementation of the Health action plan means we have invested in over 5000 new nurses, 1500 Doctors and 1800 allied health. This is simply the largest investment I have ever seen in Queensland’s health care system. Child safety, disability and community services such as homelessness programs and provision of medical aids are set for increased expenditure. The raft of social, business and community measures announced by the Treasurer are all the more impressive as it all occurs within a budget that is fiscally responsible and centred on building a Queensland that needs to be ready for the challenges both now and in the future. Anna Bligh is the builder of a new Queensland and her Treasurer Andrew Fraser is a man well up to the task of working along side her. I commend the bill to the House. Mrs SMITH (Burleigh—ALP) (10.26 pm): That might be a hard act to follow but my modest attempt will try. I am proud to stand here and acknowledge that, while this first Bligh-Fraser budget provides for the very necessary infrastructure projects for Queensland, it is also a budget for the more vulnerable, addressing health and homelessness issues as well as assisting those with a disability and those who are struggling to secure stable and affordable housing. Mental health issues have again been acknowledged. While I have appealed for more community support for people with mental illness, the addition of 16 mental health beds at Robina Hospital in the next financial year will help ease the pressure on the provision of acute care. In the short term, 16 beds will be leased from Palm Beach-Currumbin Private Hospital. A further $82.63 million in mental health funding over four years has been allocated to continue implementation of services announced in the last budget. One of the most important issues for those with a mental illness is to be able to get help when they need it. Through Disability Services Queensland an amount of $23.1 million in recurrent funding has been announced. This will provide non-clinical services to consumers, with the aim of keeping them out of hospital. For those dealing with mental illness, housing is often a source of concern. I acknowledge $10 million has been allocated this year to the Department of Housing to source or construct suitable accommodation, linked to support services, for clients with mental illness in an effort to assist them locate and sustain appropriate accommodation.With any health issue, whether it is physical or mental, the earlier it is identified the more likely it is to be successfully treated. I was particularly pleased to see $207,000 specifically applied towards the prevention and early intervention strategies for people with moderate to severe mental illness living in the community, their families and carers. The $1 million for the refurbishment of the Burleigh Heads Ambulance Station will be well received by officers at that station. They have been working in somewhat difficult conditions and deserve a workplace that is both modern and comfortable. Of course, the announcement of $3.576 million towards the new police station, which I hope will be in Burleigh, will be welcomed by my constituents. There is nothing they want more than to see more police officers on the beat. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2075

As there is a high number of older and retired people in the Burleigh electorate, I was glad to see they had not been forgotten. Those on fixed incomes are the hardest hit when utility costs rise. The electricity rebate for pensioners has been increased to $165 per annum and a new south-east Queensland pensioner water subsidy scheme will also assist with rising prices. This rebate will rise to $100 by July 2010. I am especially pleased to see $100,000 for maintenance at Miami State High School. Having recently celebrated its 45th birthday, Miami High, although well loved in the community, is showing its age and this funding will be well received. Sporting groups provide an environment of fun and exercise for young children, and I am glad to see the Palm Beach Touch Association receive the next instalment of $50,000 to install field lighting at the Mallawa Drive sports complex, bringing the government’s commitment to $100,000. The environment in the Burleigh electorate has not been forgotten. For such a small geographic area, the electorate is lucky to have both a national park and a wildlife park. A further $250,000 has been allocated for the ongoing redevelopment of Fleays Wildlife Park at West Burleigh. Of course, the $15,000 for the completion of the northern entrance and track upgrades in the Burleigh Heads National Park will be welcomed by residents and visitors to the area. I commend the bill to the House. Mr WEIGHTMAN (Cleveland—ALP) (10.30 pm): I rise to support the Appropriation Bill and, like everybody else, first of all I congratulate the Treasurer and the Premier on a budget that will deliver for Queenslanders. The American leadership scholar Warren G Bennis, who is now a professor at the University of Southern California, once said, ‘Leaders keep their eyes on the horizon, not just the bottom line.’ As the Treasurer pointed out on Tuesday, this budget looks beyond tomorrow and out to the horizon in order to not only address some of the financial hardships Queenslanders are facing today but also plan ways in which this government can address the needs of Queenslanders in the future. I am pleased to see that this budget is in a position to do that forward planning because, ultimately, that is what Queenslanders are asking from their government—that we plan for the future and deliver in all of the areas that matter such as housing affordability, congestion management, health, infrastructure, communities and climate change. In each of these areas the Treasurer has outlined plans, preparing our state, that last longer than the budget cycle. They look to creating long-term frameworks for turning challenges into opportunities, and for that this budget should be commended. I am particularly pleased about the way in which this budget delivers for my electorate of Cleveland. From Wellington Point to Cleveland and all the way out to Point Lookout and across the bay and in between, this budget delivers for the people in my electorate. The funding that this budget delivers for Cleveland schools, environmental areas, and disability and community groups is good news for the residents of my electorate and I am enormously pleased to bring them that good news. In my maiden speech I made a promise to the people of Cleveland that I would work hard to maintain our privileged lifestyle and sense of community. This budget reflects this goal and the enthusiasm of the Queensland government to continue to foster communities within Queensland. There is a demonstrable commitment within the budget to the restoration and maintenance of Cleveland schools. The challenge of educating our young people is greatly enhanced through the provision of up-to-date learning facilities. Three quarters of a million dollars has been committed by the Queensland government to the Wellington Point State High School and Ormiston State School. This significant funding package strongly focuses on improvements to the Wellington Point State High School, which turns 20 this year. Wellington Point State High School is a highly respected public school within the Cleveland community. It is a reef guardian school, a member of the Sustainable Schools Initiative and the bayside hub school for the Queensland Biotechnology Education Network. I am proud that this school has been recognised with the following budget allocations: $420,000 for a relocatable building to enhance its special education facilities, something that is very much needed; $300,000 for additional amenities; and $16,000 for maintenance. I know that principal Di Buchan, who is an outstanding example of our talented state school educators, will be pleased to hear about this funding and her staff and the students of Wellington Point will benefit enormously from this significant injection into their school, as will the wider community. I am confident that these funds will ensure that Wellington Point State High School continues to remain a pillar in our society and can continue to educate the leaders and members of our community for many years to come. Ormiston State School is also a foundation school within my electorate. Opened in 1872, Ormiston now has over 600 students and its continued popularity requires that we continually upgrade its facilities. This year the Queensland government has committed $33,000 to rectify amenities, and that builds on the $500,000 of funding provided to Ormiston State School last year. There is also $140,000 of funding to go towards passenger set-down facilities at the school. Another key element of this budget for the Cleveland electorate is the significant funding allocated to fund aspects of the Moreton Bay Marine Park rezoning plan review. The budget allocates $16 million for the structural adjustment package as part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning plan and another $1 million for an artificial reef. I have already asked Minister McNamara to consider the part of the bay which falls in my electorate when considering the best spot to invest in this reef, and I look forward to 2076 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 discussing that with him further in the future. I am also pleased to see another half a million dollars go towards monitoring as part of the zoning plan. This is a clear example of a commitment by this government to preserve the bay for future generations. It is critical that as Cleveland and south-east Queensland experience unprecedented population growth we continue to protect the environment for our future generations. Development and growth do not need to come at the expense of our precious environment, and this budget reflects the Bligh government’s commitment to this priority. Also in the bay on North Stradbroke Island, I am pleased to see that $650,000 has been allocated to the Amity Point boat ramp and $416,000 for the one-mile pontoon project, both of which have been the subject of many meetings with many constituents over the past 12 months. There is also significant funding in this budget to improve and develop roads in my electorate, and I am pleased to see this money going to where it is needed. In total, over $3 million has been allocated to widen pavements, resurface asphalt, install traffic lights, improve traffic signals, develop passenger set-down facilities, complete planning and install lighting. This significant funding will contribute to the work already being done in my electorate and help make our roads safer for the people travelling on them on their way to work, on their way to school and around south-east Queensland. I am particularly pleased to see a significant funding contribution to the communities sector in my electorate, with over $300,000 going to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and provide early intervention family support services in my area. I recently held a youth violence forum with a large number of young people from my electorate and they suggested that we increase early intervention style programs in order to address problems like youth violence, so this is a significant contribution which I am particularly pleased about. Mr Bombolas: What about the emcee? Mr WEIGHTMAN: I take that interjection from the member for Chatsworth. The emcee was great on the day, and we thank him for his contribution. The Redlands Hospital has also been recognised in this budget. This government is serious about ensuring that the health needs of Queenslanders are met now and into the future. That is why I welcome the government’s allocation of $8 million to acquire land now to allow for the expansion of hospital services in the future. I commend this vision, as it reinforces that this government is indeed looking over the horizon in an effort to ensure the health of Redlands residents. Finally, I want to touch on the significant funding for disability services in this budget. In total over $4 million will be spent to address disability services in my electorate. When I was elected I said that there were two major social issues I wanted to prioritise in my electorate—youth violence and people with disabilities. I remain firmly committed to the idea that we should be judged on how we look after our most disadvantaged, and this budget delivers on that ideal to the tune of over $4 million in my electorate. This budget provides funding for Home and Community Care services, provides post school options and an all-abilities playground, assists adults with a disability, and develops strategies for people with mental illnesses. Finally, I want to highlight a few initiatives within the budget which I am particularly proud of. Firstly, I refer to the increase in the electricity rebate for seniors, which goes up from $20 to $165. One of the most common problems seniors mention to me is the cost of their energy bills, so I know that many of my constituents will appreciate this measure. Secondly, more than half a billion dollars will go towards the Department of Housing’s capital program, which will help to buy more than 1,000 new dwellings and build another 500 more. Thirdly, there is significant funding for the five-year initiative to develop and implement the Cape York welfare reform initiative, which I hope will have a significant impact on the six closing the gap targets that were agreed on by the Council of Australian Governments Indigenous Reform Working Group. Lastly, I am pleased that the Queensland Police Service will receive record funding via a $1.5 billion budget allocation. That will enable this body of magnificent hardworking men and women to continue to provide the best available service to ensure the safety of the public at the standard that is expected by the community. The opposition might gloss over the enormous contribution that this budget makes to building Queensland for the future by focusing on the money borrowed to deliver what is a bold vision for our state, but it does so to its own detriment. Right across the state, the country and the world, people, companies and institutions borrow both for projects that have an immediate need and to develop plans for the future. With responsible financial management, borrowing can be the key to delivering on the things that I have mentioned, such as schools, disability services, roads and communities. This side of the House has a proven track record on financial management that has enabled us to deliver on our promises to build a better Queensland. The opposition can focus on the bottom line and forsake the horizon if it wishes, but our side of the House will continue to look to the horizon and deliver for Queenslanders in the areas that matter to them. Once again, I congratulate the Treasurer on the first Bligh government budget. I commend these bills to the House. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2077

Mrs REILLY (Mudgeeraba—ALP) (10.41 pm): The mark of a good government is its ability to deliver when times are tough, not just when times are good. The mark of a good budget is one that delivers essential services and infrastructure, that continues to build and to look after those who are most vulnerable in the community despite financial constraints. This budget, the first Bligh government budget and Treasurer Andrew Fraser’s first budget, meets all of those criteria. It bears the hallmark of fiscal responsibility while looking across the horizon and building for the Queensland of tomorrow. I congratulate the Treasurer on delivering such a budget and all of his staff and commend him on his vision and sound financial management. I am delighted to support the appropriation bills. The keystones of this budget are tax cuts to help Queenslanders buy their first homes with stamp duty and mortgage duty scrapped for anyone buying their first house up to $500,000. This is a measure that I know will be welcomed by many in my electorate and across the growing Gold Coast region. But it is perhaps the measures that are aimed at improving the lives of pensioners and the aged, the vulnerable and at-risk children and people with disabilities that are the clearest mark of this true Labor budget. There is a boost of almost $6 million to support front-line child protection workers across the state, with $3.3 million to support families in the Gold Coast region through early intervention programs for vulnerable children and their families. A further $1.3 million over four years will be allocated for a family intervention service, which will strengthen child protection and provide direct support to families in their own homes. This budget also recognises the increased financial pressures on the elderly by providing a pensioner water subsidy and an electricity rebate, which is more than double the increase in the cost of electricity. I know my mum, who is a pensioner, will welcome those measures. But it is in the area of disability services where we will see a real difference as a result of this budget, with a record $1.2 billion allocation—a 14 per cent increase on last year. Disability funding will be focused specifically on early intervention and prevention programs and accommodation support services to help people with a disability move into the community. The programs will focus on getting support to people with a disability sooner to reduce stress and family crisis through a combination of respite and day services and for milestones such as leaving school. The focus for mental health services will also be on providing early intervention—catching people before the crisis occurs—as well as providing transition support for people to move from psychiatric care to sustainable community living. That community care extends directly to Mudgeeraba, with $51,000 allocated for post-school options for young adults with a disability and almost $1 million allocated for independent living support. A further allocation of $131,000 from the Department of Communities will support young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Bligh government has recognised that climate change is the major challenge of this century and that it has to be tackled now. This budget allocates $20 million for ClimateSmart home services—a program designed to help ordinary households manage their energy use. At the same time, we are working to secure our energy supply into the future with a $7.72 million allocation to establish new bulk supply and zone substations to increase network capacity in Mudgeeraba, at a total project cost of $8.6 million. The Bligh government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to providing the best possible health facilities for the Gold Coast. In addition to $103.7 million this year to commence early on-site work for the $1.5 billion Gold Coast University Hospital, the 2008-09 state budget includes $55.4 million to start the construction of the $240 million expansion of the Robina Hospital to 364 beds. I am sure the member for Robina would have missed that because he was not listening, just as he missed mentioning it in his contribution to the budget debate. He said there was nothing going to Robina. This allocation means that planning will be completed and earthworks can begin this year. There is also $11.5 million for the Robina Health Precinct in Robina and $4.9 million for a new radiology system to be housed in Robina Hospital’s emergency department. This is just a snapshot of the record budget allocation of $8.352 billion for health services in this state. Government members interjected. Mrs REILLY: I am very quiet, aren’t I. The state budget has allocated a further $580,000 towards the upgrade of the Mudgeeraba Police Station to complete the $1.5 million expansion of the station. That expansion has made an enormous difference to this little station, which is a police training centre. The upgrade will improve training rooms for officers as well as for intelligence officers. An honourable member interjected. Mrs REILLY: I hear the bleat from somewhere, ‘Where’s the Reedy Creek Police Station?’ I will tell the member where the Reedy Creek Police Station is. It comes in with all of the other budget announcements, including 200 new police for the state. There is $3.58 million for the construction of a new police station in the Varsity Lakes-Robina area, which will service Robina, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh and Reedy Creek—the southern part of the Mudgeeraba electorate. I thank the Treasurer. This fulfils an election commitment for a key population growth area in the Gold Coast corridor. The land has been purchased for the new police station in Reedy Creek-Varsity Lakes-Robina—call it what you will. Construction is expected to start soon. The important thing to note is that it is ideally locating police in 2078 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008 close proximity to major population centres. It will be close to the public and commuters who will be accessing the Varsity Lakes Railway Station and the transport oriented development which is also under construction. I seek leave to incorporate the remainder of my speech in Hansard. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wendt): Order! You have run your speech past the Deputy Speaker? Mrs REILLY: Indeed I have. Leave granted. The Queensland government has allocated $3 million in 2008-09 to continue concept planning and land acquisition for widening of the Pacific Motorway from four to six lanes between Nerang and Stewart Road, with a total state contribution of $10 million and a total project cost of $20 million. This forms part of the $910 million ($455 million each) allocated by the state and Commonwealth governments for upgrading of the Pacific Motorway between the Gateway Motorway and Tugun. Six-laning of the Pacific Motorway between Nerang and Mudgeeraba (and further, to Stewart Road) is a project identified in South- East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program. Timing of construction of the project is subject to negotiations over Commonwealth government constraints on funding. The Commonwealth contribution, made by the previous federal government at the 11th hour just before the election, after years of denying any responsibility, was matched and met by the Rudd government, but it makes it clear that the joint funding is for the upgrade of the 3 Interchanges, Nerang south, Mudgeeraba and Reedy Creek. That’s great, however, emerging information over the past six months demonstrates, including traffic counting by Department of Main Roads, has confirmed what many local residents and users of the highway have known for some time—there is a definite need to start the six-laning of the Highway from Nerang to Mudgeeraba sooner rather later because this section is at peak capacity and is a major bottleneck at each peak hour, morning and night. The state government has to get agreement from the Commonwealth to re-allocate some of the funds from the interchange upgrades to the six-laning. These negotiations are underway and I would hope that agreement could be reached sooner rather than later, given that politics have been taken out of it! The interchanges of course, will still be upgraded and the Nielsens Road or Nerang South interchange is a third of the way through construction already, with over $20M allocated in this year’s budget. But it would mean that some aspects of the designs for Mudgeeraba and possibly Reedy Creek could be staged and completed later if some of the existing funding was re-allocated to six-laning. I’m not going to enter into a debate about the details because frankly, that’s a job for the experts, the road engineers and planners. I know that they have the expertise to deliver both congestion and safety improvements, for the interchanges and the highway itself, working within the existing budget allocations. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to see more money for this total project, because of course I would and am making that quite clear both here and in discussions with the Minister for Main Roads and the Treasurer. I’m prepared to lobby both my own government, and the Rudd government and will vigorously continue to do so because the Pacific Highway is the major artery linking the two significant cities of Sydney and Brisbane and I know it’s at the forefront of the minds of my constituents who drive it every day. My government has delivered the congestion-busting Tugun Bypass, and I commend everyone involved in delivering that project, it’s a fantastic piece of road and community feedback has been phenomenal in its praise. And now we are getting on with the job of delivering, with planning for the Mudgeeraba Interchange complete and construction expected to start late in 2008, and concept planning for the Reedy Creek interchange is for public consultation. The Reedy Creek interchange is expected to be completed in time for the opening of the Varsity Lakes Railway station. In this year’s budget funding for roads includes: • $5M for the Mudgeeraba interchange, the first instalment of a total $60M • $4M for the Robina (Somerset Drive) and Varsity Lakes/Reedy Creek interchanges. • $1.9M for noise barriers on sections on Pacific Motorway, Nerang South • $1M to complete duplication from 2-4 lanes between Ross St and Nielsens Road • $200,000 to complete concept planning between the Link Way & Berrigans Rd (total $700,000) • $200,000 to continue intersection improvements between Allambe Gardens and Pacific Fair, on Nerang-Broadbeach Road, (total $13M) The announcement of funding for a new fire and rescue station in Nerang will be welcomed by residents in the northern part of the Mudgeeraba electorate and will no doubt improve service and response times. I welcome the allocation of $500,000 for Gilston State School to enable them to upgrade the administration block, a project they have awaited for a long time, and the allocation of $15,000 to Springbrook State School for targeted maintenance. This is a building budget, it builds communities, it builds infrastructure—at record levels—a record investment of $17 billion for roads, dams, schools, housing, health and drought proofing projects, representing a 21% increase on last year’s budget. It builds on the strength, amenity and safety of our communities with increased funding to police, fire and ambulance services, disabilities, housing, schools, and child protection. And it builds for the future with significant housing affordability measures. It’s a visionary budget. I commend the Bill to the House. Mrs MENKENS (Burdekin—NPA) (10.47 pm): This year’s state budget is a high-taxing, high debt-building budget that relies on coal royalties from northern and central Queensland. As Queenslanders, we must be very concerned about the escalating level of debt in Queensland, because the Bligh Labor government has been far too late in trying to put in place infrastructure. It should have been started at least a decade ago. We are looking at a debt level of $55 billion, escalating to $59 billion in 2010-11 and $65 billion by 2011-12. This debt is costing Queenslanders $10 million a day in interest payments alone but, more importantly, there are no repayment plans in place. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2079

However, firstly I welcome a significant financial commitment to the Burdekin electorate. A cursory reading of the budget papers puts that capital commitment to nearly $530 million—half a billion dollars. I have been lobbying for many of these projects for my electorate for a very long time. The fact that they are at last acknowledged in this budget is pleasing. Overall, out of the budget funds my electorate has fared rather well. I have no doubt that is because of the vibrant economy and the exciting industrial developments that are occurring within my area. Northern and central Queensland provides the powerhouse for Queensland and it is the coal royalties and associated industries that are injecting enormous funds into the state coffers. However, unless this is backed with sufficient infrastructure these levels cannot be sustained. None of the projects in the Burdekin electorate are new or unexpected, but it is gratifying that the government at least is seen to invest some capital projects in north Queensland. However, in saying this, it is still only the tip of the iceberg. The Burdekin electorate has received significant funds in this budget, but there is just so much more infrastructure needed in north Queensland before we can hope to lure more big business there. The Townsville Correctional Centre is budgeted to receive a further $37.3 million to complete the expansion of the men’s correctional centre. This is a continuation of the previously budgeted $142.5 million for the whole project. Also allocated is $12 million towards the new women’s correctional centre at Stuart which is part of the original $130 million. A very welcome addition is the allocation of $9.1 million to continue design and commence construction of the long-awaited port access road at a total cost of $190 million. The port access road has been on the discussion table for far too long. Mr Johnson: Twelve years. Mrs MENKENS: Yes. This will provide a safer, faster and more effective route to the Townsville port as well as provide a bypass for the heavy traffic area in Wulguru. This in particular will allow trucks carrying stock and other loads a direct path through to the Bruce Highway and will alleviate travel through much of the built-up area of Wulguru. It is an issue that has caused a great deal of concern to constituents and it certainly will be very welcome. The port access corridor will also facilitate the development of the so-called Townsville state development area. As I have stated many times, this is an area that is very suitable for industry, provided it is light and medium industry only. It is very obvious from the point of view of my constituents in the Nome, Wulguru and Idalia area that residents do not want heavy industry in this area. Their concerns are very real and, when taking into consideration the prevailing winds and the terrain with Mount Stuart in the background, it is quite understandable that these people have genuine concerns. North Queensland needs industry development and it behoves the government of the day to ensure that the positioning of new industrial areas does not impact on existing residential areas. The $357 million allocation towards the Abbot Point upgrade is very good. The EX25, or expansion to 25 million tonne capacity, has been granted a significant portion of the budgeted $90 million. As well, $250 million of the $818 million towards the EX50 expansion, to increase its capacity to 50 million tonnes, is a very positive commitment from the government. Abbot Point is quoted as the finest greenfield deep sea harbour in Queensland and it makes common sense that new industry should be directed there. But the infrastructure needs are huge and the challenge for government will be to deliver this in a timely fashion. I note that long-awaited funds for preliminary works on the northern missing link project have finally materialised. The amount of $14.4 million of the $46.1 million has been allocated towards the project which will connect the Goonyella rail system and the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. This is an essential part of the Abbot Point expansion and it will go towards reducing the bottleneck of coal coming through further south. Power transmission to assist current and future development has had a boost of $73.2 million allocated to continue construction of a transmission line between Nebo and Strathmore as well as funds towards the development of a new substation at Oonoonba and to redevelop Clare substation which is another $15.4 million. This is necessary catch-up work and maintenance. It is disappointing to hear no mention of further power generation. Ask business leaders in Townsville, ask the members of the chamber of commerce, Townsville Enterprise, what the greatest need in north Queensland is— Mr Cripps: Power stations. Mrs MENKENS: That is right, member for Hinchinbrook. They will tell you that further baseload power heads the list. Mr Johnson interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wettenhall): Member for Gregory, please return to your seat if you wish to interject. 2080 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Mrs MENKENS: Thank you for your assistance, Mr Deputy Speaker. When it comes to further baseload power, Minister Wallace keeps spruiking about a coal-fired baseload power station in Collinsville. It makes real sense, but it is only hot air. It is very disappointing to have a minister in north Queensland forever making half promises and feeding a media frenzy with projects that he has no ability and no intention to deliver. It is a let-down for north Queenslanders and certainly removes any credibility that this government might have had. Minister Wallace very regularly comes out with useless statements about lobbying for the raising of the . For heaven’s sake, he is the minister for water. Why does he not just do it and stop babbling about it and building up false hope with rubbish in the media? Raising the Burdekin Dam a significant height would also create a source of clean power from hydro-electricity which would have many benefits. The coalition’s vision for north Queensland has a major focus on power generation and on more water storages such as Urannah Dam. The coalition will deliver, not just make empty promises. A case in point for this government is the Water for Bowen project. We see again in this budget the government dilly-dallying on that. There has been $700,000 secured from possible end users and at this stage it looks like an appalling investment for them. We see a measly $1 million of this $130 million project delivered in the budget. Abbot Point and other developments need water. Farmers and irrigators in the Bowen area have been begging for this water for decades. The Water for Bowen project is already obsolete and it has not even started yet. As this development goes ahead, the need for water is getting far greater than this project is catering for. Who will miss out? No doubt the farmers again. Ms Jarratt: You have to plan it first. Mrs MENKENS: Yes, but you can plan it forever. The Ayr Police Station is nearly completed and it is budgeted to receive a further injection of $4.8 million. This project was originally allocated $9.3 million for a 24-hour station and watch-house. It is certainly well on the way to completion. I viewed the new police station at Stuart recently as it was nearing completion and I think that by now they have probably moved in. It is also a very welcome addition. Both of these facilities are certainly needed. Another almost completed project is the multipurpose health services facility in Collinsville with final funding allocated. I would now like to move to the area of my shadow portfolio responsibility: communities, disability services, seniors and youth. The most disadvantaged and vulnerable group of people in our society is our disabled. Sadly, they seem to have been mostly forgotten by this government. Since 2002 the Labor government has had an appalling track record of infrastructure for the disabled simply not being delivered. I would like to repeat today what the Leader of the Opposition outlined in his speech, because apparently nobody on the other side actually listened to it. In 2002 the Labor government promised $12.5 million for infrastructure for the disabled. It spent $6.7 million. In 2003, $22.4 million was promised. It spent $8.2 million. In 2004, $34.3 million was promised. It spent $14.9 million. In 2005 the promise was $40 million; spending was $6.8 million. In 2006, $29 million of the promised $50 million budgeted was spent. Last year the promise was $64.7 million. Guess what was spent—$47.3 million, almost $20 million short of its promise. To promise and not deliver to this sector is nothing short of hypocritical and cruel. It also says something about Labor’s budgeting methods. How much does this government really owe when most budget items are overruns from the previous year? However, the problem exists not just in the disability area. We are seeing the same thing in the youth justice and early childhood areas. Major upgrades of youth detention centres and early years education centres are being delayed because about two-thirds of the Department of Communities’ capital works budget again went unspent in 2007-08. The Bligh Labor government is boasting a record capital works budget. The reality is that the money is going unspent and being rolled over year after year. The Department of Communities had a capital works budget in 2007-08 of more than $50 million for a range of major projects, such as enhancements at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. However, this year’s budget papers reveal only $17.8 million of that $50 million was actually spent, with more than two-thirds of the money simply rolled over into the following year. Youth detention centres are very important in helping young offenders to rehabilitate and get their lives back on track. It is vital that the state Labor government actually delivers on its promises to upgrade these facilities. More than $12 million was allocated to improve the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre but only $7 million was spent in 2007-08. Similarly, only $261,000 was spent out of a $1.9 million budget to enhance the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. This year there has been another $7 million allocated to the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre, but with this state government’s record it will be lucky to spend just $1 million of it. More than $14 million set aside for early years education and service centres was not spent in 2007-08, so this year’s allocation of $6.6 million is really far too little too late. Almost $1.5 million was set aside for a youth justice fit-out and management project but not $1 was spent, and 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2081 this year the funding allocation has plummeted to $231,000. This repeated failure to spend capital works funding allocations is yet more evidence the Bligh Labor government cannot manage money and cannot plan projects properly. I note that there has been some acknowledgement of the senior’s area. These are people who have worked all their life and paid their taxes. They are not looking for handouts from the government, but they are looking for a fair go. It is from this sector that the majority of volunteers are drawn from right across Queensland. Figures from the government’s own 2006 Department of Communities volunteering in Queensland report show that individual volunteers in Queensland in 2004 performed about 650 million hours of volunteer work per year, and this figure has increased significantly over previous years. Those figures are now dated, and I have no doubt that they are now much higher. In that same report volunteering through organisations equates to a much higher figure. In 2004, indirect and formal volunteering through organisations was worth about $5.9 billion to the Queensland economy. To this extent, our seniors are the backbone of our volunteers, and governments must never forget or underestimate their commitment to the community. Anyway, let us get back to north Queensland and my Burdekin electorate. The backbone of the economy in the Ayr-Home Hill area is farming or, more importantly, sugar cane. With the advent of various government legislation in previous years deregulating the sugar industry and removing the single desk selling agent, coupled with low sugar prices and high dollar values, the sugar industry is again facing very serious conditions. Australian sugar growers are recognised as being the most efficient in the world, but they compete against highly subsidised competitors right across the world. The future of sugar cane growing in Queensland—and for sugar cane growing to stay viable—will not be just in the production of sugar but in the value added products from the sugar cane biomass. There are very real opportunities for ethanol production. There are opportunities for plastics production as well as power cogeneration. The largest generator of clean green power in Australia is in the Burdekin with the CSR Pioneer Mill, which has a full capacity of power generation of up to 60 megawatts. However, this year, 2008, we are looking at having a world surplus of sugar of over 12 million tonnes. Price forecasts are rather grim. With the US value of the dollar in excess of 95c today, the sugar industry is facing a very bleak year because none of these value added processes are in place to benefit the farmer. Farmers in number do not make up a particularly large percentage of the community in the Burdekin area, but when there is a financial impost on the industry it has a huge impact right across the community. And it is not just the financial aspect that farmers are facing but the very real issue of labour shortages that are impacting all industries. I have genuine concerns for the sugar industry for the 2008- 09 year and I believe there are tough times ahead. Nobody, and certainly not Queensland farmers, would ever expect a Queensland government to subsidise farmers, and certainly not to the extent of the recent 2007 farm bill delivered by congress to the Bush government in the USA. This is a wealthy $307 billion bill that lavishes subsidies on farmers, the main restriction being a means test that applies to couples making more than $1.5 million a year and, according to the Economist magazine, that can reasonably be avoided by a competent accountant. The US government is paying billions of dollars in subsidies to its farmers. However, as members know, over 80 per cent of Australian sugar produced is exported overseas. Queensland farmers have to compete on the global market and must compete against this. As we hear over and over again, it is not a level playing field. Farmers in Queensland do not ask for subsidies, but they do ask for a fair go. Rural industries in Queensland have to compete with the mining sector for labour and are in no position to emulate the wages expected in the mining industry. Coal royalties are keeping the Queensland economy afloat, but it must not be at the expense of the farming and grazing community. There is an imbalance here that government planning must address, as we are also hearing so much media hype about food shortages worldwide. Here, particularly in north Queensland, we have limitless land area available for farming and unlimited supplies of water for irrigation, particularly if harvested correctly. But currently government restrictions are forcing many of our farmers into oblivion. There is a wake-up call to economists across Queensland to address the very real potential that Queensland offers and maximise all areas of industry, both agricultural and commercial, and to find a balance. The Bligh Labor government is a city centric bureaucratic government that is happily reaping the benefits of huge coal royalties and taxes but has not planned for the future and certainly does not have a vision of what Queensland is really capable of producing and sustaining across the regions. I commend the bill to the House. Mr COPELAND (Cunningham—NPA) (11.06 pm): I rise to make a contribution in this budget reply debate. As many members have and given the late hour, I will try to keep my comments brief. The Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer this morning both gave comprehensive responses on behalf of the opposition, and I certainly endorse what they have said. There has been a lot of focus during this debate from both sides of the House regarding the burgeoning debt levels within Queensland and the Queensland government. Members on this side have expressed some concern with the escalation of debt that will reach $59 billion in 2010-11 and $65 billion in 2011-12. 2082 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

There has been a lot of justification by government members saying that it is prudent borrowing and everyone does it—people buying a house borrow, people expanding their business borrow. The big difference is that those people have a provision to pay back their borrowings; this government does not. That is the big difference and it will be something that this state and this parliament will have to grapple with for many years to come—how that debt burden will be serviced and how it will affect future budgets in Queensland. We know and everyone in Queensland knows that there has been an infrastructure backlog that is now requiring urgent attention. The government has spent the last few days trying to portray it as over-the-horizon planning. What we are seeing is a government playing catch-up with infrastructure that should have been planned for, that should have been built years ago, and is now being built in an absolute mad panic because everyone in Queensland is being affected by that lack of infrastructure. Whether you are sitting in a car on the Ipswich Motorway, whether you are on level 6 water restrictions— whatever the case may be—all of those things could have been avoided with good planning, forward planning and action in a timely fashion by this government. What we are now seeing is a mad catch-up and it is a case of build at any cost and at any time simply to get that infrastructure built. We have seen tender by invoice become a catchcry for many of those contractors who are working on many of those— Mr Gibson: They love it. Mr COPELAND: I take the interjection of the member for Gympie. They love it. The subcontractors and contractors love it because they know that this government is desperate to have something built and will throw any amount of money at them to make sure it is built. So we have seen huge blow-outs in the costs of a whole range of infrastructure that we are now seeing trying to be built in a very short period of time. It will be some time, if ever, before we can catch up to the backlog of infrastructure that we have seen languish under the Beattie and Bligh governments. I have said in budget reply speeches before that I do not believe that the city of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs generally have received a lot of the focus or the attention that many other regions in Queensland have received from the Beattie and Bligh governments. We have not seen the big injections for redevelopments or massive infrastructure into our city, and I think that is a real shame because we are a significant city, we are a significant region and we deserve, just like anywhere else, to have those infrastructure projects—the big ticket items, the money that is being injected into communities in other parts of Queensland that we simply have not seen under the 10 years of this government. There are a number of issues facing our city, but the two that are probably the most prominent and pressing are the water supply problems and the need to construct the second range crossing. The water debate in Toowoomba has been a very divisive and very bitter one. We are still facing very severe water restrictions, notwithstanding some of the large rainfall events that other parts of Queensland have experienced in recent times. Thankfully, we have seen some good inflows into the water storages that service the Brisbane and south-east corner, but we have not experienced those inflows into our water storages in Toowoomba. We are now at around 10 per cent capacity and falling. We have not had any significant inflows at all over the supposedly wet summer, and unfortunately it looks like that is going to continue to decline given the immediate past and not-so-great forecasts. The government has committed to hooking Toowoomba into the Wivenhoe system, but I have to say that it is very difficult to find the allocation for the construction of that pipeline within the budget papers. The best I can find is that it will simply come out of the project cost from the western corridor pipeline. It would be nice to have a very firm commitment that that will be done to provide some security of water supply to Toowoomba and the region, but that is not the only thing that needs to be done. A range of measures need to be implemented, and many of us have spoken at great length and regularly about those measures in this House. The other major project we really need as a matter of urgency is the construction of the Toowoomba bypass, the second range crossing. We saw a quite dishonest campaign by the Labor Party during the federal election campaign last year about the second range crossing. The former federal government put in substantial amounts of money for the acquisition of the corridor for the construction of that project, for the planning, for the business case, for the drilling of the pilot tunnel—all of those sorts of things—yet the Labor Party tried to portray it as though the federal government had done nothing for that project. In fact the former federal government had committed $700 million to the construction of that project— Mr Gibson: Is it still there? Mr COPELAND: No, it is not still there; it is now unfortunately in the never-never. In the regional infrastructure plan, the Toowoomba bypass is listed as an item. It is now projected to cost $1.357 billion. Even though that plan goes out to 2025, what date is listed for the construction of the Toowoomba bypass? There is no date at all in there. All it has is a statement saying, ‘Timing subject to the federal contribution. Planning is completed.’ So the planning is completed and all of that work that the former federal government did with the contribution it made to enable that project to proceed has 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2083 now amounted to nothing. We are sitting and waiting for the federal Labor government—with a Queensland Prime Minister and a Queensland Treasurer—to make that contribution and it has not done it. I urge the Labor government here to do everything it can to make sure that we do get that contribution so that that project can go ahead. The amenity of our city, the development of our region and, I believe, the economic development of our state will all be greatly enhanced by the construction of that road. We have literally thousands of heavy vehicles going down James Street, through 16 sets of traffic lights, in Toowoomba every single day, clogging our city and ruining the amenity of our city. For the safety of our residents and our children, we need to make sure that project goes ahead. It will open up a huge amount of development on the western side of Toowoomba as a freight hub, linking in with the railways and on the crossroads of three different highways. It is a major project that needs to happen. There are some small contributions to the road network in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs in this budget but, like just about everything else, most of it is reannounced. Most of the projects have already been in previous budgets or have been announced already. There are continuing works on the southern end of Ruthven Street which are certainly needed—such as the upgrade of the intersections with Spring Street and Nelson Street and the duplication of Ruthven Street at various points heading to the south onto the New England Highway. There is an amount of money to do some repairs on the Toowoomba-Karara Road north of Leyburn. There is $800,000 to continue shoulder widening on the New England Highway south of Drayton. There is some repair of the Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road. As I said, there is widening to four lanes of the New England Highway between James Street and Long Street as part of that upgrade of Ruthven Street. There is also ongoing work on the road between Gatton and Clifton at Pilton, and that certainly is a road that is getting more and more use and does need to be upgraded. Anyone who wants a nice, picturesque, winding drive should go and look at that Gatton to Clifton road through Ma Ma Creek and Heifer Creek up past Pilton and into Clifton. I have to say that it is a very windy, single-lane bitumen road in places and certainly needs all the upgrading it can get. There is $1½ million going to replace the King Creek bridge on that road. There are also some minor amounts going to upgrade sections of the Clifton Pittsworth Road and parts of West Street. As the member for Toowoomba South acknowledged as well, Toowoomba has been selected as the location for one of five regional tennis facilities, and that will be at the Toowoomba tennis centre in James Street. As I said, that has been announced already but we certainly welcome that. I think we do need extra investment in our sporting facilities in Toowoomba, given that it is a centre for a large regional area. If we can have it in Toowoomba, it will reduce the amount of travel for those people who want to go to a quality sports facility. There has also been an allocation of $950,000 for community based care services at the Toowoomba Hospital. But that is pretty much it. In comparison to some other parts of the state, they are not large figures. They are certainly welcome. Most of them are things that would be happening anyway. I would like to mention briefly some of the aspects of the budget in the portfolio areas for which I am the shadow minister, particularly the Education budget. We hear a lot of rhetoric from this government about its commitment to education and the Smart State, but this budget certainly does not deliver on it. In fact, the QTU has come out in a very critical way against the budget by criticising this government for its performance. Mr Hinchliffe interjected. Mr COPELAND: Someone just interjected back there, but it is not often that the QTU criticises this government. I have to say that the criticism from the QTU about this budget is the most strident I have ever heard from it about this government. That is some indication that, while the rhetoric has been all glossy and the spin, as usual, has been on the budget, it is not actually what is being delivered. A good example of that is the $100 million over two years that was apparently new money to address the maintenance backlog that existed at our schools. But it is not new money; it is simply a reallocation of money from the Tomorrow’s Schools program which was supposed to be an upgrade of all the schools. So it is just shuffling money sideways and it will not address immediately that huge maintenance backlog that we all know exists just from our visits to the schools. One of the other interesting things from this budget is the fact that the government is no longer going to report in its future budgets its targets for reading, writing and numeracy. Those targets have been completely taken out of the budget papers for next year. I think that is an indication that the government is very concerned with the performance it is seeing in those benchmarks. Again this year, and we have seen it in the past, 17 out of 24 literacy and numeracy targets were missed. As has been the case in the past, the most alarming figures were for Indigenous students, with only 45.9 per cent of year 7 Indigenous students achieving the benchmark. That is something which we all should be ashamed of. 2084 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

Our schools do need a capital injection. Given the time, I would like to pay tribute to just one school in my electorate, the Darling Heights State School. That school has produced a massive fundraising effort so that it can build a $600,000 multipurpose hall—with no assistance from the state government, with no financial contribution from the state government. It received $150,000 from the federal government under the Investing in our Schools Program—a program that the federal Labor government has now scrapped. Other schools have had financial contributions to build these sorts of halls but the Darling Heights State School has not, and I think that is a real shame. I would urge the government to look at what contribution it can make to Darling Heights so that it can go ahead. The P&C has done a fantastic job there. It is almost ready to start construction and I certainly wish them all the very best for that project. We have seen contributions to a whole range of schools where the P&Cs have not been able to raise as much money as the Darling Heights school has. It is not in a wealthy area. It is a very working class area. There is a high number of non-English speaking students at that school, and they have done a fantastic job. I would urge the government to do what it can to assist the Darling Heights State School in the construction of that project. As I said, the opposition leader gave a very comprehensive response to the budget. We are looking at rocky days ahead for the Queensland budget. It is something that all Queenslanders will have to live with for some time. Can I close by passing on my thoughts and prayers to the family of the young boy who was tragically killed on a school bus west of Dalby this morning. I know that all members of parliament will certainly join with me in that as well. Mr PURCELL (Bulimba—ALP) (11.20 pm): I rise to support the 2008-09 Queensland government budget. I thank the constituents of Bulimba for giving me an opportunity to be their representative in this state parliament. The electorate of Bulimba is a very diversified place. It covers eight full suburbs and parts of three—well, you could say all of one of those three at Camp Hill with the new redistribution— and each suburb has its own unique personality and strengths. Mr Bombolas: You won’t get anymore of Camp Hill. Mr PURCELL: I have got enough of it, brother. I have a lot of mates in those few streets that I picked up. I have St Thomas’s parish, mate. That is good stuff. Mr Bombolas: Amen! Mr PURCELL: Amen; that is right. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to have my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. As well as residential suburbs, the electorate also has four clearly defined light industry areas. I would like to “take a walk” around the electorate and introduce members of this House to some of the highlights and a few of these fantastic people to you. Starting with north-west corner of the electorate is the suburb of Bulimba. In recent years Bulimba has changed from being a well kept local secret to being one of the most popular suburbs in Brisbane. The heart of Bulimba is Oxford Street—now famous for being the home of some of Brisbane’s best eateries and the well known Balmoral cinema. The Balmoral cinema has been owned by Leo Catalano since the ’60’s. The Catalano family—Leo, his wife Merilyn and their son Sam—also own the Hawthorne, Victoria Point and Southbank cinemas. Oxford Street has the best food, service and friendship and gets an all round 10 out of 10 in my book. Just near the Balmoral Cinema is Willes Fine Foods, owned by my good friends, Peter and Mary Willes. Like the Catalano’s, Peter and Mary are long term residents of Oxford Street, having been at the same spot for over 18 years and are famous for their high quality, low cost meals. Peter and Mary’s business provides full time employment for themselves, their family as well as employment for over 20 people. There are many fine dining restaurants along Oxford Street starting at the river end of the street, with Tonic which provides Modern Australian cuisine. The owner, Victor Lloyd is a very familiar face in Bulimba as the original founding owner of another very popular Bulimba restaurant, “Café Citrus” located directly across from the Balmoral Cinema Complex. The old Balmoral Hotel has been rejuvenated and reborn as Oxford 152—another very popular Oxford Street venue and specialises in modern Australian meals focusing on seafood. Other excellent modern Australian restaurants which I can highly recommend include—Chill Bar Dining, David’s Off Oxford, Liquorish and the Coffee Club. If you are in the mood for exotic dining that is also catered for with restaurants which include “Ahmet’s on Oxford”, Bulimba Bean, La Quinta Café & Bar, Thai Legend, Thai Pochana Café. This is just a small example of the huge variety of restaurants and dining experiences available in the area. Before moving away from Oxford Street, I would like to mention “Riverbend Books and Teahouse” owned by my good friend, Suzy Wilson. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2085

I am sure Suzy’s name is very familiar to all bibliophiles as the author of book reviews for numerous magazines and a regular book reviewer for ABC radio. Riverbend is the winner of the Australian Independent Book Shop of the Year for 2006 and 2007—and outstanding achievement. Suzy is also the founder of the Indigenous Literacy Project. She began the project after learning that the literacy rates for the Jawoyn communities in the Northern Territory were only 7%. The Project has now gone nationwide with over 400 bookshops participating and pledging their support with a percentage of their sales on 3 September, Indigenous Literacy Day, going to the Project. May I suggest to Members of this House, the way to spend a perfect day would be catching a RiverCat from the city, stroll along Oxford Street, catch a movie at Brisbane’s cheapest independently owned movie theatre and have a meal. And if all that isn’t enough, the ladies in my life assure me that Oxford Street is also filled with unique jewellery stores, clothing stores and some of Brisbane’s top hair stylists. At the opposite end of Oxford Street, on top of the hill is the heritage listed Bulimba State School. Michael Zeuschner has been Principal at this award winning school for the past 13 years. This school has seen its numbers grow enormously over recent years with second, third and fourth generations attending. Growth in the area has seen Bulimba State School as the first school in the electorate to have to introduce “capping” due to its popularity and a new 8 class block was recently completed. I know of parents buying into the local catchment area for the main purpose of having their children attend this School. In 2002 Bulimba State School won the Keep Australia Beautiful Council as Brisbane’s healthiest and greenest school because of the “whole-of-school’s” commitment to sustainability. The school is a credit to Michael, his dedicated teachers, as students and school community; in particular Doug Hammond, a former teacher (now retired) who through his passion for the environment and sustainability is a driving force in these areas. The Bulimba C & K Kindergarten & Pre-school, just down the hill, has earned itself a reputation over the years as being the most sort after, with some parents enrolling their children the day of their birth. Just down the road is Sts Peter & Paul’s Parish and Catholic School. 21 years ago the school had approximately 250 students. Today it is bursting to the seams with over 600 students. To accommodate the increase this growth, 3 major developments have recently been completed. The school is very proud that many of the current students are 2nd, 3th and 4th generations—and I might modestly add that my own grandchildren can be counted in this statistic. One of the reasons for this schools popularity is the dedication and hard working staff. One of the mainstays at the school is the school secretary, Mrs Bernie Shelton. For 19 years Bernie has been the “glue” that holds everything together. Bernie, her husband Mick and their four boys—Luke, Adam, Paul and John—are well known and loved by entire Parish community. Last year saw the return of tradition in the association of this school with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan when Sister Ann- Maree Nicholls took over as Principal following the retirement of the school’s first and only lay Principal, John Power. John is now enjoying his well earned retirement. Just down the road at Morningside is the famous Colmslie Hotel—one of the few remaining independently owned hotels in Queensland. It is owned by the largest hotel dynasty in the state—the McGuire family. The Colmslie Hotel has recently undergone rejuvenation and last year won the award for the best redeveloped hotel or tavern over $1.5 million. It also won the Best Bar Presentation and Service Award. Tom McGuire, the president of the Queensland Hotel Association and president of the National Hotel Association along with his brothers, Jim and Richard, are all very supportive of the local community and give generously to local schools and young athletics. Their ongoing support is very much appreciated. They are very much a part of our local community with Richard’s young grandson, Ethan attending prep year at Sts Peter & Paul’s. The Bulimba electorate is home to many great sporting clubs. Bowls clubs: Balmoral—Bulimba Memorial Bowls & Community Club Inc (formerly) Balmoral Heights Camp Hill—Cannon Hill Community Sports Club Inc (formerly Cannon Hill Bowls Club) and Norman Park Services Bowls Club The Queensland Sporting Club also known as the Bulimba Golf Club is a well kept local secret. Situated at Bulimba Point, they offer a 9 hole par 3 golf course, putting green, bistro, bar and function facilities as well as cheap green fees for beginners. I recently had the pleasure of joining them for their club championships and presenting the winners and runners-up with their trophies. The Brisbane Sailing Squadron, just across the road has produced many State and National Champions as well as an Olympic representative at 2 Olympics. Club Secretary—Ann McLindin and Treasurer—Bill Thorburn; are just two of the very dedicated, hard working officials who ensure that this club continues to thrive. Southside Eagles Football Club located at Bulimba Memorial Park, Oxford Street, has seen an enormous growth in their membership, which includes my son-in-law Joseph Ellul. Besides being a good husband to my daughter Gabrielle and father of my youngest granddaughters, Jasmine and baby Angelina, Joseph has the ability to be a outstanding soccer player, if he would just apply himself. When he concentrates he can make 6 goals a game! This year Southside Eagles are fielding a record number of junior teams. The club has just held its Annual General Meeting and we sadly say goodbye to outgoing President, Angela Wright. In the past twelve months Angela guided the club to one of its most successful years. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. 2086 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

We welcome income President, Neville James. Neville will be ably assisted with returning secretary, Jodie Walker who does an outstanding job; Terry Meehan is Vice President; Ian Maslen has continued in his role as Treasurer along with Vice Treasurer, Christopher Andrew. Committee members—Joe Burke, Steve Bonutto and Christine Preston also deserve a big thank you. Andrew Robson has accepted the position of Senior Representative at the Club. It is through the efforts and dedication of these volunteers that has ensured that the club continues to thrive. It would be remiss of me not to mention here some members of our local community who retired from the committee only a couple of years ago after almost a life time of dedicated voluntary service to Southside Eagles Football Club, Jenny and Derek Smith, Liz Oertel, John Nahrung, and Dave Adkins. Every night of the week the fields are abuzz with budding soccer professionals along with their dedicated parents, partners and supporters who come to cheer them along. Weekends see Bulimba Memorial Park hosting many games of sport as well as being frequented by locals who take in the ambience of the area—children enjoying the playground and for those with a little more energy—a friendly game of sport. Just around the corner in Bulimba Street, is the Bulimba Sporting Fields. These grounds are home to a number of junior sporting clubs. Riverside Junior Rugby Union Club was formed a couple of years ago and share the canteen, club facilities and playing fields with the Bulimba Stars Junior Rugby League Club ensuring that facilities are fully utilized and appreciated during the football season. Under the very capable Presidency of Barry Slattery and his team, Riverside Rugby Union has seen a steady growth in numbers. Friday night training sees players from under 6 to under 12’s and their families combining exercise and socializing. The club’s facilities have been improved over the past 12 months with a BBQ every Friday night following training becoming a regular event. John Rathbone of Bulimba Stars is almost an institution in the area. This year saw the introduction of the Bulimba Junior Cricket Club who use the grounds during the summer months. The formation of the club was made possible by the very generous sponsorship of some of our local businesses, Oxford 152, The Seymour Group, Metroplex on Gateway and Australian Country Choice. Octopus Park at Colmslie Beach is one of the most loved locations in the area and another well kept secret. It is I believe the only white sand beach along the Brisbane River. In the heart of the Bulimba electorate, locals can visit this beautiful oasis, relax, sink their feet into the sand, wade in the water and even throw in a fishing line. It has recently been enhanced with barbecue facilities, children’s playgrounds and car parks. There is room to play touch football or just kick a ball around in the spacious play areas. The suburb of Cannon Hill was for many years the home of the saleyards. Built in 1930, the saleyards were closed and demolished in 1991. Cannon Hill grew as a suburb around the industry and many of the residents lived and worked there. Because of this, Cannon Hill was more like a country town. Many of the workers rode their horses to and from work. The pride these people had in their homes is still very evident today with well cared for workers’ cottages and Queenslanders being the standard. Cannon Hill is a hidden gem which is gradually being discovered by the rest of Brisbane. In the centre of Cannon Hill is the Bill Cash Park which incidentally is directly opposite my Electorate Office—another landmark in the suburb. Bill Cash Park was named about a local gentleman who supported and was involved in many community activities. While I never had the pleasure of knowing him personally, I do know his daughter Carmel Heath and her husband Paddy. For many years they single handedly cleaned and maintained the netball courts located in the park. Without their dedication I have no doubt the club would have ceased to exist, but today the Cannon Hill District Netball is one of the largest netball clubs on the southside. Just up the road from the Bill Cash Park is the Cannon Hill State School, a coeducational school with over 300 students. Chris Ling, the Principal, and her dedicated and wonderful staff do a fantastic job in motivating and educating the students. Donna Sainsbury is another dedicated and talented member of Chris’ staff and in her whole time, creates fantastic collages commemorating all the school’s special events. I am extremely fortunate in having some of her wonderful creations on display in my Electorate Office. Thank you Donna—your work is very much appreciated. Seven Hills State School is another ‘hidden treasure’ in our area. One of our smaller schools, it is one of our biggest on achievement. This year we welcomed Mrs Janet Greevy as the acting Principal. Janet and her dedicated staff provide an encouraging and nurturing atmosphere for the students who repeatedly excel at all the academic challenges that come their way. The standard of excellence at Seven Hills State School is reflected in the fact that one of their teachers, Lynelle Whittaker, was awarded the South-East Advertiser’s ‘My Favourite Teacher’ award 2007. Norman Park State School although not on a large site has great facilities. In 2003 the school was heritage listed. Many of the classrooms are the old red brick variety with some modern wings constructed from timber. In 2005 a $4 million building project was completed, providing the school with a 3 storey architecturally designed 8 classroom block and an undercover assembly games area. Norman Park School has several unique features including a farm containing chickens, guinea pigs as well as vegetable bush tucker gardens. Principal Andrew Walker and his wonderful team have worked hard to see this school grow in strength. Morningside State School Acting Principal Kim Schembri and her wonderful team have, through their dedication and hard work, ensured that Morningside School remains one of our largest and most popular schools with 40 prep students and over 490 primary students in years 1 to 7. Murarrie State School is a small school but big on learning. Tina Gruss and her staff work very closely with the Murarrie school community to ensure the best possible outcomes for the students. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2087

Balmoral State High School is the only secondary State School in the electorate. Last year we welcomed Ms Debbie Ward as Principal. In just over 12 months Debbie and her wonderful team have worked hard to ensure that Balmoral High School continues to provide innovative programs and remains as a leader of cutting edge education. As well as Sts Peter & Paul’s Catholic Primary School, the Bulimba Electorate is also home to St Oliver Plunkett Catholic Primary School at Cannon Hill and St Thomas Catholic Primary School at Camp Hill. Both are very popular and respected schools as are the Principals Trish McMahon at St Ollies and David Cashman at St Thomas along with their staff. There are also two private colleges, Lourdes Hill College and the Cannon Hill Anglican College. Both these colleges are highly respected and well known for their excellence in education. I acknowledge that with so many outstanding private colleges throughout the Brisbane area, it is due to the outstanding commitment and dedication of the Principals Narelle Mullens at Lourdes Hill, Robyn Bell and their exceptional staff. Mr MOORHEAD (Waterford—ALP) (11.22 pm): The 2008 state budget contained in this bill is a budget which delivers a strong Queensland economy while delivering a strong program of services and infrastructure, particularly in the Logan and Beenleigh areas that I represent in parliament. The Bligh government’s first budget will deliver an $809 million surplus, economic growth of 4¼ per cent, which is 1½ per cent more than the national average, and employment growth double that of the national average. But at this time of prosperity, many of the families of my electorate are struggling to meet increasing costs of housing and petrol. That is why I am sure the residents of my electorate will welcome the tax reform contained in this budget. The changes to the Fuel Subsidy Scheme will mean that the 8.3c per litre fuel subsidy paid by the Queensland government will end up in the pockets of Queensland motorists rather than oil companies or motorists from other states. Queensland’s motorists will now receive a point-of-sale subsidy on the petrol they purchase. The tax reform has also been aimed squarely at addressing housing affordability, with reductions in stamp duty, reductions in land tax and the abolition of mortgage duty on 1 July 2008. From 1 September 2008, first home buyers will not pay one cent of stamp duty on homes up to $500,000. I am also delighted to see that aged-care facilities will no longer pay any land tax, putting downward pressure on the costs of aged care. Seniors will also benefit from the increase in the pension rebate for electricity costs. The recent 5.3 per cent increase in electricity prices will be met with a 13.8 per cent increase in the seniors electricity rebate. This is on top of the $40 pensioner rebate for water bills, the $180 pensioner rates rebate scheme and the $55 pensioner natural gas rebate scheme. The centrepiece of expenditure in the Beenleigh area is the allocation of $2.54 million to redevelop the Beenleigh Police Station. Built in 1983, the delivery of more police officers and more civilian positions in the Beenleigh area has meant that the current accommodation was struggling to keep pace. The Beenleigh Police Station is home to more than 70 general duty officers, a Forensic Crash Unit, the Logan Traffic Branch, the Police Communications Centre, a Criminal Investigation Branch and a Child Protection and Investigation Unit. The Beenleigh Police Station also oversees the operation of a number of local police beats including the Edens Landing police beat, which has been warmly welcomed by the Edens Landing community since it opened in April 2007. This project has been on the drawing board for some time. Prior to the budget, I made a public call on the Treasurer to make the project a reality. I am delighted that the Treasurer has listened to my representations and has delivered the funds to make this vital upgrade to the Beenleigh Police Station. Local security will also be improved in Waterford West, with $4,000 to Logan City Council to install security lighting at Moffatt Road, Waterford West, near the Marsden State High School. This is our area’s share of the record Police budget in 2008. The 200 extra police officers for Queensland will be welcome, taking Queensland’s police officers to more than 10,000 for the first time. The Logan Hospital is a big winner from the $8.3 billion-dollar Health budget, an increase of 16.8 per cent on last year. Logan Hospital is recording record demand right now. This state budget includes $15.5 million to refurbish and reconfigure the Logan Hospital annexe—the former Logan Private Hospital—to provide accommodation for acute services such as renal dialysis, endoscopies, day oncology and outpatient specialists. Moving these services to the old Private Hospital will mean more space for services such as mental health in the existing hospital building. The Logan Hospital will also receive a $3 million investment in elective surgery while QEII Hospital will see $21.7 million spent on continuing the establishment of the elective surgery centre. But health is not just about hospitals. The budget will also continue to support those who would like to stay in their home, with an additional $7.1 million for the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme, providing increased subsidies for those who need wheelchairs, walking frames and other medical aids. 2088 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

The key initiative in road and transport funding in the Waterford electorate is the $4.5 million allocation to construct the pedestrian overpass across Paradise Road, linking Mabel Park primary and Mabel Park high schools. I have discussed this matter with the Mabel Park State School Parents and Citizens Association at a number of meetings, and I know that parents have had input into the design. This allocation will see safe access for schoolchildren moving from one campus to the other. The first issue I took up after I was elected in 2006 was traffic congestion at the intersection of Kingston Road and Loganlea Road at Waterford West. The right-hand turn lane from Kingston Road into Loganlea Road has been a traffic bottleneck for a number of years. My hard work has paid off, with this year’s Main Roads budget including $1.22 million for the construction of a second right-hand turn lane into Loganlea Road. I know this improvement will be warmly welcomed locally. I know that the Kingston South Neighbourhood Watch Group will welcome the announcement of more than $500,000 in improvements to the intersection of Clare Road and Kingston Road, with the extension of the northbound right turning lane on Kingston Road and the modification of signals to provide a controlled green right-turn arrow only. Construction is planned for the middle of 2009. This improvement was discussed at a number of meetings, and I am proud to say that my representations have seen the project delivered. As well as roads, the budget also makes provision for improvements in public transport services. The Logan and Beenleigh region will receive $1.5 million for new bus services, and 12 new three-car sets will be added to Queensland Rail’s train rolling stock. I am pleased to see that the budget includes funds to upgrade the platform at Bethania Railway Station to improve safety, accessibility and amenity for passengers. Work includes raising the platforms to train carriage floor level over the length of the primary train boarding zone as well as relocation of the waiting shelter and seating to this location. This work is in addition to the recently completed station building upgrade. While this is very welcome, I will continue to work with residents of Bethania for greater disability access at Bethania station, a station regularly used by seniors in the area. Our locals schools and TAFE college will also see improvements to their facilities, giving teachers the tools they need to provide a quality education. Loganlea State High School will receive $2.28 million for the refurbishment of the school’s Special Education Unit, with construction to be completed by the end of the 2008 school year. I thank the P&C for bringing this matter to me in 2007, and I am glad these improved facilities can be delivered. Loganlea High has a great reputation for providing extra support for struggling students, and I know that these new facilities will make that job much easier. The Loganlea campus of Metro South Institute of TAFE will also see $2.7 million this year for the redevelopment of the Armstrong Road site at a total cost of $7.1 million. This year will see the commencement of the Beenleigh State Preschool Early Childhood Education Centre in the old preschool building on James Street, Beenleigh. This facility will provide convenient child care and early childhood education opportunities in a location so close to the Beenleigh State School. The Beenleigh High School will receive $40,000 as part of a $255,000 electrical upgrade for the school. High-priority maintenance at Loganholme State School, Loganlea State High School and Beenleigh State High School will also receive an injection of $75,000. But the initiative in this budget which makes me so proud to be part of the Bligh government is yesterday’s announcement of the Believe Achieve Succeed strategy for Education Queensland. This program recognises that some schools in the Logan-Beaudesert district are supporting children who come from families that are struggling and who face greater hurdles to learning than others. This program will provide assistance to our local schools to deal with student disengagement and absenteeism and to assist students who are struggling in their educational achievements. This commitment will mean 10 new positions in a multidisciplinary team to address these issues. The strategy will also support teachers through focus on recruiting and retaining teachers in local schools and ensure that Logan schools are attracting the best teachers available. Teachers will also be supported with professional development on best-practice teaching and learning to combat disadvantage. I am sure this initiative will be welcomed by local schools and parents and citizens associations. I know, too, that this initiative will have the support of the Queensland Teachers Union. I particularly would like to thank the minister for education, Rod Welford, and his parliamentary secretary, Bonny Barry, for this initiative. Both Desley Scott and I brought Bonny to the schools in our area to meet with those who are dealing with challenging and complex communities so that we could lobby for extra support for teachers and families. This is a great initiative to address the concerns raised by our school communities. The budget also continues a strong track record on providing housing to those who need it. Across Queensland, this budget will see the Department of Housing purchase or commence construction of 634 dwellings and complete the construction of 375 dwellings commenced in previous years. The budget will also implement the COAG National Mental Health Plan commitments, with 35 houses to provide supported housing for people with a mental illness. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2089

In the Logan area, existing tenants of public housing are not forgotten, with $4.4 million to fund upgrades to public housing including disability housing modifications. In the time available to me, I cannot outline many of budget highlights in the Waterford electorate. I seek leave to have incorporated in Hansard a list of some further budget initiatives in the Waterford electorate. Leave granted. Roads and Transport Planning for upgrade of the Logan Motorway—$2 million Resurfacing of asphalt between the Logan River and M1 Exit 34—$980,000 Completion of duplication of Logan River Road from Fletcher St to Boundary St—$499,000 Safety upgrade of intersection of Kingston Rd and Paradise Rd, left-turn lane and acceleration lane into Kingston Road— $405,000 Early planning and design for a bridge and approaches on Boundary St Beenleigh between Kokoda St and Chris Green Park— $350,000 Improvements to intersection of Kingston Road, Juers St and Jacaranda Ave—$196,000 Investigation of third railway track from Kuraby to Kingston—$2.65 million Community Services & Facilities St Vincent de Paul family support service—$935,000 Support services for families, children and young people referred by Department of Child Safety—$245,000 Support for young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness—$1.51 million Support, advocacy and counselling for domestic violence—$603,000 Support for adults with a disability—$2.27 million Home and Community Care services for the frail aged and people with a disability—$1.24 million Funding organisations to support people with a disability—$706,000 Supporting young adults with a disability to leave the care of the State—$545,000 Funding to Logan Council for construction of new oval at Tansey Park, Tanah Merah—$50,000 Youth and Family Services, Family Group Conferencing—$228,000 Reducing the number of young people with a disability in aged care facilities—$210,000 Continuation of Community Renewal in Logan and Beenleigh—$1.6 million Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service—$201,000 Infrastructure Power supply, Installation of second transformer for Tanah Merah—$4.01 million Bikeway from Logan Road to Logan River—$99,953 Community Grants Gambling Community Benefit Fund grants in Logan and Beenleigh region—$2.07 million Employment Programs Intensive support for people seeking employment—$1.4 million Skilling Queensland for Work Program (Greater Brisbane area)—$21.7 million Mr MOORHEAD: This is a great budget for Queensland and a great budget for the Waterford electorate. I commend the bills to the House. Ms DARLING (Sandgate—ALP) (11.32 pm): The Bligh Labor government’s first budget is responsible and forward reaching but does not leave behind the most vulnerable members of our community. Spending on essential services will increase to cater for the growing need. Queensland Health funding will increase by $1.2 billion to a record $8.35 billion, the Queensland Police Service budget will rise to $1.57 billion, Disability Services spending will increase to $1.23 billion, Emergency Services funding will rise to $941 million, investment in education and training will exceed $6 billion for the first time, and funding for Child Safety will increase to $592 million. Treasurer Andrew Fraser has designed a budget that helps close the gap between the haves and the have-nots and includes constructive strategies to help young people starting out in the housing market. I seek to leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. Australians have always understood the security of home ownership and the rapid increases in housing prices in Brisbane has priced many families and individuals out of the housing market. In the Sandgate area, land is scarce but there are new housing estates, duplexes and low density apartment complexes in suburbs like Bracken Ridge, Fitzgibbon and Taigum. New houses are still being constructed to a lesser degree in the older suburbs of Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Brighton and Deagon, so the stamp duty relief offered for first home buyers for houses under $500,000 is welcome. With the construction of new development comes the responsibility of government to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the lifestyle of Queenslanders and the Bligh Government is delivering. The $17 billion infrastructure budget for 2008-09 represents a 21 per cent increase on last year’s budget. $6.968 billion will go to Transport and Roads (including Airport Link), $929.7 million to Education and Training and Arts, $1.024 billion to Health, $516.9 million to Housing and $2.551 billion to Water. $16.06 million will go to establish a bulk supply ENERGEX substation to boost network capacity in Sandgate. 2090 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

The Gateway Motorway is an essential arterial for the people of the northern suburbs. $3.95 million has been allocated for concept planning for the expansion of the Gateway Motorway between Nudgee Road and Gympie Road. Many people from the Sandgate electorate have been involved in consultation on the expansion and I welcome this further allocation to progress the project. The construction of the duplicated Gateway Bridge is well under way and includes lane expansion from the bridge to Nudgee Road on the north side of Brisbane and the Rudd Government has made a commitment to a State/Commonwealth partnership to expand the motorway from the Nudgee Road connection in the future. Because the planning to extend the upgrade from Nudgee Road to Gympie Road is in its early stages, the $6.52 million allocated to re-surface the stretch of the Gateway Motorway from lower Nudgee to Bracken Ridge Road will improve safety for motorists. Another $4 million for interchange improvements at the roundabout is also essential for both safety and traffic flow. I am proud to say that the Minister for Main Roads responded immediately to safety concerns at the roundabout and Main Roads technicians implemented a temporary system to improve safety until a longer-term plan for both safety and traffic was implemented. I understand the frustrations of travellers and I am pleased to see such a sensible long-term solution. Sandgate Road is the other main arterial for residents of the Sandgate electorate who travel to the city by road or bus. $300,000 will be used to begin concept planning on the full length of Sandgate Road between Sandgate and Clayfield, with a total estimated cost of $2.3 million. We must plan for the future and Sandgate Road is an essential arterial for northern suburbs commuters. The $333 million Inner Northern Busway is now operating and should take 20 minutes off the travelling time for Bracken Ridge, Fitzgibbon and Taigum residents travelling to the city in peak hour. Construction has commenced on the Northern Busway from the Royal Children’s Hospital to Windsor with $204.52 million earmarked for Sections 1-4 & 5 of the Northern Busway to connect the Inner Northern Busway at Royal Children’s Hospital at Herston to Bracken Ridge via Windsor, Lutwyche and Kedron. $150 million in this budget will go towards construction of the new Houghton Highway Bridge between Brighton and Redcliffe. The new bridge will ease traffic in both directions, but I acknowledge that the people of the Sandgate electorate, particularly Brighton residents, are tolerating the inconvenience of losing part of Decker Park during the construction period. Decker Park at Brighton is housing the construction site buildings and I have lobbied the Minister for Main Roads for a rejuvenated and improved park once the project is complete. I look forward to setting up an effective community consultation process to plan a great new Decker Park for local residents in 2010 and I thank the people of Brighton for their patience. The new Houghton Bridge will provide some great recreational attraction for locals including a brand new fishing platform at the Brighton end of the bridge and a new integrated cycle path across the bridge. I note the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program will accelerate the development of the Principal Cycle Network, which will encourage cycling and walking particularly around the city centre, and the subregional cycle network is continuing to be rolled out in conjunction with regional councils. Many residents of the Sandgate electorate choose to commute by rail. We are fortunate to have 2 rail lines servicing the electorate—the Shorncliffe line and the Petrie line. Rail commuters take pressure off our busy roads and help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions so the funds budgeted for track maintenance, improvements to station platforms including disability access and improved safety, extra new trains are essential. The Government’s Housing Affordability Strategy has been designed to speed up the release of land in rapidly growing areas of Queensland and help improve availability of affordable residential accommodation. The Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA) was established to oversee the strategy and became operational on 26 November 2007. Urban Development Areas have been declared in Bowen Hills and Northshore Hamilton, with development schemes currently being prepared in consultation with business and the community. The Budget Papers declare that development of a diversity of homes will commence at Fitzgibbon during the 2008-09 financial year. I have written directly to all my Fitzgibbon constituents to keep them informed of the progress of ULDA investigations in their suburb and I will continue to keep them apprised of development. Many residents have taken advantage of the ‘feedback form’ I sent to them and I have many constructive ideas to pass on to the ULDA. The most consistent message from residents is that any further residential development must be balanced with recreational and community development and the necessary infrastructure to support a growing population. During the recent Brisbane City Council election campaign, residents of Fitzgibbon and Bracken Ridge expressed their concern at the safety of the open level crossing at Telegraph Road. I was hoping the council would recognise the importance of upgrading the crossing and present plans to the state government for safety improvements at the crossing, so that the two levels of government could work together on a funding solution. Unfortunately, the council still remains silent on plans for safety improvements. For this reason, I contacted the Transport Minister after the council election, urging Queensland Rail and the Queensland Police Service to work with Brisbane City Council to urgently review the safety of the crossing. Even some signage and clear line markings on the road will go a long way to improving safety and I call on the council to respond to the residents’ call for a safer crossing. 05 Jun 2008 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2091

I also urge the Urban Land Development Authority to consider the safety at this crossing in its planning for future development at Fitzgibbon, as well as the need for more public transport. I welcome Queensland Rail’s construction of a new pedestrian crossing at Curlew Street Sandgate following my very strong representations and the support of local schools and families. The Sandgate electorate boasts both old and new suburban development and we are proud of our supportive community organisations. This budget, beautifully crafted by Treasurer Andrew Fraser, recognises the needs of all members of the community. I have been advocating for older residents in my area, particularly our seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling with the rising costs of groceries, rents and utilities. The Bligh Government sends a clear message to seniors and pensioners in this budget—we will not let you down. Concessions available for pensioners include: an increase in the electricity rebate scheme by $20 to $165 a year to eligible concession card holders; a package of measures to reduce housing costs for older persons; a land tax exemption for aged care facilities, which will complement the existing exemption for retirement villages as well as a new exemption from land tax in cases of illness which requires leaving the family home; the SEQ Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme, to be phased in over three years to lessen the impact of water price increases, providing subsidies of $40 in 2008-09, $70 in 2009-10 and $100 from 2010-11; the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate Scheme offering rebates on the cost of natural gas supplies to the homes of eligible persons at $57.64 a person amounting to $5.8 million in 2008-09; continuation of the Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme of up to $180 per annum; the transfer duty homebuyer concession to be extended to help residents of retirement villages who adopt lease and sub- lease occupancy arrangements; 50 per cent discounts on motor vehicle and boat registration offered to pensioners and seniors— saving $109 on registering a four cylinder car. The new Queensland Climate Smart Homes Service will provide consumers with tools to monitor and reduce their energy use and I know that the people of the Sandgate electorate will embrace the home visit scheme in the same way they embraced the Home Water Wise scheme. $20 million has been allocated to the service plus $7.2 million over 5 years for a rebate program to encourage people to install energy saving measures. Another $4 million has also been allocated to the Home Water Wise scheme. In June last year, the Prince Charles Hospital Emergency Department was officially opened as Stage 1 of the $134m redevelopment and upgrade of the hospital. The Emergency Department currently treats predominantly heart and lung conditions with $9.06m allocated to further upgrade the ED to enable it to treat a broader range of conditions. It’s anticipated that it will be treating 51,000 people annually by 2011. On 2 April 2008, the Health Minister officially opened the new Emergency Department at Redcliffe Hospital, which will care for around 50,000 patients each year. Having access to new emergency departments at two hospitals on the north side has made a big difference to residents of the Sandgate electorate. The budget also allocates a further $12.5 million to complete Stage 2 of the Prince Charles Hospital upgrade, with three theatres being upgraded and a new ward being built by mid-2009. The 2008-09 Budget includes $825.1 million for disability services, $386.3 million for home and community care services and $23.1 million for mental health services. I have been lobbying for more support for families that include and support people with disabilities and the 14 per cent increase in disability funding, a total of $1.235 billion for the state, is much needed. It is important to support people with disabilities through the various stages of their lives and I have often discussed the need for young people with disabilities to have the support to celebrate their transition into adulthood. Home and Community Care funding is joint State-Commonwealth funding and provides a range of support and maintenance services for frail aged and younger people with a disability to allow them to remain living in their own home. Four tremendous local community organisations in the Sandgate electorate are being funded through HACC in the next financial year: $3,363,954 for Blue Care’s Sandgate and South Pine Centres; $82,340 for Sandgate and District Meals on Wheels; $516,873 for Bayside Community Options; $250,022 for St Margaret’s Sandgate/Brighton Home Assist Secure. These organisations rely on volunteers to supplement workers paid and I would like to pay tribute to them all. Sandgate and Bracken Ridge Action Group plays an important part in our vibrant local community. Not only does the group coordinate many essential support programs at the Sandgate Community Centre and the Bracken Ridge Community Centre, it also auspices or accommodates many smaller community groups, as well as producing a local community newsletter and hosting entertainment and information evenings. Like many community groups, its success relies on a volunteer committee and dedicated staff. It is an organisation with heart and soul and I am proud to be able to support them in any way I can. I have been fighting for funds for some of its programs and I believe this budget offers opportunities with new programs that aim to bring innovative early intervention and prevention methods to the community. In the meantime, SANDBAG will receive a total of $216,234 in 2008-09 to provide activities such as community education, training, volunteer training, and support to people experiencing personal, social, financial or emotional difficulties and counselling and support for victims of domestic and family violence. Jabiru Community Youth & Children’s Services Association also offers a range of activities and support many other community events and will receive $79,503 to provide an early intervention and family support service. The staff at Jabiru are always willing to pitch in and help where needed and are a font of great community ideas. 2092 Appropriation Bills; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 05 Jun 2008

I have enjoyed working with SANDBAG, Jabiru and Bayside Community Options over the last year to look at how we can best support families and individuals in need in the area. Our work is far from over and I remain committed to completing our long term project. Save the Children Australia will again receive funding of $327,356 in 2008-09 to continue their accommodation and support service for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, and Lifeline Community Care will receive $726,000 to provide a residential care service for young people. In 2008-09, the Bligh Labor Government will invest a record $532 million in school infrastructure, including four new schools to help meet population growth in the south-east corner. In addition, $150 million has been allocated to build new schools and refurbish older schools as part of the $850 million, five-year State Schools of Tomorrow. I look forward to making further announcements in the near future about the extra funding allocated to older schools, but in the meantime I am pleased to endorse the extra funds allocated to Sandgate District State High School of $101,000 for the playing field upgrade and $21,000 for extra maintenance, and to Bracken Ridge State School of $21,000 for extra maintenance. These maintenance funds are just a top up in recognition of urgent work needed. More funds for old schools are on the way. I am pleased that I was successfully able to attract extra funds for so many school projects during the last 12 months and I welcome the response to my calls for more maintenance funds. I will keep working with my P&Cs and school principals to identify school needs. I welcome the announcement of up to 321 full time equivalent staff, 270 of whom will be teachers and teacher aides, and the increased investment in professional development for existing teachers. There are far too many excellent initiatives for me to cover in my speech, but I must acknowledge the $101,000 allocated to Deagon Racecourse to offset costs of maintaining training facilities. The horse industry is a pivotal part of the Deagon community and I am proud of the way the industry and community supported each other through the management of the equine influenza outbreak. I was pleased to organise the mobile “one stop shop” to assist those individuals and businesses impacted by the horse flu and I look forward to helping the industry into the future. The Bligh Government’s $36.6 billion State Budget is socially and economically responsible and I am pleased I was able to successfully attract extra funds for the people of the Sandgate electorate. Mr FENLON (Greenslopes—ALP) (11.33 pm): It is a pleasure to rise to speak in support of the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill and the Appropriation Bill. I would like to concentrate on matters in the budget particularly pertaining to the Greenslopes electorate. Some $7 million is allocated for a new police station and interim home. Police officers from Holland Park will work out of the vacant Mount Gravatt Fire Station while their new police station is built on Logan Road this year. This smart-thinking arrangement will allow our officers to continue to do their job in a functional and efficient environment while the new police station is built at Holland Park. The provision of these facilities in the local area will ensure police service delivery will be not affected during construction of the new police station. I know that the local community in Holland Park will be pleased to see the old fire station put to good use. Once police have moved from the current Holland Park Police Station the building will be demolished and work will commence on the new station in the second half of this year. It is expected to be completed by mid-2009. It will be a great new facility. I will run through the other great achievements for the Greenslopes electorate. In relation to Education, $500,000 is allocated for a new multipurpose facility at Holland Park State School. It will be a hall that the wider community will be able to use as well as the school community. Half a million dollars has been allocated for the relocation of the Xavier Special School. It is a very important development. The property on which it was previously located is no longer available to Education Queensland for that facility. Some $33,000 has been allocated for additional maintenance at Coorparoo Secondary College and $8,000 for additional maintenance at Seville Road State School. In terms of Health, $8.44 million has been allocated for the PA Hospital emergency department upgrade, $8 million for additional bed capacity at the PA Hospital, $600,000 for eight renal dialysis chairs at the PA Hospital, $300,000 to relocate the PA Hospital helipad, $247,000 for the Sexual Assault Support and Prevention Program and $75,000 for the community self-care funding program. In terms of Communities, $593,000 has been allocated to support young people, families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, $151,000 for youth justice programs to develop programs and crime prevention projects and $65,000 for domestic violence prevention programs to provide counselling services for children affected by domestic violence. Some $465.8 million has been allocated to the Buranda to Capalaba Eastern Busway. The first stage is to be constructed up to Mains Road. This will be further developed over the forthcoming years. In terms of Disability Services, $3.76 million has been allocated to increase the availability of HACC services, $1.1 million to assist young adults with disabilities to live and participate in the community, $437,000 for the promotion and prevention of early intervention strategies, $158,000 to provide postschool options for young adults and $94,000 to provide a short-term and limited respite for families. In terms of Sport, I am glad to see that the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club is allocated funds to install lighting to support Rugby League at the Cavendish Road State High School. 05 Jun 2008 Adjournment 2093

In terms of Main Roads, we have a bevy of initiatives running into some millions of dollars to upgrade safety and facilities along the section for the South East Freeway from the city out through the corridor that my constituents use. In the 2008-09 budget the government continues to address the implementation of the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program with a record $17 billion allocated to key infrastructure projects and an aim of managing traffic congestion around south-east Queensland. With 160 projects already completed and 290 underway at a cost of more than $8 million, this year’s record expenditure allows the Queensland government’s ambitious program to truly progress with projects that are diverse and far-reaching including road, busway and rail transport, water, energy, school and health projects. For further information on these programs my constituents are able to access my web site at www.garyfenlon.com. I commend the Treasurer for a very fine budget for the times. I commend the bills to the House. Debate, on motion of Mr Fenlon, adjourned.

SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT Hon. RE SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Leader of the House) (11.39 pm): I move— That the House, at its rising, do adjourn until 9.30 am on Friday, 6 June. Question put—That the motion be agreed to. Motion agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT Hon. RE SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Leader of the House) (11.39 pm): I move— That the House do now adjourn. Gold Coast Green Space Mr STEVENS (Robina—Lib) (11.39 pm): I want to bring to the attention of the House the importance of retaining significant green space in the heart of the Gold Coast. The 700 hectares of land that is referred to as the Guragunbah LAP or the Merrimac-Carrara flood plain is in the middle of the Gold Coast and is critical to retain this green open space and ensure that we have a balance of green space and urban development in the fastest growing region of the state. The existing lifestyle of the community needs to be retained, as we have world renowned beaches and we need to complement these with appropriate green spaces. With green space comes the retention of environmental habitats that ensure the existence of our most precious flora and fauna. The Gold Coast City Council released the Green Heart initiative in March 2007. This initiative is a major input into the liveability of our city through the acquisition and retention of green space. I question the incompetence that the Treasurer has displayed in not releasing the report into the proposed development of a racing precinct at Palm Meadows that includes a flood report into the Palm Meadows site which is critical to the Green Heart project of the Gold Coast City Council. The proposed Palm Meadows development report, which has been completed by Queensland Racing Ltd and, according to Bob Bentley, has already been submitted to Treasury, looks as though it has fallen into the government’s black hole of secret documents. Treasury, on the other hand, is saying that as head of Queensland Racing Ltd Bob Bentley is the only one who can release the report. In a ‘what’s on first and who’s on second’ farcical comedy routine between Bob Bentley and Andy ‘Hardy’ Fraser, not even the Gold Coast City Council has been briefed on possible damning ramifications—and I literally mean damming—to the green heart of the Gold Coast, the flooding of downstream properties and the major development consequences on the flood plain of the misguided brainchild of the dictator of Queensland Racing. I understand that Queensland Racing has been advised by the Gold Coast City Council that the proposed development does not stack up hydraulically and that is why the meeting with Gold Coast city councillors had been cancelled. It is a matter of public interest to release the Palm Meadows report in an undoctored form to allow for significant scrutiny by business, industry affiliates and the public. The racing industry and in particular members of the Gold Coast Turf Club, whose assets the government is proposing to sell, require this immediately so as to understand the implications of any future decision on development on the Palm Meadows site. The only conclusion that can be drawn from all this happening behind closed doors 18 months later is that the Palm Meadows report needs to have outcomes that are favourable to the government’s intentions, because if not Queensland Racing will not be able to receive the loan funding needed for any future development. I call on the minister to release the report and stop buck-passing between Queensland Racing and Treasury to delay the process and avoid public scrutiny at all costs. 2094 Adjournment 05 Jun 2008

Brisbane Islamic Community Hon. JC SPENCE (Mount Gravatt—ALP) (Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport) (11.42 pm): Recently I met with Dr Mohammed Abdallah and other senior members of the Islamic community in Brisbane. Dr Abdallah is the Director of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit and Imam at the Kuraby mosque. Dr Abdallah told me of concerns expressed by himself and within the Islamic community over comments made by a journalist, Richard Kerbaj, writing in the Australian in April of this year. The series of articles draws links between funding of $100,000 to the Griffith Islamic Research Unit provided by the Saudi government and terrorism. To suggest that accepting $100,000, a sum which Dr Abdallah tells me goes primarily to employing his secretary, somehow equates to promoting Islamic extremism is drawing a pretty long bow. It was claimed in the Australian newspaper that the acceptance of the Saudi money was conditional on the promotion of wahabism—an extreme form of Islam—and that Dr Abdallah was the leader of a group called Tablighi Jamaat. What is disturbing is that this line was taken up by District Court Judge Clive Wall on the Gold Coast. Judge Wall likened Griffith University’s centre for Islamic studies as akin to the madrassas of Pakistan. He accused Dr Abdallah of being an agent of the Saudi government through which extremist views were being taught. Many members of the Islamic community have expressed to me their extreme disappointment at the treatment of one of their most respected and widely revered leaders. Dr Abdallah was a voice of calm and reason after the burning of the Kuraby mosque following the tragedy of 9-11. He was called upon to perform a similar function following the disturbances at Cronulla. He is spoken highly of amongst the younger members of the community. These young people all tell me of the excellent example Dr Abdallah sets for them as they face the challenges of being young Muslims in a secular world. Dr Abdallah was also chosen to attend the 2020 Summit, an event to which I note neither Richard Kerbaj nor Judge Wall were invited. It is true that Dr Abdallah is connected with Tablighi Jamaat. This organisation is one which promotes peace and harmony and the Federal Police, the Queensland police and ASIO know that it does so. It should come as no surprise to anyone that universities actively seek funding from outside groups to continue research and study. The ANU does it. It gets money from the United Arab Emirates. The University of Melbourne gets $2 million from the Sultan of Oman and even News Ltd, which the Australian newspaper is part of, received a $400 million investment from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. I know that this does not make them a terrorism vehicle. I note that these comments by the Australian newspaper and Judge Wall received very little traction and Dr Abdallah should take comfort from the public support he has received from the Anti- Discrimination Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, amongst others. On a personal level, I have known Dr Abdallah for many years. I have great respect for his level-headedness and ecumenical leadership of the Islamic community. He is an Australian of whom we should all be very proud.

Wide Bay-Burnett, Maternity Services Mr MESSENGER (Burnett—NPA) (11.45 pm): I recently wrote to the heath minister inquiring about the maternity services available for my constituents, and I table my letter and the minister’s reply. Tabled paper: Copy of letter, dated 7 April 2008, from Mr Messenger to the Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Robertson MP, relating to birthing services at the Bundaberg Base Hospital. Tabled paper: Copy of letter, dated 26 May 2008, from the Minister for Health, Mr Stephen Robertson MP, to Mr Messenger relating to birthing services at the Bundaberg Base Hospital. In my letter I made him aware of the fact that— ... there is a growing concern in the Bundaberg-Burnett community that the birthing facilities available at the Bundaberg Base Hospital are unsatisfactory, inadequate and placing the lives of women and their babies at unacceptable risk. I asked for clarification on the number of infant deaths which have occurred at the hospital in the last 10 years and if he could provide a description of the exact services available to our families. I also acknowledged that the dedicated medical staff at the Bundaberg Base Hospital, in a very difficult working environment, perform miracles daily. In fact, they deliver little miracles. The minister is his reply informed me that peri-natal deaths, from 20 weeks gestation until 28 days post delivery, over the years 1997 to 2006 inclusive total 86 out of a total of 8,608 births for the Bundaberg Base Hospital. He claimed that this was below the state average over the same period, and I accept that and am grateful that he shared those figures. The heath minister’s figures also reveal that for the nine years between 1997 and 2006 on average we have had 2.62 births a day. The difference between 2008 and 2006 is that the only private maternity services have closed in the Wide Bay-Burnett due to a lack of midwifery services and every birth in the Burnett-Bundaberg region must occur at the Bundaberg Base Hospital. This fact, along with the population growth, has taken the daily average birth rate from 2.62 to approximately 3.28. That is approximately 1,200 births per year. There are only four birthing suites at the Bundaberg Base Hospital and the four birthing suites are supposed to cope with a daily birth rate of 3.28 births per day, which of course is expected to rise with the population growth. 05 Jun 2008 Adjournment 2095

The plain cold hard facts show that more and more mums are missing out on delivering their babies in birthing suites. Even expectant mums visiting antenatal clinics are forced to sit on the floor because there are not enough seats in the waiting room. It is estimated that in 2008 Bundaberg Base Hospital will service approximately 130,000 people. By 2020, the service area population will increase to close on 200,000. If there is not a dramatic and significant increase in not only maternity beds but medical, surgical and accident emergency beds, then once again patients’ lives will be placed at risk and our staff will be placed under extreme pressure. Unfortunately after this budget and from the minister’s reply to my letter, it appears that there is no urgency on the government’s behalf to improve conditions for our expectant mums, their babies and medical staff who work miracles. Springwood Electorate, Art and School Events Ms STONE (Springwood—ALP) (11.49 pm): It has been a very busy few weeks in the electorate of Springwood. Art exhibits, fetes, school hospitality functions, Relay For Life and morning teas for the Cancer Foundation are just a few of the highlights. Firstly, Lisa De Leon, a Shailer Park resident, held her first art exhibition at the Logan Entertainment Centre. I am sure this will be the first of many. I know Lisa from her work in the Kimberley Park State School community. Lisa always attended meetings, school events and was always willing to help. Although I had not seen Lisa around the community as much as usual, she had good reason for that. Lisa had been busy painting her Flora Magnifica exhibition—an exhibition celebrating the magnificence of nature in magnified floral images. Her paintings highlighted the beauty and stunning colours of some of our most beautiful flowers, including the bird of paradise and hibiscus. I am very pleased that Lisa received a Regional Arts Development Fund grant to assist in the cost of this exhibition. It is great to see this type of encouragement given to talented people to pursue their chosen art. I was delighted when Lisa asked me to open her exhibition. Although it is an honour to be invited to attend an artist’s exhibition opening, it is even more of an honour and a pleasure when you know the artist and can call them a friend. I said on the night that Lisa’s art is a continuation of her passion to participate in the community. Her art will give much joy and inspiration to many forever. The night was very much a family affair, with Lisa’s family taking on many roles to assist her. It was quite clear that her family and friends are extremely proud of her and her art. Showing your artwork publicly is really opening yourself up to the public and showing your artwork for the first time is a courageous and brave act. I congratulate Lisa on being brave and having the courage to do that, and I look forward to opening many more art exhibitions for her. Recently, Teresa Derosas, Eveline Wilmen, Janelle Ambrose and the catering students of Springwood State High School held a dinner function which was attended by 35 community members, one of whom was me. It was a very special evening, with fine dining and service. The menu and food was equivalent to what you would find at any silver service dining establishment. Everyone involved in the event can be very proud. Each month they hold a Springwood Chamber of Commerce breakfast where they cater for over 30 community members. It is always superb in presentation and in taste. I look forward to later in the year when I will be attending a large dinner dance catered by the students. Although the recent rain was welcomed by the community, there was a sigh of relief when it held off for a few hours for Cornubia’s St Matthews Catholic Primary School’s fete. Like many other people who attended the fete, I had a terrific time. I enjoyed assembling hamburgers, chicken burgers and sausage sizzles at the barbecue area and handing out ‘Eat Well Be Active—Find Your 30 Minutes of Activity Each Day’ bags at the rock climbing wall also kept me busy. That activity was a real hit. In fact, it attracted quite a queue all day because it was so popular. I want to thank all those involved in the event and congratulate them on such a successful day. We have a great community spirit in Logan and over the past few weeks many events have demonstrated that. Tablelands Electorate, Electoral Redistribution Ms LEE LONG (Tablelands—ONP) (11.51 pm): The proposed redistribution of state seats, which could see the seat of Tablelands abolished, has been met with great disappointment in my electorate. If this redistribution is carried out, it would see the currently unified area divided between the existing electorate of Cook, the new electorate of Macrossan and the electorate of Hinchinbrook. This proposal ignores almost every category of consideration outlined for the ECQ. For example, there is no community of interest between the Wet Tropics dairy country around Malanda in far-north Queensland and Moranbah, which is deep in the dry hinterland west of Mackay in central Queensland. Nor is there any strong community of interest between the well-developed horticulture and intensive agriculture around Mareeba and the remote areas of Cape York. The tablelands has a growing population, which recently increased by nearly 1,000 voters in just 12 months. It is geographically unique, has an enormously wide variety of industries and is closely linked by road, communications, services, education, sporting and family connections. Other sources of community anger are that just last year our four local councils were stripped away by this government. 2096 Adjournment 05 Jun 2008

Despite its vehement protests, the tablelands council was forcibly amalgamated. We were told it was because it had such a strong regional identity. Yet today another government process that is supposed to consider community of interest does not appear to have considered that at all. Additionally, in the report on the draft redistribution the ECQ claims that the proposed boundaries reflect falling enrolments. According to the ECQ, the numbers are low and will fall further behind. Yet that has been contradicted in this same government’s draft FNQ 2025 Regional Plan, which says that it expects 100,000 more people will move to the area in the coming years. A quote from the draft FNQ 2025 Plan states— Growth is expected to continue over the next 20 years and beyond. Just what area does this plan identify as being far-north Queensland? The Cairns Regional Council, the Tablelands Regional Council, the Cassowary Coast Regional Council, and the Yarrabah and Wujal Wujal Aboriginal councils. But according to the ECQ, it is not. Taking seats out of regional Queensland to put more in the south-east is not the answer. It is disenfranchising ordinary Queenslanders who are the wealth makers of this state. The concept of one vote, one value and of everyone being equal supposedly underpins democracy in this state. But that vote is enormously devalued in terms of service delivery if you are a regional Queenslander. Queenslanders who are told bluntly by this government that they will not get even basic services because it is just too expensive are not equal to their city cousins who have ready access to sports stadiums, theatres, museums and with many other luxuries close at hand. All of the people of Queensland deserve an equal voice on the floor of parliament. Instead, under the ALP the voices of some Queenslanders are simply not as equal as those in the privileged south- east. Burleigh Heads Scout Group, Gold Coast Blaze Mrs SMITH (Burleigh—ALP) (11.54 pm): The Burleigh Heads Scout Group has been part of the Burleigh community since 1947, when Mr and Mrs William Parker donated the land to establish the troop. Scouting is for boys and girls aged between six and 26, and in Burleigh we have joeys, cubs, scouts, rovers and venturers. Following the sale of part of their land, the scout hall in Stephens Street has recently been upgraded. The air-conditioned bunkhouse, Camp Kallaroo, can accommodate up to 44 people and a brand-new meeting hall has been built. I am sure it is the envy of many other groups. Last month a most unusual partnership was formed between Scouts Queensland and the Gold Coast’s own basketball team, Blaze. The Blaze has joined forces with the scouts to promote the importance of sport and outdoor activities while teaching young people the importance of teamwork and leadership skills. It is acknowledged that young people tend to hero-worship sports stars and that these sportspeople can have a huge influence on them. I was present when Scott McGregor and Troy Bingham from the Blaze took the scout’s oath and received their scarves and woggles at Burleigh Heads. This year there will be a series of school holiday camps for scouts and nonscouts to learn life skills and receive mentoring from Blaze players. Hopefully, this partnership will be as valuable to the basketball players as it will be for the scouts. To mark the centenary of scouting in Australia, 2008 has been officially declared the Year of the Scout. All Queensland scouts have been issued the challenge of raising $100 each. The target is $1 million for a perpetual medical research fund at the Wesley Research Institute. A Blaze home game will be dedicated to the Year of the Scout, where profits will be contributed to the Scouts Queensland Centenary Project. The Burleigh Heads scouts and joeys are also involved in helping the environment. This is the second year they will be planting trees at Federation Walk—a project to regenerate vegetation on The Spit and provide a natural public open space for the benefit of the community. I congratulate Wallaroo, Kanga, Dingo, Barloo, Possum and all the men and women who assist with the Burleigh Heads Scout Group. Their unfailing enthusiasm and commitment to young people will be remembered by them as they grow and mature and eventually give back to their communities because of their influence. I also commend Dave Claxton, Owen Tomlinson and all the Gold Coast Blaze players for making the Gold Coast their home and being prepared to share their time and experiences with young people. Queensland School Sport 15 Years & Under State Touch Championships Mr DEMPSEY (Bundaberg—NPA) (11.57 pm): Recently the 2008 Queensland School Sport 15 Years & Under State Touch Championships were held in Bundaberg. The success of these championships reinforced Bundaberg’s proud history as being an excellent location to host large sporting events in all conditions. The championships went on despite 160 millimetres of rain falling over three days. But due to the great work by the president of the Bundaberg Touch Association and international referee, David Field, as well as the President of the Bundaberg Junior Touch Association, Brad Newton, and both their hardworking dedicated committees and ground staff, the carnival went ahead and was very successful. 05 Jun 2008 Adjournment 2097

I would like to thank the convenor, Peter Robinson, of St Luke’s, who is also a coaching maestro. He has coached with great success and up to World Cup level. I also would like to thank co-convenors Gary Madders and Lauren Potter, who are both from Ipswich; the Queensland secondary schools touch chair, Peter Bell, of Cavendish Road State High School; administrator Debbie Higgins of St Luke’s; the billeting coordinator, Maryann Baren; and the Wide Bay school sport officer, Justin Lane. As well, I thank the Australian Open men’s captain, Gavin Shuker, who was a special guest at the carnival. I would also like to congratulate both the boys and girls Wide Bay teams on a successful carnival. Wide Bay claimed the 2008 Queensland School Sports 15 Years & Under State Touch Championship boys crown with a stunning 7-2 grand final victory over the Sunshine Coast at Bundaberg’s Greg Duncan Fields on Sunday, 1 June. The team consisted of Mitch Broom, Blake Hornbrook, Michael Formosa, James Cousins, Jacob Harney, Brad Pendal, Luke Leggett, Brayde Kirby, Harry Moore, Terry Horne, Greg Knox, Blake Laud as well as their fantastic coach Mark Clancy and manager Trish Perry. The three days consisted of a great deal of rain and forced the abandonment of the first day of the carnival. All pool matches had to be reduced to 20-minute games. Wide Bay had first use of the ball in the grand final and they looked sharp in attack resulting in a 7-2 blitz. Big Brad Pendal of Bundaberg received the player of the final award while electrifying captain Mitch Broom of Hervey Bay and two other championship winning players— Horne, also from Hervey Bay, and Harney from Gympie—were awarded a place in the state squad. There were many other heroes on the day. Coach Mark Clancy described it as something special. He said— The boys looked like state champions and they certainly deserve it. It was certainly the best performance of the weekend, and they were the only unbeaten (boys) team. Skilling Queenslanders for Work Mr HOOLIHAN (Keppel—ALP) (12.00 am): On Thursday, 29 May I had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations, the Hon. John Mickel, at the graduation of seven graduates under the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program. I do not know whether anyone else in the House has much to do with this program, but it certainly achieves a lot for the hopes and aspirations of Queenslanders. The program was actually run by the Rockhampton Regional Council. I would like to thank Ray Powell and his band of merry trainers, together with Chris Belz and Alan Ahmann from the department and Shamay Bauer from Jobs Queensland. These people had finished a 16-week course of horticulture and rebuilding, including concreting and beachfront steps at Keppel Sands. It was wonderful to see the pride on their faces at being able to say, ‘I have worked full-time. I have acquired these skills and I now have some hope of going out into the workforce and obtaining employment.’ Since 1998 when this program commenced as Breaking the Unemployment Cycle, in excess of 70,000 Queenslanders have received assistance, sometimes through their local council. I have another graduation next Thursday at the Rockhampton Golf Club. That portion of the program which provides for equipment and building materials has been provided by the golf club. The one that I attended the other day had been provided by the council. The former Rockhampton City Council also enthusiastically embraced this program. One of the good things that has come out of this is that of the number of people who have been through this course approximately 75 per cent are now in full-time employment after having been unemployed for a period in excess of six months in most cases. Some of them had lost all hope and had lost their personal esteem. To see the look on the faces of these people really shows that this program works for the benefit of our communities. These people acquire skills that they take with them to assist others in the community, perhaps even those people who have suffered the same deprivation as the graduates have. I congratulate the department on that program. Gas Pensioner Rebate Scheme Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (12.03 am): I wish to bring to the attention of the House my desire to have the Gas Pensioner Rebate Scheme renamed with a view to avoiding confusion with respect to the eligibility criteria. This issue has recently been brought to my attention by a constituent who almost overlooked his eligibility merely due to the scheme’s name. The Gas Pensioner Rebate Scheme provides a rebate of $55 per year to Queensland pensioners and Seniors Card holders using reticulated natural gas. Whilst I commend the government’s initiative in introducing this rebate, I am concerned that a number of eligible consumers are overlooking this rebate due to the scheme’s misleading title. I would like to make everyone aware that the Gas Pensioner Rebate Scheme applies not only to pensioners but also to Queensland Seniors Card holders. To be eligible to claim a rebate customers must be using reticulated natural gas and they must hold either a current and valid Pensioner Concession Card, Repatriation Health Card for all conditions—Gold Card—and be in receipt of a War Widow or Special Rate TPI pension and/or hold a current Queensland government Seniors Card. 2098 Attendance 05 Jun 2008

The name of the scheme is currently misleading our seniors and I am certain that many Seniors Card holders who are not on a pension simply dismiss their eligibility due to the scheme’s title. I would encourage all Seniors Card holders to take advantage of this rebate. The rebate is certainly providing welcome relief to all those who have so far submitted applications. However, there are many Queenslanders who are totally unaware of their eligibility. I believe that the minister should immediately change the name of this rebate scheme to a name which will readily identify and incorporate the eligibility criteria. Perhaps the minister could consider renaming the scheme ‘Pensioners/Seniors Gas Rebate Scheme’ to ensure that this rebate scheme is being accessed by those eligible. This is a great scheme but it is deceptive because not all of those who qualify realise that they are eligible. Let us just change the name and make it available to all those who are eligible. That is all we are seeking. It is sensible and it would work.

Far-North Queensland Indigenous Artists

Mr O’BRIEN (Cook—ALP) (12.05 am): It was a great pleasure to join with the Minister for the Arts and the member for Barron River on 7 May this year for the launch of the Indigenous Arts Program by the Queensland government. The government announced a new era for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in far-north Queensland setting out details of the four-year Backing Indigenous Arts program. The government has committed $10.73 million over the next four years to help build a more sustainable Indigenous arts industry in far-north Queensland. Two of the key components of the Backing Indigenous Arts initiative are the Building Skills and Opportunities projects and providing funding to Indigenous arts program centres and hubs. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from far-north Queensland are already making their mark in the art world and Backing Indigenous Arts will help even more talented artists from the region create successful careers in the arts. The government wants to see new and emerging artists developing their skills through training and industry partnerships and we want to see them showcase their work to expose them to new audiences here and overseas. We aim to achieve this through a range of partnerships with key organisations and government agencies to deliver the four platforms of Backing Indigenous Arts—the 15 art centres and hubs; a dedicated printmaking centre in Cairns; an Indigenous art marketplace also in Cairns; and projects that help to build skills and opportunities. The government in this first round will see nine art centres and hubs across far-north Queensland share in $838,000. That will be shared across Darnley Island, Girringum Aboriginal Corporation, Hope Vale Art Centre, Lockhart River Art Centre, Mornington Island Art Centre, the Wik and Kugu Art and Craft Centre in Aurukun, the Cairns Hub, the Gab Titui Art Centre on Thursday Island, the Weipa Hub and UMI Arts. Our government will also invest an additional $386,000 in capital works, taking the total spend on art centres and hubs to $1.2 million in 2007-08. A further $800,000 is funding Building Skills and Opportunities projects in 2007-08. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in far-north Queensland is at the vanguard of art not only in Indigenous art but in art across the world. I have seen Indigenous art in all sorts of places but I can tell members that the art that is coming from the Gab Titui Art Centre in the Torres Strait, the Lockhart River Art Centre, the Aurukun Art Centre and art centres across Cape York is leading the world in Indigenous art and is an absolute vanguard. I thank the minister for the initiatives that he has announced. Question put—That the House do now adjourn. Motion agreed to. The House adjourned at 12.09 am (Friday).

ATTENDANCE

Attwood, Barry, Bligh, Bombolas, Boyle, Choi, Copeland, Cripps, Cunningham, Darling, Dempsey, Dickson, Elmes, English, Fenlon, Finn, Flegg, Foley, Fraser, Gibson, Grace, Gray, Hayward, Hinchliffe, Hobbs, Hoolihan, Hopper, Horan, Jarratt, Johnson, Jones, Keech, Kiernan, Knuth, Langbroek, Lavarch, Lawlor, Lee Long, Lee, Lingard, Lucas, McArdle, McNamara, Male, Menkens, Messenger, Mickel, Miller, Moorhead, Mulherin, Nelson-Carr, Nicholls, Nolan, O’Brien, Palaszczuk, Pitt, Pratt, Purcell, Reeves, Reilly, Reynolds, Rickuss, Roberts, Robertson, Schwarten, Scott, Seeney, Shine, Simpson, Smith, Spence, Springborg, Stevens, Stone, Struthers, Stuckey, Sullivan, van Litsenburg, Weightman, Welford, Wellington, Wells, Wendt, Wettenhall, Wilson