New South Wales

Legislative Assembly

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD)

Fifty-Sixth Parliament First Session

Thursday, 25 May 2017

Authorised by the Parliament of New South Wales

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Documents ...... 1 Auditor-General ...... 1 Reports ...... 1 Bills ...... 1 Protection of the Environment Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2017...... 1 Returned ...... 1 Motions ...... 1 Granville Train Disaster ...... 1 Bills ...... 6 Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017 ...... 6 Second Reading ...... 6 Visitors ...... 12 Visitors ...... 12 Bills ...... 12 Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017 ...... 12 Second Reading ...... 12 Motions ...... 13 Vivid Sydney ...... 13 International Nurses Day ...... 20 Glendale Interchange ...... 22 Visitors ...... 28 Visitors ...... 28 Announcements...... 29 Indigenous Reconciliation ...... 29 Question Time ...... 29 Rail, Tram and Bus Union ...... 29 Hospital Infrastructure ...... 31 Mental Health Services ...... 32 School Zone Flashing Lights ...... 33 Mental Health Institutions Restraints Use ...... 34 State Heritage ...... 35 Anorexia Nervosa Patients ...... 36 Clubgrants Program ...... 37 Public Schools Religious Education and School Ethics Classes ...... 38 Sporting Infrastructure ...... 38 Personal Explanation ...... 40 Social Housing ...... 40 Petitions...... 40 Petitions Received ...... 40 Committees ...... 41 TABLE OF CONTENTS—continuing

Legislation Review Committee...... 41 Report: Legislation Review Digest No. 37/56 ...... 41 Matter of Public Importance ...... 42 "bringing Them Home" Report Twentieth Anniversary ...... 42 Community Recognition Statements ...... 46 Wingham Beef Week Thirtieth Anniversary ...... 46 Olsen Family ...... 46 Sylvania Bulldogs Junior Rugby Club ...... 46 City of Sydney Law Society ...... 47 Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation ...... 47 Surfing Champion Philippa Anderson ...... 47 Tribute to Betty Congreve ...... 47 Walk Safely to School Day ...... 47 North Shore Fire Stations Open Days ...... 48 Sydney Bangladeshi Community ...... 48 Armenian Church ...... 48 State Emergency Service Lachlan Region Awards ...... 48 Kiama Bowling Club ...... 49 Fairfield High School Refugee Expo ...... 49 1st Dural Scout Group Awards ...... 49 Tribute to Magdi Fouad Boulos ...... 49 Manchester Terrorist Attack ...... 50 Mingaletta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation ...... 50 Cronulla Community Events...... 50 Mindaribba Warriors Rugby League Team ...... 50 Green Point Community Centre...... 51 Pak-Aus Engineers Association ...... 51 Hawkesbury Show ...... 51 Country Women's Association ...... 51 Tribute to Boyd Cordner ...... 52 Port Kembla Waratah Flag...... 52 Run2cure Neuroblastoma Event ...... 52 Community Legal Centres NSW ...... 52 Pheasants Nest Produce ...... 52 St Johns Park Anglican Church ...... 53 NSW RSL President James Brown ...... 53 Timorese United Association Incorporated ...... 53 Mosman High School ...... 53 Multiple Sclerosis ...... 53 Council of Australian Palestinians ...... 53 Premier's Community Service Award Recipient Garry Wilbraham ...... 54 Private Members' Statements ...... 54 TABLE OF CONTENTS—continuing

Housing NSW and Liverpool City Council ...... 54 Coffs Harbour Bypass ...... 55 Northern Tablelands Water Supply ...... 56 Hunter Region Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Services ...... 57 Riverstone Festival...... 58 Bus Services Privatisation...... 58 Beekeeping Industry ...... 59 Synthetic Turf Sporting Fields ...... 60 West Wallsend Butterfly Cave...... 60 South Coast Electorate Hospitals ...... 61 Ironwood Mill ...... 62 Plastics Pollution ...... 63 Les Powell School...... 64

Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 1

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 25 May 2017

The SPEAKER (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 10:00. The SPEAKER read the prayer and acknowledgement of country. [Notices of motions given.] Documents AUDITOR-GENERAL Reports The CLERK: In accordance with the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, I announce receipt of a Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General entitled, "Medical equipment management in NSW public hospitals: NSW Health", dated May 2017, received this day and authorised to be printed. Bills PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATION MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS BILL 2017 Returned The SPEAKER: I report receipt of a message from the Legislative Council returning the abovementioned bill without amendment. Motions GRANVILLE TRAIN DISASTER Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing, and Special Minister of State) (10:13): I move: That this House: (1) Notes the fortieth anniversary of the Granville Train Disaster. (2) Notes the apology given to victims, their loved ones and the broader New South Wales community by the Legislative Assembly on 4 May 2017. (3) Commends, in particular, the exemplary efforts of the first responders and recognises the deep and ongoing impact the disaster had upon their lives. I wish to make a few brief remarks in moving this motion. I start by thanking those opposite for their cooperation on matters such as these. It may not always be apparent to the public and the media, who tend to focus on those minutes of sound and fury when our parties clash, but the majority of the many hours of business in this House are conducted in a cooperative and collaborative manner, and this motion is a great example of that. On 4 May I was very moved by the speeches made by the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and the member for Granville. It was a fitting tribute and an important apology that recognised the failures in responding to that episode and gave assurances that we have learned valuable, lifesaving lessons for the future. Good public administration is not about best-case scenarios. It is about hoping for the best but, of course, preparing for the worst. This motion—as was the apology before it—is a pertinent reminder that when disaster and tragedy strike, we want to conduct ourselves in our response in such a way that no apology is necessary in later years. We want to be able to say that we did all we could. No-one expects to have to deal with such a terrible incident on their watch. The first responders going about their jobs that day did not in their worst nightmares expect such a tragedy to unfold. Margaret Warby, a dear friend of my family, was one of the first nurses on the scene. She was rewarded and recognised for her service to the people of New South Wales on that day. I still remember, at the age of seven, being dropped off at David Jones in the city with my sister, who was four, where we waited for my grandparents as my mother spent that day operating and trying to save people's lives at Parramatta hospital. Training, preparation and a culture of resilience have been part and parcel of our first responders since the inception of their organisations. Those men and women who attended the scene in Granville that day showed Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 2

their mettle—indeed, they were heroes. It is a reminder to all of us that such bravery can be demanded of those men and women at any time. In these troubling times, it gives us faith to know that, when disaster strikes, our police, firefighters, ambulance officers—all our emergency service workers—nurses and doctors are heroes in waiting and we can trust them to step up and deliver on the commitment they have made to protect us all. Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (10:16): I wish to make a contribution in support of the Granville train disaster apology motion passed earlier this month in this Parliament and to speak to this motion, which is an acknowledgement of the first responders, adding my voice to the contributions made by the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, the member for Granville and the Leader of the House. I thank each of them for their respective contributions. It is important that I am here today. Memories of 18 January 1977 are etched deep in the minds of many in my community of the Blue Mountains. It was a Mount Victoria service, traversing the breadth of the Blue Mountains. Passengers boarded the train from villages across the region. For them, early that morning, it was just another day—a Blue Mountains service heading into town. As history tells us, 84 people would not come home that night and hundreds more would bear the physical and emotional scars for decades to come. My parliamentary colleagues have touched on the heroic contribution of emergency services personnel, the great human tragedy for the families of those 84 lives cut short, and the enduring pain and trauma for the 213 who were injured. I learned recently that, of those emergency service personnel who attended the scene of the disaster, a great many had come down from the Blue Mountains to assist. On Monday 8 May I sat with Bob Blakemore. He has given me permission to share his story; he wants me to share his story with the Parliament today. In 1971, Bob took over from Sergeant Ken Holmes at Blackheath Police Station. At the time, Blackheath was a one-man station. Sergeant Holmes had moved to Mt Victoria Police Station, one town over—another one-man station. The two officers worked together, covered each other's shifts and generally supported one another in their roles. This was another time in history. There were only two police rescue units in New South Wales—the Sydney unit and the Blue Mountains police search and rescue unit. This was also a time before mobile phones. On the morning of 18 January, Bob received calls from three of the people who were on the train asking him to let their families know they were okay. Bob and his Blue Mountains police colleagues, Sergeant Ernie Sanderson, Sergeant Barry Hodge, Senior Constable Cole Clark and Sergeant Ken Holmes, quickly made the decision to take the police rescue truck, a long wheelbase Land Rover, and a trailer full of tools down to Granville to assist. As we now know, the trains and the tracks were in bad shape. There had been insufficient maintenance and too little money spent over many years leading up to this horrific accident. This was an avoidable accident caused by circumstances we in this place must never allow to recur. As it was a Mount Victoria commuter service, the contingent of Blue Mountains police knew a lot of the people on this train. It was tough on them knowing the names and the faces of those they were rescuing from such a traumatic scene. Alongside the local emergency services personnel attending the scene of the disaster, the Blue Mountains police had to triage victims and prioritise getting people out. These images and memories are never far from Bob's mind. It was only later that Bob would see some of those people on the street in the Blue Mountains and see that they were okay and recovering. But he relives those moments of crawling amongst the wreckage in a confined and dangerous space, two feet high. It was difficult and went on for 2½ days. I am here today to recognise those five Blue Mountains police officers who gave so much over the days of the rescue effort. Only Bob and Ken are still alive but it is important for their families to know that, without the tireless work of these officers, many more would have died in that train wreck. I also pay tribute to their families. As Bob explained to me, his wife Fran had to field calls to the station over the next few days as people called to find out what was happening, who had lived and who had died. She was never recognised for her efforts and she was very much part of the team. In the days and weeks following the disaster, the police simply got back to work. There was no incident debriefing. There was no checking in to see how they were doing. They were simply expected to get on with the job. It is important to consider the psychological effects on the rescuers and the impact they have had on their families over decades. It was not an easy time, and I am sure there have been lasting effects on the officers and their families. Bob's story reflects this. For the commuters on the train, 18 January 1977 was a life-changing event. Many carry physical and psychological injuries resulting from the disaster. I acknowledge another Blue Mountains resident who came to my office a couple of weeks ago: Mr Ronald Bolden of Mount Riverview and his wife, Rhonda. Mr Bolden would have dearly loved to have been part of the apology earlier this month and to have attended the morning tea with Premier Berejiklian that he was invited to. However, he explained to my staff that, due to the post-traumatic stress disorder he has as a result of the crash, he was unable to get onto a train and be part of this important historical occasion. Thanks go to Ron. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 3

One person told me of how the unfolding drama impacted on local hospitals. At Auburn Hospital, for example, the injured were ferried in by ambulance. Doctors, nurses and wardsmen—everyone—pitched in and did whatever was necessary to deal with the unfolding catastrophe. Never before had they seen a disaster of such proportions. I pay tribute to the Blue Mountains residents and the first responders who were part of that fateful day, as well as to their families and friends. I pay tribute to the local police, emergency services staff, fire and rescue workers, ambulance officers, nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers who assisted the many people suffering on that difficult and very tragic day. In addition to the effort of permanent employees of the State's emergency services, there was a monumental effort from volunteer organisations. One such group, the Nepean Rescue Squad, a part of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association, dispatched 16 volunteer members. Their captain at the time, Gerard Buchtmann, helped carry the last survivor from the wreckage. Gerard was a firefighter and volunteer rescuer who would also go on to assist with recovery efforts in the Newcastle earthquake, but he describes Granville as being unlike anything else he has ever seen or experienced. In a tragic coincidence which illustrates the deeply personal nature of the disaster and the interconnectedness of victims, survivors and rescuers, the survivor he had helped pull from the wreckage was a childhood friend of his, Bryan Gordon, also of Emu Plains. Tragically, just two days later Mr Gordon died in hospital from his injuries. I also want to share that in our daily lives often people share with us their innermost thoughts around experiences they have had. Recently at the Lawson Bowling Club, Barry Ward came and sat next to me after he learnt of the apology in this place and told me his story of how he was running late on that day. He did not get into his usual carriage and sit next to the fellow he usually travelled with. He jumped on the last carriage. He lives to tell his story but he lives with the shock of his mate's wife when he had to share the sad news of her husband's passing. Thanks go to Barry. In adding his voice to the apology earlier this month, the Opposition leader, Luke Foley, recounted his conversations with some rescuers and survivors. He painted a stark and confronting picture when he said: Rescuer after rescuer crawled through the crumpled metal and wreckage—splintered wood, jagged concrete—on a blazing hot midsummer's day to find the dead and to rescue the living. People were in agony, some struggling for their last breath amidst the twisted wreckage. Rescuers were naturally fearful for their own lives, but they just kept going. They carried on because that is what they do. I acknowledge and pay my respects to the community of survivors, rescuers and the families and friends of victims. Today's special motion is to acknowledge the first responders. For those who felt forgotten, who are grateful to this Parliament for the apology, I hope this goes some way towards acknowledging their role. Meredith Knight, the secretary of the Granville Train Disaster Association, was just 15 years of age when she lost her father, Bryan Knight, in the accident. I commend Ms Knight for the work she does in building and fostering the community of survivors, rescuers and loved ones. I commend the efforts of the association in agitating for this apology. I also acknowledge the efforts of the late John Hennessy, who passed away in May last year. Mr Hennessy was a driving force behind the annual memorial and had been campaigning for a formal apology from this Parliament in the weeks leading up to his death. With my parliamentary colleagues and on behalf of the Blue Mountains police of that day and their families, I offer a deep and very sincere apology to those people whose lives were forever impacted in Granville that day. The SPEAKER: I congratulate the member for the Blue Mountains on a very heartfelt and moving contribution. Dr GEOFF LEE (Parramatta) (10:28): It has been 40 years since 18 January 1977, the day the Granville train disaster occurred. It has taken 40 years for the New South Wales Government to make a sincere apology to the families, friends, communities and everyone else who was involved in the train disaster. Such tragic days in history leave a mark on the nation for ever; the Granville train disaster was such a day. This day is remembered annually in January, and I have had the privilege of attending many of the commemoration events. I have listened to the stories of the people whose families were involved and the stories of the individuals who were involved. I have heard how the disaster impacted the families, friends and community. At these commemoration events we stand on the new Granville Bridge and still throw roses onto the tracks to remember those who were lost on the day as well as those who suffered as a result of the disaster and who continue to suffer. The effect was felt further afield than Granville and the Western Sydney area; it was felt throughout New South Wales and indeed the nation. On 18 January 1977 the Central-bound commuter train that departed the Blue Mountains at 6:09 a.m. left the rails on the curved approach to Granville station close to 8:10 a.m., hitting the supporting beams of the Bold Street Bridge. An estimated 630-tonne section of the bridge, made of steel and concrete, fell onto the third and fourth carriages. The train held 469 passengers at the time of the accident, fewer than the usual 600 passengers, due to the school holidays. The death and injury toll was as follows: First carriage, 73 passengers, eight killed, Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 4

34 badly injured; second carriage, 64 passengers, no serious injuries; fourth carriage, 64 passengers, 31 deaths. Approximately 5,000 people gathered at the scene, requiring 250 police officers for crowd control. By 1.00 p.m., 2,000 people had donated blood for the injured passengers. The last casualty was released 10 hours after the accident, and the last body was removed on the afternoon of 19 January. The first responders included the police rescue squad, fire brigade, ambulance, emergency medical teams, railway workers and volunteer organisations. The Granville accident site was complicated and highly dangerous due to the unstable concrete slabs and gas leakages. The rescue workers showed a degree of bravery to assist injured passengers despite the threat to their lives. Two months prior to the accident, rescue and response agencies had been involved in a simulated emergency exercise with a similar number of casualties. Apart from this exercise, there had been very little rehearsed coordination between rescue agencies. Despite no common radio network on site, the rescue operation proceeded well. Immediately following the accident there was a departmental inquiry, a coroner's inquest and a royal commission. The accident was found to have been caused by long-term failures in rail maintenance. The Wran Government immediately invested $200 million in rail maintenance over the next five years. It is important to note that when we travel on the transport network today, 40 years after the Granville train disaster, we take the safety of our transport network for granted. I pay tribute to all the people involved in maintaining the New South Wales transport network for their dedication to making commuting safe. We know how important it is for commuters to get to work safely and, more importantly, to get home safely at the end of the working day. I recognise all the dedicated staff of Transport for NSW for all their hard work to keep the network going and to keep it safe. To assist with the heavy lifting and cutting required at the Granville train disaster site, equipment was brought from Castlereagh Street in the Sydney central business district. The delay in getting the equipment to the site and shortage of equipment made the rescue difficult and more dangerous. Today almost all fire trucks in New South Wales have lifting and cutting equipment as standard. Modern-day State Emergency Service and other emergency and rescue personnel are much better trained and equipped. We have learned lessons from the Granville incident and other disasters. We are now equipped to take a better coordinated and more proactive approach to such incidents. Times have changed since that disaster, and we have learned valuable lessons in how to deal with the aftermath of such disasters. In the 1970s, the effects of post-traumatic stress were not well known or routinely treated. The Granville disaster was a catalyst for the development of peer support and the critical incident debrief system. One recommendation from the Health department was included in the New South Wales health emergency management plan, where social workers are located in morgues to provide support to next of kin when a disaster occurs. In July 2016 NSW Ambulance launched a register to record staff involved in significant, sensitive or multiple traumatic events so that they can receive early intervention and targeted support. The Granville disaster was the first time that a significant crush syndrome was seen in Australia, where a person's release from under heavy objects can result in renal failure and death. The knowledge gained from the aftermath of the Granville disaster resulted in a change to rescue procedures that is now followed by agencies during these kinds of incidents. Following the Granville disaster, Sydney Trains implemented a range of changes. These included significant investment in track system upgrades, maintenance, bridge renewals and inspections. There are a number of bridges in the network where the loading is not calculated—this does not include the Granville Bridge—and this was scheduled to be addressed by January 2017. Sydney trains are designed to maximise crash-worthiness including features that keep trains upright in a derailment and carriages that can withstand the force of foreseeable crash scenarios. The Granville disaster has left scars on the families of those who lost loved ones; they will have been forever marked by that day. It is important to remember the personal accounts of those who were affected by the Granville train disaster. The member for Blue Mountains and other members have recounted their stories in this place. Reflecting upon some of those personal stories demonstrates the gravity of the disaster and its impact upon individual families and the community. We have heard the stories of survivors like Mr White, who was only present due to a decision to switch trains on his way to work in order to get to the office on time. His legs were crushed when he was trapped for hours, but he was one of only 11 people in his carriage to survive. We also heard the story of Philip Pitkin, who said he made a quick decision and jumped out of the carriage: … everything came straight down and I was hanging upside down for the next three-and-a-half hours. …I was only trapped from the ankle down and my foot was completely crushed and my third toe disintegrated and my hip was completely pulled out of the socket. The member for Blue Mountains recounted the story of Meredith Knight, who lost her father in the Granville train disaster when she was just 15 years old. I join the member for Blue Mountains in paying tribute to Meredith Knight as the dedicated and hardworking secretary of the Granville Train Disaster Association. It was great to Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 5

meet Meredith at the morning tea. Retired police officer Bill Cox was one of the first police on site at the Granville train disaster. He recalls arriving to see people desperately trying to stop a car, hanging over the side of the bridge, from falling down onto the train. Once they said they were alright, he jumped down onto the tracks and did what he could. He remained at the crash site for hours. Many other personal stories exemplify the disaster and its impact upon those families and individuals who lost loved ones. One that especially resonates with me is the story of Keith McGowan, who recalled that he always used to sit in the last carriage of the train. For some reason he could not explain, he saw an image of a train crash, with the last two carriages standing on the tracks and the rest of the train wrecked in front of it. That morning he opted to sit in the second last carriage, as the last carriage was for smokers and he was riding with a friend, Marcia Marcini, who detested the smell of smoke. In an article in the Herald-Sun, he said: "We went through Parramatta and came through the swing into the Granville area and the train gently stopped. Three distinct, soft stops." McGowan peered from the carriage and saw the overpass had fallen. "I jumped off the train and I remember looking down and seeing the wheels were off the track," he said. He scrambled across multiple sets of tracks, up an embankment, through a corrugated iron fence and up to a nearby employment office to phone his wife and tell her what had happened and that he was okay. Only then did he realise the extent of the disaster. He crossed the road, went to the front of the train and looked down. He could not believe what he saw: The locomotive was on its side, the carriages were split open and people were everywhere. Then he walked back to the employment office and made a number of phone calls. Survivors and those affected by the Granville train disaster say "the grievous decisions and actions of the governments of the 1970s … led to Australia's worst preventable rail disaster, and the resulting injustices perpetrated on those directly impacted, can never be erased". An apology is more than a set of words. This apology comes four decades after that devastating day. The New South Wales Government and the New South Wales Parliament as a whole have come together to say sorry. We recognise the impacts that the Granville train disaster had and continues to have on all those involved. It is our hope that by finally saying sorry we can help the first responders and the families of those lost and injured in body and mind by the disaster on their journey towards healing. On that day, 83 lives were cut short and thus began the horrible chapter in our State's history and our nation's story. [Extension of time] Another 213 people on board were injured, many trapped in crumpled carriages for hours. I acknowledge the thousands of Sydneysiders who volunteered to help victims. Inquiries into the Granville rail disaster found that the accident was a result of poor maintenance on the rail line. A significant commitment was made at the time to invest in safety on the rail system—a commitment that continues to this day. I recognise the work of the Granville Train Disaster Association, whose tireless efforts to bringing healing culminated in this Parliament finally saying sorry to those whose lives were changed that day. We also say sorry for the way in which they were treated in the hours and days after the disaster, when due care was not taken to offer compassion for victims and where many felt that their grief was compounded by indifference. If there is one positive thing that came from that day, it is compulsory training and awareness of how people should be treated after a terrible tragedy such as that. Forty years on, while we cannot undo the years of hurt, we can say a heartfelt sorry to those who lost their families and to all those who can never forget that day. I cite a letter that was sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, by Matthew Morris, reflecting his views regarding the apology to victims of the Granville train disaster. It sums up the feelings of the people most impacted by the disaster. His father, William Morris, was one of the 83 killed on 17 January. Matthew Morris reflects on the profound effect it had on his mother, himself, his two brothers and his extended but very close family. His father was 47 years old and had just celebrated his twenty-fourth wedding anniversary the day before the accident. Dad commuted from Leura to the CBD every day and was involved in some commuter group activities to lobby for improved transport links from the Blue Mountains to the City. Somehow, a few weeks before the tragedy, he managed to ride in the cabin of the locomotive one morning. As the train passed over the points at Granville the train rocked alarmingly and the Driver exclaimed "There is going to be something shocking happen here one day soon!". How right he was. Mr Morris's mother passed away in July 2015, aged 83. She spent 38 years in which a day did not pass that she did not miss and grieve for his father. Although she was never formally diagnosed, it was quite apparent that his mother suffered from depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder for all those years, as does Mr Morris. His letter continues: I vividly recall my mother screaming and sobbing with distress during the nights (weeks, months and years) following the event. I cannot begin to describe to you how distressing this was (and the memory still is). Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 6

Mum did receive a settlement for "Nerve Shock" at the time (thanks to some strong legal representation and quite a bitter fight) and this helped her to live in relative physical comfort. Notwithstanding that settlement, there was virtually nothing provided for my brothers and I. My younger brother received a small amount (apx $1,000) in recognition that he was still a dependant and in his final years at University and this amount was included in Mum's settlement. There was no psychological or psychiatric support provided at the time, and no counselling and support. Mr Morris points out that today counselling and support are provided in the aftermath of disasters, which may be a welcome development that has arisen from Granville. Mr Morris's letter continues: When I attended a court hearing to support my mother, my presence was questioned by a Barrister who said: "What are you doing here? There is nothing in this for you." (And he was representing us!) A comment which was mildly upsetting at the time and quite ignorant of the fact that I have now been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD symptoms for many years. My older brother (Tim), who had to undergo the trauma of identifying our father's body, received no compensation in any form. Although he has never sought any assistance or treatment, I have noticed that he was, and I am sure, continues to be severely impacted by that experience. I recall that when Tim was taken to identify Dad's body, it was late at night, there was a sudden knock on the door by Police officers. Tim was gathered into a Police car, whizzed off to the Morgue and back again within an hour or so. I am sure that the Police were doing their best in very difficult circumstances, but I recall Tim saying that he has never travelled so fast in car in his life! This letter shows the gravity of the effects of the Granville train disaster. It is through such personal stories that one can appreciate the extent of the impact upon individuals' lives and the impact upon their families, friends and the community. Today we give a deep and heartfelt apology. It should have come sooner; we acknowledge it is 40 years too late. Debate adjourned. Bills PUBLIC HEALTH (MEDICINAL CANNABIS) BILL 2017 Second Reading Debate resumed from 9 March 2017. Mr BRAD HAZZARD (Wakehurst—Minister for Health, and Minister for Medical Research) (10:50): The use of medicinal cannabis is something that both sides of the House would like to see progressed as quickly as possible for those who may benefit. The difference in approach between the New South Wales Labor Party in Opposition and the Liberal-Nationals in Government is that the Government wants to rely on the scientific evidence based approach which is recommended by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, the Chief Health Officer for New South Wales and scientists generally. Recently I attended a conference held at the Museum of Sydney entitled "The International Forum on Medicinal Cannabis". The conference was attended by international experts, scientists from Israel, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and New Zealand. Professor Mary O'Kane, the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, and director of the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research and Innovation was also in attendance, as was Dr Kerry Chant, the Chief Health Officer from the NSW Ministry of Health. The conference was attended by many experts, specialists and scientists, including: Professor Arnon Afek, the Associate Director General of the Israel Ministry of Health; Yuval Landshaft, director of the Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency; Professor Werner Knoss from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Germany; and Andrea Budgell, Manager, Regulatory Development, Cannabis Legalization, Regulation Secretariat in Canada. I invited the Hon. Adam Searle, MLC, a member of the State Labor Party, to attend. The invitation was late and unfortunately he was unable to attend; however, I believe he had subsequent meetings with some of the experts. This should be a bipartisan issue and I am a little disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition has introduced this bill, perhaps with the right intent but certainly the wrong outcome. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, which I do not normally do. Mr Luke Foley: I won't give you the benefit of the doubt. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: That is the sort of juvenile response I would have expected from the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Luke Foley: It was bipartisan until you took the portfolio, Brad. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: I gave him the benefit of the doubt and now he is behaving like a juvenile, so I take away the benefit. I will give it to the other members opposite though because fortunately the Leader of the Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 7

Opposition has more mature members behind him. Members should understand that those whom we are reaching out to here are reliant on us as legislators to give guidance and advice based on a scientific, evidence-based approach with clinical trials that give certainty. After having conversations with them, I do not think the bill is supported by all Opposition members. Many of them are very capable and intelligent people who understand the science and the necessity to make sure that individuals are safeguarded against the dangers of inappropriate use of marijuana. As I understand it, the Opposition bill has three essential objectives. First—which is not mentioned in the bill—is the opportunistic approach of the Leader of the Opposition who, as we heard from his outburst a few minutes ago, cannot contain himself even when people are being somewhat generous to him. His first objective is pure opportunism. It is to take advantage of those who are desperate and think that a product may—it may not— give them some assistance. We all understand that because it would be easy to move forward and say yes, everyone can use cannabis no matter where it is produced, whether it comes with pesticides or poisons, no matter what the level of tetrahydrocannabinol is in the product, and no matter what implications it may have in the longer term. That is not what the Government, the scientists and the clinicians think is appropriate. Beyond the purely opportunistic political advantages that the politically opportunistic Leader of the Opposition has taken, the bill also formally seeks to establish a registration scheme for medicinal users of cannabis and their carers. It seeks to enable regulations to be made establishing a scheme of authorities for cultivating cannabis plants, manufacturing cannabis, supplying cannabis for the use of registered medicinal users, and to protect registered medicinal users and carers and those acting under authorities under the regulations from criminal liability. The Government's view is that each of those three objectives is either already being met through a more appropriate set of arrangements under the Government, guided by the Chief Scientist and Engineer, and the Chief Health Officer, or they are not appropriate. The Leader of the Opposition stated: This bill seeks to decriminalise the use and possession of cannabis for medicinal purposes. It is about restoring dignity to people with terminal illness or serious medical condition… The Government, together with the scientists and clinicians, wants to ensure the dignity and the opportunities for people with a terminal illness or a serious medical condition are safeguarded, but this bill does not do that. This bill fails to recognise that there is already a registration scheme for terminally ill users of medicinal cannabis that also permits up to three carers to be appropriately registered. It was set up by this Liberal-Nationals Government, not by the Labor Government that was here for 16 years and did absolutely nought on this topic. The Medicinal Cannabis Compassionate Use Scheme, which was originally known as the Terminal Illness Cannabis Scheme, is managed by the New South Wales Department of Justice. The scheme gives New South Wales police the discretion not to charge registered, terminally ill patients or their carers for cannabis use or possession. I understand from the Chief Scientist and Engineer, Professor Mary O'Kane, that that scheme is working appropriately and in April 2017 when she reported to the Premier she indicated that there was no apparent reason to change the scheme. Perhaps the main failing in what the Leader of the Opposition is proposing is that currently in New South Wales there is no legally produced marijuana or cannabis; it is illegal. Of course, as most members would be aware from general, or even specific, knowledge, it can be produced in a variety of circumstances, some of which can be extremely deleterious. Cannabis can have hugely varying levels of tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]—the psychoactive hallucinogenic component. People could decide to grow it in their backyard without any horticultural experience and unwittingly use extremely dangerous substances, such as pesticides. We must also weigh up whether someone is terminally ill. That is the purpose of the compassionate use scheme that the Government developed with, as I understood at the time, Opposition support. Someone might be terminally ill and they might want to use an illegal product which has not been grown in controlled circumstances and which may have particularly deleterious results. It is a matter of weighing up the circumstances; where do we go with that? As I said, with the Government driving the agenda, and with Opposition support at the time, it was determined that if someone were terminally ill, it would be their decision. Hopefully it would be an informed decision because it may have negative consequences. In order to use the product and to be part of the scheme, the person must be terminally ill. Clearly, the logic is that it is challenging and that there is scientific evidence about its impact. However, on balance, a terminally ill person should be allowed to make that decision. Again, as I said, that is something that the Opposition and the Liberal-Nationals agreed upon because of the lack of scientific evidence available at that time—and that is still true—and the lack of clinical outcomes. Given that, it was determined that a compassionate use scheme would be appropriate. The Opposition's bill seeks to extend the arrangement previously agreed upon to non-terminally ill patients. That is a very different situation. It would be extremely dangerous if people were able to use a product with an unknown level of THC. In addition, the product is not currently legally grown in Australia under any controlled circumstances. Therefore, one can assume— Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 8

Ms Liesl Tesch: It is grown in Victoria. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: That is not correct. The member should listen. Victoria is moving in that direction. The cannabis or marijuana must be produced in controlled circumstances so that we have a very clear evidence-based, scientific understanding of the impacts of the THC. For that reason, this part of the bill is not only inappropriate but also extremely dangerous. The Leader of the Opposition said that his bill deals with people being able to grow marijuana in New South Wales. That is completely inappropriate and unnecessary, because Australia signed up to the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires countries to take a national approach to the production of marijuana and cannabis. The Leader of the Opposition's bill goes against an international convention to which Australia is a signatory. He also jumped the gun with his political outburst at the beginning of my contribution to this debate when I was attempting to deal with this in a reasonable and generous manner, in that I was giving him some benefit of the doubt with regard to his reasons for introducing this bill. That approach is being developed by the Federal Government in concert with the New South Wales Government and other State governments. New South Wales was granted the first licence to produce marijuana in controlled circumstances, which will allow it to address the risks that I mentioned. Ms Liesl Tesch: It is happening in Gosford. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: Is the member indicating that it will happen in Gosford as part of the first stage of this process? Ms Liesl Tesch: Yes. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: It is fabulous that the Central Coast will be involved. I had heard that was the case, but I did not know that it was already happening. That is good news. I was in Western Australia a couple of weeks ago having discussions about hospitals and so on when I was made aware that the Federal Government had announced that that State would be given the second licence to produce cannabis in controlled circumstances so that it can be made safe for users. New South Wales is leading the way in Australia in terms of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. As I said, we started out with a bipartisan approach predicated on a sensible, scientific, evidence-based approach, while also understanding the drive and the urgency that some people who are suffering from terminal illnesses feel about the use of cannabis. The Government is trying to strike a balance. The Leader of the Opposition is also reflecting the pressure that is being applied. It is easy in opposition to push an issue because members know that they will not win, but they are playing games with people's lives. At the conference that I referred to earlier, the first speaker, an Israeli, spoke about the pressure being placed on governments to legalise marijuana or cannabis and indicated that they have bowed to that pressure and have moved ahead of the scientific evidence and clinical outcomes. That is not appropriate. Every State government in Australia is struggling with this issue. We are all on one page in terms of trying to move forward by taking a scientific, evidence-based approach. At meetings I have had with Ministers around the country—some of whom are Labor Ministers—there has been an understanding that we must get this right, and that we should not be jumping the gun, which is what this bill proposes. Having said that, I understand why people feel those pressures. New South Wales has been doing a great deal and, until the introduction of this bill, with bipartisan support. The Government has established and provided $12 million in funding for the Centre for Medicinal Research, which is examining cannabis to ensure that we can move ahead with various clinical trials. Another $9 million has been provided for clinical trials over four years. The Department of Primary Industries has been given another $1 million to examine cultivation research in a high security facility under strict protocols. The Government is trying to move as quickly as possible but in a logical and sensible way. I add, for completeness of the discussion, that in addition to the compassionate use scheme to which I referred earlier where people who have a terminal illness can register their use of cannabis and police will not exercise their capacity to charge them, there are three further clinical trials in relation to the use of cannabis. When I say clinical trials, I am talking about the use of imported products. As yet, cannabidiol-based products or products that can be used to treat the symptoms of people with cancer, for example, or those who are at the end stage of their life are not produced in this country. One of the clinical trials being conducted relates to the terminally ill; the second trial relates to people who suffer nausea and vomiting; and the third trial relates to children who suffer badly from the consequences of epilepsy. Some children can fit up to 200, 300, 400 times a day. Ms Liesl Tesch: It is working. Mr BRAD HAZZARD: The honourable member for Gosford has said that it is working. In fact, the evidence is not there yet. I say to the honourable member for Gosford that that is the danger. Taking anecdotal Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 9

evidence from people who think that a product is giving them relief is not the same as taking a broad-based population, scientifically evidence-based approach. That is where we have to be very careful, although I respect the member and her enthusiasm for the topic. Of the 40 children who are currently on the trial, quite a few, as I understand it, are reporting benefits, as the honourable member for Gosford says, and others are not. When I recently met with the manufacturer of the product in the United States, on behalf of the people of New South Wales in my capacity as the Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research, I asked whether it would be possible for us to extend the trial and to obtain more of the product for these young children. As I understand it, that is looking favourable, although I will be talking to the Chief Health Officer to obtain an update. In summary, there is a lot happening in New South Wales but I understand the frustration. That was evident at meetings I have had with people who have seen their loved ones in difficult, challenging and horrible circumstances. I met with Lucy Haslam, whose son Dan passed away. Lucy was invited to the conference I referred to earlier that was held at the Museum of Sydney. She has heard the scientific evidence and she has seen up close and personal what happens to a loved one. The challenge for us as a government is to be able to say to the population that the scientific evidence is there, the clinical trials are in, and we can verify that the product is safe and appropriate and has medical approval. It has been repeated to me over the many years that I have had a close association with medical practitioners as well as in my last four months as health Minister that medical practitioners will never do anything that will harm their patients. They must be completely satisfied with the clinical evidence and the science so that when they write a prescription for their patient they do no harm and preferably, of course, they benefit them. That is our challenge. The New South Wales Government is working with the other State and Territory governments. As I said, most of the State Labor governments have the view that each State should take action within its own State. But we also need to work together within the national framework in order to achieve the most positive outcome for patients. My words have been misquoted in the press and a view has been taken that Brad Hazzard as the health Minister of New South Wales is totally opposed to the use of cannabis. That is not the case. However, I, as health Minister, have to be able to recommend to the Government that the medical use of cannabis, in its various forms with the appropriate removal of the psychoactive substance, is safe and appropriate. Based on the advice that I have received from the Chief Scientist and Engineer, Mary O'Kane, and the Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, at this stage I cannot say to the population of the State that it is safe to use the product that is currently available in New South Wales, which, more often than not, is produced illegally. At a recent function I attended in Western Sydney, a young mum came up to me and asked whether her child could be put on the epilepsy trial. I told her that it was a possibility but asked whether she had spoken to her specialist. She said that she had. I said, "Is your child fitting a great deal each day?" The number of times that was happening was certainly not in the hundreds, from what she indicated. I asked her, "Do you have faith in your medical practitioner, your specialist?" She said, "I do." I said, "If your medical practitioner thinks it will be of benefit, then we will do all we can to get your child onto the trial." I am not a medical expert or a clinician who can make those decisions—nor is any member of Parliament, I might add—but I will facilitate the discussion between medical practitioners if it is appropriate. This young mum's answer to me effectively was that she had spoken to her medical practitioner and her medical practitioner did not think it was advantageous or appropriate. People may think that a product is appropriate and there may be anecdotal evidence that it might help— indeed, there are instances where people, probably on a sound basis, say "This helped me"—but there is no guarantee that it will be of benefit to everybody. There can be negative consequences if we head off and buy a product that is given to us as a prescribed drug but has not been assayed and assessed. New South Wales is leading the way in the nation and Australia is leading the way globally. The researchers came to Australia to take part in the forum because they believe what we are doing is at the cutting edge. But they all have the same issue. Based on what was presented at that conference and, indeed, in my broader readings as the health Minister, there is no adequate research anywhere in the world. I take this issue seriously. If we can import or produce here appropriate cannabis products that are safe and the outcomes are scientifically and evidence based, I as the health Minister, and the Government, will back them. This legislation does not provide for that. It jumps to the most simplistic level. I am sure that members who will speak to this bill will have serious, substantial viewpoints. I hope that each of them, as they present their views, will not be as simplistic or as juvenile as the Leader of the Opposition was when I was trying, in the opening part of this debate, to make an effort to be generous and bipartisan in how we deal with such a sensitive topic. Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer Hill) (11:19): I support the Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017. I start by thanking the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this bill before the Parliament. This bill seeks to decriminalise the use and possession of cannabis for medicinal purposes. It extends to those who are experiencing unimaginable suffering and pain some temporary respite, some dignity and some basic human compassion. The Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 10

bill adopts key principles from the 2013 New South Wales Legislative Council inquiry and principally protects medicinal cannabis users and their carers from prosecution under criminal laws. It amends the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 and the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 to allow for a registration scheme for users of medicinal cannabis and their carers. The bill clearly sets out and defines those able to access the scheme, including those suffering from "an illness or condition that is likely to result in death within a reasonably foreseeable period". It also extends access to the scheme to those with "a serious illness or condition that is likely to result, or to continue to result, in a significant reduction in the person's quality of life". The bill sets parameters around the way that cannabinoids are administered, including limiting the amount of medicinal cannabis a user is able to carry and outlawing the administration of medicinal cannabis in public spaces. The bill places responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the scheme under the Public Health Act 2010—firmly where it belongs. Importantly, it provides a regulatory framework that allows for the production, storage and supply of medicinal cannabis. This ensures a lawful supply chain so that a compassionate use scheme is not an abstract or theoretical privilege but a practical right for those most in need. Lawful supply continues to pose a significant obstacle to registrants under the existing Medicinal Cannabis Compassionate Use program, which the Minister for Health referred to earlier. Herein lies the difficulty that we confront. The Opposition's bill is a sensible and compassionate bill that will change the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our community at the most challenging and confronting times in their lives. Since the Government announced the commencement of its trials, my office has received a number of requests for constituents to be added to the Medicinal Cannabis Compassionate Use Scheme. I have been proud to assist them to do so and I thank the office of the Attorney General for dealing with the applications efficiently and professionally. The first constituent that I assisted was a young man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a life expectancy of only a few short months. He was in the process of receiving chemotherapy and other treatments which left him nauseous, dizzy and exhausted. In the final months of his life, faced with gruelling treatments and debilitating illness, medicinal cannabis offered relief from his pain and suffering. It also offered something far more precious than that; it offered him the stamina and strength to spend time with his wife and young children. As soon as my office was able to assist with registering him for the compassionate use scheme, another problem immediately presented itself: supply. How could he find the cannabis he had been granted permission to use? After working through the process of researching and applying to register for the scheme, and after being offered hope once he was approved, yet again he hit a brick wall. In the final months of his life, he and his family have been left with the uncertainty of not knowing how to access cannabis. This legislation seeks to dismantle that wall. If we are to legislate a truly compassionate use scheme, together in this place we must go further than simply establishing a scheme; we must also legislate for a legal chain of supply. We must not leave sufferers in legal limbo or leave them without the means to access the cannabinoids we have allowed them to use. A second constituent of mine is an elderly gentlemen. He has had a rough go of things and is also living with a terminal cancer diagnosis. His prognosis is longer than the young man in my previous example but he is facing years of incapacitating illness. For him, whilst the need for medicinal cannabis is less urgent than in my first example, access to medicinal cannabis is a matter of quality of life. That is what many people here today are talking about. Cancer Care has noted that a large number of studies show that medicinal cannabis can assist cancer patients with pain management; relief from neuropathy, which can often be characterised by weakness, numbness, tingling, or the sensation of burning in the hands, feet or limbs; nausea and vomiting, the side effects of chemotherapy; anorexia, the loss of appetite; and muscle wasting. Some studies even report that medicinal cannabis may slow or stop the growth of certain tumours. While this needs further interrogation, it is clear that a scheme such as the one Labor is proposing provides the best opportunity for the study and observation of the ways medicinal cannabis can assist patients. While elements of the Minister's contribution to this debate were very worthy and poignant, his dominant, overarching approach was cautious, which causes opportunities to be missed and results in these people being left in limbo. Our bill places responsibility for the enforcement and administration of the scheme in the Public Health Act 2010. This is the best way to ensure that the scheme is properly managed and that it will yield the strongest results, in terms of individual patient care and also with respect to medical research. The bill empowers the Secretary of the Department of Health to review and, if needed, revoke licenses and registrations if there is clear evidence of misuse. It is just one of the very sensible safeguards built into the bill. Others include the requirement that medical cannabis not be administered in a public place and that restrictions be placed on the amount of cannabis that can be possessed. These measures place the proposed scheme within the current framework by which we manage illicit drug use. As debate continues about the best way to Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 11

manage illicit drugs, there should be room to evolve these restrictions. Proposing a statutory review to the legislation in three years is sensible. In March this year, I had the great privilege to meet with Lucy Haslam, a nurse, mother and probably reluctant activist from Tamworth. She is one of the most formidable and inspirational women I have met. Faced with the horror of her son's cancer diagnosis, she set about doing what any mother would do—helping him in whatever way she possibly could. Helping her son snowballed into lobbying the New South Wales Government and organising Australia's first Medicinal Cannabis Symposium in Tamworth in 2014. She has been instrumental in advancing the progress of a medicinal cannabis scheme in New South Wales and I take a moment to honour her, her husband, her daughter and, of course, her son Daniel, who passed away in 2015. This bill stands on the shoulders of Lucy Haslam's great work and many other prominent activists and individuals who share their personal stories with us regularly. They have motivated many of us to become involved in this issue—to study it and to take a less cautious approach than the one explained by the Minister for Health. Instead, the Opposition members have looked at the lead of other jurisdictions, overseas and in this country. Some of my colleagues have indicated that other States are leading New South Wales on this issue. We have an opportunity right now, with this bill. It is offered in the same spirit as Lucy's activism—a powerful drive to be compassionate and pragmatic about the needs of the most vulnerable. I urge all those in this House to set aside the politics and to vote in favour of this historic bill. I commend the bill to the House. Mr KEVIN ANDERSON (Tamworth) (11:28): I oppose the Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017, and I will detail why I cannot support it. I represent the electorate of Tamworth. In early 2014 I was asked to attend a meeting with members of a well-respected family—they were Lucy and Lou Haslam. At that time Lucy was a registered nurse and a community advocate on a number of areas including aged care and health care at home, and her husband, Lou, was a highly respected retired police officer. At that meeting they said, "We have got something to tell you." They did not know how to tell me that their son was using cannabis—he was obtaining cannabis to manage the pain associated with his cancer treatments. Prior to 2014 I was involved in fundraising activities in Tamworth to raise money for Dan Haslam. The family and the community rallied to supported this young man to try to find ways to cure the cancer that he had and, ultimately, manage the pain, nausea and vomiting associated with the cancer and the chemotherapy treatments. The Haslam family travelled the world looking for a cure for Dan. They rode a rollercoaster of emotions—immense highs and immense lows. They clutched glimmers of hope when they travelled overseas to Germany thinking they may have found a cure for Dan's condition, only to be plunged back into the dark depths of despair when that did not work. Several other treatments and options were put forward but none was able to cure Dan of his terminal illness. In the process of Dan's cancer treatment, insurmountable pain needed to be managed. Conventional medicines were not able to keep up with his pain management needs. The family subsequently turned to cannabis to alleviate the nausea, vomiting and pain. The medicinal cannabis that Dan was using and experimenting with helped provide him with a quality of life so that he could continue in his battle against cancer. It provided him with enough quality of life that he gained weight and was able to eat and perform normal functions during the day, such as returning to the gym to gain strength and become fit again to battle the next round of cancer treatment. Sadly, that battle was lost. Dan Haslam passed away at the age of 25 on 24 February 2015. The Haslams are friends of my family and I know them well. We have been with them every step of the way. In early 2014 I invited the Haslam family to Sydney to meet with then Premier Mike Baird. I introduced the Haslam family to Mike Baird and we sat in his office. Mike listened to Dan's story. From that moment on, then Premier Mike Baird decided that we needed to do something. We needed to look at how to help people with a terminal illness enjoy a quality of life as they approach their final days. That meeting triggered not only a State conversation but a national conversation. From there, the State Government undertook to look at how to get medicinal cannabis into the lives of others to assist them, manage pain and provide a quality of life, so that they may be able to have some dignity as they suffer with a terminal illness. I have read the Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017 put forward by the Leader of the Opposition. It is strikingly familiar. I am familiar with much of it, but there are many parts of this bill with which I cannot agree. I will have much more to say about this in due course. This bill allows for children to be included in those who can use medicinal cannabis. The bill defines "terminal or serious medical condition" as: a serious illness or condition that is likely to result, or to continue to result, in a significant reduction of the person's quality of life (whether from the symptoms of the illness or condition or from treatment for the symptoms of the illness or condition). There is no control. There are no boundaries. As we have found since we started this conversation, when somebody has a debilitating illness or a serious condition, they think that medicinal cannabis is the answer. It may be the answer for them, but it may not be the answer for others. I do not believe that a child should be able to access Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 12

medicinal cannabis when the application is made by the parents or guardians of that child. This bill defines a child as being anyone under the age of 18. The bill lists nine medical conditions. It states: …without limiting subsection (1), a person will be taken to suffer from a terminal or serious medical condition if the person suffers from any of the following … In terms of the boundaries of this bill, how can it say that those nine conditions are the only ones that will be able to be treated? For applications made on behalf of a child by their parents or guardians, how do they know that that child needs to be treated with medical cannabis in particular? Also, general practitioners may or may not be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis. It is also unknown how it interacts with other drugs. This bill is far too broad. Part 3 states: (2) Without limiting subsection (1), the regulations may provide … for: (a) the granting of licences, permits or other authorities for the activities … So can anyone do it? Which authority are they talking about granting a licence to? It is way too broad—it has no definition of what we are trying to achieve in New South Wales—particularly with the quantities being stated in the bill. This is an opportunistic bill which prays on people who are desperate for help. I cannot commend this bill to the House. [Business interupted.] Visitors VISITORS The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I welcome to the gallery the Hon. Seule Simeon, the Minister for Youth and Sports Training and Development in the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu, and guest of the member for Wagga Wagga. I spent about two weeks in magnificent Vanuatu, which I really enjoyed. I guarantee that the coconut crabs are to die for. Bills PUBLIC HEALTH (MEDICINAL CANNABIS) BILL 2017 Second Reading [Business resumed.] Ms PRUE CAR (Londonderry) (11:39): It would be an understatement for me to say that I am very proud to be speaking in debate on Labor's Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2017. I believe we will all remember contributing to this landmark debate in New South Wales politics. As we have heard, this bill decriminalises the use and possession of cannabis for medicinal purposes. As my colleagues on this side of the Chamber have noted, at its heart this bill is about restoring dignity to people who need the slight respite that medicinal cannabis offers from often relentless suffering. In the debate so far we have heard that members of this Chamber are not medical professionals, and that is definitely the case. However, we are lawmakers and it is incumbent upon us as lawmakers to use our position to help people who most need help by relaxing laws and decriminalising the use of medicinal cannabis. I do not know how any member can stand in this Chamber in good conscience, put their hand on their heart and say that they will vote against this bill. Shame on them; history will show them to have been on the wrong side of this debate. This bill implements recommendations of a 2013 upper House committee inquiry into the use of cannabis for medical purposes. These recommendations were unanimously supported by members of five political parties. However, the use of cannabis for medical purposes has suddenly been turned into a political issue by the current Government, particularly the current Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard. In my contribution I will talk about the additional parts of this Labor legislation that cover not just terminal illnesses but serious illnesses or medical conditions that lead to serious reduction in quality of life. These illnesses or conditions are epilepsy, HIV, motor neurone disease—which is often covered in the media—stiff person syndrome, treatment-resistant nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, pain associated with cancer, neuropathic pain and any other illness or condition included by regulation. I will focus on multiple sclerosis [MS] because of my experience with this illness. It is incumbent upon me, as a person who has known many hundreds of people living this terrible illness, to say that I am proud to vote for this legislation because it will make their lives a little better. For many years I worked for an organisation that advocates for people living with MS. This illness affects 23,000 people in Australia and more than two million Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 13

people worldwide. The average age of diagnosis is 30, and three times as many women as men suffer from this illness. The average person living with this illness in New South Wales is a 30-year-old woman. Most sufferers of MS have an instance of this disease known as relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, a type that comes and goes. I will explain the suffering of people with this illness for the benefit of members who might not know much about it. People with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis might wake up every couple of months unable to walk, or they might wake up one day with impaired vision. Symptoms of this illness can include an uncontrollable tremor or a burning feeling through one side of the body. This feeling that one side of the body is on fire is brought on by the scarring of the myelin sheath around nerves in the central nervous system, sometimes in the spinal cord and sometimes in the brain. I have many friends still working in the multiple sclerosis space and many friends with the illness. They impressed upon me that one of the things people with MS can do to relieve their symptoms, which many of the conventional medications do not relieve, is to smoke cannabis, which is illegal. They need relief from pain and other symptoms such as a constant tremor. I have met many sufferers of MS in the past decade. As recently as yesterday I spoke to people living with this illness. They have impressed upon me that one of the only things they can do to live a normal life, despite the unpredictability of this disease, means that they are treated as criminals. Today is our chance in this place to say that they are not criminals because they want to live a normal life. I do not know how anyone in this Chamber will be able to say, in 10 or 20 years, that they voted against giving people a chance to live a normal life. One of these people might be a 30-year-old woman living with multiple sclerosis who wants to raise her young children while pursuing her career. She could be suffering from incredible burning or an uncontrollable tremor but, if she takes the advice of other people living with this illness and illegally obtains this drug, she is treated as a criminal under our current law. As a lawmaker I will stand in this place and say that I support her right to live a normal life. Contributors to this debate have said that there is not enough evidence to back up the relaxation of laws on medicinal cannabis. We know that there have been trials worldwide into the use of cannabis for illnesses like multiple sclerosis. Parts of the cannabis drug are already in medications approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme [PBS]. These drugs are being taken by sufferers of illnesses like MS—Sativex, for instance, has been approved by the PBS. Science backs up the medicinal use of cannabis and history will show that we on this side of the Chamber are on the right side of this issue. Surely five political parties in 2013 were not all wrong in recommending the use of medicinal cannabis. I will back the use of medicinal cannabis, because I know that people who are suffering every day from illnesses can get slight relief from symptoms such as relentless pain and tremors. We know that cannabis can relieve chronic pain and help with inflammation. I know people who will listen to this debate because they live with these illnesses, and I am very proud to be a Labor member of Parliament backing this legislation. I am very proud to be a member of the Leader of the Opposition's team. Luke Foley had the fortitude to bring this legislation before the Parliament. Any member of this place who says this legislation goes too far should revisit their comments in a decade, by which time I hope this issue has been resolved for thousands of people living with illnesses like multiple sclerosis. We will back them every day by giving them a chance to live a normal life unhindered by chronic pain that can be relieved by cannabis. We all agree on the principle of this, but there is only one side of this Chamber that is willing to introduce legislation to support our argument and that is willing to stand up and be counted. Hansard will show which side that is. Debate adjourned. Motions VIVID SYDNEY Mr JOHN SIDOTI (Drummoyne) (11:50): I move: That this House: (1) Notes Vivid Sydney returns this Friday night, running for 23 nights until 17 June 2017. (2) Notes Vivid Sydney is now the largest event in Australia, attracting visitors from around the world and making a huge impact on the New South Wales economy. (3) Notes In 2016, a record 2.31 million people attended Vivid Sydney, contributing more than $110 million in visitor spending to the New South Wales economy and is the envy of other States and cities around the world. Tomorrow at 6.00 p.m. the lights will be turned on for Vivid Sydney 2017. In just nine years Vivid Sydney has firmly established itself as Australia's largest event. It has been instrumental in transforming what is traditionally a quiet period for the city's tourism industry into a thriving period that is the envy of other States and cities right Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 14

across the world. Many try to replicate it but they simply cannot: Vivid is Sydney. Vivid Sydney not only puts our fantastic city on the map but also provides a significant injection into the State's visitor economy. Of the record 2.31 million attendees at last year's festival, more than 184,000 were international and domestic visitors, including more than 17,800 visitors from China, a key and ever-growing market for tourism in New South Wales. The economic benefits of this visitation are significant. Last year Vivid Sydney facilitated more than $110 million in visitor spend to the New South Wales economy. Vivid Sydney is also important to regional New South Wales. Many of the 184,000 domestic and international visitors who came to Vivid Sydney travelled on to regional New South Wales, delivering an additional 65,000 room nights and $11.5 million in visitor expenditure. This year's festival will once again bring together the world's leading creative minds, and it promises to delight audiences with a stellar program of light, music and ideas. Under the stewardship of the festival's creative director, Ignatius Jones, and the New South Wales Government's tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney promises to once again be a festival which has something to offer for everybody. In 2017 there is once again a stellar schedule, with more than 380 Vivid Music events which will be held across the city alongside 280 Vivid Idea events. As in every past year, the sails of the Sydney Opera House will be the setting of a magnificent display of cutting-edge projection art. This year the honour goes to acclaimed cinematographer, editor and graphic designer Mr Ash Bolland who, in a co-curation with the Sydney Opera House, has been chosen to light the sails for Vivid Sydney 2017. Mr Bolland brings an array of creative talents to the festival and will present the story Audio Creatures. A series of living, breathing imaginary creatures will come to life on the sails. Inspiration for the creatures has been taken from the natural environment, including insect life, plant life and the ocean underworld. This creation will show the creatures interacting with our environment and changing in their world, moving between each other and morphing on the Opera House sails. This will be a spectacular sight to behold and one that I am sure will delight audiences. In 2017 Vivid Sydney will also shine brightly for the first time at Barangaroo, Sydney's newest central business district precinct. Barangaroo will be joined by festival favourite, the Vivid Light Walk, as well as displays at Chatswood, Martin Place, Darling Harbour and Taronga Zoo, plus an expanded trail through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. In addition to the light displays, this year's festival features a diverse line-up of music which will include performances by trailblazing UK electronic dance outfit Goldfrapp, folk-rock masters Fleet Foxes, indie rock band Dappled Cities, and Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves. The festival also includes the Game-Changers Talk Series with American contemporary artist Shepard Fairey, BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti and Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone. With all of these fantastic events on offer, Vivid Sydney 2017 will surely be bigger and better than ever. This year will also see an additional 9,000 public transport services running throughout the duration of Vivid Sydney to cater for the growing number of visitors to the festival. This will assist in enabling visitors to plan ahead to spend more than one night at Vivid Sydney and, importantly, to leave the car at home. I acknowledge the hard work undertaken by Mr Jones and his team of curators, the team at Destination NSW and all of the festival's contributors, which will make Vivid Sydney 2017 bigger and better than ever before. Every member of this House should be incredibly proud of the success and achievements of this festival, which is an important asset for driving visitor expenditure in the State's economy. I encourage every member of this House to support this motion and acknowledge the hard work of all those who ensure Vivid Sydney is the premier festival event in Australia and the world. Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (11:56): I am proud to support Vivid Sydney. It is a proud achievement of New South Wales Labor, introduced under former Premier Nathan Rees. I note the laughter of the member for Drummoyne, because his side of the House railed against Vivid Sydney when it was first introduced. Those opposite did not support it and did not have the vision for it. As with most of the visionary things that have been done in New South Wales, this Government had to be persuaded, cajoled and led to doing positive things. Tomorrow my husband, who works in a tour operation company—I no longer own one—will bring people from regional New South Wales to Sydney to experience the beauty and joy of Vivid in this city. It is definitely a time when Sydney shines at its brightest. The whole city is lit up. It is a really great thing for regional tourists to enjoy. Sydney is a beautiful place to enjoy at that time. Mr Mark Coure: And Chatswood. And Parramatta. Ms JENNY AITCHISON: It would be great if members on the Government side could stop interjecting, because I have serious things to say about this motion. Unlike those opposite, I see Vivid Sydney as an important economic contributor to the State of New South Wales and to our tourism industry. I also want to speak about the real issues in tourism in this State. While it is great to acknowledge the contribution of Vivid to Sydney's tourist Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 15

industry and to some of the domestic operators that bring people to Sydney to experience Vivid, and how Vivid provides for expansion of the tourist dollar into other areas, for some time Destination NSW has had a focus on Sydney and has not extended the same support to the regions. I mention some of the jewels of regional New South Wales: The Hunter, where I am from, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast; the mid-North Coast, Port Stephens; and the outback of this State, the big sky country. Last weekend I was in Broken Hill with some members of the National Party who were having a meeting. I talked to local tourism operators such as Scott Smith, who runs the very successful Tri State Safaris. In my former life as a tourism operator I was aware that his company used to beat me to the post for the New South Wales Tourism Awards. Mr John Sidoti: No! Ms JENNY AITCHISON: Yes, it is true, member for Drummoyne, we did not always come first in tourism. Scott Smith now runs the Broken Hill icon, Tri State Safaris. Broken Hill has been an international tourism destination and a great product not only for our State but also for Australia. He told me that he was at the Australian Tourism Exchange last week and many operators were asking where Broken Hill is in the international tourism literature. Four or five years ago it was in all of the international offerings but it seems that now the focus is on Sydney. There is a philosophy in tourism that if people are brought to Sydney they will disperse from there throughout the State. As the former owner of a company which took tours to more cities, towns, villages and national parks in New South Wales than any other company I have to say that one does not just arrive in Sydney and pop out to Broken Hill for a couple of hours. Those on the other side of the House, who do not seem to go outside the greater Chatswood area of Sydney, do not realise that there is a big world out there. There is a big blue sky country in New South Wales tourism, which is something that they should be supporting and helping. I urge those members of the National Party who were in Broken Hill last week who understand the beauty of that regional capital, to think about how they will support that city. Scott Smith has a very interesting idea, which I will share with the House, and that is having a Vivid for Broken Hill. We would be able not just to see the city landscape, the beautiful buildings of Sydney colourfully lit up, but to take in the natural colours of an area like Broken Hill—the desert landscape colours, the amazing blue skies, the red earth and the green grasses—and highlight them during the night with some amazing light works to draw tourism into the area. It is important to properly harness tourism coming to Sydney. There has not been enough funding for destinations outside Sydney. The regional benefits of tourism have been ignored by this Government and tour operators across the State are suffering as a result. Labor celebrates and congratulates all those who are involved in Vivid and who support this groundbreaking New South Wales festival started by Labor—which we supported against the protestations of members opposite. We ask this Government to allocate funds to regional destinations because the multiplier effect of putting dollars into regional tourism is astronomical. It creates jobs in regional towns—which is something that no-one on the other side of the House actually cares about; they just pay lip service to it. The Government should be addressing that immediately. Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (12:03): There is just over a day until the lights come on for Vivid Sydney 2017. This year's program is set to be bigger, better and brighter than ever, and nowhere will it be brighter than in my own electorate of North Shore with Taronga Vivid's Lights for the Wild. As we count down to opening night, preparations are in their final stages. Special effects are being tested, kilometres of cable and fibre optics are being rolled out, thousands of lights have been installed and Vivid-themed menus are being finessed by Sydney's top chefs and restaurateurs There is so much to see and do this year, whether one is a first-time visitor to Vivid or a seasoned expert. We have a new precinct at Barangaroo South, an expanded light walk through the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, imaginary creatures that will transform the sails of the Sydney Opera House, and of course the spectacular interactive lighting of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and city skyscrapers. In my electorate of North Shore we have Vivid Sydney's wildest precinct, Taronga Zoo, returning for another year. Last year we saw Vivid at the zoo for the first time and it was such an overwhelming success, with more than 80,000 visitors, that it is returning in 2017 with an expanded display. The colourful cast of giant, illuminated endangered animal sculptures that thrilled visitors of all ages will again be on display, with new additions and surprises, including my personal favourite, a 20-metre walk through a Port Jackson shark named PJ. Members in this place may find the experience of being in the belly of a shark familiar and I encourage them all to come out and enjoy it. Other newcomers will include an animated pelican, a family of silverback gorillas, a Tasmanian Devil with its baby and a swarm of buzzing bees. After the permanent zoo residents have retired for the night, this exciting Vivid Sydney precinct will delight visitors as it tells an important tale about conservation, with the lanterns raising awareness of the plight of these creatures in the wild Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 16

and how we can all help and support Taronga's valuable work. To further this important message, all ticket proceeds go directly to support conservation work and wildlife care. Last night I joined with other Friends of the Zoo to preview this year's Taronga Vivid and the experience was unforgettable. We are fortunate to have Taronga in our backyard. I acknowledge and thank Cameron Kerr, chief executive and director, and Stephanie Hedt, executive officer, for showing me the exhibits last night and sharing their message of Lights for the Wild. I recognise also the nearly 200 volunteers who constantly support the zoo but in particular play an invaluable role in delivering Taronga Vivid to the community. Nearby Chatswood also has an amazing line-up of installations. Vivid will morph Chatswood into a steampunk-themed world, where technology and light fuse with nineteenth century steam-powered machinery. Interactive light installations will transform the Chatswood CBD into a funky, smart city complete with people-powered steam engines, a giant drumming octopus, underwater worlds and sustainable cities perched in the sky as the bustling precinct is reinvented. There is so much to offer locally in those two precincts and beyond. There will be 90 light installations and projects created by 180 artists from eight countries. I encourage all members to take some time over the next 23 days to explore this incredible festival which is proudly owned, managed and produced by the New South Wales Government's tourism and major events agency, Destination New South Wales. All members are very welcome to join me in North Shore, and I hope to see them all visiting the unique and spectacular exhibits at Taronga Zoo. Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (12:07): Tomorrow at 6.00 p.m. the lights will be turned on for Vivid Sydney 2017. Just look at the numbers in the Chamber: there are eight Government members who back Vivid, and of course the Assistant Speaker, and from the Opposition and the crossbench parties there is one. Ms Jenny Aitchison: Point of Order: My point of order is under Standing Order 73. The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: It would want to be a good one. Ms Jenny Aitchison: I actually am the good one. Mr MARK COURE: To the point of order: I think the member for Maitland has misled the House. The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: The member for Maitland should check Standing Order 73. Mr MARK COURE: Members on this side of the House have taken Vivid to a new high. In just nine years, Vivid Sydney has firmly established itself as Australia's largest event thanks to this Government. It has been instrumental in transforming what was traditionally a quiet period for the city's tourism industry into a thriving period that is the envy of other states and cities around the world. Many try to replicate it, but they simply cannot. Vivid is Sydney because of members on this side of the House. Vivid Sydney not only puts our fantastic city on the map but it also provides a significant injection of money into the State's visitor economy— once again, thanks to members on this side of the House. There were 2.31 million attendees at last year's festival, including my wife and me and our then two-year-old son, James. There were more than 184,000 international and domestic visitors, including more than 17,800 from China, which is a key and ever-growing market for tourism in New South Wales. Of course, the economic benefit of tourist visitation is significant. Last year's Vivid Sydney resulted in more than $110 million in visitor spend for our economy, thanks to the Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government. We on this side of the House love Vivid and we want to grow the economy. We want to see more visitors to Sydney because what is good for Sydney is good for the economy. It is also good for taxi operators, restaurants and hotels. The member for Maitland has done nothing but interject during my speech, demonstrating her lack of support for Vivid. Unlike her, Government members support Vivid. The member for Maitland has also upset the people now leaving the public gallery. Ms Jenny Aitchison: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 73. The member for Oatley said that I do not support Vivid. The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The member for Maitland will resume her seat and cease interjecting. Mr MARK COURE: Members on this side of the House have expanded Vivid. Last year was an amazing event, and this year will be even better because of the efforts of Government members The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maitland is the only member of the Opposition in the Chamber. The member is making enough noise for all of her colleagues. The member will desist, and if she does not I will put her on a call and I will remove her from the Chamber for the rest of the day. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 17

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (12:12): It is a pleasure to support Vivid Sydney and the member for Drummoyne's motion. Over the past nine years, Vivid Sydney has cemented itself as the premier winter event in Australia. More than 38 music events and 280 ideas events will be happening in Sydney over the next 23 days. The ferry I travel on to get home to Manly leaves from Circular Quay. For the $7.80 cost of a one-way ticket to Manly—that is often what people buy because they never want to leave—I have enjoyed watching the lights flashing up on the Opera House and on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the Vivid Festival. This year the festival is expanding its traditional light and music program to include an ideas and speakers series. I am looking forward to hearing from Shepard Fairey, a contemporary artist who rose to prominence by designing the iconic "Hope" poster for President Obama. He has twice designed Time magazine front covers celebrating the person of the year. The 2011 cover celebrated "The Protester". He has also contributed to the Surfrider Foundation. The famous producer and screen writer Oliver Stone will also be part of the festival this year. He has produced and written some fantastic films such as Wall Street, JFK, Nixon, a biopic on George W. Bush, and more recently the film about Edward Snowden. He provides great political commentary through art and film and it is privilege to welcome him to Sydney to be part of Vivid. Vivid Sydney this year will be bigger and better than ever. The New South Wales tourism and events agency Destination NSW and the Vivid team should be thanked, as should the festival's creative director, Ignatius Jones, and his team. It is also important to thank the support staff and volunteers who make Vivid such a success. The ongoing and considerable success of Vivid is clearly evident. In 2017, it will make its way to Barangaroo, which is Sydney's newest precinct. It will also be in Martin Place, Darling Harbour, Taronga Zoo and Chatswood. It would be fantastic if next year Vivid came to Manly. As I said, it costs $7.80 for a one-way ferry ticket to Manly. Bringing Vivid to Manly is certainly something on which I will be working. Not only is Vivid a good time in New South Wales and in Sydney but it is also a smart investment because it generates a fantastic economic return for the State. I commend this motion to the House. Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) (12:16): I would have preferred it if we were debating the motion about schools rather than this Dorothy Dix motion. I acknowledge then Premier Nathan Rees and the member for Strathfield, Jodi McKay, who initiated the Vivid Sydney Festival. I am wearing the best Vivid tie I have, but it is not as good as the tie the member for Drummoyne wore yesterday. It is important that no one person take credit for this festival. Anything that sees more tourism dollars being spent in New South Wales is a good thing. We should all celebrate the fact that the festival was first held eight years ago and that it gets bigger and better each year. I am looking forward to enjoying Vivid Sydney again this year. Only yesterday I said to my wife and children that we should see the lights. We will do that during the week because the city is extremely busy over the weekend during the festival. I congratulate the organisers for including Taronga Zoo in the program this year. Having it at Manly next year is a good idea, but there are many iconic places across Sydney and regional New South Wales that would benefit from hosting the event. It should be expanded to become a festival of lights across New South Wales. My electorate of Lakemba would love to be included in the program. We could have an installation on the Cooks River. We should not limit our imaginations. As I said, no party can take credit for a festival like this that benefits the State as a whole. If it means we encourage tourists to spend money across the State, that is a great thing. It could even be extended to your electorate, Mr Assistant Speaker. I can imagine what could be done with lights in Coffs Harbour. Even the Big Banana could be lit up. I make the point that sometimes it is the importance of an idea that counts, and this is the great thing about public service: a person or a group can come up with an idea and over the years we continually improve that, and this is what we are seeing at the moment. I am not going to stand here and say that Vivid is a bad thing, it is a terrific thing, because it benefits everybody and I suggest that we try to expand it as much as possible to take not only the Sydney Basin, but also regional New South Wales. Then it would become not just Vivid for Sydney but Vivid New South Wales. This would be the festival of lights of New South Wales where we celebrate what we have; where we can see all of the State's iconic places. Can members imagine how beautiful country towns would be if they were to light up, in particular, those old buildings that are heritage listed? How beautiful would they be with the lights playing on the sandstone? There is so much that we can do. Everybody loves seeing the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge lit up. We need to make sure that we see it across the board. Congratulations to the then Minister, Jodie McKay, the then Premier Nathan Rees and, of course, the successive governments who have kept on improving Vivid. The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I thank the member for Lakemba for a positive contribution. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 18

Mr BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH (Coogee) (12:21): By leave: I am the first one in the queue to see Vivid, I am just champing at the bit. I cannot wait. Your enthusiasm, member for Oatley, is infectious. It is a great celebration of Sydney. There were 2.31 million attendees at last year's festival, 84,000 of those were international and domestic visitors to Sydney, including more than 17,800 from China alone. That is just outstanding. The festival accounted for 65,000 additional room nights in accommodation across New South Wales and $11.5 million in visitor expenditure. This is a great festival of Sydney and with a creative director such as Ignatius Jones, we just cannot go wrong. The man is a genius. Those at Destination NSW—Sandra Chipchase is an amazing chief executive officer of that organisation—have turbocharged, even supercharged, New South Wales's visitor economy over the years since 2011. In many ways Vivid could be a metaphor for the stewardship of this State under the Liberal-National Government since 2011. Each year it gets bigger, brighter, more colourful and more successful than ever. It just continues to grow. Mr Adam Crouch: More ideas. Mr BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH: That is right, more ideas. I note the positive contribution of the member for Lakemba opposite in contrast to that given by the member for Maitland. I notice that there is a trail- blazing United Kingdom electronic dance outfit, Goldfrapp and folk-rock masters, Fleet Foxes, et cetera. There is no Brian Eno, as suggested by Nathan Rees. I give him his due, Vivid did start under his premiership, but look what they did to Nathan Rees. If Labor had been running Vivid Sydney for the past six years it would be "Vapid Sydney" by now. People would go to it and they would be drained. They would feel as though they had had the life sucked out of them, rather than been inspired. It is great that Vivid just continues to spread further and further across Sydney and benefits the whole State—into the North Shore, into Barangaroo, and maybe next year down into Oatley. I cannot wait to get out there tomorrow night and start to wander around. I remember going out to see Vivid in 2011, but every year it has continued to get better, and this year will be absolutely outstanding. Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (12:25): By leave: I am excited. Tomorrow night, on 26 May, I will be excited, as Sydney lights up. I thank the member for Drummoyne for bringing forward this fantastic motion; I acknowledge the member for North Shore for her great contributions and the member for Oatley. What oratory; he is so passionate about Vivid. I also acknowledge the member for Manly, who obviously has a vision for Vivid for Manly, and also the member for Coogee. What a great contribution he made. My vision goes even further— Vivid at the Skillion. We need Vivid in Terrigal. Let us keep moving north. The member for Manly wants Vivid in Manly and I have the same vision for Vivid at the Central Coast. It has migrated north to Chatswood, so let us keep that momentum going, moving it forward. What a fantastic event. Last year there were 2.3 million visitors, injecting more than $110 million into the visitor economy. It is just unfortunate that in 2011 when, under the Labor Party, Sydney was closed, Vivid was a shadow of what it is today. Since 2011 under the Liberal-Nationals Government, we have seen a 24 per cent increase in the patronage of Vivid and this is full credit to the drive and enthusiasm of the Ministers for Tourism and the passion of this Government to deliver a fantastic Vivid, for not just the people of Sydney, but for the people of the world. I am delighted that so many people from the Central Coast, thousands in fact, make the journey down to see Vivid. I note the member for Oatley said earlier that he, Adla and James went to see Vivid last year. I am sure James said to him, "Daddy, our Government has delivered a wonderful Vivid. I am so proud of you, dad." I am so proud of the people of the Central Coast. I am one of those people who makes the journey down to Vivid. Jill and I came down to see Vivid last year and we look forward to making the journey again, along with thousands of Central Coast people. But again, the real Vivid would be wonderful—to have the Skillion lit up for 23 days, along with other fantastic iconic areas around the Central Coast. As the member for Lakemba said quite rightly, we have people in this Chamber with drive, enthusiasm, vision and passion. I am sure the member for Tamworth would love to have Vivid in Tamworth. There should be regional Vivids. Let us not stop at Chatswood. Let us roll Vivid out across the whole of New South Wales. If any government has the passion, the drive and the ability to deliver Vivid, it is this New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Government. Vivid Sydney delights millions from around the world. As we heard earlier from other members, there were 184,000 visitors from interstate and overseas last year, 17,000 of whom have come directly from China. This goes to show that people around the world see Vivid as a wonderful opportunity to visit this fantastic State, visit this beautiful city and hopefully venture outside the bounds of the Sydney central business district to rural and regional areas such as the Central Coast and the Tweed. Obviously, they will spend plenty of time visiting the beautiful zoo at Taronga. Vivid Sydney will obviously be going to greater heights with Barangaroo now joining the festival favourites, with the Vivid light walk, the display now in Chatswood, the stunning display in Martin Place, the display in Darling Harbour and, as mentioned by the member for North Shore, the display at Taronga Zoo. I encourage the people on the Central Coast to make the journey to Vivid Sydney over the next 23 days. Hopefully in the future we will have Vivid Central Coast. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 19

Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) (12:29): By leave: As has been mentioned a number of times, Vivid Sydney 2017 will be launched tomorrow evening, Friday 26 May, and will run until 17 June. I have been delighted to be involved in Vivid over the past couple of years, in particular as the former Parliamentary Secretary for Major Events and Tourism. I acknowledge the great work of Destination NSW, which has support from both sides of this House. Vivid Sydney is again visiting the Willoughby council area at Chatswood, and this year's installations will have a dramatic and lasting impact. I look forward to attending the Vivid lights on opening at The Concourse at Chatswood tomorrow evening, together with Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney and local councillors, particularly as my electorate now includes parts of the Willoughby City Council area following the boundary redistribution at the last State election. I note the comments of some members in this House, including the member for Lakemba and the member for Terrigal, about the desirability of expanding Vivid into their local areas. I suggest that they lobby their local councils to get on board and support Vivid, including financially, because that is how Willoughby council has successfully expanded Vivid into its region. The council put up resources, including financial resources, and its efforts have benefitted the community. I suggest that members who want to see an expansion into their electorates speak with Destination NSW and secure the support of their local councils. Vivid is an exciting, family-friendly initiative and its return to Chatswood will see that central business district [CBD] transformed by light sculptures and retro-futuristic installations, inspired by nineteenth-century steam-powered machinery. This includes Octopoda, which will invite people to interact by being part of its tentacle percussion ensemble. It features eight tentacle drums and has unique displays of colour and light. Other exciting installations include Voxelscape at the Chatswood Interchange, which has more than 9,000 glowing spheres; Gear Shift, which is an interactive projection of a pumping steam engine; and Crossword, which will send hidden light messages. Chatswood Chase will feature Light Bounce, which encourages the public to enjoy a sparkling forest of refractive light. In other parts of Sydney, there will be a large number of events comprising exciting lights, music and ideas to amuse and astound visitors. For me, the focus on ideas has been one of the most exciting aspects of Vivid because it means that innovative and challenging new thoughts are on show. Vivid has expanded significantly since its inception as the Smart Light Sydney festival. It attracts a huge number of people to Sydney—more than 2.3 million visitors last year—and injects more than $110 million. Visitor numbers have continued to grow every year. I will not repeat figures that have been mentioned by previous speakers but I do reinforce the importance of visitor numbers for rural and regional New South Wales. That is a strong focus of the Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall. The Minister is doing a great job. I welcome the expansion of the festival to the Barangaroo district and I look forward to the 23-day celebration of creativity. I urge everyone to enjoy this wonderful festival of light, music and ideas before it concludes on 17 June. Mr JAI ROWELL (Wollondilly) (12:33): By leave: I note for the benefit of the member for Wallsend and other members on the Opposition benches that I am the last speaker for my side before the speech in reply. I am very proud of the Government which, in the past six years, has brought Vivid from its initial conception to the fantastic, record-breaking event that it is today. It just gets bigger and better each year. The member for North Shore said that it has grown into her electorate, including at Taronga Zoo. I certainly look forward to seeing the sharks there—it sometimes feels as though we have illuminated sharks in this place, even though it is known as the bear pit. Mr John Sidoti: They're not vivid here. Mr JAI ROWELL: There are some colourful and delightful people in this place too. A number of members who have contributed to this debate have asked, "What about the regions? What about the rural, regional and remote areas?" In my electorate, we have some fantastic groups like Destination Southern Highlands and Wollondilly Shire Council which, in partnership with the New South Wales Government, do an amazing job in respect to tourism. Destination Southern Highlands has won many national awards for its work in regional tourism. I recently spoke with the Hon. Adam Marshall and the Wollondilly mayor Judy Hannan about further investment in our region. An event of which I am very proud is IlluminARTe—Wollondilly's equivalent to Vivid. This initiative of Wollondilly Shire Council, which has been held for the past three years, is supported by the New South Wales Government. The district has a population of just over 50,000, yet IlluminARTe has attracted 25,000 people to the main street of Picton. This patronage is particularly important this year as it is just one year on from the storms that devastated the area. The festival has helped to revitalise Picton. The event has something for people of all ages. Spectators enjoy a remarkable cultural experience combined with breathtaking performing arts, local music, market stalls and food vendors. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 20

As night falls, the free family entertainment encourages visitors, locals, friends and families to stroll through the picturesque town of Picton, taking in the enchanting ambience as an amazing range of local artworks are projected onto landmark buildings to illuminate this historic town. In the days leading up to the event, the fantastic Wollondilly Arts Group, together with local artists, holds a three-day art exhibition at Picton Shire Hall, showcasing the rich talent of the area. I was pleased to be able to secure a grant for the group to upgrade the exhibition area. The Picton Chamber of Commerce has partnered with council to hold a family fun day at Picton RSL Club. The kids are entertained with a free barbecue, a jumping castle and other children's attractions. As the sun sets, the Anzac memorial and gum trees glow with coloured lights and the activities continue. As the town glows with illuminations, children and adults proudly march in the lantern parade—which my family and I particularly enjoy—displaying the paper lanterns they have made during the day in workshops and master classes. They captivate the audience with their creations. The finale is a fireworks spectacular over the historic town, capping off a night of colour, light and creativity. This event is the result of collaboration between many people. I supported this initiative as soon as I heard of it, and over the years it has got bigger and better. It is amazing to see 25,000 people in the main street of Picton. I also acknowledge c91.3FM, which sets up a radio station at the event. I encourage everyone to come to this fantastic event next year. Mr JOHN SIDOTI (Drummoyne) (12:37): In reply: I thank the members representing the electorates of North Shore, Oatley, Maitland, Manly, Davidson, Coogee, Terrigal, Wollondilly and Lakemba for their contributions to the debate. There is no doubt that Vivid Sydney is one of the signature major events for our city and our State. The member for Maitland stated that Vivid Sydney started during the last term of the Labor Government, but this event has truly cemented its place as Australia's premier festival in the past six years under the stewardship of the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Government. Unfortunately, the years of Labor inaction saw our State go backwards. From 2008 to 2011, the total number of overnight visitors dropped by 3.1 per cent. Our visitor economy was in a state of disrepair and our regions were ignored. All of this has now changed, and this Government is smashing records every year. Thankfully the Labor days are a distant memory. The State is reaping the benefits of the New South Wales Liberals—Nationals Government's significant investment in tourism and major events, with the goal being to double overnight visitor expenditure by 2020. We will continue to build a top-class major events calendar for New South Wales and promote our amazing State around the world. The Government is growing the New South Wales economy by securing major events and attracting a record number of visitors. As the member for Oatley told the House, the New South Wales Liberals-Nationals are delivering a smorgasbord of world-class major events this year. Over the next month we have the State of Origin, a visit by Arsenal Football Club [FC], the Bledisloe Cup, American college football, the Australian premiere of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical, the National Rugby League grand final, and much more. The beginning of Vivid Sydney 2017 tomorrow night and the following 23 nights is the latest event that is testament to this major events calendar. Whether one visits the new precinct at Barangaroo South, takes a stroll down the expanded light walk through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, admires the imaginary creatures that will transform the sails of the Sydney Opera House or simply takes in the spectacular interactive lighting of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and city skyscrapers, there is something for everybody at this year's festival. I encourage all members of the House to experience the wonderful sights, sounds and ideas of Vivid Sydney 2017. I urge all members to join me in supporting this motion and acknowledging the hard work of all those who have put in countless hours over the past months to deliver what will be the biggest and best Vivid Sydney ever. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): The question is that the motion be agreed to. Motion agreed to. INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY Debate resumed from 11 May. Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (12:41): I support the motion in relation to International Nurses Day. As a registered nurse whose wife is also a registered nurse, I am honoured to help mark International Nurses Day, which was on Friday 12 May, and celebrate the people who are the backbone of our health system. Within the Myall Lakes electorate, I honour the nurses at Manning Base Hospital and at local doctors' surgeries and nursing homes and our community nurses. In New South Wales, nursing has been a profession with high standards and a strong sense of public service for almost 150 years. Nurses are amongst the most respected of all professions. There are few Australians whose lives have not been touched by the care and compassion that nurses provide every hour of the day, every day of the year. It is important to reflect on the past and look to the future and the young men and women who are undertaking nursing education today. Nursing plays a role in almost all aspects of contemporary health care. The Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 21

nurses employed today will help guide and support the nurses of tomorrow in their journey from novice to expert. While the provision of nursing care has progressed significantly since Lucy Osburn's arrival at the Sydney Infirmary, the cornerstones of nursing care continue to be steadfast and critical thinking, compassion, empathy, kindness and advocacy. Nurses share in undertaking technical activities when responding to a patient's health problems but, more importantly, nurses prioritise the care of the whole person, taking into account the patient's individual family circumstances, beliefs, values and previous life experiences. They provide this care at what is often a vulnerable time in a patient's life. I am sure that many, if not all people in this place have had contact with a nurse at some point. In any one day in New South Wales, approximately 17,000 people spend the night in a public hospital and 6,500 people are seen in an emergency department; there are 5,600 admissions and 1,000 patients in surgery. Nurses are the foundation stone of our public health system. In the past six years, the Government has grown the nursing workforce by 5,300 extra nurses and midwives, taking the State's nursing and midwifery workforce to more than 49,000. As I have said, nurses in the New South Wales public health system care for and show compassion to their many patients. But, sadly, over the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014, 46,000 nurses were injured and 16 nurses were killed whilst on duty. When compared to other emergency services—not including the NSW Police Force and Fire And Rescue NSW—such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, the NSW State Emergency Service, Surf Life Saving NSW, Corrective Services NSW, Marine Rescue NSW and others, the group with the highest number of casualties after nurses had 6,500 injuries and 10 deaths in the same period. Nurses are truly on the front line and they deserve the utmost recognition from this Government and the community of New South Wales. Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (12:45): I thank the member for Port Macquarie, a former registered nurse, for moving this motion, and the member for Myall Lakes, also a registered nurse, for his contribution in relation to International Nurses Day, which was held on 12 May. International Nurses Day commemorates the birth of the world's most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale, who was born in 1820 in Florence, Italy, and, sadly, passed away on 13 August 1910 in London. It takes a very special person to be a nurse or a midwife. That is why it is so important that we thank these hardworking women and men for their compassion, professionalism and round-the-clock commitment to caring for patients. When people—children or adults—are vulnerable and scared, nothing is more soothing than the reassuring voice of a nurse. I had the privilege of speaking previously about International Nurses Day in a community recognition statement. I am one of the very lucky people whose wife is a registered nurse. She works in the oncology ward at Gosford and Wyong hospitals and she does an outstanding job. She is one of 4,500 wonderful nurses across the Central Coast who work in Gosford and Wyong hospitals, the private health system and retirement villages and as community nurses. They play a key role in looking after our community. I would love to name all 4,500 of them, but I will only name a few. Elaine McGuire is a nurse in the emergency department at Wyong Hospital; Amanda Bartrim, who graduated from the University of Newcastle Central Coast at Ourimbah, is now an orthopaedics and trauma nurse at Royal North Shore Hospital; Jessica Campbell is a cardiac nurse at Gosford Hospital; and Corina Hartley is an oncology nurse, also at Gosford Hospital. Jo Mason is a registered nurse at Wyong Hospital. Jo's husband, Robert, was so inspired by his wife becoming a registered nurse that he is now studying to be a nurse as well and is in his second year at the Ourimbah campus. I also mention wonderful people like Carol Norton, a midwife at Gosford Private Hospital, and Stephanie Foster, Terrigal's 2017 Woman of the Year, who is a clinical nurse consultant at Gosford Hospital's Cancer Centre and an outstanding resident of the Central Coast. These people are only the tip of the iceberg; they give their all. Every day nurses and midwives are faced with situations and challenges many of us will hopefully never experience. They give selflessly, providing not just treatment and assistance but also comfort and support to patients in need. I saw this firsthand when my wife was a patient in ward M2, the oncology ward. The reassurance that she received from the nurses during that time was unbelievable. They cared not just for her and other patients but also for their friends and relatives. My wife received that reassurance in the quiet way that nurses go about their jobs every day. In December 2016, 104,000 of them worked in New South Wales. As I said, there were more than 4,200 nurses in Gosford and Wyong, with 2,748 in Gosford and 1,509 in the Wyong area. I have great pleasure in thanking both the member for Port Macquarie and the member for Myall Lakes for their contributions to this debate. I thank all our nurses for their hard work, and acknowledge that 12 May was International Nurses Day. Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) (12:49): In reply: I thank members in this House who have joined me to congratulate and commend our wonderful nurses right across New South Wales as we celebrated International Nurses Day on 12 May. I thank the member for Wyong for his contribution. As the member for Myall Lakes said, he was a registered nurse in a former life, and the member for Terrigal's wife is also a registered nurse. I thank them all for their contributions to this debate. I will take some time to talk about registered nurses Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 22

and midwives in rural and regional areas. The health service needs of residents of communities in rural and regional areas are unique, and in response the nurses and midwives in our regional and rural communities are also unique. I will give a shout out to a few of them in my contribution. I also take this opportunity to urge the community to recognise our wonderful nurses by nominating them for the nurses and midwives excellence awards. The nominations for those awards started on International Nurses Day and are open until 9 June. I want to encourage community members, patients and colleagues to nominate nurses and midwives in their areas who they believe excel in their profession and make a difference to the lives of their patients. We all have fantastic stories to tell about our registered nurses in public hospitals, private hospitals, aged care facilities and community nursing. I urge patients to tell us about their interaction with our wonderful nurses. The New South Wales Government is doing whatever it can to support nurses. We are also making sure that there are more nurses on the ground. From March 2011 until June 2016 the Government has increased the number of rural and regional nurses and midwives by 13 per cent, the equivalent of some 2,357 full-time positions. The Government is also upgrading the healthcare infrastructure, with $300 million being spent on our multipurpose strategy. I met a couple of nurses last week, when I was fortunate enough to spend a day on a clinical run with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I spent the day at White Cliffs, along with a registered nurse who was providing mental health services, a general practitioner [GP], a dentist and a dental assistant. At the primary health clinic at White Cliffs, I was warmly welcomed by two of the nurses. I thank Rona Garrie, the registered nurse and midwife reliever in the Far West Local Health District, and Belinda Latham, the endorsed enrolled nurse at the White Cliffs Medical Centre. Local residents attended the clinic during the course of the day, many of them to get advice from these two nurses who are very much a part of the community. These nurses are great advocates for the community, and I congratulate them for the wonderful work that they do. I also congratulate each and every one of our nurses right across New South Wales in whatever roles they play. They are special people, and without them we would not be able to provide world-class medical services in this State. I thank them all and look forward to celebrating International Nurses Day next year. As has been said, we should thank and commend our nurses every single day of the week. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): The question is that the motion be agreed to. Motion agreed to. GLENDALE INTERCHANGE Ms SONIA HORNERY (Wallsend) (12:54): I move: That this House: (1) Notes the Premier nominated local infrastructure as a major priority for her premiership. (2) Notes that the Glendale Interchange, identified by all Hunter mayors as the number one Hunter region infrastructure priority, has not been funded by the Government. (3) Calls on the Premier to fund the interchange in the 2017 budget. When the Premier assumed office this year, she announced local infrastructure as a key government priority, along with affordable housing and a strong State economy. She said: I am not talking just about those mega projects in Sydney, as important as they are, but I am talking about making sure every community gets what it needs. Well, Premier, the Wallsend electorate and the Greater Hunter need the Glendale transport interchange. The interchange is a key piece of infrastructure for the broader Hunter region. It is recognised by Hunter mayors as the number one infrastructure priority. The first section of the interchange opens in June, and council is now looking for State and Federal government funding for the construction of the $32 million Pennant Street bridge. In order to complete the project, State government funding and support are absolutely necessary. The business case is clear: once finished, the Pennant Street bridge will deliver a return of $4 for every $1 invested. The Glendale interchange is a perfect example of the kind of infrastructure we need to be delivered in the twenty-first century. It creates a stronger transport mix to alleviate congestion and improve travel flexibility, generating connectivity between communities, which will in turn drive growth and innovation. Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said, "This part of the project is critical for the growth of our city." The Property Council of Australia has promoted the Glendale interchange as a priority project for funding in the next State Government budget. The project has drawn support from the NRMA, Hunter councils and the Hunter Business Chamber as well as Regional Development Australia. Needless to say, these stakeholders do not always share priorities. Their support is a symbol of how crucial the Glendale interchange is to our region. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 23

The Pennant Street bridge is shovel ready. It connects Glendale with Cardiff over the main northern rail line. It directly links the bustling retail hub at Glendale with the industrial and commercial centre of Cardiff. "The project has the potential to create affordable housing for nearly 5,000 residents and 3,800 new jobs in this emerging strategic centre", said Lake Macquarie City Council general manager Brian Bell. The Glendale interchange represents a hat-trick by the Premier's own metric—a key piece of local infrastructure that will open up land for affordable housing and generate thousands of new jobs, thus reducing our regional unemployment rate, which is what we all want. It goes without saying that this represents a major boom for local communities, particularly for us in the Hunter. "This infrastructure project has the potential to establish Glendale to Cardiff as the Hunter's new employment superhub and regional transport interchange", said Andrew Fletcher, Hunter director of the Property Council of Australia Indeed, the Glendale to Cardiff area was identified by the State Government as an emerging strategic centre, located on the main northern rail line with easy access from the heart of Newcastle and from the Central Coast and Sydney. Glendale-Cardiff has the potential to become a retail and services hub as the broader Hunter transitions into a twenty-first century mixed economy. The mayor of Lake Macquarie, Kay Fraser, sums it up. She says: What does that mean for residents of Lake Macquarie? The benefits are many: shorter and smoother journeys between suburbs, more local jobs, new residential opportunities in an increasingly desirable area with unmatched access to other parts of the region, and economic development that will have substantial flow-on effects for local businesses and industries. Lake Macquarie City Council is seeking $13 million from the State Government, and it is expected that matching funds from the Federal Government will follow. It is high time for us to work together to secure the funding needed to ensure the interchange is completed. The project is too important to the future of the Hunter to be left unfunded and incomplete. I call on the Premier and the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure to fund the Glendale transport interchange and the Pennant Street Bridge. As the economic case has made so clear, it will be a win-win for all involved and all of the Hunter community. Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (13:00): As the first speaker for the Government on this motion, I thank the member for Wallsend for her contribution. Thursdays would not be complete without the contribution of the member for Wallsend, who keeps us very busy and on our toes. The Government is not about to be lectured to by those opposite on investment in local infrastructure. This motion should read: "(1) Congratulates the Premier on her continued focus on investment in local infrastructure". Unlike those opposite, we on this side of the House prefer to properly plan major infrastructure works rather than announce them and never deliver them—which was one of the situations we saw on the Central Coast for decades. The New South Wales Government is fully committed to the Hunter. It is a leading regional economy in Australia, and we on this side are committed to its thriving communities and rich natural environment. The region is home to more than 860,000 people and it is growing. It will be one of the best places to live and work in New South Wales, along with the Central Coast. The Government is fully committed to delivering regional and local infrastructure to the people of Hunter, improving safety and accessibility, and supporting the region's growth. The Government is also committed to the Newcastle city centre as the heart of greater Newcastle and the capital of the region. The city centre is being transformed by capitalising on its active port, vibrant waterfront and heritage. Newcastle hosts more residents, students, businesses, researchers, educators and entrepreneurs than ever before. The Government is committed to Newcastle's future through transport investments like Newcastle Light Rail, the Newcastle interchange at Wickham and the upgrade of Broadmeadow railway station. Greater Newcastle is the centrepiece of the region, renowned as a connected metropolitan city where 95 per cent of residents live within 30 minutes of a strategic centre, including the new growth areas at Charlestown, Glendale and Broadmeadow. The Government has also identified the port of Newcastle as a vital hub for exporting agricultural produce and coal to new markets throughout Asia. Productive agricultural land and natural resources are the foundations of the region's gross domestic product. Beyond greater Newcastle are vibrant centres, towns and villages, many of which have benefited from emerging job opportunities in the health, agriculture, tourism, defence, energy and transport sectors. Faster inter-regional transport and digital technology are making it easier for residents and businesses to interact and do business. Greater housing choice is available in existing and new communities, close to jobs and services and well supported by public transport, walking and cycling options. More housing has reduced upward pressure on house prices in those regions. Communities are enjoying a green grid of open space and recreational facilities—including more walking and cycling networks—as well as the distinctive character and heritage of their areas. The region's protected natural environment enriches the experience of living in the region, sustains the region's water supply and protects biodiversity. Infrastructure investment is the linchpin of economic development across the Hunter. The Government is supporting freight, health and education services, and agribusiness and tourism, as well as building resilience Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 24

to global economic cycles and climate change. In 2011 the New South Wales Government established the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund [HIIF] to improve transport, education, water and health infrastructure and support economic growth and enhance liveability in the Hunter region: $350 million over four years was allocated to this fund from 2011-12 onwards and a further $100 million from 2014-15 onwards. Transport infrastructure and the rail interchanges are vital. The upgrade of Broadmeadow railway station to install lifts and improve access is due for completion mid-2017. It includes the construction of three new lifts, new weather protection canopies, upgraded security features including lighting and closed-circuit television, improved wayfinding signage and footpath upgrades at the entrances on Brown Road and Graham Road—all of which were neglected by those opposite. The Newcastle Interchange at Wickham is near completion, as the member for Wallsend outlined earlier, with the new station on track to open before the end of 2017—again, a pipedream under those opposite. The $40 million upgrade of rail signals between Hamilton and Woodville Junction was completed in August 2016 for fully automated signalling between Wickham and Broadmeadow. The Beaumont Street level crossing at Hamilton was realigned with new controls, making the rail crossing safer for vehicles and pedestrians. Consultation on the future of transport in New South Wales is vital. This Government has delivered a lot to make our roads and transport services work better across New South Wales over the past five years, especially in the Hunter. To ensure New South Wales remains a great place to live and work until 2056 and beyond, we need to plan the transport of the future now. Right now our transport teams are in the regions listening to communities and businesses about their ideas for the future and how better transport can help. Ms Kate Washington: Listening! Mr ADAM CROUCH: Yes, listening, unlike those opposite. The member for Port Stephens spends a lot of time talking and very little time listening. The Government is working closely with communities and businesses, starting with the regions, to make sure our regional communities and customers have a say in this future. The Lake Macquarie-Glendale interchange is one of the HIIF projects. It was a $15 million contribution towards the first stage of the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange, which improved road access to Glendale. Nearly completed, it extends and realigns Glendale Drive, upgrading the intersection of Main Road and Glendale Drive and extending Stockland Drive in Glendale. It improves access to the Hunter Sports Centre and Stockland Glendale. Two further stages are proposed: an over-rail bridge extending Pennant Street in Cardiff over the main northern railway line to the new intersection of Glendale and Stockland drives at Glendale. This will create a direct link between Glendale and Cardiff, and a new train station, bus interchange and commuter car park. On Wednesday 24 May, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure met with Lake Macquarie City Council about the proposal and committed that the transport agencies would develop the bridge and interchange proposal further, working with council and the Department of Planning and Environment, and that Roads and Maritime Services would lead a strategic—a word with which those opposite are not familiar with—business case building on work already undertaken by council. The proposal will draw from work and consultation underway on improvements to the Newcastle public transport network. Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (13:07): I support the motion of the member for Wallsend, and I commend the member for Wallsend for moving it. The Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange at Glendale will straddle the boundary of our electorates, and I am pleased that there is strong bipartisan support for an important and essential project that will bring significant benefit to the entire Hunter region. It remains a great shame, though, that successive governments have not shown a similar commitment to assist Lake Macquarie City Council achieve this goal which will benefit the region. I have spoken in this House numerous times about the planned interchange and the great benefits it will bring at relatively low cost, and I have had regular discussions with the former and present Ministers for Transport and Infrastructure and Premiers. They know that this project is considered the number one infrastructure priority in the Hunter Valley region—a region that continues to make an enormous contribution to the economic and social success of the State. It is backed by every single State and Federal member of Parliament in the Hunter Valley region as well as by the Property Council of Australia's Hunter Chapter, the Hunter Business Chamber, NRMA, large employers and other stakeholders and, most significantly, all regional councils within Hunter Councils. I will look at some numbers and at the New South Wales Government's Hunter Regional Plan 2036. That document predicts that an additional 6,200 jobs and 4,000 new dwellings will be created by 2031 in the Glendale- Cardiff area. Lake Macquarie City Council's planning estimates predict that the greater Glendale area will host an additional 13,635 people, 6,200 jobs and 6,000 new dwellings by 2030. Traffic and transport infrastructure is absolutely crucial to support that growth. For the next stage of this project to proceed the State contribution of $13 million is needed. That, with contributions from Lake Macquarie Council and the Federal Government, will allow for the construction of the Pennant Street Bridge across the rail line. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 25

The bridge will be used by some 16,000 vehicles daily, including 1,500 heavy vehicles. A further $4.5 million will build the 700-metre missing link in Munibung Road, which would take significant congestion away from surrounding areas at Warners Bay, Cardiff, Glendale, Argenton and Boolaroo. It would reduce travel times between the industrial estate at Cardiff and Speers Point from 11 minutes to just one minute. That is a better investment than the investments discussed around Broadmeadow and Newcastle for the greater region. The transport interchange will do all the things which the State Government wants it to do. It will provide a central, modern, convenient, essential public transport hub which will get people out of their cars and onto public transport. This is a $13 million commitment for the next stage of the interchange project and $4.5 million, if the Government can see its way to do it, to extend Munibung Road. This is not some folly or vanity project—it is a no-brainer. As we know, just up the road in Newcastle there is a not-so-quiet revolution going on. There the State Government, to its credit, is spending almost half a billion dollars revitalising the city centre, installing a short, albeit boutique-style, light rail service to replace the heavy rail line it ripped out. I do not begrudge the people of Newcastle one cent of that money, but for a great deal less I believe Lake Macquarie can provide for housing, jobs and services to a greater extent that will benefit the region well into the future. I have spoken with the Premier and she has repeated the claims made on her very first day in office when she committed her Government to making local infrastructure projects her biggest priority. I commend her on that initiative and for recognising the importance of the regions—particularly Lake Macquarie, which contributes greatly to the State's wealth. Lake Macquarie transport interchange could not fit the Government's mould better. If it wants to champion local infrastructure projects, this is the best example in our area that it could fund. The planning is all but complete, the shovels are ready and the people are keen—it just needs what in real terms is a relatively small investment from the State. Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills) (13:11): It is a pleasure to speak to this motion. I recognise the member for Wallsend for bringing this motion forward, particularly for point one of the motion, which notes that the Premier nominated local infrastructure as a major priority for her premiership, which is certainly the case. In a previous life I spent some time in Wallsend. The Wests New Lambton club near Wallsend is a well-known registered club in the area and provides strong support for the local community. As point one of the member's motion notes, the Premier has set as a priority for her premiership local infrastructure, schools, hospitals, roads, housing affordability—through an increase in supply—and, of course, economic growth supporting jobs. There is no doubt that all is well on the way across the State as jobs are growing, economic indicators are improving and local infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads are being built. This Government is fully committed to the Hunter. There is no doubt it is the leading regional economy in Australia. This Government is committed to its thriving communities and supportive of looking after its rich natural environment. The Government is fully committed to delivering regional and local infrastructure to the people of the Hunter, improving safety and accessibility, and supporting the region's growth. The Government has committed to Newcastle's city centre as the heart of greater Newcastle and the capital of the region. It is a great town in itself. The city centre is being transformed by capitalising on its active port, vibrant waterfront and heritage. It is clear to anyone visiting Newcastle that the foreshore and the heritage around the harbour is fascinating. It is a vibrant area with excellent entertainment facilities, restaurants and clubs. The New South Wales Government is committed to Newcastle's future through transport investments such as the Newcastle Light Rail, the Newcastle Interchange at Wickham and upgrades to Broadmeadow station. Faster inter-regional transport and digital technology are making it easier for the residents and businesses to interact and do business. Newcastle is certainly the business heart of the Hunter. Greater housing choices will be available in existing and new communities close to jobs and services and well supported by public transport, walking and cycling options. More housing has reduced the upward pressure on house prices. Infrastructure and investment is the linchpin of economic development, and that is occurring across the Hunter. The Government is about supporting health and education services, freight services, agribusiness and tourism, and building resilience to global economic cycles in the Hunter region. In 2011 this Government established the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund to improve transport, education, water and health infrastructures, support economic growth and enhance liveability in the Hunter region. This Government has allocated $350 million to this fund from 2011-2012 and added a further $100 million in 2014. The Hunter is being looked after by the Government. Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown) (13:16): I support and commend the motion moved by the member for Wallsend calling on the Premier to provide the necessary funding towards the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange or the Glendale interchange, as it is also known. This Government has pegged its reputation on building infrastructure. The Premier is constantly and tirelessly spruiking her infrastructure message in the media and in this place. The investment the Hunter region has made in New South Wales in the past five years through proceeds from the sale of the port and the lease of the poles and wires has not seen an equivalent return Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 26

on investment in infrastructure in the region. The people of the Hunter deserve large scale infrastructure projects to stimulate the region's economy. Fully funding the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange will provide that stimulus. The transport interchange is an important and long awaited project affecting people throughout the Hunter region and many of my Charlestown constituents. The Glendale-Cardiff area is currently one of the largest if not the largest employment zones in the region. Investment in infrastructure is crucial to this area, in which we are expected to experience an increase of 6,200 jobs and 4,000 dwellings by 2031. Once constructed, the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange will help turn Glendale into a new employment super hub for the lower Hunter, unlocking the potential to create more than 3,800 local jobs, 90 hectares of land for new commercial and light industrial development and the construction of approximately 2,700 new residences. That will be good for the people in my electorate of Charlestown. The New South Wales Government's Hunter Regional Plan 2036 identified the interchange as a high priority infrastructure project because of its potential to unlock growth and improve the connectivity and viability of major centres throughout the Hunter region. The project would see the installation of a new two-kilometre road, with improved intersections and pedestrian, cycling and bus facilities. Stage one has progressed well and has involved extending and realigning Glendale Drive—I was pleased to turn the first sod—as well as extending Stockland Drive in Glendale. The extension of Glendale Drive provides for a new access to the Hunter Sports Centre and the Stockland- Glendale shopping complex and relieves traffic congestion. The full potential of those works will not be realised until the second stage is fully funded and completed. The second stage includes the construction of the Pennant Street Bridge. That bridge is the missing link that will connect the Glendale retail precinct with the Cardiff industrial and commercial zone. It will allow Glendale to become a truly regional transport and employment super hub by unlocking exponential employment, commercial and residential growth for the area. At present, the Sydney to Newcastle rail line splits the Glendale-Cardiff employment zone in half, therefore hindering access between the two sectors and discouraging businesses from setting up in the area. The Pennant Street Bridge will end that. It will cut travel times between Glendale and Cardiff, saving commuters time and money. Independent studies commissioned by Lake Macquarie City Council estimate that more than 16,000 vehicles would use the proposed bridge every day, including 1,500 trucks, vans and other heavy vehicles. The vital development has been designated a regional priority by Hunter councils; the Hunter Business Chamber; the Property Council—which recently hosted a luncheon at which it was discussed; the NRMA; and State and Federal members of Parliament. In fact, it would be hard to find anyone in the area who does not believe this project is a regional priority. Despite its far-reaching benefits, the interchange is not getting the attention and support it deserves from this Government. With the State budget to be handed down next month, it is time for the Government to turn this vision into a reality. I support and commend the motion. Mr JOHN SIDOTI (Drummoyne) (13:20): I do not doubt the member for Wallsend's sincerity in moving this motion. She and the member for Lake Macquarie care about their communities, as do all members. The first part of the motion notes that the Premier nominated local infrastructure as a major priority for her premiership. That is correct; she has done that. Without being political, the facts speak for themselves. Whether it is a $73-billion spend over four years, the 4,500 road projects happening in almost every electorate in New South Wales, or the Government's record spend on hospitals across the State and on public transport, this Government has come through with flying colours. I do not want to make this political, because that is not what we should do with a motion like this. However, I must point out that the Labor Government failed in this regard. New members can come into this place starting from scratch and forgetting about the past. That is fine, because they were not here when the Labor Party was in government. However, they should talk to members who were here. While I was not here, I can talk about some of the Labor Government's failed projects, such as the Rozelle Metro. Ms Sonia Hornery: Point of order: I ask that the member be directed to return to the leave of the motion. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): I uphold the point of order. Mr JOHN SIDOTI: I was about to do so. This motion is about funding for the Glendale interchange. If the Labor Government had not squandered $500 million on the Rozelle Metro, this Government probably could have funded 10 projects. That is the legacy that the Labor Government left to the Coalition. This Government is doing a great job. The Glendale interchange is worthwhile to the electorate of Wallsend, and also to the State. This is not a government that spends money on projects only in Liberal- or Nationals-held electorates; it spends money on projects based on their merits. That is in complete contrast to the approach taken by members opposite. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 27

The Labor Government spent almost nothing on the North Shore and in the eastern suburbs, and Nationals-held electorates had hospitals that had not been renovated in my lifetime. The second part of the motion notes that the Glendale Interchange, identified by all Hunter mayors as the number one Hunter region infrastructure priority, has not been funded by the Government. I agree, because no-one knows their area better than the local member. The third part of the motion calls on the Premier to fund the interchange in the 2017 budget. The member wants the Government to fund the project immediately—right now! That approach is what got the Labor Party into trouble when it was in government. Members opposite simply announced projects to get themselves re-elected, but nothing ever happened. They made announcement after announcement, but this Government will not fall into that old trap. Projects are underway and members opposite should thank the Government. This Government will not be dictated to by members opposite about timeframes only to be criticised later when costs blow out. Ms KATE WASHINGTON (Port Stephens) (13:24): By leave: I support this motion and commend the member for Wallsend for moving it. I also recognise the former member for Wallsend, John Mills, for his work on this project. This longstanding project proposal is much sought after and has been much promoted across the Hunter. I acknowledge the work of the member for Charlestown and the member for Lake Macquarie, who share a passion for this project. That passion carries over from their time as mayor of Lake Macquarie City Council. I also acknowledge the council's years of hard work on this project. If members were to walk into in a room with the Property Council, the Hunter Business Chamber, all the Hunter councils, the local Labor and Independent members of Parliament, and the Federal members of Parliament, there would not be many topics on which we would all agree. Perhaps the only safe topic to discuss would be the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange, also known as the Glendale interchange. The broader Glendale-Cardiff region will be a major growth centre in the region in coming years, and that is why this regional project should have the Government's support. In fact, it should have been commenced a long time ago. The Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange, located behind Stockland Glendale, is a road and rail project that seeks to connect Glendale with the Cardiff industrial area, and to deliver a new train station at Glendale. There is a reason that such a wide range of groups supports this project. The next stage of the interchange will deliver better transport options for families in the growing Glendale-Cardiff region while also delivering $2.80 of benefit to the economy for every dollar invested by the Government. It will also deliver much-needed jobs for the Hunter. If the Premier comes to the table with funding for the next stage of the project, including the Pennant Street Bridge, the construction will open up new land in this growing region and reduce travel times and congestion. It will also improve travel times for 1,500 heavy vehicles each day. If the future stage with the train and bus interchange were added, council's cost-benefit analysis undertaken by Morrison Low shows that it would be likely to generate $93.5 million of net benefits. This is a much-needed and much-supported project. Despite that, the Government has not shown any respect to the community by listening to what it wants. We know that this project will deliver important outcomes for our community. Instead, what do we get? We get a two-kilometre light rail train to nowhere. We get privatisation of our bus network and our jobs are being off-shored—our trains will be manufactured in South Korea. That is what this Government is delivering for the region. It should start listening to the community. The Property Council is focusing on this project because it understands that it is important for the region. The Minister for Planning addressed the council and he was asked why he did not simply get on with funding the one project that everyone in the room wanted. He responded, "I am unaware of it." That demonstrates this Government's lack of understanding and its lack of respect for our community. The Minister responsible for ultimately making the decision did not know about this project, which has been on the table for a very long time. It is time that the Government afforded the Hunter some respect and listened to the community, because it knows what it needs. The Government should fund the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange. Ms SONIA HORNERY (Wallsend) (13:28): In reply: I thank the members for Terrigal, Lake Macquarie, Seven Hills, Charlestown, Drummoyne, and Port Stephens for their contributions to this debate. It is important that this project be funded. The State Government says that it is committed to the Hunter. If that is true, it should fund projects across the Hunter, not only in Newcastle, and that includes the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): The question is that the motion be agreed to. The House divided. Ayes ...... 37 Noes ...... 45 Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 28

Majority ...... 8 AYES Aitchison, Ms J Atalla, Mr E Car, Ms P Catley, Ms Y Chanthivong, Mr A Cotsis, Ms S Crakanthorp, Mr T Daley, Mr M Dib, Mr J Doyle, Ms T Finn, Ms J Greenwich, Mr A Harris, Mr D Harrison, Ms J Haylen, Ms J Hoenig, Mr R Hornery, Ms S Kamper, Mr S Lalich, Mr N (teller) Leong, Ms J Lynch, Mr P McDermott, Dr H McKay, Ms J Mehan, Mr D Mihailuk, Ms T Minns, Mr C Park, Mr R Parker, Mr J Piper, Mr G Robertson, Mr J Scully, Mr P Smith, Ms T F Tesch, Ms L Warren, Mr G Washington, Ms K Watson, Ms A (teller) Zangari, Mr G

NOES Anderson, Mr K Aplin, Mr G Ayres, Mr S Barilaro, Mr J Bromhead, Mr S (teller) Conolly, Mr K Coure, Mr M Crouch, Mr A Davies, Ms T Dominello, Mr V Elliott, Mr D Evans, Mr L Fraser, Mr A George, Mr T Gibbons, Ms M Goward, Ms P Grant, Mr T Griffin, Mr J Gulaptis, Mr C Hazzard, Mr B Hodgkinson, Ms K Humphries, Mr K Kean, Mr M Lee, Dr G Maguire, Mr D Marshall, Mr A Notley-Smith, Mr B O'Dea, Mr J Patterson, Mr C (teller) Pavey, Mrs M Perrottet, Mr D Petinos, Ms E Roberts, Mr A Rowell, Mr J Sidoti, Mr J Speakman, Mr M Stokes, Mr R Taylor, Mr M Toole, Mr P Tudehope, Mr D Upton, Ms G Ward, Mr G Williams, Mr R Williams, Mrs L Wilson, Ms F

PAIRS Barr, Mr C Johnsen, Mr M Foley, Mr L Berejiklian, Ms G

Motion negatived. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): I shall now leave the chair. The House will resume at 2.15 p.m. Visitors VISITORS The SPEAKER: I welcome everybody in the gallery to question time this afternoon. We hope you enjoy the final question time of the week. A very warm welcome is extended to Garry and Dianne Wilbraham, accompanied by Nessy, Jenna and Kelli-Anne who are visiting Parliament to receive Garry's New South Wales Government Community Service Award. I also welcome Cameron, who is visiting from Rouse Hill Anglican College, guest of the Minister for Multiculturalism, Minister for Disability Services and member for Castle Hill. I also welcome a delegation from Harrington Park Probus Club. I met many of you this morning and I hope you have enjoyed your day with us. They are guests of the Government Whip and member for Camden. I also welcome in the gallery Mrs Pam McTear and her son, Craig McTear, guests of the Assistant Speaker and member for Coffs Harbour. I met you earlier in the day too. I welcome students and teachers visiting from Wyong High School and Wadalba Community School, guests of the member for Wyong. I also welcome Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 29

the nephew of the member for Orange, Michael Celona, guest of the member for Orange. I also offer a very special and warm welcome today to the stolen generation members who are with us in the gallery. I may see some of you tomorrow in the member for Maroubra's electorate, as we unveil the stolen generations memorial. Announcements INDIGENOUS RECONCILIATION The SPEAKER (14:20): This week we mark the anniversary of two significant milestones of Australia's journey towards reconciliation with Indigenous Australians. Fifty years ago on 27 May 1967 Australians voted to amend sections 51 and 127 of the Constitution. The referendum proposed the removal of the words, "other than the aboriginal people in any State" from section 51, and the abolition of clause 127, allowing Aboriginal Australians to be counted in determinations of population. The amendments were overwhelmingly endorsed, winning 90.77 per cent of votes cast, carrying in all six States. The Act titled Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967 became law on 10 August 1967 and was considered to be representative of the prevailing movement for political change within Indigenous affairs. Thirty years later on 26 May 1997 the "Bringing Them Home" report was tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament— 20 years ago. The report shone a spotlight for the first time on the intergenerational impact that forcible removal had on the children, grandchildren, communities and family members of the stolen generation. The real and heartbreaking trauma caused by historic government policies and practices remains today in victims, their families and entire communities. In 20 years we have moved some way towards healing, but the journey is long overdue and continuing. We acknowledge the pain of Indigenous Australians here in this Parliament, and continue to work with communities each and every day to bridge the gap. On such an important matter we rise above politics in this place to observe, reflect and work towards healing. Together we apologised, together we offer survivors of the stolen generation financial reparation, and together we acknowledge each and every day that this was, is and always will be Aboriginal land. Twenty years after "Bringing Them Home", we reflect on, remember and pay tribute to the resilience and courage of Aboriginal people and the desire of all Australians to heal. I ask all honourable members to rise to observe one moment's silence in respect and recognition of members of the stolen generation. Members stood in their places as a mark of respect. The SPEAKER: We perform this act to acknowledge the suffering experienced by the stolen generation and as a mark of respect to the stolen generation members no longer with us. We cannot take away the pain of the past but we can influence the future. Question Time RAIL, TRAM AND BUS UNION Mr LUKE FOLEY (Auburn) (14:23): My question is directed to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. How many taxpayer dollars has he spent pursuing bus drivers in legal action that has today collapsed because he sued the wrong union, with his Government forced to withdraw its application and orders being issued not against the union but against him? Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure) (14:24): Isn't it interesting that the Rail, Tram and Bus Union [RTBU] played silly buggers the other day and have now been caught out because the Industrial Relations Commission [IRC] brought down a directive against the RTBU national secretariat— The SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock. If members continue to behave like this, I will not call members to order for the first, second or third time; they will be directed to leave the Chamber. This is an horrendous start to question time. It is inappropriate, especially considering the people who are in the gallery. The clock will be reset for the Minister's answer. Members will not interject. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: Isn't it interesting that the bloke who is paid by the RTBU to ask the question—at a cost of $206,000 in donations—has asked that question? The SPEAKER: Order! There is too much noise from Government members. I call the member for Prospect to order for the first time. I call the member for Rockdale to order for the first time. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: If those opposite think that the IRC order against the national secretariat of the RTBU being ruled out on a technicality because it was not made against the State arm is some sort of laughing matter then I have one simple question. The Government will go back and pursue the State secretariat— Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 30

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Keira to order for the first time. I will have the member removed from the Chamber without further warning. I call the member for Prospect to order for the second time. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The IRC made the ruling. The fact is that that order was made against the RTBU national secretariat. Mr Michael Daley: Point of order: I have here the Fundamentals of Trial Techniques. On page 1 it says, "Sue the right person." The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Maroubra to order for the first time. The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order. Members who take spurious points of order will be immediately put on three calls to order. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: A small technicality has been found in relation to the Industrial Relations Commission. If those opposite think they have endeared themselves through this type of silly nonsense, then the union stands condemned. There is one interesting question in relation to all of this: does the Leader of the Opposition condone illegal strike action inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of people? The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Cessnock to order for the first time. I call the member for Londonderry to order for the first time. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: This Government will pursue the State arm of the union. Mr Luke Foley: Point of order— The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Kogarah to order for the first time. If the Leader of the Opposition takes a spurious point of order he will be called to order. Mr Luke Foley: I seek your advice, Madam Speaker. The SPEAKER: The member can seek my advice any time. What is the point of order? Mr Luke Foley: I ask whether the Minister is in contempt of court, given the Government has made a clear commitment today that it will not pursue the union. Is the Minister in contempt of court? The SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The Government will throw absolutely everything at any union that conducts illegal strike action. I do not care if it was the national body that was pursued in this case and that we must go back on a technicality in relation to the State arm. Let me tell the Leader of the Opposition that he stands condemned because he did not stick up for the commuters who were inconvenienced by an illegal strike. He supports breaking the law. That is where the Leader of the Opposition stands in relation to this: he supports illegal action on the part of the union. Is it any wonder? I came across a document, the 2017 Labor Party manifesto, "For the Many, Not the Few", prepared by Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Michael Daley: Point of order: The Minister has identified the wrong party again. The SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I call the member for Maroubra to order for the second time. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: What is interesting about this manifesto is that the policy is to nationalise public transport. Guess who is going to nationalise public transport? The Leader of the Opposition. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Keira to order for the second time. I call the member for Keira to order for the third time. I warn Opposition members that they will be directed to leave the Chamber. I direct the member for Keira to remove himself from the Chamber for a period of two hours. [Pursuant to sessional order the member for Keira left the Chamber at 14.29.] Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: I will start to roll those opposite out one after another. The bottom line is that the Leader of the Opposition supports illegal strikes. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Kogarah to order for the second time. I call the member for Maroubra to order for the third time. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: Those opposite support illegal action. We will go back to the IRC and pursue the State arm of the RTBU. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Prospect to order for the third time. The member for Prospect will cease interjecting. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 31

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: They did not have the decency to make sure that the IRC order was in relation to them. What we see is the Leader of the Opposition absolutely proud to support illegal actions on the part of unions. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maitland does not like members interjecting when she is speaking. I put the member for Maitland on three calls to order. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: And therein lies the point. I do not care if the RTBU was supported by the national arm or the State arm, the fact is that those opposite support illegal strikes. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Kogarah to order for the third time. Opposition members will cease shouting. Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: They support hundreds of thousands of commuters being inconvenienced, and they stand condemned for doing so. The SPEAKER: I congratulate the members of the Opposition on a great performance. It was well practised, a great strategy. The House will come to order. HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (14:30): My question is addressed to the Premier. How is the New South Wales Government supporting patients and frontline health staff by providing improved hospital infrastructure? Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Premier) (14:30): That is an outstanding question from the outstanding member for Oatley. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Rockdale is on three calls to order. I warn him that he will be removed from the House if he continues to interject. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: I thank the member for Oatley for his question. I appreciate what an important issue health is for his community and every single community represented in this place. As we know, unfortunately Labor's record in health is as bad as its record in transport, education and everything else. Let us go through the list of projects Labor promised to deliver but never did, because it is quite interesting given what they are saying now. They promised Blacktown. Did they deliver that? No. Byron Bay? No. Campbelltown? No. Dubbo? No. Forbes? No. St George? No. Gosford? No. Hornsby? No. Lismore? No. Maitland? No. Northern Beaches? No. Parkes? No. Tamworth? No. Mr David Harris: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 54. Opposition members have been cautioned about applauding, yet Government members are permitted to do so. The SPEAKER: Order! I inform the member that there is a difference between interjections and acclamations. Government members are making too much noise but they are not interjecting. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: I have gone through a list of some of Labor's broken promises, but even when they do start building something they do not quite manage to get it right. Although we know there is a litany of things which they promised but never did, they did build Bathurst Base Hospital. However, as the member for Bathurst well knows, it did not meet the national patient safety guidelines. The operating theatres were too small, there was sewerage leaking in the building, and the new hospital had to be partly demolished at a cost of $100 million. Those opposite have broken a number of promises. I will compare their record to ours. The Labor Party promised the redevelopment of the Bega hospital in 2006 but never developed it. We promised it, and I know that the member for Bega and the Minister for Health are very excited that we have managed to open that hospital 10 years after the Labor Party promised it. The Liberal-Nationals Government managed to do that. The Labor Party promised to start building a hospital in Wagga Wagga in 2007. They never built it. We promised it, built it and opened it, and I was very pleased to visit the outstanding new facility. It is very interesting to hear those opposite talk about frontline services because they cut 340 nurses from Western Sydney and 90 from the Central Coast when they were in Government. What we have done instead is put on 5,500 more nurses and midwives. That is why we are the party of the worker. When the Leader of the Opposition opened his mouth during the last election campaign, the ABC—which is not a traditional friend of the Liberals and Nationals—fact-checked him and highlighted how he misled the community. When it comes to the Leader of the Opposition's credibility on health, the ABC said, "The budget paper shows the health budget has continued to grow each year under the Coalition, and by more than inflation. Mr Foley's claim is incorrect." If the people of Western Sydney in particular want any indication of the credibility of those opposite, look at what those opposite promised for Nepean Hospital. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 32

Ms Prue Car: You promised it only because we dragged you there. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: Yeah, yeah. We know it is a touchy subject. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Londonderry is on three calls to order. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: They promised $88 million; we are delivering half a billion dollars to Nepean Hospital. Our record on health continues. I acknowledge the Minister for Health, who has been doing an outstanding job in his portfolio. I am very pleased to say that we have a record health spend. [Extension of time] This is such a long list. I will have to continue this answer on another occasion. We are very proud to be building stage 2 of Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital, which is a more than $700 million commitment. I know the member for Oatley, who asked me the question, is very excited that St George Hospital is also getting new acute bays for $277 million. Mr Mark Coure: Thank you, Premier. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The member for Oatley says thank you. Those opposite should say thank you as well. Follow the example of the member for Oatley. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Canterbury will cease pointing and shouting. Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: We are also very pleased with the upgrade to Sutherland Hospital, which is getting a new emergency department, 16 new acute in-patient beds and upgraded medical imaging. Lismore Hospital is getting an extra $180 million for stage 3B. Tweed Hospital is getting $48 million for stage 1. I know Crouchy is very pleased about Gosford Hospital, and I am sure the member for Gosford is quietly very pleased as well that her community is getting a state-of-the-art $348 million brand-new hospital, including a teaching precinct. Whether it is Broken Hill, Dubbo, the northern beaches or anywhere else along the length and breadth of the State, our health facilities are getting much-needed upgrades. We are very pleased that we will have nearly 50,000 nurses working in our hospitals. For the record, those opposite cut the number of nurses and we have increased the number of nurses. Those opposite cut hospital funding and we are building hospitals across the length and breadth of the State. I say to the great people of New South Wales that there is much more to come. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) (14:37): My question is directed to the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing. What measures are in place to ensure that funding allocated to local health districts, specifically for mental health services, is not redirected to other services or functions within a health district? That is for Davies to answer, not you, Hazzard. The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Bankstown to be careful about making extraneous comments. Ms TANYA DAVIES (Mulgoa—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing) (14:38): I thank the member opposite for her question. Unlike those opposite, this Government is firmly committed to boosting and building mental health service delivery across the State. Unlike Labor, who had 16 years to transform mental health in this State, the Coalition Government this year alone is delivering a record $1.8 billion in mental health. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Canterbury and the member Bankstown will cease shouting. Ms TANYA DAVIES: This financial year alone we have boosted the mental health budget by $106 million. The SPEAKER: Order! I direct the member for Londonderry to remove herself from the Chamber for a period of two hours. [Pursuant to sessional order the member for Londonderry left the Chamber at 14:40.] Ms TANYA DAVIES: When we came to government in 2011, we commenced a project to reform mental health services across the State. We proceeded to develop a whole-of-government strategy, which is a transformation of mental health services in the community. Under the Living Well strategy, which was developed by the Mental Health Commission under this Government, we have funded that commission alone with a record $27 million. Ms Tania Mihailuk: That has nothing to do with the question. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Bankstown to order for the first time. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 33

Ms TANYA DAVIES: The commission will assist the Government to transform mental health care in our community. The mental health challenge is growing in our communities. The good news is that the stigma that existed around depression and anxiety is reducing. Communities are showing a level of acceptance for mental health issues in people, whether they are sports stars, politicians, or mums or dads, who may at times experience mental illness. However, sadly, the stigma around mental health still exists in some more challenging areas such as schizophrenia, paranoia and personality disorders. These conditions affect a number of people, sometimes our relatives. As a government we need to give these people the support and services that they need to deal with their issues. This Government is supporting a decade-long transformation of mental health care in this State. There is evidence that mental health support leads to better outcomes when the support is provided in the community. The Government is taking a whole range of actions. Ms Tania Mihailuk: Point of order: My point of order is taken under Standing Order 129, relevance. My question was very specific: What measures are in place to ensure funding— The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Minister is being relevant to the question. The member will resume her seat. Ms Tania Mihailuk: —allocated to local health districts is specifically for mental health? The SPEAKER: Order! I place the member for Bankstown on three calls to order. The member will resume her seat. Ms TANYA DAVIES: In this budget alone there is a range of activities that this Government has funded, and I will list them. The Government will continue to implement Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014-2024. The Government has also allocated $20 million for the continuation of the Community Living Supports program to support those with complex medical illnesses to live well in the community. There is an $11 million statewide rollout of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Got It! Teams. This program provides early mental health intervention for young people in schools. Evidence suggests that up to 50 per cent of people who experience a mental health episode start experiencing episodes and symptoms by the time they turn 14. There is a crucial need to intervene early, and that is why the Government is providing funds for these teams as part of one such early intervention program. I could go on listing this Government's programs. SCHOOL ZONE FLASHING LIGHTS Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (14:44): My question is addressed to the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight. Will the Minister inform the House about road safety around schools as well as any other road safety matters? Mrs MELINDA PAVEY (Oxley—Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight) (14:44): It was a real pleasure to be in the Miranda electorate recently meeting beautiful schoolchildren at the Taren Point Public School, including the young daughter of a policewoman who was proud of her mum going to work and another kid who said that her dad works at the Lucas Heights nuclear facility. The member for Miranda is working hard in her community for the people of Miranda on such initiatives as extra funding for pinch point programs. The member for Miranda is a fighter within the Government for her community, as we are all fighting to make New South Wales better and safer. Our children need to be safe at all times, and not just while they are around vehicles and roads. Our children's safety is one of the most important things that not only governments but societies must ensure. We are installing flashing lights at 104 schools in Dubbo, Bathurst, Bega, Tweed, Coogee, Riverstone and Mulgoa, to mention just a few of the affected electorates. I saw that on Monday the member for Summer Hill posted on her Facebook that she is very happy about schools in her electorate receiving flashing lights. These additional flashing lights are on top of the 400 schools across the State already announced to receive flashing lights. The rollout of the lights to the initial 400 schools is expected to be completed in July. These flashing lights mean that schoolkids at 504 schools will be safer thanks to the investment by the Liberal-Nationals Government. It is timely to reflect on what this Government has achieved in this program since 2011. We have installed 5,327 flashing lights across the State. It is important to compare that figure to what the Labor Government did in the nine years after it started the installation of flashing lights at schools. In those nine years the Labor Government installed 570 lights. I know that members of the Labor Party are not great at doing calculations or running a budget, but just so that they are informed, that is a 935 per cent increase in the installation of school flashing lights. This good Government is delivering 5,327 flashing lights at schools, compared with what Labor achieved in the nine years when it installed 570 lights. Mr Stephen Kamper: You have millions of dollars of taxpayers' funds to help you achieve that. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 34

Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: I acknowledge the interjection of the member for Rockdale. He criticised our work in this space. How can the member for Rockdale criticise us for this work? How many schools in your communities are getting flashing lights? The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Rockdale that he is already on three calls to order. Mr Jihad Dib: Point of order: Madam Speaker, as much as we enjoy the grandstanding, I ask that the Minister direct her comments through the chair. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lakemba will resume his seat. Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: This Government is making the roads safer not only for the member for Rockdale's grandchildren but for all children across New South Wales. The 935 per cent increase in school flashing lights that we are delivering is replicated in our record roads budget. A great way of making our roads safer for communities, travellers, industry, freight and commuters is to increase road funding. I remind those opposite that in the six years we have been in government we have increased the roads budget by 105 per cent. We have been able to achieve that and make the Pacific Highway safer. I do not know why those opposite are laughing, because we are pouring record funds into regional roads and city roads. We are ensuring that road users in this State are safe. It is significant that members of the Opposition are laughing at our Government's achievements in delivering for the people of New South Wales. We have announced a 935 per cent increase in school flashing lights and we have increased the roads budget by 105 per cent. I am very pleased to be part of this Government that is getting out and doing the work, while those opposite laugh at us. MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS RESTRAINTS USE Ms SOPHIE COTSIS (Canterbury) (14:49): My question is directed to the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing. In respect of pregnant women, how many New South Wales mental health institutions have banned the use of shackles, straps, manacles and solitary confinement? Ms TANYA DAVIES (Mulgoa—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing) (14:49): I guess this flows on from the previous question. The member for Canterbury has raised a couple of points and I will address them separately. The first is in relation to pregnant women or women who have recently given birth. Statistics show that between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of these women may experience a mental health episode or incident. When we consider the numbers of babies being born, it is a significant number of women who potentially are directly affected by a mental health issue. In response the good news is that, in many cases with the appropriate support and care that is wrapped around them, many will fairly quickly go into full recovery. But a very small number may require inpatient acute admission to a hospital. The New South Wales Government recognises this. As a direct response, this year alone we are funding the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health team with $3 million. That is an increase of $408,000 to assist more than 900 people in South Eastern Sydney and Western Sydney local health districts and the Justice and Forensic Mental Health Network. We are also giving $3.1 million of new funding to support Wesley Mission's Mums and Kids Matter to support mothers with chronic mental illness. We are carrying out a great deal of activity in mental health. The examples the member opposite gave could be summarised as restraint, and many in this place will recall that just over a week ago the Government announced two reviews into seclusion, restraint and observation policies and practices. The first of those is in relation to the internal NSW Health approach, which will be run by the New South Wales Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Murray Wright. Dr Wright is not only a member of the New South Wales health system but also a practising clinical psychiatrist. He has assembled a team that has representatives from the Mental Health Commission and someone with lived experience as well as nursing staff members from this area of mental health. The team will conduct an internal review of how the New South Wales health system deals with seclusion, restraint and observation. It is expected to deliver a report to the Government in December this year. We eagerly await that report and the recommendations it will make to the Government. The second announcement was that, as a whole-of-government approach to hear from the community, we asked the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, my very good friend the member for Coogee, Bruce Notley-Smith, to run a parliamentary inquiry into health care in New South Wales. This inquiry has Labor members on it. It will be able to approach the wider community and say, "We want to hear from you. Tell us your experiences of seclusion, restraint and observation." Ms Sophie Cotsis: Point of order: I appreciate what the Minister is saying but my point of order relates to Standing Order 129. My question was about the banning of shackles and restraints. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 35

The SPEAKER: Order! That is not a point of order. The member will resume her seat and cease arguing or she will be removed until the commencement of the next sittings. I direct the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms to remove the member for Canterbury from the Chamber under Standing Order 249. The member may return to the Chamber in 24 hours. [The member for Canterbury left the Chamber at 14:54 accompanied by the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms.] Ms TANYA DAVIES: If the member asks me again, I can heartily give her more information that will embarrass her. The SPEAKER: Order! That was a disgraceful display from the member for Canterbury. For her to raise a spurious point of order while members were listening to a relevant response was atrocious. Ms Jenny Aitchison: Point of order— The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maitland will resume her seat. The Minister has finished her answer. Ms Jenny Aitchison: The standing orders state that any member can take a point of order. To remove a member for doing so is unfair— The SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members take too many spurious points of order. The member will resume her seat. STATE HERITAGE Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) (14:56): My question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment, Minister for Local Government, and Minister for Heritage. What is the Government doing to protect, manage and celebrate the State's heritage? Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse—Minister for the Environment, Minister for Local Government, and Minister for Heritage) (14:56:4): I thank the member for his question. He is a strong advocate for history and heritage in his electorate. The SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the Minister because of the interjections. Members will show respect and will listen to the Minister in silence. Ms GABRIELLE UPTON: As I was saying, the member for Lismore has a strong respect for the heritage of his local community, unlike those in the Opposition, who have feigned a strong commitment to heritage. It has taken the Leader of the Opposition a while to introduce his policy on heritage, and it was rather underwhelming. It may not surprise this side of the House that the centrepiece of that policy was his daydream of being Premier and installing himself in the office of the Chief Secretary on Macquarie Street. Unlike the other side of the House, the Government has a strong and genuine commitment to heritage with real money and real policy. Our commitment is to preserve our heritage for the future. The member for Lismore has pushed hard for the community of Tenterfield. On that basis we have invested $300,000 in conserving, repairing and doing important things, such as painting the Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts. I was proud to visit Tenterfield and see that work while it is happening. It is a tangible outcome in our community with money that this Government can put back into the community. We do not have to make a choice on this side of the House: This Government can deliver the good, strong economic management necessary to balance our budget and by doing that, unlike the Opposition, we can invest that money in preserving and valuing our heritage. Since we have been elected, member for Rockdale, we have invested $17 million in heritage grants across the State. Under this program there have been 220 projects. We have spread the love across the community of New South Wales. Last month, together with the member for Penrith, the Minister for Western Sydney, Minister for WestConnex, and Minister for Sport, I visited Australia's oldest bridge, the Lennox Bridge at Mitchell's Pass. We are undertaking important work restoring that bridge. Members opposite are not listening, they do not care. I have some good news about investment in Opposition electorates. If they listened they would understand that we have announced investment in communities across New South Wales. The Government has invested in Aboriginal heritage and I acknowledge the members of the stolen generation, who I believe were with us this morning but who have since left the Chamber. We have provided $240,000 for four Aboriginal heritage projects for declared Aboriginal places across New South Wales. Some important projects across New South Wales are being funded, including, in the electorate of Coogee, $100,000 for restoration works at Waverley Cemetery. The SPEAKER: Members who are not interested in the answer can leave the Chamber. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 36

Ms GABRIELLE UPTON: In the electorate of Goulburn, there is $100,000 for repairs to the stone stables and the main house at Riversdale. In the electorate of Bathurst, there is $150,000 for restoration work to the Cathedral of St Michael and St John, a lovely old church dating back to 1861. There is good news for southern Sydney: $125,000 for the conservation of the historic Wilsons Cottage in Rockdale. In the Hunter, there is $150,000 for two years of repair work on the old Newcastle Post Office. We have a strong commitment to heritage. Because of the Government's economic management and the balancing of the budget we are able to fund these projects. ANOREXIA NERVOSA PATIENTS Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (15:02): My question is directed to the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing. Mr Brad Hazzard: Sometimes you should change your strategy. Not you personally. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Health will come to order. Ms LIESL TESCH: Given that anorexia nervosa is the most deadly mental illness and primarily affects women, how many dedicated beds for anorexia patients are available in New South Wales public hospitals, and what is the Minister doing to increase the number— The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Health will come to order. Did the member for Gosford complete her question? The House will come to order. The member for Gosford will be heard in silence. Ms LIESL TESCH: Given that anorexia nervosa is the most deadly mental illness and primarily affects women, how many dedicated beds for anorexia patients are available in New South Wales public hospitals and what is the Minister doing to increase the number, particularly in Western Sydney? Ms TANYA DAVIES (Mulgoa—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for Ageing) (15:03): I thank the member for Gosford for her inaugural question in question time; congratulations. Given that it is a question regarding Western Sydney it is a shame the Opposition could not find someone from Western Sydney to ask it, but congratulations nonetheless. The SPEAKER: Some members from Western Sydney electorates are not in the Chamber at the end of question time. Ms TANYA DAVIES: Eating disorders are a very serious mental health condition, and as my previous answers have indicated, this Government is firmly committed to assisting and helping people with severe mental health illness. I have said before that this year we have a $1.8 billion budget for mental health illness across the State, an increase of $106 million since last financial year. Recently I travelled to Newcastle to launch a brand new online tool for people with eating disorders called "Navigating Your Way Back to Health" and an online tool for people with a family member who has an eating disorder called "Navigating Their Way Back to Health". Those tools are now online and readily available to not only individuals who have an eating disorder but also their families, general practitioners and other medical staff to help navigate their way back to health. The New South Wales Government Service Plan for People with Eating Disorders was released by the Government in September 2013 to guide the development and expansion of quality eating disorder care across the State. The plan has included enhancements for eating disorder services, new coordinators in local health districts, a new adult eating disorder day program in the Hunter New England Local Health District, a new statewide child and adolescent day program as part of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and the expansion of the Professor Marie Bashir Centre, Adult Eating Disorder Inpatient Program located at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Every local health district and specialty health network is developing local clinical networks across public and private health providers. The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister is answering the question. Members will cease interjecting. Ms TANYA DAVIES: Through the Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders at the Boden Institute at the University of Sydney, the statewide eating disorder coordinator provides direct advice and resources, supports local eating disorder coordinators and provides specialist eating disorder services. The pilot child and adolescent eating disorders day program is a partnership between the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and the non-government organisation the Butterfly Foundation. Four specialist adult day programs provide intensive community treatment options. These are based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, the James Fletcher Hospital in Newcastle, the Community Health Centre in Wyong on the Central Coast and at Westmead Hospital. An essential component of the service plan is building the capacity of the workforce to be confident and competent to address eating disorders as core business. Building on local services plans and existing training and supervision, the Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders is developing a major workforce development training Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 37

program to be rolled out across all local health districts in 2017-18. Training is provided to local health districts and to specialty health networks in evidence-based treatments and medical management of eating disorders as well as broad-based identification and assessment training. Ms Liesl Tesch: Point of order: My point of order is Standing Order 129, relevance. The SPEAKER: I understand the point of order. I cannot ask the Minister to specifically answer a question. I can ask the Minister to be relevant, and she has been. There is no point of order. Members will cease interjecting. Ms TANYA DAVIES: The Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District mental health budget has increased by 6.8 per cent this financial year alone. CLUBGRANTS PROGRAM Mr GEOFF PROVEST (Tweed) (15:08): My question is addressed to the Minister for Lands and Forestry, and Minister for Racing. How is the New South Wales Government working with the State's clubs to support the community? Mr PAUL TOOLE (Bathurst—Minister for Lands and Forestry, and Minister for Racing) (15:09): I thank the member for Tweed for his question and for his interest in what clubs do, not only in his local area but also across the State. The Government is proud to continue delivering on its 2015 election commitment to the ClubGRANTS program across New South Wales. Infrastructure grants are being delivered to every part of the State. This Government recognises that clubs play an important role, especially in regional communities. They generate vitality and we look forward to them continuing to do so. Over the next four years, $15 million will be invested in local infrastructure programs through the ClubGRANTS program. Those grants support participation in sport and recreation and art and culture projects. As the member for Tweed knows, given recent events in his electorate, the ClubGRANTS program also supports emergency services relief. He saw firsthand the impact of floods in the northern part of the State. There is no doubt that the recent devastating floods demonstrated the necessity of having good emergency services relief. This Government is committed to ensuring that communities across New South Wales continue to benefit from its programs. The ClubGRANTS category 3 program builds on the success of the Government's category 1 and 2 programs. Category 3 grants are a little different in that they focus on larger projects. I draw the attention of the House to some of the projects that have made a significant difference in local communities. ClubGRANTS have supported a $254,000 upgrade to the Urbenville Memorial Hall in Tenterfield, which is in the electorate of Lismore. Tenterfield will now have an up-to-date evacuation centre for use during emergencies. The work includes accessible toilets, a solar power system, a generator and a replacement air conditioner. Halls like this provide refuge for communities in emergencies. They are also used to distribute food and to provide support to emergency workers who protect our communities during disasters. Under the ClubGRANTS arts and cultural program, a $300,000 grant was provided for the redevelopment of the Lismore Quadrangle and Regional Gallery project. That funding will provide for the installation of lighting, moveable walls, and equipment to hang artwork. The member for Upper Hunter knows that ClubGRANTS have been valuable in his electorate. The Dungog Bowling Club now has an emergency generator that can be used by the community in times of natural disasters. The Dungog RSL Club has also received funding to renovate a kitchen so that it can cater for emergency situations. The member for Kiama recently attended a sod-turning ceremony for a new emergency operations centre at Shellharbour for the State Emergency Service. It was the ClubGRANTS program that provided more than $250,000 to assist in the construction of that facility. I will share with the House an important story about clubs that concerns the member for Tweed. As I said, the member's electorate was hit by floods in March this year. Everyone should understand the full impact of that flood. [Extension of time] Clubs provide support for emergency services in disasters. Although they provide refuge for those affected by natural disasters, clubs can also be victims. Certain members of this Parliament should keep that in mind as they travel around the State. They should also stop attacking our clubs. During the recent floods, the Condong Bowling Club was so badly damaged that there were fears it would never open its doors again. It is a small club on the banks of the Tweed River, which meant it bore the brunt of the floodwaters. The club's secretary-manager, Kerry Campbell, said the place was like a war zone. The floodwater reached the top of the club bar and nothing was spared. The building was inundated with mud, furniture had to be thrown out, and the carpet was wrecked. The townspeople of Condong rallied because they refused to let their club close. Other clubs also rallied and offered assistance, including the Murwillumbah Services Club, despite the fact that it was also dealing with Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 38

the aftermath of a flood. The Tweed Heads Bowling Club also helped out. Of course, the member for Tweed was the general manager of that club for 14 years. The Twin Towns Services Club, with chief executive officer Rob Smith and chairman Mike Fraser, also lent a hand, as did the Cabarita Beach Bowls Club. They all pitched in to make sure the club was not forced to close its doors. It will be a while before it is back on its feet, but it would not be opening again if it were not for the help of the other clubs. Members should not attack our clubs because they are making a remarkable difference in communities across the State. PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND SCHOOL ETHICS CLASSES Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (15:16): I direct my question to the Minister for Education. In light of the review of special religious education and ethics classes in New South Wales Government schools, does the Minister believe that it is reasonable that children going to school in our public, secular education system are automatically enrolled in scripture classes without their parents' explicit consent? Mr ROB STOKES (Pittwater—Minister for Education) (15:16): I thank the member for Newtown for her question about the role of special religious and special ethics education in New South Wales public schools. Since 1848, successive parliaments and governments in New South Wales have acknowledged that it is a fundamental expression of religious freedom for parents to have the opportunity to seek special religious education for their children during school hours. Subsequent to amendments to the Education Act in 2011, they have also had the right to have their children attend secular ethics classes. I note that members opposite have divergent views on this issue. I also understand that people in our community have a range of different religious views. However, since 1848, there has been an understanding in our political firmament that there should be scope for religious freedom and for parents to have a choice. The Education Act embodies the fundamental tenets of our education system, that is, that every child has the right to an education, and that the State has a duty to provide a high-quality education to every child. It also recognises that providing our children with an education is a shared responsibility. We acknowledge that parents have a crucial and fundamental role in helping their children to make education choices. Whether it be the opportunity to undertake special religious education in a New South Wales public school, whether it be to undertake education in secular ethics, or whether it is not to avail themselves of either opportunity, it is fundamentally a matter of choice. Government members respect that choice. I wanted to put on record my gratitude and the gratitude of members across the Chamber—I think, I could be wrong—to those more than 11,000 volunteers who faithfully serve children in our schools where their parents have chosen for them to take advantage of either special religious education or education in special ethics. I have met with many of the providers who sought to speak to me about their perspectives on the appropriate policy settings. For example, I have had the opportunity to meet Jon Thorpe from the Anglican church, Murray Norman from the Presbyterian church, Bishop Peter Comensoli from the Catholic church, as well as Leonie Johnson— Ms Jenny Leong: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 129, relevance. I ask the Minister whether he thinks it is reasonable that children are automatically enrolled in scripture classes. The SPEAKER: The Minister is being relevant to the question. If the member had been listening she would know that. She may not agree with the Minister's point of view but his answer is relevant. Mr ROB STOKES: I point out to the member for Newtown, the legislative provisions are clear— Ms Jenny Leong: Do you think it is reasonable? The SPEAKER: The member for Newtown will remain silent and listen to the answer. The House will come to order. The Minister has the call. Mr ROB STOKES: My answer to that question is to refer the member to the legislation. Sections 32 and 33A make it very clear the rights of parents in relation to the different options for their children. The legislation provides the answer to the member's question. I certainly support the rights that parents have to make these choices on behalf of their young people, whether their choices are for a Christian religion or the Islam, Buddhism or Baha'i faith. There is a whole range of choices and different providers. It is part of the diversity and inclusivity that we want to see reflected in our New South Wales public schools. SPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (15:21): My question is addressed to the Minister for Western Sydney, the Minister for WestConnex, and Minister for Sport. How is the New South Wales Government supporting community sport across the State? Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Western Sydney, Minister for WestConnex, and Minister for Sport) (15:22): I thank the member for Myall Lakes for his question about investment in sport in Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 39

New South Wales. I know he is very passionate about sport, particularly rugby union. I see he is wearing his cauliflower club tie today. His electorate of Myall Lakes has been the recipient of funding from the New South Wales Government for investment in places like the South Old Bar sporting fields in Old Bar and the Peter Barclay sporting fields in Tuncurry. The lighting has been upgraded at those two locations. The Government has been investing in sport across the State, starting with our stadium strategy. In the electorate of Parramatta the new Western Sydney stadium is under construction right now. It is going up before our very eyes, one of the largest investments this State has seen: 30,000 seats; one of the best seating experiences in Australia; and the steepest stands of any stadium in the country. Spectators will be closer to the ground than they are at Suncorp, providing a great experience—particularly next Wednesday night when the New South Wales Blues wallop Queensland in the first State of Origin game. The SPEAKER: Order! There is too much noise in the Chamber. Members will resume their seats. Mr STUART AYRES: As well as the stadiums that we are building, the NSW National Rugby League [NRL] Centres of Excellence Program is being rolled out, with panels currently assessing applications. The Government's $40 million program is in partnership with our NRL clubs so they maintain a strong community footprint. Even though the teams will be playing their games in our biggest stadiums, we want our traditional clubs to maintain a strong community footprint by running community outreach programs based at their traditional locations. As well as the stadiums, we have invested in one of the highest participation sports in New South Wales by creating a netball centre of excellence at Sydney Olympic Park, the Genea Netball Centre, at a cost of more than $35 million. It is a fantastic venue that includes eight courts and a show court with seating for more than 850 people. Every night of the week, women and girls from all over New South Wales play netball in that centre. Mrs Melinda Pavey: Boys play it too. Mr STUART AYRES: Boys play netball too, but a lot more women play at the centre. That facility has provided fantastic pathways for women right across New South Wales. We are also leveraging our fantastic events. For example, we made a surplus on our investment in the AFC Asian Cup and we have reinvested the $4 million surplus back into grassroots sporting facilities around New South Wales. It is not just the city that is winning. I can point to the member for Tamworth's electorate where we are investing over $4.2 million in the Northern Inland Sporting Centre of Excellence, in partnership with the local council, to ensure that local communities have access to high-quality sporting facilities. Our local sports program has been a massive success. Back to the member for Myall Lakes, the Government has supported the Forster Tuncurry Golf Club, and Wingham Golf Club got a result out of the local sports grant. In the Clarence electorate, the Grafton Netball Association will receive $5,000 and the Clarence dragon boat club has also been a recipient. Coogee Surf Life Saving Club will receive $13,500; Waverley Rugby Club has been a recipient; and $3,000 goes in the direction of Clovelly Bowling Club. I went there with the member for Coogee, rolled a couple down the green—not too bad, jack high for you. Down on the South Coast, the member for Bega has been able to attain $5,000 for the Batemans Bay BMX club and $18,000 to the Tuross Head tennis club. Down at Heathcote we are making sure plenty of people have access to good sporting equipment, with $20,000 worth of upgrades to the Sutherland junior rugby leagues club and new paddle boards for the Woronora life saving club. I congratulate the great work done by the member for Heathcote. In Holsworthy, $20,000 has gone to the Southern Districts soccer association, and $200,000 will be going to the Liverpool City Archers. The electorate of Mulgoa has received more than $200,000 to create new sporting fields, and there is $5,000 to help out the Colyton Little Athletics. Up in Lismore on the North Coast, there is $20,000 for scoreboards for the baseball fields. We even gave $20,000 to cricket in Prospect and $24,000 has been invested in Maroubra across baseball, rugby and football. The member for Oatley has been a winner—he is showing his AFL skills—with $335,00 going into Olds Park in his electorate. He is a passionate advocate of the St George Football Club. [Extension of time] The Government has also supported one of the most special sporting clubs in New South Wales, the Sutherland Titans Football Club, based in the member for Miranda's electorate. The Titans provides for players with a disability. These children may have been a part of a club but did not get much game time. They may have sat on the bench and were only given token game time. The Sutherland Shire Football Association created the Titans Football Club and put all these players together. Rather than other clubs having a bye, they play the Titans team. In this way, these children with a disability experience the joy and pleasure of a playing in a team sport and children from other clubs are exposed to the impacts of disability on others. This is about making sport more accessible. As a government, we have been investing in sports and clubs like the Titans Football Club in Miranda. Our surf life saving clubs have benefited from our $2 million a year investment into surf life saving facilities. The Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 40

member for Manly is kicking goals with North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club receiving funding. Up at Tweed, the Salt Surf Life Saving Club received $50,000 to improve facilities. Down on the South Coast, the Speaker's electorate, the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club will receive $40,000. It does not matter where you live in New South Wales, whether you are male or female, whether or not you are an able-bodied athlete, the New South Wales Government is kicking goals for you with respect to sport. The SPEAKER: The member for Kogarah will cease shouting. He is being offensive and rude. Personal Explanation SOCIAL HOUSING Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) (15:29): By leave: Yesterday, after I was asked to remove myself from the Chamber, the Minister for Family and Community Services made a supplementary answer or personal explanation. I would like to respond by way of personal explanation. On many occasions, I have been asked my views about the Government' social housing policy, be it in relation to its unprecedented sell-offs, high vacancy rates or huge maintenance backlog. On the occasion that I was specifically asked to comment— The SPEAKER: Order! The member needs to state how she has been personally offended in the House. Ms TANIA MIHAILUK: The Minister called me a liar and said that I should go. So I am placing on record exactly what I said. The SPEAKER: The member is placing on the record that she did not lie. Ms TANIA MIHAILUK: On the occasion that I was asked specifically about a woman who had lost an appeal after being sentenced for defrauding Housing NSW of benefits despite being married to a millionaire, I made the following comments: I say to these people who think they can take advantage of the system, that one day you will be caught out and there will be ramifications. I continued: To think that somebody is taking advantage of the system and cheating the system makes me angry, and I'm sure it makes a lot of other people angry. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bankstown's personal explanation is too long. She will resume her seat. The member should not turn this into an argument; she just wants to have a fight. Petitions PETITIONS RECEIVED TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): I announce that the following petition signed by more than 10,000 persons has been lodged for presentation: Affordable Housing Petition requesting legislation mandating a percentage of all new residential developments be set aside for affordable housing received from Mr Damien Tudehope. The CLERK: I announce that the following petitions signed by fewer than 500 persons have been lodged for presentation: Pig-dog Hunting Ban Petition requesting the banning of pig-dog hunting in New South Wales, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Slaughterhouse Monitoring Petition requesting mandatory closed-circuit television for all New South Wales slaughterhouses, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Pet Shops Petition opposing the sale of animals in pet shops, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Ferry Services Petition requesting new inner-city ferries, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Privacy Laws Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 41

Petition requesting an amendment to the State's privacy laws to ensure that local councils can capture footage from CCTV cameras including areas that may be on private land, received from Ms Shelley Hancock. Inner-city Social Housing Petition opposing the sale of public housing in Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Social Housing Petition requesting that the Sirius building be retained and its social housing function be continued, received from Mr Alex Greenwich. Committees LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE Report: Legislation Review Digest No. 37/56 TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): The question is that the House take note of the report. Mr MICHAEL JOHNSEN (Upper Hunter) (15:32): As Chair of the committee, I thank the House for the opportunity to speak about the Legislation Review Committee's thirty-seventh digest for the fifty-sixth Parliament. The committee reviewed three bills introduced to Parliament in the sitting week commencing 3 May 2017 and one regulation. The committee identified issues in relation to those four legislative instruments: the Liquor Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2017, the Local Government Amendment (Amalgamation Referendums) Bill 2017, the Protection of the Environment Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2017, and the Conveyancing (General) Amendment (LPI Authorised Transaction) Regulation 2017. I will outline some of the observations of the committee. The Liquor Amendment (Reviews) Bill 2017 implements miscellaneous reforms arising out of the Callinan review and various departmental reviews. The bill implements changes to improve the Three Strike Disciplinary Scheme to target repeat serious offenders, extends the freeze in Kings Cross until 1 June 2018, to be consistent with the central business district freeze, and amends the regulations so the collection and reporting of fees are administered by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority. One of the issues identified by the committee is that the bill transfers the liability for a serious offence from the licensed premises to the individual licensee or manager, which may promote a practice of terminating the employment of the licensee or manager who has incurred a strike. The committee also noted that the extension of the "freeze period" of prescribed precincts until 1 June 2018 might have a negative effect on stakeholders of the licenced premises to which the freeze period applies, given the bill alleviates restrictions on venue capacity and development consent for licenced premises and the aims of the principal legislation. The Committee makes no further comment. The Local Government Amendment (Amalgamation Referendums) Bill 2017 proposes a plebiscite to vote on the reversal of the recent 2016 council amalgamations, and proposes a referendum to determine whether further council amalgamations should take place. The committee noted that the bill only provides that the Minister use their "best endeavours" to give effect to the results of the plebiscite. This raises the issue of whether failing to implement the results of a plebiscite is an undue trespass on personal rights and liberties because the democratic expression of the electors has not been given effect. This also raises the issue of accountability, as the bill does not provide a mechanism for review of the Minister's decision in the event that the result of the plebiscite is not implemented. The committee refers this to Parliament for its consideration. The Protection of the Environment Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2017 amends various pieces of environmental legislation to ensure consistency in regulatory tools to penalise non-compliance. The committee noted that the bill repeals the legislation that establishes the Environment Protection Community Consultation Forums and the New South Wales Council of Environment Education. This may have deleterious consequences in relation to community consultation and education. The bill also removes any common law right to compensation arising from the repeal of legislation establishing these forums and the council. However, given the members of these forums and council were only entitled to be paid such allowances as determined by the Minister from time to time under schedule 2 (5) of the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, the Committee makes no further comment on this issue. The Conveyancing (General) Amendment (LPI Authorised Transaction) Regulation 2017 implements changes as a result of the enactment of the Land and Property Information NSW (Authorised Transaction) Act 2016. These changes relate to the lodgement of instruments and adjustments for inflation. One of the issues identified by the committee is that the regulation changes the expression of fee amounts from dollar terms to "fee units", which may create ambiguity over the cost of administrative services. The Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 42

committee also noted that there is also ambiguity over the removal of the listed required documents to accompany the lodgement of conveyancing forms. The committee draws the Parliament's attention to the relevant schedules 1 (3) and 1 (13) in relation to this ambiguity. That concludes my remarks on the digest. I thank the committee staff and members for their assistance with the work that the Legislation Review Committee does. I commend the digest to the House. Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:38): I wish to make a contribution on behalf of the Opposition to this debate on the Legislation Review Committee's thirty-seventh digest of this Parliament. The committee considered three bills and one regulation. I note the comments made by the chair with respect to those and I simply endorse them. In other business, the committee had a discussion about a resolution that was put to the committee by Mr David Shoebridge. He moved that: A review of the committee's work over the past two parliamentary terms confirms it is not an adequate substitute for a bill of rights. Mr Michael Johnsen: It was not a resolution. Mr DAVID MEHAN: I am talking about the motion that was put to the committee by Mr David Shoebridge. An interesting discussion around that topic ensued, at the end of which, if I can broadly state it, the committee considered it appropriate to further consider how the committee's work can be improved and hold further discussion of how the committee can improve its ability to oversight legislation and improve the quality of the legislation which passes through the Parliament. Those are the only comments I have to make. I commend the digest to the House and thank the secretariat for its work in supporting the committee. Report noted. Matter of Public Importance "BRINGING THEM HOME" REPORT TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (15:40): Today I acknowledge a very important anniversary, which is the twentieth anniversary of the "Bringing Them Home" report. This report, tabled in 1997 after the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, is entitled "Bringing Them Home". At the moment, in recognition of that original tabling of the "Bringing Them Home" report, there is an awareness campaign by the Healing Foundation around the twentieth anniversary. These practices that occurred in New South Wales and across our country have been a blight on our history. Last night I attended a forum at the University of Technology Sydney to hear from some of the people involved, particularly two gentlemen from the Kinchela Boys Home. I must admit that even though I have read a lot about this, hearing from them directly about what they endured continues to break people's hearts. A lot of tears were shed as they told their story. It is now on the public record that when those young people were taken from their families and put into that home, they had their names taken off them and they were given a number. They were no longer allowed to use their actual name. They would only be referred to by their number. They referred us last night to the fact that the dog—an Alsatian dog—at the property had a name. His name was Prince. The cows in the paddock were named. But the children were not allowed to use their names. In fact, they were not allowed to speak language or culture. One of the punishments was to be physically chained to an old fig tree in the grounds of the Kinchela Boys Home. It was quite moving to hear how they have gone back after the process of the "Bringing Them Home" report to find the roots of the tree have now grown over the chains. They now refer to that tree as their "Tree of Strength" because only a small part of the chain remains visible today. The rest has been covered by the growth of the tree. They say that is a symbol of them rebuilding their lives and it gives them strength. But it was truly sad to hear. Last night it was very clearly drawn to our attention that our job as governments is certainly not over, because more Under the current system more Indigenous children are being removed from their homes than there were in the time of the stolen generation. That continues to be a blight on our State and on our country. It is something we must address. It is a very difficult subject. It is not a subject that should be open for political debate. All of us need to work on solutions that come from working with Aboriginal people, working with culture and working with language to overcome the difficulties that these families have to the point where these children are being continually taken away from their families even today. The big fear of many of those in the stolen generation is that in another 20 years' time there may be a new stolen generation. The circumstances are different in terms of the way they were originally taken away— many were told they were being taken on holiday. Some were even told their parents did not want them anymore. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 43

These are the sorts of stories that have come through from the "Bringing Them Home" report. I will finish with the words of a song called Our Pain, written by Ian "Crow" Lowe, who was No. 41: Our Pain For we were in Kinchela Boy's home, Just little kids, Taken, away, From our Families. Learn to be slaves and soldiers, too Marching Everywhere. We are the Kinchela boys and you destroy the most innocent people in the world, us little kids. We are still the Kinchela Boys. Brainwashed through, the years. And we found out that we are Black, Not Human Now we are still lost, Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday. They feel the pain today as much as they did back then. Mr BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH (Coogee) (15:45): I begin by acknowledging that we are on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. I pay my respects to their elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all other Aboriginal people present here today. Tomorrow, on 26 May, we mark 20 years since the "Bringing Them Home" report was tabled in the Australian Parliament. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report followed a two-year national inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. "Bringing Them Home" was a watershed in Australian history. For the first time, hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people taken as children from their families told their stories of grief, fear and trauma; the loss of their culture, language and identity; the personal and community anguish; and the physical, sexual and psychological abuse in the institutions, foster homes and homes they had been adopted into. These children, many of whom have sadly passed away, lost their childhoods and their futures. They were separated from parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles. For some, the last glimpse they had of a sibling was at Central station in Sydney when they were segregated and put on trains bound for Aboriginal boys' and girls' homes. The physical and emotional separation was compounded by the continual rejection of their Aboriginality as successive governments pursued a policy of assimilation with the non-Indigenous community so that the cultural values and identities of the Aboriginal children would eventually disappear. To go through the precious years of childhood with a number as identification—not even a first name— illustrates the dehumanisation. "Bringing Them Home" shone a spotlight on the intergenerational impact that forcible removal had on the children and grandchildren of the stolen generations. These impacts are significant and ongoing in education, career prospects, relationships and incarceration rates. Twenty years after "Bringing Them Home", it is a time to reflect, remember and pay tribute to the resilience and courage of Aboriginal people and their capacity to survive. It is a time to bring home the understanding to all of us, to bring home acknowledgement of the past. Governments have made powerful symbolic gestures of apology. These acknowledgements are important milestones for our healing as a nation. Government actions in the past 20 years have responded to the symptoms of trauma of the stolen generations. We acknowledge there is unfinished business. The New South Wales Government today recognises the urgent need for sustained and meaningful support to address the intergenerational impacts of forced removal, particularly due to the advancing age of many survivors. It is time to take the next step. It is time for leadership and maturity if we are to right the wrongs of the past. "Unfinished Business" is the report of General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 inquiry into reparations for the stolen generations. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs has today in the Legislative Council further detailed the Government's response. The New South Wales Government's response has been guided by the stolen generations organisations who have advocated for recognition and support for many years and are uniquely placed to advise on survivor needs and expectations. For survivors, no amount of money can undo the harm caused, but we hope that reparations can aid healing. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 44

The New South Wales Government's response involves two significant initiatives: the establishment of a stolen generations reparation scheme to recognise the profound impacts that removal has had on stolen generations survivors; and a healing fund that seeks to address those impacts for survivors, their families and descendants. In New South Wales it is estimated that almost 1,100 children born after 1925 were removed by the Aborigines Welfare Board up until its abolition in 1969. Those children were institutionalised in homes or were adopted or fostered, and they suffered long-term harm and trauma from the loss of family, community, culture and identity. The stolen generations survivor reparations scheme will provide ex gratia payments of $75,000 to all surviving children removed by the Aborigines Welfare Board. The act of removal by, or committal to, the care of the board will be the basis for the payment and all those removed and placed in homes, fostered or adopted will be eligible. The stolen generations reparations scheme will open for applications on 1 July 2017. In addition to the reparations scheme, the Government's response includes measures to formally recognise the damaging and enduring impact of removal on survivors and their families, to provide improved access to support services, to reform service delivery to guard against repetition and to support cultural renewal through language revitalisation and improved access to family records. The New South Wales Government's response will be overseen by a Stolen Generations Advisory Committee to advise the New South Wales Government on any matters related to the stolen generations, and to monitor and review the implementation of recommendations of the "Unfinished Business" report. It is my fervent hope that the Government's response to "Unfinished Business" will help us to bring home the survivors of the stolen generations, to make them feel loved and valued in the knowledge that the wider community does understand their pain and suffering, and that we care. We cannot take away the pain of the past but we can influence the future. Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (15:52): I thank the member for Wyong, David Harris, for bringing the discussion of this matter of public importance to this place and I thank the member for Coogee for his heartfelt contribution to the debate. I represent the people of the Darug and Gundungurra nations and I pay my respects to elders. Today marks 20 years since the delivery of the "Bringing Them Home" report by the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their families—a damning report. What we also now know is the intergenerational impact of the hurt, grief and loss felt by parents and their children as a result of the forced removal of young Aboriginal people from their families. The "Bringing Them Home" report documented the experiences of grief and loss felt by those stolen children and their parents. The evidence contained in the report—testimonies from children and parents—is harrowing reading. I encourage those who have not read the report to seek out these testimonies and learn from them the shocking and confronting circumstances of the forced removals of children from families across this country. I am concerned though that despite the "Bringing Them Home" report, despite the inquiry and its evidence and its findings, 20 years later there is still such a gulf of disadvantage and injustice between members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the rest of the population. This is in part because of the period of time over which these forced removals were perpetrated, the sheer number of people impacted, and the time it took after these practices finally ended for Australia and its people to engage with and begin discussing the injustice and hurt perpetrated by Federal and State governments in their names. The report found that the policies of forced removal and assimilation could be considered genocide. Official policy and legislation for Indigenous families and children was contrary to accepted legal principle imported into Australia as British common law and, from late 1946, constituted a crime against humanity. The gulf of disadvantage and injustice continues to this day, because the recovery process—the healing— has not been concluded, and because our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community continues to experience systemic and pervasive racism and discrimination. I note that more Indigenous children are being removed today than at any other time in Australian history—they are 10 times more likely to be in care than their non-Indigenous peers. More than that, these figures continue to worsen. So the action plan for healing from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation says, "Heal our past; build our future." As one of the elders has said, "This must be actioned. It is time to finish this business." Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (15:55): By leave: I contribute to the debate on this matter of public importance in which this Parliament, the oldest Parliament in the nation, formally recognises the twentieth anniversary of the handing down of "Bringing them Home: the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families". In doing so, I first acknowledge that today we meet on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. This is and always will be Aboriginal land. The "Bringing Them Home" report will be remembered as one of the defining documents in our nation's history. It is a report that laid bare the utter injustice and heart-wrenching truth that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 45

Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia by governments and missionaries. The report states that their motives were to "inculcate European values and work habits in children, who would then be employed in service to the colonial settlers". In 1814, Governor Macquarie funded the first school for Aboriginal children. Its novelty was an initial attraction for Indigenous families, but within a few years it evoked a hostile response when it became apparent that its purpose was to distance the children from their families and communities. By the late 1800s there were systematic removal practices being implemented through a range of assimilation and protection policies. The finest moment of Kevin Rudd's term as Prime Minister would undeniably be his apology to stolen generations. In that address, given almost a decade ago, the Labor Prime Minister apologised on behalf of every single Australian for the past injustices perpetrated by the State. The apology was for the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind. It was an apology to the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters for breaking up families and communities and for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture. And it was ultimately an apology made directly upon the recommendations of the "Bringing Them Home" report, following a decade of refusal by Liberal Prime Minister John Howard. Tomorrow, 26 May 2017, is National Sorry Day and, again, its existence is from a recommendation of the "Bringing Them Home" report. National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge those past injustices and an opportunity to commit to working together to try to right past wrongs. I know that every person in this place is dedicated to improving the future of Indigenous people in New South Wales, but there is still a long way to go. There is still much more to be done, because it remains a fact that the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous life expectancy sits at 11.5 years for males and 9.7 years for females. That means that Indigenous males will, on average, die a decade earlier than their non-Indigenous peers. Alarmingly, one in four prisoners in New South Wales jails is Indigenous, a statistic that has risen by 35 per cent since this Government came to power in 2011. There are only two sets of statistics available that illustrate the work we need to do in this State, but ultimately I do not think that statistics do this matter of public importance the justice it deserves. On the twentieth anniversary of the handing down of the "Bringing Them Home" report, I recommit myself to ensuring that the lives of Indigenous people in New South Wales are improved during my time in this place. I trust that every member in this place will use this important anniversary to do the same. Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina) (15:59): By leave: Tomorrow marks a very important anniversary for members of the stolen generations and their families, as it will be 20 years since the "Bringing Them Home" report was tabled in Federal Parliament. I commend the member for Wyong for raising this matter of public importance. The "Bringing Them Home" report was incredibly significant for the stolen generations of the 1970s, because for the first time the terrible history of this era was presented along with a very clear road map for the future. The Healing Foundation has coordinated commemorative activities around the twentieth anniversary of the "Bringing Them Home" report under the banner "#BTH20". It has also called for urgent action to address the impacts of unresolved trauma and it has announced initiatives to generate greater awareness of stolen generation issues in schools and communities. I do not want to cite statistics, because referring to people in terms of statistics is a kind of colonisation of them, but it is important to go back to the history and the 54 recommendations of the "Bringing Them Home" report and to note that, unfortunately, things have not improved. The latest figures from June 2016 reveal that 16,846 Aboriginal children are in out-of-home care, compared to fewer than 3,000 when the report was first tabled. When we think about the stolen generations and intergenerational trauma and we reflect on those figures, we realise we need to go back to the drawing board. Since the 2008 national apology, the number of Aboriginal children in care has increased by 65 per cent. We need to ask ourselves why, 20 years after the tabling of the report, there is a record number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. The Healing Foundation's latest report has outlined four priorities to achieve long-term change and urged the Federal Government to adopt them. The first is a comprehensive needs analysis to inform the delivery of more effective services and to measure these services. I have noted before in this Chamber that, when I worked as a lawyer in the Northern Territory, a number of services are not put into practice because they are thrown at service providers who are not accountable enough. The second priority for long-term change is to establish a national scheme for reparations. The third is to coordinate compulsory training around stolen generations trauma so that the organisations working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are better equipped to provide effective and appropriate services. The final priority is to initiate a comprehensive study of intergenerational trauma and how to tackle it. We all want this situation to improve, and it is time that we put energy into the very difficult task of empowering Aboriginal people to find solutions themselves. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 46

Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (16:02): In reply: I thank everyone who has contributed to the debate this afternoon—the members for Coogee, Swansea, the Blue Mountains and Ballina. Members of the stolen generations want a healing process and the ability to share their stories to make a change and a difference. Uncle Michael, whom I spoke of earlier, was removed from his family when he was five years old. One can imagine what that would have been like if one has five-year-old children. Uncle Michael's first reaction when he meets people is to give them a hug. He does not lay blame with people but he wants understanding. As a schoolteacher, I can say that young people in our schools do not get taught about the stolen generations. It is not part of their education. But it is such an important part of our history and something that we can only improve if, as a society, we recognise, understand and commit to move forward. We can bring about change and reconciliation only if that happens, but we do not teach these things in our schools. Some in the community even say that we should not teach these things to our young people, which I think is absolutely outrageous. What we have learned from this experience is that you should not commit the same mistake again— and unfortunately, as members of this place have mentioned in their contributions, it is happening again. It is happening differently, but children are still being removed. As a Parliament we must commit to do more as we move forward—not just say the words but perform the actions. I commend former Minister Leslie Williams for her work with the upper House committee. New reparations are being paid, which is a good move forward. Unfortunately a lot of people have already passed away, which we must recognise. A big part of that report was to establish healing centres in each of the places that children were sent. I hope that in the upcoming New South Wales State budget there is significant funding to establish those healing centres. Today I spoke to a counsellor who told me that people still suffer the trauma and turn to drugs, alcohol and other things that have impacted their current families, and that trauma continues. We need things like healing centres to ensure that it is not just the stolen generations who can move forward but also their families, children and grandchildren, and that we can complete that healing process. Community Recognition Statements WINGHAM BEEF WEEK THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (16:06): I inform the House that Wingham Beef Week recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. This celebration is a wonderful advertisement for Myall Lakes, and it was a privilege for Sue and I to attend the anniversary dinner at Wingham Services Club on 16 May. Thirty years ago a small group of beef cattle producers got together to stage a carcass competition for producers to benchmark the quality of the beef they produced compared to other producers and their industry peers. The idea originated following a very successful cross-breeding beef yield field day, conducted by founding president Eric Richardson on his Dingo Creek property. In 1987 Beef Week was born, with a foundation executive committee of Eric Richardson, Bruce Scrivener, Paul Holmes, Gloria Hayes, Tony Gaudron, Helen Scrivener, Lesley Summerville and secretary Joyce Fitzgerald. Bruce and Helen Scrivener won a number of awards on the night, as did their son Alan. The following year, 1988, saw the inaugural Beef Week competition. With 350 junior competitors in 2016, the event is now widely acclaimed as the premier junior beef cattle competition in New South Wales. In 2017 Wingham Beef Week keeps growing. The entrants numbered 386 students, 23 schools and 183 head of cattle. This education of future leaders is unique across Australia. OLSEN FAMILY Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (16:07): I acknowledge and honour the Olsen family from Katoomba: Angus, Rachel, Holly and Jane. Nine months ago, at just two years of age, little Jane was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. The family has been travelling to and from the Children's Hospital at Westmead on a regular basis ever since. Jane's bright, sparkly personality sustains her and the world around her. As her dad said recently, "She's got so much energy, you'd never know she's in danger." Yesterday Jane underwent serious surgery to remove a solid cancerous mass and then prepare for another round of chemotherapy. She is recovering in the intensive care unit. A family friend, Emma Argall, will shave her head this weekend to help with fundraising efforts to support Jane and her family. The wonderful Peraltas will offer their art space, Gallery ONE88 Fine Arts, for the event. The community will be there in force. Jane's parents Angus and Rachel own CafeXpresso and attend the fabulous St Hilda's Anglican Church. They are quiet beacons in their own community—loved, respected and supported beyond measure. Jane came out of surgery and is doing well at the moment, I believe. You go, Jane! Blessed be. SYLVANIA BULLDOGS JUNIOR RUGBY CLUB Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (16:08): I acknowledge the Sylvania Bulldogs Junior Rugby Club, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in May 2017. The Bulldogs were formed in March 1967 and have seen Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 47

thousands of children grow up enjoying rugby. The Bulldogs have even provided many representative players over the years to the NSW Waratahs. It was a pleasure to join the Bulldogs at their home ground of A. R. Hurst Reserve to celebrate their Fun Day event. The full Waratah run-on squad was also there to celebrate the event, throwing around the footy with children as young as four years old and running a formal training session. I congratulate club president Andrew Chaney on creating such a successful event in honour of the club's fiftieth anniversary. His ongoing support and dedication to the club has been an extraordinary contribution to our local community. I also congratulate the club's current committee: vice president Ian Bond, secretary Pete McNally, treasurer Ross Mottershead and registrar Hayley Compton, who all took part in making this event possible for our community. I commend the Bulldogs for their efforts for the past 50 years and wish them even greater success for the next 50. CITY OF SYDNEY LAW SOCIETY Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (16:09): I recognise the City of Sydney Law Society, which held its annual Law Week breakfast on Tuesday 16 May. The keynote speaker was Justice Julie Ward of the Supreme Court, Chief Judge in Equity. The topic of her address was the Kilmuir rules, MasterChef and the merits of judicial silence. Also present were Justice Terry Sheahan, a previous Attorney General; the Hon. Judge John O'Meally, past president of the Dust Diseases Tribunal; Law Society President Pauline Wright; and past Law Society president Gary Ulman. Kim Garling also made a presentation to Pauline Wright on the occasion of the thirty-fifth Law Week. The President of the City of Sydney Law Society, Con Ktenas, and other society members should be congratulated on their initiative in holding the event. I also thank Con for his invitation to attend. LITTLE BLUE DINOSAUR FOUNDATION Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (16:10): I congratulate the amazing work being done by Michelle and David McLaughlin and the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation. The mission of the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation is to educate and protect child pedestrians from the ever-present danger associated with roadways and motor vehicles. The foundation does this through its innovative Holiday Time campaign and its online resource "Out and About with Sophie and Tom". The foundation has expanded throughout 2015 and 2016 to now include 10 New South Wales coastal local government areas [LGAs], seven South Australian LGAs, two Victorian LGAs and one Queensland LGA. I thank Michelle and David for making the time to see me recently and wish them all the best in their discussions with the local council. I also extend my warmest welcome to them as new residents of the Manly electorate. SURFING CHAMPION PHILIPPA ANDERSON Mr TIM CRAKANTHORP (Newcastle) (16:10): Today I speak of Newcastle legend and surfer Philippa Anderson, a 25-year-old surfer who has this month taken out the inaugural World Surf League sanctioned Siargo Women's International Surfing Cup at the Cloud 9 break in the Philippines. The contest was the first World Surf League-sanctioned all women's event in the Philippines. To win, Philippa had to defeat local standout Nilbie Blancada, who had the home advantage with locals cheering her on and local knowledge of the surf break. Philippa first surfed in the under-12 girls division of the Rip Curl Grom Search. She knew she wanted to be a professional surfer after finishing second in the world pro junior for two years in a row. She has since moved through the ranks taking out the international Surfest event in Newcastle in 2009. Philippa is one to watch and her hometown is proud. Congratulations, Philippa, and good luck in this year's world qualifying series. TRIBUTE TO BETTY CONGREVE Mr DAMIEN TUDEHOPE (Epping) (16:11): Today I honour Betty Congreve, a resident and volunteer at Alan Walker Village in Carlingford. Betty never ceased to care for those around her, initially practising for many years as a nurse before volunteering at the Dalmar children's home where she helped children with their homework and taught them to knit and sew. When Wesley Rayward Carlingford first opened its doors Betty began the Scrabble group there and encouraged residents to participate and get plugged into their community over coffee. To this day she continues to run that group and is instrumental in that community. What is remarkable about Betty is that she has achieved all these things and selflessly continues to do so as a centenarian. At 102 years old, and having served at Alan Walker brilliantly for 32 of those years, she is living well and truly by the Wesley Mission ethos, "Do all the good that you can." WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (16:12): On Friday 19 May Mary MacKillop Catholic College ran an organised program for Walk Safely to School Day. In conjunction with Emma McBride, the Federal member for Dobell, the school arranged to have students meet at a designated area and walk together to school. It is well known that walking to school is an excellent way to get exercise and promote a healthy lifestyle. However, that Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 48

was not the only purpose of this event. The other purpose was to highlight the lack of appropriate pedestrian infrastructure leading into the school. This can make walking to school both challenging and dangerous for some students. Governments have a responsibility to build appropriate pedestrian infrastructure around schools. Without this they create a disincentive for an activity they otherwise wish to promote. I acknowledge the students and staff of MacKillop Catholic College as well as Emma McBride for their work and thank them for having me along for the walk and the breakfast. NORTH SHORE FIRE STATIONS OPEN DAYS Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (16:13): It gives me joy to bring to the attention of the House the wonderful efforts of the North Shore fire stations last Saturday on the annual NSW Fire and Rescue Open Day. Our local fire stations at Crows Nest, Neutral Bay and Mosman were all open to the community, featuring firefighting demonstrations, a hands-on fire truck experience and fire safety information. Best of all, the community got to meet the firefighters who work so hard to keep us safe. Thank you to all our firefighters, particularly those I spent time with on the day, including Mosman Station Commander Stephen Schreiber; Neutral Bay Station Officer Ian Schmarr, and Crows Nest's Inspector Kim Simpson. I also caught up with the Zone Commander, Superintendent Kel McNamara. Each of these local leaders and their crews work to keep us all safe. Their message this year of "Keep Looking When Cooking" resonated particularly because the leading cause of home fires in New South Wales is leaving cooking unattended. I was delighted to support this message and give the crew at Neutral Bay a hand on the barbecue to help raise money for Bear Cottage whilst at the same time learning about backyard cooking safety. SYDNEY BANGLADESHI COMMUNITY Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (16:14): On Sunday 7 May this year at Mascot Public School I attended the Good Morning Bangladesh Morning Tea hosted by the families of the Bangladeshi community in Sydney. The Bangladeshi community's Biggest Morning Tea is an unmissable fixture in my calendar, and this year was no different. I was joined by my parliamentary colleagues the member for Maroubra, Michael Daley MP, and Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, as well as Councillor Christina Curry, all of whom are huge supporters of the Bangladeshi community in Australia. The morning tea was a huge success yet again, with all proceeds going to the Cancer Council to support much-needed cancer research. In the past the community has raised more than $150,000, which is an immense contribution for a noble cause. In particular, I acknowledge the work of Dr Shahidur Rahman for his unwavering advocacy for the Bangladeshi community. I also thank Eastern Sydney Islamic Welfare Services Inc. and Bayside Council for their support of the event, as well as the Bangladesh Press and Media Council and the Cancer Council for their partnership. I commend the event to the House. ARMENIAN CHURCH Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) (16:15): On 3 May, along with many dignitaries, including the Consuls of the Netherlands and France, as well as parliamentary colleagues, I attended the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the first publication of the Holy Bible in Armenian. The event was hosted in the Parliament theatrette by Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and the keynote speaker was Dr Tigran Zargaryan, the Director of the National Library of Armenia. He took the audience on a historic journey of early Armenians in their quest to ensure that the stories of the Bible are communicated to future generations. In 301 AD, Armenia became the first Christian country, preceding the edict of Milan of Constantine in 312 AD. This year the diocese celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of its first church in Sydney. I congratulate them. The Armenian Church today remains an oasis of Christian faith in what was the cradle of civilisation. I wish it well. STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE LACHLAN REGION AWARDS Mr PHILIP DONATO (Orange) (16:16): I recognise the recipients of awards presented at the NSW State Emergency Service Lachlan Region awards ceremony held on 20 May 2017. Among the 28 individuals who received awards, I make special mention of two outstanding individuals: Robert Walshaw, who was awarded the Commissioner's Commendation for Service for leadership and commitment to the Forbes unit and the NSW State Emergency Service, and for outstanding efforts and leadership during the western New South Wales floods in 2016; and Keith Dawe, who was awarded the Commissioner's Commendation for Service and Certificate of Appreciation for leadership and commitment to the Condobolin unit, and he also received the NSW SES Award. In addition to these individual awards, the following SES units and Rural Fire Service [RFS] units were each awarded for their outstanding efforts during the western New South Wales flood in 2016: Euabalong, Ungarie, Lachlan Region, Condobolin, Cowra, Forbes, Gooloogong, Grenfell, Lake Cargelligo, Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle, and West Wyalong SES units, and the Ungarie RFS. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 49

KIAMA BOWLING CLUB Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama) (16:17): I congratulate the Kiama Bowling Club, particularly their pennant teams Nos 3 and 5, who are through to the grand final this weekend. Grade 3 teams are playing Towradgi Bowling Club at Warilla. I wish them the best of luck as well as Kiama team manager Helen Joske and players K. Pepper, A. Schofield, M. Ganderton, M. Miller, T. Hodgson, R. Logan, C. Baker, D. Downton, M. Sheather, A. Van Zanen, D. Loone, C. Coleman, and reserve J. Moncrieff. Grade 5 teams are playing Wiseman Park Bowling Club at Warilla. I wish them the best of luck as well as their Kiama manager, Margit Partridge, and players D. Keenan, D. Gorham, B. Gibson, N. Creighton, W. Richardson, A. Stewart, B. Vickers, W. Gorrissen, W. Partridge, G. Clarke, J. Twist, R. Milton and reserve R. Blakey. FAIRFIELD HIGH SCHOOL REFUGEE EXPO Mr NICK LALICH (Cabramatta) (16:18): On 19 May I was privileged to attend the inaugural Refugee Expo organised by Fairfield High School. The expo brought together stakeholders from non-government organisations so that parents and students could meet with them face to face and find out where and how to get assistance if required. Artwork was on display and the official program had various musical items as well as some touching speeches. My thanks and congratulations go to Fairfield High School Principal Charles Borg, and community engagement officer Deborah Elliott Edwards for their hard work in putting the expo together as well as all the staff, teachers and students involved. I acknowledge the stakeholder organisations who had stalls at the expo, as well as Inspector Darren Newman from Cabramatta Local Area Command; Superintendent Peter Lennon, Commander of Fairfield Police; Guy Zangari, the hardworking member for Fairfield; and Ray Williams, Minister for Multiculturalism, representing the Government. This was a wonderful event for the community of south-west Sydney to show that we welcome refugees of all backgrounds and that we celebrate their culture and look forward to their collective contribution to our society. 1ST DURAL SCOUT GROUP AWARDS Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation) (16:19): On 28 April I had the honour of attending the 1st Dural Scouts annual awards night, and was delighted to present the Bendigo Bank Achievement Award to one recipient from the cub scout group in four different age groups. Today I recognise each of those individuals and their special accomplishments. The first award recipient was Brigitte Zapletal from the Joeys, who has grown in confidence, diligently completing all scouting tasks to the best of her ability. In cubs, I was delighted to present Hunter McGhie with his award for his commitment to the scout group and also for his enthusiasm and focus to earn more badges. Hunter has already earned a number of badges thanks to his positive involvement in all cub activities, and has shown himself to be a promising leader by helping younger cubs when they need guidance in scouting activities. Additionally, Scout Cameron McArthur has become an integral part of his patrol as the assistant patrol leader, and therefore was well deserving of the Bendigo Bank Achievement Award. He has been described as being super hardworking, sensible and assertive when it comes to decision-making. Finally, I recognise Venturer Natalie Walsh for her enthusiasm for all scouting activities, demonstrating the most growth in leadership skills and showing her initiative within her Venturer unit. I thank the 1st Dural Scout Group for providing those young people with extensive opportunities and learning activities. Many of the leaders and organisers for the scout group are volunteers dedicated to giving the children the best experiences available. I congratulate each of the award recipients and thank the 1st Dural Scout Group for shaping our leaders of the future. Mr Andrew Fraser: Point of order: I wonder if the Minister and member for Hornsby could make his statement in a manner that Hansard and his constituents might be able to understand. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest): There is no point of order. TRIBUTE TO MAGDI FOUAD BOULOS Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) (16:20): One of the most enjoyable things that we do as parliamentarians is to recognise in this place some hidden gems in our electorates. I had the honour of hosting the Arabic Folk Poetry Group's tribute to Egyptian musician Magdi Fouad Boulos, in Parliament. I was joined by my colleagues from both sides of the House in acknowledging the vast work and achievements of Mr Boulos's career. Mr Boulos, who was born in Cairo with music in his family, is a key figure in the Egyptian golden era of music and popular culture, as a pianist and cellist, alongside arguably one of the greatest Middle East singers, Oum Khalthoum. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 50

Mr Boulos migrated to Australia in 1985, and taught music at high schools before forming an Egyptian orchestra and choir, Al Massiyeh, which has given many performances in Sydney. How fortunate are we as a country to have people like Mr Boulos, who have shaped music and arts in their homelands while sharing their knowledge and experience with us in their new home in Australia. I acknowledge and thank the work of the Arabic Folk Poetry Group, led by Dr Bahia Abou Hamad, in bringing together a range of musicians, writers and poets who enrich and contribute so much to our multicultural arts community. MANCHESTER TERRORIST ATTACK Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Cootamundra) (16:21): I express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the 22 people who lost their lives earlier this week in Manchester. My thoughts also go to those who are still recovering in hospital from the horrific injuries they have sustained. As the mother of two teenagers, this atrocious attack, while on the other side of the world, has struck particularly close to home. The music of Ariana Grande has a particular appeal to teenagers in the Cootamundra electorate, who are deeply saddened by the impact this attack had on all those affected by it, including the lovely young singer herself. Thankfully, it is at times of such horror that the best of humanity shines through—from those who comforted terrified young people on the night, to those taking the lead to show our solidarity with Manchester, with Britain, and with all nations that value the same freedoms that we value. I echo the sentiments expressed by Her Excellency the British High Commissioner, Menna Rawlings, in Canberra this morning: We will not cower or be cowed or change our way of life because that is what the terrorists want most of all and they won't get it. We will not let this horrendous act stop us from going to public events and spending quality time with our families and friends. On behalf of my family and the electorate of Cootamundra, we are with you, Manchester. MINGALETTA ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CORPORATION Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (16:22): I am honoured to sing the praises of the Mingaletta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation. Mingaletta is a not-for-profit, Aboriginal community-based organisation with more than 300 members, which provides a diverse range of services that support and assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing on the peninsula. Mingaletta was founded by Aboriginal people in our community. It has continued to grow over the years as a safe community space that enhances the quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families by providing its members and other community groups with a meeting place for education, health, consultation, and community activities. For some members Mingaletta is a home away from home, an extended family, and a very important place to connect with community, culture and wellbeing. For the broader community, Mingaletta offers awareness and appreciation of cultural background and knowledge in our community. Everyone is welcome at Mingaletta. The day-to-day operations of Mingaletta are overseen by the fabulous Aunty Diane O'Brien, who is assisted by a commendable team of volunteers. I thank everyone involved for their ongoing work to make our community a better place to live, especially on this important anniversary. CRONULLA COMMUNITY EVENTS Mr MARK SPEAKMAN (Cronulla—Attorney General) (16:23): I congratulate Caringbah South resident Caitlin Barrett on her Young Alumni Award at the recent University of New South Wales Alumni Awards ceremony. Caitlin received her award for her work as chief executive and co-founder of Love Mercy Australia, which helps to empower communities in northern Uganda to overcome poverty caused by war and which she established with athlete Eloise Wellings in 2009. The organisation has focused on building an agricultural program to allow women to grow their own food and so that they have enough money to send their children to school. To date the organisation has helped 10,000 women; it is planning to double that number by 2020. I congratulate Cronulla resident Julie Giovenco on organising her twentieth and final Australia's Biggest Morning Tea event earlier this month to raise money for the Cancer Council of New South Wales at St Aloysius Catholic Church in Cronulla. Ms Giovenco began hosting morning teas in memory of her father, who passed away in 1981 from lymph gland cancer. She told the local newspaper that she wanted to help in finding a cure for cancer, and that that has kept her inspired over the years to continue her efforts as his legacy. MINDARIBBA WARRIORS RUGBY LEAGUE TEAM Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (16:24): I wish the Mindaribba Warriors luck in defending their United States of America Rugby League 9s title in Philadelphia. Theirs was the first Australian team to win the USA 9s title in America. They achieved that with the help of community fundraising across Maitland. Last year the team won its first game against a Navy SEALs team after a night spent on a hotel floor because of a mistake with their accommodation booking. It was wonderful that the team could win despite that disadvantage. A Facebook post on Sunday announced that the team had defeated the Brooklyn Kings 28-10. Guy and Joby Patten Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 51

have been strong team supporters and have gathered the community around it. I also acknowledge the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council, the Redbelly Blacks, and the other groups that work with our Indigenous communities in Maitland. GREEN POINT COMMUNITY CENTRE Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (16:25): I extend my congratulations to the great team at the Green Point Community Centre on the official launch of the Community Grind coffee cart. I was delighted to officially launch the cart last week, and I am extremely proud that the Community Building Partnership funding that I provided that was able to give the project the kick-start it needed. People from the centre came to me seeking funding to secure a coffee cart so that they could reach out to the community. They felt this would provide a good pathway to engage people from all sectors in the community. It has also provided an avenue to build partnerships with service organisations and sporting clubs by allowing those organisations to use the cart. Being a host organisation for the Work for the Dole project, it is an excellent training opportunity for people wishing to enter the hospitality industry. The centre will partner with a training organisation and reach out to local schools offering hospitality courses. The Green Point Community Centre also has a long-term goal to partner with Community Policing in its valuable Coffee with a Cop program. This project would not have been possible without the generous support of great local businesses such as Coastal Mobility and Gittoes Real Estate. Well done to the Green Point Community Centre. PAK-AUS ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION Ms JULIA FINN (Granville) (16:26): Last Saturday I joined the Pak-Aus Engineers Association for its inaugural dinner in Granville. Pakistan produces an inordinately high number of science and engineering graduates. Many of them have chosen to make Australia their home, and they are making a great contribution to the community. The Pak-Aus Engineers Association has been established to foster networking and mentoring among the many Pakistani-background engineers in Australia. It will provide linkages between Australian expertise and entrepreneurial opportunities in Pakistan, as well as guidance to newly arrived Pakistani migrants to Australia seeking an engineering career here. The dinner brought together more than 100 engineers, with sponsorship from mining, construction and civil engineering firms who work with Pakistani-background engineers. It was also attended by the dedicated High Commissioner of Pakistan, Her Excellency Naela Chohan, and Consul General Abdul Yousfani. Congratulations to president Insaf Khan and all of the executive for this important initiative. HAWKESBURY SHOW Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Hawkesbury—Treasurer, and Minister for Industrial Relations) (16:27): It was a pleasure to once again attend the annual Hawkesbury Show with my family. This year was the 131st annual show. I congratulate the Hawkesbury District Agricultural Association on organising another stellar event. I thank the association's office-bearers: president Ross Matheson; deputy president Dennis Shipway; treasurer Kenneth Ridge, vice-presidents Brian Caterson, Basil Pittman, Peter Griffiths, and Colin Mitchell; secretary, administration and business manager Linda Beneke; and those who were vital to the show's success: the groundsman, Brendon Johnson, and the caretaker, Tony Parker. I also thank Channel 7 news anchor Mark Ferguson for officially opening the show. The show has flourished since its inception in 1845, when the roads were filled with upwards of 3,000 people on horseback, in carts and gigs, to an amazing 50,000-plus residents and tourists today. The Hawkesbury Show is a fantastic event to showcase our local attractions and achievements. I commend the hard work of our community groups and businesses for again making this event an enormous success. COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (16:28): This week the New South Wales Country Women's Association [CWA] held its ninety-fifth annual conference on the Central Coast. It was an honour to be invited to attend, and to meet the many women who have spent years volunteering their time to give back to their community. While the CWA comprises a diverse range of women, they all have one thing in common—they are passionate about their communities and the issues affecting women today. This is reflected in the motions put forward by women from around New South Wales. Those motions dealt with topics such as medical research on women's health issues, women's access to health care, keeping Crown land in public hands, marriage equality, and protecting our environment through sustainable farming measures. With 95 years of activism under its belt, the CWA continues to promote a progressive and passionate agenda for the benefit of communities throughout New South Wales. I congratulate the New South Wales Country Women's Association. I particularly acknowledge the Mannering Park Branch and the Belmont Park Branch in my electorate. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 52

TRIBUTE TO BOYD CORDNER Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (16:29): I inform the House that Manning Valley rugby league product Boyd Cordner has just been named captain of the NSW Blues for this year's State of Origin games. He had his first game of rugby league at Old Bar Reserve as a four-year-old with the Old Bar Pirates under sixes. Cordner, 24, who now plays in the back row with the Sydney Roosters, will lead the Blues into game one at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday May 31 as New South Wales looks to break Queensland's stranglehold on the series. His dad, Chris, who resides at Wallabi Point in the Myall Lakes electorate—whom I played rugby with— will be in the stands as will his elder brother, Dane. Boyd's time at Taree's St Joseph's Primary School played a significant role in his development as a player. When he was in year 6, Boyd made three New South Wales primary school teams—rugby league, rugby union and touch. Boyd is the second Manning product to captain New South Wales, following Danny Buderus, who led the Blues in 15 of his 21 appearances from 2002 to 2008. It will be a proud moment for the Cordner family as Boyd leads out his State and I wish him luck in the series. PORT KEMBLA WARATAH FLAG Mr PAUL SCULLY (Wollongong) (16:30): Port Kembla, a fantastic community in Wollongong, is filled with some hidden gems, and recently one of them was on display for the first time in more than 20 years at the Red Point Artists Association. The Port Kembla waratah flag had come out of some conservation work at the Breakwater Battery Museum at Port Kembla. At the unveiling of the flag was Lyn Warrington, a descendant of C. J. Warrington, born and bred in Port Kembla, who was representing her family, who had a strong connection with the embroidering of "Port Kembla 1915" and the waratah flag in the lower corner of the Port Kembla waratah flag, used in the waratah marches in May 1916, when it was re-donated to the Warrington family. I congratulate Dulcie Dal Molin, Naomi Arrowsmith, Ron Watt and everyone on organising the program. RUN2CURE NEUROBLASTOMA EVENT Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (16:31): I acknowledge Isabella White of Sylvania, who is taking part in the Run2Cure Neuroblastoma event. Isabella, a young cancer survivor, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was only 20 months old. Now at seven years old, she has been declared symptom free, although she still lives with an active tumour in her abdomen. She now enjoys an active lifestyle, participating in swimming and gymnastics, and hopes to become a goal shooter in my favourite sport of netball. The Run2Cure charity raises awareness and funds for the most commonly found cancer in children under the age of six—neuroblastoma. Over the past four years, they have successfully raised $430,000 for research. The very brave, determined and resilient Isabella will be taking part in this year's Run2Cure charity event, alongside her mother, Sarah, raising awareness for neuroblastoma. Isabella's strength and courage is an inspiration to our entire community and I extend my best wishes for a safe and healthy journey ahead. COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES NSW Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (16:32): I acknowledge Community Legal Centres NSW [CLC NSW]. In particular, I acknowledge the opening of their new office space at Holt Street, Surry Hills on 16 May. CLC NSW is the peak body for community legal centres in New South Wales. They are a small but important team that assists CLCs deliver access to quality legal services and champion social justice. CLCs are a critical part of providing access to justice for people with no or limited financial resources. The level of unmet legal need in our society is substantive as confirmed by recent work for the Productivity Commission and the Law and Justice Foundation and CLCs do their work on the smell of an oily rag. Apart from the geographic CLCs, such as the South West Legal Centre, which is located upstairs from my electorate office, CLCs also include Women's Legal Services; the Environmental Defenders Office and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. I also acknowledge the roles of CLC Chair Dr Linda Tucker; and CLC NSW staff, chief executive officer Polly Porteous and Mark Riboldi. PHEASANTS NEST PRODUCE Mr JAI ROWELL (Wollondilly) (16:33): I congratulate locally owned and operated family business Pheasants Nest Produce. The business operates out of the Wollondilly shire delivering locally grown fruit and vegetables to homes and businesses across Wollondilly, Macarthur and Southern Highland regions. The company's emphasis is on using as much locally grown produce and as many locally produced products as possible, developing a strong local supplier network. Their focus is on seasonal produce, which helps our local farmers produce the best quality. The good news is Pheasants Nest Produce has now opened a store in Picton, stocking sauces and products made by leading Sydney chef Lee Hokianga. It is great to see further proof of the Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 53

very positive perception we have for business in Wollondilly and I congratulate Pheasants Nest Produce on the growing success of its business. ST JOHNS PARK ANGLICAN CHURCH Mr NICK LALICH (Cabramatta) (16:33): On 20 May I attended a fundraising dinner for St Johns Park Anglican Church, located in my electorate, at the invitation of Senior Minister Stuart Milne. The fundraising dinner was to cover the costs and support the continued education in religious studies of two young men— Dan Meoli, the new assistant minister; and Neeraj Gautam, a student minister. The dinner was well attended by the local community and also served as an opportunity to celebrate the area's rich diversity. I congratulate Senior Minister Stuart Milne on his strong leadership of the St Johns Park Anglican Church as well as the commitment from him and his staff in always trying to improve their facilities, such as through the Community Building Partnerships program, where they received money for new line marking on the netball and basketball courts, and another grant that was used to fix up and replace old amenities with new ones. NSW RSL PRESIDENT JAMES BROWN Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (16:34): I congratulate Mr James Brown on his recent election as the president of the NSW RSL movement. James has served with distinction, having commanded a cavalry troop in Southern Iraq and in the Australian taskforce headquarters in Baghdad. The NSW RSL movement is an important one and I wish James all the best in his new role and look forward to working with him through the fantastic RSL sub-branches in Manly. TIMORESE UNITED ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (16:35): I recognise the Timorese United Association Incorporated. This is a newly established organisation to represent the interests of the Timorese community in Australia and especially in Sydney. Many of the community members are based in south-western Sydney, especially around Liverpool, including the association president, Andre Monteiro. The association held an event on Saturday 20 May to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the restoration of independence of Timor Leste. Independence had, of course, first been declared following Portuguese withdrawal in 1975. This came under the threat of Indonesian invasion, which soon became reality and which was followed by two decades of bitter and bloody occupation and repression. That eventually came to an end as a result of several factors, most notably the inspirational resistance and resilience of the Timorese themselves. There were a number of speakers and guests on the night. As well as Andre Monteiro, they included East Timorese Consul Sergio Dos Santos, Sister Susan Connelly and Superintendent Gelina Talbot. There was also considerable discussion about overturning the decade-long history of this country's appalling attitude to the Timor Gap. MOSMAN HIGH SCHOOL Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (16:36): I congratulate Mosman High School on its recent European Anzac tour, where the 51 students and six staff travelled with the band and the choir to perform at wonderful Anzac services across Europe. They travelled through the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium. This included providing a concert at Villers Bretonneux as part of the town's Australia week, where almost the entire town turned out to attend their performance. The choir also performed at the ceremony at Tyne Cot in Belgium, then the marching band led the procession to the Menin Gate in Ypres. I also recently met the principal, Susan Wyatt, and extend my congratulations to her, the choir and the band. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) (16:36): Fiona Johnston, a constituent of the Davidson electorate, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, a disease that affects the messages between the brain, the spinal cord and optic nerves. Multiple sclerosis can cause paralysis. Fiona Johnston refused to let the disease stop her and instead started to raise funds for MS Research Australia's Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign. She has dubbed 2017 "My year of temporary insanity", and will spend the following months on an endeavour to get fit and fight the disease, partaking in 12 running challenges. Fiona has already done several of the challenges, and in just a few months raised almost $10,000 for the cause. I commend Fiona for her excellent work for the MS Research campaign. I wish her the best of luck for the rest of the running challenges. COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN PALESTINIANS Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (16:37): I recognise the Council of Australian Palestinians, or CAP. CAP held a Palestinian remembrance day function on 13 May at the Granville Youth and Community Centre to commemorate the sixty-ninth year of Al Nakba in 1948. The function featured the screening of a short Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 54

documentary on the events of 1948 and their origins. It featured also an address from Albert Joubian from CAP. There was also a performance by Palestinian children from the community. There is no underestimating the pain felt in Palestinian communities flowing from 1948, from what Israeli historian Ian Pappe described as ethnic cleansing and the creation of a massive refugee population whose diaspora has spread as far as Australia. Mention was also made of subsequent events that have worsened the position of Palestinians, the occupation of the West Bank and the growth of illegal settlements and the development of Gaza as the largest open air prison on the planet. As I said on the night, in recent years there has been a peace process in Ireland, South Africa has been liberated, and East Timor has been liberated, but there is still no justice for Palestinians. PREMIER'S COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT GARRY WILBRAHAM Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama) (16:38): Earlier today I joined with my friend the member for South Coast, Shelley Hancock, to present local Shoalhaven resident Garry Wilbraham with the Premier's Community Service Award. We made the special presentation to Mr Wilbraham, who was joined by his wonderful wife, Dianne, and close family members in the New South Wales Parliament. Garry has served as the secretary manager of the Bomaderry Bowling Club since 1986, after first joining the club as an in-house poker machine technician in 1983. During this period Garry has overseen huge growth at the club, which now employs more than 100 staff. Garry has represented businesses in the area through a number of means, including being a former president of the Shoalhaven Business Chamber, a former president of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Club Managers Association, for five years as a federal councillor on the Club Managers Association Australia, for two years representing the area from Wollongong to the Victorian border. He has also represented the Illawarra and Shoalhaven at the State Council of Clubs NSW and has been a member of the Shoalhaven Area Consultative Committee for five years. Garry is a well-known and respected member of the Shoalhaven community who has given up a lot of his time and effort to help charitable causes and people in need. He is a very deserving recipient of the Premier's Community Service Award and I was delighted to present it to him today. Private Members' Statements HOUSING NSW AND LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (16:39): I report to the House the quite unreasonable action—or, rather, lack of action—by Liverpool City Council and Housing NSW concerning my constituent Joe Durrant, a long-time resident of Warwick Farm. Mr Durrant is well known in Liverpool and was, at one time, mayor of Liverpool. The problem relates to a massive tree growing in the front of a suburban block at 71 Lawrence Hargrave Road, Warwick Farm. The comprehensive and abject failure of Liverpool City Council and Housing NSW—the term I use to cover its various corporate guises—to consider their various legal options is profoundly disappointing. If those organisations had considered their options and chosen not to pursue them I could have accepted the process, but the various officers dealing with it in these two agencies have been too inadequate to have even started to think clearly about possible legal options. The block with the offending tree was sold by Housing NSW to the current owner, who now leases out various small units. The sale seems to have been in July 2012. There had been a second, similar tree at the back of the block, but it was cut some time ago by Housing NSW. The remaining tree is causing havoc by the way its roots are spreading. Mr Durrant's house is not next to the block with the tree. He is two houses away. The spreading of the roots is so vast and aggressive that it got into the plumbing in Mr Durrant's house and blocked the pipes for his indoor toilet; therefore, he had to use an outside toilet. Because of health issues Mr Durrant is sometimes not as certain on his feet as he used to be. On one of those occasions he fell. The fall was hardly helpful for someone who has had serious health challenges. It was also an expensive exercise for a pensioner to get a plumber to fix the pipes. The house between the tree and Joe's house has endured an even more severe problem. Parts of the front yard are badly impacted and this has quite obvious practical consequences. The roots have also damaged the concrete footpath, which is owned by the council. One concrete slab has had to be replaced. More will inevitably be damaged over time. Mr Durrant is concerned that the roots will eventually raise the road, necessitating the expenditure of council money—that is, public money—on repairs to the road. Council has a very direct material and pecuniary interest in this matter as a property owner. Its property has been damaged, and there is certainly a potential for property to be damaged further by these tree roots in the future. The house on the other side of the block with the tree—that is, the other side to Mr Durrant's block—is owned by Housing NSW. That property is also being damaged by these roots. That was confirmed in a letter from the Department of Family and Community Services Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 55

to me, dated 20 April 2017. So Housing NSW has a very direct pecuniary interest in these roots, because they are damaging its property. Housing NSW is directly involved as a property owner. The council and Housing NSW have demonstrated not one iota of interest in protecting the public property that they administer. I first made written representations to each on 18 October 2016. I pointed out to council that action by them would protect council infrastructure. My letter to Housing NSW pointed out the damage being sustained by its property. I pointed out that lack of action on its part would lead to further damage to publicly owned property. The substantive response from Housing NSW, dated 28 October 2016, said that that agency could not do anything because the tree was on private land. This almost pro forma response suggested that no great thought had gone into the letter. So did the fact that in the final paragraph there was an obvious and sloppy mistake about gender. This was a thoughtless bureaucratic response by people who could not care less. Whilst Housing NSW cannot march onto private property, as the owner of its own property it has a plethora of other legal avenues to pursue. It did not so much refuse to pursue those avenues, but did not even think about them. I sent a letter back to Housing NSW dated 18 November pointing out that it had comprehensively failed to address the issue I had raised. I pointed out very explicitly that as property owners, Housing NSW could pursue various options against the tree owner. That simply provoked more remarkably stupid responses saying that the agency could not do anything because the tree is on private property and Housing NSW cannot even approach the private owner. As a matter of law, of course, that is simply wrong—in fact, hopelessly wrong. As a matter of dealing with a real problem it is hopeless and bureaucratic. As a response to me, it is remarkably ill-advised. One of my letters to Housing NSW dated 12 April said, amongst other things: The claims in your letter as a matter of law are unmitigated nonsense. The lack of intellectual capacity devoted to this issue is profoundly disappointing. It confirms the melancholy truth that no-one has actually bothered to read, let alone analyse, my previous representations. Liverpool City Council was no better. I got a pompous and silly letter from someone called Gary Grantham, Director, Corporate Services. He quoted section 67 of the Local Government Act, which he said meant that council can carry out work on private property only with the agreement of the private owner, that that ended the discussion and that there was nothing else council could do. I suspect anyone listening to this might understand my frustration in dealing with this nonsense. I have been a councillor for two terms, have practised as a lawyer for 15 years, have been Minister for Local Government, and am currently shadow Attorney General, and here was a council officer telling me something entirely wrong about the legal limits of council powers. I almost wrote back and told him not to confuse his Google search with my law degree, but I was more restrained than that. I said that the claim that council could take no action because of section 67 was simply nonsense. Council clearly had a range of legal avenues open to its corporate body if its property had been damaged. This elicited further unresponsive replies. Both Mr Durrant and I would suggest that the inadequacies in these agencies be rectified and that something be done about the problem. Maybe someone should actually get some proper advice, including about nuisance, trespass and common law claims for damages, for starters. COFFS HARBOUR BYPASS Mr ANDREW FRASER (Coffs Harbour) (16:44): Tonight I raise the Coffs Harbour bypass, which is creating severe anxiety within my community. We all understand that these works have to be planned, and the routes have to be designed properly, but of late the Federal member, the Hon. Anthony Albanese, has been saying that the Federal Government will not fund the project. I can tell Mr Albanese—I put it on the record tonight—that initially the route for a dual carriageway between Hexham and the border was decided by a State Labor Government and a Federal Labor Government. We did not find out until 2011 that the bypass at Coffs Harbour was not included because there was already a four-lane dual carriage way there. But there are also 12 sets of traffic lights, which create chaos on long weekends, during holiday periods and at other times. It would be rather pointless, when we are doing geo-tech and all the planning at the moment, for the Federal Government to put its share—about $800 million—on the table, until the final route, the planning and the design of the highway is finished. The main point I wish to make tonight is that we need to look at how we can save money. I have suggested to Roads and Maritime Services [RMS]—and I have suggested this to the Minister in this place—that during the planning we should look at where the interchanges are placed. In the peremptory plan there was an interchange at England Road, one at Coramba Road and one at Bruxner Park Road. My suggestion is that we do away with the Coramba Road section because council has approved a number of subdivisions in that area, and B-doubles and heavy vehicles coming off the main highway would create pure havoc for the residents that live there, and noise complaints will abound. I never agreed with the route. I think it is too close to the township and to houses along the route, but, unfortunately we are stuck with it. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 56

I suggest that we do away with Coramba Road intersection and put an interchange at Mastracolas Road. If a flyover or some other construction is built at Bruxner Park Road, we could save a lot of money and be in a position to upgrade the school bus stops at Korora Road and have a flyover at Korora Basin Road, which would save a small business there. If the current route and design is complied with that small business—a tennis court, swimming pool complex used by a lot of schools and citizens—would be cut off. Anyone wishing to use that complex would have to travel five to six kilometres north to come back. We all know that people will not do that, especially school buses, because it would mean more travel on the highway and extra time. It will not fit the timetables for school sport et cetera. I ask that the interchange be built, as planned, on Englands Road, we do away with the interchange on Coramba Road and put one in at Mastracolas Road—which is very close to Park Beach Plaza, a major shopping centre where a lot of heavy vehicles deliver goods. We would then have an improved through access to town. That would result in the construction of only two interchanges. It would also mean that the RMS would not have to upgrade Coramba Road, which I believe is a council responsibility, back through to the central business district in Coffs Harbour. The Englands Road interchange would enable heavy vehicles to access the industrial subdivision south of town, and the Mastracolas Road Interchange would enable heavy vehicles to access the shopping centre. Many years ago council planned to have a ring road from Mastracolas Road through Arthur Street, where Macauleys Headland Drive is. That was planned under the last Coalition Government here in the early nineties. It provides for heavy vehicles to go under the road and into Park Beach Plaza, and the many shops that require access of these vehicles. I ask the Minister and the RMS to look at this. I think it will save money and give a better result. At the end of the day it will save a myriad of complaints about heavy vehicles from residents of those subdivisions around Spagnolas Road where the interchange is planned on Coramba Road. I commend this plan of action to the Government. NORTHERN TABLELANDS WATER SUPPLY Mr ADAM MARSHALL (Northern Tablelands—Minister for Tourism and Major Events, and Assistant Minister for Skills) (16:49): As we know all too well in country New South Wales, the fortunes of our country communities and particularly our small country communities are tied to the availability of reliable and high-quality potable water. Over the past few years in my electorate of Northern Tablelands, we have seen a number of significant investments to ensure an ongoing water supply for a number of communities. Pipelines and new bores have brought water to communities that have never had a reticulated potable water supply. But there is a plight that besets the community of Guyra in my electorate. Guyra is a community of around 2,000 people, a rich agriculturally productive area that is very proud of the lamb and wool it produces to feed and clothe our country. It is approximately 40 kilometres north of Armidale. Over the past decade it has spawned a fledgling and now burgeoning horticultural industry via the Costa Group in Guyra. With 30 hectares of tomatoes under glass, the Costa greenhouses are the largest horticultural tomato operation under glass anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Mr Andrew Fraser: A brilliant operation. Mr ADAM MARSHALL: It is a brilliant operation, as the member for Coffs Harbour says. He also has significant investments by the Costa company in his electorate. The chances are that if you buy a snack pack of tomatoes in this State in your local supermarket it has probably come from the glasshouses of the Costa Group at Guyra. Those glasshouses have been tremendous for the community, employing nearly 600 people. They also ensure that the community is growing. For the first time in many years, Guyra Shire Council is approving new housing subdivisions and expanding the community. However, that has an impact on the finite water supply which Guyra has been relying on for decades. Just under 40 per cent of the 420 megalitres that the community consumes through its town water supply each year goes to the tomato farm. The tomato farm is working very quickly on a water recycling program to become more self-sufficient. However, investigations are necessary and urgent to have a permanent solution to any water shortage problems the community may have in the not-too-distant future. Indeed, it was only two years ago that for an entire 12 months the Guyra community was under severe water restrictions as its water supply dams reached a critically low level. Not only is the quantity of water important but also the quality. In country dams, as the water level drops, unfortunately so does the water quality. Locals in the community have been asking me for months for a permanent solution to this problem, and I am happy to provide to the House and the residents of Guyra some information and investigations I have requested of Armidale Regional Council in order to come up with a permanent solution. The council worked with the Department of Primary Industries—Water to look at a number of options, from raising the dam walls in the existing supply to recycling the sewerage and used water from the community in its sewerage facility to Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 57

constructing a permanent water pipeline from the plentiful Malpas Dam south of Guyra. Malpas Dam supplies water to Armidale, a city of around 24,000 people, and it has the capacity to supply more than 60,000 people. After all of that analysis, a 15-kilometre pipeline from Malpas Dam up the hill to Guyra was assessed to be the most beneficial in terms of providing a permanent water solution for the community. It will increase capacity for the community to grow in population and attract extra horticultural populations in not just tomatoes but also other fresh produce. If we are going to do those things, we need water. That plan has been costed at between $8 million and $10 million. Already I have had meetings with the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Regional Water, Niall Blair, to advocate for this proposal. I will be working very hard with the local community and Armidale Regional Council to continue to push the proposal, which is a permanent solution to those problems and will unlock the potential the community has to grow, develop, create extra jobs, attract new industry and have a reliable, permanent potable water supply. I will continue to fight for that on behalf of that community. HUNTER REGION EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SPECIALIST SERVICES Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (16:54): I raise an issue of grave concern in the Swansea electorate and the broader Hunter Region: the urgent need for additional ear, nose and throat [ENT] specialist services. Last month I was contacted by Karen Schmeider of Belmont North who has two children who require specialist ENT services. Her youngest son, Eli, who was considered a priority patient at the age of 10 months, required an operation. After obtaining numerous referrals he sought treatment from a private provider. Without private health insurance, Ms Schmeider outlaid $4,000 for Eli's operation and was forced to borrow the money from her mother. Ms Schmeider's eldest son, Clint, who is now seven years old, had a similar problem and had to wait until he was profoundly deaf at age four before he could be operated on. Clint is still undergoing speech pathology to bring him up to the same level as other children his age. Recently Karen informed me that Clint again requires further grommets in his ears and that she is anxious about the wait times, which can be up to three years. After contacting the Hunter New England Local Health district about Karen's situation, I was advised that there is high demand for public ENT services at the John Hunter Hospital, which contributes to the lengthy waiting list. I find this response to be highly inadequate. It is apparent to me that there is an urgent need for additional ENT services to be funded in the Hunter Region, particularly for children. Hearing is essential to ensuring that children meet development milestones, and the lengthy delays in accessing those services contribute to developmental delays, which result in additional costs later in life and additional costs to the taxpayers of New South Wales. Data from the Bureau of Health Information published by Fairfax Media in March 2016 paints a picture of how dire the situation has become in the Hunter New England Health district. There are approximately 60 referrals per week for ENT specialist services at the John Hunter Hospital alone. The number of patients waiting for an appointment is more than 4,500. But the most alarming of these statistics is that at any one time a staggering 1,500 children are waiting for an ENT specialist appointment at the John Hunter Hospital. To my mind, it is completely unacceptable to have the health and wellbeing of our children jeopardised because of poor resourcing by this Government. What makes this matter all the more troubling is that despite such a dire need for expanded access to medical specialists in the Hunter, we have a Premier who gloats about budget surpluses and a Government plagued with cost blowout after cost blowout of their infrastructure projects. To me, this is a clear indication that this Government has its priorities all wrong. The benign WestConnex Project was initially costed at $10 billion before blowing out to over to $16.8 billion. Just imagine the specialist health services that could have been delivered with that $6.8 billion of extra funding. But time and again we see critical service provision in the areas of health, education, skills and housing affordability pushed to one side by a government focused only on expanding its coffers by privatising our State's infrastructure and assets. This is shown in the Government's recent announcement of the privatisation of the inner west bus services or the privatisation of the entire transport network in the Hunter, which will have undoubtedly an enormous effect on the services available to my constituents in the Swansea electorate. When spruiking the 2016 budget in June last year, the Premier gloated of a $3.4 billion budget surplus, stating that over the past five years the New South Wales Government has worked hard to repair the budget. The Premier should try selling that story to Karen from Belmont whose children have been let down by our health system, especially Clint who could be waiting up to three years for his new grommets. It is my strong view that children should not be forced to suffer years of hearing loss resulting in learning difficulties and developmental delay simply because they do not have the money to pay for specialist health services. I hope that the Minister for Health and the Premier can listen to the pleas of my constituents. We need better access to specialist health services in the Hunter and we need it now. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 58

RIVERSTONE FESTIVAL Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) (16:59): I update the House on the Riverstone Festival, which was held on Saturday, 13 May 2017. The festival has a relatively short history for a very old town. My electorate of Riverstone comprises many new suburbs, which were built in recent times as part of the North West Priority Growth Area, and the old town of Riverstone and its surrounding semirural areas. One might have thought that the Riverstone Festival would have the same heritage, but it was commenced in 2000 by a group of people from the combined Riverstone churches, led by Phyllis McAlpine who is the energy behind the group. She wanted some way of celebrating the millennium in Riverstone by bringing together people of the town for a happy occasion. She has succeeded, because the festival has taken on a life of its own and has become the biggest and best event in the region. The Riverstone Festival brings together thousands of people who come from far and wide to participate in a festival that gives the appearance of being an old-style country show. It features a street parade with lots of floats and antique vehicles, along with marching groups from the local towns and surrounds. The festival also has stalls, rides and displays of crafts and so on, which means people can spend some time enjoying what it offers. This year the festival was held on a beautiful day and many people enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the festival. As I have done for a number of years, I shared the judging duties for parade entrants with Blacktown City Council councillors Chris Quilkey and Moninder Singh. Winners of categories included: the NSW Historic Patrol Vehicles Association, which entered for the first time; the Norwest Christian College; the Blacktown City Community Band; Iskcon, an Indian cultural group; and the Hawkesbury Antique Agricultural Machinery Club. All the category winners were part of a colourful parade down Garfield Road, the main street of the town. Having an Indian cultural group alongside a Hawkesbury agricultural machinery group, a Christian college and police vehicles shows that a very diverse group of people participated in the festival. It is wonderful to see the diversity of participants as Riverstone is changing and that all the new groups are becoming part of the community and being welcomed as part of the process. I congratulate the combined churches of Riverstone and all of the organisers and volunteers who took part. I congratulate Peter Filmer and the events team from Blacktown City Council, who cooperate with the festival committee each year. I particularly congratulate Phyllis McAlpine, without whose energy, vision and dynamism this festival would not have been established and would not continue to be held each year. Each of the category winners in the Riverstone Festival parade naturally receives as their prize a river stone engraved with their success for the year. I look forward to handing out many more river stones in the future. BUS SERVICES PRIVATISATION Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (17:03): I am very disturbed by the Government's recent announcement of the privatisation of bus services in my electorate. The routes identified for privatisation include the 418, 422, 425, M20 and M30 bus routes that serve the suburbs of Tempe, Sydenham, St Peters, Mascot, Eastlakes, and Kensington. We are being told a tale by the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure that the reason for this privatisation is that the buses in the inner west do not run on time and the private sector can do it better and cheaper. Well, with apologies to William Shakespeare's Hamlet, I believe that "this is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". The simple fact of the matter is that the arguments for this privatisation do not stand up to any degree of intellectual scrutiny. The Minister is fond of quoting the Auditor-General's 2015 report on Sydney metropolitan bus contracts. He relies on this report as what he has told this House are the reasons for the privatisation. I think he ought to read the report. The publicly-owned State Transit Authority [STA] provides a majority of bus services in Sydney— five million of the 9.5 million trips taken every year. It provides those services in the most densely populated regions of our city—the inner west, the eastern suburbs and the inner north. The Auditor-General admits that the higher costs associated with running those services and the failure to meet on-time running targets are a result of higher congestion and higher passenger density in the areas serviced by the STA. If members know the roads of the inner west and south of Sydney as well as I do, they will know that they are absolutely chock-full of cars. I ask with my tongue in my cheek whether the Minister thinks he is George Jetson and has secret plans for flying buses. It is now apparent that he truly believes that with the same buses and drivers on the same roads and with the same timetables, the private sector can make any bus run more on time in the inner west. Minister, if you truly believe that, I have got a bridge to sell you, mate—slightly used, needs a bit of paint, otherwise in good condition. We know that private sector operators currently do not meet their mid-trip and end-of-trip on-time running targets, even as the Auditor's report admits those key performance indicators are, for obvious reasons, more important to commuters than whether the bus leaves the depot on time. It is no wonder that buses cannot get out of the depots on time when region 6 depots in Tempe, Burwood and Leichhardt are located on the Princes Highway, Parramatta Road and the City-West Link, some of the most congested, car-choked roads in this city. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 59

This issue is at the heart of what I have been saying for more than five years: these roads will become only more congested once the catastrophic WestConnex dumps 60,000 or more vehicles onto our local roads each and every day. When you get to the bottom of this privatisation plan, it is nothing more than an admission of guilt by the Minister, delivered on behalf of the Government. In the Liberal Government of New South Wales, any problem of this Government's making is to be shunted off to the private sector, where the Government can wash its hands of any responsibility to deliver more and better services to its citizens. This Government cannot adequately plan for the population growth it is foisting on our community. It cannot deliver projects on budget. It cannot build a motorway to the airport and Port Botany that goes within cooee of those places. And now, despite the old refrain about authoritarian right-wing governments, it cannot even make the buses run on time. I do not trust this Government any further than I can throw it. I direct those who are worried about buses not showing up on time to the now Premier's promises in her 2013 Sydney's Bus Future plan. I call on the Premier and ask her: Where is the bus from Chatswood to the airport via the central business district? And where is the bus from Bondi Junction to Miranda via the Airport? Despite promising these new services, we have been stood by the side of the road waiting for almost four whole years. Eighty per cent of trips to the airport are taken by private vehicles, travelling on congested roads in the inner west and south of Sydney. If the Government wants to bust congestion in the inner west and deliver better bus services, it must come good on its promises and deliver more and better public transport and take those cars off the road. The Government must not just go running to the private sector to solve its problems. I call on the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure to admit his real reasons for privatising our essential services, because no right-thinking person could accept his paltry excuses offered so far. BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY Mr ROB STOKES (Pittwater—Minister for Education) (17:08): Tonight I will speak about a very important group of workers in my community of Pittwater. As members on both sides of the House would appreciate, the Treasurer is appropriately fond of referring to the Liberals and Nationals as the party of the workers. Indeed, in the case of this group of workers, it is particularly the case. This group of workers, an all-female workforce, produces a product of universal appeal and application. The group is engaged in very important work for everyone in the community. Of course, I refer to worker bees who not only produce a delicious product for people in this great State but also provide biosecurity by playing crucial roles in pollination and other natural processes upon which our ecosystem depends. We are very fortunate in this country to have highly productive hives. Sadly, that is not the case so much in other parts of the world. We need to hold on to our precious hives in New South Wales, and in Australia more generally, and retain their productivity because the role of bees cannot be overstated in terms of ecosystem health. Recently I had the great opportunity to help the North Shore Beekeepers Association find premises in my community in the Duffy's Forest area at Terry Hills. I place on record my gratitude to Michael Syme for his advocacy on behalf of beekeepers in Pittwater, and in Sydney's north more generally. Beekeepers in my electorate have expressed concerns about the growing number of unregistered hobby apiaries, particularly in the metropolitan area. Hobby beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular—which is a great thing—particularly due to new developments such as the Flow Hive that makes keeping bees and collecting honey much easier. However, it should be noted that, while this makes beekeeping much easier, it is still an intensive hobby that requires a great deal of expertise. I am very grateful for the work of the North Shore Beekeepers Association in providing advice, support and assistance to hobby beekeepers. The North Shore Beekeepers Association has experienced a rapid increase in its membership, growing by more than 60 per cent in the past four years. Unfortunately, the official registration of hives with the Department of Primary Industries has not kept pace with this rapid growth, raising concerns that an increasing number of hives are unregistered. This is a problem because knowing whether and where hives are operating is key to ensuring the State's biosecurity and the health of the New South Wales bee population. If there were an outbreak of pests or disease that affects bees, for example, knowing where all hives are in the State and whether they have been impacted would be crucial in managing and controlling the outbreak. It might become impossible for the Department Primary Industries to control, minimise and stop such outbreaks if they do not know where bees are present, and whether hives are harbouring any nasties that could potentially spread and do great harm to bees across the State. As I said before, plants and crops in New South Wales rely on bees for pollination, which makes them integral to the health of our agricultural industries and our environment more generally. Pest and disease outbreaks that affect bees can therefore be catastrophic if not managed appropriately. I understand that currently the Department of Primary Industries is engaged in a consultation process on a number of issues facing the apiary industry. One discussion point in the paper is requesting feedback on measures that will encourage small-scale operators to register their hives. I offer my support to the outcome that will best protect our bee populations from biosecurity risks, and I encourage the department to consider all options put Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 60

forward by the North Shore Beekeepers Association, in particular. It has a vast array of experience and can put to the review a wide variety of views from beekeepers that are certainly worth considering. If the reforms manage to avert just one major disease or pest crisis in the bee population the savings will be simply incalculable. Pittwater is a place of extraordinary biodiversity and we need to support our beekeepers and our bee populations by providing security for the continuing sustainability of our local environment. SYNTHETIC TURF SPORTING FIELDS Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:13): I speak in support of the funding and installation of a synthetic playing field in my electorate. After meeting with a large number of representatives from a wide range of sporting codes, I am convinced that a synthetic field will provide increased playing opportunities and improve player safety and wellbeing. While I am strongly opposed to fake news, I have certainly grown fond of fake grass and have launched a campaign to fund a synthetic field in my local area in partnership with Georges River Council and the St George Football Association. There is a huge demand in the community for synthetic sports fields as they are safer, allow for all-weather use and can accommodate a number of different sporting codes, including AFL, soccer, hockey and athletics. In my community, sporting fields and facilities are at capacity. Each weekend thousands of kids and adults take to sporting fields. Many of these grass fields are in need of repair and maintenance, and they would be improved by the laying of synthetic turf. The installation of a synthetic field, although costly to begin with, reduces overall maintenance costs for clubs, organisations and councils. If properly maintained, synthetic fields have a long and happy life. They are a good investment by clubs, organisations and councils because they can be used by children and adults and provide an optimal playing environment for amateur and professional athletes. Peakhurst Park is one of the most popular sporting facilities in our local area, and field 5 is in need of extensive repair. It is an example of a sporting facility that would benefit greatly from being upgraded using synthetic turf. Recently I met with Mr Craig Kiely, the General Manager of St George Football Association, and he has welcomed the idea. During our meeting he advised me that there are almost 10,000 registered football participants in the St George area and a synthetic field is well and truly needed. I have spoken with not only the St George Football Association but also a large number of sporting organisations. Members and players from these clubs all tell me the same thing: There is a growing demand and need for synthetic playing fields in our community. These conversations and meetings have spurred me on to campaign for a synthetic field. I am also calling on Georges River Council to develop a synthetic field plan— something that councils throughout New South Wales should do—for not only Peakhurst Park but also other fields in our community. A strategic approach to installing synthetic fields by council will ensure state-of-the-art sporting facilities in my local area and will foster and nurture young athletes in a safe and purpose-built environment. All the clubs and organisations I have met with believe synthetic fields have a number of advantages, including enhanced player safety, all-weather use and savings to council and organisations with regard to maintenance and resurfacing costs. St George clubs and players would welcome the installation of synthetic fields and are willing to work together to deliver this for our area. The St George area is a great place to work, live and raise a family but we must ensure that the needs of local sports players and their supporters are met. Once a sportsground is converted to a synthetic surface, there will be extended access for sports in all weather conditions. As part of my campaign for a synthetic field, I am strongly urging the community to support this initiative and to let my office know of its thoughts and ideas. The Government is at the forefront of responding to challenges associated with population growth, including building much-needed infrastructure such as roads, transport links, schools and hospitals, but it is also vital that we support the building of social and sporting facilities. Sporting clubs and organisations are where communities grow and are strengthened, where families are supported and where kids are encouraged to do their best and learn how to win and lose graciously. This builds character and resilience. I am confident that with community support and financial backing we can get a synthetic field in the Oatley electorate, and it will be used and enjoyed by young and old. WEST WALLSEND BUTTERFLY CAVE Mr CLAYTON BARR (Cessnock) (17:18): I speak today about the sacred, beautiful Butterfly Cave in my electorate of Cessnock, couched in the bushland of West Wallsend. I do so on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the tabling of the "Bringing Them Home" report. Before question time today we recognised a number of attendees from the stolen generations. We stood united as one in this Chamber. If everyone was like me, I suspect they felt deeply emotional about having the opportunity to recognise the stolen generations and the "Bringing Them Home" report. It embarrasses me enormously that the Aboriginal people have been treated poorly since white settlement of this land. As we stood in our places today I am sure that all members were equally embarrassed about things done well before their time and beyond their control. However, we must all have wondered what we could do today to try to make amends. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 61

The Butterfly Cave is a beautiful, sacred women's site nestled in bushland that has a history of some 35,000 years. The Awabakal women of the Cessnock electorate still use the Butterfly Cave for women's business. The elders take the young women there as part of a process of ceremony, education, explanation and induction that helps them identify with their Aboriginal heritage. It is incumbent on us as political representatives to do all we can to support the Aboriginal people and help solve some of the problems we have caused. To that end, saving the Butterfly Cave is probably the single most important thing we can do for the Aboriginal people in the Cessnock electorate. In fact, it is one of the most significant things we can do for the Aboriginal people of New South Wales. To save the Butterfly Cave we need to buy the land from the developer. I emphasise this point: The developer has done nothing wrong. It acquired land that was zoned residential, put in a development application and sought approval to build on the land. The developer followed all the white fella rules, but that does not help the Aboriginal people and the Aboriginal women who will lose one of their most sacred sites on the east coast. Earlier today the Speaker of the House beautifully recognised the "Bringing Them Home" report. I acknowledge that the government of yesterday did not do enough on this matter, but I urge this Government to find the money to buy the land from the developer. The budget is coming up. During question time today the Minister for Heritage spoke about funding that will be provided to protect some Anglo-Saxon heritage that is less than 200 years old. I have no problem with preserving the Newcastle Post Office. I also have no problem with the $310 million being committed to protect some more white heritage at Parramatta. But why can we find so much money so easily for white heritage but not find $1 million or $2 million to purchase land from a rule-abiding developer so that it can remain sacred and we can preserve the 35,000 years of history and culture of which we are all immensely proud? At the beginning of question time today I could not have felt more proud yet at the same time more embarrassed and feel more strongly the need to say sorry to our Aboriginal people. Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:23): I thank the member for Cessnock for his private member's statement. The year 2017 has many milestones, with 27 May marking the fiftieth anniversary of Australia's most successful referendum. The 1967 referendum was a defining event in our nation's history, when more than 90 per cent of Australians voted to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. More must be done. This is just a starting point. Life expectancy rates for Aboriginal men and women are 10 and 15 years lower than those of the rest of the continent's population. Ms Prue Car: Shame! Mr MARK COURE: It is a shame. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are major issues in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We must do much more to fix this. SOUTH COAST ELECTORATE HOSPITALS Ms SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast) (17:24): This afternoon I speak about the fantastic investments by the Berejiklian Government into health care in the Shoalhaven community. We hear a lot of criticisms from members about what is happening. I will outline some fantastic advances in investments in my area. Since the 2011 election we have had significant investments at the Shoalhaven hospital in my electorate, and also Milton Ulladulla Hospital. We are almost ready to open the new renal and palliative care services at the Milton Ulladulla Hospital. It is only a small hospital about an hour from Nowra. It is significant that we are investing in that hospital. Shoalhaven hospital has an upgraded car park, cancer care facilities, emergency department and surgical facilities, and the list goes on. There is also a master plan for further investment. On Monday this week I was pleased to join my colleague the member for Kiama to open the new $1.8 million expanded emergency department of the reconfigured Shoalhaven District Hospital. The emergency department was not old, but it shows us what money can buy. The amount of $1.8 million does not sound like a lot, but the hospital received value for money. It was brilliant to talk to the nurses, doctors and ambulance drivers to hear what a difference that refurbishment and reconfiguration has made to the emergency department. We all know that emergency departments can be under huge pressure from time to time. We often do not like to hear about the waiting times but the purpose of this refurbishment is to reduce waiting times for patients. We want to make life easier for them, as well as our ambulance officers, nurses and doctors who work in emergency departments. On Monday, the staff told me that they are achieving everything they set out to achieve, which makes us all extremely happy. Shoalhaven District Hospital is currently undergoing enhancements worth $5 million, which includes a new aged-care ward—Medical Ward B—which will open in June this year. Elderly patients will have their own ward in which they will receive the appropriate care. A commitment was made a couple of years ago for those upgrades. They are almost finished and I look forward to their opening. An additional operating theatre will be designed specifically for endoscopy services at a cost of $1.5 million. Those projects are in addition to the $34.8 million cancer care centre, which was completed in 2013. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 62

The member for Kiama and I are extremely proud of this project not only because of the investment by the Government but also because of the enormous contribution that was made by the community. Fundraising within our community has allowed more than $1 million to be invested in this centre. Not long after that project we were able to purchase a linear accelerator. Within 12 months that linear accelerator was under pressure, so recently we purchased a second linear accelerator for the Shoalhaven hospital. I am pleased to see the level of investment by this Government. The member for Kiama has just walked into the Chamber. On Monday, I spoke with him about the opening of the emergency department. The proposed renal and palliative care units at Milton hospital also please me because the community, over a long period, has advocated for renal and palliative care services at Milton. It is only a small hospital, and one could not imagine that there would be any room for an expansion, but we looked at the possibilities with architects, and we will have our own renal and palliative care units. It is fairly small, but today I spoke to a volunteer who works with the palliative care service and she is delighted at the quality of service being provided by the Government. I also look forward to opening that facility. It is operating now, but we will open it officially soon. I pay tribute to Narelle Ober, who has since passed away. She worked tirelessly in the women's auxiliary unit at the hospital to raise funds for those facilities—in particular, the renal care unit. I hope that we can name something after Narelle because she never let up until this was achieved. In fact, she even continued fundraising after it was constructed to make sure that it had all the things that a women's auxiliary provides in hospitals— bedside tables, lights or curtains—to make things more homely. Narelle Ober was a very special person and we miss her in the community. The member for Kiama and I are now also looking at a master plan for additional parking spaces. This is a real problem at Shoalhaven hospital and we are looking forward to providing even more parking spaces as part of our collection commitment. Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama) (17:30): One of the things I enjoy doing most in this place is fighting hard with the member for South Coast for improvements in health services in our community. As the member has articulated incredibly well, we have seen upgrades to cancer facilities in partnership with the community and recently we were also able to announce funding of $1.8 million for suicide prevention programs—one of the largest grants in the State. Last Monday we were opening improvements to the emergency department. This will assist with patient flow, but there has been a 20 per cent increase in improved waiting times at that hospital. As the member for South Coast said, one of the fights that we are continuing to take up with the Minister is improved hospital car parking, and neither of us will stop until we convince the Minister to provide even more parking. We do not want to see nurses and doctors walking in the dark to get back to their cars. We will continue to come into this place and harangue the Minister until we get exactly what we need for the Shoalhaven. Indeed, I put the Minister on notice that we will not stop and that this will be an issue for us until we get it fixed. IRONWOOD MILL Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (17:31): Tonight I inform the House about a fantastic story in my electorate. It also involves the Minister for WestConnex, Mr Stuart Ayres; the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Ms Melinda Pavey; the office of the Deputy Premier and the NSW Small Business Commissioner. Ironwood Mill is located at Pampoolah via Taree, heading down towards Old Barr, in my electorate The vast majority of its work is the supply of recycled and reclaimed timber from old buildings, bridges, wharves and jetties around the State, but it also sells new timber. Its showroom and the yard where the sales are done is located in Rozelle, subject to the WestConnex project. The mill negotiated with WestConnex to vacate that site in December this year. That gave them a seven-month exit plan so they could sell their stock and move in an orderly way. Then, out of the blue, they were informed they had to move by June. There was little point continuing to produce timber when the showroom and the yard where the sales were done were to be closed by June, so on Friday week ago they put off 35 staff. I found out about it at lunchtime on that Friday when Nathan Lehane rang my office and said that the staff had been put off. My office then asked for something in writing and Keiren Webber, the mill manager, provided that information. When I got to my office, after travelling back from Sydney, I spoke to the owner, Chris Swadling, who had gone to Sydney to get some help. I then rang Minister Ayres's office and told them what was going on. They said the Minister would ring me back. I rang Minister Pavey and she also rang Minister Ayres. I rang the Deputy Premier's office and I also rang the NSW Small Business Commissioner. Ironwood had it in writing that they had until December to leave. The company was acting on that advice in writing. From my experience in the old days as a lawyer, I would say that it had an equitable lease until December because it had in writing that it could remain in the premises. It was Friday lunchtime when I found out about this situation. I made some phone calls and sent some emails and the information I obtained from the owner to the Minister responsible for WestConnex. By 5.00 p.m. the decision had been reversed. That demonstrates that businesses can Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 63

approach their local member, who will approach the Minister concerned, and action will be taken. In this case, that action saved 35 jobs and an important business in my electorate. Ironwood Mill is one of the few companies that does large-scale timber recycling. When an old bridge or an old peer in regional New South Wales is demolished, this company is willing to pay for the timber and will turn it into something special. It makes me proud to be a member of a government whose Ministers will listen and who understand that some decisions were not very good in the first place. The people of Myall Lakes, and particularly those 35 employees, could not be happier. I had the privilege of having morning tea with those employees, and they were extremely happy. The company has a great setup at Pampoolah, and it plays an important part in regional New South Wales. TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Adam Crouch): I commend the member for his private member's statement. PLASTICS POLLUTION Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (17:36): There is no doubt that we are discovering what may be the most significant environmental issue of our time. Surprisingly, I am talking about plastics in all their various forms, but most specifically microplastics and synthetic microfibres. These are having an enormous and potentially fatal impact on our aquatic environment. While our generation has been living the dream, we have been creating a nightmare for future generations, and the extent of that nightmare is only now being realised. It is said that thinking globally requires us to act locally. I am pleased to say that in my electorate of Lake Macquarie a number of groups are working to make our communities more sustainable, more aware of environmental issues, and more aware of the need to reduce resource consumption. However, turning back the tide is a long way off. There has been much debate about bans on plastic bags—an area in which this State is sadly dragging its feet—but they are only part of a much bigger problem. Plastics generally do not break down, or at least they do so very slowly. They are effectively left in our environment forever due to our inability to provide proper stewardship of our environment. Our creeks, rivers, estuaries, coasts and oceans are all affected by marine debris, with plastics the most obvious and the most deadly. These plastics are ubiquitous and are being found to kill birds; marine and terrestrial reptiles and amphibians; mammals—most notably whales; and fish. Aquatic creatures ingest those plastics and suffocate or die slowly from intestinal blockages. Of course, we are not killing only aquatic life; we are also killing ourselves. Most of us are now eating fish that almost certainly contain some level of the microplastics they have ingested. The problem is being passed up the food chain to us. We are what we eat, and we are both the source of this problem and its victim. Leading CSIRO researchers have found that half the world's turtles and two-thirds of bird species along Australia's eastern coast have ingested plastics. On current projections, about 95 per cent of all seabirds will be found with plastic inside them by the middle of this century. That is 95 per cent of all seabirds. That is incredible and it is a wake-up call we cannot ignore. As we sit here now, plastic production is doubling every decade. Global research now shows that plastic bottles and bags are only part of the problem, because we have learned that synthetic fibres in our clothes are also having a massive impact on aquatic environments—perhaps the greatest. These tiny fibres are lost from clothes, primarily when we wash them. It has been found that up to 40 per cent of these microfibres slip through our wastewater treatment plants and into local waterways. Microscopic studies of fish both at home and abroad show that these tiny threads are weaving their way into the intestinal tracts of aquatic species. These microfibres accumulate and the concentration of toxins becomes greater. They are passed higher up the food chain, essentially poisoning it along the way. At a global level, waste is now growing at double the rate of population. When it comes to waste generation per capita, Australia is ranked the fifth highest in the world. Many of the early recycling schemes were pioneered in Australia, but it appears that our early enterprise gave some people the idea that because we could recycle more we could waste more. And now we are paying a very dear price. We know there have been a number of attempts in this place to address or ban the use of plastic bags. It has been a personal quest of mine for many years—a quest that began many years ago in Bali, which I frequented at the time for surfing trips in particular. Discarded plastics were a major scourge, but I was part of an alliance that established clean-up and awareness programs designed to change attitudes. I am pleased to say that some of those involved with me at that time remain working in that space and have done great things, despite the almost overwhelming growing burden. We cannot allow this issue to remain out of sight and out of mind. If the Commonwealth is not going to show leadership on this issue, then we—the biggest State—need to step up. The Toronto Sustainable Neighbourhood Group is among 17 of its type working in the Lake Macquarie area and, under the leadership of Steve Dewar, is stepping up and advocating for a ban on single-use plastic bags. We need to help them by banning plastic bags and then working down from the tip of the iceberg into microplastics and microfibres—and we need to do it soon. The longer we wait and the longer we live the dream, the bigger the environmental crisis and the Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 64

bigger the nightmare we create for ourselves and for future generations, particularly for my grandchildren whom I am very concerned for. Some improvements have been made with a pending container deposit scheme and action on microbead plastics, but we are losing the war. I applaud the ABC production War on Waste, and in supporting that notion I call for New South Wales to declare war on plastics in our environment. Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:41): I thank the member for Lake Macquarie for that private member's statement relating to the banning of plastics, particularly plastic bags, and the effect that plastics have on the environment. I, for one, am about to start a petition. I support a restriction on plastic bags in New South Wales. Plastics are having a huge impact on our environment: our natural environment, our waterways and our open space. I have participated in Clean Up Australia Day as a volunteer for many, many years and it is great that this side of the Parliament is heading down the path of putting a market value on bottles and cans across New South Wales. That will start in the next year or two. It is vital that we have the conversation and extend that action to banning plastic bags in New South Wales. Queensland and Victoria have just announced they will ban plastic bags, and I am sure that other States will follow. LES POWELL SCHOOL Mr NICK LALICH (Cabramatta) (17:42): On 24 March I was delighted to attend Harmony Day celebrations at the Les Powell School at Mount Pritchard in my electorate of Cabramatta. Members will be aware of the fantastic job that the Les Powell School does for the local community and for disabled kids and their families in our area. The school motto, "Towards Independence", reflects its goal of giving students with diverse and complex learning needs the learning outcomes that are relevant to present and future community living. The school's website states: The central aim at Les Powell School is to provide high quality educational programs that support the individual needs of students with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities. I cannot imagine what those children must endure just to get through every day. It takes them and their families and carers a lot more effort to do all the things that people like us in this House take for granted. The most difficult thing is that most of the kids were born with disabilities or developed them at a very young age and so have not the chance to experience what the rest of us would consider to be a normal life. But the love and affection they are shown by their parents, their siblings, their grandparents and other family members is truly touching. When these children achieve something, the beaming pride, smiles and tears of joy from their loving family members would light up the darkest room. Spare a thought also for the parents who look after these wonderful children. Being a parent is hard enough, but the job these parents do certainly deserves acknowledgement. The parents are ably supported by the school community at the Les Powell School. Led by principal Sargon Makko, the children are supported by three assistant principals, 12 teachers and 20 administration support staff. These wonderful individuals are worth every cent. One only has to visit the school to see the love and care that brings the halls to life. The classrooms are vibrant, the children are active and excited, and all the adults beam with absolute pride. Harmony Day celebrations, as always, were jubilant, with almost 20 different nationalities represented at the school. Les Powell School also uses interactive techniques to assist the students to achieve their learning outcomes. Amongst these is music therapy, which has the added benefit of helping their health and wellbeing, swimming pool sessions, taking part in activities such as School Spectacular, Riverside Theatre, positive behavioural learning techniques and many more. The school even has a liberty swing, which can safely carry a student in a wheelchair and give them the wonderful experience of moving through the air without being pushed. Spare a thought for the fact that many of these children have never had the chance to experience the joys of being pushed on a swing by their parents due to their medical condition. Unfortunately, this echoes many other experiences that they sadly never get a chance to have. I am proud of the work that the Les Powell School and all involved do to support these youngsters, and of course, I am proud of the children themselves. They show amazing strength, patience and courage to be able to get through each day. They truly are heroes and I wish every one of them a bright future and a healthy life. I always say that Harmony Day for us in the Cabramatta electorate is every day. Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (16:47): I acknowledge the member for Cabramatta and the great work that he does in his electorate, in particular with the Les Powell School and, of course, I note the great work of the liberty swings, which are in fact built in Peakhurst in my electorate. I know Robert Devine and his father, who for many years have been building liberty swings, not just for my community and throughout Sydney but overseas, in Canada and America as well. They provide an opportunity particularly for children in wheelchairs to play outside on swings and to entertain themselves. As the local member said, Les Powell School does an outstanding job in that community and has done so for many years. I acknowledge the great work of the chief executive officer of the school and the school's P&C. Thursday, 25 May 2017 Legislative Assembly Page 65

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Adam Crouch): I also want to acknowledge the member for Lake Macquarie for his earlier contribution. As a local member, I take part in some of the rubbish and clean-up days and we have an organisation called Clean For Shores on the Central Coast. They extract more than 40 tonnes of waste from our waterways annually, most of that being plastic, so I share the same concerns that the member for Lake Macquarie does, as does the member for Oatley and many others in this House. The House adjourned, pursuant to standing and sessional orders, at 17:48 until Tuesday 30 May 2017 at 12:00.