13 Dec 2001 Legislative Assembly 4587

THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2001

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

PETITION Queensland Rail, Use of Facilities Ms Struthers from 431 petitioners, requesting the House to appoint a Select Committee of the Parliament to inquire into (a) all aspects of the Queensland Competition Authority's seeking to allow access by private entities to Queensland Rail infrastructure and facilities and (b) the structure and operations of the Queensland Competition Authority.

PAPER MINISTERIAL PAPER The following ministerial paper was tabled— Minister for Education (Ms Bligh)— Department of Education— Annual Report 2000Ð2001 Explanation for late tabling of Annual Report 2000Ð2001.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Queensland Footy Together Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.32 a.m.), by leave: A unique new fundraising initiative will bring together the power of three football codes to provide a helping hand to Queenslanders in need. Queensland Footy Together is a joint project of the Brisbane Broncos, the Brisbane Lions and the Queensland Reds. A little later today in the red chamber I will join the Deputy Premier and Minister for Sport, Terry Mackenroth, coaches Leigh Matthews, Wayne Bennett and Mark McBain as well as captains Gorden Tallis, Michael Voss and Daniel Herbert for the launch. For probably the first time in Queensland sporting history the elite football teams of Brisbane have put aside any perceived rivalry to combine forces in an effort to give something back to the community that supports them. While each of these teams is already well known for their work with charity groups, this particular initiative is unique because it is designed to use the collective power of their different codes to help raise money for those in need. It is hoped that each year in the pre-season a function will be held which gives our corporate community the opportunity to mix with players from the different clubs while at the same time lending their support to worthwhile charities. The inaugural fundraiser will be a 'salute to Queensland football' luncheon to be held next year at the Sheraton Hotel on 7 March. Attendees at this event will be able to meet their favourite players and learn some of the secrets that make our home-grown teams so successful on and off the field. I encourage the business community to support Queensland Footy Together as it is an excellent fundraising initiative with the potential to help many Queenslanders. I thank the codes, coaches and players for their commitment to this initiative.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Visit to New Zealand by Premier and Tourism Minister Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.33 a.m.), by leave: Next week the Tourism Minister, Merri Rose, and I will be visiting New Zealand to promote Queensland's tourism industry. During our two day visit I will have talks with the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, and a number of her government's key trade and industry ministers. I am looking forward to meeting Dr Clark again. I appreciate her personal initiative in arranging for our trip to take place at this time and am confident it will benefit New Zealand and, of course, Queensland. 4588 Ministerial Statement 13 Dec 2001

While the main focus of the visit will be on tourism and biotechnology opportunities, we will also canvass general trade issues. Ms Rose and I will leave Brisbane at midnight on Monday after the major cabinet reception here at Parliament House and fly directly to Wellington, arriving on Tuesday morning, 18 December. Our talks with Dr Clark and her government ministers will be held in Wellington on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning we travel to Brisbane's sister city of Auckland for direct talks with representatives of the New Zealand tourism and travel industry. New Zealand is one of Australia's key international markets for tourism. My visit will be supported by a small advertising campaign worth about $15,000—this has not been finalised yet—with advertisements placed in the Dominion newspaper in Wellington and the New Zealand Herald in Auckland. More than 265,000 New Zealanders holidayed in Queensland last financial year. That represents about 13 per cent of our international tourism market—second only to Japan in total numbers. The Queensland government is totally focused on continuing to build long-term, sustainable partnerships with the New Zealand travel industry. During the past six months we have seen a reduction in air capacity across the Tasman following the collapse of Ansett and both Qantas and Air New Zealand significantly reducing capacity. We hope that is only temporary. Encouragingly, Freedom Air has increased its operations to south-east Queensland, with the Department of State Development and the minister, Tom Barton, providing some assistance to get Freedom Air flights into the Gold Coast. Also encouraging is the news this week that Qantas is basing its new international low-cost carrier, Australian Airlines, in Cairns, although there are no flights scheduled to New Zealand at this stage. Queensland has a long and close association with New Zealand. Over the years many New Zealanders have chosen to make Queensland their home. So there are close family ties that link us together. We share a common interest in sport, particularly cricket and the Rugby codes. I will be joined by Stuart Booker, the Deputy Director-General of State Development, and tourism leaders will also be joining us.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Reef Protection Plan Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.36 a.m.), by leave: During the February state election this year I made a commitment to establish a Reef Task Force to provide a Reef Protection Plan. I am pleased to advise the House that the Reef Task Force has been working diligently for some months now and will next week present the government with its first report, which will lay the framework for further work in this important area. The principal target of the task force and the plan is the problem of run-off from the mainland and potential impacts on our reef systems. This problem has been the subject of heated debate over recent years with differing views often expressed. The deliberations of the task force have been no different. Opposing scientific views have been tabled: producer groups have found themselves pitted against each other, water quality targets have been presented and disputed, and the environment movement has welcomed the opportunity to showcase its concerns. Unfortunately, even after months of debate, a considerable divergence of opinion still exists, and this concerns me greatly and I draw it to the attention of the House. It concerns me because a similar development occurred with the tree clearing issue. As honourable members well remember, we tried a similar approach to gain consensus on that issue. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful and the quite moderate legislation we introduced at the time had to be amended. But the issue failed to go away. The environment movement took their battle federally and managed to trigger the Howard government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act—something that I warned about. The end result is that Queensland's rural land-holders, particularly in western grassland and brigalow areas, find themselves having to apply to both the state and federal governments for permits to clear—something that would not have been necessary if our legislation had been supported initially. My office has had several approaches from rural representatives lamenting this outcome and wishing they had supported our original legislation. I do not want to see this happen again. Neither industry nor the Queensland economy needs such disruption. My appeal today—and I do this deliberately—is to those industry groups that see the Reef Protection Plan as a danger to take a broader view and appreciate that with the Democrats and the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate the potential is there for the Howard government to again trade off major commitments like the full sale of Telstra for green returns. Or 13 Dec 2001 Ministerial Statement 4589 worse still, they could find themselves in a Federal Court defending their industry against a charge of threatening the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Based on the recent Wet Tropics decision, which ruled in favour of flying foxes, the potential exists for this act to again hold sway. Such an outcome is not in the best interests of Queensland or Queenslanders. I simply ask for some commonsense and a reasonable approach from all parties. This is simple. I urge a cooperative attitude from all participants to avoid such a scenario. I can assure all stakeholders that no one party is being targeted by this task force. Rather, this is a plea to put an end to this long-running saga of pollution claims and counterclaims that are damaging to Queensland and its enterprises. By working together in a cooperative manner, the pain of the courts or sell-outs from federal political parties can be avoided. Make no mistake, I warned about this in relation to tree clearing and what I warned about came true. I do not want the same thing to happen here.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Queensland Ambulance Service Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.39 a.m.), by leave: In December 1990, the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry into Ambulance Services tabled their first report in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. The major recommendation of that report was for the formation of a state-wide ambulance service to be known as the Queensland Ambulance Service. This organisation was created on 1 July 1991, drawing together 96 ambulance services around the state into a single entity. On the 10th anniversary of that event, we can now report back to the people of Queensland on how the Queensland Ambulance Service has developed and improved. Testimony to the quality of those services lies in these facts: an extraordinarily high level of satisfaction by patients—97.3 per cent; improved survival amongst critically ill patients; and formal recognition, including an Australian Quality Award. In effect, this is a report card on the recommendations of the parliamentary select committee and the subsequent action by government and the service in implementing those recommendations. Personally, I give the Queensland Ambulance Service an A plus. I will take members through some of the reasons why. The parliamentary select committee recommended the extension of the use of defibrillation. Defibrillators are now available on all ambulance vehicles. Early defibrillation is proven to save lives. This, combined with improved response times and access to definitive advanced life support, has doubled the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Queensland in the past five years. The service provides emergency ambulance services from 252 emergency response locations throughout Queensland. The number of response locations has increased by 37 since 1991 through the construction of new stations, the taking over of Queensland Health ambulance services, and the location of ambulance crews at health or emergency service locations. In the financial year 2000-01 the service responded to over 470,000 cases. Response times within the service are comparable to the best available in the world. The Queensland Ambulance Service reaches more than 68 per cent of all category 1 cases within 10 minutes. The service has embarked on a program of improving and modernising communication centres and the technical infrastructure that supports them. My government has done its part by providing $15 million over five years for improved ambulance communications, including computer aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location systems. Communication centres, operating the latest world-class systems, are now in 10 centres across the state. In 1996, the intensive care paramedic program was introduced and 137 officers have now completed the program. In 1998, the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Emergency Health Services) was launched in conjunction with the Queensland University of Technology. The parliamentary select committee recommended that the service form community liaison committees with the role of advising the officer in charge at their local station about their communities' needs and to raise and manage funds on behalf of the local community. There are currently 176 liaison committees involving over 1,000 people across Queensland. I congratulate the men and women of those committees around Queensland for their magnificent contribution. The Queensland Ambulance Service provides a baby capsule hire service across Queensland and has fitted about 50,000 baby capsules and 8,000 child restraints around the state over the past decade. I ask members to think about how many young lives have been 4590 Ministerial Statement 13 Dec 2001 preserved and how the severity of many injuries has been reduced by this great initiative. A number of service education campaigns have raised awareness on safety issues, and no doubt saved lives and prevented injury around the state. These include Farmsafe, Older and Wiser, One Step Ahead, Drug Awareness, Needle Safe, Adopt an Ambo, and the Triple Zero Awareness programs. The service maintains a fleet of 927 vehicles. It has undertaken an extensive program of modernisation and standardisation of this fleet over the past 10 years. My government has done its part towards this with funding of it since 1999. My government has honoured its election commitment to put Emergency Services on a solid financial footing by increasing budget funding for the Queensland Ambulance Service from $158 million in 1997-98 to $237 million in 2001-02. That is one and a half times what coalition governments have provided. I congratulate Mike Reynolds, the Minister for Emergency Services, on continuing to pursue the improvements to our ambulance service which began 10 years ago. I have great confidence that, under the expert guidance of the Department of Emergency Services executive management team and the Commissioner of the Queensland Ambulance Service, Dr Gerry FitzGerald, the service will continue to improve and flourish and to provide a service that is second to none to the Queensland community. I table a copy of that 10-year review for the information of the House. It is titled Queensland Ambulance Service. The minister and I will be formally launching it later today.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Gifted and Talented Students Hon. A. M. BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Minister for Education) (9.44 a.m.), by leave: The state government has a longstanding commitment to providing for the needs of gifted and talented students. Earlier this year, the previous minister commissioned a review by an independent consultant, Mr Ken Imison, in order to provide advice and directions for the education of gifted and talented students in Queensland. I have considered the recommendations and am pleased to announce an initial response to these recommendations. Firstly, Mr Imison's primary recommendation that gifted education must be established as core business in schools is endorsed. This government recognises that, to create a Smart State, the curricula needs to provide challenges to all students and the potential of gifted and talented students needs to be recognised. This is a core message of QSE 2010. Secondly, the recommendation that a review of Education Queensland's policy on gifted education be undertaken will be implemented to ensure that the gifts and talents of our students are nurtured and developed, giving them the foundation that they need to enter further education, training and employment. An eminent academic, Professor Peter Freebody, will lead the review. Professor Freebody is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and Director of the Centre for Literacy and Language Education Research at Griffith University. Professor Freebody will be supported by a team with academic qualifications in gifted education as well as vast practical experience, such as Dr Jim Watters from QUT, who is also a member of the Gifted and Talented Association. Consultation will occur with a wide range of community and education groups and schools in this policy review. Thirdly, the recommendation that new focus schools or, as they are now known, learning and development centres for the gifted and talented, be gradually established will occur. This will start with the funding of one new centre in an area of the state which is not currently serviced by one of the existing seven centres. In addition, I am pleased to advise that the current seven learning and development centres for the gifted and talented will continue to operate at Caloundra State High School, Denison State School, Eagle Junction State School, Mackay North State High School, Nambour State School, Robertson State School and Townsville State High School. I reaffirm the government's commitment to these learning and development centres, which act as hubs for a network of schools providing valuable ongoing support. I commend the staff of these centres for their commitment to the education of gifted and talented students. The state government is committed to a funding program for these learning and development centres for the next three years providing certainty and continuity, allowing for a plan which will encompass a broader network of schools. 13 Dec 2001 Ministerial Statement 4591

Finally, in response to the recommendation that these centres are better resourced, each of the eight centres will have a full-time coordinator and current operational annual funding will almost double to $20,000. This, together with the broadening network of schools working with the established learning and development centres, will ensure a more equitable spread of resources and support for gifted education across the state. Other recommendations of the report will be responded to more fully in the context of Professor Freebody's policy review. Education Queensland also has a range of other programs which recognise, celebrate and extend students in particular areas of excellence. These include the Musically Outstanding Students Program, the Minister's Awards for Art, the Information and Communication Technology Program to provide extension in the area of information technology for senior students, the T. J. Ryan Awards for students who excel in academic performance and leadership and, more recently, involvement in the trialling of the World Class Testing Program. It is a coup for Queensland to be involved in the World Class Test trial. Smart State teachers will benefit from communicating with colleagues who work with high achievers around the world. This year the Beattie government also established eight centres for excellence in technology, maths and science as part of our election platform. These centres aim to provide extension for students who demonstrate high ability in one or more of these areas. I would like to thank Mr Imison for his work on this report, which will be available today on the Education Queensland web site. I look forward to meeting with Mr Imison in the new year to discuss his report further. I have this week written to key educational groups to inform them of my continued support for the education of gifted and talented students and the directions Education Queensland will take in 2002 in this important area.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT TAFE Queensland Hon. M. J. FOLEY (Yeerongpilly—ALP) (Minister for Employment, Training and Youth and Minister for the Arts) (9.49 a.m.), by leave: If we are to leave a legacy of a Smart State, we must invest in education and training. For this reason, the Beattie government has invested substantially in training, particularly in TAFE. Because we believe in TAFE as a major instrument of government policy, we want to ensure that it remains resilient to meet the demands of a changing economy. The Beattie government is delivering on a 1998 election commitment that TAFE would be returned to a strong, financially viable public provider and that there would be an increase in the level of devolution to TAFE institutes. There is also a need to ensure that we are providing relevant skills in a rapidly changing world. This means providing adequate funds, which is why we have boosted TAFE funding by six per cent to a record $538.8 million in this year's budget. On the other hand, it means we have to face up to real problems in the management of certain TAFE institute deficits. These short-term difficulties have arisen because of a deficit of $16.9 million recorded in 2000-01. I am pleased to be able to report that TAFE Queensland has accepted the challenge of achieving a balanced budget by 30 June 2002. Figures for the first four months of the current financial year show TAFE Queensland is well on track towards achieving that goal. More importantly, as at the end of October there has been an increase in government-funded training delivered by TAFE Queensland of around five per cent compared with figures for the past three years and despite a reduction in full-time equivalent staff of 1.25 per cent. I would like to congratulate institutes and their community councils that have contributed to the improved budgetary position and delivered more training to meet industry and community need. As I have told the House previously, any staff reductions will be made without affecting the overall vocational education and training output. Only genuinely surplus casual, temporary and permanent positions will be affected and relevant unions have been carefully consulted. There will be no forced redundancies. As at 30 November this year, the average number of full-time equivalent staff across TAFE was 6,385, compared with 6,465 last year, yet training output has increased. At the same time, modest jobs growth in TAFE is anticipated within the current term of the government. We are asking institutes to maximise the use of their existing staff and to carefully look at their staffing mix to improve productivity. To help reinvigorate TAFE Queensland, I have recently appointed a new board to provide me with strategic advice on the direction of Queensland's primary provider of quality training and 4592 Ministerial Statement 13 Dec 2001 skills. TAFE institutes, like any other holders of the public purse, must ensure that public money is spent in line with the purposes for which it was appropriated by the parliament. The good news is that the money is now being utilised for that purpose. There is no longer a need to prop up certain TAFE institute deficits. We are well aware that we are not going to achieve a Smart State without facing up to some hard issues and hard decisions—and that is exactly what we are doing. We need to do this in order to provide skills in fast developing new industries like light metals; to ensure that young Queenslanders are equipped to enter a smart work force; to assist young people on the crucial journey from school to work; and to tackle tough areas of employment disadvantage like Cape York. TAFE Queensland is meeting the challenge of providing relevant skills in a changing world. This is reflected in the record interest in information technology courses being offered by the 16 TAFE institutes around the state and in TAFE's export success to countries like China. TAFE is using innovative relationships with the community, industry and other education providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for the Queensland community.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Magnetic Resonance Imaging Hon. W. M. EDMOND (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Premier on Women's Policy) (9.52 a.m.), by leave: Queensland is leading the way in Australia with our medical imaging technology. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of officially launching the first MRI system commissioned as part of the Beattie government's commitment to improved patient care and research. The $1.6 million machine is the first of three state-of-the-art Siemens systems to be installed across Brisbane. It is part of a $10 million project between Queensland Health, the University of Queensland's Centre for Magnetic Resonance and the Wesley Hospital. The new Siemens 1.5 Tesla Sonata will be used by more than 3,000 of our patients every year and will also be used for life-saving research. It is the second MRI unit at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a safe, non-invasive, analytical and diagnostic tool used across a wide range of industries and application areas. Its major use will be for advanced studies of dementia, stroke, heart disease and Parkinson's disease, and it is expected to provide clinicians with the most advanced images of neurological and cardiac conditions. These multi- million dollar instruments are expected to lead to major advances in studies on senile dementia, stroke, heart disease and Parkinson's disease. These machines will also have a major impact on our research and understanding of debilitating conditions resulting in improved treatment and cure. There has already been major advances using magnetic resonance, including the world's first images last year following the progress of Alzheimer's disease, using 3D images produced with the aid of a super computer. These images will assist in the early diagnosis and better treatment of our patients. It is a credit to Queensland that this technology has been developed at a local level supporting our claim to be the Smart State. Queensland's free public hospital system is the envy of other states. Not only do we have a great public health system, we also possess leading edge technology in our hospitals for treatment, diagnosis and research.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Electoral Reforms Hon. R. J. WELFORD (Everton—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice) (9.54 a.m.), by leave: I am taking the opportunity today to set out our government's comprehensive plan for reform of our electoral laws. On 21 January this year, the Premier made the historic Barcaldine Statement, so named after the birthplace of Australia's oldest democratic political party, the Australian Labor Party. That statement committed the Beattie government to a range of reforms to deal with electoral fraud, with the aim of restoring public faith in the electoral process. Work on this package of reform measures is well advanced and the reforms will make Queensland's electoral laws the toughest and most democratic in Australia. The plan outlined by the Premier in his Barcaldine Statement includes measures to require registered political parties to have a community based membership with the right to control their parties through proper democratic processes overseen by the Electoral Commission; prohibit electoral rorters running for political office and being members of political parties; deter abuse of 13 Dec 2001 Ministerial Statement 4593 the pre-selection process by introducing oversight of pre-selection ballots by the Electoral Commission; restrict voting in pre-selections to eligible electors; introduce new public disclosure requirements for parties and candidates in relation to preference arrangements and loans and gifts; prohibit registered political parties that do not comply with these new requirements from receiving public funding; introduce measures to improve voter participation; give the Electoral Commission responsibility to oversee the integrity of the electoral roll; clean up the special postal voter system; and make penalties for electoral offences under the Electoral Act and the Criminal Code the toughest in Australia. Since these commitments were made, two inquiries into electoral fraud have finalised their reports. The Shepherdson Inquiry: an investigation into electoral fraud was tabled in this parliament on 1 May 2001. The Commonwealth Joint Standing Committee report on electoral matters, entitled Report into the integrity of the electoral roll, was tabled in the federal parliament on 18 June 2001. Those reports further highlighted the need for reforms to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system in the way foreshadowed by our government. In October this year, the honourable member for Southern Downs introduced into this House a private member's bill titled Electoral (Fraudulent Actions) Amendment Bill 2001. On 28 November 2001, on my motion, that bill was referred to the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee for its consideration and report. The committee is required to report back to the House before 31 March next year. The findings and recommendations of those reports are being taken into account in finalising a package of reforms to keep Queensland in the forefront of democratic government. I am pleased to advise the House that the drafting of the legislation is well under way. I am aiming to introduce the bill as soon as possible after the parliamentary committee reports on the private member's bill. This will ensure the new arrangements are put in place and given full effect by the Electoral Commission of Queensland well before the next state election. Members, political parties and prospective candidates will be well aware of the new rules before nominating for future state elections. The key outcomes of our government's electoral reform package will be raising public awareness about the electoral process; encouraging groups with traditionally low participation rates, such as young people, to enrol; cleansing the electoral roll of inaccurate enrolments; strengthening its integrity by updating electoral information with data held by Queensland government agencies; and putting an end to electoral fraud. The people of Queensland expect honesty and integrity from our electoral system and their politicians. Our government has been single-minded in its determination to restore public confidence in our elected government and the electoral system. The electoral reform package I have outlined today will deliver on our commitment made to the people of Queensland in Barcaldine. It will ensure Queensland's electoral laws underpin the strongest democracy in Australia.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT South-East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy Hon. D. M. WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (Minister for Environment) (9.59 a.m.), by leave: This week, I joined Brisbane Lord Mayor Councillor Jim Soorley and Ipswich Mayor Councillor John Nugent to launch the South-East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy. This strategy provides a long-term plan to restore the ecological health of south-east Queensland waterways and catchments, including Moreton Bay, by the year 2020. The strategy has been produced by the Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership on behalf of local councils, state agencies, industry and community stakeholders. The state of the waterways and Moreton Bay reflects the legacy of 150 years of degrading. Our commitment is to arrest the decline in waterway values and to improve the health of the waterways and Moreton Bay. This strategy will not only protect the environmental values of the region's waterways but also help secure the thousands of jobs that depend on them. Our waterways are of paramount importance in three major ways—as significant environmental, economic and recreational resources. This strategy will achieve the sustainable use of our invaluable waterways by addressing these three dimensions and thereby achieving a triple bottom line outcome. 4594 Ministerial Statement 13 Dec 2001

The key to addressing the management of the region's waterways is through the combined efforts of community, industry and government. The strategy provides a framework for a collaborative approach to protecting our precious natural resources. The state government has joined forces with local councils, industry groups and community representatives to form the Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership. It involves nine state agencies, 19 local councils, six industry groups and 15 community organisations. The partnership is responsible for implementing the strategy and managing the issues facing our waterways. The partnership will undertake an ongoing program to evaluate the health of our waterways, using scientific research to identify the problems they face. It will continue to develop solutions for improving waterway health through scientific reforms, including those outlined in the strategy. The South-East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy is a major component of the Healthy Waterways Program. The program is designed to achieve ecologically sustainable use of our waterways, including Moreton Bay, by protecting and enhancing their quality while maintaining economic and social development. The strategy is vital to the future of south-east Queensland's waterways. It contains a set of agreed targets and management actions to improve waterway health, with a particular focus on riparian and stormwater management and sewage treatment plant upgrades. We cannot achieve everything overnight, but by working together over the coming years we can improve the health of our waterways in south-east Queensland.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Rockhampton Research House Hon. R. E. SCHWARTEN (Rockhampton—ALP) (Minister for Public Works and Minister for Housing) (10.02 a.m.), by leave: Tomorrow marks a landmark in the state's housing industry with the opening in Rockhampton of the state government's new Research House. The four-bedroom family home has been designed and developed by the Department of Housing and the Department of Public Works as part of the government's Smart Housing initiative. Last year, I initiated the $250,000 construction and two-year research project to provide a testbed for smarter, more energy efficient housing design and construction methods. The Smart Housing concept promotes affordable, energy efficient and cost efficient housing. One of its key principles is to incorporate at the design and construction stage features which may be required as the needs of tenants change. Making hallways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or installing panelling behind bathroom walls allowing grab rails to be fitted later are just two such simple initiatives. These lead to savings in the long term and avoid the need for expensive renovations or retrofitting. Safety and security are key components of Smart Housing by the adoption of crime prevention through environmental design. Simple design features—such as adequate sightlines and external lighting, as well as designing out hiding places for intruders—will make the house and its occupants safer. The Rockhampton Research House reduces energy costs and improves living comfort through a design that pays attention to site orientation, ventilation, insulation, overhangs and shading. Some of the other environmental principles used in the development have included minimising construction waste, maximising renewable energy, maximising water conservation, and maximising natural ventilation. The Rockhampton project has already attracted strong support from the state and national building industry and its web site has ensured international interest as well. The tenants will play an important part in the ongoing research and monitoring project. The project will measure greenhouse gas savings through the house's design, construction materials and day-to-day use by tenants. The Central Queensland University will conduct tests, data collection and analysis of temperatures, water and energy consumption as well as occupant comfort over a two-year period. This data will be available to other researchers and the wider industry via the web sites of the Department of Housing, the Department of Public Works and Central Queensland University. This data is very new and I am told that the project team is not aware of any similar studies over a prolonged period in an occupied house. The adjacent Rockhampton State High School is also keen to have its students become involved in the project. The Research House is an exciting Smart Housing project that will pay dividends for this Smart State. After tomorrow's opening, the house will be open for public display until late April 13 Dec 2001 Ministerial Statement 4595 before being tenanted by the Department of Housing. During that time I am sure it will spark greater interest in Smart Housing by builders and home buyers alike.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Indigenous Families, Protection Against Violence Hon. J. C. SPENCE (Mount Gravatt—ALP) (Minister for Families and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Minister for Disability Services) (10.05 a.m.), by leave: It is no secret that in the past three years indigenous family violence prevention has become a key priority for this government. In fact, no Queensland government has been more determined to take action on this issue. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Task Force on Violence report, media articles, identities like Noel Pearson, countless conversations with indigenous community members, and now the Cape York Justice Study have sharpened our focus on this issue. Again and again we are hearing, and acknowledging, that generations will be wasted unless we halt the rampant alcohol abuse in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Any suggestions that we have ignored the recommendations of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Task Force on Violence are mischievous. We will continue to implement recommendations from the women and to act in the spirit of their report. Some women on that task force placed their own safety on the line in order to present government with an honest picture of life in their communities. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board is overseeing the government's response to the report. Last month the board hosted a forum in Townsville as part of the response to the report. The key purpose of the forum, attended by about 100 people, was to discuss the terms of a family violence prevention agreement. The agreement would be along the lines of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Agreement, which set the goal of halving indigenous incarceration rates by 2011. The forum was productive, and I am heartened by the board's commitment to continue working with the government, and to deliver a Family Violence Prevention Agreement by mid- 2002. I envisage that the agreement, along with the Cape York Justice Study, will give us concrete goals and a framework for making indigenous communities safer and more harmonious places for all citizens, women and especially children. It will help us build on the work of the past three years, which includes more than doubling specific funding for indigenous family violence prevention; increasing Department of Families' support for indigenous women and children escaping domestic violence to almost one-third of the total budget for women and children fleeing violence; awarding 100 per cent of our Domestic Violence Prevention Week awards funding to indigenous organisations this year; earmarking $2.25 million over the next three years for healing centres in indigenous communities; completing three shelters in remote communities—Lockhart River on Cape York, Thursday Island in Torres Strait and Palm Island near Townsville—bringing a shelter at Napranum close to completion and starting work on a shelter at Doomadgee, while plans are on the drawing board for seven other communities; employing five indigenous licensing officers throughout the state, clamping down on sly grog; and developing community-driven alcohol management plans. We have been working hard, but we have not yet done enough. Justice Fitzgerald's Cape York Justice Study has built on the endeavours that have gone before. His recommendations knit with many recommendations from the indigenous women. Justice Fitzgerald has reinforced the message to government that radical action in this sensitive area is not only permissible, it is necessary. This government is determined to use the recommendations of both valuable studies to take that action.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Dairy Industry Hon. H. PALASZCZUK (Inala—ALP) (Minister for Primary Industries and Rural Communities) (10.08 a.m.), by leave: The national dairy industry deregulation of almost 18 months ago has had a severe impact on the milk sector, particularly in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. As I reported to the House yesterday, the Department of Primary Industries is forecasting a slight improvement in the gross value of milk production in Queensland over the 4596 Ministerial Statement 13 Dec 2001 course of this financial year. That forecast improvement is slight at approximately two per cent, but it is very significant. It marks a turning point in the outlook for the dairy sector. The Queensland government maintained a very strong stand on national deregulation. The Queensland government would not have deregulated unless each and every Australian jurisdiction had done the same. In a federation, Queensland could not stand alone. So the Queensland government has been keen to ensure that dairy farmers and dairy dependent communities received proper assistance in the wake of the federal government's national dairy deregulation plan. As minister I took up the Queensland government's argument for regional dairy community assistance, which became the $45 million Dairy Regional Assistance Program. As minister I used interim findings of the Dairy Deregulation Support Advisory Group to argue for additional dairy assistance at the meeting of Agriculture Ministers earlier this year. We were successful in securing an additional $159 million in assistance measures for the dairy industry, which included $119 million in basic market milk payments to dairy farmers who were heavily dependent on market milk production and $20 million for an expansion of DRAP. However, some remaining issues require further attention. I have continued to raise the need for the federal government to reform the operation of the dairy exit program and DRAP. These are issues that the Howard government must consider. I have indicated that I will continue to pursue these matters with federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss in the interests of Queensland producers. As minister I will continue to work with industry. The government has addressed or is in the process of addressing the recommendations of the Dairy Deregulation Support Advisory Group report. I can announce today that the Department of Primary Industries, in association with the dairy industry, will be establishing a Queensland Dairy Futuring Committee. This committee will facilitate the development of leadership, direction and advice for the dairy industry. The dairy industry is turning the corner after the severe impacts of the national dairy deregulation. The Queensland government is committed to work with industry to ensure it is well positioned for future development. I table for the benefit of all honourable members the report of the Dairy Deregulation Support Advisory Group on the deregulation of the Queensland dairy industry.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Racing Industry Hon. M. ROSE (Currumbin—ALP) (Minister for Tourism and Racing and Minister for Fair Trading) (10.12 a.m.): Last week I put through the parliament changes to the Queensland racing industry, which was struggling under the weight of an outdated system managed in an unprofessional and unethical manner and hampered by parochialism, vested interests and the old boys mentality. I was determined to give our racing industry a future, and that meant change. The changes, which were demanded by the industry, will bring stability, fairness, professionalism and transparency— Mr Hobbs interjected. Mrs ROSE: I note that the member for Warrego is yelling out and interrupting. He is obviously attention seeking. I can assure him that in about two minutes I am going to give him some attention. The changes, which were demanded by the industry, will bring stability, fairness, professionalism and transparency, remove conflicts of interests and ensure appointment on merit rather than nepotism. There are those, though, who will stoop to any level to stop that change—those people who put themselves in self-appointed positions of control and power and they now see that power and control slipping away. They want racing to be the sport of kings, to remain their exclusive domain, and to exclude all but their own network of cronies. They seek to cling to the past, even if it means dooming Queensland racing. They have tried every dirty trick in the book—from secret meetings to rumour mongering— Mr Hobbs interjected. Mrs ROSE: The member for Warrego is still yelling out. If he just waits a minute he will get it. They have tried every trick in the book from secret meetings to rumour mongering, to the circulation of patently inaccurate information, forgery and scandalous and highly defamatory 13 Dec 2001 Ministerial Statement 4597 material about me. They have been aided and abetted by members in this House. These same people have not been able to criticise my reform plan, so they attack me personally. I have this message for the cowards who hide behind respectability: I will not be diverted or stopped from making the reforms the Queensland racing industry so desperately needs. They know that my plan to have the industry run by an independent board in the lead-up to the formation of an industry company to run thoroughbred racing dissolves their own power base. The very people who have been controlling the racing industry and politicising the QPC to the detriment of the industry are trying to exert their influence in other ways. The only sensible thing the member for Warrego has done is support my bill—the opposition supported my bill—bringing about the changes to the racing industry. Mr Hobbs interjected. Mrs ROSE: The opposition supported an Interim Thoroughbred Racing Board. The record shows it supported it. However, the member for Warrego is still operating in the Russ Hinze era, when Racing Ministers controlled every decision and bought favours and influence from the very old boys network that is now criticising my plan for an open, accountable and modern racing industry. The member for Warrego has shown time and time again his lack of knowledge and ignorance of how the Queensland racing industry is run. I will not be swayed from implementing the reforms and will not allow the process to be derailed. I have established the Interim Thoroughbred Racing Board to stabilise the industry until the independent Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board is in place. The interim board will provide a solid foundation for the QTRB to take over control body functions next year. I will give Queensland racing a future.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Ambulance Service Subscriptions Hon. M. F. REYNOLDS (Townsville—ALP) (Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland) (10.16 a.m.), by leave: This morning I am pleased to announce that Queenslanders are embracing the flexible subscription payment options introduced by the Queensland Ambulance Service in October. Following competition from health funds, the Queensland Ambulance Service has been very active in making it easier for Queenslanders to subscribe. Subscribers can now purchase ambulance subscriptions through half-yearly, quarterly and monthly payments, making it much more affordable for those on low incomes and others who are feeling the pinch as Christmas approaches. Of the people who have taken up the part-payment option, 56 per cent have been new subscribers or subscribers who had lapsed previously until the availability of this new payment option. With more than 2,300 people taking up part-payment options since they were released on 1 October, I can say that the Queensland Ambulance Service has hit the mark. And with the increasing pace of modern society, many people are embracing the convenience and indeed the security of an enduring direct debit system of payment. For just $8.70 per month for families and just $5.70 for singles, people can be sure that their ambulance subscription is always current. Payments can be made direct from a bank account or a credit card. At this time of the year when all of us are trying to fit a little extra into our busy schedules, I encourage all Queenslanders to ensure that they and their families are covered by a Queensland ambulance subscription. Your Queensland ambulance subscription provides you with the peace of mind that you are fully covered in the unfortunate event that you or a family member may need paramedic assistance. This is all the more relevant as we enter the holiday season, with many more people using the roads and venturing to unfamiliar locations. Joining the scheme also contributes directly to managing this essential service for all Queenslanders in need. Queensland ambulance subscription is an essential investment for families and singles alike, and these new flexible payment options are making it more convenient and affordable for all in the lead-up to Christmas. It is especially helping young people's access to ambulance cover, with more than 650 people aged 25 years or less having subscribed through the part-payment option in just over two months. And another encouraging trend is developing, where more than 600 lapsed subscribers have renewed their subscription using these part- payments. Anyone wanting more information on the new Queensland ambulance part-payment options can call the QAS customer contact centre subscription hotline on 1300 369 003 or contact their 4598 Public Accounts Committee 13 Dec 2001 local ambulance customer service office or Australia Post outlet. I urge all Queenslanders who are not currently covered by this excellent scheme to take another look.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Young People at Work Service Hon. G. R. NUTTALL (Sandgate—ALP) (Minister for Industrial Relations) (10.19 a.m.), by leave: In this government's constant drive to generate jobs in Queensland, it is critical that we provide our young people with every assistance possible to find a job and build a career. We made a commitment during the election campaign to develop an advisory service for young people who needed advice, information and assistance about being a part of the work force. I am pleased to announce that a successful tenderer has now been chosen and the service will start in the next couple of months. Young Queensland workers will now have a service to help them understand their rights, and equally their responsibilities, in the workplace. My department already provides information services about such issues as awards, agreements and the state's industrial relations legislation, but this new service will go beyond that to focus on the broader employment issues as they specifically affect young people. The workplace and our industrial relations laws have changed considerably since I and most honourable members in this House started our first jobs. Today's young workers for the first time will have a service to help them with questions about wages and conditions; laws relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination and sexual harassment; and workplace bullying. Young People at Work is all about keeping pace with Queensland's changing work force. It is about working closely with industry groups, schools, unions and government agencies to help better educate young people so that they are better prepared for life in the workplace. Many of these young people will be looking for a quick answer to a complex question. Some might simply need a sympathetic ear, but some might need to be referred to specialist representatives or need representation at a tribunal. What is important is that all young workers in Queensland will have that advice available to them as easily as picking up the phone or accessing the Internet. My Department of Industrial Relations will provide $300,000 a year for this service, with extra funding and resources available for specific education projects that may be required as the service moves into full speed. The Young People at Work service will operate as a stand-alone unit within the Queensland Working Women's Service, which already manages a successful service for Queensland women workers. I hope that all employers and union groups will assist this new service and the government to promote the youth advisory service and its contact numbers in the next couple of months. I think every member would agree that starting work is an exciting time for a young person, but more often than not young workers are confused about their responsibilities and their rights in the workplace. Working out wages, conditions or how to deal with workplace bullying or sexual harassment can be difficult and complex for any worker of any age. As a parent, I am really encouraged by this new opportunity to help young people in Queensland to be better prepared for their careers. As I said earlier, this government made an election commitment to ensure that young people in this great state get the opportunities they need to find work and build a career, and this service will go a long way to helping them achieve just that.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE Report Hon. K. W. HAYWARD (Kallangur—ALP) (10.23 a.m.): I table report No. 59 of the Public Accounts Committee, entitled Annual reporting in the Queensland public sector. This inquiry was commenced by the committee of the 49th Parliament but not reported on prior to the dissolution of parliament for the state election earlier this year. I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the former committee for their contribution. I also thank the members of the current committee for their input into the preparation of this report. On behalf of those members I thank the committee research director, Leanne Clare, for her valued efforts. I commend the report to the House. Ordered to be printed. 13 Dec 2001 Private Members' Statements 4599

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE Report Mr LIVINGSTONE (Ipswich West—ALP) (10.23 a.m.): I table Public Works Committee report No. 75 on stage 2 of the Cairns Convention Centre. I thank all those who have assisted the committee with the inquiry. I recommend the report to the House.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Member for Stafford Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (10.24 a.m.): Last night we saw the ultimate example of the unbridled arrogance of the Beattie Labor government with its massive and dangerous majority. We saw the Deputy Whip of the government— Mr Seeney: The Whip. Mr HORAN: I think he is the deputy, based on his performance. During the ringing of the division bells on the motion of censure of the Minister for Health, the Whip arrogantly called out across this parliament, 'This is the double whammy.' They had 16 members not present—some 25 per cent of their numbers. He said, 'We can still win the vote.' Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. I never said, 'This is a double whammy.' That is not my terminology. Mr Seeney: You did so—several times. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: I am sorry, but the member for Callide, as usual, is not telling the truth. Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Mr SEENEY: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. The Government Whip is misleading the House. I sat here and heard him skiting about the fact that he had 16 members— Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Mr HORAN: The member for Stafford has not even asked for a withdrawal, because he knows that he said it. That comment was a great example of the arrogance and planning of this government. Twenty-five per cent of government members were not present for the vote on this censure motion. As he said, 'We've got the numbers here, so we will have the others out electioneering while you are in the House doing your job on behalf of the people of Queensland.' Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. I did not say anything about electioneering. In fact, it was the member for Callide who raised the issue of the members who were away. My only response to him was that they were working by attending speech nights. I responded to his comment. He is again lying. Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The member for Stafford will resume his seat. Mr HORAN: He has been caught out. After the stunt of the Premier, with his amendment to the notice of motion which took some six minutes to read— Time expired.

International Year of the Volunteer Dr LESLEY CLARK (Barron River—ALP) (10.26 a.m.): I have been privileged during this the International Year of the Volunteer to present nearly 1,000 state government certificates of appreciation to exceptional individual volunteers and to members of more than 50 different community organisations, both as member for Barron River and as chair of the Cairns Committee for the International Year of the Volunteer. Last Monday we held the last official function organised by the Cairns IYV committee, when 12-year-old Carley Duncombe joined senior citizen Rosemary FitzRoy to plant a Malaysian apple tree in the grounds of the Cairns City Council chambers to mark the International Year of the Volunteer. We hope that this tree, planted by two generations of exceptional volunteers, will serve to remind us that we should recognise and thank our volunteers not just this year but also every year into the future, as society could not function without the contribution volunteers make in every walk of life. 4600 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001

Highlights of the IYV committee's work during 2001 include an ecumenical service of recognition, attended by over 350 volunteers; the presentation of state government certificates of appreciation to 23 exceptional high school and primary school student volunteers; and the commencement of a history of volunteering in the Cairns region. I take this opportunity to thank the previous chairs of the committee, Jennifer Hunter and Milton Drake, for their contribution, and also Deputy Chair Nola O'Donnell and Secretary Tammy Sheppard for their support and hard work. My own assistant electorate officer, Sally Linaker, also devoted countless hours to making local IYV activities a success. I thank her most sincerely for her contribution. Finally and personally, most rewarding for me was the recognition of 25 individuals and five community groups from my own electorate with IYV medallions and trophies for the exceptional contribution they have made in a wide range of areas, for some spanning a lifetime of commitment. In the short time I have available to me it is not possible, unfortunately, to mention them all here by name, but our community owes each and every one of them a great debt of gratitude. This year has helped us all to be more aware of the contribution made by volunteers. They provide their services free of charge— Time expired.

Subcontractors Mrs SHELDON (Caloundra—Lib) (10.28 a.m.): I again bring to the attention of the House the plight of subcontractors affected by the collapse of the building company Imagemasters on the Sunshine Coast. I put on record my thanks to the minister for his help in this regard. However, I think we need to look at what we are going to do about the issue of subcontractors and how they are continually financially victimised by the builders who go under. One of the suggestions I have is for subcontractors to be paid directly by the financial institution which is funding the developer. This could possibly be optional but would certainly work if all subbies were under the same regime. Possibly this could only apply to buildings or developments over a certain value and not individual residential homes but certainly to residential houses that are part of a large residential development. The builders would still be the principal contractor and would appoint the individual subcontractors. Further, the builder would have to certify that the subcontractor had completed work either to an interim level or to completion. If the subcontractor then could send or email his account to the financial institution directly, he would be paid and would not have to rely on the builder paying him. It is at this stage that problems often occur when building contractors have either financial difficulties or are going under. It would certainly guarantee that the subcontractors were paid and that they were not a victim of financial mismanagement or worse by the builder. I have spoken to a number of people involved in the building industry in this regard who think that this concept certainly has merit. I will be discussing it further with the minister, because for once and for all we have to put in place something that is easy, that is workable and that does protect subcontractors from the problems they are currently facing. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time for private members' statements has expired.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Numberplates Mr HORAN (10.30 a.m.): I refer the Premier to his decision to introduce the unpopular Smart State registration plate and his subsequent backdown in which he announced that Queenslanders would have a choice of numberplate slogans. I ask: what process is in place to allow applicants to choose which slogan they prefer? What arrangements are in place for the supply of Sunshine State numberplates at customer service centres and at dealers? Why have Queensland Transport counter staff been instructed not to offer the Sunshine State alternative unless they are specifically asked? Mr BEATTIE: In terms of the issue of the Smart State numberplate, I made it clear when I indicated publicly that we had listened to the people of Queensland that the process would be simply this: the normal numberplate would be the Smart State one. If people— Opposition members: Oh! Mr BEATTIE: I said it very clearly. There is nothing new about this. Exactly what I said has been widely reported everywhere. If members opposite do not listen, that is their problem. But I 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4601 indicated that if people wanted to retain the Sunshine State numberplates they had to simply indicate that and they would be given them. They would be given a choice. The choice is very simple. All they have to do is simply indicate— Mr Horan interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member has asked the question. Mr BEATTIE: As members would appreciate, the policy decision I indicated publicly was that Queenslanders would be given a choice, and they are being given a choice. The actual detail of the process is implemented by the Department of Transport. If the member opposite wants to ask any of those details, the Minister for Transport is one of the most competent ministers in this government; all he has to do is ask him and the minister will tell him. As Premier I do not run every single piece of bureaucratic administration in every department. Mr Bredhauer: Don't you deliver the plates to my customer service centres? Mr BEATTIE: That is right. I am happy to put a few plates in the back of the car and whiz around and deliver one to each of the service centres, but the reality is that what I said would be the case is being delivered. It is being delivered to the letter. I said that people would have a choice. Let me make this very clear: Queensland is going to become the Smart State. It is already the Smart State. The philistines opposite may want to undermine that, but we will stand by the new-age jobs of tomorrow. One has to ask: why does the Leader of the Opposition want to undermine the jobs that are coming in IT, in biotech, with Australian Airlines and in light metals? He knocks and whinges. While he whinges, we work. This is a working government that is going to deliver. The people of Queensland know that this government is delivering. With its majority, this government has the strength to attract airlines like Australian to this state. With our majority we have the strength to establish new industries such as Comalco and AMC. Previous governments talked about Comalco. We delivered. Why? Because we have the majority to deliver. People talked about projects like AMC. We delivered because we have the majority to do it. When it comes to airlines like Australian, people talked about those big things. We delivered. That is what a majority gives you—outcomes.

Government Christmas Cards Mr HORAN: My question is to the Premier, and I want to finish the year with a Christmas question for him. I refer the Premier to the fact that Queensland government Christmas cards, such as the one from Education Queensland, mention the Smart State political slogan three times and Christmas once. The Premier tried to take the sunshine out of Queensland with his Smart State numberplates. Now his political slogan is being used to take over the Christmas message. I ask you, Mr President— Honourable members interjected. Mr Beattie: I am delighted to have the Opposition Leader on side for an Australian republic. Government members: Hear, hear! Mr HORAN: Premier, I ask: what is the next step—and I will not try singing this for you—'Smartypants is coming to town'? Mr BEATTIE: I now understand why the Leader of the Opposition has not been asking me any questions in the last few parliaments, because they are doozies when they come. I believe in a smart Christmas. Ms Bligh: We're all dreaming of it. Mr BEATTIE: That is right; I'm dreaming of a smart Christmas. Let me make it clear that I am happy, as a result of the Leader of the Opposition's question, to chastise the Minister for Education for only mentioning 'Smart State' three times on her Christmas card. I actually thought she could do better than that—I really did. I am always happy to talk about Christmas. Let me do the Christmas thing. I wish you a merry Christmas. I wish all members in this chamber a merry Christmas. We have had a long year. In fact, the last 12 months have been difficult for all of us. We have had our ups and downs. It is a time when we should remember how important Christmas is. We all know that our families are the ones who suffer. Despite what some may think, politics is a tough game. 4602 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001

The great thing about Australia—and we should remember this—is that, when we look around the world, at Afghanistan and at terrorism, one of the great things about this nation is that we can have our political differences and changes of government but we all respect one another. The good thing is that we can have our arguments, but we can still be friends. At the end of the day I can say to someone like Mike Horan, the Leader of the Opposition, that politically I do not share a lot of his views, but I know he is a decent Queenslander, the same way that I know that Bob Quinn and others are as well. That is the great Australian tradition. At Christmas we should remember that we live in the greatest nation on earth.

100 Plus Club Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: I refer the Premier to the fact that older persons have made and continue to make enormous contributions to our community. As a member who represents an electorate with a very high percentage of persons aged over 60, I ask: can the Premier advise the House of any recent initiatives taken by his government to recognise this contribution? Mr BEATTIE: It just so happens that at lunchtime today I will be hosting a very special group of older Queenslanders here at Parliament House. They are members of a very exclusive club. It is the 100 plus club—that is, every member of the club is more than 100 years of age. This elite group of Queenslanders has seen and experienced many things. One only needs to look at the experiences they have lived through and shared. During their lives they have experienced two world wars, the Great Depression and the postwar prosperity. Many were born before Federation and now they are celebrating its centenary. One of our oldest surviving Anzacs, Ted Smout, who turns 104 in January, will be attending today's lunch. He is from the member for Sandgate's electorate. Ted is also one of our inaugural Queensland Greats and his name has been put in perpetuity, if you like, in one of the plaques at Roma Street. In fact, last Thursday I joined Ted and the other four Queensland Greats award recipients, along with Robert Schwarten, to unveil special plaques at Roma Street Parkland commemorating their achievements. Mr Schwarten interjected. Mr BEATTIE: You were there as a minister. Ted's old mate and fellow World War I veteran Eric Abraham will also be here today. The good news is that about 35 other centenarians and their carers will be at today's annual lunch. Every one of these people has helped make Queensland the great state that it is today. The 100 Plus Club is special. Its members are living treasures and we have much to learn from them. Many of the centenarians today will be assisted by volunteers from the Queensland Community Care Network, and I applaud the dedication and commitment of the network's volunteers. The seniors being honoured today are an inspiration to all Queenslanders up and down the length and breadth of Queensland, from one end to the other, who aspire to a long and prosperous life. Today I have an opportunity on behalf of the people of Queensland to thank them for their hard work in helping shape our state. The lunch will be entertained by Queensland Voices, a choir especially formed from students in state schools in the Education Queensland southern region who represented Queensland in Japan earlier this year. They are part of a Smart State education system, too. While I am talking about the Smart State, in the few seconds left let me tell honourable members that 2002 is going to be another smart year for Queensland. If those opposite think they have heard enough about the Smart State they are wrong. They are going to hear a lot more, because that is where the jobs of tomorrow are. I want every child in this state to have a future, and that means being aggressive and taking on the creation of the new jobs of tomorrow. No Queenslander is going to be left behind in our push to give them the jobs of tomorrow. Yes, Smart State numberplates, Smart State Christmas cards, Smart State jobs—Smart State full stop. I want Queensland to be the best in the world, and that is where we are heading.

Rockhampton Railway Workshops Mr JOHNSON: Premier, just make sure you bring your board shorts to Emerald tomorrow. I ask the Honourable the Minister for Transport and Minister for Main Roads—the smart minister—if he can explain why recently management staff at the Rockhampton railway workshop, when unable to contact a worker required for an early shift, requested the Rockhampton police to locate 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4603 the worker? I ask: is this an example of the Queensland government's priorities for the police and is this part of Queensland Rail's contribution to the Smart State? Mr BREDHAUER: This issue has been raised with me previously by the member for Rockhampton and the Minister for Public Works and Minister for Housing. I was concerned when I heard the report that the police had been sent around to the home of a railway worker. The management of the workshops in Rockhampton had wanted this chap to come in five hours earlier than his normal shift to do some overtime for work that they required him to do in the workshops. I understand that the supervisor tried to contact him at his home by phone for over an hour and was unable to raise him because the phone was persistently engaged. He was concerned for the welfare of that railway worker as well. He was actually genuinely concerned about the welfare of the worker. He thought that the worker might have been in some sort of strife at his home so he rang the police and asked them to go around. I do not think that that is an appropriate course of action. QR has talked to the supervisor about it. It suggested to him that in future the supervisor or somebody else should jump in a car and go around to the worker's house and knock on his door if a situation like that arises again. We have also told all of our other railway supervisors up and down the length and breadth of Queensland that they should not follow that example and call in the police in a case like that; they should use a little bit more commonsense, I would suggest, and look after the welfare of these workers. Insofar as that matter is concerned I think QR has dealt with the issue appropriately. I would like to add my apology as well to the railway worker for the situation that he found himself in. I do not think it is appropriate to have the police knocking on your door at 9.30 in the morning. So, as I say, the member for Rockhampton actually raised the issue with me. I have had it thoroughly investigated by QR. I think it is unfortunate. I think the supervisor made a mistake. He realises he made a mistake, but we will try to make sure that it does not happen ever again up and down the length and breadth of Queensland.

Flying Foxes Mr PITT: I refer the Premier to a recent trial of ultrasonic devices on the Atherton Tableland in an attempt to help lychee growers reduce crop losses to flying foxes following the banning of lethal electric grids and I ask: what early results has he received from the trials and how do these results compare with the federal government's response to this issue? Mr BEATTIE: I am happy to answer that question. The member will be delighted to hear the latest news that I have just been given. We have an early Christmas present for Queensland. Queensland unemployment figures have fallen 0.1 per cent in both trend and seasonally adjusted terms. It is down from eight per cent last month to 7.9 per cent in November. Australian trend figures are stationary. The good news is that over the past 12 months Queensland has had the fastest employment growth in the country at 1.4 per cent. For growth over 12 months in trend terms this compares with 0.8 per cent for the whole of the year. We lead Australia in employment growth. We work; they whinge. They are at it again. Let me come back to the question. I thank the honourable member for the question. By the way, I say well done, Minister for Employment; well done, Treasurer; well done, ministers. It has been a good year. I thank the member and his Cairns colleague Dr Lesley Clark, who have been tireless in bringing this issue to the attention of my office. Members will well remember the plight facing northern lychee growers some weeks ago with ripening crops and little protection from flying foxes. To assist them I directed $20,000 towards a trial of an ultrasonic device developed by a Brisbane based company supported by Henry Palaszczuk, the Minister for Primary Industries and Rural Communities. I am pleased to be able to report to parliament today that the preliminary results from that trial are very positive. The trial was conducted from 26 November to 3 December in the area between Mareeba and Tully. A total of 14 ultrasonic units were used in three different orchards. Anecdotal evidence from DPI officers, the operators of the ultrasonic devices and the orchardists indicate that crop losses in the controlled areas were reduced significantly. Of particular interest was the fact that one of the properties selected for the trial was Rowan Bosworth's, the same orchard that was a target of a Federal Court action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Anecdotal evidence from this property is that, following the first night of testing, it was difficult to find enough damaged fruit to fill a hat. Nearby 4604 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001 properties without the devices and using shooting as a deterrent reported almost 100 per cent losses in the same night. It is a significant breakthrough. Early indicators are that the high technology devices are at least as good as the electrified grids that have been banned. I stress that these are early reports. Full reports are now being prepared and we will have to assess all of the material at the end. By contrast, the federal government was quite happy to reactivate the electrified grids, as reported on Cairns radio during the recent federal election. I am saying to the member for Mulgrave—because I know he has been interested—and to Lesley Clark that we have made significant progress. We need to assess the material to see whether this stacks up when all the reports come in, but the early indicators are good.

Timber Mill Site, Cooroy Miss ELISA ROBERTS: I ask the Minister for State Development: what are the plans for the Boral Nandroya mill site at Cooroy? Mr BARTON: I thank the member for the question. Six or seven weeks ago I last met with the mayor of Noosa and the people from the task force that had been looking at the possibility of doing something with that Nandroya sawmill site. There has certainly been a great deal of work put into place. I know that the member for Noosa has been working with these people from the task force to make sure that they put together some proposals that could, in fact, create some new employment in that town. Several months ago the Premier told the parliament—and I have repeated it both in the parliament and publicly—that this government is prepared to transfer that sawmill land to the Noosa council to be held in trust so that it can be the basis of a project. We have given that commitment, and I have given that commitment in writing to the mayor of Noosa. We do need to go through proper processes in terms of transferring that land. At the meeting that I had with the local representatives of the task force and the mayor of Noosa, they were suggesting that we needed to get another government department to somehow run a tourist activity, an environment activity or timber resources type activity for promotion to bring about job creation there. I came to the conclusion that transferring the land to the council might not be the most conducive way for us to work through having another department take some activity there. The request that was put to me by the mayor of Noosa and by the representatives of the task force—local businesspeople who are interested in this issue—was to transfer that land in trust to the council so that it could, in fact, seek some federal government indication that funding would be made available if the security of that land was in the council's hands. We are honouring that commitment that has been given previously by both the Premier and me to work through and facilitate the transfer of that Nandroya sawmill land to the Noosa Shire Council so that it can progress seeking that loan from the federal government and putting together, hopefully, a realistic job creation project that will create a number of jobs in the Cooroy area.

Trade Training, Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders Mr ENGLISH: I refer the Minister for Public Works and Minister for Housing to construction projects undertaken by the Department of Housing, and I ask: what opportunities exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to secure trade training through his department? Mr SCHWARTEN: I thank the honourable member for the question. Currently throughout Queensland there are over 55 young Aboriginal apprentices who are being trained in the construction industry and who are carving out a future in that industry. This is the single biggest training program in the construction industry for Aboriginal people. In these times when people throughout Queensland have of lot of doom and gloom about Aborigines, the reality is that Aboriginal people have made their mark in the construction industry. I hold here a tribute to those Aboriginal apprentices, which is in the honourable member's electorate at Hill End. That construction has won two architectural awards and it was built entirely with Aboriginal labour. Six Aboriginal apprentices worked on this project, in particular two Aboriginal women apprentices. One is holding the 24-ounce Estwing hammer. This is a very serious matter. I believe that we need to highlight the labours of Aboriginal people and the results that they have attained. This excellent construction at Hill End, known as Jeannie Barney Court, is a tribute to Jeannie Barney, who was a long-time indigenous leader in this city and who worked in the Department of Housing, too. These projects go unnoticed in the 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4605 media. I know that the day that we opened this construction, it gained no media attention whatsoever. I think that it is a crying shame that we have the most successful Aboriginal training scheme in Australia, yet it is little known. The scheme has been going for 10 years and 240 Aboriginal people have been trained in various trades—bricklaying, carpentry, painting and so on. No-one ever seems to mention that. So I hope that today we can set the record straight. Throughout Queensland, Aboriginal people have been through this scheme and are now working in the construction industry and making their mark in the real world of the building industry. I am particularly impressed with the way in which this recruitment is done through the Department of Housing and with the number of female apprentices who have come through this project. It really is a great story and one that I believe the media needs to highlight.

Queensland Principal Club; Toowoomba Turf Club Mr HOBBS: I refer the Minister for Racing to her strident criticism of the Queensland Principal Club for its handling of the allegations surrounding the Toowoomba Turf Club and to her eventual dismissal of the board last week prior to the finalisation of its investigations into the allegations. I ask: if the minister were so dissatisfied with the QPC's handling of the issue and if she really wanted this matter cleared up, why did she not exercise her ability under clause 131(4) of the Racing and Betting Act and request the Auditor-General to conduct an independent audit of the Toowoomba Turf Club? Mrs ROSE: I thank the member for the question. The member has never been able to understand the powers of the minister under the Racing and Betting Act. Decisions about auditing clubs is a matter for the control body. I make it very clear that all of the matters that were being dealt with by the old Queensland Principal Club will be dealt with by the Interim Thoroughbred Racing Board. Does the member think that all of the matters that were being dealt with by the previous control body will just disappear into the sunset? Mrs Edmond: That's what they did. Mrs ROSE: Exactly. That is what the member would have done. All of those matters—all of the inquiries, everything—just go on. It is handled by the new Interim Thoroughbred Racing Board. I find it quite extraordinary that, in the opposition, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Last week in this House the member for Warrego called for the resignation of the Toowoomba Turf Club chair. Then the Leader of the Opposition, Mike Horan stated—and I am quoting from Hansard— I want to make this comment: the Toowoomba Turf Club has been through innumerable audits, investigations and inquiries and it is time all this was cleared up ... It is time that the minister used her position to ensure that this matter is cleared up, that any audits or investigations are finalised and finished so that Toowoomba can get on with racing ... If the minister allows things to go on and on and allows controversy and inquiries and audits to continue without any result or finality, that makes it extremely difficult for the town, for the race club and everybody associated with the race club around it. What this issue needs is finalisation so that the club can get on with its business ... What the industry desires—and it is here in this bill and it is one of the reasons why we are supporting it—is a modernisation of section 134 so it can be quite clear what it means and what the implications are for a club.

Public Liability Insurance Mr WELLINGTON: I direct a question to the Premier. Over recent months many members from both the government and the opposition have spoken in the House about the crisis being faced by thousands of volunteer and community organisations throughout Queensland as a result of the unreasonable insurance premiums they are now required to pay. I now ask: what advice does the Premier have to the volunteer and community groups now questioning if they can afford to continue performing the volunteer and community work which is so important in our community? Mr BEATTIE: This is a very important issue that we have been working on. Last week I had a meeting with Queensland Events which, as the member knows, I asked to conduct an examination of this matter. It has given me a report, which will be going to cabinet on Monday. The Treasurer and I have a joint submission going to cabinet on Monday on this issue. Usually I do not reveal these sorts of things but, because it is so important, I am revealing it. It is a very difficult area for us to resolve. The member may recall that Suncorp insurance used to be a government owned body. It was sold by the Borbidge government and that, of course, has removed a lever for us in resolving this issue. That has seriously impaired our ability to deal with this problem. 4606 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001

Members may recall that in this House I called on insurance companies to assist us and to have a heart in some of these programs. Some initiatives have been pursued in relation to P&Cs and some progress has been made there. That will be discussed by cabinet on Monday. This area still needs more work. I am hoping that early next year we will have a system in place to deal with the issues as best we can—bearing in mind the Borbidge government sold Suncorp Opposition members interjected. Mr BEATTIE: I cannot believe how rude the National and Liberal members are. It is not their question. Would members actually show some manners? The Independent member has asked a question. Will members opposite pay us the courtesy of allowing me to answer his question? Will members just stop being rude? I cannot for the life of me understand what they think they are doing. If they want to ask me a question, ask. Until then, will they let the member for Nicklin have the courtesy of reply? I return to the question. This is a very important issue. As I said, we will be discussing it on Monday. The Queensland Events report will be part of those deliberations. The Treasurer and I have spent a considerable amount of time working on it. As I have indicated, there are a number of impediments. We do not have a perfect solution but we have a number of strategies we are going to consider. Cabinet may not finalise this on Monday; I want to be very clear about that. I promised that we would have the Queensland Events Corporation deliberations before cabinet in December. I honour that commitment on Monday. More work needed to be done, which is what the Treasurer and I have done, because it is broader than that. There are a couple of interesting initiatives that have come forward. We need to examine them as best we can. There has been a significant breakthrough in relation to P&Cs and that, again, will be considered. It is more than just P&Cs; it is obviously the community organisations that the member for Nicklin has referred to. I will give the House a bit of history. We started this review because I share the member's concern about it. Hopefully we will have something in place early next year. This is a very difficult issue, but we are moving as quickly as we possibly can.

National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality Mr RODGERS: I ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Minister for Mines: what is the state government doing to progress the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality even though the Commonwealth is yet to sign the bilateral agreement necessary to allow funds to be allocated to Queensland? Mr ROBERTSON: I thank the member for Burdekin for his question because not just in Burdekin but up and down the length of Queensland the Beattie government is taking immediate action to implement the national action plan, even though the Commonwealth government continues to stall on the process. On Monday, cabinet gave approval for the new interim regional arrangements which will give Queensland communities the chance to take ownership of the national action plan. What that means is that we have been working away, establishing those all- important regional groups that will manage the funds that will be coming from both state and Commonwealth governments under the national action plan. Working in collaboration, community, local government and industry stakeholders have put in an enormous effort over the last 11 months to achieve agreement on appropriate partnership arrangements. The cabinet's decision paves the way for regional bodies that have been formed in national action plan priority areas throughout Queensland to begin developing natural resource management plans. These plans will build on the achievements of community groups and natural resource management across Queensland in the past five years. Queensland stands poised to allocate funding to national action plan regional bodies. However, 11 months after we were the first state to sign up to the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality, we are still waiting for the Commonwealth to sign up to the bilateral agreement between ourselves and the federal government. The delay by the Howard government is stopping Queensland from allocating any of the $162 million available to regional bodies or to local projects. These regional bodies are waiting with bated breath to formalise their membership and begin developing accredited management plans. That is why cabinet endorsed my submission to spend $800,000 out of our commitment to the national action plan to allow these regional groups to get out and do the necessary work that they want to do to prevent salinity becoming a problem in our state. I take this opportunity to urge the Commonwealth to stop sitting on its hands and allow funds to be released to communities throughout the state so that they can begin their vital work. 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4607

Miss SIMPSON: Mr Speaker— Ms MOLLOY: Mr Speaker, my question without notice— Miss SIMPSON: Mr Speaker— Ms MOLLOY:—is to the minister— Miss SIMPSON: Mr Speaker— Mr SPEAKER: I call the member for Noosa. Miss SIMPSON: Mr Speaker, I was on my feet and asking a question. Mr LINGARD: I rise to a point of order. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr LINGARD: This is deliberate and blatant. The member for Burdekin was late. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat. Mr LINGARD: I rise on a point of order. The member for Burdekin was late. Mr SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Mr LINGARD: I rise on a point of order. Mr SPEAKER: The member for Noosa. Mr LINGARD: I rise on a point of order. Ms MOLLOY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Innovation and Information Economy. Mr LINGARD: I am not going to be fobbed off like that, because this is blatant— Mr SPEAKER: I warn the member for Beaudesert. Mr LINGARD: I rise on a point of order. Mr SPEAKER: All right, I will hear the member's point of order. Mr LINGARD: The member for Burdekin was blatantly late and this is a deliberate attempt to even it up, because the member for Burdekin did not stand and you have been blatantly biased and now brought the member for Noosa on because it was quite obvious who was the first to stand. Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Mr LINGARD: And if you want to continue to be blatantly biased— Mr SPEAKER: You are defying the chair. I now warn you under standing order 123. Mr LINGARD: It is quite obvious that you are blatantly biased. Mr RODGERS: I rise to a point of order. As a point of clarification, I say that I understand that I jumped prematurely the last time. It was not my due call. Mr SPEAKER: I call the member for Noosa.

IT&T Industry, Sunshine Coast Ms MOLLOY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Innovation and Information Economy. We hear a lot about how the Gold Coast has become somewhat of a hub for the IT industry. We also hear a lot about Smart State policy in Brisbane. That is all well and good, but is anything being done to encourage IT north of Brisbane, for example, at the Sunshine Coast? Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for her question. The simple fact is that the Smart State is not just in Brisbane, it is not just in south-east Queensland, it is throughout the length and breadth of Queensland and in as much as it applies to people in the ICT industry, it applies to people in agriculture as well. Mr Speaker, that coat of arms above you was promulgated in 1893; it depicts our key industries. Many of those are key industries that members on both sides of the House represent. If we are going to have a Smart State, we need to concentrate on people not just in Brisbane but in the regions, in the country and in those industries. I am delighted that the member for Noosa has asked the question because I know how passionate she is about the ICT industry in her electorate. She mentioned the Gold Coast as well. We are extremely proud of the IT powerhouse that the Gold Coast is. There are multinational companies such as DASCOM, Eracom and home 4608 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001 grown firms like the award winning Golden Orb. In Brisbane of course we have IBM with its Japan call centre here, DSTC and research on e-security at QUT. The Sunshine Coast is by no means being left behind. Recently I went to the Sunshine Coast on a fact-finding mission. The members for Kawana and Noosa were there and I had a fair bit of time to deal with both of them. I went to the Sunshine Coast University, which is a world class university when it comes to its new initiatives in training its IT students. IT students there are not just working in traditional areas that we expect them to work in; they are working on bringing the Smart State home to everybody. I have very great difficulty understanding why everybody in this House would not be in favour of the Smart State. The Premier, of course, is the father of places such as the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, but give credit to Rob Borbidge as well; he played a role in it and I think he must be very disappointed when he sees people on that side of the House who do not have the commitment to the Smart State that we all should have because it means just as much to farmers' kids as it does to miners' kids, whether they be up the top of Queensland, down the bottom or on the east or west. At the university I saw a seminar conducted there by— Mr Horan interjected. Mr LUCAS: We have to work at the Smart State and we will work, work, work night and day to get the Smart State—not because it means something for us so much, but because it means something for our kids and the kids and grandkids of opposition members. I went to the Sunshine Coast University and I saw a Eumundi market project on which they were working on modern IT solutions in business management for people running markets—people in traditional areas. That is what the Smart State is all about: students taking great pride in their work. I am sure they will want to have Smart State numberplates when they register a vehicle. The Sunshine Coast University has an innovation centre—$6.2 million—that will work very closely with our pride and joy, i.lab in Brisbane, and the work that it does in promulgating the Smart State. Some 6.4 per cent of all Queensland ICT firms are based on the Sunshine Coast, and members who represent the Sunshine Coast have every right to be proud of the powerhouse it is as well. Time expired.

Princess Alexandra Hospital, Nursing Shifts Miss SIMPSON: I refer the Minister for Health to current practices at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where nurses are constantly working one shift being employed through an internal agency and then working a double shift through an external agency to overcome industrial relations legislation, and I ask: does this practice not contravene workplace health and safety guidelines, and what process has Queensland Health undergone to avoid potential litigation arising from any cases brought against it due to mistakes being made by overworked staff? Mrs EDMOND: We, on this side of the House, are aware that there is a nursing shortage and we are aware of the extra burden that that is placing on nurses. Where nurses are concerned that they are being asked to do too much overtime we encourage them to talk that through with their supervisors, and that has been the case. The issue remains that, if we want to treat as many as possible of the patients who are rolling up to our public hospitals, we have to ask a lot of our staff to work overtime, and we have been doing that. I take this opportunity also to correct the information given to this House yesterday about the Princess Alexandra Hospital by the Leader of the Opposition, when he claimed that three radiologists had walked out of the Princess Alexandra Hospital. The information is totally incorrect. Two radiologists have resigned. They have tendered their resignations, giving three months notice so that we can advertise and hopefully recruit new people. We have also increased the number of VMO sessions. The previous radiologist resignation was in November 2000—over a year ago. That is hardly what we would call a recent resignation or walkout. Yes, we do have issues in attracting radiologists when they can earn so much in the private sector. I am told also that with respect to anaesthetists the Opposition Leader again misled the House by saying that they were walking out in droves. The current situation is that there is one vacant full-time anaesthetist position and one full-time anaesthetist on maternity leave. We are not going to knock her off because she is on maternity leave. We encourage them to come back. Another full-time anaesthetist has given three months notice. But they are hardly walking out in 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4609 droves and nothing like the numbers we saw leave when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister. I am told that the Princess Alexandra is in the process of recruiting anaesthetists. It is expecting that the two vacant full-time positions will be filled by the end of January, and that is about the time that we are expecting others to leave. Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity of correcting all of that misinformation by the Leader of the Opposition.

Child Protection Ms PHILLIPS: I ask the Minister for Families: can she please tell the House how the government is delivering on its commitment to help abused and neglected children in the Townsville-Thuringowa area? Ms SPENCE: I thank the member for Thuringowa for the question. I know she has a very good understanding of the issues affecting families and the services in her electorate. I recently sat down with the member for Thuringowa and the service providers and they praised her good work and understanding of their services. A government member: She's a social worker. Ms SPENCE: That is right. It is no secret to anyone that the Beattie government is committed to rebuilding Queensland's child protection system. That is why we committed an additional $18.2 million to this area in this year's budget. That is why we are now spending over $110 million each year on child protection alone. Part of this new money—$2.4 million—is being devoted to building new regional services in Queensland for child protection and family support. I am pleased to announce to the member for Thuringowa and others that this month I signed off on $750,000 to the Abused Child Trust to establish a new child protection and family support service in the Townsville-Thuringowa area. This service is expected to be up and running by April next year. In its first year of operation it will help at least 60 families in the area. I understand that the service will offer counselling and therapeutic services to children who have been sexually abused. The Abused Child Trust is one of Queensland's most respected organisations in the area of delivering services to children, particularly children who have been abused sexually. I have met with the organisation on a number of occasions and I am very impressed by the board and members of that organisation. Not only do they do good work through their counselling; they also have the capacity to generate a lot of community dollars and support. Across the length and breadth of Queensland people respect this organisation, and we are pleased to fund it. The Department of Families, local service providers and the Abused Child Trust will work together to make sure that the service delivered in Townsville is one that meets the needs of the local community. The Beattie government values families. We are committed to protecting children, and community based organisations such as the Abused Child Trust are an important partner for government in ensuring that family and child protection services are delivered in a reasonable and integrated fashion in this state. I thank the member for Thuringowa and the member for Townsville for their support of this new initiative in their electorates.

Nurse Training Mr QUINN: I refer the Minister for Health to her constant claims of a shortage of qualified nurses as being the reason why some wards in hospitals are unable to operate at full capacity, and I ask: what incentives has the government provided to attract nurses back into the work force, particularly in light of the fact that the New South Wales government supports such nurses with free access to refresher courses to update their skills and knowledge base? Mrs EDMOND: The questioner might not be aware that the fees charged by the universities for those refresher courses are a federal matter and we are working with my task force, the QNU and others to look at options for doing that. We are looking at having similar arrangements here, where we have scholarships for nurses. For example, we could pay what they need under the assessment to be reregistered if they have lost registration. The member might not have heard me say at the last sitting of parliament that the Princess Alexandra Hospital held an information 4610 Questions Without Notice 13 Dec 2001 night encouraging people who might still have their registration or who might have lost it to come in and look at what can be done. We will be following up on that. We are looking at a range of programs. We are the only state that provides full scholarships for nurses for all of their nursing training as a way of encouraging nurses to come in. They are then bonded through the Queensland Health system. That helps us to provide nurses in rural areas, where otherwise we would have enormous difficulty getting staff. That is one of the outcomes of the nursing task force that I established in 1998. There were 59 recommendations, many of which have been implemented and are aimed at attracting people back in. Today I will be officially launching thinknursing.com—our whole new way of encouraging not only people looking for re-entry into the work force but also students wanting to take up nursing and, of course, as part of a Smart State initiative. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before calling the member for Mudgeeraba, I welcome to the public gallery Gerry Connolly, whose impersonation of the Queen is widely recognised, and Jane Menelaus, who is in town while her husband, Geoffrey Rush, is filming the Queensland film Swimming Upstream, which incidentally is being filmed in Redcliffe.

Toy Safety Mrs REILLY: I feel the pressure to perform is really on now. I refer the Minister for Tourism and Racing and Minister for Fair Trading to the fact that with Christmas almost upon us—or 'kisstmas' as it is known in my household thanks to my two-year-old—many parents like myself and other Queenslanders have either already bought toys or intend to buy toys as presents, and I ask: can the minister advise us of the hidden dangers of some toys and what shoppers should be looking for to minimise the risk of Christmas tragedy? Mrs ROSE: I thank the member for the question, because with Christmas just 12 days away I urge those buying last-minute presents for children to use some commonsense because it might avoid potentially tragic consequences. One of the great joys of Christmas is the giving and receiving of gifts, especially where kids are involved. But smiles can turn to tears very quickly if a thoughtlessly chosen present results in injury or worse. There are some key safety points to consider when buying for children. As a general rule for children under three, the smaller the child the bigger the toy. The Product Safety Branch of the Office of Fair Trading recommends that consumers observe the following five Ss of toy safety: size—the smaller the child the bigger the toy. Anything smaller than a 35 millimetre film canister is too small for a child under three. Shape—be wary of products that because of their shape are easily swallowed and have sharp edges and points. Surface—make sure that all finishes are non- toxic. Packaging should state this. Strings—anything over 30 centimetres is a strangulation hazard for a small child and should be removed. Lastly, supervision—nothing replaces close supervision. Fortunately, in Australia our toy industry is very safety conscious. However, I would advise people to be very wary of cheap toys which are often sold in discount stores throughout the length and breadth of Queensland. There has been a spate of toys that failed the mandatory safety standards and are currently being recalled across the country. There are some concerns with some projectile toys such as toy guns being an eye injury hazard. More information on these recalls can be obtained by calling the Product Safety Branch on 3239 0137 or 3239 0119 or Office of Fair Trading regional offices. Parents should also be selective when choosing a toy-box for their children. Toy-boxes are a great idea but some are potential death traps. Parents should look at boxes either without lids or with lids that slide or lift out of place easily. Timber toy-boxes with heavy lids on hinges can slam down unexpectedly—a danger to any small child in the way. Plastic toy-boxes can also be dangerous as small children can suffocate if they are trapped within them. People shopping for children's presents should always take note of the manufacturer's recommendations in relation to what age child the toy is appropriate for. Accidents can happen when children of the wrong age group have access to toys that are unsafe for them, such as when children under three are given small building blocks. These can be choking hazards. Older children over eight tend to start taking more risks. Bicycles, skateboards, scooters and in-line skates are great fun but can be dangerous if not used correctly and sensibly. 13 Dec 2001 Questions Without Notice 4611

Nathan Dam Mr SEENEY: I refer the Minister for State Development to the proposed Nathan dam project on the Dawson River in central Queensland in the electorate of Callide and to the position of the government's preferred project developer SUDAW that it would decide whether or not to proceed with this project by the end of this year. Does the minister still expect that decision from his preferred developer by the end of this year and, if not, how much longer is he going to persist with SUDAW as the preferred developer? Mr BARTON: The Nathan dam is one of those very important projects that we are very keen as a government to see delivered—and delivered under a private-public partnership with the preferred developer SUDAW. We are still expecting a decision in the near future from SUDAW on whether or not it is going to be prepared to proceed with that development. In fact, I understand that verbally it has had some indication of support from the federal government. It certainly needs some further support from the federal government before it will be in a position to make a final decision. Of course, we are all aware that there has recently been a federal election and changes in portfolios, and a range of new people are settling into their ministries. The indication that I have is that SUDAW is still very confident of being able to put together that package to make the Nathan dam a reality. In fact, as recently as yesterday I signed off on some further funding for a project officer whom we have in place in the Dawson Valley to help promote this project and provide information about the proposal to people in the area. I signed off an extension for up to a further six months for that project officer because that is a further demonstration of this government's commitment to making the Nathan dam a reality. But of course we do need the private sector proponent to make that decision. It has indicated to us that it does need some answers from the federal government that it has not received formally as yet, although I understand it has been given some very positive indications in that regard verbally. This is a very important project for Queensland. Water resources throughout the length and breadth of Queensland are very important to us. We took action yesterday to make sure that we can take the next step towards finalisation of the Burnett Water issues. Another key part of water resources around this state that my department is very proud to be involved in is working with SUDAW to make sure that, if possible, we can get the Nathan dam in place and get that water in place. The indications that I have at this point in time are very positive. I suggest to the member for Callide that he might like to talk to his federal colleagues about giving SUDAW a very quick answer on the questions that it has for the federal government so that SUDAW can be in a position to come back to us and talk further. Hopefully we will be in a position to go up there and make another major announcement about another major project in this state to join all of those great ones that we have been making in recent months.

Graffiti Mr PURCELL: I ask the Minister for Police and Corrective Services: can he outline what is being done to combat the ongoing problem with graffiti offences in Brisbane? Mr McGRADY: I place on record my thanks and appreciation to the member for Bulimba, who has certainly worked long and hard on this problem. I also inform the House that this afternoon I am going out to Cannon Hill in his electorate to launch just such a project to beat these vandals. I think that everybody in this House and, indeed, most people around the state would agree that graffiti is a social menace which has many negative aspects. Other than its physical ugliness, the presence of graffiti can also impact on the sense of wellbeing in our communities around the state. Clearing graffiti costs millions of dollars each and every year. The project which we call Eastern Corridor Graffiti Busters is aimed at reducing the incidence of graffiti in the Morningside, Camp Hill and Coorparoo police divisions. A 24-hour graffiti hotline has been set up with a message bank facility at the Morningside Police Station. The community will be encouraged to phone in and report graffiti or, indeed, graffiti offenders. The public can also use this to request someone to come out and remove or, indeed, paint over the graffiti. Initially, the project's aim is to remove graffiti from community infrastructure. This is the kind of thing that community policing is all about. As you know, Mr Speaker, we talk in this House on a regular basis about involving the community and the police in these sorts of projects. But what pleases me most about this project is the across-the-board support from the local community. This has been displayed in many ways. Bunnings Warehouse has donated 4612 Revocation of Marine Park Areas 13 Dec 2001 staff, paint and, indeed, a vehicle to assist in graffiti removal from schools, day care or aged care centres and disadvantaged local residents' premises. The port of Brisbane has also contributed to the construction of a specially designed trailer. All members of this House would have received an invitation from me to participate in a task force to assist us to find some ideas as to how we can beat this menace of graffiti. Already a number of members from throughout electorates in Queensland have volunteered to participate in this. I want to thank those members. I say to those who have not yet received the invitation that I want to have a bipartisan approach—as the government does—to this very important issue. I am sure that, working together with the police, we can resolve this.

Fraser Island Dr KINGSTON: I direct a question to the Minister for Environment. The residents of Fraser Island are asking for details of the legislation enabling the closure of beaches and roads on the island. If the minister is acting under the Recreation Areas Management Act, then section 3 requires him to consider the interests of the proprietors. Section 5 requires the preparation and gazettal of a management plan. Will the minister inform the House what legislation he is acting under? If it is the Recreation Areas Management Act, where is the gazetted plan and when will the proprietors be questioned concerning their interests? Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time for questions has expired. Mr WELLS: I will provide my answer on notice.

REVOCATION OF MARINE PARK AREAS Resumed from 12 December (see p. 4568). Hon. V. P. LESTER (Keppel—NPA) (11.30 a.m.), continuing: Fact 24: expert studies have shown that, for 75 per cent of the time, pollution from the marina would be swept over the whole length of Nelly Bay. Fact 25: there have been three surveys of Islanders—the 1988 Raggatt survey, the 1995 Sinclair Knight Merz survey and the 1996-97 Bennett survey. Not one of these surveys demonstrates support for the project, per se. Fact 26: the marine park of Nelly Bay is being revoked so that the land can be reclaimed primarily for the purpose of creating a private canal estate, something that is prohibited under Queensland ALP policy. Sales of land in the estate have been shown to provide the developers with an estimated 28 per cent return on their investment. I could go on with a great many more facts. This issue has generated an enormous amount of mail into my office. We have considered the issue very carefully. I reiterate that a revocation is an issue on which there should be total agreement in the parliament. Quite obviously, in this instance there is not. However, if we look back we see that this has been an issue for a long time. It would seem that, quite honestly, we are at the point of no return and a decision has to be made. I call upon the government to look very carefully at all of the issues I have raised. We are supporting this motion, hoping that most if not all of the issues raised can be addressed and that the whole mess can be cleaned up. It is on that basis that we support the revocation. Certainly, there are a lot of issues. It is one hell of a problem, to say the least. The government has our facts set out very clearly. There is a lot to be done. We ask the government to do what it can in the interests of everybody in the community. Hon. D. M. WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (Minister for Environment) (11.34 a.m.), in reply: I thank the honourable member for Keppel for his qualified support and his 26 points. He made a very large number of points. I understand that the Lord God had only 10, but we take them on board. I will get back to the honourable member for Keppel about them. I know that a lot of the issues he raised concern the issue of safety. Of course, we are never totally safe—never utterly and completely safe, as the philosopher Wittgenstein said. Mr Lester: We are a bit less safe than usual. That is the problem. Mr WELLS: Well, I will draw the member's concerns about it to the Minister for State Development, and undoubtedly we will get back to him. The member for Thuringowa asked that 13 Dec 2001 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 4613

Magnetic Island be included in the management plan for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area. I will take her idea on board and consult with the appropriate people. I will be very frank, because we do not need to protract this. We have a court case going on. There are only two possible outcomes: the government can win or the government can lose. If the government wins the court case then absolutely nothing happens. The Nelly Bay harbour is built and it just goes on being built. If the government loses—that is the only other possible outcome—then the Nelly Bay harbour is not going to get unbuilt. It is a fait accompli. It is done. It cannot be restored to the conservation status that it previously had. The only possible outcome from a negative finding against the government in the courts is that the government would be required to go through the process we are going through today. Why not go through it today and put an end to unnecessary court proceedings? The conservation groups that wanted to achieve an outcome have achieved the only positive outcome they could have achieved if the matter had gone to court. So why should I, responsible as I am for taxpayers' dollars, allow a court case to continue—this being publicly funded on both sides—when we can generate the only outcome the government could possibly generate if it lost the court case just by doing this? For a little bit of our time here we can save a great deal of public money. That is why we are doing it. Let us be frank about it: there is no reason other than that for doing it. There is no acrimony. There is no animosity. There is nothing more to it than simply our custodianship of taxpayers' dollars. That is what we are saving by passing this revocation motion. I thank all honourable members for their support. Motion agreed to.

NATIONAL TRUST OF QUEENSLAND AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL Second Reading Resumed from 27 November (see p. 3804). Hon. V. P. LESTER (Keppel—NPA) (11.37 a.m.): I rise to speak on the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2001. The National Trust has been an important and integral part of Queensland since 1963. The National Trust has many important properties on its books, including Old Government House. In recent years, unfortunately, the National Trust has been experiencing considerable infighting, leading to a lack of effective governance. It is very unfortunate, to say the least, that this has occurred. We are still to see the 1999-2001 financial audit report and at present there are no valid office-holders. The Crown Solicitor deemed the September 2000 annual general meeting as invalid on a legal technicality. For such an important community organisation, this situation is quite damaging. It seems that the organisation has come to an impasse and is unable to resolve its own affairs. The trust must be workable for the sake of the historical heritage of Queensland. I welcome this attempt by the minister to resolve this situation. In inspecting this bill, I see that the proposed amendments will resolve the situation. These amendments will validate the actions of the council and executive staff in managing the organisation. Hopefully this will resolve the situation without the need for recourse to the appointment of an administrator by the Governor in Council. While interference in community organisations should not be encouraged, in this case the actions before the House at present seem to be the only solution to this conundrum. I also welcome the updating of the legislation in order to bring the National Trust in line with other statutory bodies concerning governance matters. This bill also amends the Recreation Areas Management Act 1988. These amendments will allow the maximum number of penalty units to rise from 20 to 40 for offences associated with feeding and disturbing dangerous animals in the appropriate by-law. This is in response to the fatal dingo attack on Fraser Island. While this side of the House has serious reservations regarding the present government's management of Fraser Island, we support this action. The opposition will be supporting the bill. Ms NOLAN (Ipswich—ALP) (11.40 a.m.): I rise to speak in support of the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. In 2003 the National Trust will be celebrating its 40th anniversary as the foremost community based organisation involved in the protection of Queensland's cultural heritage places. It has grown from a modest organisation to one boasting 11,000 members drawn from right across the length and breadth of Queensland. One of the important roles it has played during this time is as the custodian of a range of historical places, many of which are open for the enjoyment and education of the public. These range from the 4614 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 13 Dec 2001 former Bulls Head Inn in Drayton dating back to 1859 and houses including the humble but unique Tent House in Mount Isa to houses on farming properties, such as Wolston House and Bellevue Homestead. There are also houses in Townsville and the historic house of a prosperous Ipswich merchant, Claremont, in my electorate. The National Trust also manages a number of places associated with the gold boom in Charters Towers such as the Venus Gold Battery, the largest operational battery in Queensland; the School of Mines, where mining engineers were trained; to the former Stock Exchange, where the wealth generated by Charters Towers gold was traded across the world. Two other rare and special buildings cared for by the National Trust are Geraghty's Store in Maryborough, a place frozen in time with all its contents, and the Hou Wang Temple, which served the Chinese population on the Atherton Tablelands. Another significant place is the James Cook Museum in Cooktown, housed in a former convent. The foresight of the National Trust in saving these important places for current and future generations at a time before community attitudes respected these places not only benefits this state's unique cultural heritage but also offers the potential for enhancing our cultural heritage tourism. In recognition of the cultural heritage significance of many of these places to Queensland and also to the growing importance of cultural tourism as a generator of employment, a number of National Trust properties have been in receipt of funding under the Commonwealth Federation Grants program and included as part of the joint state and Commonwealth funded Queensland Heritage Trails project. These places include the James Cook Museum, which has been extended, repaired and re-interpreted; the Hou Wang temple site, which will be carefully conserved and interpreted for visitors; and the Venus Gold Battery and former Stock Exchange building, which will form important nodes in a proposed heritage trail of Charters Towers. These places have also been included in the EPA publications North Queensland's mining heritage trails and Heritage trails of the tropical north, which aim to introduce Queenslanders and visitors to Queensland to our rich and diverse cultural heritage. Accordingly, the proposed amendments to the National Trust of Queensland Act 1963 are important in ensuring that the problems faced by the National Trust are resolved so that the organisation can continue to play an important role in the custodianship of some of Queensland's unique cultural heritage places. Mr CUMMINS (Kawana—ALP) (11.44 a.m.): I rise in support of the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. I want to mention issues that have been of longstanding concern on the Sunshine Coast, although they are not in my electorate but in the electorate of the honourable member for Caloundra. She is quite supportive of retention of heritage listed buildings. While I was part of the Caloundra City Council, we recommended for listing the Kings Beach bathing pavilion, saving it from being bulldozed as part of the Kings Beach redevelopment. I acknowledge the considerable input that the member for Caloundra had throughout that process. The Kings Beach official opening was in fact held just recently. I want to make mention of the very positive members of the steering committee: Mayor Don Aldous; Councillors Tim Dwyer, Betty Cristaudo and Chris White; the CEO of Caloundra City Council, Mr Garry Storch; Dave Clark, Robyn Douglas, Mark Presswell, Steve Pollard and Brian Beauchamp of the Caloundra City Council; Ralph Bailey, who was part of the architects advisory group; and Brian Downes from Venue Design Consultants. Numerous people from the community were also involved in seeing this magnificent area, which abuts the Kings Beach bathing pavilion, become what is now known as Kings Beach Park. The following people should be acknowledged for their valuable community input: Jill Crook; Peter Ford; John Cauchi-Gera; Nick Bevacqua; Peter Jones; John Thurtell; Eddie Van Dyke; Bill Jackson; the member for Caloundra, Joan Sheldon; Ann Lyons; and Ken Howarth. The Department of Local Government and Planning contributed $1.75 million under the Regional Centres Program for the project, which was commenced in 1996. During the official opening of the Kings Beach redevelopment, Mayor Don Aldous of the Caloundra City Council thanked the state government for its funding towards both the Kings Beach redevelopment and the Centenary of Federation project, the Mountains to the Sea Festival. This festival is a culmination of the celebrations that have been under way throughout Caloundra over the past couple of months. Each month of the year a different region was the focus of Centenary of Federation across the state, with the Sunshine Coast being the final region to celebrate. The fact that Caloundra received funding from Centenary of Federation Queensland to assist in the coordination of this festival provided all residents with the excellent opportunity to host the first official event at Kings Beach Park. 13 Dec 2001 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 4615

Planning for the redevelopment of Kings Beach commenced in 1996. While it has not been a quick process, the results are certainly spectacular. I implore all members who have a chance this Christmas to visit the Sunshine Coast and enjoy our hospitality in many of the old areas on the Sunshine Coast and of course in many of the new areas. The aim of the Kings Beach project was to redevelop this precinct as an exciting outdoor leisure environment focused on family recreation. 'Exciting' is obviously a very fitting description for the site at this time, because stage 2 of a six-stage project has been completed. As I said, funding assistance was received from the state government of $1.75 million from the Regional Centres Program. The completion of the project is a reflection of both the enthusiasm and dedication of the vast number of people who have been involved with it. The project began with the development of concepts within the community by the advisory committee I mentioned previously. This has continued through the entire project and has culminated in what we see at Kings Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in the member for Caloundra's electorate. The park provides the city with a fantastic venue for the entire region to come together for special occasions. I also want to make mention of the positive contributions in funding that has been received across the Kawana electorate. I hope one day some things will be heritage listed. It will take a while, but a lot of money has been spent across my electorate through the SRMFP grants, including $35,000 for the Maroochy Shire Council for the construction of a skate park at Chancellor Park. The Caloundra City Council also received $20,720 for the upgrade of a skate park in what was formerly my council ward of Bokarina. The Maroochydore Cricket Club received $21,110 for the installation of fencing and shade structures. The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Softball Association received $6,400 for the installation of nets on two of the softball diamonds. I will conclude by bringing to the attention of the House the Sunshine Coast councils that allegedly work in cooperation and have decided, in their infinite wisdom, to form a new 'ROC' which is going to be called SUN ROC. Formerly known as Councils in Cooperation, Noosa Shire Council, Maroochy Shire Council and Caloundra City Council are all, I believe, members of and large contributors to the Urban Local Government Association of Queensland, ULGAQ; the Local Government Association of Queensland, LGAQ; and the federal group of local governments whose name at this point escapes me. They are also members of NORSROC and SECROC and now this SUN ROC. Councils sometimes believe it is imperative to be a part of all these lobby groups to ensure their voices are heard. The question that I believe ratepayers should be asking is how much of ratepayers' funds—and obviously, yes, taxpayers' funds—are expended in ensuring these ever growing empires expand? SUN ROC will, I believe, be made up of the three mayors, three deputy mayors and three CEOs of Sunshine Coast councils and, guess what? They believe they need to employ another general manager or chief executive officer to facilitate what is decided at these breakfast meetings. Ratepayers' and, indeed, taxpayers' funds in my belief are no longer being totally exhausted in core council businesses, being roads, rates and rubbish. Economic development and tourism should be assisted by councils but not run solely by local government. I have been told by economic development officers that the first port of call for inquiries is to direct new businesses or potential businesses to the Queensland government's Department of State Development. Maybe it is time that councils get back to the basics and prove their competence in doing what is a core business of local government. In conclusion, I want to commend the minister and all his assistants, including the advisory committee and staffers who have worked on this National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, and I commend it to the House. Ms MALE (Glass House—ALP) (11.52 a.m.): I rise to speak in support of the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2001. The National Trust of Queensland has a proud history of protecting and enhancing Queensland's cultural heritage. Since its formation in 1963, the National Trust has always been committed to informing and educating the community about the value of conservation through its education programs, publications, festivals and, of course, its properties. It should be remembered that the National Trust has about 11,000 members of which both my husband, Bill, and I are but two. From that perspective it is important that all members of the National Trust have confidence in the immediate past procedures of the executive and ensure they are back on track. 4616 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 13 Dec 2001

To that end this bill will amend the National Trust of Queensland Act 1963 to empower the Governor in Council to appoint an administrator under certain circumstances to perform the executive functions conferred on the National Trust Council by the act. It will broaden the scope of the regulation-making power under the act; validate actions by and on behalf of the council following the conclusion of the invalid annual general meeting on 27 September 2000, including all processes associated with the 2001 AGM and election of the council in 2001; and update the provision for the establishment of the National Trust as a statutory body. The National Trust will continue its good work, and the members and the public will continue to benefit from their dedication and commitment to preserving the heritage of Queensland. As I look around my electorate of Glass House I see a number of properties that I would like eventually registered with the National Trust, including the old mud house that was on my parents' property, which they have just sold. It was a rammed earth house that was built by my grandfather in the early 1930s. It was one of two, but the other was burnt down in a lightening strike in the early seventies, I believe. I still vaguely remember it. The remaining mud brick house is just a fantastic example of the kind of work that some of our earlier pioneers did in providing housing and that sort of thing for members of their family. I would encourage the National Trust to continue its good work in that area. The National Trust and Other Legislation Amendment Bill also deals with matters under the Recreation Areas Management Act, including recommendations to increase penalties for feeding and offering food to dingoes. I speak in support of the proposed changes to the penalties for feeding dingoes that have come about due to the tragic fatal attack on Fraser Island in April. Immediately following this attack the Premier ordered that a limited cull of dingoes habituated to living in and around areas of human settlement take place, that the existing feeding laws be enforced and that a risk assessment be undertaken. In the risk assessment prepared in May by the Environmental Protection Agency it was concluded that some existing laws with respect to feeding were inadequate. A range of management strategies was identified, including an increase in penalties associated with feeding and disturbing dingoes. This recommendation is based on information in the report that feeding or allowing food to be available for dingoes increases the risk of interactions between humans and dingoes, which can result in an increase in the likelihood of aggressive behaviour directed towards people. No-one here would want to see another horrific attack on a person. By increasing the penalties, people are reminded of their responsibility in deterring wild animals from interaction with humans. It is also recognised that Fraser Island's dingo population is considered to be one of the purest strains remaining in Australia, and the World Heritage nomination of Fraser Island makes reference in its justification to the island's dingo population. Cabinet endorsed the implementation of the recommendations of the risk assessment report on 12 June, and the risk assessment report was tabled by the Minister for Environment in the Legislative Assembly on 21 June 2001. It is now recommended that penalties for feeding and disturbing dingoes under the by-law be set at a maximum of 40 penalty points, which is an increase from the currently prescribed 20 penalty units. The aim of the proposed amendment is to increase visitor safety by educating visitors about the risk associated with dingoes, by discouraging dingoes from foraging in areas frequented by visitors and by returning dingoes to a natural state. The amendments respect the fact that the dingo is protected in national park areas of Fraser Island and its importance as an icon on the island. The proposed amendment is also necessary to achieve consistency with similar prohibitions recently introduced under the Nature Conservation Regulation. It must be remembered that most of the land on Fraser Island is national park estate. Combined, these amendments will enable the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to manage dingo-human interactions consistently in all townships, parks and beaches of Fraser Island. I commend the bill to the House. Mr LEE (Indooroopilly—ALP) (11.57 a.m.): It is a great pleasure to rise in support of the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2001. The National Trust of Queensland was a vital driving force in the long battle to establish a legislative basis for the identification and protection of places of cultural heritage significance to Queensland. While some may have considered that the introduction of the Heritage Buildings Protection Act of 1990 and the subsequent Queensland Heritage Act of 1992 would have resulted in the trust's role becoming less relevant, this was not the case. 13 Dec 2001 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 4617

While legislation is a useful tool in encouraging the conservation of Queensland's unique cultural heritage places, the National Trust realised that it was vital to win the hearts and minds of both individual owners of places and the broader community as to the importance of safeguarding and passing on cultural heritage places to future generations. I am particularly lucky in my electorate of Indooroopilly. I have numerous places of cultural significance. I have innumerable Queenslander houses throughout my electorate, but I would like to speak not of the well kept and well maintained buildings. I would like to speak briefly about the disgrace that is one of these houses commonly known as Irony. It is a house to be found on a block on the corner of Clarence and Lambert Roads in the suburb of Indooroopilly. It is a very old building and I understand one which cannot be removed from the present site. However, the owner of the building seems content to let the building go to rack and ruin and so find himself in the position in which it becomes a safety risk to the rest of the community. I think that it is absolutely disgraceful that someone who is in possession of such a beautiful and culturally significant building as this would not maintain it in the appropriate manner. I would also like to speak briefly in a more positive tone about a part of my electorate that I believe is worth mentioning. Last Monday night I attended the graduation ceremony for the year 7s at Sherwood State School, which is one of the oldest state schools in Queensland. I was joined by my parliamentary colleague the member for Mount Ommaney on that night. Mrs Attwood: It was a good night. Mr LEE: I take that interjection from the member for Mount Ommaney. It was a really wonderful night. Sherwood State School always puts on a good show, particularly for graduations. The principal, Mr Nelson, and his deputy, Mrs Thiris, always run a very tight ship. I was also very impressed by the way in which the school has developed, nestled as it is among some of Queensland's oldest leopard trees, which I think in themselves are of historical worth. Over the years, as the school has grown it has maintained its older buildings and its leopard trees and gum trees. The school is very proud of its old trees. The school acknowledges that, as the trees have grown so, too, has Sherwood State School. Mrs Attwood interjected. Mr LEE: I was actually going to speak of that. Every year Sherwood State School holds its major fundraising event known as Opera Under the Gums. The school has some very decent opera singers and parents, friends and members of the wider community come along and enjoy a couple of bottles of wine and a delightful evening of opera knowing that they are supporting the school. This year's event was very interesting in that it took place on 10 November, which was the date of the federal election. But also on that day a significant amount of rain fell in Brisbane. The organisers of the event were very sensible and swapped Opera Under the Gums for opera near the gums in the school hall at very short notice. It was a wonderful night. The hall was decorated in a marvellous way. The P&C and the organising team did a great job. I return to the substance of the bill. The National Trust plays an important role, as a non- government body, in advocating good heritage conservation policy and practice to individuals, local communities, local government and state government. Through the 1990s, it has commented on many controversial heritage conservation matters. With 11,000 members, it is an important voice on these issues. It has focused in particular on providing practical advice to the owners of the unique timber and tin houses of Queensland. I am very grateful for the assistance that the National Trust has provided to my constituents, particularly those living in the suburbs of Chelmer, Graceville and Sherwood, which have large numbers of timber and tin houses. The assistance of the National Trust has been no less great in Fig Tree Pocket, Indooroopilly, Taringa, St Lucia and the western portion of Toowong. The National Trust has developed a series of technical information leaflets ranging from how to restump a house to the care and conservation of a garden setting. One of the things that makes Queensland's unique style of housing so wonderful is the way in which we can offset our beautiful timber and tin Queensland homes with a wonderful garden. The National Trust also demonstrates sound conservation practices in the repair and maintenance of its own buildings, which are open to the public. It also awards and celebrates good heritage conservation practice in Queensland through its prestigious John Herbert Awards. I think that is a very significant point to note—that the National Trust lives by the mantra that it would expect the rest of us to live by. It maintains its own buildings in a marvellous way. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of 4618 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 13 Dec 2001 visiting a number of these buildings and I have always been impressed by how well they are maintained and how much love and care goes into their maintenance. Accordingly, I would like to say that the proposed amendments to the National Trust of Queensland Act 1963 are important in ensuring that the problems faced by the National Trust are resolved so that this important non-government body can continue to play a vital role in the conservation of Queensland's cultural heritage. It is always wonderful when a government acknowledges that there are non-government bodies that play significant roles in our community. This is one of those bodies. It is very important for governments of whatever persuasion to acknowledge that large numbers of people in the community work in very large non-government bodies and that these bodies play a very significant role in working for the betterment of our society. It is also particularly important that this amendment bill addresses a number of basic administrative matters for the governance of the National Trust. It will update the provisions for the establishment of the National Trust as a statutory body and articulate clearly its powers. It will also remove outdated and redundant provisions in the National Trust of Queensland Act 1963 on a range of financial and budgetary matters which are covered in the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1997, the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 and the Financial Management Standard 1997. These amendments will update and improve the governance regime of the National Trust and also assist its administration. As a member of this fine government, I am pleased to be able to support a bill of this nature. I commend the minister for the work that has gone into the bill. I would also like to commend the department for it. In closing, I think that it is appropriate, having mentioned the Sherwood State School, that I pass on my best wishes not just to the year 7s from Sherwood State School but also the year 7s from the other schools in Queensland as they graduate tomorrow. I am pleased to support the bill. Mr MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (12.07 p.m.): I would like to speak briefly to the National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2001. The bill revises the National Trust of Queensland Act 1963, making the act more concise and broadening the scope of the regulation- making power while validating the actions taken by the council at its recent annual general meeting. It is clear that the provisions of the act needed to be changed in order to make the council's decisions more easily implemented. The bill improves on the act and ensures that it is up to date, with all redundant sections removed. The bill also allows for an administrator to be appointed in the case that the national council cannot perform its duties independently. The problems the council has experienced with its governance led to the inclusion of this clause to ensure that the work of the National Trust would continue should the council become incapable of fulfilling its duties. Modification of the original National Trust of Queensland Act 1963 was necessary. While discussing the National Trust, I take this opportunity to talk about another issue concerning the trust. The National Trust of Queensland is constituted for the purpose of promoting the— Preservation and maintenance of the benefit of the public generally of lands, buildings, furniture, pictures and other chattels of beauty or of national, historic, scientific, artistic, or architectural interest. St Paul's Uniting Church in Mackay is a beautiful example of architecture. It is a significant building that was heritage listed in 1992 and renovated in 2000. The church has been restored from a badly deteriorated building that was hard to maintain to a beautifully repaired structure that needs ongoing maintenance. Although the church has been delighted with the renovations, the church has had intentions to have the building demolished since the early 1990s. It is large, old and costly to keep. As the congregation has evolved, their needs have evolved. Current elders are concerned about the future struggles their congregations will face as the effects of the latest renovations fade. At the completion of the extensive renovations in 2000, a St Paul's restoration service was held. At that service, church elder Mr Bruce Gibson spoke and his first words were, 'We love our church, but we do not worship our church buildings.' Mr Gibson expressed the church's gratitude at the work of those who made the renovations a reality and praised the excellent result of their work. He reiterated the church's position for some time, that the preferred course of action would have been demolition and the construction of a more contemporary building. Staunch opponents of the demolition were members of the Mackay Branch of the National Trust and the Mackay City Council. A running dialogue between the Mackay branch of the National Trust and church elders ensued through the media. The basic thrust of opposition by the 13 Dec 2001 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 4619

National Trust of Mackay was that the building is unique and an important link to Mackay's past. It is appropriate for the trust to make such arguments, in accordance with the aims of the National Trust of Queensland. Several factors made demolition the church's desired position. The cost of renovations was one, but there was also the suitability of the building to the church's needs. There is no doubt that St Paul's Church is a wonderful building. It is more than 100 years old. It is one of the few buildings that remained intact after the devastating 1918 cyclone that wiped out a large percentage of buildings in Mackay city. The value of going to church is not being surrounded by stained glass and wooden beams, it is in coming together with one's family and fellow parishioners to worship God. One cannot blame the congregation and elders of the Uniting Church for wanting a church that is easy to look after, functional and suited to the needs of worshippers. Unfortunately, this desire is at odds with the desire to preserve the church for historical and architectural reasons. Church records show that as early as 1948 the then congregation had expressed concern about the escalating cost of maintenance. The roof was replaced in 1926 and painting and repair works were carried out in the early 1960s. At this time the idea to construct a new church was formed. This plan was put on hold until 1980 when an inspection by engineers showed further deterioration of the structure. The congregation decided to make moves toward a new building, appointing an architect and having draft plans prepared. In March 1983 the building and land were entered on the Heritage Register, which brought all plans to a halt. A site listed on the register may be changed only after approval from the Queensland Heritage Council. In a submission for delisting and demolition of the building made by the Uniting Church, the church takes issue with the practicality of heritage listing when the restored building would probably have a future life of only 50 to 100 years. The church quoted section 23(3) of the Queensland Heritage Act, which states— A place does not satisfy the criteria for entry in the Heritage Register if there is no prospect of the cultural heritage significance of the place being conserved. The church made three applications for demolition of the building. On the last occasion, in 1997, the Mackay City Council and a number of people from the Mackay branch of the National Trust convinced the Heritage Council that the building should be restored. In effect, any public outcry was limited but the council, in particular Councillor Jan Ryan, and the Mackay National Trust pushed the project in order to save the building for the benefit of the city. The Mackay National Trust and the Mackay City Council asked the Department of Environment for six months to see what it could do about the restoration. A public meeting was held in 1998 and a committee was formed to raise money for the restoration. The committee, of which I was a member, raised in excess of $150,000 to finance the project. The Centenary of Federation Queensland contributed $30,000, $15,000 was secured through the Gaming Machine Community Benefit Fund and $30,000 was contributed by the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. I place on record my appreciation to the former Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Rod Welford, and his then adviser, Mr Ross McLeod, for the tremendous support they gave me in obtaining funding for this worthwhile project. The Mackay City Council and other corporate sponsors, like CHR Employment Services and Channel 10, contributed significant amounts. Other corporate sponsors and members of the public donated amounts from $200 to over $1,000 and these were recognised in a special register created by the Mackay City Council. Mr SPEAKER: Could I interrupt the honourable member for Mackay for a moment? I ask members to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Queensland Voices, a choir of students from southern Brisbane schools, aged 12 to 15 years. Formed for the International Junior Youth Chorus Festival in Japan last August, the choir will perform for the festive season enjoyment of all honourable members in the former Legislative Council chamber at 2.20 p.m. today. Welcome to the choir. Mr MULHERIN: No doubt honourable members will look forward to the performance. Although not every donor was recorded due to requests for anonymity, out of the 26 people who were recognised for donating $200 or more, at least 10 were members of the St Paul's congregation or associated with the church. Uniting Church families also made other substantial donations of more than $5,000. Much praise has been given to the support of Mackay Queensland Homes and its principal, Mr Tom Casey, the contractor behind the repair work on the building and a member of the National Trust. If not for his efforts, costs would have been higher. 4620 National Trust of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 13 Dec 2001

The personal dedication he had for the renovations was remarkable. Mr Casey donated over $10,000 in materials and labour. Many other subcontractors, labourers and suppliers also donated during the restoration. The restoration work was recognised through a National Trust of Queensland Gold Award for Excellence in Heritage Conservation works. At the presentation ceremony, the comment was made that St Paul's had set the benchmark for community involvement. In addition to this, the project also won the Queensland Master Builders State Award for a Community Services Building Category. Ultimately, the renovation project was a successful endeavour and the magnificent building has been given a reprieve. The community, local government and state government worked in unison to save the building. It is indeed a beautiful building and I am pleased to see it saved. However, the same problems may recur further down the track. The restoration committee worked hard and received a lot of support in order to renovate St Paul's, and cannot be faulted for their intentions. Although the effort of those involved was fantastic, concerns are still evident among the Uniting Church congregation about the future of their church building. If and when the church needs to be upgraded again, will more funds be available? Although many kind donations and contributions in kind were made through the Mackay community, the substantial amount of $75,000 was received from the state government. The Uniting Church congregation has committed itself to developing a maintenance program that will be the responsibility of present and future worshippers at St Paul's to uphold. Nevertheless, it is onerous to place the burden of the building on the church, and government funds cannot always be relied on when other programs require funding. It is clear that community support is necessary. Although the Mackay City Council and the Mackay National Trust made restoration a priority, it is unclear as to the real impact demolition would have made on the public—the people for whose benefit buildings are preserved. I believe it is an issue that the National Trust of Queensland needs to address. Although a building such as St Paul's Uniting Church deserves to be exalted, it should not be at the expense of people who are directly affected—in this case the congregation—and not unless the benefits to the public and the community are acknowledged and felt by those communities as a whole. Organisations such as St Paul's Uniting Church provide the community with many services, providing social welfare and religious programs. They do not rely on imposing wooden structures to carry out their work and will continue regardless of surroundings. In conclusion, members can understand from what I have outlined that the restoration of St Paul's Uniting Church would not have occurred without the substantial contribution from the Beattie Labor government. The state provided half of the monetary cost towards restoration. The other half came from a small number of private benefactors, members of the Uniting Church and the Mackay City Council. The interesting point is that, although the vast majority of the community wanted restoration, only a small number of local residents came forward with a monetary contribution. I do not believe that this case is exceptional. Although their contributions were substantial, I think we need to investigate new ways of financing usually expensive restoration of heritage-listed properties. Today I wish to take the opportunity to suggest some ideas to the minister for consideration and for debate within the community and all levels of government. At a local level, the community needs to identify which properties, usually buildings, need to be preserved. This should be done in accordance with the act and not based on nostalgia—for example, the debate on the preservation of Festival Hall and Ross McLeod's seeing Led Zeppelin there. A local community could establish a community foundation for restoration purposes, which would enable a sense of community ownership. Local government could provide rate exemptions or incentives. Some councils already provide some rate incentives. At a state level, the government, in addition to its limited grants programs, might also consider stamp duty relief to a buyer purchasing a heritage-listed property. At a federal level, the government, in addition to its limited grants programs, could also provide specific taxation and depreciation relief for National Trust purchases by individuals, corporations or even local communities and councils. For example, many old mining towns across the length and breadth of Queensland such as Mount Morgan and Chillagoe through their wealth and history have contributed enormously to our heritage and economic development at a state and federal level. People should remember that the D'Arcy brothers mined gold at Mount Morgan and, with the money they made, went into partnership to establish the British Persia Oil Company, the forerunner to BP. BP got its kick from 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4621

Mount Morgan. These communities probably would not have the capacity to effectively maintain their important heritage on a local level. Given their significant contribution to the state and national economies today and also in the past, we need to explore specifically targeted assistance such as specific tax deductions for specific projects in identified towns and shires. I believe the time has come for all levels of government, the National Trust, the community and the corporate world to come together and develop a new way of preserving our heritage. I commend the bill to the House. Hon. D. M. WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (Minister for Environment) (12.23 p.m.), in reply: I thank all honourable members for their contributions. A number of honourable members have raised issues which definitely should be taken on board. I am very glad to do so. I thank the House. Motion agreed to.

Committee Hon. D. M. WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (Minister for Environment) in charge of the bill. Clause 1, as read, agreed to. Clause 2— Mr WELLS (12.25 p.m.): By virtue of the fact that the Alert Digest has not been published since I wrote my response to the issues that were raised on behalf of the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee, I table for the benefit of the House the response that I have sent to the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee with respect to the small caveats that it raised. Clause 2, as read, agreed to. Clauses 3 to 22, as read, agreed to. Bill reported, without amendment.

Third Reading Bill, on motion of Mr Wells, by leave, read a third time.

PEST MANAGEMENT BILL Second Reading Resumed from 8 November (see p. 3593). Miss SIMPSON (Maroochydore—NPA) (12.27 p.m.): I rise to speak to the Pest Management Bill. I have some questions regarding this legislation, but overall it is not controversial and it has the widespread support of the major operators in the industry. For too long now, there has been controversy regarding the control of pests, especially termites, in houses and buildings and the ineffective methods used by some unscrupulous operators. The introduction of national competency standards for pest technicians dealing with timber pests will surely alleviate these problems. Health issues cannot be disregarded. It is imperative that all people involved in the pest control industry are aware of the dangers of exposure to the chemicals involved. Therefore, it is important that people involved in this industry are qualified and licensed. The changes to the bill will include the development of new training programs based on nationally recognised competency standards, and these programs will benefit both the public and pest management operators. Also, it is worthy of note that the new legislation will consider a person's past convictions on relevant offences when applying for a licence. These changes will help to protect the industry from the dishonest operators who are charged and then simply move on to another company where they then commit the same offences. These changes can only be beneficial for the public. However, I am concerned that it appears that only the larger pest management businesses have been subject to most of the consultation regarding the legislation. I would certainly urge in the implementation of this legislation that there be more consultation also with the smaller operators. However, from my discussions with those operators, I understand that a number will still have to upgrade their skills. We appreciate that in the implementation of that there needs to be good communication and 4622 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001 ongoing consultation so that people have enough notice of and access to courses to bring them on board. There will be increased costs of licensing for most pest operators along with the changes to the legislation. Therefore, I seek an assurance from the minister that an effective system will be put in place to inform all operators of the changes and to look at the best possible ways to mitigate the increase in costs. No doubt some pest technicians will have to undergo further training. This training must be affordable and accessible and convenient to all to ensure regulatory efficiency and health safety. The Environmental Health Unit of Queensland Health will be responsible for the monitoring of operators. I hope that there will be sufficient staff to monitor the levels of performance of operators and the use of pesticides. Indeed, it was reported to me recently that people in north Queensland had trouble getting anyone to check their house, which they believed had been sprayed with under-strength chemicals. Therefore, I ask the minister: what extra funds have been contributed to ensure that correct and sufficient monitoring procedures are followed, and what are the performance indicators in regard to monitoring in this area? We all want to see good legislation and the best standards, but the issue of monitoring and ongoing compliance is something that will be an issue. I am very keen to hear from the minister about what is proposed under this legislation and certainly whether there is to be any improvement in regard to staffing for increased monitoring. While the public have a right to be protected, the new legislation gives significant powers of entry and wide consequential investigative and enforcement powers to inspectors. I am concerned that these powers could be abused if there were conflict between pest management companies. The Environmental Health Unit therefore must be vigilant to make sure that the abuse of these powers does not occur. With regard to clause 10, I note that the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee considers that this clause constitutes a Henry VIII clause. I agree with the committee's concerns and seek the minister's explanation in this regard. I wonder if it is really necessary. I note also that the new licences overlap in that people also have to be licensed through the Building Services Authority. There obviously continues to be a very strong health component requiring the department to be involved in the licensing. I certainly flag that there could be issues in relation to duplication, training and education and the processes of licensing. I believe that this is an area which needs greater coordination. However, the safety of the public is paramount, and householders need to be assured that when they pay for pest control services they are getting nationally recognised standards used in the application of those services. Therefore I support the bill. Mr ENGLISH (Redlands—ALP) (12.31 p.m.): I rise to speak today on the Pest Management Bill 2001 with deep-seated fear in my heart. This fear is based on the behaviour last night of the member for Robina. The member showed his low level of intellectual functioning during the adjournment debate by criticising members of the government and accusing us of padding out our speeches. I am very, very concerned that he was not able to understand the quite difficult concept of an analogy. During my speech in relation to the dog management legislation I used an analogy whereby all members of the House have been bombarded with emails in relation to that matter and discussed the concept of breed specific legislation. I tried to draw an analogy between breed specific legislation and the behaviour of dogs. The failure of the member for Robina to understand the concept of an analogy strikes terror in my heart that he will not have the ability to understand some of the concepts behind many of the government members' speeches here today. So I rise with fear in my heart that what I am saying today will be used against us because the member is unable to understand some of the basic concepts of reasoned debate, that is, analogy and drawing comparisons. We saw another example of that earlier this week when the member for Indooroopilly was criticised for having the hide to talk about agricultural issues in Ireland when we were debating an agricultural bill in this House. All I can say is that the stupidity shown by members of the opposition strikes terror into my heart that, for the next couple of years, they will not understand the basic processes of reasoned intellectual debate. However, I must admit that I do digress. The Pest Management Bill 2001 has a number of aims and objectives. The primary aim, of course, is to protect the public from the health risks associated with pest control activities. Many of the chemicals used in pest control activities are highly toxic and can cause serious harm to people who are exposed to them. Exposure to pesticides can occur through skin contact, inhalation of 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4623 fumes, vapours or dust, and even by ingestion. The degree of risk posed by exposure to these chemicals varies according to factors such as the type of chemical, its strength, the method, frequency and duration of the exposure, and the age, size and state of health of the person exposed. For example, if a child ingested Chlorpyrifos, which is a broad spectrum organophosphate pesticide, as a result of the pesticide being accidentally sprayed onto one of the child's toys, life-threatening symptoms such as convulsions and respiratory failure may result and prove fatal unless prompt medical attention is provided. Similar symptoms can result in the case of repeated exposure to low levels of the same chemical. However, outdoor use in appropriate conditions presents a much lower risk. In another example, a timber pest technician was engaged to undertake pre-treatment when a family planned an extension to their home. The technician sprayed a pesticide on the ground in preparation for the building extension. It was windy, and the pesticide spread over the fence, affecting the neighbours—in particular, the neighbour's child, who is severely disabled and was near the fence in his wheelchair. The pest technician had failed to make a proper assessment of the wind conditions and placed the child at risk. It is important that pest management technicians have the knowledge and skill to take account of the potential harm that the use of pesticides can cause. It is acknowledged that most of the pest control operators out there take their profession quite seriously and do have the skills necessary to make these assessments. However, as in all sectors of society there are rogue elements. There are rogue operators out there. We have heard numerous stories about them in the past. Ms Male: Absolute shonks. Mr ENGLISH: Some are absolute shonks. But it is important to acknowledge that the majority of pest control technicians are highly skilled professionals. We are trying to provide a framework that the good operators will be able to adhere to so that the shonks—to which the member for Glass House referred—will either lift their game to meet the required standards or be driven out of the industry. To protect the public and the people who perform pest management activities from the health risks associated with exposure to these chemicals, it is essential that people performing the activities have appropriate skills to do so and follow established safety procedures and precautions. These include selecting an appropriate chemical having regard to the pests to be controlled and the environment in which the activity is being carried out; using appropriate protective clothing and equipment; ensuring that food and drink in the premises are protected from possible contamination; properly maintaining equipment and vehicles used in connection with pest management activities; and storing, transporting and disposing of chemicals, including containers used to hold these chemicals, in a safe manner. The licensing framework established under the Pest Management Bill aims to ensure that pest management activities to which the bill applies are carried out by licensed persons who are competent to do so and in accordance with practices and precautions necessary for the safe performance of such activities. The requirements regarding safety practices and precautions of the kind mentioned are not contained in the bill but will be prescribed by regulation following the release of a regulatory impact statement for stakeholder and public comment. However, the bill itself does impose a number of important obligations on licensed pest management technicians, namely, that licensees must use a pesticide or fumigant in accordance with its registered label, and they must notify the chief executive of any exposure, spillage or other release of a pesticide or fumigant that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, a person's health. I compliment the Minister for Health for her commitment to public health and safety and commend the bill to the House. Ms MALE (Glass House—ALP) (12.39 p.m.): I rise today in support of the Pest Management Bill 2001. This bill was designed to provide greater protection to the public from the health risks associated with chemicals used in the pest management industry. Most operators are performing to a safe standard, but it is necessary to tighten the legislative requirements and regulations to prevent problems that could arise. The legislation will ensure that all persons who are licensed to provide pest control or fumigation services have the appropriate skills and competence to provide those services in a safe and effective manner. Licensees will need to meet nationally endorsed competency based standards for pest control and fumigation activities. Since the 1970s, pest control operators and fumigators, known as pest management technicians, have been regulated in Queensland by way of a licensing regime under the Health Act 1937. This legislation has become dated and has not kept pace with changes that have 4624 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001 occurred within the pest management industry over the years. Nor does it conform with current drafting practice or fundamental legislative principles. The Pest Management Bill establishes a new regulatory framework for pest management technicians in Queensland. The bill retains a licensing system for persons carrying out pest management activities. Licensing is the most effective means of protecting the public from the health risks involved with pest control and fumigation activities and from the adverse effects of the ineffective control of pests. In Queensland there are a total of 2,265 licensed pest management technicians. 1,094 of those people have a restricted licence, which means that the pest management technician is restricted to using a certain number of chemicals, ensuring that technicians use only the chemicals for which they have adequate knowledge to ensure public safety. Fumigators who undertake a higher risk activity number 209 in Queensland. They work mainly in environments such as aircraft and docks and fumigate for agricultural, horticultural and quarantine purposes. Regulation of pest control operators dates back to 1976 when it was incorporated into the Health Act 1937. Queensland was one of the first Australian jurisdictions to regulate pest management technicians. While these technicians were required to be licensed in Queensland from 1976, a licensing system was introduced in some other jurisdictions only after a recommendation from the National Health and Medical Research Council in the mid 1990s. So once again, Queensland is way ahead of all the other states. While Queensland was among the first jurisdictions to regulate pest management technicians, the existing provisions are now out of date. The new bill reflects current legislative drafting standards and the improved pest management competency standards which are now recognised as essential to protecting public health. The new legislation also takes account of regulatory reform principles and the desirability of minimising red tape and costs to businesses. High standards of pest management are important to the community and to maintaining public health standards. Many of the pests which pest management technicians deal with can contribute to health problems if not adequately managed in both domestic and commercial environments. Among other pests, these technicians deal with cockroaches, of which I have an entirely irrational fear, mice and rats, which can contaminate food and transmit disease. Mosquitoes are recognised as a significant problem in Queensland. They can transmit diseases such as Ross River virus, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, among others. Spiders such as red-backs are common in domestic environments and can present a hazard, particularly to the young and vulnerable. My eldest daughter, Jordan, who is a bit of a junior entomologist, was very pleased with herself the other day and wanted me to have a look at this wonderful spider she had trapped in a glass. She wanted me to admire the beautiful red stripe on its back. From that point on we knew that we had to get the pest controllers out, because the last thing we need is for our precious children to be endangered in any way. Mr English: I hope you are not padding. The member for Robina will be upset. Ms MALE: I am definitely not padding. Adequate control of these pests by licensed technicians who have the skills and knowledge to safely eradicate the pests is important to the community. As I have just outlined, it is also important to me. It is essential that pest management and fumigation activities that use pesticides and fumigants in the treatment process are undertaken by competent technicians. Under the new legislation, licensed pest management technicians will have training in the use of these pesticides and fumigants to the level of the national competency standards. The competency standards will ensure that licensed technicians will have adequate knowledge of the pesticides and fumigants, of the impact on people who live in the areas being treated and of adverse environmental impacts. The national competency standards, which must be met by pest management technicians who are licensed under the new legislation, will help to ensure that the technicians undertaking these activities have the appropriate skills and knowledge. They will have the skills and knowledge to appropriately treat the target pests while minimising any risk to the public. Those pest management technicians who currently hold an unrestricted licence under the Health Act have already met those standards of competency and will not be required to undertake additional training. People who currently hold a restricted licence will have two years to either have their competence assessed or undertake training to reach the required standard of competence. 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4625

The bill results from a comprehensive review of the current legislation. It involved extensive consultation with the pest management industry and other key stakeholders, including the Queensland branch of the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association. The AEPMA is the peak industry body in Australia and has been the leading representative of the industry for 15 to 20 years. The pest management industry, through the AEPMA, has been a key driver in the development of new national competency standards for pest management. The association has worked in close contact with licensing authorities in each state and territory and fully supports licensing and the national competency standards, which it collaborated in developing. As part of the consultation process, stakeholders were given an opportunity to comment on an exposure draft of the bill. The bill has a high degree of support, particularly from industry stakeholders, who welcome the bill to the extent that it will help rid the industry of unscrupulous or shonky operators. I congratulate the minister and the industry stakeholders on their ability to work together to produce such solid, workable legislation. I commend the bill to the House. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before calling the honourable member for Tablelands, I draw the attention of honourable members to the presence in the gallery of the former deputy mayor of Hervey Bay, Mr Derek Struik. Ms LEE LONG (Tablelands—ONP) (12.46 p.m.): I rise to speak to the Pest Management Bill 2001. I generally agree with the policy objectives of this bill to protect Queenslanders from the effects of poisons which are used in the control of the numerous pests and vermin we have to fight against in our everyday lives. It has long been documented that contact with many of these products can cause a wide range of health problems. It is the case that we have to weigh up the worth of the poisons that have to be used against the health issues and/or the destruction that can be caused by the many pests in our society today. Our pest controllers do a wonderful job. Where would we be without them? Over the years we have seen many changes to the types of poisons that have been used and subsequently taken off the market. These have been used in households as well as across many industries. I can remember when most large cattle stations used DDT in their dips. This had been the practice for decades and certainly saved the lives of numerous cattle—cattle which had previously died from the effects ticks had on them. DDT has now been taken off the market and other forms of poisons are now used. I was involved in the building industry for about 20 years and remember when dieldrin was the common poison to put under house slabs. Subsequently this was found to be unsuitable and these days other types of poisons and preventives are used. White ants have become a huge problem again. They are everywhere and it seems there is no stopping them. Owners of timber homes, especially the older style ones, must be forever vigilant. Even those with brick veneer homes have to be watchful, as we all know of instances where the timber frames and trusses have been eaten out, leaving only the brick shell intact and massive repair costs. The poisons being used these days do not seem to be keeping the white ant invasion at bay. They are even in the trees. Near my home there are white ants in the gum trees. There are dirt trails from the ground right up the trunk and along the underside of every branch. I am told that the white ants will fly about 100 metres, so any white ants in trees within a hundred metres of a building need to be eradicated. Meanwhile, they are killing the gum trees. I believe that an apprenticeship type system has been put in place in the pest control industry whereby newcomers to the industry have to do a two-year practical course with a licensed pest management technician. They also must pass a number of academic courses in conjunction with or at the end of the apprenticeship before becoming qualified. Pest controllers I have spoken to do not have a problem with this bill, with the exception of the huge penalties for breaches referred to in clauses 11, 50 and 51, which constitute offences punishable in each case by a maximum penalty of $75,000. Clause 11 provides that a person must not carry out a pest management activity unless that person is a licensed technician or a properly supervised trainee. Clause 50 provides that a person who is not a licensed technician cannot advertise in any way, shape or form. Clause 51 provides that a licensed technician, or anyone carrying out a pest control business, cannot permit or require another person to carry out pest control activity unless that person is a licensed pest management technician or a properly supervised trainee. With the huge fines able to be imposed on an employer for work done by someone else in his employment, and with trainees having to be continually supervised, it is difficult to see many owners of small or even larger businesses taking the risk of employing people. 4626 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001

It is of concern that a person or corporation can be found guilty of offences committed by their representative. This bill states that executive officers of a corporation must ensure that the corporation complies with the provisions of the bill, otherwise each executive officer also risks committing an offence. This bill states that an executive officer cannot hide behind the corporation banner. With human nature being what it is, who will take on such huge responsibilities? We see again, as we have seen in many amendments passed in recent times, the wide-ranging powers conferred upon inspectors to enter property and to demand documentation—powers of entry which can extend beyond situations where the occupier consents or where the entry is authorised by a warrant. Documentation must be made available to inspectors upon request. It is important that all documentation be kept up to date by pest controllers otherwise fines can be imposed at the very least, adding to our red-tape society. This bill takes into account requirements of the national competition policy. I have noticed that many bills and amendments in recent times make reference to the national competition policy. One could almost say that it has become the new constitution of Australia. This amendment bill seeks to replace the existing licensing system under the Health Act 1937 and the Health Regulation 1996 with a new single licensing system which will cover three classes of pest management activities such as pest control activities, including activities for timber pests, excluding activities for timber pests and fumigation activities. In conclusion, while pest management is a specialised area and workers in that industry need to know what they are doing, it seems that national competition policy is again dictating and strangling yet another industry with excessive regulation to the point of threatening a person with heavy penalties for daring to involve themselves in private enterprise. Ms NOLAN (Ipswich—ALP) (12.51 p.m.): I rise to speak in support of the Pest Management Bill. The Beattie government understands the importance of the housing industry to Queensland's economy. Each day more families take advantage of Queensland's fantastic climate as well as the quality of our schools and hospitals. As a result, more and more people are choosing to build their homes here. We must ensure that their interests and those treating their houses for termites are protected. The Pest Management Bill specifically addresses the safe use of chemicals in our community. Timber pest control is one part of the pest management industry where specific expert knowledge and skill is required. Termites do not in themselves pose a significant public health risk, but the treatment used to manage these pests does. Management of timber pests requires the use of potent chemicals in close proximity to where people live. These chemicals persist for a long period in the environment and can cause a public health risk if not used according to manufacturer labels, Australian standards and any industry standards. Improper pest management techniques for termite control have also caused significant grief to householders, including those at Forest Lake not far from my electorate. Ineffective treatment of termites causes significant hardship to householders. Householders deserve peace of mind when it comes to the protection of their assets. These are people who have worked hard to provide a future for themselves. When it comes to termite control, the appropriate application techniques for timber pests often require specialised equipment for application and the technicians need to have a high level of skill in how to properly apply the appropriate chemical. Pest management technicians require skills to accurately identify the timber pests and to ensure selection of the appropriate chemical agent. These skills will ensure that the public is exposed to minimum risks associated with the chemicals and treatment processes. These skills and competencies are also recognised as requirements of the BSA licensing regime. Training requirements proposed to be prescribed for licences under the Pest Management Bill are consistent with core requirements of the national standard for licensing pest management technicians and also have two additional competency requirements. The standard was developed by state and territory licensing authorities in collaboration with the pest management industry and training organisations. Under the bill, licensees carrying out pest control activities for timber pests will also need to attain two additional competency units. Unit 8 deals with inspection and reporting on timber pests, which is used for assessment of competency for providing a report, quotation or specification of work. Once again, licensees are able to carry out these activities cognisant of legislation and codes such as operational health and safety guidelines, public health, the environment, parks and wildlife, pesticide controls, industrial consumer protection, trade practices, equal opportunity, antidiscrimination, freedom of information, industry codes of conduct and relevant Australian standards. 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4627

Unit 10 deals with control of timber pests and is used for assessment of competency in eradication of protection against timber pests. It includes competencies specific to timber pests, including knowledge of chemical exposure and the acute and chronic effects of exposure, appropriate hazard controls and of dangerous goods in use. There is a focus on personal protective clothing and equipment to ensure the safety of workers and the surrounding environment. By ensuring that timber treatment is reflected in the approach to safe pest control operations in the Pest Management Bill, the Beattie government has ensured that the health and safety of our community is preserved. This bill has the support of local pest control operators and the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association. It provides protection to Queenslanders through both consumer protection and in terms of public health. I commend it to the House. Ms NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (12.55 p.m.): While the Pest Management Bill, like the current legislation, focuses on the regulation of commercial pest management activities, a significant feature of the bill is that it provides greater clarity as to what pest management activities are covered by legislation. Under the current legislation, licensing applies to persons who perform pest control activities for payment or reward but exempts activities used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. The payment or reward test has led to some legal uncertainty as to whether the current provisions of the Health Act apply to people such as employees who perform pest control activities which are incidental to their main duties. The payment or reward concept is therefore not being retained under the bill. A new approach is taken whereby the bill broadly defines pest control activities and fumigation activities to potentially cover all forms of those activities. The bill then exempts specific categories of pest management activities from its application because they are regulated under one piece of legislation, do not involve a significant public health risk or are otherwise not appropriate to be subject to licensing. The principal pest management activities exempted from the bill are those performed in the primary industries sector and fall into two categories—namely, the pest control activities carried out by aerial distribution of an agricultural chemical product or the use of approved timber preservative treatments, and these activities are specifically regulated under other state legislation, and pest control activities or fumigation activities on farms used in the production or preparation, for marketing or export, of agricultural or horticultural products. The exemption of pest management activities used in primary production effectively maintains the status quo for primary production. Pest control activities in primary production are not currently licensed and they will not be required to be licensed under the Pest Management Bill. The main reason for exempting these activities is that the health risks involved in such activities are adequately addressed through other regulatory controls. Those other controls apply to the supply and use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and focus on the use of those chemicals in the primary industries sector. The requirements for pest control in primary production are different from those in urban settings. These controls include the national registration scheme for such chemicals which require the labels to specify matters such as safety precautions and Department of Primary Industries control-of-use legislation which requires those chemicals to be used in accordance with their approved labels. Apart from the primary industries exemptions, other pest management activities exempted are pest control activities used in relation to processing grain or seed for use as food for animals or to control a pest on an animal, like flea control by a vet; pest control activities relating to the caring for or growing of plants at a place that is primarily used for recreational or sporting activities, such as spraying a bowling green with a pesticide; pest control activities by people in their own homes; and pest control activities involved in the use of household pesticides ordinarily available from retail grocery stores. The household pesticides exemption has been tightly drawn to ensure that commercial-strength pesticides that may be available to the public at some hardware outlets or pesticide distributors are not caught by this exemption. The bill also contains a provision which will prevent a person from attempting to avoid the licensing requirements while conducting a pest control business. It will not be possible for a pest control business to avoid the licensing requirements by using only household pesticides. The bill specifies that the exemption for household pesticides does not apply when the pesticide is used as part of a business. In addition to the specific exemptions in the bill, a regulation may exempt a pest management activity, or use of a type of pesticide or fumigant or a form or concentration of same, from the application of the bill provided the activity could reasonably be expected to pose no or only a negligible health risk to any person. This recognises that, as methods of pest management and types of pesticides change from time to time, circumstances may arise where the specific exemptions do not cover activities where no significant health risks are involved and, 4628 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001 therefore, it is unnecessary for those activities to be subject to licensing. I congratulate the minister and commend the bill to the House. Sitting suspended from 1.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. Mr CHOI (Capalaba—ALP) (2.30 p.m.): I rise today in support of the Pest Management Bill 2001. The Beattie government understands the kinds of practices necessary to keep pests under control. This has been demonstrated time and time again in an effort to protect our industries while ensuring our public health is protected. They are always concerns for those who work with potentially harmful chemicals. This legislation will go a long way in protecting the health and wellbeing of both our community and those who work with chemicals to control pests. The Pest Management Bill regulates two distinct types of pest management activities, namely, pest control and fumigation. The honourable members for Redlands, Glass House and Ipswich have already spoken about other issues regarding this bill. I would like to speak about the fumigation aspect of the bill. Although the main use of fumigation is to kill pests, it is treated separately from other forms of pest control because fumigants, unlike other chemicals used for pest control, produce a gas. Being in gaseous form, fumigants present a higher level of risk to human health, and their use requires different skills and competencies from those required for pest control activities. Vapours are more easily absorbed by the body through the skin or inhalation, so extra precautions through appropriate training are required. Fumigation is commonly used to kill insects in stored products such as food and grain and for treatment of buildings for West Indian drywood termites. It is also used extensively in quarantine facilities to ensure that imported and exported products are free from pests. As a result, fumigants are used extensively by our agricultural industries and also to preserve the viability of our infrastructure. Many fumigants are toxic and hazardous and can cause serious harm to people who are exposed to them, either through inhalation or by contact with the skin. Two of the most common fumigants used are methyl bromide and phosphine. The value of methyl bromide as a fumigant was first reported in France in 1932. In the ensuing 50-odd years it has been gaining acceptance as a fumigant for a wide range of uses, including soil fumigation, timber fumigation and for foodstuffs, seeds, plants, fruits and vegetables. Methyl bromide is the most commonly used fumigant for plant quarantine treatments in many countries because of its high toxicity to a wide range of insects and its good penetrating ability and speed of action. Unfortunately, methyl bromide has also caused a number of deaths throughout the world. A particular cause of danger is that the symptoms of poisoning may be delayed for several hours after the exposure occurs. Methyl bromide can cause burns to the skin, an accumulation of fluid in the lungs from inhalation of the gas, and it can cause major damage to the brain, nervous system and kidneys. However, precaution is the key. For example, if a person entered a building being fumigated with methyl bromide due to an absence of appropriate warning signs, exposure for a few minutes may cause symptoms such as headaches, sore eyes, loss of appetite and abdominal discomfort. Accidental exposure to fumigants has occurred from time to time in the fumigation of ship holds due to the fumigant being improperly released so that the fumigant is trapped in the ship's hull and released into the hold at a later stage. In view of the high toxicity of fumigants, it is essential that people undertaking fumigation are competent to handle fumigants and take appropriate safety precautions to protect themselves and other members of the public who might be placed at risk through exposure to the fumigants. The required safety precautions in this bill include: ensuring the premises being fumigated is airtight so as to prevent the escape of fumes and vapour; ensuring the premises and its immediate surrounds are vacated during the fumigation period and for a sufficient time after the completion of the fumigation; ensuring any liquids or food likely to absorb the fumigant are removed; and placing appropriate warning signs at the premises. To minimise the risk of accidental exposure to fumigants occurring, the Pest Management Bill establishes a licensing regime under which fumigation activities, other than those undertaken on farming properties in the course of primary production, must be carried out only by a licensed pest management technician or a trainee who is properly supervised by a licensee. Like licences for pest control activities, the qualification for a licence for fumigation activities will be prescribed by regulation and will involve the attainment of the national competency standards for pest management. It is proposed that licensees will be required to attain units 6 and 11 of the competency standards. This is in accordance with the national standard for licensing 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4629 pest management technicians which was developed in 1999 by state and territory licensing authorities in partnership with training organisations and the pest management industry. The assessment of competency is gained through practical demonstration in the work environment or in an industry approved simulated work environment. All people holding a fumigator's licence under the current legislation will need to upgrade their qualifications to meet the competency standards within two years after the new legislation commences. This will ensure that all licensees possess an appropriate level of competence to safely carry out fumigation activities— Mr Reeves interjected. Mr Rowell interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Mickel): Order! The member for Hinchinbrook will cease interjecting. He was on his feet interjecting as he walked in. He should observe the protocols of the House. Mr CHOI:—and therefore protect the public and themselves from the health risks associated with those activities. By tackling the hard issues when it comes to pest management— Mr Reeves interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Mansfield will cease interjecting. There is too much crossfire occurring. Mr CHOI:—and specifically fumigation, the Beattie Labor government, through the delivery of this legislation, will ensure that the health and safety of those in the community and the environment are not compromised. I commend this bill to the House. Mrs REILLY (Mudgeeraba—ALP) (2.37 p.m.): I am pleased to rise to support the Pest Management Bill. The licensing system established under the Pest Management Bill is supported by a range of other controls in Commonwealth and Queensland legislation which aim to ensure the safe and effective use of pesticides and fumigants. For example, all pesticides and fumigants are subject to the national registration scheme administered by the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals. Under this scheme, the national registration authority regulates the manufacture, distribution and supply of agricultural and veterinary chemical products through registration up to and including the point of retail sale. Registration of new chemical products is subject to a rigorous scientific evaluation of the product taking into account human, animal and environmental safety, efficacy and the potential impact on trade. Product registration is aimed at ensuring that the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia does not harm the health and safety of humans, animals and the environment or impair future prospects of ecologically sustainable development. A key element of the registration process for pesticides and fumigants is that the approved label for the product must contain specific information, including the approved rate of use and dose rates for the product, the concentration of active constituents, the method of application and the safety precautions to be followed. While the Commonwealth controls the supply of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, the controls of the use of these chemicals are contained in legislation administered by the Department of Primary Industries. The Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988 prohibits the use of unregistered agricultural and veterinary chemicals and requires such chemicals to be used in accordance with the approved labels or under approved permits. The obligation relating to the use of chemicals in accordance with the approved label is reinforced under the Pest Management Bill as a standard condition of all pest management licences. Queensland workplace health and safety legislation also contains various controls that apply to pesticides classified as hazardous substances under that legislation. For example, material safety data sheets must be provided by suppliers of pesticides setting out the hazard involved, precaution for safe use and information about safe storage and disposal procedures. Lastly, licensing requirements under legislation administered by the Building Services Authority apply to pest control activities involving the control of termites in new homes. Therefore, the licensing system established under the Pest Management Bill, together with a range of other controls imposed on the use of pesticides and fumigants under other legislation, forms a comprehensive scheme to protect the Queensland public from the health risks associated with pesticides and fumigants. 4630 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001

As someone who has used local commercial pest control companies on several occasions to control the management of pests, particularly cockroaches, ants and fleas in my household several times, including at a time when I was pregnant, I was, among other consumers, just someone who had to put all of my faith and trust in a company and a person using a chemical that I did not know of or was not aware of. I did not know the difference between that or something that I could buy off the shelf. I had to put my faith in those people and trust that they were professional and honest operators who would not put my health, the safety of my pets or my future child at risk. I was happy to do that, because I had pest problems that I had to have fixed. I will do that again, because I have faith in the industry. I also have faith that this bill will ensure that there are not any shonky or dodgy operators out there. It will give the community cause to have faith and trust in the industry. This bill is good for the industry. Industry operators are happy with the bill, as they know that they can comply with its provisions and that it will bring their industry into greater repute and not leave them open to any possible negative criticisms. So I am very happy to commend the bill to the House. Ms BOYLE (Cairns—ALP) (2.41 p.m.): I, too, am pleased to speak in favour of the Pest Management Bill 2001. Indeed, I endorse the closing remarks of the member for Mudgeeraba. She made the good point that sometimes those of us who are the clients of pest management services know little about the chemicals involved and know little about the potential dangers that they can pose to themselves or even to unborn children. Therefore, I recognise the importance of setting standards commensurate with our knowledge in 2001 of the risk of such pesticides not only to clients of pest management operators but also to those who are working in those businesses. I want to refer particularly to the competency standards that will be required as part of the bill that are features of the new licensing system that will be established requiring qualifications for a pest management technician's licence. In order to secure that licence, the attainment of nationally endorsed competency standards will be required. These competency standards for pest management were developed by the property services industry advisory body in collaboration with the pest management industry and, in particular, the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association. The standards form part of the training package for asset maintenance in property services, which was endorsed by the Australian National Training Authority in December 1998. The standards comprise 42 units of competency. Each unit deals with a separate technical or business function relevant to carrying out pest management activities and specifies the tasks involved in performing the activity and the criteria against which the level of competency in that activity can be assessed. In parallel with the development of the competency standards, a national standard for licensing pest management technicians was developed by state and territory licensing authorities in partnership with training organisations and the pest management industry. So to all of those bodies who have been part of the development of these qualifications, of the detailed contents that lead to the 42 units of competency, we should say thank you. Their hard work on behalf of their industry and for the protection of the general public is really appreciated. It would be understandable if from time to time some people who were part of those many consultations and part of the work of developing the details behind this bill became frustrated. But it seems as though it is not going to be long before their hard work is recognised and enshrined in law. Of course, as members of parliament it is a relatively simple matter for us to support this bill as other people have done the hard and detailed work. Therefore, I really thank those other officers in government agencies, particularly the Department of Health, for their efforts. This bill means that, from now, new entrants to the industry will ordinarily undertake training, either through a registered training organisation or at the workplace under the supervision of a licensee. The method of assessing a trainee's competence will involve two components. The first component is an on-the-job component involving assessment at a workplace or simulated workplace. That might be an assessment during a practical workshop run by the registered training organisation or an assessment on the job by a qualified industry workplace assessor. The second component is an off-the-job component involving an evaluation of written assignments set by the registered training organisation. Although these new standards may be accepted by new entrants to the business, simply because they have not been involved in the business before and, therefore, would not be aware that these are new requirements, nonetheless they may not be so well received by existing operators. It has been the experience of people who have worked in other industries that, when 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4631 new standards of qualifications are required, despite people's many years of experience, they become somewhat anxious as to whether or not they can translate that experience into passing suitable assessments or evaluations of a written kind to prove their competence. In those circumstances, existing operators have also been considered by the bill. Their experience, as well as their need to have an independent recognition of their qualifications, has been allowed for. The other method of assessment is a simpler process called a recognition of current competence. Under this process, the registered training organisation reviews evidence provided by the person of their competence, such as documents showing the person's current qualifications and work experience. The recognition of current competence process might be used by existing licensees who are required to upgrade their qualifications. If those licensees are able to demonstrate the required competencies, they may be able to continue to be licensed without undergoing any additional training. Alternatively, existing licensees may need to upgrade their qualifications in specific competencies. Therefore, some existing licensees may not be comfortable with the bill as they may find that their ability to translate their experience into external evidence of their competence is somewhat lacking. In fact, they may find that they need to upgrade their qualifications. Although they may be experienced, as they have been repeating that same level of experience over and over, they are just a little behind the leading edge of their profession, as it were. I encourage those people to persevere. Learning skills a little later in life is not as hard as it sounds. Nonetheless, this bill is essential. The Pest Management Bill, by requiring licensees to attain qualifications based on the national competency standards, will result in a greater level of protection to the Queensland public from health risks associated with the use of pesticides and fumigants. It will ensure that all of those in the industry—technicians and those with full licences—are themselves protected from harm within their workplaces. Ms MOLLOY (Noosa—ALP) (2.48 p.m.): I rise in support of the Pest Management Bill. There are always concerns for those who work with potentially hazardous chemicals. This legislation goes a long way toward protecting the health and wellbeing of our community and of those who work with chemicals to control pests. Under the current regulatory system for pest management technicians, there is no requirement that pest management activities by the state should be undertaken by licensed technicians. This bill binds the Crown and requires the use of licensed pest management technicians. Alternatively, it requires government agencies to seek an exemption from the licensing requirements in the bill. Exemptions from the requirement to use licensed pest management technicians will be given only after a thorough assessment of the risk posed to public health by the pest management activity. Therefore, the bill assists to ensure the continued safety of pest management activities undertaken by government agencies. A recent Courier-Mail article of 4 December 2001 refers to the use of two chemicals as part of fire ant eradication under the banner 'Health Risk Warning From Fire Ant Baits'. There are two forms of treatment used for fire ants. The primary form of treatment is broadcast baits, which are comprised of small pieces of corn grits about one to three millimetres in size, coated with soybean oil and an insect growth regulator—either S-methoprene or pyriproxyfen—or the metabolic growth inhibitor, hydramethylnon. Initial treatments to residential and commercial properties will comprise a fifty-fifty blend of an IGR and hydramethylnon. Follow-up treatments will be with baits that contain an IGR only. The second chemical, chlorpyrifos, is used only on a limited basis for treatment of nuisance mounds. The article notes that products for indoor application of chlorpyrifos have recently been banned in Australia because of the risks associated with its indoor use. While chlorpyrifos is being used in the fire ant program, it is only used outdoors and only when considered necessary to treat nuisance mounds that have been assessed as posing a health risk to nearby residents and others. Its use in specific nest treatments should not be confused with indoor use of the same chemical where exposure is likely to be higher. It is important to recognise that some of the chemicals used in pest management do present a risk and must be used carefully and only in safe and appropriate ways. The methods of use of both chemicals in the fire ant control program have been carefully evaluated. Queensland Health has concluded in relation to chemicals in the broadcast baits that the estimated level of human exposure that might occur among the general community during the fire ant control program is very low and is probably negligible. Based on the best available toxicological information, it could not be expected to pose a public health risk. 4632 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001

While it is currently not necessary for government agencies to use licensed pest management technicians, it is Queensland Health's assessment that the methods of use of chemicals in the fire ant control program are safe. Programs of pest management undertaken by government agencies will fall within the scope of the bill unless they are excluded under clause 7. Exemptions include most pest management activities in primary production and pest management relating to growing lawns at bowling greens and other sport venues. In addition, the bill provides for other limited exemptions to be made by regulation. Importantly, an exemption may be made only if the pest management activity could reasonably be expected to pose no risk or only a negligible health risk. The bill will support continuation of safe and competent pest management activities in the public as well as the private sector. This is an accountable government. When it comes to pest management and, specifically, to ensuring that government staff use chemicals in a regulated way, the Beattie government will ensure that the health and safety of the community and the environment are not compromised through the delivery of this legislation. Ms STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (2.53 p.m.): I have witnessed the extensive damage to homes at Forest Lake in my electorate as a result of shonky pest control operators. I am, therefore, very encouraged by the provisions in this bill. Forest Lake is a unique and wonderful community and it was a shame to see the unfair stigma attached to that community during the publicity surrounding the termite issue. That problem has certainly been taken well in hand now and those residents can feel quite relieved that their community continues to enjoy a good reputation. Mr Seeney: Where's Forest Lake? Ms STRUTHERS: In the electorate of Algester—a great electorate! Anxious home owners invited me to witness first-hand the termite damage to their homes. I saw many damaged load-bearing posts and beams; I saw architraves around windows where it was possible to put a finger through the paint and there was nothing behind it. Many of those families were living with a great deal of anxiety, wondering what damage was hidden behind the walls. Termite damage caused a lot of problems for those families, so it is great to see the provisions proposed in this bill. I was struck by the fact that many Forest Lake residents were living with a false sense of security. They had bought their homes very recently, believing they had been treated for termites. They even had bits of paper saying the homes had been treated. As matters developed, it became clear that some of the pest control operators were diluting their chemicals. A company by the name of Guardian was one such operator. It was investigated by the Building Services Authority and was later prosecuted. That sent an important message to the industry that shonky operators will not be tolerated. I was also struck by the fact that many residents were not aware that the chemical and physical barriers around their homes had to be maintained. They did not know that if landscaping was placed around the home which blocked the weep holes and other such things, it in fact rendered the barriers ineffective. That situation has resulted in a strong focus on the need not only for tighter regulation of the industry—which this bill tackles—but also for greater community awareness. I was pleased to play a role and to work with industry players, with the BSA and with families in that area to actually get three very positive strategies occurring. One of those was a greater focus on state-wide awareness. The BSA produced some wonderful brochures and videos. There were TV ads, there was some suggestion that there might have been a message on the city council rate notices and things, alerting people to the fact that they needed to have a treatment done every 12 months or so. So, a lot of positive things came out of the adversity that they were experiencing. But the important thing was the need for strengthening of the licensing system. I support the measures in this bill to strengthen the licensing system for pest management technicians, requiring technicians to hold new national competency based standards for pest management. There will also be criminal checks done to see if people have past criminal offences and a past revocation of their licence. All of that is very important for the industry and sends a very strong message to the industry that the sort of practices Guardian was prosecuted for will not be tolerated. Some good certainly came out of that. I think there are many people in that area who are still worried, so we need to maintain the vigilance, maintain the community awareness and make sure we police these standards. 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4633

I want to personally thank the members of the BSA I worked with during that difficult time: former CEO Matt Miller, Ray Potts and Ian White were all very helpful in working with people in that Forest Lake community. They certainly took our concerns seriously. Many members of the House too would remember Davo—Bruce Davidson from the National Party, the former member for Noosa. I actually want to thank Davo because he gave bipartisan support to me on that local issue. He was the opposition spokesperson on fair trading and there were people going to him to say the government was not doing enough. He in fact realised that the government was taking action. He would talk to me about it and say, 'Look, I've got these concerns but I'm with you all the way. You're trying to get something done. Good on you. You have my support.' Dear old Davo did the right thing and I really appreciate that bipartisan support. The residents of Forest Lake who acted responsibly certainly deserve a big thank you. There was a lot of media attention and a lot of hysteria to whip this issue up. Most of the families and individuals I met with were very responsible and worked with me very well in solving that problem in Forest Lake. My thanks go to them. I commend the Health Minister and her departmental officers for bringing in these new standards and other provisions within this bill. It certainly will go a long way towards getting rid of the critters that have caused harm in my electorate and I commend her for that. Mr LEE (Indooroopilly—ALP) (2.58 p.m.): It is with a great deal of pleasure that I support the Pest Management Bill 2001. Governments and, in particular, this state government have a very important role to play as the watchdogs of public safety. For that reason, the protection of the public from health risks associated with pest control activities and fumigation activities is one of the main objectives of the Pest Management Bill. We would all be aware that chemicals used as pesticides and fumigants are highly toxic and can cause serious harm to people who are exposed to them. After all, they are designed to kill small creatures. Exposure to pesticides and fumigants that can cause difficulties can occur through skin contact, inhalation of fumes, vapours and dusts or by ingestion. The degree of risk posed by exposure to these chemicals varies according to factors such as the type of chemical, its dilution, the method, frequency and duration of the exposure, as well as—and this is significant—the age, size and state of health of the person exposed. That is why I am absolutely delighted that a key part of the bill is the implementation of some pest management competency standards. A key feature of the new licensing system established under the bill is that the qualifications required for a pest management technician's licence will involve the attainment of initially endorsed competency standards. These standards for pest management were developed by the Property Services Industry Advisory Body in collaboration with the pest management industry, particularly the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association. The standards comprise 42 units of competency and each deals with a separate technical or business function relevant to carrying out pest management activities and specifies the tasks involved in performing the activity and criteria against which the level of competency in that activity can be assessed. It is very important for people working with chemicals of this nature to be competent and that the community is certain that they are competent. This is yet another example of this government's commitment to making Queensland the Smart State. In conclusion, I am delighted to support the bill and wish honourable members a very happy and smart Christmas. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN (Stafford—ALP) (3.00 p.m.): I rise to support the bill before the House. I am pleased that the member for Callide is in the chamber. I was due to speak earlier, but as he was not here when the House resumed I did not want to rise. Interestingly, after the Leader of the Opposition's two-minute statement this morning, a couple of members told me that what was said by opposition members is not what happened. I said, 'What do you mean?' They said, 'Your version of what occurred was pretty right. It was the member for Callide who made the first comment about numbers. You replied that they were working in their electorate at school functions. He was the one who mentioned the word "electioneering". You said, "No, they're out in their electorate working." ' Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Poole): Order! What is the relevance of this? I ask the member to get on with the debate. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: Yes, I am. I am explaining why I delayed my contribution. That is because I want to say my words. This morning the opposition put its words in my mouth. I did not want that dishonesty to come back into this debate. I wanted my words to be in this debate, not the words of the member for Callide, dishonestly— 4634 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Stafford will continue with the debate. Mr SEENEY: I rise to a point of order. I obviously find the member for Stafford's suggestion— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. Mr SEENEY: I find his remarks offensive, and I ask that they be withdrawn. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: I withdraw. I am happy to speak about this very interesting bill. Mr ENGLISH: I rise to a point of order. I find the concept that the member for Callide made a smart comment offensive. I ask that it be withdrawn. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: Hansard is reporting members' comments. Members might be interested to know that side comments made during a division apparently now are part of proceedings, according to the member for Callide. That is a very dangerous precedent, because he, of all people, would be the loser in that situation. I will not stoop to the depths stooped to by the member for Callide. I am happy to continue with this debate. Mr Reeves: It is good to see him here. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: It is good to see him here. I hope he has a very happy Christmas with his family. With respect to the benefits of this bill to the food industry in terms of proper pest control, I speak not only from my point of view as a member of the minister's health committee but also as the chair of the Food Safety Stakeholders Forum, which is a broad group looking at food safety and developing a very good paper to give to the minister. Good manufacturing practices in the food industry dictate that we have a good pest management practice, that is, effective strategies to control pests in the food preparation environment. Queensland food manufacturers had a seminar in September this year on pest management in the food industry. Large food manufacturers shared their experiences of pest management as part of their overall quality processes. They claimed that it was an essential part of their overall business, and not an add on or an impost. They claimed that if pests were not managed properly it impacted on their sales and profitability. These companies stressed the importance of having trained pest control technicians who understood not only the hazards associated with pesticides but also that pest control does not just equal chemical control. Modern approaches to pest control are based around environmental pest management, which is based on understanding the business and its processes and what types of businesses might find their way into the food business. For small businesses in the food industry pest management is a major issue. The Food Safety Standards state that the food business owner must take all measures to ensure that there are no pests in the premises and must not allow pests to be present. Pests are vectors of disease. For example, cockroaches can transmit human pathogens such as salmonella, campylobacter, E.coli and others. Cockroaches and flies are mechanical vectors of disease. They transmit disease by contact and are indiscriminate feeders, spreading disease from themselves to the food, and from food to other food and to surfaces in the area. Rats and mice are some of the most common pests that might cause a problem in a food business. They, too, are mechanical vectors and will contaminate food contact surfaces. Because they are nocturnal, they are not often seen in a food business and therefore the business owner is not aware of their presence. Rodents also carry insects such as fleas that also transmit disease. An honourable member interjected. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: There are some other fleas on two legs that also transmit rubbish. In addition, these animals can cause contamination to food in food manufacturing businesses. An honourable member interjected. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN: Yes, I do wish the member for Callide a happy Christmas. Queensland Health receives numerous complaints each year of pest contamination of food. These contaminants can be droppings or animal parts. Recently, a recall was issued for an overseas product sold in Australia that contained a 50c piece-sized chunk of a rodent—at no extra cost! In a recent case in north Queensland, a food business was successfully prosecuted for numerous breaches of the Food Hygiene Regulation 1989, including pest infestation of the 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4635 premises. This business was fined $20,000, and the director of the company was fined $6,000. The business is no longer operating. In both of these cases proper pest management by competent technicians could have prevented these problems occurring. A competent pest management technician needs to understand the elements of pest management such as the biology of the pest, its preferred habitat, life cycle and ecology as well as an understanding of physical, chemical and biological pest control options in an integrated pest management approach. The standards required by this legislation for licensed pest management technicians will ensure that pest management technicians are competent and safe. I applaud the minister for bringing this legislation before the House. Hon. W. M. EDMOND (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Premier on Women's Policy) (3.06 p.m.), in reply: I thank all honourable members for their support of this bill. I thank the opposition for its support and its high level of interest in this important bill. A number of queries were raised by various speakers throughout the debate, and I will just try to address some of those in the summing-up. Most of the training required under the bill is available by distance learning. All pest control training can be done by correspondence and is therefore accessible at any location. The more specialised fumigation training is offered in a number of locations, and there are currently 16 registered training organisations for pest control training in Queensland. The member for Maroochydore raised concerns about the potential for abuse of the investigation and enforcement powers in the bill. There are a number of safeguards to ensure that the powers are not misused. The inspection and monitoring powers are important to ensure that Queensland Health can properly monitor compliance with the legislation and in turn ensure the protection of public health. Inspectors must be appointed by the Director-General of Queensland Health and only those staff with appropriate understanding of their role will be appointed. Queensland Health will conduct information sessions and workshops and publish guidelines to help the industry understand how the new legislation will operate and what the industry needs to do to ensure compliance. There will be adequate time for pest management operators to be informed of the changes as the legislation will not come into effect until regulations have been developed. In terms of compliance, pest control operators are currently licensed under the Health Act, and the ongoing costs are not expected to increase. There will be savings to Queensland Health, as it will no longer be required to conduct the pest control examinations for applicants for licences, and these resources will be available for monitoring and compliance activities. There has been an allocation of funding to cover the initial costs of public education and promotional activities. The introduction of photo licences is expected, and will be met by Queensland Health. The Building Services Authority has been very much involved in the drafting of this bill. It is recognised that there is a very close relationship between the BSA and the pest management legislation. During the time leading up to the commencement of the legislation, I will ask the department to liaise further with the BSA to ensure that both organisations are in a position to provide relevant information to applicants for licences to ensure that any unnecessary duplication is avoided. The Scrutiny of Legislation Committee raised queries about clause 10. The regulation- making power under clause 10 allows a type of pest management activity which does not fall within the general exemptions under clause 7 of the bill to be exempted from the legislation. The clause caters for changes that may occur in the pest management industry, such as the introduction of new types of pest management activity or new pesticides that do not involve any significant health risks and therefore do not need to be subject to licensing. Rather than requiring low-risk pest management activities to be licensed, it will be possible for such activities or pesticides to be exempted by regulation rather than by amending the act to extend the exemptions under clause 7. The regulation-making power is limited to activities that are reasonably expected to pose no more than a negligible health risk to any person. This safeguards against the power being inappropriately used for purposes that are inconsistent with the objectives of the bill. The issue of the level of fines was raised. I have to say that I think the increase in the fines is very necessary. I think every member in the House would have had representations made to them about shonky dealers who, by their work, have undermined the confidence in the industry. We have all seen news reports of home owners who have been left with houses riddled with white 4636 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001 ants and termites, having to pay a mortgage but having no house to live in. We want to send a serious message that this is about getting rid of the shonks from the industry and restoring confidence. This has been really well supported by the reputable firms in the industry. Mr Rowell: Some of those chemicals do not have a long residual life, either. Mrs EDMOND: No. There was also evidence of some operators either not using chemicals or using very watered down chemicals. People were thinking that they had termite protection but they were finding out years later that they had a lot of holes throughout their houses. There have been instances of this at the Gold Coast. I am not sure about the situation in north Queensland. There certainly have been a lot of cases reported in the media here. Whereas I have not had any specific instances of such a high level of difficulty reported to me personally, I have read quite a number of cases in the media. One of the wonderful things about this bill is that we have had tremendous support from people in the industry. It is in their clear interests to get rid of the shonks and give confidence back to the people who are using pest eradicators and operators. I thank all members for their support for this bill and for their cooperation in the House. I thank the departmental officers, the BSA and all those who were consulted, the pest extermination operators, et cetera, for the support that they have given. I thank everybody for their contributions. Motion agreed to.

Committee Hon. W. M. EDMOND (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Premier on Women's Policy) in charge of the bill. Clauses 1 to 9, as read, agreed to. Clause 10— Mr ROWELL (3.13 p.m.): There is a very high penalty for a person who contravenes this particular clause. Clauses 11, 50 and 51 certainly have some major ramifications for people who may be licensed for pest management, particularly if they are technicians or if they are properly supervised trainees. I think the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee raised this issue. I am a little concerned about the level of penalty in the case of what could be considered to be a minor offence. I take on board what the minister said about the shonks in the system. We do not want to see that. But I am concerned that the maximum penalties that are now being talked about are in the order of 1,000 penalty units. If a person commits an offence of some sort, that must be measured by the courts as to exactly what that means at the end of the day as far as that person's responsibility for what he or she should have done and did not do. Could the minister give us some indication as to why the penalty system has been set at such a high level and not on some sort of a sliding scale? Mrs EDMOND: The member is referring to the maximum levels. Everything has to be taken into consideration in determining the level of the fine that will be imposed. One of the issues that must be remembered is that we are trying to protect people from the severe consequences of operators who claim to have licences and claim to know what they are doing but do not have the necessary skills and expertise. Some people who have a $150,000 or $200,000 mortgage on a property have found that it is useless because of poor workmanship, et cetera, on the part of somebody who has claimed to be an expert and in whom they have put their faith. Not one member in this House would be able to make that judgment themselves. We have to take their word for it. So it is going to be a serious offence for operators to hold out that they have that expertise when they do not. We will provide the mechanism by which people can ask for proof that those persons have a licence, et cetera, by having licences with photos on them. A full consideration was given to the level of fines. The member needs to be aware that those fines are the maximum to be imposed, not the minimum. Mr ROWELL: As I understand it, this bill goes beyond just controlling pests in houses. It covers a whole range of things, such as fumigating for borers. In Maryborough we have the West Indian termite. The DPI is supposed to do a certain amount of work in relation to that. Some areas have not been treated but should have been treated. The government has a responsibility to get rid of particular pests such as termites—and there is a whole range of termites. This raises the issue of just how far the government is going in the scale of things as far as penalties are concerned. 13 Dec 2001 Pest Management Bill 4637

Mrs EDMOND: I am not sure what the member is trying to say. He gave a very good argument for why there needs to be a high level of training and a high level of protection from unskilled people. Fumigators are treated as requiring a higher level of skill because of the very nature of the chemicals involved. That is often the sector where accidents occur affecting the operators and the people nearby, particularly in enclosed spaces such as silos, et cetera. This is an important issue. It is one that we have talked over. I assure the member that there has been a lot of discussion about this with people in the industry, and they support this. It is really up to them to make sure that we do set the standards and enforce them. One of the arguments put to us was that if the fines are so small as to be meaningless people will not make the effort. A number of people have found it very lucrative to hold themselves out to be fumigation experts, pest control experts, et cetera, when they do not have the skills or the expertise and are not providing the service for which they are being paid. It is in everyone's interests that we make it quite clear that we are not going to accept that; we are going to enforce it, and we will make the fines meaningful. Mr ROWELL: The issue that I was raising is that in Maryborough there is a major problem with the West Indian termite. The DPI has allotted so much money to do a clean-up of much of it. Mrs Edmond: That is not covered by this bill. Mr ROWELL: In other words the fumigation of the West Indian termite is not covered by this legislation? The point that I am making is that if there has been only a certain amount of money allocated by a government department for a clean-up operation—knowing that there are probably more of these pests around that can go into other properties—how does this bill affect that situation? That is what I was asking. Mrs EDMOND: It would seem to me that that is a question for the Primary Industries Minister. There are a whole range of areas in which it is being exempted. However, people within DPI who will be providing these services will also have to comply with the licensing provisions and get their training up to date. That has been agreed to with DPI. It will be doing that. In terms of the clean-up after operations in special cases such as the one mentioned by the member, I think he would have to talk to DPI. That is not part of this bill. That is a completely different procedure. Mr Rowell: The point is that termites can go from an untreated area into a treated area. Mrs EDMOND: This bill is about regulating the people who are providing those services. It is about putting in place standards and controls on the operators. It is not about every clean-up operation or treatment program around Queensland in terms of who does it or who pays for it—whether that is paid for by a private person, by a department or by an industry. It is about putting in place standards for the operators. Clause 10, as read, agreed to. Clauses 11 to 61, as read, agreed to. Clause 62— Miss SIMPSON (3.21 p.m.): This clause was referred to quite extensively in the report of the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee. The question it asks is— Does the legislation confer power to enter premises and to search for or seize documents or other property without a duly issued warrant? This question refers in particular to clauses 62 to 90. Further reference is also made specifically with regard to clauses 69 to 82. The concerns expressed by the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee are quite strong. I note that the minister did make reference to some of the other concerns of the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee, but I do not believe there has been a satisfactory explanation on this point as to the extent of these powers when we consider that the committee has noted— The bill confers upon inspectors significant powers of entry. These extend beyond situations where the occupier consents or where the entry is authorised by a warrant. The committee notes— Once entry has been effected the bill confers on inspectors a wide range of powers. ... The committee draws to the attention to Parliament the extent of these powers. I guess one of the values of having the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee reviewing legislation is to make sure there is monitoring of whether legislation in fact meets fundamental legislative principles and other principles. 4638 Pest Management Bill 13 Dec 2001

Obviously we understand the intention of the legislation but, as we have already heard, there are quite extensive penalties. This is a policy decision of government and industry. People are saying that they want to see far tougher penalties, given that there has been a history of abuse in this industry. Yet there also has to be balance to make sure that people are dealt with in a just way. These clauses do give quite extensive powers to those who are in fact implementing the legislation. They are contrary to the principles of having some opportunity to respond in a situation where a warrant has in fact been issued. Could the minister please respond to the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee's comments in regard to clauses 62 to 90? Mrs EDMOND: With regard to the exercise of entry powers under the bill, the issue is that this is about safeguarding public health and safety. As I mentioned earlier, there are a range of safeguards to ensure that the powers are not misused. The inspection and monitoring powers are important to ensure that Queensland Health can properly monitor compliance with the legislation and, in turn, ensure the protection of public health. The inspectors have to be appointed by the Director-General of Queensland Health, and only those staff with appropriate understanding of their role will be appointed. It is most likely that most of the inspectors who will be appointed under the new act will be people who are already appointed under the current Health Act to exercise powers in relation to pest management activities. We expect that it will be the same people, just employed under the new act. They will therefore be experienced and have an existing understanding of the proper exercise of powers of inspection and entry. I certainly have no record of anyone feeling that those powers are currently being misused, so it is difficult to understand that after the changes they will be misused, particularly as under the legislation the inspectors must have an ID card and must carry and display it when exercising powers, and the bill requires ID cards to contain a recent photograph of the inspector and their signature. These measures should ensure that there will be no doubt that a person who is exercising those powers under the legislation is authorised to do so. As I said, I have no evidence of any misuse of that power to date. It is difficult to anticipate a misuse of it in the future. Clause 62, as read, agreed to. Clauses 63 to 85, as read, agreed to. Clause 86— Miss SIMPSON (3.25 p.m.): Once again, a question was asked by the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee about this clause, and it really needs the minister's response. The report states— Does the legislation provide appropriate protection against self-incrimination? In fact, the report goes on to note— The committee notes that cl.86 denies persons the benefit of the rule against self-incrimination, in relation to the compulsory production of documents issued to the person under the bill or required to be kept by the person under the bill. The committee generally opposes the removal of the benefit of the self-incrimination rule, and usually only considers that potentially justifiable if certain conditions (mentioned above) are satisfied. The committee refers to Parliament the question of whether the denial of the benefit of the self-incrimination rule by cl.86 is justifiable. Once again, we need to look at the strong comments in this regard of the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee and the fundamental legislative principles in light of the fact that there are substantial penalties. We have discussed the benefits of having substantial penalties but, once again, there are some legitimate concerns about whether that has been balanced by taking into consideration a person's rights to respond under law. There is a real concern about the denial of the rule against self-incrimination. When we consider that these rules are obviously important in other areas of law, why does this legislation not also take this into account? Mrs EDMOND: The range of documents that people are required to be able to present under this bill are pretty specific and pretty minimal. It is their licence document and documentation relating to the work they are doing. One would expect all bona fide operators to be able to produce those fairly easily. It is not something onerous. I think it should be there. I think the agreement of all of those we have been working with is that they should be able to provide that documentation very, very easily. Clause 86, as read, agreed to. Clauses 87 to 120, as read, agreed to. 13 Dec 2001 Amnesty International 4639

Clause 121— Miss SIMPSON (3.28 p.m.): My comments on this clause also relate to clause 122. I once again refer to the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee report and the fundamental legislative principles. I note that these provisions were not commented on by the minister in her second reading speech. These clauses result in a reversal of the onus of proof. There is a question in this report as to whether there has been sufficient regard to the rights and liberties of individuals. There are significant penalties and a policy decision has been made that this is appropriate but, once again, is there a balance in regard to the rights of the individuals in that situation? As these clauses bring about a reversal in the onus of proof, I seek the minister's response, as obviously this is a matter of concern. Mrs EDMOND: I would refer the member to the explanatory notes which explain the reverse onus of proof in this regard. Certainly, to stop people hiding behind the corporation and saying that it was not their responsibility that actions were not carried out, that people were not adequately trained or that the right chemicals were not used the provisions say that a principal has to have a responsibility. It effectively provides that an act done or omitted by a person's representative relating to the committing of an offence against provisions in the bill is to be taken as if the representative was acting within the scope of the representative's authority. The person will therefore be taken to have committed the relevant offence unless the person can prove that they could not, by the exercise of reasonable diligence, have prevented the act or omission. This will ensure that companies ensure that their staff are trained, that they are properly licensed and that they have the proper skills. They cannot hide behind the fact that they are just the employer rather than the person who is actually operating and providing the pest control business. It is a standard in a range of areas to prevent people in management positions and corporations hiding behind the fact that they are not the person who is on the ground actually providing the service. Clause 121, as read, agreed to. Clauses 122 to 145, as read, agreed to. Schedules 1 to 3, as read, agreed to. Bill reported, without amendment.

Third Reading Bill, on motion of Mrs Edmond, by leave, read a third time. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before calling the Minister for Environment, I inform the House that Margaret Curran, a parliamentary attendant, has won the bowls club Christmas raffle. I thank all those people who bought tickets for their kind support.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Take a Step to Stamp Out Torture Campaign Hon. D. M. WELLS (Murrumba—ALP) (Minister for Environment) (3.32 p.m.), by leave, without notice: I move the following motion suggested by Amnesty International— That this House— Supports Amnesty International in its 2001 campaign, Take a Step To Stamp Out Torture, and acknowledge Amnesty's Twelve Point Program for the Prevention of Torture. Further, that this House recognises the calls of Amnesty International to all people, groups and governments to do what they can to end impunity for torture. The House is concerned that more than 150 countries throughout the world practice both physical and psychological forms of torture to cause pain, intimidation and misery to individuals. People are tortured not only for information but also because of their beliefs, their gender, and their social standing within society. Recognises that torture is a fundamental violation of human rights condemned by the General Assembly of the United Nations and calls on all governments to acknowledge Amnesty International's twelve-point program for the prevention of torture— 1. Official condemnation of Torture. 2. Limits on incommunicado detention (safeguards should be enacted to ensure victims have access to people outside who can help them or find out what is happening to them). 3. No secret detention (ensure accurate information is available to the victim's relatives or lawyers). 4640 Amnesty International 13 Dec 2001

4. Safeguards during interrogation and custody (ensure Governments keep procedures for detention and interrogation under regular review). 5. Independent investigations of reports of torture (reports of torture must be impartially and effectively investigated). 6. No use of statements extracted under torture. 7. Prohibition of torture in law (Governments should ensure that acts of torture are punishable offences under criminal law). 8. Prosecution of alleged torturers (those responsible for torture should be brought to justice). 9. Training procedures (incorporate into training the message that interrogation or treatment that is torture is a criminal act). 10. Compensation and rehabilitation (victims of torture and their dependents should be entitled to obtain financial compensation). 11. International response (Governments should use all available channels to intercede with governments accused of torture). 12. Ratification of international instruments (all governments should ratify international instruments containing safeguards and remedies against torture, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol which provides for individual complaints). Further this House reaffirms its commitment to bring an end to the torture of all men, women and children throughout the world by calling on all governments to acknowledge and adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and condemns all forms of torture, calling on all Governments around the world to heed Amnesty International's message, Take a Step To Stamp Out Torture. Mr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—NPA) (3.35 p.m.): I rise to second the motion moved by the Minister for Environment. Considering the aspirations of Amnesty International's motion, it behoves all members of parliament to support it. The motion says that the campaign is basically all about taking steps to stamp out torture and acknowledging Amnesty's 12-point program for the prevention of torture. Many of us find it very hard to believe and understand that, as opposed to our very civilised country, which has a whole range of protective steps, natural justice and processes put in place by our governments and courts to protect our basic rights and liberties, these sorts of things happen in at least 150 countries around the world. Only recently I read a book on the Inquisition. Many people would not believe that the Inquisition was finally put to rest in the 20th century. It started shortly after the 10th century and continued for almost 1,000 years. The things that happened in those days were repugnant. Torture was a part of the Inquisition. Just as we should not be prepared to accept an inquisitorial-type regime in this day and age, we should not be prepared to accept in any way, shape or form in our own country or other countries around the world a regime which is based on torture to intimidate people based on their gender or their political views. That is completely and absolutely unacceptable and something which we should be working with other kindred groups around the world to attempt to stamp out. It is also very hard for us to understand and believe that in our world—we have public interest monitors who ensure that our basic rights and liberties are protected, various bodies that investigate criminal breaches and misconduct in our society, official visitors who go into jails, taped statements and a whole range of other protective mechanisms—there are at least 150 countries where these sorts of things are not a matter of course and are not enshrined. Quite frankly, this is not good enough. I do not think many of us could imagine the absolute horror and uncertainty of going to bed at night and sleeping very uncomfortably realising that tomorrow we could be the victim of physical or psychological torture, something that would leave us either mentally or physically scarred for the rest of our lives. Because we have such strong and affirmed values and beliefs in this country, we should do whatever we possibly can to ensure that other countries around the world also adhere to those values, because they are basic human values. They are values of dignity. They are values of respect and values of mutual respect. It is very important to ensure that we eliminate such things as torture, detention without access to people from the outside, detention without access to legal counsel or one's family and statements taken under torture and duress, because they can be abused and used against the person who is the subject of that torture. We have to work really hard in Australia and beyond to ensure that those aspirations are upheld and that these indignities and abuses of human rights are stamped out. I ask all members to unanimously support Amnesty's motion and Amnesty's 2001 resolution in terms of stamping out torture around the world. Hon. J. FOURAS (Ashgrove—ALP) (3.39 p.m.): Torturers do not discriminate between men, women and children. Torturers do, however, discriminate on the basis of ethnicity or political beliefs. Torture is carried out using weapons such as fists, sticks, gun butts, makeshift whips, iron 13 Dec 2001 Amnesty International 4641 pipes, baseball bats and electric flex. Amnesty believes that other methods of torture that people are forced to endure include: electric shocks, reported in more than 40 countries; suspension of the body, reported in more than 40 countries; beating on soles of the feet, reported in more than 30 countries; suffocating, reported in more than 30 countries; mock execution or death threats, reported in more than 50 countries; and prolonged solitary confinement, reported in more than 50 countries. Manufacturing, trading and promoting equipment which is used to torture people is a money- making business. Providing training in the techniques of physical and mental torture can be equally profitable. Companies and individuals throughout the world manufacture and market devices and expertise that enable the act of torture to be carried out. Devices such as leg irons and shackles and electroshock devices are traded throughout the world under the disguise that their purpose is for security and crime control. Torture is a criminal act under international law, and those who commit torture must be brought to justice. According to Amnesty International, at least 150 countries have used torture in the last four years. In more than 80 countries people have died as a result, and in more than 70 countries torture by police officers, prison guards and soldiers is widespread and persistent. In Sierra Leone, a young girl was stripped naked and sexually assaulted by state officials. Ignoring her pleas for them to kill her, instead they cut off both her hands with machetes. They then told the young girl to take the message to a nearby town. Other girls were abducted and suffered amputations of their hands, arms, lips or ears. However, torture is not carried out only by state representatives but also by family members, employers and others in countries where authorities choose to do nothing to protect people. I would like to read Peter's story, which is quite horrendous. He states— I come from Jammu/Kashmir. India and Pakistan are fighting over my country. When I was a little child, my father was arrested and tortured several times. When I was five years old, he disappeared and we never heard from him again... My life was hard and frightening. Soldiers from both sides would come into my village, which is on the border, and start shooting, looking for their 'enemies'. In most cases, innocent people, including children, are killed, women gang raped and our houses set on fire. When I was 17 I was arrested for trying to stop the soldiers come into the village. They abused me and tortured me. They made me undress completely. Tying my ankles together with rope and laying me on the ground. Hitting me with wooden sticks and a leather belt. I had a sore face and broke my tooth. I still have a broken tooth from being hit on the face. They crushed my legs with heavy wooden roller. Several times they put my head in a bucket of water for about one and a half minutes. They pulled my hair. I was laid face down on the floor and they used a machine that had a leather belt attached to it, which whipped me on the back repeatedly. They put chillies on a bottle around the top and pushed it into my backside. It was very painful and I had swelling and sores. I received no medical treatment and I was not given much food to eat. I was kept in jail for more than one week. I had bruising all over my body and when I urinated there was blood in my urine. They kept asking me for information. I did not know what they wanted. I escaped and my family paid for me to be taken to Australia. If they had caught me I would have been killed. I am pleased to support the motion that joins with Amnesty International in its 2001 campaign to stamp out torture. Mr PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (3.43 p.m.): I too support the motion to join Amnesty International in its 2001 campaign, Take a Step to Stamp Out Torture. The definition of torture is an act carried out by or with the consent of government officials. The purpose of torture is to inflict immense physical and psychological suffering on an individual. Torture is designed to destroy individual personalities, terrorise whole communities into submission and, less often, to extract information from an individual. We should all be concerned that torturers inflict physical agony and mental anguish on people in police stations, prison cells, on city streets and in remote villages. The cruelty inflicted on people enslaves them for a lifetime, affecting every moment of their daily lives. Torture is an abhorrent and destructive tool used by many countries throughout the world. People wrongly assume that torture is an act practised only by developing nations. However, sadly, torture is used by many countries, including our more developed nations. In August 1987 Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant, suffered severe internal injuries after New York police officers tortured him at a Brooklyn police station. Despite the offending officers lying about their involvement, one was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and the three others were convicted of conspiring to cover up the incident. 4642 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001

Torture does not happen in a vacuum. The social and political context and the supply of tools and techniques for inflicting pain rely on a failure of political will. If the governments of the world had the political will to stop torture, they could do so. Manufacturing, trading and promoting equipment which is used to torture people is a money-making business. The parallel trade in providing training in the techniques of physical and mental torture can be equally profitable. Companies and individuals around the world are involved in providing devices and expertise which are ostensibly designed for security or crime control purposes but which in reality lend themselves to serious abuse. This is a global trade involving countries on every continent. It also therefore involves governments in every region of the world. Some of this equipment has changed little over the years. Leg irons and shackles, for example, are reminiscent of the cruelty and inhumanity of the slave trade. However, modern technologies such as electroshock devices are an increasing part of the torturer's armoury. All of these devices and weapons, no matter how different, have in common the potential to inflict severe pain and injury. They also share a serious lack of official controls on their manufacture and sale. Stopping the torture trade is an important part of the campaign to eradicate torture. I call upon all members of the House to support this motion. Motion agreed to.

SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (3.46 p.m.): I move— That the House, at its rising, do adjourn to a date and at a time to be fixed by Mr Speaker in consultation with the government of the state.

VALEDICTORY Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (3.46 p.m.): This is the fourth valedictory speech that I have given as Premier. On Boxing Day, this government will have been in office for three and a half years. On Monday, it is 10 months since the last state election. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun! As the parliament rises for 2001, it is timely to reflect on the year just ending. For all of us, the year started with the election of Queensland's 50th Parliament. It was an excellent result for my government but it was also an excellent result for the women of Queensland, because it returned 32 women members, and I am proud to say that 27 of them are on my side of the House. Mr Fouras: It is better for it. Mr BEATTIE: Not only is it better for it; I understand that only Denmark and Sweden have a higher percentage of women in their parliaments than does Queensland. And haven't they enriched this place? It is a much better place. They are incredibly talented, what is more. Mr Springborg interjected. Mr BEATTIE: There are some, like the member for Southern Downs, who feel nervous about the number of women who are encroaching on his territory. And so should he feel nervous! Mr Springborg: Why don't you give up your seat for one? Mr BEATTIE: After you, my friend. I congratulate each and every one of them for the contributions— Mr Springborg interjected. Mr BEATTIE: Don't get excited; women will catch up with you sooner or later! I congratulate each and every one of those women members for the contributions they have made to parliament this year. They all have improved our parliament. They have brought the woman's perspective to all matters before the House and ensured that our deliberations are truly representative of the people of Queensland. This year has been a golden year for Queensland. The government has been successful in bringing a number of major employment projects to reality—projects such as the $1.5 billion Comalco alumina refinery and the $1.3 billion Australian Magnesium Corporation magnesium metal plant in central Queensland. I do not say this in any sense of bravado. All of us in this House should be proud that these projects are coming to Queensland; it doesn't matter whether 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4643 you are Labor, Liberal, National, One Nation or Independent. These projects are unprecedented in the state's history and, indeed, they are the most significant projects in 25 years. If we add other initiatives such as the Hail Creek coalmine, we can understand the importance of it. One of the reasons why they are so important is that they herald a new era of light metals. That is one of the metals of the future. It is not just that light metals are the metals of the future; we all know that cars are using light metals now. Engines are going to be lighter, seats are going to be lighter, seat casings and steering wheels—all of those things are going to be lighter, which is better for the environment. It means that cars are lighter. It means that they use less fuel. That means a better outcome for the planet. That is why light metals are so important. I should say that the $1.5 billion Comalco aluminium refinery is only stage 1. If the three stages go ahead, it will be a $4 billion project. I am happy to say that there are other projects on the agenda such as LG Chemicals, and I saw the people involved with that company in Seoul. The Minister for State Development has also been talking to them. A little bit earlier on this afternoon I had a meeting with Aldoga. The people involved in that project will be seeing the minister in January. The Aldoga project is going ahead. I saw the major principals involved with Aldoga. Again, that is a huge project for this state. This golden year is ending on a positive note for our airline and tourism industries, with my government playing a major role in securing Cairns as the hub for Qantas' new low-cost international leisure air service, Australian Airlines. The new airline will bring 350,000 extra tourists to Cairns in the first year. This is unprecedented in the state's history. As one of our traditional job creation areas, as I said, the green light was also given for a $425 million coalmine at Hail Creek, which is 100 kilometres west of Mackay. As the Minister for Trade, I should acknowledge that we have a Vietnamese trade delegation in the gallery. I want to thank them very much for being with us here today and visiting our parliament. It is an honour to have them. This year the parliament has sat for 46 days—a total of more than 470 hours. This is the most hours sat during an election year since 1932. A total of 111 bills have been introduced to parliament this year—the largest number of bills introduced to parliament since 1990. As promised during the election campaign, the first bill introduced into the new parliament outlawed the use of racial and religious hatred to incite violence. The Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act 2001 has made unlawful any public statement that incites hatred or serious contempt for, or serious ridicule of, a person or group on the basis of race or religion. This government is determined that we will use our strength of multiculturalism to advance Queensland, not hold it back. We will not allow racism to destroy the great Australian fair go that we all believe in, that is, we judge people on who they are, not on their race, their religion or their gender. This year we introduced Australia's toughest mining industry health and safety legislation, which represents the most significant change to mining safety in Queensland since 1925 when the current Coal Mining Act was introduced. The government also got tough on tobacco, with new laws passed in May 2001. The new laws, passed by our superstar Minister for Health, will ban smoking in enclosed public places, including the dining areas of licensed premises, and at most casino gaming tables. It will further restrict the location of tobacco-vending machines and ban point-of-sale tobacco advertising promotions. This year the long-term sustainability of Queensland's largest fishery, the east coast trawl fishery, was addressed through the introduction of new management arrangements. There were many detractors who said that that would not work, but it did work. The east coast trawl management strategy has worked and it goes side by side with the RFA as one of the most significant environmental achievements of this government. It also meant that the small trawler operators—the family trawl operator businesses—received a fair go. Robert Hill wanted to destroy them; we saved them. These arrangements are widely regarded, including by industry, as among the most advanced fisheries management regimes in place in the world. This year we passed important legislation to create a new streamlined organisation to fight against organised crime and misconduct. The Crime and Misconduct Commission combines the separate research and intelligence resources of the Criminal Justice Commission and the Crime Commission. The government is also determined to tackle the problem of alcohol and associated violence on Aboriginal communities in the cape. I have just finished doing an interview with Stateline about problems on Palm Island. We know that there are problems on Palm Island. We have had 200 years of bad policy from both sides of politics in relation to indigenous affairs. It is about time that 4644 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001 we got some bipartisanship and some change, and that is what we are about. I will not run away, and nor will my government, from the problems of the past. We will solve these problems in the future, even if it takes years to achieve it. I again thank former Justice Tony Fitzgerald for his report into violence in indigenous communities on Cape York. He has set a path for us to follow to tackle this terrible problem—not just in Cape York but across the whole state. Currently, Judy Spence is consulting with Aboriginal communities on the best way to implement the Fitzgerald plan. This will be one of our priorities in the coming year. I would now like to single out for special mention some of those people who contributed most to the efficient running of this parliament. As members can see from the matters that I have dealt with—and I have dealt with them only quickly—that is the benefit of having 66 government members in this parliament. We can deliver outcomes. When there was criticism of AMC, a faint- hearted government in a minority position or with a small handful of a majority, would have run away. We held our ground, because we had 66 members. That is what it means to have 66 government members in this House. I say to the people of Queensland that it means outcomes. It means Comalco, it means AMC, it means Australian Airlines—it means all of those projects that we can deliver. I want to thank a number of people. To the Speaker, Ray Hollis: while this parliament has generally been very well behaved, particularly in comparison with past Queensland parliaments, from time to time we have a vigorous debate and members sometimes become just a little excitable. An honourable member interjected. Mr BEATTIE: I was talking about the member. Ray has dealt with these situations in a fair and even-handed way. He has done much, both in the House and in his other activities as Speaker, to lift the standards of the parliament. He has also made welcome to this parliament a large cross-section of the community. Only yesterday, thanks to Ray, I was able to host the volunteers from my own electorate of Brisbane Central, who were presented with volunteer medals thanks to his courtesy. I thank him for that. I thank the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees, Jim Fouras, the Temporary Chairmen and the parliamentary committees for all of their hard work. I also want to thank the whips on both sides of the House. On our side we have Terry Sullivan, Pat Purcell and Phil Reeves—the public transport friend or freak—and the whips of the official opposition are Vince Lester and Lawrence Springborg. I would also like to acknowledge the work of the member for Gladstone, Liz Cunningham, who organised the speaking list for the crossbench parties and Independents. Their efforts have contributed greatly to the efficient running of the House. I would also like to make special mention of the Independent member for Nicklin, Peter Wellington. This year Peter had a terrible accident and it is great to see him up and about and recovering so well. Although his injuries this year have slowed him down physically, they have not been able to dampen his exuberance for work and life. It is great to see him recovering so well. In fact, Peter sent me a Christmas card, which showed him sitting with Jenny. You can see both his legs. When I saw him wandering around the chamber I said to him that it should have said something like 'legless for Christmas,' and he took that in good spirit. For somebody to go through such an accident but to make sure that his legs are on display in his Christmas card shows courage. That is exactly what Peter Wellington is: he is one of the true Independents in this place. The member for Toowoomba North, Kerry Shine, has also had some major health problems and it is great to see him recovering so well. I know that all members of this parliament would like me to again wish him well. I would like to thank in particular the Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Terry Mackenroth, for his support. Through his first budget, he has managed to keep Queensland in a strong fiscal position. I also appreciate his personal friendship and support for me as Premier. I could not get a better deputy, and I thank him very much. I would also like to thank the Leader of the House and the Education Minister, Anna Bligh, who, after this year, is able to say that she has the best record since 1932 in an election year. Mr Mackenroth interjected. Mr BEATTIE: No, the Treasurer's record was the best since 1909, remember. Mr Mackenroth: Yes. 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4645

Mr BEATTIE: Let me tell members: I have an answer for everything. I thank my ministerial colleagues. I have had the pleasure of leading a great team. They are very loyal, very supportive, very dedicated and they have worked very, very hard through the community cabinet process. We all know in this game that the people who suffer are our families. Ministers, like everyone else in the community, have families. They give them up regularly to go to community cabinet meetings, travelling around the state, giving up some time Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays as well. As leader, I expect my team to work very hard and I am delighted that they do, but I thank my cabinet ministers and my team for their loyalty and support. They do a great job. One of the great things about living in a great democracy is that we recognise the importance of the opposition and the role the opposition plays in keeping governments on their toes and ensuring accountability in parliament. As you would expect, the Opposition Leader and I differ strongly on many policy issues, but there are many times and many forums in which we work very constructively together and set our political differences aside in the best interests of Queensland. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that. I repeat what I said this morning in question time: in the year that we have had, particularly since 11 September, with terrorism in New York and the war in Afghanistan, you have really got to say what a great country we live in when we can have our political differences across this chamber and I can go to functions with Mike and we can talk about matters as friends. I think that is a great part of being Australian. We should never, ever lose sight of that, particularly after the year we have had. I hope that everyone in this chamber reflects on this over Christmas and remembers what a great country we have. Just think of this: if you look at the number of changes of government we have had in Queensland in recent times—and I don't want the trend to continue, I should say—we went from Goss to Borbidge in 1996 and we went from Borbidge to this government in 1998 without one shot being fired and without one drop of blood being lost. We did it. Perhaps in some cases we did not like it, but we did it and we did it in the Australian way. Very few places in the world can actually say that. Look at the Balkans, look at the Middle East, then look at the problems we have had. Very few countries in the world can say it. It is a proud tradition in this country and I know every one of us would fight to keep it. I do want to say to you, Mike, there have been occasions when you and I have needed to deal with things. They have been sensitive issues. You have always dealt with me in a very friendly and open way, and I thank you for that. We certainly did that in relation to 11 September. I think one of the tributes of this parliament for this year is the way in fact that you and I did handle the events of 11 September and I think the community appreciates that, and I thank you for your cooperation on those matters. I thank our other party leaders, Bob Quinn and Bill Flynn, and the Independents for their contributions. This parliament has more Independents than at any other time in the history of Queensland. I know the Independents have worked as hard as they possibly can and I wish them well and I thank them for their contribution to this parliament. I pay tribute to the families of our members. In particular, I thank my wife, Heather, who on 4 January will have put up with me for 27 years, which requires her to receive a medal of honour. She has actually just won her doctorate and she is now a Doctor of Education. She has indicated to me that when we go to Government House in future, we will be introduced as Dr Beattie and someone else! I never thought we would have two big heads in the one family, I have to tell you. I thought one was enough! She pointed out that as we arrive our names will be called out, and it will be 'Dr Beattie and Mr Beattie'. I now know my place, Mr Speaker. Mr Mackenroth: You always knew it. Mr BEATTIE: Yes. As the deputy said, I always knew my place. Mr Palaszczuk: What about Rusty? Mr BEATTIE: I will get to Rusty. You stay out of it. Even though he licked the minister's shoes the other day, the minister can wait his turn. I thank my children; my daughter, Larissa, who has just finished year 11 and is about to go into year 12, and my twin sons, Matthew and Denis. I have not been home a great deal in the last year, because it has been a pretty rough time. As members may well recall, this time last year in particular was pretty ugly. My children have been quite understanding and I am looking forward to having a break with them. As members know, the Queensland Parliament functions well because of the hard work of the support staff. I thank the Clerk of the Parliament, Robert Doyle, and all his staff. I know he is 4646 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001 not in the House, Neil, but I would be grateful if our regards could be passed on to the Clerk and all the staff, yourself, and all the committee staff. I acknowledge the Chief Reporter, Doug Rohl, and his hardworking Hansard staff. I am always in awe of Hansard; how they turn the rabble and dribble in this place into articulate words that make sense is beyond me. I have to say, Doug, you really deserve a medal of honour. With Her Majesty's awards coming up in the next few years, I am sure we can make a nomination for you. I thank Ian Thomson and his staff in the Table Office, and the attendants and security staff. Thank you, guys, for looking after all the things I table in the House. We enjoy excellent library services here at parliament. Our thanks to Mary Seefried and the library staff. I make special mention of Nick Bannenberg, the former librarian who retired this year after many years of excellent service. Again I place on record my appreciation to the library. It takes an enormous amount of effort from a large number of people to make Parliament House function. I thank the switchboard operators who are always pleasant and helpful. They are wonderful. I make special mention also of something close to all members' hearts—the catering division. They do a great job. None of us could get to look the way we are without their help. I would also like to thank property services and one of their number who retired this year, gardener Alf Whackett. Alf started here in 1954, when Vince Gair was Premier and Johnno Mann—one of my predecessors in Brisbane Central—was the Speaker. Alf played a key role in keeping the grounds in such pristine condition for the past 47 years. I thank my personal staff—my chief of staff, Rob Whiddon, who works incredibly hard for the government. As the Leader of the Opposition knows, the personal staff—particularly the chief of staff—carry an enormous burden. Rob has been wonderful. I also thank my deputy chief of staff, Damian McGreevy; my principal media adviser, Steve Bishop; economic adviser Shaun Drabsch, Steve Keating and, of course, John Algate. A special thank you to the director of the government media unit, Lorann Downer. This is Lorann's last day with us in parliament. She is moving to a new career and I wish her well. She has been wonderful. I promised her that I would shout her a drink, so when we break up here, the Speaker is shouting one on my behalf. The Speaker has agreed to do it on my behalf, so I will be asking Lorann to come along to have a drink. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I did promise Lorann that she would get a drink. Mr SPEAKER: Spoken like a true Scotsman. Mr BEATTIE: That's right. Spoken like a true Scotsman. Lorann has been wonderful. She has worked very, very hard and I am certainly going to miss her. As members know, these jobs are incredibly high pressure. I am delighted that she is moving on to a new career, but I certainly will miss her. She is wonderful. I thank all my other staff. Any government—and my government is no exception—relies heavily on the professional qualities of its Public Service for high quality advice and assistance. I have enjoyed tremendous support from the Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet for the past three and a half years, Dr Glyn Davis. Glyn has now moved to a new position as Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University. He worked with my colleagues and I very closely to develop the Smart State strategy. Again, Glyn is someone whom I will miss. He is certainly a great Queenslander and I wish him well. Fortunately, we have found an excellent successor in Leo Keliher, who has vast experience in policy development and administration. I thank the other director-generals for their hard work and I thank the Public Service for their support. In addition to Glyn, there are a number of other changes taking place. Ross Rolfe, the head of State Development, who is not only the director-general who works with Tom Barton, but he is also my director-general in Trade. He has a farewell function tonight. He is going to become the CEO for Stanwell. I wish Ross all the best. He has helped with State Development to deliver a large number of projects for this state in cooperation with Treasury and my department. It is a good team between Treasury, State Development and Premier's. They work very well together and that team has produced this golden year for Queensland. Again, we will miss Ross Rolfe and his contribution. I also mention that Tony Bellas from Treasury has gone to the energy industry. Tony was a key player in the AMC negotiations along with State Development and my department. When we were desperately looking for a financial strategy to save AMC and keep it alive, Tony Bellas was a 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4647 key player in that and I want to place my appreciation on record. Also, Shaun Drabsch, my economics adviser, has left to head up the private-public partnership section in State Development. Kate Ellis is temporarily acting in that role. We all know the public-private partnership area is a very important one for the future. It is a way to encourage and see a number of major developments. It is an area where we need to be cautious, but it is an area where there are enormous opportunities. He has headed off to do that. I pay tribute also to someone who is leaving us not necessarily freely of will but who is leaving us nevertheless, and that is Mike D'Arcy. We all know that there have been changes in the media, and it is not for me to comment on those matters here. We have a love/hate relationship with the media; we love them and they hate us. An honourable member interjected. Mr BEATTIE: I would never say that. The member might say that, but I would not. I love them. I am only kidding. Mike D'Arcy has been an institution. I have been in politics for a long time. He has worked for Channel 7 for over 20 years. He has made a significant contribution. In thanking the gallery for its coverage of parliament—we do have a heart; we thank them for their coverage; we have not always enjoyed it, but we know they do their job and are a vital part of the strength of this democracy—it would be remiss of me if I did not say to Mike D'Arcy: thanks for your friendship and coverage of politics. Again, you will be missed in the scheme of things. We wish you well. Finally, I thank everyone in the parliament, and the backbench members of government and those in key roles. This is the most talented caucus the Labor Party has ever had in parliament. I thank them for their support. I know the Leader of the Opposition will not mind my saying this. I thank my team. They have worked very hard. They are very dedicated and are ensuring that Queensland has the great future that we all want it to. I wish them all a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2002. I say to the community, though, that it is imperative for everyone, including us, that over Christmas we drive carefully. As the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Police would tell us, there are too many decent, wonderful Queenslanders who lose their lives over the Christmas-New Year period. I know we say it every year, but there are too many broken bodies and too many dead souls. It is important that we remind people that they need to drive carefully. Finally, I look forward to spending some time on the beach with Rusty and the kids. An honourable member: They're not allowed on the beach. Mr BEATTIE: Who said dogs are not allowed on beaches? Who banned that? The first piece of legislation next year will be to allow dogs on beaches. Who said that we cannot have dogs on beaches? Mr Foley: Don't go to Fraser Island. Mr BEATTIE: I am not talking about Fraser Island. The Minister for Employment wants to be put down, I think. I am only kidding. I urge everybody to have a great break over Christmas. We have had an exciting year. I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a safe 2002. Good luck to everybody. Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—NPA) (Leader of the Opposition) (4.12 p.m.): I have great pleasure at this important time of the year, coming into Christmas, in seconding the Premier's motion. 2001 has been an incredible year for all of us and a year that we will always remember in history. None of us will ever forget the events of 12 September, as it was here, and 11 September in New York. I do not think anyone in the House will forget the mood in the morning when we came into this parliament. We helped each other and pulled each other together. We remembered how important our democracy is and reflected on the importance of the freedoms that we have in Queensland. I do not think my colleagues or I will ever forget that sad and sombre morning when we were all totally stunned by what had happened. The world changed irrevocably on that day, but in our small way in this parliament I think we reassured each other that in times like this we would stick together, that we appreciate Queensland and how fortunate we are to have our freedoms and that we will do whatever we can, no matter how small our role, to maintain world peace and strengthen the resolve against terrorism. For us in the opposition and the National Party in particular it was a sad time, because we saw some colleagues retire and some colleagues lost at the election. I place on record the sterling service given over so many years by our former leader, Rob Borbidge, who was a long- serving member, minister and Opposition Leader through a very difficult time. He won 4648 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001 government in very difficult and unusual circumstances and he led us through an enormous number of achievements in some two and a quarter years. Then he took on the very difficult role of Opposition Leader for the second time. I thank Rob and Jennifer for all that they did for Queensland and the National Party. We also saw the retirement of Russell Cooper, a stalwart of the National Party, who had served also as Opposition Leader, but more importantly served this state in the very high office of Premier. Russell in particular had the courage to take on leadership of our party as Premier in an extremely difficult time in 1989. He tramped the state with his wife, Penny, to help the National Party towards that difficult 1989 election and, following that, had the courage and strength to pull and hold the National Party together. Our other colleagues who retired at the last election were Brian Littleproud, who had served faithfully for Western Downs for many years and served as a minister; and Len Stephan, the long- serving member for Gympie. Talking about Hansard, those members who know Len might think there might have been a quiet little cheer as they said goodbye to Len. Len was a remarkable member and understood his electorate. I mention also Tony Elliott, who at one stage was the father of the House, and also served as a minister of the government. I thank also our colleagues who lost at the last election: Robbie Mitchell, from Charters Towers, a great member for that area; Allan Grice, from Broadwater; Mick Veivers, from Southport—we certainly miss the interjections of Mick and Allan; it would be nice to have them here as a backup at times; the dulcet tones of Mick Veivers!—Doug Slack, the long-serving member for Burnett and also a minister, as was Mick Veivers; Bill Baumann, from Albert; Judy Gamin, that highly revered friend of ours, the member for Burleigh; my dear friend Graham Healy, the member for Toowoomba North; and John Hegarty, the member for Redlands. We miss them greatly. It is a disappointment when our colleagues lose an election, particularly when they have all worked very hard and given so much of their personal life to making the parliament and their constituency a better place. I also join with the Premier in wishing my Toowoomba North colleague Kerry Shine well in his recovery. I know that Kerry is getting around and is well. He is gently easing himself back into action. We all admire the bravery and courage of Peter Wellington, and not just for his recovery. He lay on a slope half under a dozer for some 12 hours. We admire his courage and hold him very high in our estimation. New York was a most incredible event, but it has been just a year of events like that. Not long after that, we saw the Ansett collapse, which brought home to us the reality of job losses and what they mean to families. We saw the collapse of HIH and we all started to wonder about insurance, big business, corporations and how we could do our job better to safeguard people and make the place a bit more error free. Apart from those things and the many other tragedies in the world, it was a great year in Queensland. I think the highlight of the year for all of us, no matter what party we represent, was that it was the Year of the Volunteer. It was the year when we came to realise through the various functions, events and ceremonies organised that the backbone of our community and society are those people who give of their time and talent and do so unstintingly. We recognised their small acts of kindness. These are the people who keep sports clubs and so on going. For all of us this was the year in which we admired the volunteers and, hopefully, recognised their efforts. It was an historic year for Queensland, because the Brisbane Lions won the first AFL Premiership for Queensland. We have all started to understand a bit more that game in which they can be offside. I wish they had rules like that when I was playing Rugby. We admired that club as a symbol of the way administrators, sponsors, supporters and players can get together and this state can do anything. That event in particular this year was symbolic of that. I felt that another highlight of this year was the achievements of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, the QIMR—and I know that the Premier is a great supporter of this organisation—and what has been achieved by successive governments in putting facilities there. Some of the research that is happening at that facility is absolutely first-class. We in Queensland are probably at the leading edge of cancer research. On a sadder note, particularly in my electorate and, I know, for the Minister for Health, was the loss of three dedicated public servants working in the Health Department who were killed along with their pilot in that air crash at Toowoomba. It made us in this vast state realise how so many people who work under the banner of the Queensland government travel vast distances and do so willingly with great difficulty and often at great risk. I know that the Minister for Health 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4649 and I have our times in this place—and that happens between us all—but I was pleased to support her and the staff at that very sad time in Toowoomba. Queensland is a great state. I think that one of the things that many of us miss here, particularly in the last few weeks when we have spent so many weeks in the parliament, is our ability to be able to attend school speech nights. That is one place where we admire young people and hear about the incredible achievements of our young Queenslanders. We shake our heads in awe when we hear their speeches and at times wish that there could be some quality like that in here. It is a lesson and a great incentive for us all to know that the young Queenslanders who are coming through are so talented. We hear about the difficulties of teenage years, about drugs and so forth, but we can be proud of the vast majority of our young people. As a parliament, it uplifts us to be able to do all that we can for our young people. On the political side—and the valedictory is traditionally non-political—we did go through an election process that was very difficult for us. At the beginning of this term I congratulated the Premier and the Labor Party on their victory and put forward our resolve to give a professional, hardworking, dedicated and committed effort as the opposition. Every parliament is vastly different. It is the characters, it is the people, it is the events, it is the drama of everything that unfolds, and it is the anger. It is the pressure cooker of society at times. But this is certainly a parliament that none of us have quite experienced before. We have mostly been used to parliaments that are close in numbers. This parliament has a large and, might I say, temporary gap. This parliament also has a very large number of women—32. As has been said, it is the third- highest percentage of women in a parliament in the world. For the gentlemen on this side there are moments when we think, 'How can we be angry towards those women?', but we have overcome that because we have to think of them as members of the Labor Party and fair game. But it has changed the parliament, and it has brought a different attitude from both sides of the House. I certainly think—and I mean this—that it has made it a parliament for the better and has brought different views into the parliament. Talking about changes in the parliament—it was supposed to be a parliament that is family friendly. That is difficult to achieve in a parliament because of the way this place operates. I do not think 3 o'clock or 2.30 in the morning is family friendly. Do not blame us because we want to keep arguing the Water Bill or the Prostitution Bill, because we have to argue to the wire the things that are important us. That is our role. That is our job. That is something that we should consider. We do have to do long, hard hours in here. But as we have members in this parliament with young children and as we have members whose wives or husbands might be at home on their own for long periods, we do have to give some consideration to that. There have been a number of significant differences between us during the year. We have fought hard and to the wire on all those issues. But it is important to remember—and the Premier remarked on this—that what we have, and it is so precious, is our wonderful democratic system; we decide issues by the vote. We have changed parliaments, and there has been a difference of only one—I remember well in 1995 a disputed one—and we did it in a way that gave our people peace. This year there probably was not much dispute because it was not all that close. But we still changed over peacefully. It is a wonderful gift that we have, and we should never, ever forget that. Ultimately in this place there is the vote; we look at the scoreboard, and that decides what happens. It is something very precious. There were two significant departures during the year from the staff on which I would like to comment and thank them sincerely. Nick Bannenberg worked in the library for something like 34 years. He gave wonderful leadership to the library. It was recognised throughout parliamentary libraries of Australia and the world. He gave magnificent service to the team here with his staff. We should always revere, respect and maintain the library services here in this institution. Alf Whackett, the gardener, retired this year after 47 years in parliament. The Speaker noted at his farewell that Alf started here when Vince Gair was Premier. I was a young lad in shorts at the Mary Immaculate Parish at Annerley when Vince Gair was one of our revered parishioners. Mrs Edmond: We were still in nappies. Mr HORAN: The member was in nappies and I was in shorts. Mr Beattie: A pretty ugly sight by the sound of it! Mr HORAN: Yes. Even at that time I remember that there were tensions in the parish. I did go to school with his two lads. It just shows how far back it was when Alf worked here in the 4650 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001 garden. For many of us this place is a home away from home. People who are ministers, members with committee duties, shadow ministers and so forth can spend almost half the year living in that single room with the toilet and shower in the corner that is talked about as salubrious quarters. For many of us it can be a lonely place at times. The garden and the staff add to making it a home away from home. There are a lot of thankyous that I would like to make. First of all, I want to thank you, Mr Speaker, and your office for the operation of the parliament. You and I have had talks. We have been able to get through most issues. There are a couple more things I want to talk to you about. In the spirit of Christmas I do want to acknowledge that we have been able to resolve things. It is a very high office that makes this place work, and it is important for us to recognise that. I particularly want to thank Mr Robert Doyle, Executive Secretary Merle Lockett and all the table staff who have been so helpful to us. To the Premier and his ministry—we on this side recognise the huge amount of work and responsibility that is involved in his position and that of his ministry. We thank them for what they do for Queensland. Despite our differences and the questioning and so forth, we do recognise that. Thankyou to all the Parliament House staff, Corporate Services, the Members Support Program, Robert Fick and his staff, the Director of Finance, Michael Hickey, and his staff. I say a special thankyou to Hansard: the Chief Reporter, Doug Rohl; the very important cog in the machine, Jeanette Lippiatt; and all the other staff. We could not get by without them. To Mary Seefried, acting director of the library, and her staff I say a very special thankyou. I do want to say that there have been changes and reviews in the library. It is so important to each and every one of us in this House that we can have those services. Very often there are peak hours of parliament when there is a rush, and they have to be able to handle that. To Peter Morris and the Human Resource Management staff, Mike Coburn and the Information Technology staff, the Parliamentary Catering Division, Jaakko, and Sucil, the chief caterer, and Maureen and her staff, I say a sincere thanks for looking after us so well throughout the year. In Property Services I want to thank John McDonough and his staff. I also thank Barry Hensler, whom all members would recognise in their electorate offices. With all the changes that have taken place this year, it has been a big job for Barry and his staff in endeavouring to provide us with accommodation. I also thank the House Supervisor, Peter Mills. I want to thank the cleaners particularly. This is a big place and a difficult place to keep clean. I especially thank Maria, who takes good care of us in the opposition offices. I have mentioned Alf Whackett, but I would like to thank the head gardener and his staff. From Administrative Services I thank Brett Charlier and the team for keeping the whole place running. I make special mention of Elaine on level 10 and her supervisor, Brenda O'Donnell. The switchboard staff and the MSB staff from the Premier's Department have been very helpful to us. Since 11 September one of the most important things we have all started to recognise is security. We all thought everything was right, that we would just go on with life in our casual Queensland way. I do know that the security services in this place have always provided us with a safe haven. They have redoubled their efforts since 11 September just in case. We can rely on them, not only for security but also for friendship. I thank all of the chamber staff, the Table Office staff—I will not go through all of the names because we all know them so well—the Bills and Papers Office staff, who have helped us so much, and all of the attendants who help us, particularly those who work with the committee area. To anybody else I may have left out: thank you very much from all of us on this side of the House. I also thank the press gallery. The Premier said that ours is a love-hate relationship. Premier, I think when you love them we hate them and vice versa. They have become our friends and they are an integral part of this place. Mr Beattie: We noticed that. Mr HORAN: It sometimes reminds me of when I played footy and the relationship that existed with referees and linesmen. It is a little bit the same way sometimes. I particularly thank, in a very personal and sincere way, the staff of the opposition office. I single out my personal assistant, Jo Groth, and my driver, Mike Fenwick. The trip from Toowoomba is a four-hour round trip for us—two hours down and two hours back—and we do many, many of them. We are onto our second car. He has a young family and I thank him very, 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4651 very much for what he does—hanging around and waiting. I thank all of my staff. It has been a new year for us—a starting-up year, a difficult year. We have had some changes and adjustments. We have a good staff. I am very proud of them. I know that they are helping us enormously in what we do. I thank in a very special way my colleagues. It has been a hard year for my National Party colleagues. I thank my deputy, Vaughan Johnson. I think Vaughan typifies this place. He is a true westerner. He shoulders the responsibility of Deputy Leader of the Opposition and shadow minister for transport and main roads, state development, small business and Aboriginal and Islander affairs. He has an electorate based in Emerald, Longreach and Charleville. It is five hours drive between each of those towns and I do not know how many other little towns all over the place. He has a little patch out the back—Birdsville, Windorah, Jundah and Bedourie—that he has to do a lap around every so often. It takes him five days to do that. He is passionate about the people of the west. He is typical of what this big decentralised state of Queensland is all about. I thank my colleagues, my team. They have all shouldered huge responsibility, with a number of portfolios. We have come in here to this place and taken on our job with professionalism, attitude and commitment. My colleagues have all had to look after their electorates as well—in most cases they are big electorates—and I thank them sincerely for their effort. I congratulate Liz Cunningham on the way she has worked with us as the whip for her group of Independents, the Liberal Party and One Nation. We have been able to fairly, I think, share the load on this side. I thank and congratulate Bob Quinn and the Liberal Party, Bill Flynn from One Nation and those new members on this side who came to parliament for the first time after the last election. Particularly I thank Stuart Copeland, the member for Cunningham. His victory was a marvellous shining star in our election campaign. He has taken on a shadow ministry in his first year of parliament and has done an outstanding job. I join with the Premier in thanking the leaders of the House and the whips for the job they have done. Finally, I thank our families. In my case I thank my wife, Helen. We have had a hard year. We had a joyous moment during the year when our lovely daughter, Emma, got married. She had had about 18 months living with us at home. She married a navy aviator from the British navy. Straight after the wedding he had to go away and he ended up in a theatre of war on an aircraft carrier. He is now back in England and our daughter was able to go over there just last Saturday. Sadly, she will probably be living there for eight or nine years. That is a human side of what we all— Mr Beattie: You will have to get him to emigrate. Mr HORAN: I wish someone could put a package together for the Westpac helicopter or something like that! I thank my wife for her support. She does have many lonely nights. She enjoyed the company of our daughter, because our other children are overseas or interstate, working with their families. I think that situation is typical of many people in this parliament. Next year is the Year of the Outback—another important year following on from the Year of the Volunteer. I would like to think that as a parliament—the government and the opposition working together—we can leave something of lasting and enduring value to the people of the outback, who have played a very strong, pioneering role in our decentralised state. It is something for which those people will always remember that particular year. We look forward to next year with great enthusiasm and eagerness. On behalf of my deputy, Vaughan, and all of my hardworking team, I would like to thank everybody for their assistance. I wish every member of this parliament a happy, holy and safe Christmas. May you all spend good time with your families and friends. Can we just hold a little moment in our hearts for those people who are a little less fortunate than us and who need some help and support from us. I think you should all be very proud of what has been achieved this year. Thank you for what you have done for Queensland. Premier, thank you to you and your government. May you all have a wonderful Christmas. Dr WATSON (Moggill—Lib) (Leader of the Liberal Party) (4.36 p.m.): I would like to say one or two words. I am not going to try to repeat what the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition have said, but I would like to make one comment about a constituent of mine who served this parliament for a long period of time. Nick Bannenberg was the librarian and, as other people have said, he served this parliament exceedingly well. I think sometimes we forget how important research, and particularly the Parliamentary Library, is to each and every one of us in terms of our 4652 Valedictory 13 Dec 2001 ability to perform in the parliament. For backbenchers and those who do not have any other support, the library plays a particularly important role. I first met Nick when I was a member of the federal parliament and was on the parliamentary library committee of the Commonwealth parliament. There was a library conference in Perth. The then Speaker of the federal parliament, Harry Jenkins—some of the people in the Labor Party might know Harry; he is a great bloke—thought the Commonwealth parliament should be represented at that, so I was asked to go along. I say to people here, particularly to people who have recently become members of this place, that it was generally acknowledged that the Queensland Parliamentary Library was the second best parliamentary library in Australia after the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth parliament puts a tremendous amount of resources into the library, and no state parliament could possibly ever match the service and expertise they have there. But it was generally acknowledged everywhere that the Queensland parliament had the best library second to the Commonwealth. It was simply a fact accepted by everybody. The important role that the Queensland Parliamentary Library played in the life of the Queensland parliament was also acknowledged. Nick has led the Queensland Parliamentary Library for a long period of time and has built it. Each and every one of us in this place can contribute to debate and to the governing of Queensland in a much better way because of the service it provides. I think it would be remiss of me if I did not place on the record my personal regards. I wish Nick well in his retirement. I join with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition in thanking every other member of staff for the work they do. I hope they will forgive me for saying a few words about Nick. Mr TERRY SULLIVAN (Stafford—ALP) (4.39 p.m.): On behalf of the government and non- government whips, I thank the ministers, the shadow ministers and their staff for this year's activities within the chamber. I make particular mention of Louise Foley, who has been a very constructive link between the ministers and the whips in the processing of legislation this year. The whips also thank the backbenchers and crossbenchers for the way they have worked together to get legislation through and for helping make the parliament work smoothly. We thank the Speaker's office and the parliamentary staff for their assistance in whatever we have done. There are 31 members in particular who deserve our special praise. I refer to the 31 first-time MPs from both sides of the House. These members have tackled an enormously complex job with enthusiasm and goodwill. As a group, I believe they will be remembered as one of the most talented groups to enter parliament. All five whips wish members and staff a very happy and safe Christmas with their families. Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, at the end of the first year of the 50th Queensland Parliament I thank all members for their support and efforts during 2001 and reiterate my appreciation to my colleagues for extending my term as Speaker. The 50th Parliament, with its large government majority, could be thought of as easier for the Speaker than previous parliaments. However, I have enjoyed a range of challenges arising from the numbers in the House. In that context, I am grateful to the excellent Table Office staff who have continued to provide timely advice. In the Clerk's absence, I must express our appreciation to the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, their whips, minor party leaders and to the Leader of the House for their assistance in achieving a productive year for the Assembly. This year I have been, to some extent, spoilt by a large and enthusiastic team of Temporary Chairmen. My deputy, Jim Fouras, and the member for Logan, John Mickel, have supported the leadership of this team very well. Despite my protestations on specific occasions, I praise the House on its general good behaviour during 2001. The vast majority of MPs who do not disrupt this place should be commended. This is important to this institution's public image. In relation to that image, I am pleased to see that the parliament's partnership with the community has continued to develop. Our third Charity Golf Day raised almost $14,000 for the Cerebral Palsy League and our Queensland Day celebrations saw a record 3,500 Queenslanders visit this beautiful building and the multicultural displays that were here for the first time on the Speaker's Green. Speaking of visitors to this building, I must note the role the parliament is playing in welcoming visitors and providing them with a sense of the history of this place. In this regard, I thank staff, members and others who have supported the naming of the Belle Vue Room, the operation of the Federation Study Centre and the development of displays on Queensland's contribution to Federation and also on the abolition of the upper house. Having mentioned thanks for staff, on behalf of all members I want, firstly, to express our appreciation to our electorate 13 Dec 2001 Valedictory 4653 officers and assistant electorate officers. These additional staff have been the stand-out change of 2001. Of course, the leaders have already commented on the excellent parliamentary staff that we all appreciate, and I concur with their praise. This place deserve no less than the extent and quality of the services provided. Of course, this would not be the case without the high quality of staff in all subprograms. This year I wish to make special mention of two staff members who have retired after very long and dedicated service to the parliament and its members—Nick Bannenberg and Alf Whackett. Nick served in the Parliamentary Library for 41 years, with 28 years as the Librarian. Alf was a gardener for 47 years, keeping our surrounds beautiful and well maintained. I ask all members to consider the continuity of commitment that these careers represent. This commitment is not uncommon amongst our parliamentary staff, but it would be impractical to continue to mention them all. The Clerk, Robert Doyle, and the Executive Director of Corporate and Property Services, Bob Fick, have led their teams well. In the last year, a number of staff members have met challenges, both big and small, with commitment and skill. I particularly thank Neil Laurie, Mary Seefried and Geraldine Broerse. Finally, the work of my personal staff is very valuable to me. Col is often the face for the parliament with our visiting dignitaries. Christina coordinates demands on time and space with unwavering nerve. Keith, my driver, has been a new addition to our staff following Bob, whose support I appreciated. Stirling has persevered through highs and lows. Juliana and Val maintain the Redcliffe front. I pay special tribute to Juliana's strength as she faces a very difficult personal challenge. As members would appreciate, your spouse is important to your job. As Speaker, my wife, Diane, is essential to our work on behalf of the parliament. Thank you, Di. I offer my best Christmas and New Year wishes to all members, their staff, Parliament House staff and, as always, our friends in the media. I join with the Premier in expressing my sorrow at the fact that Mike D'Arcy will be leaving. He has been a good friend to me. I have also had the same love-hate relationship with him sometimes, but he is not a bad bloke. I am sure we will all miss him around the place. I conclude by inviting you all to join me upon the adjournment in the Parliamentary Annexe's Function Room B to enjoy some light refreshments at the behest of the Speaker. Motion agreed to. Hon. A. M. BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Leader of the House) (4.45 p.m.): I move— That the House do now adjourn. Motion agreed to. The House adjourned at 4.45 p.m.

G. A. NICHOLSON, ACTING GOVERNMENT PRINTER, QUEENSLAND—2001