PROOF ISSN 1322-0330

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

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

Subject FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT Page Tuesday, 24 May 2011

ASSENT TO BILLS ...... 1525 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 19 May 2011, from Her Excellency the Governor to the Speaker advising of assent to bills...... 1525 APPOINTMENTS ...... 1525 Panel of Temporary Speakers ...... 1525 SPEAKER’S STATEMENTS ...... 1526 Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay ...... 1526 Resignation of Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner and Appointment of Acting Parliamentary Commissioner ...... 1526 Tabled paper: Notice of Appointment of Acting Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner on 18 May 2011...... 1526 Questions on Notice ...... 1526 PETITIONS ...... 1526 TABLED PAPERS ...... 1527 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS ...... 1529 Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay ...... 1529 Natural Disasters, Community Development Officers ...... 1530 Queensland Firebirds ...... 1530 Faust, Mr S ...... 1530 Police Service, Complaints Management System ...... 1531 Tabled paper: Report by the Independent Expert Panel titled ‘Simple Effective Transparent Strong—An independent review of the Queensland police complaints, discipline and misconduct system’, May 2011...... 1531 Mackay Region, Housing; Queensland Reds ...... 1532 Queensland Economy; Faust, Mr S ...... 1533 Queensland Regional Development Initiative ...... 1534 Tourism Industry ...... 1534 Mackay Region, Road Projects ...... 1535 Construction Industry, Workers Compensation ...... 1535 Mackay Region, Infrastructure Projects ...... 1536 National Parks ...... 1537 Cost of Living ...... 1538

J MICKEL N J LAURIE L J OSMOND SPEAKER CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENT CHIEF HANSARD REPORTER Table of Contents — Tuesday, 24 May 2011

ABSENCE OF MINISTERS ...... 1538 WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY BILL; SAFETY IN RECREATIONAL WATER ACTIVITIES BILL ...... 1539 Cognate Debate ...... 1539 NOTICES OF MOTION ...... 1539 Regional Queensland, Infrastructure ...... 1539 Disallowance of Statutory Instrument ...... 1539 Mineral Resources, Ownership ...... 1539 Tabled paper: Queensland Parliamentary Library research brief, dated 19 May 2011, in relation to rights of rural landholders in their dealings with resource companies...... 1539 SPEAKER’S STATEMENT ...... 1540 School Group Tours ...... 1540 PRIVATE MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS ...... 1540 Carbon Tax ...... 1540 Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay ...... 1540 Cost of Living ...... 1541 Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival ...... 1541 Fursden Creek Bridge ...... 1542 Great Barrier Reef International Marine College ...... 1542 Caval Ridge Mine ...... 1542 Regional Communities, Infrastructure ...... 1543 Ayr, Small Business ...... 1543 Education Services ...... 1544 Disability Services ...... 1544 Diabetic Foot ...... 1544 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary ...... 1545 Superyacht and Marine Export Conference ...... 1545 PEOPLE’S HOUSE BILL ...... 1546 First Reading ...... 1546 Tabled paper: People’s House Bill...... 1546 Tabled paper: People’s House Bill, explanatory notes...... 1546 Second Reading ...... 1546 Tabled paper: Information regarding the abolition of the Legislative Council in Queensland...... 1546 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 23 May 2011, from Mr Aidan McLindon MP to mayors of Queensland councils in relation to a proposal for the reinstatement of the upper house in Queensland...... 1546 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 22 July 2010, from Campbell Newman, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, to Mr Aidan McLindon MP in relation to a proposal for the reinstatement of the upper house in Queensland...... 1546 REFERENDUM FOR AN UPPER HOUSE BILL ...... 1546 First Reading ...... 1546 Tabled paper: Referendum for an Upper House Bill...... 1546 Tabled paper: Referendum for an Upper House Bill, explanatory notes...... 1546 Second Reading ...... 1546 SUSTAINABLE PLANNING (HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHARGES REFORM) AMENDMENT BILL ...... 1547 Second Reading ...... 1547 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ...... 1576 Crime and Misconduct Commission, Investigation ...... 1576 SPEAKER’S STATEMENT ...... 1577 Queensland’s Deaf Community, Auslan; Attendance Figures ...... 1577 MOTION ...... 1577 Regional Queensland, Infrastructure ...... 1577 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 14 April 2010, from Campbell Newman, Chairman, Council of Mayors (SEQ), to the Hon. Anna Bligh, Premier and Minister for the Arts, relating to state budget submission for 2010-11...... 1586 Division: Question put—That the amendment be agreed to...... 1587 Resolved in the affirmative...... 1587 Division: Question put—That the motion, as amended, be agreed to...... 1587 Resolved in the affirmative...... 1587 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE ...... 1588 Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal, Allocations ...... 1588 Carbon Tax ...... 1588 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 10 September 2008, from Mr Peter Matic, Chairperson, Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, Brisbane City Council, to the Department of Climate Change relating to the council’s submission on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme...... 1589 Mackay Region ...... 1590 Carbon Tax ...... 1590 Mackay Region, Skills Development ...... 1591 Table of Contents — Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Carbon Tax ...... 1591 Responsible Gambling Awareness Week ...... 1592 Middlemount, Helipad ...... 1592 Census ...... 1593 Carbon Tax ...... 1593 Queensland Floods, Recovery Assistance ...... 1594 Tourism Industry ...... 1595 Tourism Industry; Southall, Mr B ...... 1595 Carbon Tax ...... 1596 Bruce Highway ...... 1597 Maryborough Base Hospital, Cancer Treatment Services ...... 1598 ADJOURNMENT ...... 1598 Medical Records ...... 1598 Pyke, Mr LJM ...... 1599 Goondiwindi, Health Services ...... 1599 Mackay-Whitsunday Region ...... 1600 Herberton Historical Village; Rail Corridors ...... 1601 Tabled paper: Non-conforming petition and correspondence relating to the Herberton Historical Village application to the Department of Environment and Resource Management...... 1601 Oakleigh C&K ...... 1601 The Queensland Party ...... 1602 North Queensland Cowboys; Faust, Mr S ...... 1602 Toowoomba Base Hospital, Eye Surgery Waiting Lists ...... 1603 Education Week ...... 1603 ATTENDANCE ...... 1604 24 May 2011 Legislative Assembly 1525 TUESDAY, 24 MAY 2011

Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly met at 10.30 am. Mr Speaker (Hon. John Mickel, Logan) read prayers and took the chair. For the sitting week, Mr Speaker acknowledged the traditional owners of the land upon which this parliament is assembled and the custodians of the sacred lands of our state.

ASSENT TO BILLS Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have to report that I have received from Her Excellency the Governor a letter in respect of assent to certain bills, the contents of which will be incorporated in the Record of Proceedings. I table the letter for the information of members. The Honourable R.J. Mickel, MP Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Parliament House George Street BRISBANE QLD 4000 I hereby acquaint the Legislative Assembly that the following Bills, having been passed by the Legislative Assembly and having been presented for the Royal Assent, were assented to in the name of Her Majesty The Queen on the date shown: Date of assent: 19 May 2011 “A Bill for An Act to provide for the involuntary detention, and the care and support and protection, of particular people with an intellectual or cognitive disability, and to make minor or consequential amendments of this Act and the Bail Act 1980, Child Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004, Child Protection (Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2008, Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950, Coroners Act 2003, Crime and Misconduct Act 2001, Criminal Code, Criminal Practice Rules 1999, Disability Services Act 2006, Guardianship and Administration Act 2000, Guardianship and Administration Regulation 2000, Limitation of Actions Act 1974, Mental Health Act 2000, Mental Health Regulation 2002, Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000, Powers of Attorney Act 1998, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Rules 2009, Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002, Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 and Supreme Court of Queensland Act 1991” “A Bill for An Act to amend the Electoral Act 1992 for particular purposes” “A Bill for An Act to amend the Auditor-General Act 2009, Criminal Organisation Act 2009, Electoral Act 1992, Information Privacy Act 2009, Integrity Act 2009, Legislative Standards Act 1992, Ombudsman Act 2001, Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 and Right to Information Act 2009 for particular purposes” “A Bill for An Act to amend the Mineral Resources Act 1989, the National Gas (Queensland) Act 2008, the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 and the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Regulation 2004 for particular purposes” These Bills are hereby transmitted to the Legislative Assembly, to be numbered and forwarded to the proper Officer for enrolment, in the manner required by law. Yours sincerely Governor 19 May 2011 Tabled paper: Letter, dated 19 May 2011, from Her Excellency the Governor to the Speaker advising of assent to bills [4476].

APPOINTMENTS

Panel of Temporary Speakers Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, on 10 May 2011 it was with regret that I received the resignation of the honourable member for Glass House from the panel of temporary chairs, consequent on his appointment as an opposition spokesperson. On behalf of the temporary chairs, I wish to acknowledge the contribution the honourable gentleman made. I thank him sincerely for the work he did. I congratulate him on his other appointment. Honourable members: Hear, hear! Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have to advise that I have appointed, at the request of the honourable Leader of the Opposition and also the honourable Leader of the House, the honourable member for Noosa to the panel of temporary chairs. I might say that the honourable member stood aside from his shadow parliamentary secretary role to take on this high-paying position. 1526 Petitions 24 May 2011

SPEAKER’S STATEMENTS

Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I am pleased to report that today we are joined not only by students in the public gallery but also by a number of senior students who participated in the Youth Parliament held in Mackay three weeks ago. They will be involved at close quarters for this morning’s session. I have two students each on the government side and on the opposition side. They will be assistant parliamentary attendants. I did this because I want to make sure there is a connection between the Youth Parliament and also our parliament. Honourable members, I hope you will welcome Emily Arnold, Tayla Comelli and Joel Pattinson-Cashman from Mackay State High School and Cor de Waard from Mirani State High School. I also want to mention that the parliament is being ably assisted through the volunteer work of students from the Mackay campus of the Central Queensland University who will be ushering in the students—just under 3,000 of them—who will be joining us during the next three days. Would you please welcome the students from the high schools and university. Honourable members: Hear, hear! Mr SPEAKER: Thanks, guys. It will be the same rate of pay as for the temporary chairs! Resignation of Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner and Appointment of Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I report that, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001, Mr Gary Long SC on 12 May 2011 provided me with his resignation from the position of Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner as he was offered and had accepted an appointment as a judge of the District Court of Queensland. I take this opportunity to thank Mr Long for his service to the parliament and wish him well in his appointment to the bench. In accordance with the provisions of the act, I have approved national advertisement for applications from suitably qualified persons to be considered for selection as the parliamentary commissioner and have been consulting with the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee on the appointment process. Pursuant to section 308 of the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001, on 18 May 2011 I approved the appointment of the principal legal officer in the office of the parliamentary commissioner, Mr Mitchell Kunde, as the acting parliamentary commissioner, to act as the parliamentary commissioner for the period the position is vacant. This acting appointment has the bipartisan support of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee. I table the relevant notice of the acting appointment as required under the act. Tabled paper: Notice of Appointment of Acting Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner on 18 May 2011 [4477]. Questions on Notice Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, in accordance with the sessional orders for the regional sitting agreed to by the House on 24 March 2011, questions on notice for today are required to be lodged with the Clerk by 1 pm.

PETITIONS

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

Claymore Road, Off-Road Cycle Project Mr Bleijie, from 311 petitioners, requesting the House to contribute the additional funding required to complete the off-road cycle project along Claymore Road, Sippy Downs [4478].

Yeppoon, Adventure Water Playground Mr Hoolihan, from 2,721 petitioners, requesting the House to provide funding for an Adventure Water Playground to be situated on the Main Beach at Yeppoon [4479].

Goondiwindi-Toowoomba, Public Transport Mr Springborg, from 2,590 petitioners, requesting the House to address the need and provision of a daily return coach or transport service direct from Goondiwindi to Toowoomba [4480]. The Clerk presented the following e-petitions, sponsored by the honourable members indicated—

Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, Mining Application Ms Male, from 801 petitioners, requesting the House to ask the Minister for Mines and Energy to ensure that no mining applications are granted on any part of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve [4481]. 24 May 2011 Tabled Papers 1527

Coal Seam Gas Industry Mr Hobbs, from 3,479 petitioners, requesting the House to immediately implement an independent statutory body to oversee development of land and water legislation, with the objective of ensuring coal seam gas does not adversely affect the environment or other existing water or property rights; and take other measures such as banning all hydraulic fracturing and other means of stimulating gas flow until a proper risk analysis has been undertaken; and enact a moratorium on all future coal seam gas activities until an independent investigation into the long-term environmental, social and infrastructure consequences of the coal seam gas industry in Queensland is undertaken [4482].

Cairns, Cultural Precinct Mr McLindon, from 5 petitioners, requesting the House to call for State funding of a ballot of Cairns Regional Council ratepayers to ascertain support for (a) a cultural precinct on waterfront land on a budget of $240 million, shared between Federal, State and Local Government; or (b) proceed with the cultural precinct on land currently occupied by the Cairns Port Authority building at a cost of $120 million shared between State and Federal Government [4483].

Greater Flagstone Development Mr McLindon, from 113 petitioners, requesting the House to include the Greater Flagstone Development into the Scenic Rim Regional Council local government boundaries to increase the ratepayer base and create a financially sustainable council [4484].

Mount Tamborine, Main Western Road Roundabout Mr McLindon, from 187 petitioners, requesting the House to not approve any development design for a roundabout on Main Western Road in the centre of Mount Tamborine that will detrimentally impact the amenity and liveability of the area [4485].

Bribie Island Bridge Mrs Sullivan, from 172 petitioners, requesting the House to call upon the Government to allocate adequate funding in next year’s budget (2011-12) for an appropriate design and construction of a cycle track and walkway on the Bribie Island Bridge [4486]. Petitions received.

TABLED PAPERS

PAPERS TABLED DURING THE RECESS The Clerk informed the House that the following papers, received during the recess, were tabled on the dates indicated— 13 May 2011— 4466 Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Wilson) to an ePetition (1623-11) presented by Mr McLindon, from 66 petitioners, requesting the House to ensure Far North Queensland has a hospital in times of disaster by identifying a new location for the Cairns Hospital 4467 Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Wilson) to a paper petition (1666-11) presented by Mrs Cunningham, from 166 petitioners, requesting the House to significantly increase funding directly to the Gladstone Base Hospital to ensure the re- establishment of an Intensive Care Unit at Gladstone Hospital 4468 Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Wilson) to a paper petition (1667-11) presented by Mrs Cunningham, from 1,610 petitioners, requesting the House to ensure funding is made available to the Gladstone Base Hospital to enable full dialysis services as a matter of priority 4469 The Queensland Compact: Towards a fairer Queensland—Annual Report 2010 16 May 2011— 4471 Family Responsibilities Commission: Report to the Family Responsibilities Board and the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships—Quarterly Report No. 10—October 2010 to December 2010 17 May 2011— 4472 Response from the Minister for Health (Mr Wilson) to an ePetition (1385-10) sponsored by Mr Nicholls, from 106 petitioners, regarding the proposed sale of the Riverton Centre at 58 Riverton Street, Clayfield 23 May 2011— 4473 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee: Legislation Alert No. 6 of 2011 4474 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee: Submission, dated 18 May 2011, from the Queensland Law Society regarding the Weapons Amendment Bill 2011 4475 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee: Submission, dated 18 May 2011, from the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland regarding the Weapons Amendment Bill 2011 STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS The following statutory instruments were tabled by the Clerk— Corporations (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2001— 4488 Proclamation commencing certain provision, No. 54 4489 Proclamation commencing certain provision, No. 54, Explanatory Notes Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995— 4490 Workplace Health and Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 55 4491 Workplace Health and Safety Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 55, Explanatory Notes 1528 Tabled Papers 24 May 2011

Legal Profession Act 2007— 4492 Legal Profession (Society Rules) Amendment Notice (No. 1) 2011, No. 56 4493 Legal Profession (Society Rules) Amendment Notice (No. 1) 2011, No. 56, Explanatory Notes Youth Justice Act 1992— 4494 Youth Justice Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 57 4495 Youth Justice Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 57, Explanatory Notes Sustainable Planning Act 2009— 4496 Planning and Environment Court Amendment Rule (No. 1) 2011, No. 58 4497 Planning and Environment Court Amendment Rule (No. 1) 2011, No. 58, Explanatory Notes Community Ambulance Cover Act 2003, Duties Act 2001, Land Tax Act 2010— 4498 Revenue Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 59 4499 Revenue Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 59, Explanatory Notes Health Services Act 1991, Private Health Facilities Act 1999— 4500 Health Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2011, No. 60 4501 Health Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 2) 2011, No. 60, Explanatory Notes South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2010— 4502 South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2011, No. 61 4503 South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2011, No. 61, Explanatory Notes Occupational Licensing National Law (Queensland) Act 2010— 4504 Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 62 4505 Proclamation commencing certain provisions, No. 62, Explanatory Notes Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 2010— 4506 Transport and Other Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2011, No. 63 4507 Transport and Other Legislation Amendment (Postponement) Regulation 2011, No. 63, Explanatory Notes Adult Proof of Age Card Act 2008, Tow Truck Act 1973, Transport Infrastructure Act 1994, Transport Operations (Marine Pollution) Act 1995, Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Act 1994, Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994, Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995, Transport (Rail Safety) Act 2010— 4508 Transport Legislation (Fees) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 64 4509 Transport Legislation (Fees) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 64, Explanatory Notes Major Sports Facilities Act 2001— 4510 Major Sports Facilities Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 65 4511 Major Sports Facilities Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, No. 65, Explanatory Notes MEMBER’S PAPER TABLED BY THE CLERK The following member’s paper was tabled by the Clerk— Member for Mackay (Mr Mulherin)— 4487 Non-conforming petition from 866 petitioners requesting an overhaul of the Retirement Villages Act 1999 REPORT TABLED BY THE CLERK The following report was tabled by the Clerk— 4512 Report pursuant to Standing Order 158 (Clerical errors or formal changes to any bill) detailing amendments to certain Bills, made by the Clerk, prior to assent by Her Excellency the Governor, viz— Forensic Disability Bill 2011 Amendments made to Bill Clause 39 (Continuation of existing forensic order)— Page 38, lines 19 and 21, ‘(a)’ and ‘(b)’— Renumber as— ‘(i)’ and ‘(ii)’. Clause 40 (Continuation of matters under applied provisions for client transferred to authorised mental health service)— Page 39, lines 17 and 18, ‘(a)’ and ‘(b)’— Renumber as— ‘(i)’ and ‘(ii)’. 24 May 2011 Ministerial Statements 1529

Clause 113 (Taking client to forensic disability service or authorised mental health service)— Page 70, line 25, ‘forensic disability service;’— Omit, Insert— ‘forensic disability service; or’. Clause 224 (Insertion of new ch 5, pt 1, divs 2A and 2B)— Page 133, lines 3 and 5, ‘(a)’ and ‘(b)’— Renumber as— ‘(i)’ and ‘(ii)’. Page 134, lines 9 and 11, ‘(a)’ and ‘(b)’— Renumber as— ‘(i)’ and ‘(ii)’. Clause 255 (Amendment of sch 2 (Dictionary))— Page 168, line 12, ‘the director.’— Omit, Insert— ‘the director; or’. Page 168, line 18, ‘the director (forensic disability);’— Omit, Insert— ‘the director (forensic disability); or’. Page 168, lines 23 to 29, ‘(a)’, ‘(b)’, ‘(c)’, ‘(d)’ and ‘(e)’— Renumber as— ‘(i)’, ‘(ii)’, ‘(iii)’, ‘(iv)’ and ‘(v)’.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (10.38 am): Can I join, on this historic occasion, in welcoming the people of Mackay to the Queensland parliament. I note that all of us on the stage today have some very tough acts to follow. The stage hosted performances from Jimmy Barnes on opening night and a duet by Julie Anthony and Simon Gallaher last year. We are very mindful— Mr Seeney interjected. Ms BLIGH: I note the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition who says that we are more than up to that. We look forward to holding him to that for entertainment value in the next few days. I am very pleased that we have been able to bring the parliament to Mackay. It is the fourth sitting of the state parliament outside of Brisbane following sittings in Townsville in 2002, Rockhampton in 2005 and Cairns in 2008. Here in Australia we are privileged to live in one of the most stable continuous democracies in the world, and the Queensland parliament is an integral part of the architecture of our national democracy. We believe bringing it to the regions is an important part of making sure people have a chance to see their democracy in action. So I look forward to the week ahead when we will have a full and comprehensive sitting of the Queensland parliament. You will see us discussing and debating issues of importance to people in this area and indeed to the whole state. We will consider and deliberate on laws and regulations that will affect citizens in every part of Queensland. I encourage people to turn out tonight for question time from 7.30 pm, and this morning I particularly welcome the students who are here with us at the opening of the parliament. These students will be joined throughout the week by 50 groups of young students from across this region. They will not only be sitting in on our sessions as we deliberate our responsibilities; they will be taking tours of the parliament and having an opportunity to meet with some parliamentarians. These are future voters and maybe future members of parliament for this region. The Isaac region will not miss out on some of the action, with Executive Council convening in Moranbah on Thursday. It is a rare event for the Executive Council to meet outside of Brisbane and I look forward to visiting the region and joining Her Excellency the Governor for that meeting on Thursday. Our government is determined and committed to governing for all of Queensland. We know that growing our regions and nurturing them as they grow is critical to maintaining the economic strength and prosperity and social fabric of this great state. This great region has a very bright future, and we look forward to backing it all the way. 1530 Ministerial Statements 24 May 2011

Natural Disasters, Community Development Officers Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (10.41 am): Queenslanders who have been hardest hit by our summer of sorrow and disasters will soon benefit from funding to help support their recovery and their wellbeing. Today I am pleased to announce further details of the $20 million community development and recovery package which the Prime Minister and I launched last month. We have been working with local government across the state and I can advise that Queensland’s 17 local councils that were worst hit by flood and cyclone will share in a $9.9 million package of support to employ 22 community development workers. Each community development worker will have $80,000 in flexible funds at their disposal to support the communities in which they are based. The hardest hit areas—the Lockyer Valley, Western Downs, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Ipswich and Brisbane—will each receive two community development officers. The regions of Banana, Barcaldine, Bundaberg, Central Highlands, North Burnett, Rockhampton, Tablelands, Toowoomba, Somerset, Gympie and Moreton will each receive a community development officer under the recovery package. Each officer will then work closely with their community and help them plan projects that will support the local recovery effort. As we go about the reconstruction of our state after these disasters, we know how important it is for us to be rebuilding buildings and roads, but rebuilding lives and confidence and personal recovery is just as important. These are people whose sole job it will be to improve the wellbeing of disaster affected communities. The experience of previous disasters here and around Australia and the world shows that the worst hit places require additional support at both the community and the household level. Development officers will sit down with both local leaders and local families and map out in each town a community healing process where appropriate. These officers will be vital in building community resilience and restoring community health and wellbeing. This package also provides for flexible grant funding totalling some $9.4 million to all 73 local government areas of Queensland for the provision of disaster related projects. These are projects where the funds can go to a very wide range of activities depending on the determination of local people. They include public memorials, events to mark one-year anniversaries, community events and festivals, and community education about disaster preparedness locally. Grants will range from $250,000 each to our worst affected council areas to $45,000 each for those that had far less effects. Mackay, for instance, will receive grant funding of $250,000 for this purpose. These grants will allow local communities to choose their own disaster related events and services and projects. We are determined to build back stronger as we undertake the recovery and reconstruction task, and this funding will ensure that we can do just that. Queensland Firebirds Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (10.44 am): We saw a great weekend of sport in Queensland, with the Firebirds coming through and winning the grand final. I have been the No. 1 ticket holder for the Queensland Firebirds for a number of years. I love getting to their games when I can and cheering on a truly inspirational group of young women. I was extremely proud to be in the crowd on Sunday as the girls delivered what can only be described as a heart-pounding, nail-biting victory over Auckland’s Northern Mystics. What is more, the girls shot into the history books for more than one reason: no Queensland team has ever won a netball final at this level and on Sunday the Firebirds became the first team in national netball history to win the competition undefeated for the whole season. So these young women are exceptional athletes and Queenslanders can be very proud to see them represent us on the national stage. They are also a great inspiration to young Queenslanders, particularly young girls who are aspiring in the sport. It was terrific to see a women’s team featuring on the front pages of our newspapers. So I give a very big congratulations to the team. It truly is a state team. I particularly wanted to acknowledge and congratulate Mackay local Lyn Law, who is on the board of Netball Queensland and who is also the President of the Mackay Netball Association. Lyn is someone who gives a lot of her life to netball and the role she has played at the state level has certainly underpinned the victory we saw from the Firebirds on the weekend. She can feel very proud of her team and of Netball Queensland. Faust, Mr S Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (10.46 am): This region has produced some great sporting achievers, and it is with sadness today that I wish to pay my respects to one of those greats. Unfortunately, former North Queensland NRL player Sam Faust lost his battle with leukaemia and passed away in Townsville yesterday. He was only 26 years of age. I offer my heartfelt sympathy to his family and his friends and I want to take this moment to reflect briefly on Sam’s short career and some of the proud achievements that he will be remembered for. He was a quiet 24 May 2011 Ministerial Statements 1531 achiever who played 24 games for the Cowboys in 2007-08. He was a Whitsunday local born in Proserpine where he played junior league with his home town, the Brahams club, which would no doubt be well known in the area. This true Queenslander debuted with the Cowboys in round 10 of 2007 and played in the five straight victories that ended that season. He featured in the Cowboys three finals appearances that year. He was a carpenter by trade who continued to work while forging another career as a professional footballer. He refused to down tools. When he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2009, he faced a much more daunting challenge. In recent months there was a very big push amongst NRL players and the rugby league community to raise money for Sam, a father of three, to travel to the US for medical treatment. Unfortunately, yesterday he lost his battle. The Cowboys will pay tribute to this great young Queenslander during Saturday night’s home game against the Sydney Roosters at Dairy Farmers Stadium. I am sure that Cowboys players, Cowboys fans and North Queensland locals will have very fond memories of this fine young forward’s life, both on and off the field. Police Service, Complaints Management System Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (10.47 am): Our government is committed to ensuring the highest standards of conduct in the Queensland Police Service. There have been many decades of concerns and criticisms and indeed reviews of the complaints management system within the Queensland Police Service. That is why in March this year I appointed a panel of independent experts to provide the government with advice on the implementation of a new system of managing complaints and disciplinary matters in the Queensland Police Service. The independent panel is comprised of lawyer and former deputy director-general with the Queensland government, Simone Webbe; former Appeal Court judge and QC, the Hon. Glen Williams AO; and former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Felix Grayson APM. The panel has now provided the government with its final report. Today I seek leave to table that report. Leave granted. Tabled paper: Report by the Independent Expert Panel titled ‘Simple Effective Transparent Strong—An independent review of the Queensland police complaints, discipline and misconduct system’, May 2011 [4513]. Ms BLIGH: This report starkly and bluntly describes a system much in need of reform. The report describes the current system in very blunt terms, and I quote— The Queensland police complaints discipline and misconduct system is dysfunctional and unsustainable. Complainants and police are subjected to a complex, administratively burdensome, overly legalistic and adversarial process that is dishonoured by chronic delays, inconsistent and disproportionate outcomes. I promised earlier this year to take action and overhaul the system of police discipline and complaints and today we deliver on that promise with the recommendations of this report. This report outlines the proposal for a new system of police discipline—one that is fair, transparent and accountable to the Queensland people. I believe that we have one of the most professional police services in the world, but for public confidence in that service to remain high it is important that we all have absolute confidence in the system and the system of dealing with police complaints, discipline and misconduct when those complaints are made. This is the very least that the majority of our professional, honest, courageous and hardworking police officers deserve. That is why last year, as part of our integrity reforms, I asked the Crime and Misconduct Commission to consider this matter. The CMC’s report, tabled in parliament in December last year, outlined a clear case for reform. Further, that is why I appointed the panel of independent experts to develop a proposed new model. The independent panel has now delivered its report to government. Its title, Simple, effective, transparent and strong, reflects the attributes of a model police discipline system and one that our government wants to deliver for the people of Queensland. The report makes 57 recommendations, including a recommendation that Queensland police officers no longer be able to investigate serious police misconduct at the Crime and Misconduct Commission; a new oversight power for the CMC to change disciplinary decisions by the QPS if they are considered to be too lenient; a new power for the CMC to apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a review of a disciplinary decision made by the Queensland Police Service; and the introduction of new time frames for recording and managing complaints, with a requirement for 80 per cent of more serious complaints to be dealt with within seven months. We know that reports previously unconstrained by any time frames have seen some matters investigated for up to three years, and that is unacceptable. The report’s recommendations will also see 85 per cent of less serious complaints dealt with within 28 days. Limited tenure is also being proposed for both CMC officers and officers in the Police Service’s Ethical Standards Command. The report’s recommendations propose an expanded role for the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner to intervene in exceptional circumstances to protect public confidence in the system. A joint annual ethical health scorecard report for the Queensland Police Service will be required from the CMC and the QPS. That report will include a requirement to publish compliance with time frames. A business case is also proposed for targeted drug and alcohol testing for police officers. 1532 Ministerial Statements 24 May 2011

We recognise that there is extensive interest in this issue within the community and among the stakeholders. As I have said, public confidence in the police complaints system is fundamental to public confidence in the whole of the Queensland Police Service. For this reason the government intends to release the final report, as I have done this morning, for community consultation before finalising our views on the recommendations. The report will be available on the website of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet from today, and a public consultation period of six weeks will allow interested parties to comment. Today I want to thank those parties who put a considerable amount of thought and effort into submissions that have led the independent panel to these conclusions, including groups as diverse as the Queensland Police Union and the civil liberties council. Following this consultation, the government will consider all views and take quick action to implement an improved model for dealing with police misconduct. Our government is committed to supporting the thousands of police officers in our state who serve all of us every day with honour and distinction and who perform countless acts of self-sacrifice and heroism in their day-to-day duties. We have an obligation to ensure that immediate and effective action is taken for that small percentage of officers whose misconduct tarnishes the integrity of the service and the reputation of other officers. That is why we need to ensure that we have a Queensland Police Service that subscribes to the highest standards of conduct, supported by a police discipline system that is, as the report suggests, simple, effective, transparent and strong. I commend the report to the House. Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the Deputy Premier I want to acknowledge in the public gallery the students, teachers and parents from Alligator Creek State School, Dundula State School, Gargett State School and Mackenzie River State School.

Mackay Region, Housing; Queensland Reds Hon. PT LUCAS (Lytton—ALP) (Deputy Premier and Attorney-General, Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State) (10.54 am): The Whitsundays-Isaac-Mackay region is a wonderful part of Queensland. Residents enjoy a great lifestyle, a unique natural environment and many economic opportunities. But preserving and improving this quality of life does not happen by accident. It takes good planning and strong investments in the future. That is why this government is committed to working with local governments and local communities to deliver a vision for the future and the planning that we need to keep this region great. I am pleased to inform the House that the Mackay Regional Council has recently agreed to partner with the state government in streamlining its planning and development assessment processes. The council recently committed to the state’s exemplar planning scheme project, which will see the council working in partnership with the state to develop an entire new planning scheme. This project will ultimately set a benchmark and act as a guide for all new planning schemes currently under development as part of the state’s planning reform agenda. The primary focus of Mackay’s new planning scheme will be the strategic framework, which will provide a long-term direction for the city, front-loading local and state interests and allowing the Mackay Regional Council to concentrate on the key planning issues that are facing the region during the resources boom. Mackay is a big community. It has growth. It has rural. It has mining. It has urban and industry. So it has all of those things together. Mackay has benefited over the years from strong and decisive mayoral leadership with forward-thinking councillors. Mayor Col Meng is a mayor with determination and vision and a passion for the people of this city. I look forward to working with the council to make this project happen. We are also working to manage the challenges of the resources boom in other areas. We have deployed the Urban Land Development Authority in Andergrove and Moranbah to tackle the housing affordability challenges in the hinterland and in Mackay. In both of these areas the ULDA is working with the councils and the community to deliver affordable communities that provide homes for key workers and young families. These areas are the responsibility of councils and we are more than happy as a state to step in and deal with the issue. The ULDA’s 22-hectare site in Mackay is located five kilometres north of Mackay’s CBD in the suburb of Andergrove. It will provide more than 185 homes in a range of sizes and styles to suit all household types. Importantly, two-thirds of the homes will be available at less than the Mackay median house price. The area was declared in April 2010, and initial civil works with stage 1 activity were underway less than 12 months after declaration. Of course, the opposition does not believe in the ULDA. It thinks that you should just let a council deal with the matter. Mr Seeney: You created the problem over the years. You had 10 years to create the problem. Mr LUCAS: So they say that the state should step in but that we should not have the ULDA. I do not know what we are going to do. Construction of the homes— 24 May 2011 Ministerial Statements 1533

Mr Seeney interjected. Mr LUCAS: The Kraken awakes. He has risen from his slumber. Construction of the homes will be underway by midyear, with the first people expected to have moved into their homes by the end of the year. The ULDA also has an important role to play in Moranbah, where house prices increased 700 per cent between 2001 and 2006. Mr Seeney interjected. Mr LUCAS: You opposed the amalgamations and you opposed the state involvement. The ULDA is in Moranbah to deliver more permanent housing faster to tackle this significant issue. Recently the ULDA delivered the draft development scheme for my consideration following the closure of public submissions and I am now considering it. This scheme will make it simpler to deliver a mix of housing products at affordable prices. I am aware that the community has strong views on the future of their town, as they should. I have met with the Moranbah Action Group on a number of occasions and that group has highlighted the importance of permanent family accommodation to ensure a sustainable future for their community. I am pleased to advise the House that the ULDA is currently in the process of finalising plans to develop land known locally as the boxing club site. The approval of this development will see 151 lots, with capacity for up to 175 dwellings. The proposed development is consistent with the interim land use plan and the proposed development scheme for the ULDA. This region has a special place in Queensland—from the beauty of the reef to the hinterland. We are a government that is determined to make it an even more enviable place to live and work, and that starts with planning for the future. As well, might I say that this weekend marks probably the most important clash of the year in rugby, with the Queensland Reds playing the Canterbury Crusaders at four o’clock on Sunday. It will be a top-of-the-table clash with the Reds. I am looking forward to being there along with, hopefully, a greater-than-42,000 crowd. The Reds are another team that has really distinguished themselves this year. Ewen McKenzie, James Horwill, the captain, and Will Genia, who is sometimes also the captain, have done a wonderful job. Go the Reds on Sunday afternoon. Queensland Economy; Faust, Mr S Hon. AP FRASER (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Treasurer and Minister for State Development and Trade) (11.00 am): This region represents the best of Queensland prospects, with an economy well positioned to secure a new wave of prosperity. With three weeks to go before the state budget is presented to the parliament, it is timely to renew a call that the economic debate that should ensue be based on facts. A range of data released over the last fortnight tells the story of an economy that in late 2010 was generating a strong recovery in investment, one that has been then and since battered by our climate and today has begun to rebuild—just as we are rebuilding Queensland. We said that we would fight for jobs come hell or high water and we have had both. We will continue that fight. Jobs data showed that we clocked in strong full-time jobs growth last month. Our trend unemployment rate edged lower. The reality of full-time jobs being generated in the state’s economy is the surest sign that a recovery is underway. The December quarter state accounts reinforced the data in the national accounts. Business investment was strong at the end of last year; indeed, it was 3.7 per cent in the quarter in Queensland compared to just 0.5 per cent in the rest of Australia. While the weather pounded exports and flattened out growth this investment surge is powering up the next growth phase for our state’s economy. Confidence is returning. It should be nurtured and supported. The benchmark confidence index, the Westpac survey, last week showed that confidence was returning with the index moving above 100 points into positive territory for the first time since the summer of natural disasters. The index rose four per cent, similar to the rise recorded in Western Australia, and bucked the downward trend in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. There was strong confidence in the prospects of the next five years as Queenslanders look to our future prosperity. Confidence should not be trashed, no matter how well it suits a political agenda. The campaign to talk down the Queensland economy should stop. Those intent on undermining confidence in the Queensland economy should cease. They trade on the fortunes of Queensland business and investors as they seek to scare off investment and deny the facts of a strengthening recovery. This region knows intuitively the challenge ahead: of dealing with the investment boom and meeting the skills demands of the future. This part of Queensland has confidence in its future. It is a confidence our government shares. Next month’s state budget will continue to invest in that future. Might I also join with the Premier in passing on my condolences to the Faust family of Proserpine with the loss of well-known local and former Cowboy NRL player Sam Faust. The Faust family is amongst the district’s most well-known and this tragedy will be keenly felt by them all and, indeed, by the whole community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time. 1534 Ministerial Statements 24 May 2011

Queensland Regional Development Initiative

Hon. TS MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies) (11.02 am): The Mackay and Whitsunday regional development organisations will soon be able to tap into a share of $1.88 million of funding on offer under the Queensland Regional Development Initiative. QRDI funding is available for 17 eligible regional and remote area development organisations, including two in the Mackay-Whitsunday region. It is aimed at progressive economic development projects and activities that generate jobs, support local businesses and invest in the future of the region. Enterprise Whitsunday and the Mackay Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation will be able to compete for a portion of the $230,000 made available for the Mackay- Whitsunday region in 2011-12. This follows on from the previous year’s allocation of $230,000 for projects such as Enterprise Whitsundays’ two-year Whitsunday Food Circle project. The Whitsunday Food Circle project seeks to identify and implement strategies to significantly improve the local supply chain and value-adding opportunities. This region produces large quantities of Australia’s fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly over winter, so stakeholders are keen to improve the industry by exploring possibilities of growing more specialised crops such as multicoloured capsicums. Last year the Mackay Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation received $180,000 towards three worthy projects: the Green Industry Diversification project, the Retail Skills Attraction Strategy and the Agricultural Industry Skill Supply Chain Gap Analysis. This $1.8 million in funding is the 2011-12 allocation of the $7.52 million allocated over four years from 2010 for the QRDI commitment. QRDI encourages economic growth, generates jobs and supports local business. Through regional partnerships and programs like QRDI our government is working hard to boost the liveability, the sustainability and the economic viability of our regions, including the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region.

Tourism Industry

Hon. JH JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business) (11.04 am): It has been a tough year for tourism in Queensland but this government has been up to the task of working with industry towards recovery. But the job is not done yet. As tourism minister I will continue to do whatever I can to support this great industry and return Queensland to its position as Australia’s premier holiday destination. It is my great pleasure today to announce that my department will employ two new principal tourism development officers: one here in the Mackay-Whitsunday region and another for the Sunshine Coast-Fraser Coast region. These officers will help tourism operators in these areas develop their business and work to promote new tourism investment. They will work closely with Tourism Queensland, local RTOs, councils and operators to drive the recovery and future growth of our industry. Our experience with the existing officers appointed to Cairns, the Gold Coast, Charleville and Mount Isa is that they have built strong relationships with the industry and have helped to facilitate the development of new tourism products in these difficult times. The appointment of a principal tourism development officer to the Mackay-Whitsunday region comes on top of the one-on-one support already available. David DePinto-Smith, a senior regional development officer with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, was posted to the Whitsundays earlier this year specifically to help operators determine their individual recovery needs and refer businesses requiring additional support to the appropriate professionals. I thank him for this timely intervention. Speaking of recovery, innovation is a vital tool for any business looking to stay ahead and save money, especially in tourism. I am absolutely delighted to announce that we are rolling out an array of tourism capacity building workshops around Mackay and the Whitsundays in conjunction with the federal government. These seminars are part of the Nothing Beats Queensland campaign and will cover an incredible array of topics, including online marketing, managing your online reputation, engaging with the Chinese market and many more practical topics. There is literally a menu for tourism operators to choose from. Participants will be able to select sessions and seminars that best suit their needs to access the best possible information and put them in the best position to claw back their share of the tourism market. Clearly the Bligh government is committed to helping the tourism industry recover and get on the front foot in meeting the challenges and opportunities they face. On Thursday of this week I will host a tourism industry breakfast here in Mackay, and on Friday I will attend the tourism innovation forum in Airlie Beach to learn how to use environmentally friendly technologies and how they can save operators money and reduce their resource consumption. Alongside our extensive and exciting marketing campaigns, it is the tangible, practical and sensible measures we are taking that will ensure that our industry gets back on track. 24 May 2011 Ministerial Statements 1535

Mackay Region, Road Projects Hon. CA WALLACE (Thuringowa—ALP) (Minister for Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure) (11.09 am): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am always nice to the Leader of the Opposition, as you well know. Yesterday, along with the member for Whitsunday and the member for Mackay, the Premier and I were very pleased to announce $340 million in new roadworks for the Mackay region. That is great news for the region. We announced $40 million for the Fursden Creek Bridge and a record $300 million package to help repair the Mackay region’s roads that were damaged by the unprecedented string of natural disasters. Opposition members interjected. Mr WALLACE: Listen to the gaggle opposite, people of Mackay! They do not care about the roads in your region, but Labor, Tim Mulherin and Jan Jarratt do. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable minister will speak through the chair and those on my left with cease interjecting. Mr WALLACE: Thank you for your protection, Mr Speaker. I give very sincere thanks to the federal infrastructure minister, Anthony Albanese, for providing 75 per cent of the $300 million recovery funding. Opposition members interjected. Mr WALLACE: Listen to them chortle, because they opposed that measure in the federal parliament. The LNP opposed the $300 million coming here to Mackay to help pay for flood reconstruction, and they should hang their heads in shame. There is more good news for Mackay. Today I can announce that the first open tender package for this disaster repair work for the Mackay region has been awarded to Queensland company Shadforth Civil. That Queensland company employs 45 people and has further subcontractors in the Mackay region. Indeed, it has just relocated four families to Mackay. What a wonderful measure by this company! The Shadforth company’s contract is worth more than $28 million. It is going to start work in about two weeks, fixing roads within the Pioneer Valley, Seaforth and Habana areas. Mr Johnson: What about the Peak Downs Highway? Mr WALLACE: And the Peak Downs Highway. That is a great interjection from the member for Gregory. Further funding from this $300 million package will be directed towards the Peak Downs Highway. I thank the member for Gregory for that interjection. The Shadforth contract— Mr Seeney interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. The minister will come to his ministerial statement. Mr WALLACE: I congratulate that Queensland company on this work. It is only one part of our massive $300 million package to help fix Mackay and Whitsunday roads. Opposition members interjected. Mr WALLACE: Listen to them whinge about this $300 million for Mackay. That is what ‘Claytons’ Campbell will do to Mackay if he gets in. He will take the money out of the Mackay region, but this side of the House will not stand for it. Operation Queenslander is our largest ever recovery program. It is moving into top gear to repair roads damaged by an unprecedented spate of natural disasters. Since September 2010 Mackay has experienced double its annual rainfall. Indeed, some parts of this region had a received rainfall more than twice my height and I am a pretty tall bloke from Home Hill. Under Operation Queenslander, we are working shoulder to shoulder with the federal government and local governments to fund and carry out reconstruction works to make our roads better, safer, stronger and more resilient. Indeed, RoadTek has already started work on the following three projects: we are spending $10 million to help fix the Bowen Developmental Road up to Collinsville; we are investing $14 million on the Fitzroy Developmental Road; and the member for Gregory will be pleased to hear that $4.7 million has gone to the Peak Downs Highway near Clermont. Soon further contracts such as the one won by Shadforth will be on offer. This $300 million contract is about creating local jobs, supporting local economies and getting our state moving again. Construction Industry, Workers Compensation Hon. CR DICK (Greenslopes—ALP) (Minister for Education and Industrial Relations) (11.13 am): Queensland has the most stable and sustainable workers compensation scheme in the nation, and we are determined to keep it that way. That is why last year we conducted a substantial review of the scheme and introduced a range of legislative amendments that took effect on 1 July 2010. At the time, we promised to continue our close monitoring of the system to determine whether ongoing adjustments were needed. In response to feedback from industry stakeholders we commissioned a structural review of the workers compensation scheme. I am pleased to report that the government has decided to adopt all 51 recommendations contained in the report prepared by Mr Robin Stewart-Crompton. 1536 Ministerial Statements 24 May 2011

We have also received ongoing feedback from stakeholders that dodgy operators in the building and construction industry are engaged in sham-contracting arrangements to avoid their health and safety obligations. The allegations are that those operators engage staff as contractors rather than workers to avoid paying their workers compensation insurance premiums. That is because premiums are calculated according to the wages paid by employers to workers but not to contractors. This puts pressure on those employers who do the right thing. Sham contracting creates an unlevel playing field where some employers factor workers compensation insurance into their contract price while others do not. The risk is that dodgy arrangements deny workers compensation coverage to Queensland workers, leaving them unprotected in the workplace. In response to this situation, today I am announcing that the Bligh government has launched a review of contracting arrangements in the building and construction industry. We want to know how widespread this issue is and the full impact of sham-contracting arrangements on workers compensation premiums and safety outcomes. I make it clear that legitimate contractors have absolutely nothing to fear from this investigation, but the Queensland government makes no apologies for opposing sham contracts because they jeopardise a worker’s access to basic protections in the workplace. Industry stakeholders, including unions, have raised claims and allegations in relation to sham contracting over the past few months as part of our ongoing monitoring of Queensland’s workers compensation scheme. The industry reference group that I am announcing today will allow those claims and allegations to be properly tested. The industry reference group established to investigate sham contracting in Queensland’s construction industry will focus on the particular responsibilities of state government, namely the effect of sham contracts— Mr MALONE: I rise to a point of order. This is a bill before the House. Mr SPEAKER: I would say to the honourable minister that if there is a bill like that before the House he should make sure that his comments do not transgress that bill. Mr DICK: It is a pity that opposition members have not read the bill. The bill deals with nothing in relation to sham contracting. I would hope that there would be unanimity in this House in attacking sham contracting, which undermines the rights of workers in Queensland. The sham contracting industry working group will comprise government, industry and worker representatives and will be supported by a consultant and departmental secretariat. That group has been asked to report back to government by 1 September 2011. The industry working group will include representatives from the Department of Public Works. As the contract manager for state government funded building projects, the Department of Public Works has been working with unions in relation to this issue. It has been tasked by my cabinet colleague, building services minister Simon Finn, to look into these issues associated with contracting on building sites and how these issues can be addressed. I am working cooperatively with the minister to address sham contracting. I understand that the Australian government also has concerns about contracting in this industry. It is understandable and appropriate, given that the Australian government is responsible for significant areas in relation to contracting, including private sector industrial awards, superannuation and taxation. While the Queensland government has limited jurisdiction in relation to sham contracting, we are always concerned when workers’ rights and entitlements are threatened. This review will help us better understand the scope and impact of these dodgy practices and identify those areas at a state level where we can take action.

Mackay Region, Infrastructure Projects Hon. SD FINN (Yeerongpilly—ALP) (Minister for Government Services, Building Industry and Information and Communication Technology) (11.17 am): The Bligh government is getting on with the job of building a stronger and more prosperous Queensland. We are building the schools, hospitals and stadiums of the future—and nowhere more so than here in the Mackay-Sarina region. In addition to delivering crucial infrastructure for future generations, these projects are also supporting jobs and providing economic opportunities for the local community. The Department of Public Works is managing projects on behalf of government agencies, which support approximately 2,700 full-time-equivalent jobs in Mackay and 130 full-time-equivalent jobs in Sarina. In addition to this, projects being undertaken by the state government’s building arm, QBuild, are supporting the equivalent of 26 full-time jobs. There is no more powerful symbol of the Bligh government’s commitment to delivering for the people of this region than the $408 million Mackay Base Hospital redevelopment. Stage 1, consisting of the site’s early works and the first stage of the public car park, is now largely complete. Stage 2, the new acute-care building, is well underway. The Mackay Base Hospital redevelopment will deliver a huge boost to local health services. It will mean more beds, a wider range of services and better health outcomes for all local residents. 24 May 2011 Ministerial Statements 1537

Other projects the Bligh government is delivering in Mackay include social housing projects valued at $6.2 million and school construction and upgrades worth $4.2 million. My department is also managing projects valued at $5.2 million on behalf of the Queensland Police Service, the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General and the Department of Communities. We are also delivering for the people of Sarina, including a $13.9 million redevelopment of Mount Morgan General Hospital, over $20 million worth of school projects for the Department of Education and Training and a systems upgrade at the Capricornia Correctional Centre. QBuild is also getting on with the job of delivering important projects in the Mackay and Sarina region. On behalf of the Department of Education and Training, QBuild is currently managing $1.6 million worth of upgrades to Mackay TAFE along with other Mackay based Department of Education and Training projects valued at $1.5 million and the redevelopment of the $1.2 million Paget Ambulance Station. We are getting on with the job, building essential infrastructure, providing employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth right here in North Queensland. Members will be aware that today trade unions are engaged in industrial action regarding issues on a number of workplaces. In particular, unions claim incidences of sham contracting are occurring on government contracted job sites in South-East Queensland. I met with representatives of the building industry unions last week to discuss their concerns and requested that they write to me outlining these concerns. I can assure all workers on all sites contracted by the Department of Public Works that, on receipt of these details, all matters will be investigated thoroughly. I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Industrial Relations of the establishment of an industry reference group to look at sham contracting issues. This reference group will enable allegations of sham contracting to be investigated in detail. Finally, I can assure the Mackay and Sarina communities that the Bligh government will continue to build the essential infrastructure and deliver better government services and facilities now and into the future.

National Parks Hon. KJ JONES (Ashgrove—ALP) (Minister for Environment and Resource Management) (11.21 am): The extreme weather events over the summer of this year have caused destruction to our landscapes. In the Mackay and Whitsunday regions our national parks have suffered damage, with vegetation wiped out, walking tracks blocked and some of our iconic native species vulnerable. In fact, half of our total protected areas were partially or fully closed this year. This summer’s weather has caused around $20 million worth of damage to our walking tracks, campgrounds, facilities and roads. Thanks to the extraordinary effort of our dedicated rangers, who have worked around the clock to fix these tracks and repair facilities, nearly 100 disaster affected parks have been reopened in just four months. This is great news for our state recovering from a summer of destruction, especially for our local tourism industry. Some of the state’s most popular paths in and around Mackay are now open for business, including the majority of Conways walking tracks, lookouts and camping areas, all tracks of the Mackay Highlands Great Walk through the Eungella National Park and Cape Hillsborough and Cape Palmerston national parks. Rangers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Capricornia region and the Central Queensland marine region have driven this recovery. These rangers have pulled out all stops to ensure our parks have been inspected, repaired and reopened as quickly as possible. I commend the rangers for this important work which is not only benefiting locals but is crucial to helping to get our tourism industry back on track. Our 44 marine park rangers based in this region have been working very closely with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the CSIRO to assess reef damage after the cyclone. This is part of the largest integrated monitoring program ever undertaken after a natural disaster, covering over 416,000 square kilometres of marine park. This work is monitoring the impacts of cyclone associated run-off on water quality and damage to coral health. It is well known that heavy rainfall can reduce salinity, increase sediment and block sunlight, a potentially damaging scenario for both corals and seagrass. The monitoring program has been running for several months now and, fortunately, impacts have not been as bad as expected. Both coral communities and seagrass remain in generally good health, which is great news for the Great Barrier Reef. The condition of the reef is due to significant efforts from the state government, the local government, the federal government and local communities working together to protect the Great Barrier Reef. People in this region know very well how important it is not only to the environment but also for the local economy here and the tourism industry that we make sure that we continue to build the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. 1538 Absence of Ministers 24 May 2011

Cost of Living Hon. KL STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women) (11.24 am): Firstly, let me say it is great to be here in the Mackay region. I particularly want to say hello to all the young people, the students, out there. I am a bit of an oldie but I am the minister for youth. So make sure you catch up with me sometime today too. Mr SPEAKER: The honourable member will direct her comments through the chair. Ms STRUTHERS: I welcome the Queensland Council of Social Service’s cost-of-living report launched in Brisbane today. QCOSS plays a key role in the community service industry, with advocacy for those services and for vulnerable people around Queensland. The Bligh government provides the broadest range of concessions, subsidies and rebates of any state or territory. We are spending $1.3 billion to help reduce cost-of-living pressures for vulnerable Queenslanders. This includes help with rates, electricity, water, gas, train, bus and ferry travel, medical equipment and even mortgage relief. On top of this, one of the most valuable subsidies is public housing. On average, tenants receive an annual rent subsidy of $7,250 per year. The people of Mackay know that help is available. More than 5,000 pensioner households in the Mackay regional area are claiming our pensioner rate subsidy. That is $180 each off the rates and charges levied by their local council. Over 520,000 households across the state, including Mackay, are receiving our electricity rebate. That is $216 off their power costs each year. The Bligh government increased this rebate in last year’s budget. Many more households are saving more money on their power costs by accessing the Bligh government’s ClimateSmart Home Service. This includes expert advice on how to cut costs further, which could save people up to $325 more. The Bligh government knows that every dollar counts. People asked for help last year and we introduced a new rebate for cooling and heating for people who have multiple sclerosis and related health conditions. Mr Seeney interjected. Opposition members interjected. Ms STRUTHERS: They are not interested. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable the Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting and those on my left will cease interjecting. Ms STRUTHERS: I need to repeat the fact that we have introduced a new electricity subsidy for people who suffer multiple sclerosis and related conditions. Opposition members interjected. Mr Seeney interjected. Ms STRUTHERS: If you were quiet, you would hear that. It is a very important piece of information. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. The honourable the Leader of the Opposition, I have asked you repeatedly in this morning’s session to stop interjecting. I now warn you under the standing orders. Ms STRUTHERS: These people with these medical conditions can now receive $216 a year off their electricity costs. Those opposite might not think every dollar counts, but we on this side of the House certainly do. We know that every dollar counts and that is why we have a comprehensive range of concessions and rebates. Those opposite model themselves on the Western Australian conservative government. What did they do? They cut $17 million from concessions last year. That is the way these people think. In addition, we are spreading the word. Here at the Mackay parliament we have our Every Dollar Counts information available in the stall here. I know the member for Mackay, Tim Mulherin, and the member for Whitsunday, Jan Jarratt, know that every dollar counts. We have been hosting forums on those subsidies with them. We want Queenslanders to know not only what is available but certainly what we are delivering across this range of subsidies and rebates. Today I commit to annual reporting on our concessions and subsidies. This is in addition to the reporting we already do through the budget papers estimates hearings and parliamentary statements. We care about the cost of living for Queenslanders. We know every dollar counts. It is a shame these people do not.

ABSENCE OF MINISTERS Hon. JC SPENCE (Sunnybank—ALP) (Leader of the House) (11.28 am): I would also like to say that it is great to be back in Mackay. I lived here for a year when I taught at the Calen secondary department. So it is great to be here. Mr Lucas: It is a great town. 24 May 2011 Notices of Motion 1539

Ms SPENCE: It is a great town. Mr Speaker, I wish to advise the House that both the Minister for Energy and Water Utilities and the Minister for Disability Services, Mental Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships will be absent from the House this week. Minister Robertson is absent due to a sudden family emergency. Minister Pitt is also absent due to family reasons. Minister Hinchliffe has been appointed Acting Minister for Disability Services, Mental Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships for the duration of his absence.

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY BILL

SAFETY IN RECREATIONAL WATER ACTIVITIES BILL

Cognate Debate

Work Health and Safety Bill; Safety in Recreational Water Activities Bill Hon. JC SPENCE (Sunnybank—ALP) (Leader of the House) (11.29 am), by leave: I move— That, in accordance with Standing Order 129, the Work Health and Safety Bill and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Bill be treated as cognate Bills for their remaining stages, as follows: (a) separate questions being put in regard to the second readings; (b) the consideration of the Bills in detail together; and (c) separate questions being put for the third readings and long titles. As the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Bill and the Work Health and Safety Bill operate in tandem, the government sees a need to cognate these debates. Question put—That the motion be agreed to. Motion agreed to.

NOTICES OF MOTION

Regional Queensland, Infrastructure Mr SEENEY (Callide—LNP) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.30 am): I give notice that I will move— That this House: Condemns the Labor government for failing to plan and build key infrastructure in regional Queensland and recognises the significant increases in the cost of living that this failure has caused for all Queenslanders. Disallowance of Statutory Instrument Mr EMERSON (Indooroopilly—LNP) (11.30 am): I give notice that I will move— That the Transport Legislation (Fees) Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2011, Subordinate Legislation No. 64 of 2011, tabled in the House on 24 May 2011, be disallowed. Mineral Resources, Ownership Mr MESSENGER (Burnett—Ind) (11.31 am): I give notice that I will move— That this House notes: That, according to Parliamentary Library research: 1. In the United States and other countries the ownership of mineral resources is granted to those who own the land. 2. In Australia, landholders generally have no right to the ownership of mineral resources that are located either on or under their land as they belong to the state. 3. Consequently, as there is no right of ownership of the mineral wealth, compensation to the landholder is not based on the value of the minerals that are located there. 4. The value of any compensation to the landholder is based on the loss suffered by the landholder in the running of their business activity. And calls on the Premier to establish a bipartisan parliamentary committee commissioned to identify the legal changes required in Queensland to provide mineral rights to landowners, thereby guaranteeing landowners and farmers a legal right to a greater share of the state’s mineral wealth. I table the research. Tabled paper: Queensland Parliamentary Library research brief, dated 19 May 2011, in relation to rights of rural landholders in their dealings with resource companies [4514]. Mr SPEAKER: Which motion will the government accept for debate tonight? Ms SPENCE: We will accept the Leader of the Opposition’s motion for debate tonight. 1540 Private Members’ Statements 24 May 2011

SPEAKER’S STATEMENT

School Group Tours Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before I call private members’ statements and because we have so many students moving through this morning, I would like to acknowledge the students, teachers and parents of the Victoria Park State School, the Moranbah East State School, St Catherine’s School, Swayneville State School, Farleigh State School, Moranbah State High School, St Francis Xavier Primary School— which has two students who would be well known to at least one of our members, Liam and Rory Mulherin; this will mark the first in a long line of Mulherins who will visit us over the next few days— Chelona State School and the Mackay West State School year 5s.

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS Carbon Tax Mr SEENEY (Callide—LNP) (Leader of the Opposition) (11.33 am): At the outset can I place on record on behalf of the opposition of this House our gratitude to the people of Mackay for the hospitality that they will show us over the next week and indeed the hospitality that they have already extended to us. We on this side of the House recognise the importance of regional Queensland. We live in and represent regional Queensland. We have an abiding interest in regional Queensland and the people who live, work and make their lives here. The members of the government come here this morning with mealy-mouthed promises for the people of regional Queensland. But just like all Queenslanders, regional Queenslanders can judge this government on its record. After some 12½ years in government, those opposite still come with promises that they know they can never deliver. Those opposite know that they have no interest in regional Queensland. If they did, there is one statement they would have made this morning. They would have stood up and expressed their opposition to the federal government’s carbon tax, because the carbon tax is the greatest threat to regional Queenslanders that regional Queensland has ever faced. A carbon tax will impact on those three great industries that represent the economic base of regional Queensland. A carbon tax would devastate the mining industry. A carbon tax would devastate the agricultural industry. A carbon tax would devastate the tourism industry. There was not one word because this government supports the carbon tax. This government supports a carbon tax that would devastate regional Queensland and all of the communities that make up this part of the world. This government supports a carbon tax that would increase electricity prices, that would increase fuel prices, that would increase water prices, that would increase rates and that would increase the cost of living for everybody in regional Queensland. That is what this government represents. That is the message that this government has not been upfront about this morning. (Time expired) Regional Sittings of Parliament, Mackay Hon. JH JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business) (11.35 am): As one of the local members— Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock! Those on my left! The member for Hinchinbrook and the member for Buderim, you have been interjecting all morning. I now warn you both under standing order 253A(1). If there is a repeat of the performance, I will have you both removed for an hour. I call the honourable member for Whitsunday. Ms JARRATT: As one of the local members from the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region, it is my great honour today to welcome all ministers, members, staff and members of the public to the Mackay regional sittings for 2011. It is indeed an historic occasion that marks the fourth sitting of parliament outside Brisbane since 1868. I know that I speak for all when I say that regional sittings provide a fantastic opportunity for members of the public to see their elected members of parliament debating issues of importance to all Queenslanders. On top of bringing 89 members of parliament and their associated staff to Mackay, the regional sitting also brings with it a serious boost to this local economy. Estimates put the value of the economic injection of this event into the Mackay region close to $3 million. As the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, I implore every member of the House to explore our vibrant cafe scene, indulge in our wonderful restaurants and, after the last sitting on Thursday, maybe even go out and enjoy a well earned break and explore the culture of our pub scene. I am also pleased to confirm that accommodation in Mackay is close to full capacity—a wonderful shot in the arm for our local accommodation providers. 24 May 2011 Private Members’ Statements 1541

As we have seen during the last few days, our government has taken the opportunity while in Mackay to announce some wonderful projects for this fantastic region. We have already seen the Premier announce a record amount of money—$300 million—to rebuild our road network so damaged by the summer’s rain events. Residents of North Mackay will also be very happy to see work occur at Fursden Creek and the flood proofing of our access to the wonderful Edmund Casey Bridge. This $40 million will go a long way to improving our local road network. Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to welcome everyone to this historic sitting of parliament. (Time expired) Cost of Living Mr EMERSON (Indooroopilly—LNP) (11.38 am): This tired, long-term Labor government is once again slugging Queenslanders with increased costs of living. Today it has announced once again another increase in car registration. This is the failed government that has already increased car registration by more than 24 per cent in the last two years. Queensland is already the most expensive state in which to own and run a motor vehicle. It is not just with car registration that Queenslanders have been hard hit by this government. Queenslanders should never forget— Mr MOORHEAD: I rise to a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The contribution made by the member is pre-empting his notice of motion from this morning. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hoolihan): Order! Member, there is no point of order, but I would draw to your attention that you have a notice of motion before this House and that you should steer clear of the terms of that notice of motion. Thank you. Mr EMERSON: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. This government continues to increase the cost of living for Queenslanders. Queenslanders should never forget that this is the government that promised it would not give us a fuel tax, but the moment the election was over Labor broke its promise and introduced a 9.2c fuel tax by scrapping Queensland’s fuel subsidy. It is not just fuel that is costing Queensland motorists more. They have been hit by other things as well. Queensland’s drivers’ licences are to more than double in cost due to the state government’s bungled implementation of smart card licences, with the price of five-year licences due to skyrocket to $152.50 by 2014. In contrast the Campbell Newman led LNP recognises the cost-of-living pressures that Queenslanders are under, especially Queensland families. We oppose these increases, and a Campbell Newman led LNP government can do more than this government—this tired, long-term Labor government. We oppose these latest rises, and a Campbell Newman LNP government will freeze car rego price rises in its first term in office. We will ease the pressures on the cost of living for Queenslanders. We will work for Queenslanders, not like Labor. (Time expired) Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival Mr O’BRIEN (Cook—ALP) (11.41 am): It was a great pleasure to be welcomed to the Mackay parliament by the Little Murray Dancers and the Dau Family Dancers this morning. It is a great reminder that the 19th Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival, to be held from 17 to 19 June, is just 24 days away. The Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival is an exciting biennial gathering in Cape York Peninsula highlighting the many diverse communities, languages, songs, dances and stories. The festival is about passing on culture across the generations along with showcasing the strength, pride and uniqueness of Aboriginal people. Over 5,000 people travel to Laura from across the nation to enjoy this festival for three days. Over 20 communities participate across the region, with up to 500 traditional performers participating in the program. The Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival gives us all a vital opportunity to come together to respect, share and celebrate our unity as a nation. The Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival is the celebration of Aboriginal culture in Cape York. Every two years the festival celebrates and showcases the culture of Aboriginal people from Cape York through song, dance, ceremony and performance. The performance and practice of Aboriginal dance and culture at the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival is a very important element in the preservation and continuance of the unique culture of the region. The dance festival ground at Laura is the site of a very old traditional bora ground and is a respected and sacred site to Aboriginal people. It is nestled amongst some of the oldest and most spectacular rock art in the world. Recently the rock art of the area was awarded Queensland icon status by the National Trust in recognition of its significance to the environment and cultural landscape. The festival enables the wider community to witness and gain insight into the uniqueness of Aboriginal culture. Festival spectators witness the storytelling of Aboriginal culture through dance, language and art. The road to Laura is nearly fully bitumen sealed. It has never been easier to get to the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival. I urge all Queenslanders to take part in this festival this year. It plans to be the best ever. 1542 Private Members’ Statements 24 May 2011

Fursden Creek Bridge Mr MALONE (Mirani—LNP) (11.43 am): Welcome, boys and girls and ladies and gentlemen, to the sitting of parliament here in Mackay. The Premier and the ministers have flown into town and have made some very impressive and massive promises to the people of Mackay. Government members interjected. Mr MALONE: Thank you very much. They are very much like Tinker Bell and the elves spreading fairy dust over all and sundry, though I am not sure the elves have done very much. One has to wonder whether the promise will last as long as the fairy dust. It blows away in the wind as quickly as they leave town! Funding of the Fursden Creek Bridge is obviously very welcome, but the people of Mackay, as the Premier has already found out, are very cynical about the timing of this announcement. Fursden Creek was a well-known problem well before the Edmund Casey Bridge was built. Typical of this government’s lack of planning and funding, we saw a multimillion-dollar bridge built without proper consideration of weather proofing or access. It would have made good economic sense and shown good planning to complete the entire project while the equipment, workforce and contractors were already on site. All of us as taxpayers will now pay very dearly for this new project in another typical oversight by this Labor government that sees an opportunity to announce a new project which should have been part of the previous project, had it been properly thought through. This project will not be seen in this parliamentary term and it will be up to the next government to find the funding from ever-diminishing Treasury coffers of a state government that is $80 billion in debt, with a huge interest bill for every hour. We need a can-do government— (Time expired)

Great Barrier Reef International Marine College Hon. D BOYLE (Cairns—ALP) (11.45 am): I am pleased to update members of the House on a project that was discussed at the Cairns regional sittings of parliament and which has come to fruition in Cairns, and very successfully so—that is, the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College. This is a project that those of us in Cairns have worked towards for a long time and which was put to ministers at the regional parliament. I am pleased to say that we have followed through and that the marine college was opened several months ago. I am also pleased to inform members that this higher order marine training college that deals with professional and commercial level qualifications fills a gap in training in Cairns. The lower order, entry- level training provided by the TAFE is marvellous in itself but does not go far enough. However, not only is the marine training college providing the training at that professional and senior end to people from Cairns; students come from other parts of Queensland and in fact other parts of Australia. This is a facility of such sophistication that it is the only one of its kind on mainland Australia. So its success in that sense is not a surprise. I am pleased to let honourable members, particularly the Minister for Marine Infrastructure and the Minister for Education, who have been strong supporters of this project, know that the job is not over. The college is so busy already—so booked out some weeks—that we are already beginning to talk of expansion plans. This is the kind of infrastructure that we need in our regional cities—infrastructure that matches the particular economic opportunities of the area—and the marine industry is and has always been a huge industry in Cairns and is an industry that will grow. I thank the Premier for her support for this project and I encourage honourable members to tour the facility when in Cairns. (Time expired) Caval Ridge Mine Mr KNUTH (Dalrymple—LNP) (11.47 am): My electorate encompasses one of the biggest coalmining towns in the Bowen Basin, and I fully support the Moranbah community’s opposition to a 100 per cent fly-in fly-out workforce. When I was first elected as the member for Charters Towers in 2004, Moranbah was a town that thrived on a deep sense of community involvement and social participation. The whole town was involved in whatever was happening. But the mining boom saw a massive increase in a non-residential workforce which has resulted in a decline in social interaction and community participation. There is mounting evidence that workers who are disconnected from their family unit are more likely to experience relationship issues. The growth of the mining town depends on workers being given the opportunity to settle their families within the community and not live separate lives. This will encourage community participation and ensure the health, growth and sustainability of these towns. 24 May 2011 Private Members’ Statements 1543

The Treasurer has announced that the government is considering calling in the Buffel Park 2,500- bed accommodation village. This announcement still does not mean that the government will oppose the 100 per cent fly-in fly-out proposed arrangement. If the Moranbah Caval Ridge mine is permitted a 100 per cent non-resident workforce, the precedent will be set and other mining companies will follow suit. I call on this government to oppose any application for a 100 per cent fly-in fly-out workforce at Moranbah’s Caval Ridge mine. Moranbah is more than just a mining town; it is a place where parents are raising their children, where grandparents are retiring and a place they call home. In short, workers and families should also be given the same opportunity to call Moranbah home. Regional Communities, Infrastructure Mr WATT (Everton—ALP) (11.49 am): Queensland is currently witnessing investment in its regional communities via the resources industry on a level that has not been seen before. That investment is reshaping our regions, delivering massive opportunities, but with it comes some challenges, none more than ensuring that existing and new towns have the infrastructure and services that are needed to cope with a growing population. This government is committed to ensuring that the people who are generating the state’s wealth literally at the coalface share in the benefits of that wealth. Queensland has the unique advantage of having a Coordinator-General with wide-ranging powers to coordinate projects proposed by massive resource companies. The Coordinator-General has the ability to ensure that investment generated in our regional communities delivers economic and social development balanced with environmental protection that will shape their future prosperity. During 2009-10, this government strengthened the social impact assessment component of environmental impact assessment processes when they are conducted to evaluate major projects. With that, we introduced requirements on project proponents to prepare social impact management plans to ensure that social impacts are adequately assessed and mitigated. For example, project proponents must outline how they will address worker accommodation requirements and identify strategies to minimise other housing in mining towns becoming unaffordable. We have also addressed social infrastructure needs in mining communities through the Sustainable Resource Communities Policy, which has delivered $100 million in social and economic infrastructure projects in various resource regions. Last week I visited Moranbah with the Treasurer and Coordinator-General to listen firsthand to community views on the challenges and opportunities arising from new mining projects nearby. We met with members of the Moranbah Action Group, which made the need for affordable housing very clear. That group argued that a range of accommodation options is essential so that mining workers and their families have a genuine choice as to the accommodation that suits them. This government is determined to meet those needs, including via the Urban Land Development Authority, which is working with the council and the community to deliver affordable housing at the boxing club site. Ayr, Small Business Mrs MENKENS (Burdekin—LNP) (11.51 am): Small communities in regional Queensland rely on small family businesses. An LNP can-do government will support small business. A recent application to pave the way for seven-day trading by major national retailers in Ayr could signal the death knell for many local small business owners. Earlier this month advertisements in the Burdekin newspapers alerted the community that the National Retailers Association had made an application for seven-day-a- week trading in Ayr. This application came as a total surprise to the business community. But the cruellest part was that they were given only four working days for submissions to be put in. The Ayr-Home Hill community is not a large community and business has been doing it tough in the Burdekin. There is uncertainty ahead, with the district reliant on a successful 2011 sugar and small crops harvest after the very poor 2010 year. This uncertainty has a major effect on local businesses. Independent retailers and small business need our support. They are the central pivot of the whole community. This application could kill small business. Small retailers will be faced with higher costs as they struggle to compete on a not-so-level playing field. It is a different story in larger communities where population deems it necessary for extended trading, but communities like the Burdekin depend on family based small businesses. They already have seven-day-a-week trading with these small businesses. Local chambers of commerce are understandably furious. Local retailers support the community. They employ more staff per gross floor area than the major supermarkets do and they use local services—the local accountant, the local banks, the local tradespeople. Their profits go back into the community. That is how our small towns survive. Major supermarket groups use few local services and their profits go nationally and globally to shareholders. Sure, the major groups provide excellent services and products but just give our small communities a chance. Surely these giants can glean sufficient profits from elsewhere. No doubt, this is only the start. Is Bowen going to be next? 1544 Private Members’ Statements 24 May 2011

Education Services Mr CHOI (Capalaba—ALP) (11.53 am): Foreign trade is very important to the economy of Queensland and close to one in four jobs in regional Queensland is trade related. In this great region of Queensland three sectors dominate the trade scene: agriculture, mining and tourism. The Queensland government is also working hard to add another industry to this mix: the education sector. Queensland’s international education and training sector is the state’s third largest export industry, contributing over $2.8 billion in annual export revenue and employing over 17,000 Queenslanders. In any one year, Queensland welcomes over 120,000 international students for study in schools, vocational education and training, English language intensive courses and higher education sectors. This figure compares to just 60,000 in 2006, representing a doubling of student numbers in just five years. Trade and Investment Queensland is working with the Mackay Language College to develop a new Asian market for Mackay’s international education industry. The Mackay Language College already has regular enrolments in the Korean, Japanese and Colombian markets. Recently, a meeting was facilitated between an education representative from the Chinese city of Yantai and the Mackay Language College, resulting in a proposal being developed to offer Mandarin studies during Yantai Week in Mackay in July 2011. Trade and Investment Queensland is also organising a video conference for members of the region’s study cluster, Study Mackay, to speak with Vietnam based Austrade representatives to discuss business opportunities for education service providers in the Vietnam region. The greatest asset of this region for foreign students rests not in the fine educational facilities that we have here—although they are very important—it is the people of this region, the friendliness of the people, their readiness to help others and the lifestyle of this region. I am sure in times to come education will be one of the great exports of this region as well. (Time expired) Disability Services Ms DAVIS (Aspley—LNP) (11.55 am): Today, I recognise and applaud the work of the community disability sector organisations that undertake their work with dedication and an overwhelming spirit. The work that these organisations do gives people the tools and behaviour to live fuller lives. It provides an increased quality of life, not just for a day, but for life. It provides them with opportunities, confidence and independence. It puts smiles on their faces, gives them social interaction and helps their families beyond measure. But in seeing the good that these organisations do I have also seen the burdens placed upon them by this government’s culture of bureaucracy and red tape. There is too much unnecessary paperwork outsourced by a red-tape mad government and it all costs the non-government sector. Disability service organisations are proud of their work. They want to do their best by their clients. They endorse accreditation service standards because they fight every day for the dignity of people with disabilities. But the burden is taking away the ability of these organisations to provide their vital services. Where do these organisations find the funds to replace the time and money that is lost to red tape? More fundraising, cake stalls, doorknocks and raffles, a couple of dollars at a time, asking a community that is already struggling under this government’s bungled economy and increasing costs of living? Or do they cut back, reducing the number of clients, their services or their staff? They already operate on hard-fought, efficient budgets. They cannot afford to lose their staff—not the therapy or the care staff and certainly not the administrative staff who work to comply with government paperwork requirements. This government has dropped the ball on disability services and it is hurting the people who make it work. For this government to then impose higher bureaucratic costs on the sector is outrageous and damaging. The disability sector is not an easy sector to work in, but it certainly has its rewards. Thanks to this government, it also has its stresses. (Time expired) Diabetic Foot Mrs ATTWOOD (Mount Ommaney—ALP) (11.57 am): It is great to be here in beautiful Mackay. In my role as Parliamentary Secretary for Health I recently met with representatives from the Australian Podiatry Association—Queensland to discuss the important work undertaken by podiatrists in our state. During this meeting, I was advised of an important health issue that accounted for over 3,000 hospitalisations in Queensland in 2008 alone. I am referring to a little-known condition commonly known as diabetic foot. Over 300,000 people in Queensland live with diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is on the increase. Diabetic foot is a condition caused by damage to nerve fibres as a result of diabetes. It is displayed by ulcers appearing on the foot that are often not felt by the patient because of their damaged nerves. If these ulcers are left untreated, the condition can result in amputation; indeed, hundreds of amputations occur in Queensland as a result of this condition each year. The Australian Institute of Health and 24 May 2011 Private Members’ Statements 1545

Welfare estimates that approximately 6,000 Queenslanders live with a foot ulcer caused by diabetes, placing them at risk of amputation. Representatives from the Australian Podiatry Association raised this issue with me as an issue that could be addressed more effectively by educating Queenslanders, and particularly diabetes sufferers, of the symptoms and consequences of diabetic foot and foot ulcers. Queensland Health spends approximately $122 million per year on the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The state government is committed to ensuring that Queenslanders have access to high-quality health care, and the world-class doctors and medical practitioners in Queensland Health have been hard at work to address this condition in a preventive manner through initiatives like the Diabetic Foot Innovation Project. The Statewide Diabetes Clinical Network’s diabetic foot networking group has been undertaking work on this issue and has identified five new— (Time expired) Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hoolihan): Before calling the member for Currumbin, we have some more school groups that either have come in or are due in. We have Chelona State School and year 5 students from Mackay West State School. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Mrs STUCKEY (Currumbin—LNP) (11.59 am): I draw to the attention of the House the desperate plight of the iconic Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which has operated for over 60 years, and the world- class wildlife hospital, which opened in September 2009. This unique wildlife facility, a gift to the people of Queensland by founder Alex Griffiths 35 years ago, has been continuously ignored by the Bligh Labor government. Not a cent has been given to this invaluable facility. It is a slap in the face for the hospital and for the community of Currumbin, considering the government funds the Moggill and Daisy Hill facilities. Meanwhile, the Premier and her ministers have no shame—no shame—exploiting the Currumbin sanctuary for cute and cuddly photo opportunities whenever it suits them. Costs to run the state-of-the-art wildlife hospital have reached about $600,000 a year and admissions are soaring. According to the Currumbin hospital’s records, the number of koalas they have treated has soared fivefold in just three years. Three years ago the hospital was treating 3,000 animals a year. In the 12 months to March 2011 the hospital treated some 6,500 animals. Now this facility is at risk of closure unless assistance funding can be provided. Our community needs this service. It costs money to save these animals. We hear much about the Bligh government’s environmental credentials and plenty from the member for Ashgrove, Minister Jones, about the plight of the koala population. What we need is a commitment from the state government to provide ongoing funding. On behalf of the people of Queensland I ask the Premier and the minister to show that they really care and include some funding in this year’s June budget. The CEO of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary says that the current situation is unsustainable. The No. 1 priority is to keep the wildlife hospital open but he desperately needs funds to do so. Will the Bligh government sit on its hands and watch Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary go under? Is its commitment to our wildlife mere lip-service? (Time expired) Superyacht and Marine Export Conference Ms CROFT (Broadwater—ALP) (12.02 pm): Last week it was my pleasure to represent the Hon. Jan Jarratt, Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, at the very first Australian Superyacht and Marine Export Conference at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show on the Gold Coast. Queensland is very much open for business, and with year-round good conditions our state provides the ideal destination for superyacht visitors looking for gorgeous weather, world-class facilities and stunning coastal attractions. All these things make it a very attractive cruising ground alternative or addition to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The Queensland marine industry employs around 9,000 Queenslanders directly and contributes some $2 billion a year to the Queensland economy. Queensland produces three-quarters of Australian- built recreational boats and two-thirds of Australian manufactured boats for export. The industry encompasses a diverse range of activities including marine equipment, component manufacturers, naval architects, marine infrastructure developers, retailers, yacht brokers, charter services and training providers. In partnership with the industry, the Queensland government developed the Queensland Superyacht Refit and Maintenance Directory. The directory has recently been distributed to 2,000 superyacht captains and owners in the Mediterranean. In partnership with the industry and Tourism Queensland, another milestone has been reached: the launch of the Superyachts Queensland web portal. The portal provides a one-stop shop for superyacht captains and owners visiting Queensland. It showcases Queensland as a cruising destination for superyacht owners and crew. It highlights our safe, vast and pristine cruising grounds, World Heritage listed natural assets, freedom from overcrowding— (Time expired) 1546 Referendum for an Upper House Bill 24 May 2011

PEOPLE’S HOUSE BILL

First Reading Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (12.04 pm): I present a bill for an act to amend the Constitution Act 1867, the Constitution of Queensland 2001 and the Local Government Act 2009 to provide for a people’s house in the Parliament of Queensland. I present the explanatory notes, and I move— That the bill be now read a first time. Question put—That the bill be now read a first time. Motion agreed to. Bill read a first time. Tabled paper: People’s House Bill [4515]. Tabled paper: People’s House Bill, explanatory notes [4516]. Second Reading Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (12.04 pm): I move— That the bill be now read a second time. The People’s House Bill is the single most important proposed legislation presented to this Legislative Assembly since the abolition of our upper house in 1922. I table a historical research paper. Tabled paper: Information regarding the abolition of the Legislative Council in Queensland [4517]. The model outlines the appointment of 45 local government mayors, including Mackay’s very own mayor, Col Meng. I table letters sent yesterday to 73 mayors across Queensland. Tabled paper: Letter, dated 23 May 2011, from Mr Aidan McLindon MP to mayors of Queensland councils in relation to a proposal for the reinstatement of the upper house in Queensland [4518]. Tabled paper: Letter, dated 22 July 2010, from Campbell Newman, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, to Mr Aidan McLindon MP in relation to a proposal for the reinstatement of the upper house in Queensland [4519]. This will strengthen cooperation between local and state governments since the terrible injustice of the Local Government Act 2009 which completely undermined the role of our councils. This is the first model in Australia that will include local Indigenous representatives in a state parliament. I have sought input from all mayors and have had an overwhelming majority of support. This has been policy for the conservative side of politics for some 89 years, yet they are still willing to exploit the downfalls—except for a letter from Campbell Newman, who agrees with the reinstatement of an upper house and says that the proposal has merit. Debate, on motion of Mr Lucas, adjourned.

REFERENDUM FOR AN UPPER HOUSE BILL

First Reading Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (12.05 pm): I present a bill for an act to provide for a referendum on the People’s House Bill 2011. I present the explanatory notes, and I move— That the bill be now read a first time. Question put—That the bill be now read a first time. Motion agreed to. Bill read a first time. Tabled paper: Referendum for an Upper House Bill [4520]. Tabled paper: Referendum for an Upper House Bill, explanatory notes [4521]. Second Reading Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (12.06 pm): I move— That the bill be now read a second time. (Time expired) Debate, on motion of Mr Lucas, adjourned. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hoolihan): Order! The time for private members’ statements has expired. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1547

SUSTAINABLE PLANNING (HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHARGES REFORM) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill Resumed from 10 May (see p. 1244), on motion of Mr Lucas— That the bill be now read a second time. Mr SEENEY (Callide—LNP) (Leader of the Opposition) (12.06 pm): I rise on behalf of the opposition to make a contribution to the consideration of the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. Today, with this bill before the House, we see Queenslanders once again reaping the unfortunate outcome of decades of Labor government mismanagement and cost shifting. This bill is typical of a government that is in decline. The Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill sets out to do a number of things that would not be necessary from a government that was an efficient administrator. The bill establishes an adopted infrastructure charge for trunk infrastructure for maximum infrastructure charges. The bill also allows local governments to increase infrastructure charges up to that maximum. It is important to understand that it is a maximum and not a standard. The bill allows local governments to increase infrastructure charges up to that figure as a maximum or, indeed, to reduce their infrastructure charges or to dispense with those infrastructure charges altogether. The bill suspends the collection of some charges in favour of the new adopted infrastructure charge for councils and new water and waste water services based on the adopted infrastructure charge for water distributor-retailers. The bill before the House also implements matters relating to certain local government boundary changes and provides an extension for pool owners to register their swimming pool with the Department of Local Government and Planning. However, the major component of this bill is indeed the implementation of the new adopted infrastructure charge. While the LNP will not be opposing the changes included in this bill relating to those infrastructure charges, we have considerable concerns with this legislation and its implications. Our first concern is the one that I have already touched on: that the legislated maximum charges that this bill introduces will be adopted by councils as a standard. I appreciate that that is not the intent of this bill; however, I fear it will be the outcome. The bill sets the infrastructure charges as follows. For a residential property, it sets a maximum of $28,000 for a dwelling of three or more bedrooms and for a residential property with two or more bedrooms it sets a maximum infrastructure charge of $20,000. For non-residential properties, it sets between $50 and $200 per square metre of gross floor area depending on the development type. Twelve months ago, a task force review was commissioned into infrastructure charges following the government’s growth summit. This task force was chaired by a senior public servant, the Chief Executive Officer of Growth Management Queensland, and included representatives from local government, including the LGAQ CEO, and senior industry representatives. The task force made 10 recommendations, which it delivered with a number of comments. I quote— Implementation of these recommendations will see an infrastructure charging framework that delivers more certainty, more transparency and accountability, and is more equitable and reasonable, and is far simpler and far more consistent than that which exists in Queensland right now. While the taskforce has been keen to ensure that the reforms presented will stimulate development activity in the short term and not seek to inhibit development, the taskforce is equally mindful of the need to have long term, sustained infrastructure charging and planning frameworks. While the government’s response to this task force review supported the majority of the recommendations, both industry and local government have expressed considerable concern over the subsequent policy decisions made by the government and how legislation will implement those changes. The Local Government Association of Queensland has commissioned a report that has found these changes have a potential, within the next 20 years, to deliver a situation where Queensland local government will have a debt larger than the current combined debt of Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory governments put together. They have also predicted that the change would add to the average rates bill up to $60 per property. On the other hand, the Urban Development Institute of Australia has expressed concerns that the flawed drafting of the bill means that infrastructure charges will not reflect the actual cost of the reasonable provision of infrastructure associated with each development. Instead, councils may automatically charge the maximum level across-the-board, without itemising or justifying the actual costs incurred. That reflects the fear that I indicated earlier. Only this Labor government could, in such a short space of time, unravel the cooperation and goodwill from both sides of this issue. Only this Labor government could get everybody offside so completely. It would be reasonable to think that a government would pause, take on these extensive criticisms from across the industry, listen to both sides of the argument, listen to the local councils, go 1548 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 back to the task force review report and consider its response. That would be reasonable, but it would be wrong to make such an assumption when it comes to the Bligh Labor government. What the Deputy Premier has said on this issue is enlightening. He said— The fact that both local governments and the development industry are attacking the government from opposite ends of the spectrum about the levels set shows that they are engaging in nothing more than posturing. The Deputy Premier said— This is an argument between councils and the property industry that the State has had to step into simply because they have the lack of maturity to sort it out themselves. The Deputy Premier said— If the government’s proposal is as bad as the Property Council and the Local Government Association of Queensland claim, then why don’t they call on us to scrap it and leave it to them to sort it out? In those three quotes is encapsulated the attitude of this Labor government. In those three quotes is encapsulated everything that is common about a government that is in decline. They are not prepared to listen. They are not prepared to consider. They simply insult those people who make comments, as the Deputy Premier did when he suggested that the councils and the property industry ‘have the lack of maturity to sort it out themselves’. What a terrible response from a Deputy Premier. What a terrible response from a government. What a terrible response to an issue that should have been a bread-and- butter issue for a responsible government. In other words, if we look at the Deputy Premier’s quotes we can see that he has not taken any of the constructive criticism on board. Instead, he is threatening to take the government’s bat and ball and go home. That is not responsible government. That is not responsible administration. It is just another example of Labor’s defensive reaction when its failings are pointed out. It is another example of a government that has lost the capacity to govern. Let members of this parliament have no doubt: this issue is of the Labor government’s own making. This issue is of the Bligh government’s making. Over the past two decades in Queensland, the state Labor government has ignored the infrastructure needs of Queensland communities. After more than a decade of Labor, every Queensland community is struggling with its infrastructure needs. Over the past two decades, this Labor government has cost shifted responsibilities to councils without providing additional financial resources. That is the first message that anybody gets when they visit any local government in Queensland. Over an extended period, the state government has cost shifted responsibilities to councils without providing additional financial resources. In fact, over the same period the government has withdrawn the financial resources that are available to councils, foremost amongst which is the 40 per cent subsidy that the state government used to provide for water and sewerage assets for councils. That was withdrawn with no warning, which is typical of the attitude that this state Labor government has adopted. It withdrew the 40 per cent subsidy and, at the same time, raised the standards that the councils were obligated to achieve for their water and sewerage assets. They shifted the cost and increased the responsibility. Over the past two decades, the government has bungled and forced the expensive amalgamation of councils: the amalgamation that was supposed to provide taxpayers with cost savings; the amalgamation that will become the enduring legacy for the Treasurer in this government today; the amalgamation that the member for Mount Coot-tha will always be remembered for as it is one of the great administrative failures in Queensland’s history. It was a thought bubble that the then Premier thought would shift the political debate for a day or two, but it has left a legacy that local governments and local communities will have to struggle with for many generations to come. Millions and millions of dollars have been wasted and no cost savings at all have been made. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The cost savings that were promised became additional costs. They became a cost heaped on a cost because the bungled administration was proved to be a financial burden for the amalgamated councils. Over the past two decades, this government has massively increased red tape and regulation for businesses looking to invest in Queensland’s future. There has been a massive increase in red tape and regulation that has impacted on the property development industry more than most. However, it does not impact just on the property development industry; it flows through to every young Queenslander who wants to buy their own piece of land to build a house on and it flows through to every Queensland family that is trying to save for the deposit to buy a house. The regulation and the red tape that this tired, incompetent government heaps upon that industry ends up as an extra burden that young Queenslanders have to carry. That is a great failing, but the worst failing is that this government does not appreciate, understand or accept but continues to deny the impact that its loss of capacity to govern is having on Queenslanders everywhere. Over the past two decades the government has failed to get the basics right. Instead, waste, incompetence and mismanagement have become an endemic symptom of this government. In recent years, infrastructure charges have been increasing well above CPI and a wider range of infrastructure components are now included in determining the final charge. Under the proposed maximum adopted infrastructure charges, the determination of these charges is likely to become even less open and even less transparent. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1549

The great danger is that the $28,000 maximum will become a standard—a simple standard that will be applied across-the-board without explanation or justification. In addition, these changes are also likely to result in substantial increases of infrastructure charges in regional Queensland, where quite often infrastructure charges are less than that $28,000. The impact on those communities will be even greater. It will hit housing affordability everywhere, but it will hit housing affordability in those regional communities, those small communities, even harder. As I indicated, the opposition will not be opposing this bill in relation to infrastructure charges. However, we have some serious and ongoing concerns with the implications of its implementation— serious concerns. In government we will seek to address those concerns. If the people of Queensland support us, we will seek to address those concerns. We will seek to right the wrongs of this failing government rather than try to legislate away their effects. That is what this bill seeks to do. It does not seek to right the wrongs, it does not seek to correct the failings; it seeks to legislate away the effects of those failings and legislate away the effects of years of mismanagement. So in government we will seek to review the broader Sustainable Planning Act. We will seek to review the Sustainable Planning Act that is complained about by everybody who has to deal with it in the property industry, in local governments and in the community generally. We will seek to change the Sustainable Planning Act so that it is not a source of constant complaint. It serves the purpose— Mr Shine interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! Honourable members, there is too much audible conversation in the House. I ask the member for Toowoomba North to cease interjecting. The member for Callide has the call. Mr SEENEY: We will seek to address that constant complaint from the community because Queenslanders deserve a fair and reasonable system. Queenslanders deserve a fair and reasonable infrastructure charge regime that is open and transparent. We are concerned that the provisions of this bill do not guarantee such fair and reasonable charges and the system is definitely not open and transparent. We understand that this is a complex area of dispute where there are genuine concerns on behalf of developers, the local councillors and the eventual buyers of the land. Local government has been increasingly squeezed by spiralling costs and expectations, as I have outlined. In particular, the removal of the 40 per cent subsidy for water and sewerage infrastructure by the state government has made the collection of infrastructure charges even more important for local government because the water and infrastructure assets have to be funded from those infrastructure charges completely. Meanwhile, developers are increasingly challenged to provide housing options at affordable prices while they face considerable red tape, considerable regulation and, many times, overly onerous and overly zealous taxes and charges from a state government that went broke in a boom. Some of the present infrastructure-charging regimes are stifling development. We also recognise that any shortfall between the actual cost of providing infrastructure and the amount recovered in infrastructure charges must be funded by an alternative means. The only alternative means that councils will have is to charge the existing ratepayer base. In addition, the broader economic environment and the government regulation impact on the timely and cost-effective investment in development infrastructure. It should be noted that the task force review recommendations included— A simplification of the existing legislative and regulatory infrastructure planning and charging requirements on local governments. In simple terms, the task force review recommended that red tape should be cut. ‘Cut red tape and simplify the process.’ That is the demand and the request of everybody in the industry. Unfortunately, this recommendation has been largely ignored in the government’s response. This is yet another example of the failure of this government to get the basics right—the failure of this government to address the concerns that are being expressed to it by the community, who have to deal with its failings and its incompetence. Government members interjected. Mr SEENEY: Government members ask what we would do. We will do a better job. A can-do LNP government is committed to restoring the rights of ratepayers. We are committed to rebuilding the relationship between state and local governments and we are committed to partnering local governments to prioritise major infrastructure. We are committed to doing the job rather than seeking to legislate away the effects of a failure to do the job. We will act to ensure there are real strategies to provide affordable housing for Queensland. If we do not get the basics right and use our resources and assets wisely, Queensland will have no hope of improving the infrastructure and services needed for our growing and ageing population. Instead, we will just keep paying more in taxes and charges to fund a government that went broke in a boom, that wasted the financial legacy of every Queenslander and now seeks to recover the cost of its own failings from those same Queenslanders. Under this government, longer term problems have been ignored such as the need to ensure infrastructure is properly funded, the need to ensure councils can balance their budgets and the need to ensure developers can deliver affordable housing to Queenslanders. This Labor government has 1550 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 always been good at talk and at spin and at political tricks. It has always been somebody else’s fault when the delivery has not happened as it should. There is always an excuse or a political promise. Unfortunately, Queenslanders continue to hurt. Queenslanders continue to suffer the effects of the failures of such members as the member for Toowoomba North. We deserve a government that can plan for the long term, that can cut waste and that can get the basics right. This is an area in which those things need to happen. Planning for the long term, cutting waste and getting the basics right are essential parts of delivering the infrastructure and properly addressing the issues that this bill seeks to legislate away. In relation to the water distributor-retailers— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, can I interrupt you for a moment and welcome to the House the students and staff from the Mackay West State School and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School. Mr SEENEY: This bill also sets up a provision for distributor-retailers if a local council has opted out of the state government water reforms, which have comprehensively failed. Unfortunately, instead of adopting the practical and straightforward reforms suggested by the leader of the LNP to untangle the mess created by the Labor government’s failure, the government is choosing to compound the issue with reforms that, if adopted, are almost guaranteed to bankrupt our water entities and cost taxpayers even more. This is on top of the $7 billion wasted by this government in its panicked response to the drought following a decade of inaction and lack of planning. I have spoken about this issue in this parliament a number of times. It will be the everlasting legacy of this government, because generations of Queenslanders will pay for the mismanagement that surrounded the government’s response to a water crisis that the government itself caused—the water crisis that was caused by the lack of planning, the water crisis that had its genesis in a political decision not to proceed with the Wolffdene Dam. Not only did it decide not to proceed with the Wolffdene Dam; it did not proceed with anything else. The government chose to make a political issue out of the provision of a piece of infrastructure that would have guaranteed a water supply—a safe, secure, cheap water supply—to the people of South-East Queensland for generations. It chose to make a cheap, political exercise out of it. Having so successfully done so, after turning that into a cheap, political exercise it then froze and built nothing else until suddenly in 2004 and 2005 it worked out that it had a water crisis. There was a panicked response which students of public administration will study in their university courses for years to come. It was a panicked response which left the people of Queensland with billions and billions of dollars worth of debt. Billions and billions of dollars was wasted. Billions and billions of dollars was spent building infrastructure which now contributes nothing to the water supply in South-East Queensland but which has to be paid for by all water consumers in South-East Queensland. It will have to be paid for by generations of people who will live in South-East Queensland for years and years to come. But part of that so-called water reform this bill seeks to unwind— Honourable members interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, there is too much conversation across the chamber. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. Mr SEENEY: Part of the political trickery at the time was an effort to somehow blame the local councils for the fact that there was a water crisis and that water bills were going up. The retail entities were set up to solve that political problem and as part of that political strategy. The government was told at the time that a water delivery structure would not work. It was a bit like the famous ‘knowledge noodle’, where the structure was so complex that nobody could understand how it worked. Nobody could understand who was responsible. Nobody could understand where the charges were being applied. That was its very purpose: it was meant to confuse. It was meant to deny the transparency that the people of South-East Queensland are now looking for. The reversals that we see in the bill before the House are an admission that that part at least of the so-called water reform process was a complete and abject failure—and of course it was. It will be long remembered. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr SEENEY: If only, Deputy Premier, the rest of the failure was so easily reversed. If only we could come in here and legislate away the billions of dollars worth of debt that the Treasurer must now pay interest on and pass on to the people of South-East Queensland. If only we could come in here and legislate away those crippling high water bills that the people of South-East Queensland must pay for many generations to come simply because of the inadequacy and incapacity of this government. I have spoken on this many times in this parliament, and I will leave the subject by repeating what I have also said many times. When the election day finally comes, when this government is forced to the polls, the people of South-East Queensland should do one thing: take your water bill with you to the polling booth. There is no better how-to-vote card in South-East Queensland than the water bills that people are receiving— Honourable members interjected. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1551

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, the House will come to order. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. Mr SEENEY: The people of South-East Queensland will not forget because they get a water bill every quarter. They get a water bill on a regular basis. Every time they get that water bill they will be reminded of the incompetence of this Labor government. Every time this government will try to blame the councils. But every time we will remind the people of South-East Queensland that the people who are responsible for the exorbitantly high, crippling water bills that they now pay are the people in this state Labor government who continue to deny the reality of their own incompetence and continue to deny the impacts that incompetence has had on so many people in South-East Queensland. Mr Wallace interjected. Mr Gibson interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Main Roads and member for Gympie, cease the cross-chamber conversation. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. The House will come to order. Mr SEENEY: As it is with all governments, the day of reckoning will come. The day of reckoning will come when the people of Queensland get a chance to cast their vote. They will get a chance to pass judgement on this government and its performance. No area of the government’s performance will be remembered more keenly by the people of South-East Queensland than its administration of the water industry in South-East Queensland and the failure of its so-called water reform. I once again say to the people of South-East Queensland: stick your water bill on your fridge and take your water bill with you when you go to the polling booth. There is no better how-to-vote card. Ignore the millions of dollars worth of advertising that I have no doubt this government will run and take your water bill with you and read it before you vote. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr SEENEY: Are you right there? Are you okay? Take a deep breath! You will be right. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will refer his comments through the chair. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. Mr SEENEY: I was just concerned for my colleague. I will move to the provisions relating to the swimming pool regulations that are also contained in this bill. I will turn to the provision in this bill concerning the extension for pool owners to register their swimming pool with the Department of Local Government and Planning. This is another example of this government’s inability to get things right the first time. The government is more focused on the spin and the media than on the impact of its decisions on Queenslanders. It is reflected in these small issues just as it is reflected in the bigger issues that I was speaking about a moment ago. Let me say at the outset that the LNP has always supported moves towards ensuring the safety of our children around water. Everybody supports that. What none of us supports is the incompetence of this government and the inability of this government to get the simple regulatory environment right. We have long held concerns about the implementation of the government’s reform—its impact on landholders as well as the practicality of the provisions it seeks to implement. Members should realise that this bill is extending a deadline that has passed already. This bill seeks to extend a deadline that was set and has now been exceeded. Under the current legislation, the deadline for pool owners to register their pool was 4 May. Today is 24 May. In other words, the legislated deadline which we seek to extend today expired three weeks ago. This government cannot even get the simplest things right. It cannot get the little things right. How much chance does it have of getting the big infrastructure issues right? How much confidence can the people of Queensland have that this government will get anything right? I note the insertion of a provision in this bill that prohibits ‘the starting or continuation of a proceeding against a pool owner under the pre-amended section 246AR of the Building Act for failing to notify the chief executive of the details of their pool’. It goes on to say that ‘the intention of the clause is to ensure that pool owners are protected from prosecution in the period between 4 May 2011 and the commencement of the amendments to clause 246AR’. This is just another example of sloppy legislating and incompetent administration by a government that has failed and is continuing to fail. The government has stated that the reason this deadline had to be extended was the recent flooding and natural disasters. If that were a real reason, it would be applauded. However, we know it is just an excuse. This government has used the recent flooding and the natural disasters as an excuse for a whole range of its failures, big and small. It has seized the recent natural disasters as a convenient excuse—an excuse because, when the government brought in the changes to the swimming pool laws last year without a proper education campaign for pool owners, not surprisingly there was an uproar. This reform has been just another example of the government failing to get the basics right— failing to get the basics right on such an important issue as the safety of our children. As a result, considerable confusion, concern and distrust has entered the public arena around this reform. Before 1552 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 the original legislation was debated, the LNP raised with government officials many concerns with the practicality and the implementation of these provisions, always in a constructive manner designed to ensure that the policy objective of children’s safety was prime. To all intents and purposes the constructive issues raised were dismissed by government officials. Unfortunately, many of the issues raised were subsequently borne out in community concerns. They were reflected in the community reaction. Better planning, better consultation and better education could have addressed many of the policy failures that this legislation now seeks to address. I conclude by saying, as I did at the beginning, that the LNP will not be opposing this legislation, but it reflects no credit on this government. It indicates an ongoing failure and a lack of capacity to govern. The fact that it has been introduced into this House by the Deputy Premier, the former minister for health, would not inspire any confidence in any Queenslander. This is the minister who comprehensively failed as the minister for health and who was the worst health minister that Queensland has ever had. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Order! Leader of the Opposition, your comments are not relevant to the bill before the House. I ask you to come back to the bill or sit down. Mr SEENEY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The question I am addressing is whether or not the people of Queensland can have confidence in the provisions of this bill, whether the people of Queensland can have confidence that this area of administration will be administered properly. When a bill is being introduced by a minister who has failed so comprehensively— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, it is a long bow. It is not relevant. You come back to the provisions of the bill or you sit down. That is your second warning. Mr SEENEY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for your guidance. I will therefore conclude by assuring the minister that we will watch the implementation of this bill very closely and we hope that its implementation is conducted with a greater achievement than his previous efforts. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): I call the member for Gympie. Mr GIBSON (Gympie—LNP) (12.42 pm): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Mr Hoolihan: Hope this has got a bit more value than the last lot! Mr GIBSON: I note the interjection from the member. It is unfortunate that he is not willing to embrace this regional parliament and what we need to be doing—that is, showing the youth of Mackay how parliament operates. Honourable members interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr GIBSON: I would say this to the youth of Mackay: note what we see from the Labor side. Today I rise to speak on the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill and note that this establishes an adopted infrastructure charge for trunk infrastructure for maximum infrastructure charges; allows local government to increase infrastructure charges up to the maximum or reduce or dispense with infrastructure charges; suspends the collection of some charges in favour of new adopted infrastructure charges for councils and new water and waste water services based on adopted infrastructure charges for water distributor-retailers; implements matters relating to certain local government boundary changes; and provides an extension for pool owners to register their swimming pool with the Department of Local Government and Planning. With regard to my portfolio of local government and the issues relating to local government boundary changes, as has been explained in the explanatory notes, I note that these boundary changes have the support of the local government areas and indeed the local government councils and they are to ensure that these changes can occur as a result of the Local Government Act 2009. We have no concerns with that area and that has the full support of the opposition. With regard to the major component of this bill being the implementation of new infrastructure charges, it has been quite clearly put and I place again on the record that the LNP will not be opposing the changes included in this bill. However, we do have considerable concerns with regard to this legislation and its implications. A government member: Why support it? Mr GIBSON: I take the interjection asking why we would support it when those concerns are there. It is because we understand that this government is making an attempt to address housing affordability. Let us go to the exact issue of housing affordability. What we find here and what the people of Mackay should be very aware of is that these changes that are being proposed today are an admission of failure. They are an admission of failure because a long-term Labor government that has been driving the infrastructure charges and the planning agenda has come to the point of realising that Queensland is behind the ball. Why is that? Because of the changes we have seen under Labor governments. With regard to the Sustainable Planning Act that is being amended, I very clearly remember the rhetoric and the spin that was associated with that act about how it would reduce the cost of housing and how the new Sustainable Planning Act would make housing more affordable for all Queenslanders. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1553

I ask the people of Mackay, who know better than most, to note how unaffordable housing has become under 20 years of a Labor government. I would ask the youth of Mackay, who are struggling with the concept of how they will afford to buy a home, to consider that even more if we were to have another 20 years of a Labor government. What we have seen under Labor has been nothing less than complete mismanagement and incompetence. We have seen this government fail time and time again when it comes to issues. It has its follies. I remember very clearly—and the people of Mackay right now suffer—the sustainability declaration. What a wonderful document we were told that was going to be! What a great change it was going to be, and yet what have we found? A failure! It is just another piece of bureaucratic nonsense that we get from Labor governments time and time and time again. With regard to the infrastructure charges— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Gympie will now bring his comments back to the bill that is before the House. Mr GIBSON: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. With regard to infrastructure charges, we know the fascination of this Labor government in following New South Wales. Q2 was one thing, but we have seen New South Wales bring in capped infrastructure charges. What does the evidence show in terms of New South Wales housing approvals when it brought in its capped infrastructure charges? What did it do? It destroyed it, and yet we find Labor willing to bring it in here in Queensland. As we have heard, these infrastructure charges do not have the support of either the Local Government Association or the UDIA. They have both expressed concerns with regard to its effectiveness and the result of reducing prices and increasing housing affordability. With regard to the task force that we have seen, it was a great gabfest! Another review, another seminar, another talk! We have heard this from Labor this morning in this chamber: ‘Let’s get together and have another chat.’ We heard it from the member for Whitsunday: ‘We’ll have another forum.’ That is what we heard with regard to the government’s growth summit—that is, recommendations come forward but concerns exist. We now see that the cost shifting of this government based on the Local Government Association Queensland commissioned report with regard to these changes has the potential to shift that debt to local government within the next 20 years, a situation where local governments will have a debt greater— Mr Lucas: It is not a state charge. Mr GIBSON: I take that interjection from the Deputy Premier, because clearly he has no concern about the debts that local councils will bear. Who pays those debts? The people of Mackay and the other people of Queensland. That is what we find from this Labor government—a disregard for the living costs of ordinary Queenslanders. Time and time again we find them pushing up the cost of living for ordinary Queenslanders. What does that mean? It means that ordinary Queenslanders are struggling. That is something that those opposite have no regard for. Those opposite continue to implement policies that hit the hip pockets of ordinary Queenslanders. Let me be very clear: this issue of infrastructure charging getting out of control is of the government’s own making. It has no-one else to blame. We have seen this government ignore the infrastructure needs of Queensland communities. We have seen this government withdraw infrastructure subsidies from local governments. We have seen this government push further costs on to local governments and tie them up in red tape, resulting in those local governments being forced to find ways to fund even the basics within their areas. As I have indicated, the LNP has serious concerns— Mr Seeney interjected. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Premier, please. Mr GIBSON: Mr Deputy Speaker, I take the compliment, but, as the member for Gympie and shadow minister, I am not the Leader of the Opposition. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is not you I was referring to, but it makes it hard to offer you the protection of the chair if you take interjections from members. Mr GIBSON: We are concerned that the provisions of this bill do not guarantee any regime that is open, fair or transparent. Once again, we have seen from Labor a cookie-cutter approach. Too often across this state decisions are made in Brisbane that are designed to work the same in Mackay, Cairns, Toowoomba or in my home town of Gympie. This cap denies those councils that may have a valid reason for looking at higher charges. But we find a reluctance on the part of the government to even discuss these matters. As has been put forward, the government’s failure to listen is the most condemning element of all. We offer the people of Queensland an opportunity to review these planning regulations that have been foisted upon us by Labor. We offer the people of Queensland a chance of removing red tape— simplifying it and cutting it. We offer the people of Queensland not another forum but a chance to get on with the job of rebuilding the relationship between state and local governments and partnering with local governments to deliver on major infrastructure projects. 1554 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

Far too often in this House we find that Labor is all talk and spin. Time and time again we hear that it is someone else’s fault. The government never takes responsibility for its own failings. The Sustainable Planning Act has this Labor government’s fingerprints all over it. The Sustainable Planning Act is why we are finding these increases. It failed to deliver the promises that we were assured of. I move now to the provisions in this bill that relate to swimming pools. I do so from the knowledge that, quite rightly, the opposition supports those swimming pool provisions, but we raised our concern— as we are doing today—about the government’s capacity to implement these provisions in the time frame. We have seen from this government a failure to listen. Had this government taken on board the concerns when they were first raised, had it had taken on board those issues that were being put forward, it would not need today to use the excuse of the floods and the cyclones that Queensland has experienced, because we know that, even before those tragic events occurred in this state, this government was struggling to get in place those swimming pool reforms that were necessary. It failed to get the basics right on such an important issue as the safety of our children. Honourable members interjected. Mr GIBSON: I take the point that we support the swimming pool reforms, but we are highlighting the failure of this government to listen and act at the time at which it should. Government members interjected. Mr GIBSON: I hear them whining again, but if it had listened when these concerns were raised for the first time, when we flagged our concerns about the capacity of the government to take on board these reforms, we would not be here now debating them. As has been pointed out already, what do we find? A government that introduced a bill to amend the deadline after the deadline had passed. That highlights how little the government was paying attention to the issue. Surely, the government could have acted earlier if it wanted to solely rely upon the excuse that it has given for this delay. There could have been an opportunity—and, indeed, there should have been the opportunity—for the government to bring about the necessary changes. For too long Queenslanders have heard from this government about what it is going to do, but too often Queenslanders have then found out that the unintended consequences have meant that this government has failed time and time again. Queenslanders now understand that this arrogant, long- term Labor government treats them with contempt. Queenslanders are now asking for change. It is important that we offer the people of Queensland that opportunity, and a can-do LNP team will do that. Ms SIMPSON (Maroochydore—LNP) (12.56 pm): The Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill that is before us today would give members an expectation that we are going to see a real effort to cut the cost of housing—to make housing more affordable. Yet, as we have heard already, the experts in the field are saying that this bill will not achieve that aim. Today Queenslanders are facing some of the highest costs of living ever. A report by QCOSS released today indicates that the financial distress in our state is at record levels. The cost of accessing housing is a large component of that distress. We are sitting in a region where the housing crisis is particularly diabolical. Although there is opportunity with the mining boom and related industry for good jobs, the pressure on the local housing stock is huge and not everyone works in the mines. In addressing this bill it is relevant to refer to conversations I have had with local agencies at the coalface of the housing crisis. They talk to me about people arriving in Mackay looking for work, not realising that housing is not easily available and they end up living in their car—if they have a car. There are many others who are already living in this area, or who are trying to live in this area, who face the same pressure. I have spoken to a boss who rents a house for $650 a week for his workers in order to hold them. That is a big cost on a local business, but for a wage earner $650 a week or more—in many cases it is a lot more for housing—is a huge hit. Not everyone is in a good job. And even if you are in a good job, it is still not that easy. The important question to ask is: will this bill before the House address the housing cost issue? We do not believe that it will. Every time Labor brings in a bill claiming that it will make housing more affordable, costs go up. It was a somewhat cruel irony to this morning hear the minister for communities boasting about an Every Dollar Counts stall. This is the very government that has been counting the people’s money as it takes it out of their pockets and forces up the cost of living with record water price rises, record increases in electricity prices and record increases in the cost of registration and running a car. This is the government that took away the fuel tax rebate, which now means we pay more for our fuel here in Queensland in a state where, by necessity, many people have to rely upon a car. This government has a piddling little Every Dollar Counts stall while it counts the money as it rips it out of people’s pockets. It is an insult and, once again, this bill does not address those impacts. Sitting suspended from 1.00 pm to 2.30 pm. Hon. KL STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women) (2.30 pm): I rise to support the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. I want to let the people of the Mackay region know that our government is working on all fronts to provide more affordable housing in this region and around the 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1555 state. We know, for instance, that many of the young people who have been joining us this morning in the parliament will or may need a leg-up in the housing market as either homeowners or renters when they are a little older. We know that currently people are feeling those pressures as well. We know that the growth in coal, sugar and grain production is feeding and fuelling the local economy and our national and state economies but that not all people are sharing in this prosperity. Governments must step in. This bill puts a maximum ceiling on housing development charges. I will come back to that and focus on that part of the bill, but before I do that I want to tell a quick story. I have just returned from meeting public housing tenant Michelle Bloomfield. Michelle is a grandparent carer of her 15-year-old granddaughter. She has been doing that for 15 years. She will soon get the key to her new public housing unit just two blocks away in Alfred Street. It is a state government funded public housing development to be managed by the Mackay Regional Housing Co. There are 10 units of accommodation where 10 families like Michelle and her granddaughter will have the benefit of affordable public housing. Let me tell members that she was over the moon, almost a bit teary—and I must admit that I had a bit of a tear in my eye—because as she walked around and saw that brand-new unit, she saw a wonderful home. She can even have her dog and cat in her new public housing unit. Right next door at 357 Alfred Street—and I urge all members to have a look on their morning walk at these two wonderful complexes—eight households will get the benefit of public housing. Governments can help by minimising housing development and infrastructure costs, and that is why we are supporting a maximum charge of $28,000 for a three-bedroom unit and $20,000 for a one- or two-bedroom unit. We are facilitating the supply of affordable land in various regions around the state. We are supporting the work of the Urban Land Development Authority. I commend the Deputy Premier on the great work happening through the ULDA. There are developments in Andergrove and Moranbah that will bring affordable housing to the local regions very, very soon. Some members opposite have not supported public housing in their regions. They write to me that they want people housed but not in their areas. People like Michelle Bloomfield, whom I just had the pleasure of meeting, would be denied the opportunity to live close to the city because those opposite want them out on the fringes of cities, not in their area. That is the view of those opposite about public housing. The new era of public housing includes very modern, contemporary housing. It also includes a whole range of assistance in the private market. Since June 2008 my Department of Communities has been involved in the building and construction of 4,833 new units of accommodation. The one that Michelle will get the key to today is a state funded public housing complex. A lot of nonsense has been talked about during debate on this bill in relation to cost-of-living issues. Members opposite are saying they have a quick fix for these issues. They need to come clean to the people of the Mackay region and the people around the state. It is easy to promise the world when in opposition, is it not? It is easy to get in your car, travel around and stand up at a community event and say, ‘We will fix it. We will do this. We will do that.’ It is easy to travel around with your new leader, Mr Campbell Newman, and promise the world. That is the problem with oppositions. That is the major problem with this opposition. It is promising the world, but it has to come clean to the people of Mackay, the people of Proserpine, the people in this region and the people all around the state, because let me tell members what the record of conservative governments in Australia in recent days and months has been. Before I do that let me tell members what Mr Campbell Newman’s record is in Brisbane. He has failed Brisbane and he will fail the people of Mackay on rates. Do members remember March 2004? It is not that long ago. That is when Mr Campbell Newman was elected as Lord Mayor of Brisbane. What did he promise? He promised the world then, just as he is promising the world to people now. Listen to what he said in 2004— Rates and charges will only go up in line with inflation and if they go up more I will resign. Let me tell members what happened to rates and charges in Brisbane. Rates increased an average of 42 per cent. Under Campbell Newman as mayor rates in Brisbane increased by double the inflation rate. Did the mayor resign at that point when those rates went up by double the rate of inflation? No. He has resigned now, but he has resigned for the wrong reasons. He has resigned to feather his own nest. He has resigned to advance his own career. He needs to come clean. Come clean, Campbell! He is making all sorts of promises. Come clean to the people of Mackay. Come clean to the people around Queensland. Let us look at what some of these newly elected conservative governments have been doing around Australia. How is Premier Barry O’Farrell in New South Wales going to pay for the promises he has made? Look at what he intends doing. Public sector pay rises will not be passed on to workers until it can be shown that savings have been achieved. Those promises to the nurses, the police and the teachers are shallow promises. It is claimed that the wages of police, nurses, teachers and other public servants will be frozen under that move and resources and jobs slashed. Mr Campbell Newman and all of you on his team need to come clean to the people of Mackay and tell them which jobs you are going to cut. Whose job are you going to cut? Which aged-care nurse, which teacher? Tell the schoolkids you 1556 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 are cutting the jobs of teachers. In all the time you have been talking up these issues you have not said how you intend to pay for these promises. Let us have a look at the Western Australian government. It has a bit of form. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Elmes): Order! The minister will direct her comments through the chair. Ms STRUTHERS: The Western Australian conservative government has been in for nearly two years. It has a bit of form. What did it do in its first year? It cut $17 million from the concessions budget. That is $17 million of concessions to seniors and people on fixed incomes. It is claimed now that its total cash grab over the three years will climb to about $1,000 in extra household fees and charges. Let us have a look at the Victorian conservative government. There is no new growth funding for building or acquiring social housing. So people in Victoria in the same circumstances as Michelle Bloomfield have no real chance. It has the lowest target for upgrading public housing in a decade. It is going backwards in how it is going to look after that housing. Mr Baillieu made a pre-election promise to pay teachers, nurses, police and community service workers. Guess what? The state budget in Victoria provides no funding for any of these promises. Like his conservative counterparts in other states, he has made promises he is not living up to. That is exactly what we are seeing from Campbell Newman and his team. As I said, in opposition it is easy to go around and promise the world. What is really disturbing about the way the opposition goes around promising the world is that it is so irresponsible because people’s hopes get lifted unfairly and it lets them down. What people want, what people value and what they want to hear is the truth, even if it hurts a little bit. People want the truth. I urge all opposition members to come clean. Here in Mackay I urge them all to make a promise to come clean and stop this nonsense of travelling the state with Campbell Newman making promises. The truth is that this government has spent over $1.3 billion in concessions. The truth is that this government provides over 66,000 units of social housing—and guess what that subsidy is worth? It is, on average, about $7,500 to those tenants who move in each year. We know that every dollar counts. We know that you have to keep these programs in place, you have to fund them and you have to come clean about how you are going to fund them. That is what this government is doing. However, every day, every time they open their mouths, the opposition members demonstrate to us that they are making shallow and false promises. That is irresponsible. Mr SHINE (Toowoomba North—ALP) (2.41 pm): I must say that I was bitterly disappointed by the contribution of the Leader of the Opposition this morning. One would expect that, as he is in his home territory of Central Queensland, the Leader of the Opposition would come up with some specific promises or some indications of what the LNP policy might be with respect to housing affordability and the topic in general. However, his speech was all rhetoric and motherhood statements. It had no substance whatsoever. He criticised the government for taking no action, but he gave no indication of what he or the LNP would do. The action that the government is taking is in the bill before the House. It is going to be very effective action in terms of alleviating housing affordability issues in this state. The legislation is designed to make the method of charging simpler to understand and more transparent. It does so principally by creating a maximum charge for infrastructure charges. Of course, this leads to more certainty for everyone: certainty for the developers, which is what they have been asking for; certainty for the local authorities; and, most importantly, certainty for new homebuyers whom we, as a government, are most concerned about. I believe that it is time for industry as well as local government to play their part in terms of meeting the challenge of housing affordability in Australia. Certainly the state government is playing its part by the introduction of this legislation, because we believe that the issue of housing affordability is a very important one. We are aware that it is a huge issue in this state and, indeed, in the country. As we speak today in Mackay, bearing in mind the forces placed on the local economy as a result of the expansion of the Bowen Basin, we are very conscious of the housing pressures here. Likewise, as I represent Toowoomba, I am very conscious of similar forces operating there, now and well into the future, with the expansion of the Surat Basin. It is a great pleasure to be here in Mackay. It is a very useful exercise for members from the Darling Downs such as me to look at and learn from what has transpired in Mackay and in the Bowen Basin. In many respects, that will provide a template for what will happen in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs as a result of the opening up of the Surat Basin. We are here to learn. Certainly we can see that the government is providing leadership on this issue. Some time ago, an infrastructure summit was called. As a result of that summit, certain recommendations were made. An infrastructure charges task force was formed and it made certain recommendations. The government accepted the recommendation proposed to set a maximum charge of $28,000 for a dwelling with three bedrooms or more and $20,000 for a one- or two-bedroom dwelling. The charge for non-residential development has been set at a range between $50 and $200 per square metre of gross 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1557 floor area, depending on the development type. A stormwater charge per square metre will also apply. The government has listened to interested parties, consulted widely and come up with a proposal, which we see in this legislation, following on from that type of consultation. I stress that the charges the government has recommended, particularly in relation to the $28,000 for a house with three or more bedrooms, are a maximum and that councils do not have to charge the maximum. In fact, it would be morally wrong for them to do so if they have not previously been charging somewhere around that figure. For example, in Toowoomba, where I live, in the suburb of Newtown the charge is about $23,000. I can see no justification for the council to now increase its charge to the maximum of $28,000 just because this legislation is being passed. People in Toowoomba, including me—and, I hope, the member for Toowoomba South—will be watching that very carefully to see what happens. I wish to raise an issue with respect to the amendments to the Building Act and the extension of time granted to pool owners to register their pools online. The time is being extended from 4 May to 4 November because of the recent natural disasters that occurred in most of Queensland. The Leader of the Opposition took issue with that. He seemed to think it was an indication of some fault on the government’s part, rather than taking heed of the fact that Queenslanders have dealt with very difficult situations. We are giving them more time to attend to a detail of this nature. It showed a great lack of sympathy on his part and the part of the LNP, which surprised me. Having gone through terrible circumstances, people deserve a little bit of consideration from the government and, indeed, from the opposition. I will briefly reflect on the recent history of local government legislation in this area over the past 20 years. Planning scheme policies, or PSPs, were first introduced as part of the Local Government (Planning and Environment) Act 1990 and established a mechanism for local governments to levy headworks contributions for water and sewerage and land for parks. However, those arrangements did not clearly identify infrastructure needs and were primarily a reactive approach triggered by new development. In 1997 the Integrated Planning Act was introduced. It provided infrastructure charge plans and benchmarked development sequencing to proactively plan and prioritise infrastructure and fund costs. It was at that time that the framework was expanded to include the five trunk infrastructure networks we have today. Under the IPA, infrastructure-charging arrangements were further revised in 2004, when PIPs were introduced to provide for the better integration of land use, transport, planning functions and the prioritisation of development. Most recently, as part of the introduction of the SPA of 2009, the PIP framework was further refined and standard PIP templates were introduced. The government recognises that local governments have been struggling with the complex charging system and that the development industry has also been hindered by this complexity as well as by the high level of charges in some areas. These concerns were confirmed, as I said earlier when I referred to the Growth Management Summit. That summit was held in March 2010 and the aim was to help promote liveable and affordable communities. At the summit it was determined that simplifying infrastructure-charging arrangements would benefit Queenslanders by encouraging development and increasing housing affordability. The government’s response to the summit included a commitment to set up a task force, and I referred to that earlier, and the recommendations that came from it. Setting the maximum charge, which was the primary recommendation, that applies to all regions of Queensland will create a simpler and transparent charging arrangement that will not only bring consistency and equity to charging arrangements across the state but will also promote housing affordability and economic activity while stimulating supply. Together with local governments and the development industry, the government has worked hard to reform the infrastructure-charging arrangements. Through this partnership approach the government will continue to promote and build social and economic prosperity through the implementation of the reform regime and the establishment of a sustainable, long-term charging framework. As I said at the outset, the intent of the legislation is to promote certainty for all those involved. On a related planning issue, I advise the House that the area in which I live in Toowoomba has been included in the South East Queensland Regional Plan since it came into existence. That is a plan that exists to protect the region’s lifestyle and environment. I inform the House that last Sunday I attended a meeting at Highfields concerned with mining activities in Gowrie Junction and nearby areas. It was proposed at that meeting that the government should not allow exploration permits, let alone mining, in the statistical district of Toowoomba which, of course, constitutes the part of Toowoomba in the South East Queensland Regional Plan. Mr Hopper: Do you agree with that? Mr SHINE: If you had been at the meeting you would have heard my position. Mr Hopper: I was at the two before. There were 800 at the two before and you wouldn’t face them. You weren’t game to come and face them. You’re an apology. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Elmes): Order! 1558 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

Mr SHINE: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I indicated in the House on a previous occasion that I received an invitation to the meeting to which the honourable member refers about three days before it was to be held. I had already accepted an invitation to an event at Cobb & Co Museum in my electorate— Mr Hopper: So had I, but it was an important meeting. Mr SHINE:—which I accepted. The meeting to which the honourable member refers was in his electorate. It is not my custom to encroach on my neighbours’ electorates. The honourable member for Toowoomba South and I have had a good arrangement in that regard over the years. It is a gentlemanly arrangement. I will try to have that arrangement with the member for Condamine, but it is a trying exercise at times. The meeting in Toowoomba on Sunday— Mr Lucas interjected. Mr SHINE: I take that interjection. The meeting in Toowoomba on Sunday was attended by me but by no LNP elected members whatsoever, including the honourable member for Condamine. Yet he criticises me for not going to the previous meeting. Where was he on Sunday? Mr Hopper: We would put a policy in place saying that we would have stopped that. You come out and do the same thing. You come out and do the same thing. Government members interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Condamine and those on my right will cease interjecting. Mr SHINE: I have no doubt that the honourable member for Condamine has a sincere concern for his constituents as I do for his constituents and for mine about this issue. It is not a very pleasant one. For the life of me, I fail to understand why we do allow people to be upset by the mere possibility of one day perhaps mining taking place in residential areas. The current legislation protects people in terms of its provision that prevents people from exploring within 100 metres and all the rest of it. In people’s minds, that is not really good enough. We spoke about this during the 5.30 debate some time ago. I indicated my concern. It is a concern shared by both sides of the House. If something can be done about it, I am sure the minister is taking it into consideration. Along with others I certainly will encourage him to do so because this is a serious issue. The point I was trying to make is simply that the presence of this sort of activity is contrary to the intent of the South East Queensland Regional Plan. The reason it was set up is to protect people from activity contrary to creating results which would interfere with their lifestyle and their environment. I merely make that point as it is somewhat relevant to this issue. I thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for your indulgence. Hon. D BOYLE (Cairns—ALP) (2.55 pm): As the member for Cairns and someone who was privileged to have been the local government and planning minister early in my political career, I am very pleased to support the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. I am also aware of the history behind this bill, particularly so far as infrastructure charging is concerned and planning for infrastructure in the growth regions of Queensland. Our government has taken the view and we have demonstrated our bona fides in lots of ways over the years of the Bligh and the Beattie governments that we believe in the strength and the sustainability of local governments and we believe in their independence. We believe it is important that local government, in representing their local government areas, does as much as possible of the planning and the planning for infrastructure that needs to be done. It can then take account of local economies and local circumstances in setting the appropriate charging regime. It is in the context of us having, as it were, offered the opportunity to each of Queensland’s local governments to do their own priority infrastructure plans and to do their own infrastructure charging that we now come to this bill to assist local governments. Independence is fine in principle but, in fact, the planning that is necessary in so many of Queensland’s growth regions and the complications that need to be worked out—such as priority infrastructure plans and the appropriate charging policies associated with that—have been too difficult for local governments. Only a small number of our 73 councils have fully completed that process. In fact, many local governments are pleased to have some better guidance from the state as to how this can best be done. The amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 contained in this bill are the first step in the implementation of the government’s infrastructure charges reforms. They should be welcomed by all members of the House as significant progress in improving the viability and affordability of development across Queensland. I wonder if those in the gallery are more clever than me. Unlike those in the gallery, I have listened to members of the opposition on and off for many years and I am darned if I know what their position is on this bill. On the one hand they support it, and on the other hand they do not like it; they want to criticise it all the time. Talk about sitting on the fence! I think it is a spiked fence. They need to be careful they do not fall off one way or the other. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1559

This is good legislation that has been well worked out, with key industry players providing assistance willingly to the government in the development of this new system. In fact, the previous minister had put together a task force representing local government and the development industry to provide advice on this much vexed issue of infrastructure charging. Understandably, the development industry comes from the position that says, ‘Charge us as little as possible and we will be happy.’ Of course they would prefer that to be the regime. Yes, of course they say infrastructure has to be paid for one way or the other but they say, ‘We prefer the other; we would rather you did not charge us direct through councils as we develop blocks of land for housing.’ The Local Government Association of Queensland, led by Greg Hallam, as well as many others in the world of local government take quite the opposite view, which says that they are charged with planning for infrastructure. It is their important responsibility to make sure that they are charging the real cost and that future ratepayers are not subsidising developers and those who are buying and building right now. So it is very hard to find an agreed position. I recognise, however, that the task force, which I understand was led for the state government by Paul Low, included Greg Hallam, the CEO of the Local Government Association of Queensland, and some other important leaders from the world of local government such as Jude Munro and Warren Rowe. It also included representatives from the major development industry such as Chris Freeman, Grant Dennis and Jim Long. The task force’s recommendation to the government was not a specific charge but a range of charges. The reason they recommended a range of charges was that they could not agree on a precise figure. In the end, the development industry is always going to hang out for direct charges to them that are as cheap as possible. Local government is always going to look for full cost recovery. That is why the task force presented a range of charges. We now come to the topic of infrastructure charging, which is in the bill that is now before the House. The reform package involves the establishment of maximum infrastructure charges. That provides certainty for the building industry and the development industry. It is really important. It is, however, only a maximum. Local governments have a choice, through their own infrastructure-charging policy, that they put clearly into their planning scheme and policies as part of their council decision making. It may be that they will, for whatever set of reasons and circumstances, decide that they can afford to charge less. In fact, I encourage those local governments, particularly those that are seeking to give a fillip to the development industry at this time, to consider charging less. I am pleased to tell honourable members that that is a consideration that is on the agenda for the Cairns Regional Council. It has come up with an innovative way at this very difficult time in Cairns—as it has been these last couple of years—to encourage the development industry to get going again. So they have made some special arrangements that will provide incentives in terms of reduced infrastructure charging to encourage development. That is exactly the kind of innovation that we want to see from local governments in relation to these charges. These are simply the maximum infrastructure charges. I am pleased to also inform honourable members who have not yet realised it that it remains the government’s intent for the state planning regulatory provision to be in place from 1 July 2011. There are many local governments today that are charging more than $30,000 per standard house, with some charging in excess of $40,000 and even $50,000 in some suburbs. Many local governments, particularly those with low to medium growth rates, charge well under $30,000. Under the SPRP the government intends to establish maximum infrastructure charges for residential development of $28,000 for dwellings with three or more bedrooms and $20,000 for dwellings with one or two bedrooms. The reforms mean that infrastructure planning work completed to date by local governments is not lost. This work is taken forward into new Sustainable Planning Act 2009 planning schemes which support local government to effectively manage growth. PIPs, as they are known, will continue to be the key tool developed and used by local governments to plan for and deliver infrastructure. They enable the supply of infrastructure in a coordinated, efficient and orderly way and encourage development in areas where inadequate infrastructure exists or can be provided. While the infrastructure planning work is retained within PIPs, the more complex infrastructure-charging components of PIPs, such as infrastructure charges schedules and regulated infrastructure charges schedules, are replaced by the reform package. The development of ICSs and RICs has resulted in local governments needing to undertake complex calculations and has been very difficult for the development industry to interpret. For that reason, while there might still be some argument about whether in fact $28,000 or $20,000 is exactly the right amount, I understand that this new system has been widely welcomed by all involved—that is, the world of local government more generally as well as the development and construction industries. I let the members of the House know that on the introduction of the new infrastructure charges regime the Gold Coast, Burdekin, Charters Towers, Cook, Mount Isa, Western Downs and Whitsunday local governments will already have adopted PIPs. The remaining local governments are still required to 1560 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 have their priority infrastructure plans in place. The due date for those will be 31 December this year. We recognise that a number of local governments are also finalising their amalgamation planning schemes under the Sustainable Planning Act. It has been a very busy time these past years in local government—busy in terms of their own communities, but busy also in terms of the Bligh government’s reform agenda. I certainly wish to put on the record that, while not very many have managed to finalise their priority infrastructure plans, this has been a very difficult task in the context of a huge reform program and a very busy time for local government. The simplification of the PIPs and the switching to PSPs is a great outcome for state and local governments, the community and the development industry as it delivers greater certainty on infrastructure charges while not compromising the essential infrastructure planning undertaken by local governments. This is a very special state, this state of Queensland. It may be that those in the south- east corner who are well aware of the tremendous growth pressures on South-East Queensland think they are just experiencing the growth for Queensland. We know that that is not so. We know that particularly in Mackay, which changes every time I visit. I know well the pressure on infrastructure here and the tremendous growth going on in Townsville and Rockhampton and on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. It is not so in my own area of Cairns at this time. But what we do know in Cairns—it is the history of Cairns—is that our turn will come again. We are a beautiful place and a place where there will always be growth pressures. I hope that the new Sustainable Planning Act and particularly the infrastructure- charging regime will provide that extra fillip to the development industry along with the innovation of the Cairns Regional Council to contribute to more development getting underway in the Cairns region in the near future. Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—LNP) (3.07 pm): The Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill is very important, particularly for young couples trying to start a life, get a block of land and afford to build a house. Let us be under no illusion about how all these problems relating to sustainable housing and reasonably priced blocks of land have come about. In this state over the last 12 years of Labor government we have seen financial mismanagement on a massive scale, waste and a confused management system. We only need to look at the superdepartment they call DERM. There are a number of ministers and systems and it is like a can of spaghetti. Not even the people who work for DERM know who is the boss, who is in charge and what they do. Then we have all the red tape and the processes that have come in during the 12 years of Labor government and the difficulty people face in doing things like development. This includes the difficulties local governments have faced since forced council amalgamations. This bill introduces the capping of infrastructure charges for a lot for a three- or four-bedroom house at around $28,000 and for a two-bedroom house at around $22,000. One has to ask: how would a council know what is going to be built on those vacant blocks of land? That is another example of the bad planning by this government. If a developer develops a subdivision, how would we know if they are going to build a three- or four-bedroom house or a two-bedroom unit or whatever it is beforehand? I suppose government members will say that I should have a guess. One real problem that local government has faced, particularly with headworks charges like water and sewerage, which all relates to the development industry and to the cost of land, has been the removal by the Labor government of the 40 per cent subsidy on water and sewerage that was previously provided to councils. In the case of the Toowoomba Regional Council, that was worth about $6 million a year. That has now gone, and they are the sorts of things that add to the cost of headworks charges and other things that will flow on from developers to land buyers and to the ratepayers of this state. Why was this 40 per cent subsidy taken away completely from local government? Because of the financial mismanagement by this government that I referred to at the start of my contribution. This is a government that is approaching an $80 billion debt after two years. It was approaching an $84 billion debt, but it sold off $15 billion of our income-earning assets that earned more income than the interest it had saved by selling them off. How silly was that! It sold off $15 billion worth of assets and the debt in two years time has gone from $84 billion down to $80 billion! How is that for financial mismanagement! That is the reason why average workers in this state—the young married couples, the young couples who want to buy a block of land to build a house—are facing this increased problem of not being able to afford that block of land and not being able to afford to build the dream of a home that they and all Australians once had. On top of that, as a result of this debt, those people have hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars less in their pockets all of the time because this government is broke. This government has to pay billions of dollars in interest every year, let alone try to pay off the $80 billion debt. In two years time this state is going to be paying on the hour every hour, 24 hours a day, $540,000 in interest. That is the problem facing Queensland. That is why things like that 40 per cent subsidy was withdrawn from local governments, because this government has mismanaged this state financially and is broke. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1561

As well as young couples trying to save for a block of ground for their house, they have to pay 10c a litre more for their fuel because before the last election this government said nothing about bringing in a petrol tax, but it brought it in because it is broke and it has to find this $540,000 in interest. When it comes to sustainability, which this bill is about, how are young couples going to be able to pay for a block of ground when they have to find that extra 10c a litre for fuel and pay an extra 54 per cent for the cost of electricity at a time when their water charges have gone up, their rates have gone up, their gas charges have gone up, the cost of their driver’s licence has gone up and their registration has gone up? Everything has gone up, so they cannot find the money to repay the block of land when the developers who are trying to build the house or develop the blocks of land are faced with all these costs as well. In terms of the increase in costs, as at 1 April in my area steel went up by 19 per cent, quarry products went up by 30 per cent and concrete went up by $16 a metre. Much of that has been driven by this massive cost increase in inputs that has come about from the financial mismanagement of this state government. Government members interjected. Mr HORAN: They laugh. They think it is funny that young couples struggle to buy a block of land. They think it is funny that young couples struggle to pay their electricity and that the number of people renting houses has gone up in my area from about five per cent to over 30 per cent. They think that is funny and they think that the great Australian dream of private ownership of a house where people can live and raise their kids is funny. Councils are facing a difficult situation with the forced amalgamation. That forced amalgamation that this government brought in, with all its centralisation and making everything bigger, has, generally speaking, added to costs. It has had enormous effects on trying to bring together different computer systems, different staff systems and different HR systems. In the midst of all of this those councils have to deal with a government that is ever increasing red tape. One of the things that can lead to affordability of land— Government members interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wendt): Order! Members on my right will cease interjecting. The member for Toowoomba South has the call, and I would ask you to continue to keep on track with the bill please. Mr HORAN: Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker. In terms of the affordability of land and the capping of the development charges, we have to look at the fact that it is not just the exact amount of money for the charges that is costing so much but time. It is the time that is being taken to develop land. It is the time that is being taken to get approvals, either local government approvals or state government approvals that have to be determined. It is also issues like electricity, in that the ALP government under Premier Beattie made the electricity organisations lift their debt levels so that they could provide cash to the government, which was going bust in a boom as part of what has developed to a now $80 billion debt that we are facing. It costs developers far more now for the provision of electricity on each block of ground than it cost when those organisations had a better debt structure. Add to that what is happening with the NBN fiasco with the federal government. There is now contention between the NBN and Telstra with blocks of ground as to who should dig the trenches and who should put in the piping and all the rest of it. There is another cost—another cost and another delay that is happening daily. Government members interjected. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right, if you are not happy you can take a point of order but otherwise we will hear the member for Toowoomba South. Mr HORAN: So there are issues of time and increased costs to the development industry of bringing in electricity now, with the trenching, the piping, the provision and so on. The increase that is occurring now is somewhere in the order of approximately $1,100 to $10,000 per block. Then there is the problem with the NBN and Telstra, which is in an absolute shemozzle. The NBN now has more staff than it has customers in Australia and there is confusion as to who should do the trenching, who should put in the piping and who should be paying for it. But of course at the end of the day the poor young couple trying to buy the block of ground will end up paying. One of the biggest issues regarding affordable housing and affordable land is supply and demand. We can have all the capping in the world that we like on infrastructure charges, but unless we can properly manage the issue of supply and demand then the cost is going to go through the roof, and the young people—the young couples who should be able to get a start in life—are the ones who will be hit and they are the ones who will have trouble affording their block of ground. I am quite concerned about the growing number of rentals. Enabling young people or anybody to be able to aspire to own their own house or own their own unit makes for a better society where there is pride in ownership and where there is real reason to improve your property and look after your property; this gives people hope and aspiration, but it is gradually drifting away from our families. This is particularly happening in the mining areas of the region where I live and no doubt it is happening up here where people who do not work in the mining industry and who are on a different wage level and a different wage structure to those who are in the mining industry find it exceptionally hard, if not impossible at times, to be able to buy a house or rent a house in those areas. 1562 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

The legislation that we are debating today is a real lantern of the increasing problem that is facing people regarding affordability. Even though this legislation addresses one part of the affordability with the capping of charges, that certainly is going to have its problems for both local government and in some cases for development. I would hope that councils will be responsible and endeavour not to put their charges up to the maximum cap but keep them at a realistic and true price. They are facing enormous pressures. Over the years this government has heaped more and more on top of councils without providing them with the resources and the finances to undertake that, while at the same time this government has taken away the 40 per cent subsidy on the very foundations of development and new subdivisions—that is, the 40 per cent subsidy that existed on water and sewerage facilities which was so vital and great for people and for local councils in particular. Ms BATES (Mudgeeraba—LNP) (3.19 pm): I rise to contribute to the debate of the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill 2011. The objectives of the bill are to enable the establishment of a new adopted infrastructure charge for trunk infrastructure, to suspend the collection of infrastructure charges and regulated infrastructure charges under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and the collection of charges for distributor-retailers in favour of the new adopted infrastructure charge for local governments and a new charge for water and waste water services. In addition, the bill also allows for the operation of some aspects of development sequencing, benchmarking and price signalling, which is already provided for under the Sustainable Planning Act, in relation to the new adopted infrastructure charge, pending completion by local governments of their priority infrastructure plans. The bill also amends the Local Government Act 2009 and the Building Act 1975 to provide an extension for pool owners to register their swimming pool with the Department of Local Government and Planning. To achieve these objectives the bill provides for the establishment of a new maximum adopted infrastructure charge for trunk infrastructure under an adopted infrastructure charges schedule. The bill allows local governments such as the Gold Coast City Council to pass a resolution to increase, reduce or dispense with the adopted infrastructure charge. These charges will be set as follows: for residential, a maximum of $28,000 for a dwelling of three or more bedrooms or a maximum of $20,000 for a dwelling of one or two bedrooms; and for non-residential, between $50 and $200 per square metre of gross floor area, depending on development type. I have some concerns about these changes. At a time when development on the Gold Coast was almost at a standstill, the Bligh Labor government shifted costs onto local government, which in turn increased infrastructure charges on developers. The outcome was a downturn in development not only affecting the building industry but also having flow-on effects to other sectors that depend on the building industry for revenue. The impact that this increased cost had on the Gold Coast was enormous, as developers cancelled projects due to overinflated charges being put on them by the Gold Coast City Council. Many builders and labourers were out of work, and the blame lies directly at the feet of the Labor government. Both the Local Government Association of Queensland and the development industry have raised serious concerns about this legislation, and rightly so. Under a Can-do Campbell Newman government, we will review the broader Sustainable Planning Act and infrastructure charge issues and take Queensland on the road to recovery from Labor’s years of mismanagement. I turn now to one of the most contentious issues for Mudgeeraba residents and Gold Coasters alike. This government established Allconnex, forcing councils to come on board and pass over their assets to a newly formed government agency. Once again, the government failed to look after Queenslanders, with water prices going through the roof. Under this government ratepayers, already under increased stress through higher electricity costs and higher registration costs, not to mention a new fuel tax, were hit once again in the hip pocket with increased water charges. This bill modifies the existing charging arrangements for Allconnex under the act to apply a charge based on the adopted infrastructure charge. The residents of my electorate will be holding their breath that this change does not see water charges escalate. But only time will tell, as the Premier backflips her way out of another mess that was forced on her at a public meeting on the Gold Coast, where she certainly did not get the reception she was expecting to receive. South-East Queensland local governments have been given the opportunity to opt out of distributor-retailers and re-establish their local governments’ water and waste water businesses, with a decision on this matter to be provided by the government on 1 July 2011. Details on the disconnection of Allconnex are sketchy at best. How much will it cost the Gold Coast City Council? Mr LUCAS: I rise to a point of order. The honourable member is speaking about the arrangements between Allconnex and the Gold Coast City Council in relation to whether the Gold Coast City Council seeks to have the existing arrangements changed. The only thing that this bill deals with with respect to distributor-retailers is, if there is a distributor-retailer, its relationship with the local government in terms of the infrastructure charges levy. It has nothing to do with the matters raised by the honourable member. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1563

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wendt): Order! That is not a point of order. Deputy Premier, if you have further points of order, please raise them. Ms BATES: How much will it cost the Gold Coast City Council to clean up the mess that this government forced upon the council? The voters of Queensland are waiting to send this Bligh Labor government a clear message: they will not stand for the increasing cost of living that has been thrust upon them by a government that is clearly out of touch and which sent Queensland bust in a boom. When any local government wants to opt out, the state government intends to make sure that any new local government water and waste water businesses are in place by 1 July 2012. This will just be one of the costs associated with the removal of Allconnex as councils re-establish their retail arms. We on this side of the House have a clear and decisive plan for water prices. A can-do LNP government will save Queenslanders money and implement Campbell Newman’s four-point plan for water prices. We will amalgamate the five bulk water entities into one to provide greater efficiencies. We will hand back control of water retailing to councils. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Mudgeeraba, there is a bill before the House, the Fairer Water Prices for SEQ Amendment Bill 2011. I would ask you to be very careful not to offend the standing orders in relation to that bill. I think you are sailing very close to the wind there. I would bring that to your attention. Ms BATES: We will immediately adopt a 40-year price path to repay the state government’s $7 billion debt. A can-do government will be open and accountable with Queenslanders. There is now a clear choice between a ‘can’t-do’ Bligh government and a can-do LNP government. Mr HINCHLIFFE: I rise to a point of order. Mr Deputy Speaker, you gave clear direction to the member for Mudgeeraba and she has continued to anticipate the debate of a bill that is before the House. The member should pay attention to the rules. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Mudgeeraba, I would ask you to return to the bill before the House and to be very careful about speaking to a bill that is currently before the House called the Fairer Water Prices for SEQ Amendment Bill. Ms BATES: A can-do LNP government will be open and accountable with Queenslanders. There is now a clear choice between a ‘can’t-do’ Bligh Labor government and a can-do LNP government. This bill also amends the Building Act 1975 to provide an extension until 4 November 2011 for pool owners to register their swimming pool with the Department of Local Government and Planning. This amendment will allow owners who may have been affected by the floods or cyclones more time to register their pools and have them ready for inspection. Time after time, my colleagues on this side of the House have watched this arrogant, on-the-nose, out-of-touch Labor government rush through legislation to either fix things that were not broken or fix up its own mess. I can assure the government that Mudgeeraba residents will be bringing their water bills to the ballot box. Mr JOHNSON (Gregory—LNP) (3.27 pm): I rise to speak to the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. We have a crisis in this state, and that crisis revolves around the south-east corner. I feel sorry for the people who live in the south-east corner, because a lot of them do not know about the rest of the state. There are some great places in this state where people can live, raise families and develop their futures—places such as Dalby, Roma, Charleville, Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach, Cloncurry, Mount Isa, Charters Towers, Kingaroy, Biloela or Emerald. What wonderful places they are, with all the associated infrastructure that is needed to raise a family, where children can get a good education at a good local high school, where there are good hospitals and where people have the opportunity to achieve a worthwhile position in the mining industry or the agricultural industry or maybe get a tertiary education or a trade qualification. I know that a lot of places cannot give their kids the advantage of a high school education. I have many of those in my electorate. One town that I want to touch on is Blackwater. What a wonderful centre that is. It is the centre of the mining industry, which relies on the Capricorn Highway in Central Queensland. Blackwater is probably one of the great wealth generators of this state, in conjunction with other towns in the basin just west of Mackay—Moranbah and Clermont, which is also in my electorate. Moranbah is in the electorate of Dalrymple. We have two great industries here that envelop each other. They are both on the same footing in relation to progressing the wealth generation of this state. The development that we have witnessed in this state over the last 40 to 50 years has come out of those regions. There are opportunities that lie from Emerald down to Biloela and back down to Dalby. There are also opportunities with the development of the coal seam around the Galilee Basin, around Alpha and going back to Clermont. We have to implement a marketing process on precisely how people can advantage themselves by living in these regions. I heard the member for Toowoomba South talk about the cost of housing and how 30 per cent of the people in his electorate are living in rental accommodation. This is a grand opportunity for us to take advantage of the situation and encourage people in an over taxed south-east corner, especially young people with families, to go to places like Blackwater, Biloela, Kingaroy or out to Clermont. They are great places to live. Many people go and live in these places and after they have been there for a couple of 1564 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 years they say, ‘How come we didn’t know about this?’ It is one of the country’s best kept secrets. When one looks back over the last 60 or 70 years at a place like Broken Hill in western New South Wales, which relied wholly and solely on the lead, copper and zinc and gold industries, the situation was that governments of both persuasions in those times did not have the vision and foresight to look beyond the mining industry. This is an opportunity for us to look beyond the mining industry. Broken Hill today is not a place that former and current governments in New South Wales can be proud of. They did not have a vision to think that one day maybe the mineral reserves there might dry up. The population of Broken Hill today is mainly a retirement population and that is something that we do not want to see in our centres around Queensland. It is important that we recognise those towns that I have named here this afternoon. I heard the member for Toowoomba North this afternoon make reference to the South East Queensland Regional Plan. We have to have the ‘rest of Queensland regional plan’. This piece of legislation goes a long way towards creating an environment where we can make that happen. The shadow minister made reference to the government’s acceptance of the recommendations proposed to set a maximum charge of $28,000 for dwellings with three bedrooms and more and $20,000 for one- or two-bedroom dwellings. We have here a cost of between $50 and $200 per square metre of gross floor area depending on the development type. A stormwater charge per square metre will also apply. I concur with the member for Toowoomba South when he made reference to the 40 per cent subsidy taken away by this government to help with infrastructure charges. We have to remember as members of parliament that if we do not have a social conscience we are not fair dinkum about being a member of parliament. We have to help young people into housing. It is all right to talk about affordable housing, but we also have to talk about affordable land. That brings me back to Blackwater. The honourable minister for mines has seen firsthand the availability of land there. I get upset and angry when I see people take advantage of these situations. Developers come in and pick up a parcel of land—20 or 30 blocks—add their $40,000 or $50,000 to it and hock it off to whoever can afford to buy it. We find then that young people with two or three kids who we want to come in and be part of that community cannot afford it. I think affordable land is a very integral part of affordable housing. We have to be fair dinkum about this. Whilst we are trying to assist local government and maximise those charges in question, it is very important that we recognise that there is an issue here that needs to be addressed. There is more to this than just getting people to come and live in these communities; it is about marketing what we have outside the south-east corner so that we can take the tax off the south-east corner, whether it is a tax on water, electricity, schools or the overcrowding of hospitals. There are great places in these regional areas where people can live their lives and progress their families through the local network. Local government plays a very integral role in this state. This legislation will assist local government. I am certainly going to be savage on those developers who come out and absolutely destroy opportunities for these young people to take advantage of a situation where they can have affordable housing. In Blackwater, in a population of 8,000, there are 2,000 people living in mining camp situations. This is not good. There is the fly-in, fly-out or drive-in, drive-out population. It is the same situation people are talking about at Moranbah and it will develop right across this state. We have to make certain that we have sustainable housing and are able to accommodate people in these communities. The Blackwater Community Progress Group has sprung up in Blackwater and they are a great group of people. They have the vision, drive, grit and determination to make a difference. They are progressive and want to encourage people to not only live there but to be an integral part of the community where their kids can go to school, play footy, get a job after school and maybe even stay on. I have spoken to a lot of people who have been there for 30 years. They have reared their families there and are happy there. It is only a couple of hours down the road to Rocky or Yeppoon. Mr Schwarten: Terrific places. Mr JOHNSON: I take the interjection from the honourable member for Rockhampton. They are terrific places. They are handy to an area where one can take advantage of universities, other educational opportunities or even work opportunities after school. There are good boarding schools in Rockhampton. Many people in this chamber have educated their kids in Rockhampton. In the electorate that I represent, a lot of kiddies go to school in Rockhampton and Yeppoon. In bringing in legislation such as this we have to make certain that we do not create an environment of social disadvantage. That will be an impediment on the community. That fly-in, fly-out, drive-in, drive-out situation is a scourge on our family unit, on our communities and on everything that we stand for as free-loving Australians and Queenslanders. There is no better deal than mum and dad and the kids at home every night. We have to change the environment where dad is out in a mining camp and mum is down the coast somewhere rearing the kids, half the time being mum and dad and disciplinarian and everything else. We have to make absolutely certain that we create a marketing strategy that encourages people to live in these places. We can only do it by making certain that these people can go into affordable housing. Just because they work in the mining industry, why should they have to pay $400,000 or $500,000 for a house in some of these places? I think we can do better than that. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1565

It is a fact that, following the floods of January this year, we have seen the decimation of places such as Emerald, Ipswich, Brisbane, Dalby, Roma, Rockhampton, Theodore and all the places in between. They have been knocked about very badly, but we have an opportunity to create an environment in which we can change the culture. As Major General Mick Slater said, we want to rebuild Queensland better than it was before the floods. A part of what we can do, and what we should be doing here, is to look at how we can encourage people who have been devastated by recent events to find a new home in the regional centres. In that way, we can do something to take away that scourge. They can live in a peaceful environment where they can rear their kids and do the things that they want to do, which mainly is to be mum and dad to those kids and to have meaningful work in a place where they want to live and where the community wants them. Those communities want them there. I am a product of remote Western Queensland. I know the kids in some of those remote places. I have three children of my own. Two out of those three have come back to the west. They are western kids. That is what it is all about. In recent years in the west our biggest export earner has been our kids. We have to send them away to educate them and, when we have educated them, a lot of them do not come back. That is a sad situation. We have to change that culture. We can only do that by implementing proper policy that will encourage people to live in those places, to be proud of their communities and to stand up for what they believe in, which is their local community. This legislation raises many issues. We can talk about the state planning regulatory provisions and all those sorts of things. They are all good, but the most important factor is that we get the mix right. When I was minister for transport and main roads in this state, we had trouble getting engineers to go to places such as Cloncurry and further west. I said to Dick Wharton and Bruce Wilson, my respective directors-general, that we should make a DVD to market those places. The first thing that happens is that women ask, ‘What medical and educational facilities are there for my children? What recreational facilities are there for my children? What recreational and shopping facilities are there for me?’ No-one could answer those questions. I said to those gentlemen, ‘What we should be doing is making a DVD to market those places, whether it is Emerald, Cloncurry, Roma, Charters Towers, Mackay or wherever.’ After that, you couldn’t hold them back. I will finish by telling a story to show how we can encourage people to come to the bush. Years ago in Quilpie, where I come from, one January afternoon there was a mum, a dad and their young daughter standing on the footpath in front of the hotel. The two women were crying uncontrollably. I said to a couple of my mates in the pub, ‘What’s going on here?’ They said, ‘Don’t know.’ I went out and said to the bloke, ‘What’s the matter, old mate?’ He said, ‘No, we’re right.’ I said, ‘There’s something wrong here.’ He said, ‘No, we’re right.’ I said, ‘Get inside in the shade. Come and have a drink.’ We got them inside and I found out that the young girl, who was about 22, had just been transferred to Quilpie as a teacher. It was 140 in the shade and the water bag was dry—you know what it is like—but the beer was cold at the pub. We got them inside and they had a couple of drinks. They regained their composure. Two years later, you could not drag that girl out of Quilpie with a team of horses. She loved the place. She had never been out of Brisbane. That is what this is all about. We have to sell the regions to the people. The legislation that we are talking about today is not worth a crumpet unless we can implement policy that will deliver outcomes that will be advantageous to those people, whether they live in Blackwater, Clermont, Cloncurry, Biloela or wherever it may be. We have to have a marketing strategy to take the tax out of the south-east corner, off the people and off the infrastructure there, and market these places. The United States is a classic example, because many people live away from the coastal areas in the desert regions. I hope that the government can see that the hard yards need to be done here. I will support anything at all that will advantage that cause, because places such as Blackwater are well worth it. They are meaningful and good places to live. We have to give those people purpose and direction. We have to make certain that they are cared for by backup medal facilities. There is a damn good high school there. The other day at the high school I ran into two teachers who had both taken on late vocations in teaching. One is a former nurse and the other is a former PR person. They love the place. They said, ‘We didn’t even know it existed.’ That is what this is all about. I hope that, by working properly with local government, through this legislation we will have outcomes that will encourage families and others to live outside the south-east corner, to develop and make a life and prosper in those communities, and to be an integral part of the future of this state. Mr HOOLIHAN (Keppel—ALP) (3.45 pm): I had prepared a written speech, but I think one of the easiest things to do would be to stand here and endorse what the member for Gregory just said, although I do not fully agree with some of his arguments. I also come from the country. I believe that the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill will deliver sustainable economic and population growth throughout Queensland. Until the member for Gregory spoke, I was thinking about a joke that Dave Allen once told about political jokes. He said that the thing about political jokes is that they sometimes get elected. I looked over to the LNP side and I thought, ‘Holy cow, Dave Allen was right!’ 1566 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

The member for Gregory dealt with a lot of regional areas. We are in beautiful Mackay, which was quite damp yesterday. But today, what more could you want? It has an enviable warm climate, diverse active industries and welcoming communities. That is what happens right throughout Queensland. I did not fully agree with the member for Gregory. This is not only about the people who work in mines and those who get the benefit of mining, coal seam gas or whatever; it is about the child-care workers, the teachers, the police and all the people who go there to provide social and human infrastructure but who cannot afford to buy houses because the houses are priced and the rates are set on the basis of the income of the mining community. That can change if the councils embrace what we are trying to do through this bill and act upon it. I mentioned Mackay’s warm climate, active industries and welcoming communities. Those things make Australia and Queensland a great and appealing destination to live in. As a result, South-East Queensland alone is expected to grow by around 1.3 million people over the next 20 years. The region will need 754,000 more dwellings to accommodate that growth. Perhaps we can try to get people to move outside South-East Queensland, which will allow the imposition of sensible infrastructure charges that will keep the price of land down and, hopefully, will allow the price of houses to be controlled. We cannot control population growth—people are going to go where they want to go—but we can manage the impact of that growth and make it more affordable for families to live and do business. In this regard, the Labor government has committed to a range of reform initiatives to improve the transparency, certainty and simplicity of our infrastructure-charging network. That is a maximum, but I know that a lot of councils will say, ‘We can charge the maximum.’ I am not going to mention the councils but, believe me, they are there. The amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act contained in this bill will enable the state to make a state planning regulatory provision, an SPRP, to introduce maximum infrastructure charges for residential and non-residential development. Maximum charges will provide certainty and transparency for the development industry immediately, thereby supporting an industry that is central to the rebuilding of Queensland after the floods and Cyclone Yasi, as well as the ongoing development of Queensland. That is what it is all about: the growth and development of Queensland so that every person who lives in the state—and nobody will deny that there are increasing pressures from the cost of living—will be helped through the removal of some of those pressures. The government will also be introducing a three-year moratorium on the collection of local function charges for transport infrastructure, reducing the state’s component of infrastructure charges to zero. This moratorium will significantly assist in reducing costs and will help free up capital to help stimulate the building industry. The government is committed to introducing these amendments as a matter of urgency with the SPRP to commence from 1 July 2011. The introduction of maximum infrastructure charges and the moratorium on local function charges are only the first steps in the government’s reform agenda. Over the next three years we will be working with industry and local governments to introduce a range of additional reforms to simplify Queensland’s infrastructure charges regime, which will benefit Queensland for many years to come. In total, the government has committed to 10 reform initiatives which will ensure an infrastructure-charging framework that not only provides long-term financial sustainability for local government but also supports a prosperous development industry in Queensland. In addition to the establishment of maximum infrastructure charges for residential and non- residential dwellings and a moratorium on the collection of local function charges for transport infrastructure, the reforms will also include the commencement of a deferred payment mechanism for infrastructure charges that will provide more financial certainty for developers at the beginning of a development project and an investigation into the current requirements for infrastructure provision across local governments, ensuring we have sufficient new infrastructure to service community needs without the unnecessary ‘gold plating’ of pipes and such that add to the cost of a new home. The government will work in consultation with local government and industry during the implementation of these reforms and, hopefully, local government and industry will work with the government instead of working against it. The amendments proposed in the bill will ensure that Queensland has an infrastructure-charging framework that can support and manage the state’s growth into the future. The framework will provide increased certainty, transparency and efficiency to local governments and the development industry, and it demonstrate this government’s commitment to managing Queensland’s long-term growth. We have heard much today about all of those ills and ailments that have befallen Queensland and, surprisingly—or unsurprisingly—it has been dumped at the feet of the Labor government. Surprisingly, that is not the point of view of a large number of Queenslanders, in particular the people whom I represent. I think it is high time that the LNP stood up in this House and gave the people of Queensland and the people of Mackay and Central Queensland its blueprint. Tell us—tell everybody—what it proposes to impose in terms of supposedly getting this state back on its feet. It has completely done away with any— 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1567

Mr Horan: It is your wasteful spending. $80 billion of debt! $540,000 an hour of interest! How would you afford that? Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Farmer): Order! Mr HOOLIHAN: They have completely done away with any policies. They have no policies. Ask one of them. It is public. There is no policy. Mr Hopper: Where’s your policy? Mr HOOLIHAN: The policy is here. Members opposite will stand here and they will argue until they are blue in the face, but they will not come out and tell Queenslanders what they intend and for that they should hang their heads in shame. I commend this bill to the House. Ms JOHNSTONE (Townsville—ALP) (3.53 pm): It is with pleasure that I rise to speak in support of the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. As the House is well aware, Queensland is in the middle of a sustained period of population growth. Indeed, according to the Queensland Office of Economic and Statistical Research, during the 10 years between 1999 and 2009 our population grew on average by more than 81,000 people per annum. To manage this growth, we need the right mix of development for people to live, work and learn and this needs to be supported by a strong development industry that sees Queensland as an attractive place to do business. For this reason the bill includes amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act to enable the government to make a state planning regulatory provision to set a maximum infrastructure charge for residential and non-residential development. The SPRP, which will commence on 1 July, will set a maximum infrastructure charge for residential development at $28,000 for dwellings of three bedrooms or more and $20,000 for one- or two-bedroom dwellings. For non-residential development, the SPRP will include maximum infrastructure charges across 16 development types that range between $50 and $200 per square metre of gross floor area. Non-residential infrastructure charges may also include a stormwater charge of $10 per impervious square metre. It is important to note that the bill provides that local governments cannot simply default to the maximum infrastructure charges prescribed in the SPRP, and I think previous members have spoken about this. It is important to note that local governments that are currently charging below the maximum infrastructure charge will find that their current charges will continue unless they choose to pass a resolution. This means that local governments will actually be responsible for ensuring their infrastructure charges remain competitive and affordable for families and businesses at a level under the proposed maximum. For local governments to change the amount they currently charge they must pass a resolution. Councils currently charging over the maximum charge, however, will automatically revert down to the maximum amount unless the council chooses to pass a resolution to charge less than the maximum which, of course, we would all be encouraging them to do. Nobody is denying that these arrangements rightfully ensure local governments retain the ability to set their own charges, but we need to create certainty for homebuyers and the industry by providing a maximum charges ceiling. These reforms will introduce a consistent infrastructure-charging framework that will be simpler and cheaper for local government to implement and will provide developers with greater certainty about the framework and quantum of charges to apply regardless of where they choose to develop. It will ensure our current and future social and economic prosperity. The amendments to the SPA included in this bill are the start of a broader infrastructure charges reform program that was outlined in the government’s response to the Infrastructure Charges Task Force final report. I also want to touch on some of the benefits that these reforms will mean to the community and in particular to people who are buying a home. It does not really matter whether a person is a first home buyer, a mum or dad moving into a family home, a person embarking on a sea change or a retiree who is looking to downsize; I believe these reforms of the government will help improve housing affordability right across Queensland. As many people know, many of us in the House are very concerned about housing and making sure that all Queenslanders have access to safe, secure and affordable housing. That goes right across the spectrum, whether it is for people in rental accommodation or whether it is for people going into their own home. For many homebuyers, infrastructure charges are an invisible cost; they do not see them. They are levied by local government on developers at the time the development application is approved but are ultimately reflected in the purchase price of a new house or unit. These arrangements that we have before us really allow local governments to take a lead in encouraging investment in their own communities. I note that the Gold Coast City Council made an announcement recently about reducing its infrastructure charges by 30 per cent. I want to note that the Townsville City Council recently announced as part of the CBD redevelopment, which many of us are involved in locally, that it is going to be offering concessions on infrastructure charges to developers in our CBD area. One hundred per cent of charges in relation to development in Flinders Street itself will attract full concessions and 50 per cent discounts will be offered to areas immediately surrounding Flinders Street in the CBD in Townsville. A huge amount of work has gone on in looking at how we can revitalise our city centre. The $57 million overhaul of Flinders Street is just about complete and it looks 1568 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011 fantastic. We need to get more people into the city. We have targets set to bring 30,000 people into the CBD by 2030. We need to have triggers to get these developments happening. I do commend the city council for that initiative. I support the bill. I commend it to the House. Ms NELSON-CARR (Mundingburra—ALP) (3.59 pm): I would like to say at the outset that it is good to be back in Mackay. Many years ago I lived here and taught at St Patrick’s, which has now been amalgamated, Victoria Park State School and Mackay West State School. It is good to be back in my old stomping ground. I would like to add my comments to the debate on the amendments to the Local Government Act. The Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill also makes a minor amendment to the Local Government Act to continue certain implementation matters resulting from two local government boundary changes. In May-June 2010 there were two local governments—Ipswich City Council, with agreement from the Scenic Rim Regional Council, and Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council, with agreement from Cook Shire Council—that applied to have their boundaries changed just before the repeal of the old Local Government Act 1993 on 30 June 2010. I point out that these boundary changes were made at the request of the local councils involved. The Ipswich City Council and the Scenic Rim Regional Council boundary change was to correct minor boundary anomalies which saw certain properties fall within two local government areas. The Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and the Cook Shire Council boundary changes were about providing for an esplanade within the Cook Shire Council to fall within the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council area. The old Local Government Act 1993 enabled councils to apply to the Local Government Electoral and Boundaries Review Commission for changes to their boundaries. With the commencement of the new Local Government Act 2009 on 1 July 2010, the Local Government Change Commission replaced the Local Government Electoral and Boundaries Review Commission. The commission is made up of at least the Electoral Commissioner and as required the Deputy Electoral Commissioner and casual commissioners. When a boundary change is determined by the commission, a regulation is made to make the boundary change. Along with the boundary change itself, ancillary implementation matters, such as actions started by the former local government, including the performance of a function or the exercise of a power, are also continued. As these two boundary changes straddle the jurisdiction of the old Local Government Act 1993 and the new Local Government Act 2009, implementation matters for these two boundary changes were provided for in a transitional regulation. The transitional regulation and the head of power in the Local Government Act 2009 to make a transitional regulation for matters that straddle the jurisdiction of the old local government act and new expire on 2 July 2011. This bill makes a minor amendment to the Local Government Act 2009 to continue as long as necessary implementation matters for those two councils involved. One of the other matters that I would like to touch on very briefly is the implementation of the pool safety regulations. The new pool registration legislation is a piece of governance that is extremely strong. It is relevant to all Queenslanders who own a pool. I do not need to go into any details about the sadness and tragedy of losing a young life by drowning. As a grandparent, I am extremely vigilant when it comes to supervision around my pool. By providing these strict guidelines with which Queensland pool owners must now comply we are sending a strong message that the safety of children is of paramount concern. It has taken some time to introduce these pool regulations, as the Leader of the Opposition has said. He attributes this to a lack of organisation on our behalf. He may not remember, but we have had enormous floods and devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi. Many people, particularly in my area, have sustained damage to their pool fences as a result of the Cyclone Yasi winds. I think the government should be applauded for granting extensions for registration until 4 November 2011. I would like to finish by highlighting the situation in Townsville when it comes to water bills and how extraordinarily high they are. I believe it is a case of triple dipping by the Townsville City Council. This triple dipping is massive. My water usage costs between $1 and $45 per quarter, but I am charged an incredible $350-plus each quarter as a connection fee. That is charged four times a year. The state government subsidises the Townsville City Council plant to the tune of $100 million. What this actually means for Townsville ratepayers is that, while the Townsville City Council continues to get rich on state government subsidies, they are continuing to pay through the nose for the Townsville City Council to have a clear profit each year of $154 million. It is outrageous. I commend the bill to the House. Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (4.05 pm): I rise to make a contribution to the debate on the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill 2011. At the time of the introduction of the Local Government Act 2009 I was a member of the Logan City Council. I saw firsthand, on the front line, how much it undermined local government across Queensland. This was shortly after the forced council amalgamations in 2008. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1569

The 73 councils across Queensland, with a total of 553 councillors, cost ratepayers around $250 million in wages, staff, administration and support. That represents about $1 billion in a council four-year term. That billion dollars is predominantly meant to be a cost for a democratic process to have truly representative local councillors. That is not happening in Queensland any longer. The mayors have become figureheads, councillors’ roles and responsibilities have been blurred, and councils have been completely undermined. They have become mini pseudo state governments dictated to— Mr Lucas interjected. Mr McLINDON: They can forge their own path elsewhere. I take the interjection from the Deputy Premier. Councils have been undermined to the point of irrelevance. The more I sit in the Queensland Legislative Assembly the more I think I am in a council meeting because we are constantly changing the goalposts, imposing new laws on councils and telling them what they can and cannot do. Councils have become stifled to a point of stagnation— A government member interjected. Mr McLINDON: I will take the interjection. Recognition of local government needs to be entrenched in the Constitution. As long as it is not recognised federally, the state government will continue to undermine local councils, ratepayers will continue to fund false representatives and councils will not be empowered to do the job they have been elected to do. I will not be supporting the development infrastructure charges that are proposed to be capped. This has been hidden in the terminology of housing affordability. The reality is that that revenue will need to be picked up somewhere else over time. It is as simple as that. That revenue lost will need to be picked up somewhere else. The ratepayer will end up picking up the tab. The developer will get the price reduction. The unintended consequence—and there may be good intent in this bill—will undoubtedly be increased rates notices every quarter. That is what this bill will do. It will not stand the test of time. It will not have longevity. We will have to review this in five or 10 years, depending on inflation. This is a very short-term fix for a handful of developers. This is not a long-term approach. It is not a sensible, concise approach to housing affordability and ensuring rates are kept low. When the state government took the water and sewerage assets from councils, the councils found it more and more difficult to find the revenue to be able to maintain those front-line services on a local government level—the roads, rates and rubbish. In the last 10 years in Australia we have seen a blurring of roles and responsibilities between local, state and federal government. We have seen overlapping. We have seen buck-passing. We have seen finger-pointing and point blaming. At the end of the day, the ratepayer and the taxpayer are paying billions and billions of dollars for this ridiculous political game of whose roles and responsibilities are what, and the goalposts are constantly changing under this government. But then I look to the opposition. The ALP government is undermining local government processes and Queenslanders need to be able to turn to an opposition with hopefully a glimmer of hope. I agree with the member for Keppel that there is a policy-free zone. The Queensland Party has announced in excess of 30 policies in its 12 months of registration. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr McLINDON: We had Barry O’Sullivan. I think I am off Barry’s Christmas card list! The member for Keppel is right: there is only one policy, and that is the policy of no policy. It is a policy-free zone and Queenslanders have nowhere to turn to when it comes to a viable opposition in this state, and I will tell members why: because we have one side undermining local government and we have the other side undermining the state government by making an absolute mockery of the Westminster system. Members of the opposition sit in the parliament time and time again without a leader in the parliament; instead their leader is a member of the public. They espouse to hold out the Westminster system. They have all agreed that there is no leader amongst the 32 of them, so they have handpicked someone from the outside. They are abusing the political process as a personality contest and not a contest of policy, and that is what is going wrong in this state because there is no credible opposition. That is why I formed The Queensland Party. An opposition member: A party of one! Mr McLINDON: It is a party of one. I say this: I would rather have a leader on the inside than a leader on the outside. That is one step ahead. That is called guts, that is called conviction, that is called— Opposition members interjected. Mr McLINDON: I will take the interjections. I did not leave the party; the party left its values. I tell you what: I have an argument every day in the party room and I win the leadership contest every morning and I am happy. That is one thing that will be certain about The Queensland Party: you know who the leader will be. There will be no musical chairs on my watch, Mr Deputy Speaker. A government member: Tell us more! 1570 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

Mr McLINDON: I will tell you more; I take that interjection. Councils have a four-year corporate plan and they should be able to have the flexibility of setting those fees and charges. Those councils that have an incentive for those affordable houses to be built are the ones that will benefit from having that flexibility. But when a state government imposes a restriction and capping of those infrastructure charges, they are going to have to find that revenue somewhere else when the time comes when that cap will not be sustainable in terms of providing those front-line services and the infrastructure. If we take the Brisbane City Council, I can see why it would need— Mr Lucas interjected. Mr McLINDON: That is not a ‘one size fits all’ policy though with all due respect, Minister. When we look at the $700 million that has been blown on the Clem7 or the hundreds of bikes that sit in the city fading away, we can understand that it is going to need revenue to fund these huge budget blow-outs somehow. I can understand why under the Newman administration parking meters were tripled. There is no Newman legacy. Make no mistake about it. There has been hiding behind an incompetent state government. Mr Bleijie: You’re worried, mate, aren’t you? You’re worried, mate! Mr McLINDON: I am not at all. I am excited about the next election. I have already predicted a hung parliament, and that is the only thing that is going to get this state back on track. Honourable members interjected. Mr McLINDON: At least I have friends on both sides of the House! I just got off the phone with Councillor Darren Power whom I had the honour of working alongside for five years. He is a weekly doorknocker who has been in council since 1997. Councillor Power was telling me that the people are genuinely concerned that the revenue impost will be transferred to the rates notice—that is, it will benefit the odd developer at the expense of the ratepayer. This is a legitimate concern raised by a councillor with some 14 years experience in local government who, consequently, has the highest primary vote in the City of Logan, and that is telling. He is a good, hard worker and that sort of feedback I do take seriously. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr McLINDON: I take the Deputy Premier’s interjection. It just goes to show that none of the parties that existed were good enough. I cannot support this bill because it once again changes the goalposts for local government. They have been undermined with forced amalgamations and the Local Government Act 2009. This once again is Big Brother breathing down their necks saying what they can and cannot do where it is going to benefit a few and be a disservice to many. I also note the boundary changes with the Scenic Rim Regional Council and the Ipswich City Council. I support those minor boundary changes as a step in the right direction. I know the minister knows that I will be pushing for the new satellite city of Flagstone to be put into the Scenic Rim Regional Council. Mr Lucas: What does Barry O’Sullivan think about that? Mr McLINDON: I do not need to call him because it is not his patch. The ratepayer base for the Scenic Rim Regional Council was halved and the area was doubled. Therefore, I will be pushing for that satellite city of some 40,000 homes to go into Scenic Rim to ensure it is a sustainable council. It was one of eight councils on financial watch post forced amalgamations. That is something that I will be raising with the minister. The petition was lodged today in the parliament and that is something that the locals and the communities are extremely happy to support to ensure that they have a ratepayer base and a linking of community interests in passenger rail from Flagstone to Bromelton. That is something that I will be pushing. I look forward to working with the minister in the future. This minor boundary change is a step in the right direction, but I believe it should be the whole satellite city. If that would be possible, Deputy Premier, that would be very much appreciated for struggling councils on financial watch. My principles and conviction mean that I cannot in good faith support this bill. I will always stand first and foremost for the councils and the councillors who have been completely undermined. It is true that some are not up to scratch or are not doing the job as best as they should be, but that is not the point. We should be there to help them and not to hinder them. We have to empower councils. That is why I introduced the bill to get the 45 mayors in the upper house. Mr Bleijie: So they’re not doing a good job but you want them to be in the upper house. Mr McLINDON: I take the interjection. The position of mayor should not be a figurehead. It should have a base of representation that is supported by the community in this flawed parliamentary system that we have in Queensland, and that is why over 89 years we have had a terrible injustice being the only state in Australia without an upper house. It is a winner takes all approach, and that is why term after term Queenslanders effectively are under elected dictators. Mr MESSENGER (Burnett—Ind) (4.16 pm): I rise to speak to the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. The bill amends three acts including the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, the Local Government Act 2009 and the Building Act 1975. On the 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1571

Notice Paper last night this bill was way down on the running order. It was around the eighth, ninth or 10th piece of legislation to be debated, but in the earlier hours of this morning the bill was suddenly moved to the top of the list. This is a common tactic on the government’s behalf to lessen scrutiny of this piece of legislation. The government has presented this bill to this place without offering the Independents the courtesy of a briefing on this legislation. This and other stakeholder feedback makes me suspicious of this legislation. I am worried also that the LNP opposition has expressed serious concerns about this bill—and there have been many good speeches from the LNP highlighting some serious concerns—and yet it is indicating that it will not oppose it. I am disappointed and I would simply remind those members that whatever happened to the political truism that if in doubt throw it out. This bill attempts to address two great crises that we are facing in not only my electorate of the Burnett but also regional Queensland: housing affordability and of course the rising cost of infrastructure charges. Addressing the issue of housing affordability, most people ask—it is common conversation in the Burnett—what are the issues that have forced housing, especially as the member for Toowoomba South said, for those young couples trying to get established to become unaffordable? Yes, there are land shortages, state regulations, red tape and restrictions on where rural and regional people can build, and those restrictions are becoming increasingly more prevalent. There are new coloured areas being laid over maps such as the vegetation management maps. There is now another green zone that is being placed over coastal areas which is also increasing the cost to developers, who of course then offset that cost, and it is the young couples who end up paying that. That makes it more and more difficult for those people to buy a house, settle down and have a family. State and local government regulations stop property owners in villages in the Burnett, such as Baffle Creek and Rosedale, from subdividing their land and allowing more lifestyle blocks of five to 10 acres to be available in regional areas. There is no better place in Queensland to raise a family than somewhere north of Noosa, preferably in regional and country areas, on a five-acre block. A house set in the bush on a lifestyle block is the best example of sustainable living. We live on five acres and harvest all our own rainwater. At the moment that is not being taxed. Hopefully, there will be no new tax introduced. We have our own septic system that does not require the local government to build costly sewerage plants or other infrastructure. When it comes to housing affordability, there has been a failure by this government to properly regulate and manage the building industry. Consequently, in the Burnett and Bundaberg areas a number of housing contractors have collapsed. There has been a complete failure of the BSA to protect homeowners from shonky builders. That is another cost to the industry. There is also the failure of this government to have in place an insurance scheme that protects subcontractors from dishonest builders. Many subcontractors are contacting my office asking for an insurance scheme to be put in place. I think that is common sense. There is the failure of this government to protect, for example, kit-home buyers from dishonest builders who pretend that kit homes are covered by BSA insurance. They are not. A whole range of people have been caught out in that particular area. I can think of one elderly couple who are now living in a shack in a field. They are paying off a house that they will never be able to own because of those faulty regulations. We as a parliament need to address that issue and provide better legislative protection for those retired couples who try to re-enter the housing market in a cheaper way through buying kit homes. The Wide Bay draft plan has created millionaires with the stroke of a bureaucratic pen and it has ignored the planning work of local communities. For example, I refer to the Isis community in the electorate of Burnett. The councillors who were there pre forced amalgamation did a heck of a lot of hard work consulting with the community and asking the community about what they wanted for their infrastructure and where they wanted their houses to go. That was not taken notice of in the new draft plan. I hope that the Treasurer, whose responsibility it is to oversee that plan, listens to that community. They have made many intelligent submissions. If the Treasurer listens to those submissions he will be able to find out what my community is after and also right a lot of wrongs. We have the rising cost of infrastructure charges. How much has waste and corruption cost this state in increased infrastructure charges? Probably the worst example of unfair rising infrastructure charges in my electorate can be found at the communities of 1770 and Agnes Water. The people there pay one of the highest costs for water. It is rising from $3.50 per kilolitre to $4.50 per kilolitre. That increase has come about because this government has allowed the building of a $40 million desalination plant on a beach that has two endangered species of turtle nesting on it. Proper studies have not been done. There is plenty of water at Agnes Water, as the name suggests. It is located on Springs Road, for goodness sake. I know that it was a local government decision. Every local councillor backflipped. They disregarded the will of the community in the area of the Gladstone Regional Council. They went ahead and took $30 million of state government funding, added another $10 million of ratepayer funding and placed a desalination plant there. It is a case of choosing the right sort of infrastructure. The process would have been better handled if there was a pipeline strung from Awoonga Dam down into those areas. It could have picked up communities like Turkey Beach and Bororan, which had its own water difficulties, and linked them with those communities on the Discovery Coast. 1572 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

But unfortunately the decision was made in haste because they thought they were going to run out of water and a $60 million option of a pipeline, which would have been the best option, was ignored. Instead, there is a desalination plant that nobody wants. Certainly, nobody wants to pay for the water. The Gladstone Regional Council has just put out a proposal that the water be extended from the 700 or so ratepayers who are expected to pay for it to the outlying areas. Obviously, the council has done that because the supply of the water is not financially viable with the small rate and the small supply base. I honestly believe that there is something very smelly about that desalination plant being placed there, particularly so from the Greens. I have been very disappointed with the green groups, who would usually be hanging from the trees and chaining themselves to bulldozers with regard to such a development. In this particular case, on this pristine beach where loggerhead turtles and leatherback turtles regularly come up to nest, they have let the development go ahead and obviously destroy this pristine beach. On the one hand the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill is being delivered by a government saying that it wants to decrease the costs to first home buyers and then on the other hand a government of the same ilk is supporting a new tax— a carbon tax—that will immediately increase the cost to everyone who breathes and who uses fuel and electricity. Of course, nobody likes paying for a new tax, but the feeling of being rorted eases if we get something in return for that tax dollar that we spend. In the case of a carbon tax, we get nothing. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Kilburn): Order! Member for Burnett, we have had this conversation before. The carbon tax is not a state government tax and it is not relevant to this bill. Could you keep yourself confined to what is in this bill. Mr MESSENGER: Thank you for your direction, Mr Deputy Speaker. The bill is the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill. My argument is that the type of infrastructure that we will be forced to build in the future for my children and grandchildren will also be determined by a carbon tax, because instead of building some of the world’s most efficient coal and natural gas— Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Burnett, you are now making assumptions about something that is not part of this state government’s policies. It is not even a policy. You are making long-range assumptions. I understand the link that you are trying to make, but if you could keep yourself to what is contained in this bill that would be appreciated. Mr MESSENGER: The infrastructure that I am talking about is electricity and power stations. Mr LUCAS: I rise to a point of order. The honourable member might want to talk about electricity, but electricity is not the subject of local government collected infrastructure and, therefore, in no way does this bill touch on any electricity issue. It does not affect electricity. If the member wants to talk about local government roads or about water, those sorts of issues are regulated by this infrastructure charge or are impacted upon in terms of the ceiling, but certainly not electricity. The member is seeking to use that as a mechanism to debate something that has nothing to do with the subject of the bill. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. However, I would remind the member for Burnett that this bill is about council infrastructure charges. I very much suggest to the member that he stick to infrastructure charges that are charged by council, as is referred to in this bill. Mr MESSENGER: And I am happy to follow your direction, Mr Deputy Speaker. Thank you for that. The Gladstone Regional Council is in charge of the desalination plant at Agnes Water. As I have said, $10 million worth of ratepayers’ money goes to this desalination plant. This desalination plant runs on electricity. There have been no studies done on the cost of the electricity that powers this desalination plant once a carbon tax comes in. A desalination plant has very, very high running costs. Instead of a pipeline, which would have zero running costs, the cost of the electricity that this local government is using to power its desalination plant will be increased by any future carbon tax. Council ratepayers will then be forced to pay increased water charges—already the highest in the land, from $3.50 to $4.50 a kilolitre. I dare any member of this parliament, indeed any member of parliament in Australia, to tell me where there is a community that is being charged as much for their water as the Discovery Coast community. Stakeholder feedback has been adverse on this particular piece of legislation. Chris Hale, an urban economist with the University of Queensland’s Centre for Transport Strategy, wrote in a recent article in the Courier-Mail titled ‘Decision caps off blunders on policy’— IF BRISBANE is to compete as a world city, its planners need to improve their performance dramatically. A good place to start would be to address the proposal and acceptance of the now-infamous infrastructure charges cap. There would be few ratepayers, or anyone in local government, who would support this direction—so it appears the policy runs counter to community sentiment. The most basic tests of contemporary policy credibility include: Whether a proposed change is good for the regional economy, whether it connects and supports other leading policy goals, and whether it passes a community interest filter. In the past, politicians viewed society as a mess of competing vested interests to be pandered to with “handouts”—but in Australia that stage has been consigned to history. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1573

However, with the infrastructure charges cap we take three steps back from a responsible democratic path with a policy that simply appeases a narrow vested interest—those sections of the development industry over-committed to fringe subdivision. For the wider regional economy the cap does nothing and the initiative contradicts other policy sectors such as compact development, transit-served communities and improved sustainability. It appears that a narrowly chosen task force was set up to look at the issue of housing affordability. But, tellingly, its draft report did not address the wider questions of housing and household affordability. Another article, titled ‘Infrastructure charges decision a blow for rates bill’, states— The State Government’s $28,000 cap on infrastructure charges for 3-bed homes and $20,000 for one and two-bed homes in Queensland is likely to force councils to increase their debt to unsustainable levels and put further pressure on rates bills. Recently in the media the Bundaberg Regional Council indicated that its debt levels are going to have to rise. I think it is around $10 million. Once again, those debt levels will have to be serviced by ratepayers. I have serious concerns that more pressure will be placed on them. I understand the pressures that are placed on the Bundaberg Regional Council and other regional councils in that area because of forced amalgamations. They have forced amalgamation costs and the withdrawal of the 40 per cent subsidy. It is the poor old ratepayer who ends up paying. A news release by the Local Government Association of Queensland states— “The staggering reality is that these State Government reforms could mean that within 20 years Queensland local government will have a debt larger than the current combined debt of WA, SA, TAS, the ACT and the NT governments. Mr Hallam says ... estimates of local government debt of $8.5b, as from 2014, will soar to $10.5b, based on the state mandated changes to infrastructure levels. The timing couldn’t be worse, with local government finances already facing other considerable cost pressures,” Mr Hallam said. “And the bottom line for taxpayers is that these reforms, which aim to make homes cheaper, will actually stifle development and push up rates.” Another LGAQ news release states— The State Government’s $28,000 cap on infrastructure charges for 3-bed homes and $20,000 for one and two-bed homes in Queensland is likely to force councils to increase their debt to unsustainable levels and put further pressure on rates bills. LGAQ acting chief executive Greg Hoffman repeated that $60 could be added to the average rates bill. He said— This decision will push total council debt in Queensland past the $10 billion mark, an increase of 500 percent in 6 years. In closing, I see a future for Queensland with a conservative government in place. I hope that that future conservative government listens to the people and those councils that wish to deamalgamate. I believe there are still efficiencies to be found and better management of infrastructure by deamalgamating in certain areas. One of those areas will be the Childers area. I believe that there is a case for the Childers-Biggenden-Kolan area to be deamalgamated. There are places like Agnes Water that just want to cede from the country altogether because of the way that they are being managed. Bigger is not always better. Mr Lucas: Bundaberg is bailing it out. Mr MESSENGER: I take the interjection from the Deputy Premier. Mr Lucas interjected. Mr MESSENGER: The Childers council was run very, very well. It was one of the most innovative and responsive councils in the Burnett. It had a proactive approach to attracting business. It gave rate holidays which attracted businesses. It knows implicitly that there are only four ways that a community can grow and prosper. A community can either make it, mine it, grow it or show it. If they are not directly involved in the making of it, the mining of it, the growing of it or the showing of it—the tourism industry— then it is just recycling the money that the wealth creators bring into the community. It is important that local councils have a proactive and, shall I say it, can-do attitude. They have to attract those primary wealth creators to our community. By attracting those primary wealth creators we are ensuring future prosperity and jobs growth for our region. This bill is proof that this government has lost control of its public finances. It is simply cost shifting, as the member for Beaudesert pointed out. It is not introducing efficiencies to the system; it is merely shuffling the deckchairs—and they are of a red colour. I refuse to commend it or support it. Mrs CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (4.37 pm): I thank the Mackay people for their welcome and I apologise for having my back to those in the gallery as I speak. This bill does address an area of great importance in my electorate. The Minister for Housing spoke earlier and accused those of us sitting on the opposite side of her of not wanting affordable housing. I assure her that I would welcome as much affordable housing in my electorate as she would care to allocate. Access to affordable housing in the Gladstone electorate is becoming very, very difficult. We have many, many people coming in. The price of housing and the price of rent is escalating beyond belief. We are not much different to Mackay in that we have industries that are paying construction and mining wages. They are only a small proportion of the population in terms of the people who have invested in the Gladstone region over a long period of time. Many of those are on low and fixed incomes and they are finding it extremely difficult to afford the increased rents that are occurring on the cusp of particularly the LNG industry. 1574 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 24 May 2011

I have talked to the Gladstone Regional Council. The member for Burnett and I have a different relationship with the council. I have always found the Gladstone Regional Council and, before the amalgamation, the Calliope Shire Council good organisations to deal with. I commend the councillors who are there. Mr Lucas: Maybe that’s because you’re normal. Mrs CUNNINGHAM: My experience with them is different. I talk to them about the potential impacts of this legislation on the cost structure and it has the potential to negatively impact. I did not get breakdowns of their current infrastructure-charging regime, but this bill levies a cap on the infrastructure charges for new developments: a three-bedroom dwelling is capped at $28,000 and one- or two- bedroom dwellings are capped at $20,000. The member for Toowoomba South raised a very important issue and one that he received some negative interjections about. However, I have a question for the minister on this. Much of the subdivision occurs when a developer sells the developed blocks to individual purchasers. It is the individual purchaser who decides what sort of home they are going to build, whether it is a two-bedroom duplex, or a three-bedroom, four-bedroom or five-bedroom home. It is my experience that the infrastructure charge is levied on the subdivider at the time that the application is made to council. Is there going to be a formula where councils can pre-empt or predict the sort of dwellings that will be built on the land? How will that knowledge be able to be guessed at by the council so that it can know what infrastructure charges to levy? Mr Lucas: Very few houses are built with two bedrooms, other than spec. But anyway, I will deal with that. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Deputy Premier, we will wait for your reply. Mrs CUNNINGHAM: The Deputy Premier said he will speak further in his reply. I thank him for that. That is a practical issue. When the member for Toowoomba South raised it, I thought it was a very practical issue of timing. In my discussions with the Gladstone Regional Council, they said that in some local authorities— and this is true—there are topgraphical areas that are more difficult and more expensive to develop. If, over a period, the $28,000 cap can be shown to be regularly inadequate, and let us say they are mostly three-bedroom houses, will this legislation be revised? In all honesty, if the infrastructure charges do not cover the cost, then the cost will be borne by the existing ratepayers. In local government, one of the principles in relation to debt was that if you raised debt for a new asset, then the potential is that that asset will have a return over time to pay the debt off. With the infrastructure charges, the principle was always that the new resident was paying for the infrastructure that they themselves required. If this cap is insufficient, existing ratepayers will have to cover the shortfall. My question is: will that cap be reviewed if it is proven over time to be inadequate? Mr Lucas interjected. Mrs CUNNINGHAM: Three years. Thank you, Minister. I think it is more than just the infrastructure costs that escalate the price of land. There are a lot of contributors to the price of a block of land, not the least of which is the profit margin that the subdivider or the owner of the property wishes to place on that property. In part, that is supply and demand, but also it is layered with the activity in the region. In Gladstone, our prices are escalating significantly because of the prospect of workers coming in with the LNG industry. Again, it does not answer the problem for existing residents who might work at major shopping centres, smaller shopping centres, small shops or industries and who are on more modest wages. That is where the minister’s affordable housing could be very handy. Mr Lucas interjected. Mrs CUNNINGHAM: I agree. The minister has said that the bill will be reviewed in three years in relation to the escalating costs and the possible impact on existing ratepayers. I am a little at war with myself over whether or not to support the bill, primarily because, as I said, the Gladstone Regional Council holds some concerns about the allocated fee not covering the cost of developing the infrastructure and, conversely, I am also informed by the fact that we have so many people who want to purchase properties in the Gladstone region but the price is almost removing them from the market. If this does go some way to addressing the affordability issue, certainly it should be supported. The bill extends the time granted for the pool compliance rules. Whilst I know that there are critics of that, I have to support it. Over the past 12 months many families have really struggled with things beyond their control, climatic issues in particular. They have been trying to survive, day by day, after a flood incident or cyclone incident and it would be difficult for some to try to come to terms with another compliance issue. I think it is welcome that this bill will extend the time within which they can comply. It gives them a reprieve. They still have an obligation to comply, but the extension of time is welcomed, given our experience over the past 12 months. 24 May 2011 Sustainable Planning (Housing Afford. & Infra. Charges Reform) A’ment Bill 1575

The priority infrastructure plans are required by 31 December. I echo other speakers who have said that local government has had to accommodate an enormous amount of change in the recent past. Over the past 15 or 20 years, they have gone through enormous change. If councils do find it difficult to achieve their priority infrastructure plans by the allocated date of 31 December, will there be any flexibility in individual councils applying for an extension of time? This bill addresses one issue in housing affordability. The cost of living across all sectors has increased exponentially over the past 12 to 24 months. Not only local government costs but state government charges and, to a much lesser extent, federal government charges have increased. Before implementing additional costs on our constituents, part of our responsibility is to keep in mind that, while one cost rises in our legislature, in all other areas prices are going up and families really are struggling. I look forward with interest to the minister’s response to those questions about a bill that impacts on fundamental family issues. Ms GRACE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (4.46 pm): I rise to support the Sustainable Planning (Housing Affordability and Infrastructure Charges Reform) Amendment Bill for a number of reasons. Being a Brisbane born and bred person and someone who has lived in my electorate all my life, I have to say that it is great to be in Mackay. My family and I have holidayed in this region on many occasions. I have had a number of opportunities to come to Mackay. I love this city and it is fantastic to be here once again. There are a couple of things that I have noticed in Brisbane city when it comes to— Mr Lucas interjected. Ms GRACE: There are plenty of Italians up here as well. I say ‘buongiorno’ to all of my Italian colleagues. It is great to be here. At lunch time the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and I met with a multicultural group. It was fantastic to be a part of that community as well. I have noticed a couple of things about the affordability of housing in Brisbane. One is that the infrastructure costs continue to go up and up and up. It can be distressing for people when they see what they have to pay in Brisbane City Council charges if they are wanting to build a home, town houses or whatever it is. Affordability is another big issue. At the moment the market has flattened out a little, but in the past we have seen some of the biggest rises in housing prices. That was great for those who were in the market and had a house, but it was not very good for those who were wanting to buy their first home. Anything that we can do to stem the tide of increasing fees, which increases the price of houses, and anything that we can do to make housing more affordable is a step in the right direction for the community. As an example, while I was at lunch I went onto the Brisbane City Council website and looked at some of the fees that the council is charging at the moment which, as I have mentioned, have continued to go up. This is on the site. You can go on there right now and see this. Say a house is replaced by five town houses. The website outlines the fees that have to be paid. There is a DA phase, which is about $9,000. You have to pay that fee. There is an operational work and compliance assessment fee, which is close to $3,000. There is an appliance and inspection fee, which is $8,720 to be precise. If you fail an inspection, you pay an extra $315 every time. That increases the fee there. Then there is a plan sealing fee, which is another $22,275. So in order for a developer to do something that is great for the community where one house is removed and it is replaced by the building of five town houses they are looking at fees in the vicinity of $45,000. A government member interjected. Ms GRACE: I take the interjection about CityCycle in Brisbane. It actually costs less to buy a bike than to rent one for over 10 hours. A person is better off going out, buying a bike, riding it around Brisbane and then giving it to the nearest kid and saying, ‘Here, ride the bike.’ That is cheaper than renting a bike for 10 hours. They are the kinds of fees that people are looking at. Inevitably, that adds to the price of a town house or a house. There is no doubt about it. So we should do anything we can. I think it is a courageous step by the government to say, ‘Enough is enough. We have left it for too long in the hands of the local governments around the state.’ In this particular area we are saying, ‘You can’t charge any more than these fees.’ I think that is a reasonable thing to do. I am supporting that part of the legislation. What I really want to speak about, which has not been mentioned a lot, is a progress report on the pool safety laws that is also included in this legislation. The government is continuing to implement the most important swimming pool safety reform since the introduction of mandatory pool barrier standards in 1991. That was nearly 20 years ago. It has now been six months since the new laws commenced, and I am pleased to report to the House that there has been excellent progress in implementing the new laws. Over 880 licensed pool safety inspectors have inspected and certified as compliant the barriers of nearly 15,000 pools. Over 230,000 pools have been placed on the state pool safety register. The new swimming pool laws have been in place since December 2010. They have replaced a confusing set of 11 different standards with one single standard. So people do not need to go to 11 different areas; they now go to one. This standard now applies to a wider range of buildings such as 1576 Ministerial Statement 24 May 2011 town houses, unit complexes, hotels, motels, backpacker hostels, caravan parks, transportable home parks and caretaker residences. I have the majority of those types of dwellings within my electorate of Brisbane Central. There is also a high number of swimming pools in my area. The new laws oblige all pool owners to ensure their pool is compliant with the new uniform standard. Pool owners have until November 2015 to upgrade their pool fence unless they sell or lease their property prior to this date. As I said, nearly 15,000 pools in Queensland have received certification to demonstrate that they comply with Australia’s most stringent safety standards. Each new pool that meets the new safety standard means the likelihood of a child drowning is substantially reduced. I might add that I am actually one of those children who nearly drowned when I was young. It was in a swimming pool. I was saved by a young Italian boy who actually jumped into the pool and took me over to the side. I have not seen Lenny Taliani for many years, but it was Lenny Taliani who saved my life. Mr Lucas: Good on you, Lenny. Hear, hear, Lenny. You should have married him! Ms GRACE: Maybe there are some on this side who are happy to hear about that and maybe those on the other side are not too happy to hear about that! It did happen to me. So I think anything we can do that will save a child’s life is definitely a step in the right direction. The pool safety register has now been established to provide government with the state’s first set of comprehensive statistics on the number of swimming pools in Queensland. Previously we really did not know how many there were. Already 230,000 pools have been registered. I believe that this register is very important as it will ultimately allow the government to monitor and regulate pools across the state. The new inspectors are required to certify that swimming pools attached to properties in the process of being sold or leased comply with the new standards. The location and contact details of all inspectors can be accessed through the pool safety register. All inspectors have undertaken a rigorous course and government examination to ensure they understand the requirements of the new legislation and can comply with the standards accurately. In addition, the Pool Safety Council is charged with monitoring the activities of the pool safety inspectors. The council includes water safety, community safety, pool safety and local and state government representatives. Pool Safety Council staff have commenced audits and investigations to ensure the new laws are applied in an appropriate manner. The government also has now implemented the immersion incident reporting scheme. This scheme was a critical piece of the new laws to allow us to collate, analyse and assess immersion incident information to be used in future safety initiatives. The success of this scheme is evidenced in the 56 immersion incidents which have occurred and which have now been reported on. Never before has the Queensland government been able to access such important statistics relating to child safety in swimming pools. Debate, on motion of Ms Grace, adjourned.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

Crime and Misconduct Commission, Investigation Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Reconstruction) (4.54 pm), by leave: The CMC has this afternoon issued a media statement indicating that it intends to investigate three allegations made by a former member of this House, Mr Gordon Nuttall. One of those allegations is in relation to the appointment of Peter Beattie as Trade Commissioner to North and South America. I have to put on the record that I regard this allegation as bizarre, ridiculous and demonstrably untrue and a claim from a man convicted of perjury and dishonesty. I welcome the CMC’s investigation into the matter, however, to clear the public record once and for all. I can assure the CMC that it will have my full cooperation and any assistance it requires as it conducts its inquiries. Let me briefly outline some of the facts in this matter for the record. The allegation made by Mr Nuttall is that Mr Beattie was induced to retire by the offer of an appointment as Trade Commissioner for Queensland. Peter Beattie retired as Premier of Queensland on 13 September 2007. I met with Mr Beattie in late December that year and he advised me that he had been asked to join the boards of a number of major Australian companies. Given that these were companies that do business with the Queensland government, I sought Integrity Commissioner advice on 27 December 2007 about whether, if Mr Beattie accepted these positions, the government should deal with him or the companies concerned. The Integrity Commissioner’s advice was very clear: it would be inappropriate for the government to have any dealings with Mr Beattie or these companies should he take up those positions. I provided that advice to Mr Beattie in early January 2008 and he resolved not to accept the positions. 24 May 2011 Motion 1577

Some weeks later, on 6 February, I met with Mr Beattie and asked him to consider accepting the position of Trade Commissioner to North and South America. He indicated that he would discuss it with his wife, Heather, and give it further consideration. He came back to me on the weekend of 15 March, almost six weeks after I had asked him to consider the position. So not only was the position not offered as an inducement for him to leave; it was not made until five months after Mr Beattie had resigned and after he had been offered, had considered and had declined a number of company board positions in the private sector. Further, he considered it for some weeks before accepting it—hardly the actions of a man driven by an inducement. The basis of this allegation is that Mr Peter Beattie needed an inducement to consider retirement and that I needed to offer one in order to become Premier. Both suggestions are ridiculous. Mr Beattie had made numerous public statements over many months that, after almost a decade in this very demanding job, he was looking to move on and, further, that he was encouraging me to consider putting myself forward for the position in the event of a vacancy. The only evidence offered by Mr Nuttall in support of his claim is that he heard it being discussed by his colleagues at Parliament House. Of course, the fact is that he had left the parliament on 9 September 2006, a full 12 months before Mr Beattie retired. On that basis alone his allegation is discredited. Equally, the other allegations involving the appointment of Bob Gibbs and the appointment of Uschi Schreiber to the director-general’s job in Health have been well canvassed many times in the public arena. I am confident that both allegations being investigated by the CMC will be found to be baseless. However, as I said, I welcome these investigations and the opportunity they present to have the matters resolved once and for all. I will offer every assistance to the CMC as it undertakes this investigation. Sitting suspended from 4.58 pm to 6.30 pm.

SPEAKER’S STATEMENT

Queensland’s Deaf Community, Auslan; Attendance Figures Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, for the following two hours of proceedings we will have interpreters using Auslan sign language. The interpreters will be provided by Deaf Services Queensland. I really want to welcome the members of the deaf community here tonight because it is everyone’s parliament. It is the fifth occasion that the parliament has partnered with Deaf Services Queensland to welcome members of Queensland’s deaf community to their parliament. On behalf of the Queensland parliament, I welcome members of the Mackay deaf community who are in attendance tonight and also Pam Spicer and Liza Clews, our interpreters for tonight. For those members who have been asking me about the attendance numbers, I can tell you that up to the break tonight we have had 680 adults through and in addition to that we have had 930 students including teachers through. The total so far is 1,600 people. I thank them for their interest in the parliament. I hope they find the next two hours just as interesting.

MOTION

Regional Queensland, Infrastructure Mr SEENEY (Callide—LNP) (Leader of the Opposition) (6.31 pm): I move— That this House condemns the Labor government for failing to plan and build key infrastructure in regional Queensland and recognises the significant increases in the cost of living that this failure has caused for all Queenslanders. Those of us who live in regional Queensland know the wealth that is created in our regions. Those of us who live here appreciate the contribution that the three great industries that make up our economic base make to the economic base of the whole state. Those three great industries—the mining industry, the agricultural industry and the tourism industry—make a contribution to the wealth of every Queenslander. They are the economic base of regional Queensland, but they are suffering for the wont of investment by a government that has enjoyed the rivers of gold that those industries have produced. Over the years those industries have contributed to the boom times—the boom times that this state government wasted, the boom times that this government wasted and during which it went broke, a boom not seen before in Queensland’s history, a time of good economic growth, a time of good economic returns. The state Labor government ended up in financial straits that will be a huge burden for Queenslanders to carry in the future. Through the good times when the resources industry was going through a China driven expansion the state government was beset by crisis management. Rather than planning and building the infrastructure that Queensland needed for the future, rather than using the dividends from those three great industries, the government was beset by crisis after crisis. 1578 Motion 24 May 2011

There was the health crisis that goes on today—a health crisis that has absorbed billions of dollars that should have been invested better in Queensland’s future. There was the water crisis of the government’s own making because it failed to plan and build the infrastructure. There was the power crisis. There was the kids in care crisis, and so it went on. Crisis after crisis after crisis until this state Labor government put the great state of Queensland in a position where we lost our AAA credit rating. We lost that valued AAA credit rating and we will end up by the end of the next budget cycle some $85 billion in debt. But that debt will have to be repaid. It can never be repaid. That legacy of this Labor government can never be repaid by scrimping and saving and cutting things out. The only way that that debt will be repaid is by growing the economy, by growing the industries in regional Queensland that have been the traditional wealth creators for all of Queensland. The way that the Labor government debt will be repaid is to grow the mining industry, to grow the agricultural industry and to revive the tourism industry—to allow those three great industries to develop their potential here in regional Queensland. Here in regional Queensland that potential can be realised so that people right across Queensland can free themselves of that staggering debt that the incompetence of this Labor government has foisted upon them. That is the challenge for whoever governs Queensland from here forward. The challenge is to grow the Queensland economy, to invest in the infrastructure that is needed, to invest in the infrastructure that will provide the economic boost, to invest in the infrastructure that this Labor government has ignored so comprehensively, to make those investments in a way that the returns will flow to the people of Queensland to overcome that huge debt burden. There is no doubt that there is potential in regional Queensland. There is potential in this part of regional Queensland just as there is in so many other Queensland regions. There is the potential here for a major expansion of the existing coal industry. There is a huge potential to build on the coal industry that has provided so much economic wealth for Queensland—that is, in the Bowen Basin and the Galilee Basin, a new coal province. There is a huge potential to develop further exports from that great resource that exists there. There is also a huge potential to further develop our coal experts from the coalfields that exist in the Surat Basin. To do those things, to boost those coal exports, to increase the economic activity and royalties that the state earns we need some investment in the badly needed infrastructure. So it is with the coal seam gas industry—another industry that has huge potential to provide an economic boost for the state of Queensland. Government members interjected. Mr SEENEY: The government members say ‘Hear, hear,’ but much of the money that the coal seam gas industry will produce over the next 10 years will be used to pay off the debt that the incompetence of this government has accumulated. Rather than being used to build the future for young Queenslanders, it will be used to pay off the debt that has been accumulated. There is such a deficit in infrastructure spending that it is difficult to know where to start. When one drives around regional Queensland and looks at what is needed, what stands out the most is the transport connections—the roads in Central Queensland—that have been so badly neglected and which we have heard about already in Mackay. The Bruce Highway is a national disgrace. Every state transport minister, every main roads minister who has held the title in the Labor government, everyone who has sat there with the Deputy Premier around the cabinet table should hang their heads in shame. The Bruce Highway is a national disgrace and it is a great legacy of a government that has failed. This government has failed to get a fair share of the federal funding that Queenslanders deserve. It has failed to get the money from Canberra. Government members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right will cease interjecting. Mr SEENEY: Those opposite have been too incompetent to do the planning. They have been too incompetent to do the negotiations that are necessary to ensure that the money gets invested here in Queensland. Now look at the roads that the government itself is responsible for. I would say to every member from South-East Queensland that they should take a drive on the Peak Downs Highway before they go home. If they take a drive from here to Moranbah and back, they will appreciate the extent to which that vital piece of infrastructure is overloaded and badly needs some major investment. It is not the only one. Further south there is a mirror image in the Capricorn Highway. Then there are the north-south links— the Burnett Highway and the Leichhardt Highway. They are all substandard for the job they have to do and to allow those industries that I spoke about to fulfil the potential that they need to so as to pay back Labor’s debt. Every Queenslander is paying for the deficit in infrastructure spending that is the result of this government’s focus on crisis management, because it is not just the roads; it is every other sphere of infrastructure spending—in health, in education, in water. What about water infrastructure throughout 24 May 2011 Motion 1579 regional Queensland? Let us hear the members of this government stand up here tonight and list the water infrastructure that it has constructed in regional Queensland in the last 12 years. It will be a pretty short list. It will not take long because there is not much. It is a very poor record, and the people of Queensland who live in regional Queensland will pay the price for it in years to come because the government now must jack up the fees and charges at every opportunity. It must squeeze the people of Queensland at every opportunity that it gets to try to make up for the financial situation it put the state into. Every one of the state government’s fees and charges goes up because of that, and that impacts directly on the cost of living of every Queenslander. One does not have to be a Rhodes scholar to work out that when government members go out into the Queensland community they very quickly get the message that what is impacting on Queenslanders most of all is the increase in their cost of living. The cost of meeting their daily living requirements is becoming a burden for too many Queenslanders, and too much of that burden has been caused by the incompetence of this government. Too much of that cost-of-living burden is the direct result of 12 years of failure, the direct result of the loss of capacity of this government to even administer the basics. That is the situation that Queensland has been left in. This motion calls upon the parliament to condemn those members of the government who have been responsible for that situation, condemn the members of this government who have been responsible for the loss of our AAA credit rating, condemn the members of the government who are responsible for the $85 billion worth of debt, condemn the minister who is responsible for the Bruce Highway. What a legacy that will be! What a legacy that will be! Mr Wallace interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Main Roads will cease interjecting. Mr SEENEY: We should condemn the minister who was responsible for spending the $4 billion that was wasted on the water grid and for the Traveston Dam debacle that wasted how many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Perhaps the minister might be able to tell us. That is the record. That is the legacy of this— (Time expired) Mr CRIPPS (Hinchinbrook—LNP) (6.41 pm): I rise to second the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Callide, and I am pleased to do so as the LNP shadow minister for regional Queensland during a regional sitting of parliament in one of this state’s great regional cities. After two decades of Labor Mackay is still a great regional city, despite the neglect of regional Queensland by the Goss, Beattie and Bligh Labor governments. Mackay is one of the ready examples of Labor’s neglect of regional Queensland. It is great that the Queensland parliament has come to Mackay because community and industry stakeholders and civic leaders of this city have actively engaged government and opposition members, detailing to them serious and pressing inadequacies as far as social and economic infrastructure is concerned throughout this region. Why is there such a serious and pressing inadequacy in social and economic infrastructure in the Mackay region? Indeed, how could there possibly be such an inadequacy in the Mackay region when the Mackay region has been one of the focal points of the mining boom in Queensland? Just west of here, in the Bowen and Galilee basins, the mining industry has fuelled extraordinary economic growth in this region. These Labor governments have benefited greatly from that extraordinary economic growth. They have accepted the royalties and the taxes that have flowed from the boom, but what has been the fallout? Firstly, serious housing affordability issues that have underlined the two-speed economy phenomenon and, secondly, crumbling roads that have deteriorated under the weight and volume of heavy machinery. The Bligh Labor government would have you believe that all of the challenges facing the Mackay- Whitsunday-Isaac region and other regions around the state have suddenly arisen since the severe floods and cyclone events that have plagued Queensland’s regions in recent times, but this is absolute nonsense. It is a fabricated political script manufactured by a desperate government, and I do not believe that Queenslanders will fall for such an outrageous untruth because they know that their roads were crumbling and they know that their cost of living was spiralling well upwards before the floods and the cyclones hit. The Bligh government has also tried to conscript the recovery effort into its re-election platform, taking credit for centrally funded disaster payments and the work of other people. The government recently claimed the salvaging of fallen plantation timber in my electorate as an initiative of Operation Queenslander, but the reality is that these plantations were sold off as part of the state government’s fire sale of state owned assets and it is the private owner of these plantations that organised the salvage project. It is the private owner of these plantations that will create the jobs associated with that project, not the government. The government has also recently taken to getting others to fund its initiatives. A gas company is funding the delivery of renal dialysis chairs in Gladstone and a Middle Eastern state is funding the delivery of cyclone shelters across North Queensland. But, bold as brass, the members of this government are there getting their picture taken and taking credit for the work of others—promises that they have not delivered. 1580 Motion 24 May 2011

But the best effort was yesterday, when the Bligh government did a big song and dance about $300 million worth of road repairs for the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region funded under National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. NDRRA is a joint state-Commonwealth funded program designed to share the cost of relief and repair projects in communities following a natural disaster. NDRRA funded programs should not be announced as if they are a government achievement or a government initiative. The announcement of NDRRA funding is a sombre affair because it means that there has been a natural disaster. It was galling to watch the Minister for Main Roads stand up here this morning and celebrate the NDRRA funding as if the Bligh government could be proud of itself. Why does the Bligh government have to cling to these half-truths and beat-ups? Why does it have to draw these long bows? Because it has failed dismally to plan and build key infrastructure in regional Queensland and it has not afforded regional Queensland the recognition it deserves as the wealth generator and contributor to the state economy that it is, and it is embarrassed about that. A member of the government is going to get up and move an amendment trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of Mackay, but they should not believe it. This government has been in power for two decades, and the problems that the infrastructure is facing in this state— (Time expired) Hon. PT LUCAS (Lytton—ALP) (Deputy Premier and Attorney-General, Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State) (6.47 pm): I move the amendment circulated in my name— That all words following ‘House’ be omitted and the following words inserted— ‘notes that the government has made the provision of infrastructure a top priority in regional Queensland as well as urban areas, including record capital spends in energy, water, education, transport and health.’ Opposition members interjected. Mr LUCAS: It has been circulated, Mr Speaker. Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock. I just want clarification: has the amendment been circulated? Mr O’Brien interjected. Mr SPEAKER: The member for Cook will cease interjecting. Mr O’Brien interjected. Mr SPEAKER: The member for Cook will cease interjecting. There is nothing wrong with the practice that the Deputy Premier is referring to. It is quite a common practice to refer to an amendment circulated. I have ascertained that it is circulated. I call the Deputy Premier. Mr LUCAS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The debate led tonight by the opposition speaks volumes of its attitude to a regional parliament. This is one opportunity to articulate its alternative vision to the people of Mackay, Central Queensland, North Queensland, Far North Queensland and regional Queensland and it, totally bereft of talent, criticises the government. That is all it can do. It is one thing for it to have a go at the government—that is not a problem—but where is the alternative version? Let us have a look at Queensland’s infrastructure spend. This financial year we will spend around $15 billion, following the previous spend of $18.2 billion in 2009-10, $16.01 billion in 2008-09 and $14.3 billion in 2007-08. Let us compare that to $6 billion in Victoria, described by its Liberal Treasurer as huge, and $7.6 billion in Western Australia. So we will spend $15 billion this financial year. When it comes to Mackay, our spend is $1.35 billion—the second highest per capita expenditure on infrastructure in Queensland. The Leader of the Opposition would have us believe that nothing has happened in this region. You can drive over the duplicated Forgan Smith Bridge—built and named after a great Labor Premier William Forgan Smith. You can drive over the hospital bridge—the Edmund Casey Bridge. You can see the new hospital being built there—$400 million worth of it. You can see the joint levy road being built there—the east-west interconnector. You can see the Mackay-Bucasia Road there—all there for people to see, to drive on, to touch—built by this government. This year, Main Roads has awarded contracts to the value of $127.5 million in the Mackay region. But it is not just about delivering the infrastructure; it is the planning. This government led Australia with the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which is the blueprint for building infrastructure and planning to keep the balance right. That plan was awarded a national award by the Planning Institute of Australia. Then, of course, the Far North Queensland Regional Plan won that same award. Those are the plans that the opposition wants to scrap, because it does not believe that there should be a trade-off between development, urban footprints and farming. We will deliver a total of 11 regional plans. Let us have a look at some of the infrastructure in South-East Queensland—a $2.5 billion Gateway project without one cent of John Howard money in it. Indeed, what we are getting for the Bruce Highway absolutely dwarfs what was received under the Howard government. The Howard government had members representing regional areas re-elected time after time, but it did not deliver. De-Anne Kelly’s great legacy was derailing the Ayr-Home Hill bypass so that the Bruce Highway goes around the war memorial. That is what happened there. 24 May 2011 Motion 1581

Let us have a look at regional Queensland. We have the Mulligan Highway from Cairns to Cooktown totally funded. We have the Mount Isa railway link. We have the Cairns airport redevelopment, which is surely the finest airport in regional Australia. In the electorate of the member for Callide and in other electorates like the one that he represents there is the Regional Bridge Renewal Program. We asked, ‘What do we need to do to have a network of higher mass limit bridges that ensure those lines of freight travel from farms and other areas?’ The Regional Bridge Renewal Program is a first in aggregating that demand and contracting to deliver for that demand. Of course, it is not just those initiatives; the state development areas have also distinguished this government. The Gladstone State Development Area is even larger now with the area for the LNG at Curtis Island, with a big buffer zone for environmental protection. We have the Abbot Point State Development Area, which is an even bigger area. Of course, there is also our work with the LNG industry and others for infrastructure corridors so that farmers do not have their land crisscrossed by pipes and the like. That is what this government has delivered. What does the opposition do? We know what it was going to do in Cairns. We have not heard what it is going to do in Mackay yet. We know that the opposition’s big suggestion for tourism in Cairns was a cruise ship terminal. That was the be-all and end-all. I will have the members opposite know that people on cruise ships actually live on the cruise ship. They do not get off the cruise ship and stay in a hotel room and by and large they do not go to restaurants. (Time expired) Hon. TS MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies) (6.53 pm): I second the amendment moved by the Deputy Premier. The opposition would have us believe that nothing has ever been done here in Mackay. I ask members to look at our track record. The opposition leader said that everywhere he goes in regional Queensland nothing is being done. He must drive around the state wearing a blindfold. He must be a real road risk for everyone on the road. In Mackay, Labor governments have a great track record. This financial year, we have spent $1.35 billion on a range of projects, which is about building sustainable jobs and making sure that the industries, the key economic drivers of this region—mining, tourism and agriculture—will keep generating jobs. You only have to look at the hospital redevelopment and see that $405 million is being put into that hospital. What did the Liberal National Party do the last time it was in government? It ripped off the people of Mackay. Under the then health minister, Mr Horan, the member for Toowoomba South, that government took $80 million from the Mackay Base Hospital and redirected it to the Toowoomba Hospital. That is what the members opposite think of regional Queensland. That is what the opposition thinks of seats held by Labor. Members should go around and have a look at the bridges and the road infrastructure that we have put in. Last week the opposition leader went down and had a look at the Jilalan rail siding. When he looked at that rail siding he complained that there was no investment in infrastructure. That was one of the biggest programs of infrastructure by the Queensland government and you just stood there and said that no money had been spent on infrastructure. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Direct your comments through the chair. Mr MULHERIN: Today we announced $41 million for a new trade training centre. This is about linking that centre with the university to develop a knowledge community so that Mackay can be more than just a place where mining extraction occurs. We want to position this community as a knowledge community that has innovation and bright ideas that will lead us in creating new jobs in the future. During the last election campaign you said that you would scrap the capital works budget— Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will direct his comments through the chair. Mr MULHERIN: The only thing that you were committed to— Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will direct his comments through the chair. Mr MULHERIN: The only projects that the opposition was committed to were projects that were coming out of the ground. Mr Seeney: That’s not right. Mr MULHERIN: Go and have a look at the letter you sent to the Queensland Council of Unions where you said that you would only commit to projects that were coming out of the ground— Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable the minister will direct his comments through the chair. Mr MULHERIN: The opposition said that it would not commit to any projects other than the ones that were coming out of the ground. That meant that the hospital would not have been built. That project was funded by the Labor government after the election. Members should look at the opposition’s record when it was last in power in regard to the marina, which is a great facility we have at the harbour. What happened? The headline of the Daily Mercury said ‘Coalition budget sunk marina’. What did the opposition do? It took the money away from that project and put it into the south-east corner. 1582 Motion 24 May 2011

What has Campbell Newman said about regional Queensland? When he was chair of the Council of Mayors for South-East Queensland he said that the state government spends too much in the regions. So that is an insight into his thinking—that the regions cop too much money and not enough money was going into the south-east corner. It is amazing that this mob opposite has just found infrastructure. It has been on about the Bruce Highway. When the Howard government was in power, we never heard a peep out of them. When the Labor government came into power, it spent $50 million on upgrading the Bruce Highway at the city gates. De-Anne Kelly did not do a thing when it came to the electorate of Dawson and the highways. The opposition raised the issue of water infrastructure. De-Anne Kelly and George Christensen went about trying to undermine the Mackay City Council’s water re-use project. The Queensland government met a third of that cost—I think it was over $100 million that we sank into that project. In addition, we built the Peter Faust Dam and the Teemburra Dam. So we have a good track record of building infrastructure. (Time expired) Mr MALONE (Mirani—LNP) (6.58 pm): For years the Labor Party has neglected the people of Mackay and the region’s farming and mining communities. This regional sitting of parliament has encouraged the Labor government to come forward with huge amounts of money. As I said this morning, it is a bit like Tinker Bell dropping fairy dust all over us. As I said before, this region generates huge amounts of money for the Queensland government—and for all of Australia, for that matter. Unfortunately, the revenue flow in Mackay goes out rather than in. We are seeing huge amounts of money transferred to both the state and federal governments from the mining and farming industries. I turn now to spending in recent times, particularly in relation to the base hospital. The Mackay Base Hospital was an asset. Years ago a dairy farmer donated the land for the hospital. Peter Beattie sold off the excess land, which now has houses on it. We now have a situation with the base hospital where it is on a constrained site. Had the decision been made at that stage, when Peter Beattie sold the land, to retain it, we could have had a beautiful hospital precinct here in Mackay. I will continue to talk about bad planning. I spoke this morning in this parliament about the Edmund Casey Bridge and the fact that the Fursden Creek Bridge was not developed at the same time. That is typical of the bad planning that we are seeing time and time again here in Mackay. I guess we have to ask where all the money has gone. The building of the rail line initially from Moranbah through to Dalrymple Bay was paid for by mining companies and transferred across to the Queensland government. In recent times we have seen the leasing of Dalrymple Bay for $500 million upfront and the sale of QR. I recollect that at the last election the candidate who stood against me indicated that the LNP was actually going to sell off Jilalan. We did not have a policy along those lines at all. Government members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right will cease interjecting. Mr MALONE: Thank you for your protection, Mr Speaker. It was interesting that a few days after the election QR was being sold. How would that candidate stand up in the parliament and defend that position if elected? Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clock. I will wait for the House to come to order. There is too much conversation on both sides. The member for Mirani has the call. I ask the House to show him courtesy. I call the honourable member for Mirani. Mr MALONE: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I accept your protection. Labor promised when it sold off QR that there would be no job losses. Currently we have in excess of 300 job losses in QR in Mackay alone. Indeed, we have the situation that has been raised in this House today of the high cost of housing. There has been no direction from Labor in terms of reducing the housing cost not only in Mackay but also in regional mining areas like Dysart, Middlemount, Blackwater et cetera. We have a situation where councils are having difficulty developing land and there have been no initiatives whatsoever from the Labor government to make that an easier process for them. This government is process driven. It cannot understand that outcomes are what is required in this region. We have huge mining developments in the hinterland and the Galilee Basin. The existing route to get equipment through to the Galilee Basin to the mines is very difficult. In recent times millions of dollars of equipment has been sitting on the side of the road unable to move because the roads could not carry it. We have trucks that are unable to get up the Eton Range because of the difficult ascent. Getting that equipment out to the mines is becoming a real issue. If the Galilee Basin project goes ahead we will have issues with accommodation, and the Chinese and the Indians will be in a situation where, more than likely, they will fly in directly from those countries rather than build a town— (Time expired) Hon. CA WALLACE (Thuringowa—ALP) (Minister for Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure) (7.04 pm): I am from Townsville and I am proud to serve in a government that looks after regional Queensland. Let us have a look at roads. Sixty per cent of our record roads budget is spent 24 May 2011 Motion 1583 outside of South-East Queensland—and so it should be. It is as it should be that the people of regional Queensland get a better lick than those living in Brisbane. That works out at $1,100 per head in regional Queensland compared to $650 in South-East Queensland. In regional Queensland on roads we spend nearly twice as much as we spend in Brisbane. And that is the way it should be. Mr Hinchliffe: Most decentralised state in Australia. Mr WALLACE: I take the interjection from the minister for mining. He knows how important regional Queensland is. I was pleased to announce with the Premier yesterday that we will provide $40 million for a new Fursden Creek Bridge, right here in Mackay, supporting 160 jobs. We also announced that record $300 million, so bemoaned by those opposite, that will be spent on repairing roads in the Mackay and Whitsunday areas under Operation Queenslander—another 1,050 jobs. Here in the great electorate of Mackay, combined with the neighbouring electorate of Mirani, what are we spending for every man, woman and child? We are spending $3,383 for every man, woman and child. A government member interjected. Mr WALLACE: I take that interjection—$3,383 for every man, woman and child on roads. Compare that to Brisbane where, as I said, the figure averages $650. Well done to Mackay and well done to Mirani. It is the Bligh government that is delivering better roads here in Mackay. But we have a lot of ground to make up. Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. Mr WALLACE: As we have heard, for 12 years John Howard and De-Anne Kelly let down the Bruce Highway. That is why we have a lot of ground to make up. What is the situation out west in the electorate of my good mate, the member for Gregory? We are spending $1,200 for every man, woman and child in Gregory. Good on him: he is a fighter for his region, and that is why we are delivering $1,200 for every man, woman and child in Gregory. Compare that to the national average of $430. We look after the people of western Queensland. I pay tribute to the member for Gregory. A harder working member you could not have. No wonder Bobby Katter has approached him and says he wants him to join this new party. He is awake to the fact that Campbell Newman wants to destroy the bush. ‘Claytons’ Campbell has taken over the National Party and we will not stand for it on this side of the House. Let us talk about this Newman character, the bloke who admits he has not driven the Bruce Highway for a quarter of a century. What did he do in Brisbane? There was a 54 per cent tax increase. How dare those opposite come here and talk about the cost of living. What will he do to Proserpine with his 54 per cent? Help pay for his failed toll roads. What will he do to Sarina with his 54 per cent? Pay for his failed bicycle scheme. That is what he will do to regional Queensland. Labor will not stand for it. Tim Mulherin and Jan Jarratt will stand up to this Newman character. I am surprised to see this debate in the House this week. I am so surprised because at the last sitting we also debated regional roads. How many members opposite spoke? Not one, not two, but zero, zip, zilch. Not one member opposite spoke about the roads in Mackay or in regional Queensland. They did not have the guts to do it because Campbell Newman said, ‘No, don’t do it. I want the money for Brisbane.’ Labor has delivered better roads for Mackay. This side of the House supports Mackay, just like it has with the Fursden Creek Bridge and the NDRRA. We have to make up for a decade of neglect by John Howard. Mrs MENKENS (Burdekin—LNP) (7.09 pm): This evening I am very happy to speak to the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition. This ‘can’t-do’ Labor government has failed to plan for regional Queensland, it has failed to plan for northern Queensland and it has not kept pace with infrastructure that should have been delivered at least 10 years ago. I have had more than one constituent come to me, quite perplexed. They tell me that when they have taken a problem about distance transport, medical facilities—whatever—to this Labor government, the answer has been, ‘You chose to live there, you have to put up with it.’ How dare a minister say that, and they have! When are we going to hear this government say, ‘We want you to live there, we need you to live there for the sake of Queensland and we will deliver’—not promise—‘the services and infrastructure that southern Queensland residents enjoy’? A Campbell Newman can-do government will rebuild Queensland. The LNP will provide the infrastructure that will assist the business community to create the economic development to make Queensland once again the No. 1 state. It is absolutely shameful where this Labor government has taken Queensland. It lost its AAA rating but has no plans to try to replace it. It does not even have any idea on how to do it. What have they done for North Queensland? More to the point, what have they not done? Last week the Mayor of Townsville, Les Tyrell, commented to me that he had just driven to Rockhampton and the worst part of the Bruce Highway was between Bowen and Mackay. Certainly I agree with that, because I just drove over it and it is appalling. The Main Roads staff do their best puttying up potholes after every shower of rain, but until a concerted program is put in place that highway will always be very average. 1584 Motion 24 May 2011

The upgrading of the Bruce Highway is urgent so that it is not closed for weeks during the wet season. Most supplies to North Queensland come by road. This year, with the floods along the coast, trucks had to go a long way inland to get through, adding to time and costs. Some supplies had to be sent by ship, which is even more expensive. Those added costs are passed on to consumers and businesses. However, the problems do not lie with just the Bruce Highway. The Bowen Developmental Road was open to heavy vehicles all through the wet season, then suddenly as the weather dried off a load limit was applied, just as property owners and contractors were getting their stock and machinery moving. First, a 25-tonne load limit was put in place. That was later lifted and an 80 per cent axle load limit was applied, which has been lifted. However, for two years there has been an 85 per cent axle weight restriction for class 2 oversized vehicles on various bridges such as at Sandy Gully causeway, Deadman Creek and the two-mile culverts outside Collinsville. Apparently, at TMR the bridges section is different to the road section. They will tell people, as they told me today, that the weight restriction has been lifted, and it has on the roads. However, when you apply for a permit it will automatically reject it as it will read that yours is a class 2 oversized vehicle. Sure, you can drive on the roads, but you cannot drive on the bridges, culverts or causeways. The two sections of Transport and Main Roads do not even know what each other is doing. How are you supposed to drive along the road but not cross the bridges? At least five submissions have been put to the minister, but there has been no response. He probably does not even know. The serious part is this: currently there is a train derailment at Binbee, halfway between Collinsville and Bowen on the Abbot Point line. There has been a five-day shutdown at the mines. A track machine was returning to Pring, but they did not open the switches and it was derailed. There are 35 coal trains waiting to get through to Abbot Point. They are desperate for crane operators, but they cannot get there. Why not? Because this limit has been in place for two years and they cannot cross the bridges. There has been absolutely no maintenance on those bridges. To get to the derailment, a local crane operator is going to have to cross hire. He has to take a 220-tonne crane down what is called the Strathalbyn Road, which is a bush dirt road. It has already been 20 hours since that derailment and they still cannot get a crane there. The bridges have been closed for two years. With the expansion of the coal industry, the government has not kept up its side of the bargain as far as road maintenance, et cetera, is concerned. It has encouraged operators to get bigger and better equipment, implement workplace health and safety rules and so on, but the government has not brought the infrastructure up to the standard to facilitate the bigger and heavier machinery. There are 25 pages of closed roads and bridges— (Time expired) Hon. KL STRUTHERS (Algester—ALP) (Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women) (7.14 pm): Today I visited a brand-new $3 million state funded public housing complex just down the road in Alfred Street. Since June 2008, this Bligh government has built more than 4,800 units of public housing across the state. That has been a big boost to jobs in this region and regions all around the state. That has been a big boost to housing for people in need and it has been a big boost in affordable homes for people who need them most. One of the most valuable subsidies this government provides and gives priority to is the rent subsidy on our public housing. On average, that is worth about $7,200 to our tenants. However, this is not about just the numbers. It is about people in need. It is about people getting much-needed help. Today I met Michelle Bloomfield, who is a grandparent carer. For 15 years she has been the carer of her 15-year-old granddaughter. When she walked into that new apartment, she was over the moon. We are spending $1.3 billion on concessions and rebates to people in need around Queensland. Last year we increased the electricity rebate to $216 a year and we have introduced a new electricity subsidy for people who suffer from multiple sclerosis and related conditions. LNP members need to come clean. They need to come clean on what they are going to do. As I said this morning in this House, they have been travelling the state with Mr Newman, making all sorts of promises, which is easy. It is really easy when you are in opposition. It is easy to promise the world, but can you deliver? Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Kawana, the Leader of the Opposition. Ms STRUTHERS: Let us look at what Mr Newman did. When he was running for Lord Mayor in Brisbane, he promised to resign if rates and charges exceeded inflation. If rates and charges exceeded inflation, he promised he would resign. That was his promise in 2004. Under Mr Newman, in Brisbane on average rates increased by $642 per household per year. That is a 42 per cent rise. Did Mr Newman resign as per his promise? No, no, no! He is making shallow promises. He failed the residents of Brisbane and I can tell the House that, sadly, he is going to fail the residents of Mackay and this wonderful region. He needs to come clean and LNP members need to come clean and tell us how they are going to slug the people of Queensland to pay for their promises. 24 May 2011 Motion 1585

They are so out of touch with the fact that every dollar counts for people. In April, the much-read intellectual journal, the Courier-Mail, ran an article that states that ordinary Queenslanders will be asked to pay $5 to the LNP to help fund its election campaign. Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Kawana, the member for Hinchinbrook. Ms STRUTHERS: That is so insensitive. The LNP needs to find $5 to give to people. They need to find $50 or $500 to give to people in need, not take it from them. The last time I went to my local IGA, guess what you could get for $5? You could get a milk and bread deal! Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left! The member for Indooroopilly and the member for Aspley will cease interjecting. Ms STRUTHERS: I can tell the House that $5 means a lot to people. What does Mr Campbell do? He is travelling around the state, asking people to pay $5 for his campaign. Let us have a look at what the other conservative governments around Australia have been doing because those people opposite model themselves on these other governments in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The Barnett government in Western Australia has embarked on a cash grab. It is claimed that it is taking more than $1,000 in extra fees and charges from households. What did it do to pensioners and people on fixed incomes? In Western Australia, the government on which these LNP members model themselves cut concessions by $17 million. That is what it did. It is further claimed that by the end of 2014-15 the Barnett government will have raised electricity costs by a staggering 107 per cent. That is not all. The Barnett government on which they model themselves and from which they take the lead stopped— (Time expired) Mr NICHOLLS (Clayfield—LNP) (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (7.20 pm): The minister asked what Campbell Newman did. Let me tell the minister what Campbell Newman did. Campbell Newman got Brisbane moving. Campbell Newman started building things. Campbell Newman delivered 500 new buses after 15 years of Labor inaction. Government members interjected. Mr Hinchliffe interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Those on my right now will cease interjecting. The minister for mining will cease interjecting. Mr NICHOLLS: Do honourable members know what? Campbell Newman provided the platform for the Premier of Queensland and the then main roads minister to sidle up to him as quickly as possible and say, ‘We’re with you, Lord Mayor. We want to build things,’ because after 15 years of Labor inaction nothing had been done and finally Peter Douglas Beattie realised that he needed to get cracking and build things. So what did Campbell Newman do for the people of Brisbane? He delivered infrastructure. He delivered solutions to problems that Labor had ignored for so long that people were spending hours more in their cars, spending more time and wasting more resources. This Labor government failed to deliver on the economy of Brisbane. When Minister Struthers asked, ‘What did Campbell Newman do?,’ the simple answer is that he did what Labor cannot. Ms Grace: Name one! Mr SPEAKER: The member for Brisbane Central will cease interjecting. Mr NICHOLLS: In a sign of the approval of Campbell Newman’s ability to deliver, guess who signed off on the Airport Link project? Guess who took over the Airport Link project? Who was the Treasurer at the time who said, ‘We’re going ahead with that project’? It was the current member for South Brisbane, the Premier of Queensland! It was such a bad project and one that she did not want so much that she said, ‘Tick. We will go with that.’ What did the member for South Brisbane also approve? She approved the Hale Street bridge from Lang Park across Coronation Drive over to South Brisbane. She approved that bridge as well. This government approved Clem7. What does the government think about Campbell Newman? They think he can do because he delivers. I was listening to some of the comments made and I heard the Deputy Premier talk about planning. I have looked at his proposed amendment, which notes that the government has made the provision of infrastructure a top priority in regional Queensland as well as urban areas. Where has he been for 20 years? We announced a 90-day review of infrastructure needs for the state of Queensland and we achieved more in 27 days than Labor has achieved in 27 years. When he was asked, ‘Where is the plan?,’ he said, ‘We’re still working on it.’ Twenty years! ‘Where’s the infrastructure plan for Queensland?’ ‘Sorry, we’re still working on it. We’ve had more important things to do. We’ve done some really good things instead. We’ve introduced a Health payroll system that does not work.’ There’s a bit of infrastructure planning that comes down to the Labor Party! He also talks about the South East Queensland Regional Plan. The first plan was brought out not by the current Deputy Premier but by a 1586 Motion 24 May 2011 predecessor of the Treasurer. A year later it was changed. So a lot of the work was already put in there. For example, let us talk about the busway to Cleveland. It was deferred from 2015 to—guess when? 2026! That is Labor’s planning horizon: ‘We can’t afford it. We won’t do it. We will put it off.’ I heard the member for Mackay, the minister, talk about some of the things that have happened here through the capital works project. He talked about the marina. But what he did not talk about was the increases in charges for the lease of sea beds, which have gone through the roof. All those poor people who have invested there are paying more and more. We also heard the Minister for Main Roads, Minister Wallace, talk about the money that was being put into the Bruce Highway. What he did not talk about was the $300 million that the federal government ripped out of the people of Queensland when they could not pay their bills. What he did not talk about was the $250 million that this government reduced the Main Roads budget by last year. A quarter of a billion dollars was ripped out of the Main Roads budget by Minister Wallace last year. He failed to mention that. He failed to mention the Auslink program that was put in place by the coalition government. Queensland needs a can-do government— (Time expired) Ms Grace interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Member for Brisbane Central, you are on your last warning. You are not in your allocated seat. Get into your correct seat and don’t interject again. Hon. AP FRASER (Mount Coot-tha—ALP) (Treasurer and Minister for State Development and Trade) (7.25 pm): I oppose the opposition’s typically negative motion and support the government’s amendment, the amendment that supports the investment that this government is making in this region—$7,626 per person in Mackay—compared to the investment we are making this year in Brisbane of some $3,709 per person. It is the infrastructure program that is delivering the $408 million Mackay Base Hospital. It is the infrastructure program that has delivered the $148 million Forgan Smith Bridge duplication and the hospital bridge. It is the program that is delivering the $17 million upgrade to Airlie Beach in the electorate of Whitsunday and it is the program that is now delivering the $40 million Fursden Creek project. The member for Mirani, Ted Malone—the man with a redundant ‘L’ in his name—came in here this morning and had a ‘Ted Ma’one’ about that project. He was moaning about the fact that we are spending $40 million on the Fursden Creek project. You can bet your bottom dollar— Mr SPEAKER: The Treasurer will refer to the honourable gentleman by his correct title. Mr FRASER: You can bet your bottom dollar that if we were not funding it he would be in here having a moan about the fact that we were not. That is what the opposition is good at doing: it is good at coming in here and only having a moan. The people of Mackay need to see it for what it is. I do want to give the Leader of the Opposition some credit, though. The man who has been described by the member for Warrego as the most hated man in the bush is not letting that get in the way of sending an unrequited love letter to the people of the bush. I am sure unrequited love is an experience that he has had many times before. What we need to do is look beyond the moaning and the whingeing and look for what they really stand for. There is a rule with tory opposition leaders: do not listen to what they say, do not listen to the slippery pollie speak; actually look at what it is they put their name to, look at what they sign up to. It so happens that I recalled over the last week— Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Those on my left! Stop the clock. I will wait for the House to come to order. The honourable the Treasurer. Mr FRASER: I recalled over the last week that the current leader of the LNP, Mr Newman, sent me a budget request last year and he put his name to it. Do honourable members know what that budget request says? Here it is, and I am happy to read it onto the record of the House and for the benefit of everybody here. Signed by Campbell, it says— The state budget submission proposes that 70 per cent of the Queensland government’s projected revenue gains from stronger economic growth be allocated to accelerating the delivery of South-East Queensland infrastructure— effectively doubling the budget allocation. That is signed by Campbell Newman, and I table it for the benefit of the House. Tabled paper: Letter, dated 14 April 2010, from Campbell Newman, Chairman, Council of Mayors (SEQ), to the Hon. Anna Bligh, Premier and Minister for the Arts, relating to state budget submission for 2010-11 [4522]. Members opposite should not listen to what he says; they should look at what he has done and look at what he has put his name to. When it comes to his record, he would have them believe that he is going to fix things, that he is going to do things. Why is he going to do that? Simply because he says, ‘Trust me. I’m an engineer and, secondly, I did things in Brisbane.’ I am happy to talk about what he did in Brisbane. What did he do in Brisbane? There was that ‘big four’ tunnel plan, scratched out on the back of a beer coaster, that was unfunded and uncosted. When asked before he was elected how he was going to do it, he said, ‘Don’t worry about that.’ Let us look at what there is to worry about now. 24 May 2011 Motion 1587

The Clem7 tunnel was built by Campbell Newman. What did he say it would cost? $900 million! Then what did he say it would cost? ‘Whoops,’ he said, ‘$2 billion.’ Then he said $2 billion plus plus and then it got to $3 billion. Of course, what has happened now? It has financially collapsed, with $778 million of ratepayers’ money sunk into a tunnel that no-one is driving through and that is now in receivership. His second project was Airport Link. It was a can-do project. What did he say he was going to do? When he tried to do it, he could not do it. He did not have the money. It was not so much can do but come and ask the state to do it for him. That is exactly what we are doing. Tunnel No. 3 is the Northern Link tunnel. Mr Newman likes to talk about debt. He was here on Monday talking about debt, but I bet he did not mention that if he is such a financial genius why did he have to come and ask me for approval to borrow $950 million from the Queensland Treasury Corporation to build the third tunnel—go and ask the Treasurer for the money! Opposition members interjected. Mr Dickson interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left! The member for Buderim, I warned you this morning. I am now warning you under the same standing order tonight. One more and you are gone. I call the honourable Treasurer. Mr FRASER: As for the fourth tunnel, such a great idea, so well thought out that it is not a tunnel but a bridge. It is the Go Between Bridge, but it probably should be called the ‘Ghost Between Bridge’ because it goes from nowhere to nowhere and no-one is using it. It is only the spinifex rolling along it that is making the toll cameras go off and providing any sort of relief to the ratepayers of Brisbane. I invite the people of Mackay to look at this man’s record. Look not at what he says now, look not at what he professes, but look at his record. I say to the people of Mackay that when it comes to Campbell Newman coming here and proposing things, do not believe a word he says, look at what he has done in Brisbane and do not let Campbell Newman do to Mackay what he has done to Brisbane. Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. Mr Seeney interjected. A government member interjected. Mr SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. The minister will cease interjecting. Division: Question put—That the amendment be agreed to. In division— A government member interjected. Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will cease interjecting! I would ask members of the House to show some courtesy to one another during this division. I will not tolerate an unseemly exchange between both sides. I have asked that this parliament show dignity and courtesy. You should do so tonight of all nights. AYES, 47—Attwood, Bligh, Boyle, Choi, Croft, Dick, Farmer, Finn, Fraser, Grace, Hinchliffe, Hoolihan, Jarratt, Johnstone, Jones, Kiernan, Kilburn, Lucas, Male, Miller, Moorhead, Mulherin, Nelson-Carr, Nolan, O’Brien, O’Neill, Palaszczuk, Reeves, Roberts, Ryan, Schwarten, Scott, Shine, Smith, Spence, Stone, Struthers, Sullivan, van Litsenburg, Wallace, Watt, Wells, Wendt, Wettenhall, Wilson. Tellers: Keech, Darling NOES, 38—Bates, Bleijie, Crandon, Cripps, Cunningham, Davis, Dempsey, Dickson, Douglas, Dowling, Elmes, Emerson, Flegg, Foley, Gibson, Hobbs, Hopper, Horan, Johnson, Knuth, Langbroek, McArdle, McLindon, Malone, Menkens, Messenger, Nicholls, Powell, Pratt, Robinson, Seeney, Simpson, Springborg, Stevens, Stuckey, Wellington. Tellers: Rickuss, Sorensen Resolved in the affirmative. Division: Question put—That the motion, as amended, be agreed to. AYES, 47—Attwood, Bligh, Boyle, Choi, Croft, Dick, Farmer, Finn, Fraser, Grace, Hinchliffe, Hoolihan, Jarratt, Johnstone, Jones, Kiernan, Kilburn, Lucas, Male, Miller, Moorhead, Mulherin, Nelson-Carr, Nolan, O’Brien, O’Neill, Palaszczuk, Reeves, Roberts, Ryan, Schwarten, Scott, Shine, Smith, Spence, Stone, Struthers, Sullivan, van Litsenburg, Wallace, Watt, Wells, Wendt, Wettenhall, Wilson. Tellers: Keech, Darling NOES, 38—Bates, Bleijie, Crandon, Cripps, Cunningham, Davis, Dempsey, Dickson, Douglas, Dowling, Elmes, Emerson, Flegg, Foley, Gibson, Hobbs, Hopper, Horan, Johnson, Knuth, Langbroek, McArdle, McLindon, Malone, Menkens, Messenger, Nicholls, Powell, Pratt, Robinson, Seeney, Simpson, Springborg, Stevens, Stuckey, Wellington. Tellers: Rickuss, Sorensen Resolved in the affirmative. Motion agreed to. Motion, as agreed— That this House notes that the government has made the provision of infrastructure a top priority in regional Queensland as well as urban areas, including record capital spends in energy, water, education, transport and health. 1588 Questions Without Notice 24 May 2011

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal, Allocations Mr SEENEY (7.39 pm): My first question without notice is to the Premier. I refer the Premier to the press release issued earlier today from which I quote her words— Industry groups in the areas hit hardest by Cyclone Yasi can now apply for a new grant to boost their economic recovery. What confidence can businesses in Mackay and the Whitsundays have that they will ever receive any of this money when the government has not been capable of distributing the many millions of dollars donated to the Premier’s disaster relief fund to Queenslanders still suffering from last summer’s natural disasters? Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order before I call the Premier. Ms BLIGH: Before I make some comment in relation to the question, can I thank members of the Mackay community for being here with us this evening for question time. I thank all of those who were here this afternoon for the barbecue, especially the Mackay Lions who helped out. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to talk about how we are assisting households and how we are assisting businesses. Queensland households are being helped by those who were generous enough to donate to us in our hour of need—those both here in Queensland and around Australia. I am happy to advise the House that, since round 2 of the Premier’s relief appeal opened, 92 per cent of all applications have received funding and there are only 19 applications outstanding. These applications were from those people who lost their entire house. In some cases the house was swept away; in other cases it was completely demolished or left so structurally unsound that it had to be demolished. So this money is making the difference to those people who were most devastated by these events. I make no apology for making that round available before any other. We knew that we had to look after those people first. I want to thank those members of the distribution committee who are advising me and the government on this relief appeal. As members know, I invited the member for Rockhampton, the Hon. Robert Schwarten, and the member for Gregory, Vaughan Johnson, who is on the other side of the House, to sit on this committee and bring common sense and compassion, and that is what they have done. I note that the Leader of the Opposition wants to criticise these people. Mr Seeney: How much money is left? Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Premier is answering the question. The Premier has the call. I ask the House to show courtesy. Ms BLIGH: I am very happy to further advise the House that in round 3—which is helping those people who did not lose their whole house but as a result of flooding they might need a whole new kitchen, bathroom and internal fit-out—we have had more than 300 new applications in the last week. There are 322 outstanding—so 300 of those were received in the last week—and we are seeing hundreds of people getting this money. When it comes to business assistance, we have seen 4,024 business grants to small businesses go out the door across Queensland. When it comes to helping primary producers, 4,546 primary producers are now getting help. I am very pleased to advise that the Mackay district was approved for category C primary producer and business grants on 7 May, and we are now starting to see those applications come in. Mr Seeney: How much is left? Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable Premier’s time has expired. Ms BLIGH: Yes, we do have funds left and you know what— Mr Schwarten interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. The member for Rockhampton. Carbon Tax Mr SEENEY: My second question without notice is also to the Premier. I refer to the promises the Premier has been throwing around Mackay over the last couple of days after two decades of neglect. Government members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. 24 May 2011 Questions Without Notice 1589

Mr SEENEY: I will say it again slowly, Mr Speaker. I refer to the promises the Premier has been throwing around Mackay over the last couple of days after two decades of neglect, and I ask: why won’t the Premier stand up to Julia Gillard and oppose the carbon tax when it will cost thousands of jobs and raise the cost of living for everyone in the Mackay and Whitsunday areas? Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question because I think it is important that in the debate on carbon tax we have a few facts. The Liberal National Party have been running around for weeks now claiming that they are opponents of a carbon tax. I think it is important for us to understand what the other leader had to say—not this leader. This is one leader, but what about their other leader— the leader that they outsource? What did Campbell Newman have to say? In 2008 the Brisbane City Council made a submission to the Senate inquiry on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and what did they say in that? They said— Council— this is council under the leadership of Campbell Newman— supports in principle the CPRS, and that it can play a significant role— Mr Seeney interjected. Ms BLIGH: It was 2008, so you cannot get out of it like that. Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. The Premier has the call. Both sides of the House are interjecting. Ms BLIGH: Let me say it again. Campbell Newman told Canberra in 2008— Council supports in principle the CPRS, and that it can play a significant role in the reduction of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and assist in the transition to low carbon technologies and business practises. So in 2008 the Liberal National Party supported a carbon tax. Last week the federal opposition spokesperson on this, Mr Greg Hunt, said that the Liberal National Party had a carbon tax proposal of $15 a tonne. Now they want you to believe, when they are in Mackay, that they do not want it. They will tell Canberra one thing and then they will say another when they are in Mackay. The leader of the LNP might want to wriggle and squirm on this, but in writing they supported a carbon tax. Mr SEENEY: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order. Stop the clock. Government members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right. Mr SEENEY: Mr Speaker, I ask that the Premier table the document she is quoting from so that everybody in the House can understand the context. Ms BLIGH: I am very happy to, Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: The Premier has indicated that she is willing to table the document. Ms BLIGH: Yes, but I would also like to explain it so the audience understands as well. Tabled paper: Letter, dated 10 September 2008, from Mr Peter Matic, Chairperson, Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, Brisbane City Council, to the Department of Climate Change relating to the council’s submission on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme [4523]. Mr SPEAKER: You will have to speak through the chair, Premier. Ms BLIGH: Mr Speaker, this is a covering letter signed by the chairperson of the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, Peter Matic— Mr Seeney: So it wasn’t Campbell Newman! Ms BLIGH: No, but it is on Brisbane City Council letterhead and it is not a personal letter. It is not a personal letter. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable the Premier’s time has expired. Ms BLIGH: This is not a personal letter. That is what you believe— Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. Ms Struthers interjected. Mr Dempsey interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Community Services will cease interjecting. The member for Bundaberg will cease interjecting. 1590 Questions Without Notice 24 May 2011

Mackay Region Mr HOOLIHAN: My question without notice is to the Premier. Could the Premier, who has made it clear that Mackay is an economic powerhouse of the state, outline what the government is doing to boost the region and help make it a great place to live? Ms BLIGH: When I look at Mackay and its region, what I see is a city built by an extraordinary pioneer spirit—a pioneer spirit as magnificent as the mighty Pioneer River. It is a city that has always been reaching and striving to achieve its full potential and realise its promise. It pioneered the sugar industry here. It was one of the pioneer areas of the mining industry, and of course it saw the opening up of the Great Barrier Reef for the enjoyment of not only all Australians but people from around the world. It is a city that has grown and changed, and our government has been backing it all the way. When it comes to roads and connecting communities, there is the Forgan Bridge, the Edmund Casey Bridge and now the Fursden Creek Bridge and major arterials like the Mackay-Bucasia Road all built by a Labor government—and now $300 million of road funding from a Labor government. When it comes to rail, let us look at the export chain. Let us look at the Jilalan rail yards. This is some of the best export infrastructure in Australia. We brought the tilt train to Mackay—the tilt train by a Labor government. When it comes to health, we have built a new hospital for this growing city. In terms of education, we have been building and growing schools. There is a new science laboratory and library at Mackay State High School and this year a new science laboratory at Mackay North State High School. What about kindergartens? New kindergartens for this busy growing area will be built at Beaconsfield, Seaforth, Eimeo Road and Sarina state schools and Emmanuel Catholic college and Mackay Christian College. We are growing the Central Queensland University today with the announcement of a new trade training centre, and of course we built the Conservatorium of Music—the only purpose-built conservatorium of music in regional Australia. When it comes to tourism, one only has to look at this magnificent convention centre. The extension to this convention centre was built and delivered by a Labor government. Bluewater Quay and the Pioneer Promenade—I encourage members to have a look at them—add to the lifestyle of this city. We have upgraded Proserpine Airport to build up tourism, and then there is the Airlie Beach Lagoon and the Nothing Beats Queensland campaign. But this city is also facing the future. It wants to be the pioneer of the 21st century with new products from sugar, with the biocommodities pilot plant that we are investing in which is developing biofuels, plastics and new materials from sugar. There is a mining services hub underpinned by a new trade training centre and a new Queensland skills fund driving the new economy of this century. Mackay and the Whitsundays are set to lead in the 21st century for our state, just like they led in the last century, and we are going to back them all the way. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I should advise the House that question time will end at 8.40.

Carbon Tax Mr NICHOLLS: My question is to the Treasurer. In contrast to the LNP’s one-point plan to oppose the carbon tax, how does the Treasurer justify his support for Labor’s carbon tax when it will cost jobs, increase the cost of living and hurt people living in regions like Mackay? Mr FRASER: I thank the shadow Treasurer for his question and his one-point denial of climate change as the reality that this state, this nation and this globe need to deal with. He would like to turn up here and talk about the need to price carbon into the economy, but is he going to go and meet with the tourism operators and say that they can do without the Great Barrier Reef? Is he going to say to the tourism operators of Mackay and the Whitsundays that we can all decide for the benefit of future generations that we will trash the Great Barrier Reef—one of the seven wonders of the world and one of the huge drawcards for the international tourists who come to this nation? Let us understand what this typical tory negative opposition carping campaign goes to, and it goes to this: it goes to a denial of the reality of climate change, because unless you deny climate change then you must accept the reality that carbon needs to be priced into the economy, just as so many jurisdictions have right around the world. The challenge here for this parliament for the benefit of future generations is to do this in a way that phases it into the economy and that makes sure that the economy can learn to price carbon in for the benefit of our environment for the benefit of generations to come. These are the people who of course have a one-line campaign. They do not go any deeper than that. These are the wannabe Tony Abbotts. We see the shadow Treasurer up here all smuggler and no budgie. The reality is that what the opposition is doing in this place is campaigning against the future of our environment and the heritage that our children will inherit. What it wants to do is trade upon the Great Barrier Reef. What it wants to say to the tourism industry and what it wants to say to farmers who rely on the quality of our environment—a clean environment—to ensure that we have food security for the future is that it wants to trade all of that based on the Liberal and National Party one-card trick campaign, and that is to get out there and oppose everything. 24 May 2011 Questions Without Notice 1591

This is a government that believes in the science and the reality of human-induced climate change. This is a government that believes also in the need to undertake the economic reforms of the future. We will not be signing up to a carbon tax that damages the Queensland economy. We will be signing up to a price for carbon to ensure that it protects Queensland jobs, that it protects our environment, that it leaves a legacy for future generations, that it leaves an environmental legacy for our tourism operators and our farmers and food producers for the future. We will do it because it is the right thing to do in the interests of this state. This is a government that has stood square-shouldered to campaign for the future benefit of this state. We have done it before and we will do it again. What this government will always do is front up to the truth, to the science and to the facts to undertake reform for the future, just as we have in the past and just as we will do in the future.

Mackay Region, Skills Development Ms JOHNSTONE: My question without notice is to the Premier. Could the Premier outline to the House some of the opportunities that are developing for skills training here in Mackay and also the benefits of the Skills Queensland Strategic Investment Fund? Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question. Honourable members like the member for Townsville know that what we are seeing in the Queensland economy—indeed, the national economy—is a dynamic shift, and it is a dynamic shift that is going to require us to invest in new and different ways. We know that it will be skills and knowledge and education that will drive the economies of the 21st century. The opportunities in this region alone are remarkable and extraordinary. Right now we have $11 billion worth of mining projects alone currently under assessment by the Coordinator- General. We simply cannot see those projects realised unless we have the skilled workforce that those projects will demand. Investing in skills has to be one of the most important investments a government of a modern, thriving economy of this century can make. We understand that investment in export chains like roads and rail and ports is going to be important. But we also understand that it will be skills and education that will really turbocharge the successful economies of this century. That is why here in Mackay we will be investing $41 million on a new trade training centre. Today we have appointed the construction company that will start to see this building come out of the ground in coming months. This will be a state-of-the-art trade training centre that will allow the young people of not only Mackay and the region but indeed all of North Queensland to be part of those big opportunities that are just around the corner. This trade training centre will be co-located on Central Queensland University which means that people can effortlessly and seamlessly move between education in the higher education sector and in the vocational sector and move across both ways—get a degree and go to the trade training centre to upgrade the qualification or get a trade and go into a degree at the university if that is what they want. It will become part of what will become known in Mackay as MKV—the Mackay Knowledge Village. It will be joining the new medical imaging training centre that I opened today. It will also be underpinned by a $50 million skills fund that we announced as part of the new skilling Queensland. Today we opened the applications from industry for that fund. Queensland is leading the way nationally. No other state of Australia has a fund like this that industry can apply for to do industry tailored packages of training. This is a Queensland idea. It was picked up by the federal government in the federal budget and it is making a difference. It is investment in young people, in their education, in their skills and in their trades that will drive prosperity. (Time expired)

Carbon Tax Mr CRIPPS: My question without notice is to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies. Why does the minister support Labor’s carbon tax, given that it will significantly increase the cost of inputs into the agriculture and food sectors in Queensland, undermining production and costing jobs in regional towns and cities like Mackay? Mr MULHERIN: I thank the honourable member for the question. This mob here are in denial once again. Their Brisbane leader, Campbell Newman, supports a carbon pollution reduction scheme. We here believe that we have to ensure that we transition industry into an economy that can deal with the issues around climate and carbon. If you look at the world, you see that there are only a couple of countries that do not have a carbon pollution reduction scheme— Honourable members interjected. Mr MULHERIN: America, Canada, Australia and China. Currently, the Chinese are transforming their industry. They are modernising it. They have imposed a shadow carbon tax at US$16.50 a tonne. The Queensland government has said that we will only support it if it is in the interests of Queensland. Ms Bligh: And we won’t support something that doesn’t exclude agriculture. 1592 Questions Without Notice 24 May 2011

Mr MULHERIN: We will not support it if it does not help Queensland. We are saying that there are issues that have to be addressed before they can get our support. We want financial assistance for Queensland households, especially for low-income families. We want emission-intensive trade exposed industries and coal companies afforded a compensation package that is at least as favourable as the approach that was taken under the CPRS. We want Queensland’s expanding LNG industry to qualify as an industry that is an emission-intensive trade exposed industry. We also want support for the electricity generators and the inclusion of transport fuel in any carbon price. We also want the proposed recession buffer to industries under the CPRS retained and all agriculture excluded from the carbon-pricing mechanism. So we have put to Canberra that we will only support it by putting Queensland first. If they do not agree to our recommendations, we will reserve our decision. Responsible Gambling Awareness Week Ms FARMER: My question without notice is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier update the House on Responsible Gambling Awareness Week? Mr LUCAS: This week is national Responsible Gambling Awareness Week. Responsible gambling is an issue that the state government takes extremely seriously. Queensland has some of the strongest responsible-gambling provisions in Australia and one of the lowest gambling prevalence rates in the country. In 2001 problem gambling affected 0.83 per cent of Queenslanders. The latest figures from the 2008-09 Household Gambling Survey show that 0.3 per cent of Queenslanders are affected. So that figure has decreased quite significantly. But one problem gambler is one problem gambler too many. In a democracy, people have a right to enjoy themselves by indulging in pastimes such as gambling, but not when it does harm to the broader community and to themselves. The gamble I am worried about is the gamble on Campbell. I say to the people of Queensland: ‘When you have a policy-free LNP, don’t gamble on Campbell, because the stakes are too high and it is a sure bet that you will lose.’ When he became the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, he promised many things and broke every one of them. He promised to keep debt levels down, saying that debt levels would not go up a single dollar. He did not just break that promise; he smashed it. The state government gave him a billion dollars for the water assets. That allowed him to claim that he was spending money on infrastructure. Someone else was picking up the tab. What happened in any event? He got the money. Of course, under Joh, when the tories took over electricity in Brisbane there was no compensation; they just took it. We gave him a billion bucks and he blew it. By 2015, debt is projected to increase by 472 per cent. Mr Seeney: Who was it? Mr LUCAS: I take the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition—or, as Kenny Rogers would call him, the ‘coward of the county’, because he was not there to stand up. He was not there to assert his leadership. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Deputy Premier, that is unparliamentary. Mr LUCAS: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker. He outsourced the leadership of his party. So bereft are they, so bereft are all the people who are sitting in front of me tonight, that not one of them was thought suitable by the LNP to be a leader. Not one of them could formulate a policy as a leader. The fact is this: we know what they did at City Hall when they had a budget of $2.8 billion. What would they do in state politics with a budget of $40 billion? This is a crowd that is totally and utterly bereft of leadership. Do not just take my word for it; this guy sitting opposite me here is not their leader. The one outside this place is. Middlemount, Helipad Mr MALONE: My question without notice is to the Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services. I refer to the state owned helipad at Middlemount, which Labor has now listed for sale, and I ask: during heavy rain, when airport access is cut off, will the minister advise where emergency helicopters will land at Middlemount, or is this just another oversight by a government wanting to make a quick buck instead of saving lives? Mr ROBERTS: I thank the member for the question. The Queensland government provides funding to Emergency Management Queensland for five helicopters. Two are based in Brisbane and three are based in North Queensland. Through Queensland Health, a community helicopter network is supported up and down the coast. In times of emergency the helicopter network is dispatched through the Queensland coordination centre and in times of emergency you land anywhere. You do not need a helipad to land during an emergency. Emergency Management Queensland is not responsible for maintaining helipads. Those helipads are held by a range of agencies throughout the state. Queensland Health has a number of helipads. Private sector operators have helipads. Councils have helipads. Airports have helipads. So during an emergency or during a hospital transfer, the helicopter network helicopters will travel to the particular 24 May 2011 Questions Without Notice 1593 location and pick up the patient or the person who requires transport, wherever that might be. So in answer to the question, whether it is at Middlemount, in the centre of Brisbane or in the far west of Queensland, Emergency Management Queensland helicopters, or, indeed, those provided by the community helicopter network, will land wherever they are required to land in order to ensure patients are transported safely back to hospital or to wherever they are required to go. While I am talking about EMQ helicopters, members—and indeed the community—would be aware that the EMQ Helicopter Rescue service has been recognised as one of the best in the world. The pilots, through people like Mark Kempton, during the recent floods rescued people from rooftops and from trees in some of the most devastating and traumatic circumstances imaginable. They did not need helipads to undertake those rescues. Through their own commitment and through their own bravery, our helicopter pilots rescued people in their hour of need. In addition, the community helicopter providers, of which there are a number up and down the coast, provide the Queensland community with excellent support in times of need. They are supported financially. Originally, these organisations were supported by the Department of Community Safety. Now, that funding is provided through Queensland Health. All of these helicopter providers do a fine job in supporting communities in need. They land where they are required to land whether there is a helipad there or not. (Time expired) Census Mrs KIERNAN: My question is to the Treasurer and Minister for State Development and Trade. Can the Treasurer inform the House of the impact that participation in the census can have in regional communities? Mr FRASER: I thank the member for Mount Isa for her question. She is a tireless campaigner for the people of Mount Isa. She is a warrior for their concerns, a warrior for their jobs and a warrior to make sure that the people of Mount Isa get their fair share. More to the point, I think she is a good stick to go with it. The five-year census for Australia will be held on 9 August. In the lead-up to it the government, through the Queensland Treasury, will be running a campaign to encourage each and every Queenslander to make sure that they are counted on census night, 9 August. Why is this important? It is important for a range of funding initiatives which are so important to regional Queensland. It is important for the GST collection that we get that every single person is counted. It is important for funding arrangements in the nation for areas like health, education, disability services that each and every person is counted on census night to ensure that Queensland gets its fair share and that indeed the regions of Queensland get their fair share. The last thing we want to see is New South Wales getting more than its fair share of the GST money—although it must be said that it probably could do with a bit of extra money to fund some development in rugby league if we are to go with what the result should be tomorrow night. Of course all Queenslanders should be counted in August. If, as the LNP predicts, it wins the next election—those opposite already think they have won, that it is in the bag—the people of Queensland are going to need to practise counting their fingers and toes if Campbell Newman becomes the Premier of this state. Why? Because if we look at his record he increased rates in Brisbane by 42 per cent. He was not even there for two terms. Campbell Newman’s record is 42 per cent. I suggest that the people of Mackay watch out when Campbell Newman turns up promising to do things, because my prediction is pain. Look not at what Campbell Newman says but look at his track record. He is a political soothsayer born into a political dynasty. His mother and father were cabinet ministers. He has been practising to be a politician all his life. He thinks it is his birthright. I pity anyone who takes Campbell Newman at his word because one only has to look at his record in the Brisbane City Council to see what he did. This should be called for what it is. The jig is up. The truth is that he does not have any costings and he does not have any policies. We need to know what he is going to do for the people of Mackay. Will he put a toll on the Forgan Smith Bridge; build a tunnel under the Pioneer River; implement a bicycle scheme? Perhaps he will concrete out the front of the convention centre like he did in King George Square. The answer is he will not, because he wants to put 70 per cent of the increase in the budget into South-East Queensland. That is what he wrote down. That is what his record is. Look not at what he says but at what he has done. Carbon Tax Mrs STUCKEY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business. At last week’s Australian Tourism Export Council conference on Hamilton Island, the minister made a token cameo dinner appearance meaning she missed hearing the tourism industry’s concerns about Labor’s carbon tax. I ask: why does the minister continue to support Labor’s carbon tax even though it will destroy regional tourism, especially in the Whitsundays? 1594 Questions Without Notice 24 May 2011

Ms JARRATT: May I take the opportunity to join with the Premier in welcoming members from my home community to parliament tonight. It is fantastic to be here, to be able to drive to parliament for the first time ever. I do welcome you. I also welcome members of the opposition to my part of the world. I hope you have had a really good look around while you have been here because what you will find is a vibrant, strong region with a fantastic tourism sector. Whilst lying on the beach on Hamilton Island or perhaps playing golf on the fabulous golf course on Dent Island, which is a part of Hamilton Island, members opposite would have looked out across the ocean and perhaps even seen off in the distance the Great Barrier Reef, an icon of tourism known not only in Queensland but also around the world. What the people of Mackay and the Whitsundays understand is the importance of the Great Barrier Reef. Mr Bleijie: Answer the question about the carbon tax. Mr Dempsey interjected. Ms JARRATT: I am going to get to that. Have a little patience. Mr SPEAKER: The honourable member for Kawana will cease interjecting and the honourable member for Bundaberg will cease interjecting. Ms JARRATT: The truth is that opposition members have their heads buried firmly in the sand. They do not believe in climate change so they do not have a policy—well, they have a single policy; tonight we have learned that they do actually support the CPRS. They do not have a single policy to deal with climate change. If those opposite were to get in to government, they would stand by and watch our beautiful Great Barrier Reef become acidified and the coral die and we would lose our tourism industry. It is really easy to sit there and criticise everybody else’s plan when you do not have the backbone to develop a policy on one of the biggest challenges facing business and industry in this nation. The opposition has a single policy: it supports the CPRS. Where are the details? Show us the details. Where would this policy vacuum lead us if, God forbid, you were ever to gain the reins of power in this state? I can tell you that this region would be finished because you do not have a policy, you do not have a position. Mr SPEAKER: The honourable minister will direct her comments through the chair. Ms JARRATT: They do not have a policy to protect Queensland. The Premier has outlined in parliament our clear policy on carbon pricing and a policy going forward. Opposition members interjected. Ms JARRATT: You know what, we are going to protect the interests of Queenslanders. First and foremost our government has dedicated itself to protecting the interests of Queensland tourism operators and businesspeople. (Time expired) Queensland Floods, Recovery Assistance Mr SHINE: My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies. Can the minister please update the House on the progress of flood recovery for primary producers and small businesses in Southern and Central Queensland? Mr MULHERIN: I thank the honourable member for the question. The honourable member for Toowoomba North is a very good local member. I would like to thank him for his ongoing involvement in the flood recovery and reconstruction process on the Downs. Flood recovery efforts for primary producers and small business in Southern and Central Queensland are making headway with the continued deployment of on-ground support for the clean-up activity. In March we announced an additional $2.3 million for an intensive flood recovery program for the severely impacted areas of Southern and Central Queensland. Since then 15 flood recovery officers and an extra four financial counsellors have been deployed. They have been busy providing technical and financial advice to primary producers and small businesses to assist in the flood recovery—advice in the primary production area around soil conservation, plant diseases, diagnosis of business plans and recovery strategies, along with providing referrals to other support agencies. Mr Seeney interjected. Mr MULHERIN: Your constituents like hearing about the great job we are doing for primary producers. Fifteen flood recovery officers are also providing specialist advice across the different sectors such as dairy, field and broadacre crops, horticulture, agronomy, sugar, fisheries and tourism. Two additional financial counsellors have been appointed to Toowoomba, one to Dalby and one to Bundaberg. They have also been providing support services. This is on top of the 12 financial counsellors that we have deployed already in Southern and Central Queensland. 24 May 2011 Questions Without Notice 1595

The funding has also assisted in the clean-up of debris in areas that had a need. We are also working with local government in a pest and weed strategy to look at supporting the management of parthenium weed in the Lockyer and Barambah Creek in the South Burnett. It is gratifying to see how the farmers have all pulled together to replant across Queensland. The $2.35 million intensive flood recovery package is of great assistance to primary producers and small businesses. We are getting on with the job of reconstructing Queensland. We are helping primary producers and small businesses, unlike Campbell Newman who turned his back on the people of Brisbane in their hour of need. Tourism Industry Mrs MENKENS: My question is to the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business. It has been more than two weeks since this minister was unable to explain how she would spend $26 million, which she voted to give to Labor instead of spending on initiatives to support the struggling tourism industry. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Come to your question. Mrs MENKENS: Does the minister stand by her decision that it is better to support spending $26 million on political parties in the state election campaign than to support the tourism industry? Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting, the member for Aspley will cease interjecting and the Minister for Community Services will cease interjecting. Ms JARRATT: What members in the audience might not realise tonight— Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will speak through the chair. Ms JARRATT: What people may not realise is that this question goes to the heart of wanting people in this parliament to choose between democracy and great industries like tourism. We choose both and we can have both. Tonight we see a great example of democracy in action, which this government supports and which this government has brought to this town. Let us talk about my favourite subject: spending on tourism and supporting the tourism industry. As people in this region know, over the Christmas summer holiday period we did not have a flood here. While the cyclone made its presence felt here, it did not blow off any roofs or destroy any buildings. However, in this part of Queensland the tourism industry was deeply affected. From the day after Cyclone Yasi right out to July or September, bookings were cancelled. Therefore, we had to take some action. I am proud to be part of a government that, in partnership with the federal government, put together a $12 million rescue package to support a vital industry in this state. I can tell the House a little bit about the Nothing Beats Queensland campaign. That campaign has made the difference between a very bad Easter for our tourism operators and a buoyant Easter. For example, Hamilton Island was booked 100 per cent. Right up and down the coast, bookings came back strongly. Ms Bligh: The Gold Coast had their best Easter. Ms JARRATT: Yes, I take the Premier’s interjection. On the Gold Coast, the shadow minister’s home area, they had the strongest Easter in many, many years. We began with something called the media famil. What do you do when the rest of the world has seen the images and believes that you are underwater or that you have been blown apart? You turn that around. You bring the media and the travel writers to Queensland so that they can see for themselves that we are not underwater, that we have not been blown apart, that we are still the beautiful tourism and holiday destination that they have seen in their brochures and in online advertisements. We took Queensland tourism operators down to Victoria and New South Wales to personally tell people their stories and let them know that they are in business, they are operating and they are ready to welcome people from New South Wales and Victoria to Queensland for the holiday of a lifetime. They signed a pledge to say that they would give people who came to Queensland the best holiday experience possible. (Time expired) Tourism Industry; Southall, Mr B Mr O’BRIEN: Honourable members will be pleased to know that my question is to the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business. The Bligh government’s award-winning Best Job in the World campaign was an international sensation which has delivered enormous returns for Queensland. Could the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business please inform the House about what the competition’s winner, Ben Southall, is doing to keep the international spotlight shining on our great state? 1596 Questions Without Notice 24 May 2011

Ms JARRATT: I thank the honourable member for his question and for his relentless advocacy for tourism in that beautiful part of Queensland, the Far North and Tropical North Queensland. I am really pleased to update the House on the latest adventure of Ben Southall, who we in this part of the world all know won the great competition— Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Gaven and the member for Bundaberg. You are on your last warning, member for Bundaberg, under standing order 253A(1). Ms JARRATT: I am sorry to lose so much time, because I have so much good news to tell you about what Ben Southall is up to. Ben is embarking on his latest and greatest adventure. It is a massive 1,600-kilometre kayak trip along the coast of Queensland. He departed last Saturday. His trip has been dubbed the ‘best expedition in the world’ and truly it will be. Ben will retrace the route taken by Captain Cook along the reef more than 240 years ago, only Ben will be paddling and sailing his way up the coast. Fittingly, he launched the expedition in the Town of 1770 during the Captain Cook Festival. His departure really captured the imagination of media from across this state and the UK. It is a shame that, at this time, those opposite have no understanding of the need for tourism and the importance of what Ben Southall is doing to help rebuild the brand of Queensland. The really great thing is that he is going to be in this area. He arrives on 27 June and he will stay for two weeks. During that time another great Queensland sailor, Jessica Watson, will be in the area. She is another great champion of the Queensland tourism industry—unlike those opposite, who do not support the Queensland tourism industry, as evidenced today. Ben Southall will be popping into islands along the coast, but while he is in our area he will stop at Hayman Island, which was damaged during the cyclone earlier this year. He will be inspecting how the renovations are progressing. It is really interesting that Ben’s whole journey will be streamed online through the internet at bestexpeditionintheworld.com, so everyone can follow his adventures. I am sure that many people around the world will be watching with great interest and perhaps planning their own journey to Queensland. While Ben is on the water, the great news is that his parents, Margaret and Duncan Southall, from the UK, will undertake another of those great Queensland adventures, a road trip. They will be following Ben up the coast and blogging as they go, letting everyone know the great adventures you can have on the road in Queensland. But wait, there is more. I want to quickly show this wonderful brochure that— Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will put the prop down. Ms JARRATT: This brochure will be in the papers on the weekend, promoting Queensland tourism. It will detail great holiday deals for everybody to book and enjoy this winter. (Time expired) Carbon Tax Ms SIMPSON: My question is to the Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women. With one-third of Queensland either in poverty or at risk of poverty, according to the Queensland Council of Social Services, will the minister explain why she supports putting a massive carbon tax on struggling families already hurting because of this Labor government’s inability to control the cost of living? Ms STRUTHERS: I thank the member for the question, because it is this Labor government that cares about Queensland and knows that every dollar counts. It is this government that understands the importance of— Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left. You have asked the question. The minister has the call. I ask you to show the minister courtesy. Ms STRUTHERS: About an hour ago in this House I talked about what Campbell Newman has asked of Queenslanders. What did he ask for? He asked them to pledge $5 to his campaign. That is insensitive because $5 means a lot to people. We understand that. Campbell Newman was Lord Mayor of Brisbane and let me say it again. The Premier quoted this letter earlier. It states— Brisbane City Council submission on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Brisbane City Council ... has reviewed the Green Paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). Council supports in principle the CPRS, and that it can only play a significant role in the reduction of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions— Honourable members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Those on my left and right will cease interjecting. The minister has the call. I say to those on my left, you have asked the minister a question about carbon tax. The minister is answering the question related to carbon tax. I would ask you to hear the minister with the courtesy that the House should extend to people who are called to speak. 24 May 2011 Questions Without Notice 1597

Ms STRUTHERS: It continues— and assist in the transition to low carbon technologies and business practises. The people of Queensland have in Anna Bligh a leader who speaks the truth, a leader who sticks up for Queensland. Campbell Newman is hiding behind his policies. Campbell Newman is running away from his policies. He is a spineless leader. The people of Queensland, the people of Mackay and the surrounding region can be assured that Anna Bligh is going in to bat for them. We have made it extremely clear— Mr SPEAKER: I ask you to refer to the honourable member by her correct title. Ms STRUTHERS: We have put it in black and white that we will not support this unless there is appropriate compensation for householders in Queensland and unless there is an appropriate support package for industry in Queensland. We have made that extremely clear. Look at the record of members opposite. They have been travelling around the state— Opposition members interjected. Mr Gibson interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Those on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Gympie will cease interjecting. Ms STRUTHERS: They have been travelling around the state saying that they care about the cost of living. It is conservative governments that have taken the reins in states like Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. What have those states done? What have those conservative Premiers done? They have cut the public housing budgets. They have cut concessions. This government under Anna Bligh has increased concessions and rebates to Queenslanders. That is the truth. I have said in this House a couple of times today and I will say it again: in opposition it is so easy to go around and make shallow promises, and that is exactly what they are doing—making shallow promises. (Time expired)

Bruce Highway Ms BOYLE: My question is to the Minister for Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure. Will the minister please inform the House about plans to help motorists travel the Bruce Highway more safely and efficiently all the way to Cairns? Mr WALLACE: I thank the member for Cairns for her question because she knows, like all of us in regional Queensland, how important the Bruce Highway is for our livelihoods. I have great news for the people of North Queensland. Tonight I can announce that Labor will soon start work on the construction of 16 new overtaking lanes between Sarina and Bowen on the Bruce Highway. To do this we are spending $36.5 million, with work to start on the first package between Sarina and Mackay, wet weather permitting, in July. This first package includes the construction of a northbound lane near Alligator Creek as well as the extension of an overtaking lane near Sandringham Creek. We are also making preparations for another package of four overtaking lanes north of Mackay, which is expected to go to the market for a successful tenderer towards the end of July. I am someone who was born and bred in North Queensland. I am from Home Hill. I remember those single lane wooden bridges on the Bruce Highway from when I was a kid. Labor has replaced those single lane wooden bridges. Now Labor is building overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway. These overtaking lanes will be built over two years and will provide places for motorists just like me and the member for Cairns to overtake safely without having to take unnecessary risks. They will help reduce driver frustration on the highway by giving motorists many more opportunities to pass slow moving vehicles such as caravans and trucks. Where are some of these new overtaking lanes, I hear people ask. One is southbound from Bells Creek to north of Gutschlag Road between Sarina and Mackay—built by Labor. Another is southbound near Eversleigh Road between Sarina and Mackay—built by Labor. There is also one northbound from Alligator Creek to Baronga Drive—built by Labor. The remaining 12 lanes are located between Mackay and Bowen, northbound and southbound from Conningsby school north to the railway—built by Labor— and northbound from Old Pindi Bog Road to the south of Wagoora Rise and Shine Road. That will be built by Labor, a record of which we are proud. But there is a threat to these very valuable roadworks and that is the former mayor of Brisbane, ‘Claytons’ Campbell. He raised rates by 54 per cent when he was mayor. He wants the people of Mackay, the people of Proserpine and the people of Sarina to bail out his tunnel that has gone into receivership. What about those bicycles? Someone said the only thing he has ever built is a bicycle rack. 1598 Adjournment 24 May 2011

Maryborough Base Hospital, Cancer Treatment Services Mr FOLEY: My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister advise whether, firstly, there are plans to phase out chemotherapy treatment at the Maryborough Base Hospital; secondly, if so, what transport arrangements will be put in place for those chemotherapy patients to be treated at Hervey Bay Hospital; and, thirdly, if the closure is due to doctor shortages, will the minister secure the services of the necessary oncology staff to keep the unit open? Mr WILSON: I thank the honourable member for the question. We are committed to the most dramatic enlargement of services for Cairns and oncology services in Queensland Health’s history. Why? Because we recognise that cancer services is an extremely serious area in which we want to work. That is what we are doing in conjunction with the Cancer Council and also with the federal government. That is why we are focusing on services not only in Hervey Bay and in Maryborough but also in all of the major regional centres and the major hospitals. We are rolling out oncology services broadly and also in particular radiation services—they are called linear accelerators. In fact, we are rolling them out in Cairns. We are engaging radiation services on the Sunshine Coast and they will be available as well. We are rolling out an extra linear accelerator at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and we are rolling out another one at the PA Hospital. What we need to be focusing on is the lack of vision and the lack of planning that we find from the LNP and Campbell Newman when it comes to planning for health. Opposition members interjected. Mr Cripps interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Stop the clock. Those on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Hinchinbrook! Mr WILSON: We were berated earlier because it was alleged by the LNP that the Queensland Labor government has done no planning. But what we see here is services rolling out right across Queensland—for example, here in Mackay at the $408 million hospital. We are doing this right across the state. We are at risk under the LNP. Why? Because under the leadership of Campbell Newman we run the risk of bankrupt companies such as those that have produced the Clem7. We have this anonymous tunnel under the river that has gone bankrupt. It cost $3 billion. It does not know how to manage— Ms Bligh: Two hundred cars a day. Mr WILSON: It is carrying only 200 cars a day. No-one is using it. Rates in Brisbane have also increased by 42 per cent and there was the failed bicycle scheme. Imagine if Campbell Newman were to become the Premier of this state. As I look across at the other side of this chamber, I recall that the LNP opposed funding that has stopped hundreds and hundreds of Mackay residents accessing public dental health services. The LNP stopped the federal government giving us $52 million so that 127,000 Queenslanders who are not accessing public health— Mr FOLEY: I rise to a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am not interested in Campbell Newman. I want to know about the Maryborough unit. Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I would ask the minister to stay relevant to the question. I call the honourable minister. Opposition members interjected. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Those on my left will cease interjecting. Mr WILSON: We have to make sure that the hundreds and hundreds of patients here in Mackay are not duplicated and multiplied because the LNP continue to refuse the support of federal funding. (Time expired) Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time for question time has ended.

ADJOURNMENT Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane—ALP) (Acting Leader of the House) (8.40 pm): I move— That the House do now adjourn. Medical Records Mr CRANDON (Coomera—LNP) (8.40 pm): On 15 March I received an email from constituents regarding their medical files. John and Shirley were patients of a doctor at the Queensland Medical Centre in Pascoe Road, Ormeau. The medical centre closed suddenly last year. There was a message 24 May 2011 Adjournment 1599 saying that it would reopen in January. They tracked down their doctor at another surgery, but he advised them that he could not have their records transferred as he could not access them. They called the Health Quality and Complaints Commission and the Privacy Commissioner and were told that this issue fell outside their jurisdiction. In a nutshell, these people are concerned that they do not have access to their previous medical history. Shirley has had cancer in the past. They have made it clear that there is no issue with their doctor. So they came to me for help. I emailed the Minister for Health on 16 March enclosing a copy of John and Shirley’s email. I requested urgent assistance and received acknowledgement from the minister’s office the same day. Six weeks later, on 29 April, we sent a follow-up email to the Minister for Health. We received an acknowledgement from the minister’s office, but it said that Paul Lucas was still the health minister. We rang the health minister’s office and pointed out their little error. They thanked us very much for pointing that little error out and went on to say that they were going to look into our request and see how much longer it would be. On 12 May we still had had no response from the minister. I received an email from my constituent asking me to chase the minister up. On that day we rang the minister’s office and spoke to a staffer. She said that she would have another staffer ring us. We did not receive a call back. On 16 May we rang the minister’s office to speak to the staffer. She was busy. We left a message for her to ring us. She did not. On 19 May, now nine weeks later, John advised that his new doctor needs the old medical files. He has also advised that the doctor who has taken over the Ormeau surgery has confirmed that he cannot access the records, either. On that day we rang the staffer again. We were put through to another staffer because the original one was too busy. We gave him details of the constituents. He promised to look at the case and come back to us. Having not heard from this new staffer, we rang and asked for his email address. We sent all of the information to him. We rang and left a further message as late as this morning. As at four o’clock this afternoon we still have had no response from this new staffer. Ten weeks have passed in relation to this urgent case. It is an absolute disgrace. I call on the minister to intervene in this matter and help these people receive the medical records they desperately need to receive. Minister, have your staff do their job. Pyke, Mr LJM Hon. TS MULHERIN (Mackay—ALP) (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies) (8.43 pm): I was saddened to hear of the passing earlier this month of Mackay local community volunteer Lesley John Mervyn Pyke. Les was very active in the Mackay community for many years. I know that he will be dearly missed. I have known the Pyke family all my life and went to school with some of Les’s children. I have a close association with Les’s daughter and son-in-law, Toni-Maree and Bill Welch, and their eldest son, John, having been involved with John in a number of Catholic youth activities many years ago. Les spent many years engaging in various community service pursuits, including work with the Mercy nuns at St Patrick’s convent, the Christian Brothers at St Pat’s on the river and also the P&F organisations of St Patrick’s, the Christian Brothers and Our Lady of Mercy, as it was in those days, now Mercy College. He was particularly well remembered for his volunteering in the State Emergency Service. Les was awarded the national medal for 25 years service to the community and the SES. I have heard others in the community say that he was one of the best instructors the SES ever had. People like Les, who devote so much of their time and effort in the service of others through endeavours such as volunteering, transform our towns, our cities and our suburbs into communities. Les definitely did more than his share of this. I know that the community will always be grateful for his selfless contributions. Les is survived by a very large family, some of whom are here this evening—his wife, Marie, 11 children, 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. It has been my pleasure to know Les Pyke. I know that his passing will be felt not only by his family but also by the many people whom he personally knew and by the wider community. My thoughts and prayers go out to Marie and the extended Pyke family in their sad loss of Les. Goondiwindi, Health Services Mr SPRINGBORG (Southern Downs—LNP) (8.46 pm): Some 2,590 people who have signed a petition should never be dismissed. But when 2,590 people comprise at least one-third of the total population of the district they should certainly be listened to. This morning I presented such a petition to parliament. In addition, another 500 people from associated cross-border communities signed this petition calling for a public transport option for people needing to travel from the Goondiwindi district to Toowoomba for specialist medical support, including tests, radiology and advanced treatments such as oncology. Many of these people have limited personal transport options and virtually no access to public 1600 Adjournment 24 May 2011 transport to Toowoomba, yet this is where many are referred for further treatment. Specialists do visit the Goondiwindi Hospital to see referrals, but a lack of continuity with visiting specialists and some services such as oncology, rheumatology, haematology and areas of mental health, as well as advanced testing, means that many people still have to travel away. Goondiwindi district resident Margo Hancock has been instrumental in pushing this issue and has worked tirelessly to distribute, raise awareness of and retrieve these petitions. I thank her for her work. Goondiwindi has a commercial bus service to Brisbane via Warwick, but this is not the centre to which many of the patients are referred. The trip to Toowoomba is twice as far. If patients connect from Warwick to Toowoomba it involves an overnight stay due to time lost in transit and return. There is a coach service that passes through the area from Brisbane to Melbourne once or twice a week, but it is outside of daily business hours and is totally unsuited to meeting this need. There is a supported community patient transport option for the frail aged or grossly disadvantaged. However, it does not help many other people who are elderly, able bodied and have no independent means of travel. There are also other people who have no reasonable means of travel for these services. Government rhetoric about keeping people in regions and even attracting more people to the regions is just that. This government should only be judged by its actions and not its rhetorical cliches. To date, there has been never-ending cliches. People in my area do not begrudge those living in bigger centres receiving good public transport services. They do, however, raise eyebrows when they see this government implement half-hourly or even more regular intracommunity and linking services when they cannot even get the most elementary of public transport services. When the Bligh government abolished the fuel subsidy scheme in 2009, driving up petrol prices by 9c a litre, Queensland’s former transport minister, Rachel Nolan, boasted in this parliament that the government would now put more money into public transport across the state. I can assure members that the residents of the Goondiwindi district are waiting for that promise to come true. (Time expired)

Mackay-Whitsunday Region

Hon. JH JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business) (8.49 pm): The Bligh government is, and always has been, committed to the Mackay- Whitsunday region. We recognise the importance of this region and its economy to Queensland. But our actions will always speak louder than our words. In the last few months the Bligh government has committed to numerous large scale projects and initiatives right across the region that aim to encourage the region’s economic prosperity, because we understand that it is not just about providing infrastructure, which is of course important, but also about creating jobs because people with a job have money in their pocket, they will spend in local businesses and they will be able to take that holiday in one of our fantastic tourism places in Queensland. Just today I was really pleased to be with the Premier, who kicked off stage 1 of the $41 million project to build a new trade training centre on the CQ University campus. The campus also boasts a brand-new $4 million medical and applied sciences laboratory, which the Premier officially opened today. This state-of-the-art facility will be used to train key health professionals like radiographers and sonographers. The beauty of that is that if they are trained in the region they are more likely to stay in the region. We know how difficult it is to get trained professionals, particularly in the medical fields, into regions even as wonderful as this. So it is great news today. It has been a fantastic week for roads in the region. Just yesterday the Premier and the federal minister for roads made a joint announcement of $300 million to repair and upgrade 257 kilometres of roads right across the Whitsunday, Isaac and Mackay areas. This is really great news, as is the $40 million committed to building a new, higher Fursden Creek Bridge so that the wonderful Edmund Casey Bridge is accessible in all weather conditions. Tonight I thank the Minister for Main Roads for the wonderful announcement of 12 new overtaking or passing lanes between Mackay and Bowen. I drive that road regularly. How frustrating it is sitting behind the caravan, the semitrailer and the farm ute. I think this will be a wonderful safety measure on our Bruce Highway, so I do thank him so much for that. But there is more than that in this region. Just last week I took the Premier to the Proserpine Airport, where she was able to inspect progress on our $7 million upgrade, so desperately needed to help us increase our air capacity into the Whitsundays. Today I announced a new principal tourism development officer for the Mackay-Whitsunday region. This person’s role will be to work closely with industry and government, local councils, RTOs and Tourism Queensland and with the local industry for the benefit of our entire region. I am absolutely committed to this region, and I work with the member for Mackay, my good friend and colleague Tim Mulherin, to its benefit. (Time expired) 24 May 2011 Adjournment 1601

Herberton Historical Village; Rail Corridors Mr KNUTH (Dalrymple—LNP) (8.52 pm): I wish to raise a serious issue relating to the economic and social future of the township of Herberton. Since its reopening in 2009, the Herberton Historical Village has breathed life into the community—creating jobs, raising funds for charities and increasing tourism. It has been rated one of the best tourism attractions in the country, and the village owners are now looking towards better security of tenure to plan for the future. The museum is situated across two holdings—one freehold title and the other leasehold. The owners have applied to purchase the leasehold block. DERM has rejected this application and is intending to release the block for public sale. The leasehold block is a pivotal part of the museum and contains nine buildings and a coach-house which is under construction. How on earth can you put half the land and buildings that are on a leasehold block that is part of the museum up for public auction? Section 122 of the Land Act states that a deed of grant may be granted without competition if the minister decides that the land is not needed for a public purpose or that the intended use is the most appropriate use of land. The Tablelands Regional Council has expressed its full support for the continued development of the museum. I table a petition of 618 concerned residents and 25 letters of support from community groups and businesses calling for the minister to recognise the historical, social and economic importance of the Herberton Historical Village. I ask the minister to intervene to do away with the red tape and bureaucracy that threatens this pillar of the Herberton community. Tabled paper: Non-conforming petition and correspondence relating to the Herberton Historical Village application to the Department of Environment and Resource Management [4524]. On another note, I would like to express my deep concern about the three separate rail corridors traversing the rich grazing lands north-west and north-east of Clermont. While the mine projects bring much needed revenue to our struggling economy, that does not mean that grazing and farming should be expendable. The infrastructure required to service the Adani, Hancock and Waratah projects must be channelled into a single corridor to minimise the impact on landowners. Common sense must prevail. Some landowners have three corridors running through different areas of their properties. This is an impractical situation and a failure of infrastructure planning. The affected landowners are having to cope with huge ongoing expenses to manage disruption caused by a single corridor, let alone three corridors, through a property. These corridors are 200 metres wide, requiring landowners to reorganise and rebuild existing infrastructure. Any changes to watercourses will increase the potential for flooding and damage to property along the corridors. It is unbelievable that the minister and the Premier have not intervened in the control of infrastructure development when it has become obvious that the companies involved could not agree on a single corridor. Consequently, the interests of the affected landholders have been overridden. There is a lot of anger in the community because landowners believe that they have not been listened to and their interests have not been been represented, despite numerous pleas to the minister to regulate the rail infrastructure for these corridors. I call on the government to show leadership and define a single rail corridor and have the companies put their infrastructure into that corridor. Oakleigh C&K Hon. KJ JONES (Ashgrove—ALP) (Minister for Environment and Resource Management) (8.55 pm): Tonight we have seen how passionate the member for Whitsunday and the member for Mackay are about their region, and everybody in this House knows how passionate I am about representing the people of Ashgrove. This last month has been a very busy month in my electorate because we have been delivering on things that I promised for our community. Earlier this month I was very pleased to be joined by the Minister for Education to open the new Oakleigh C&K kindergarten, and I thank the education minister for his time. In 2006, not long after I was first elected, out of the blue we had the Brisbane City Council declare that the land that the Oakleigh kindergarten had been on for decades was considered to be contaminated. The council said that they had to get out of that site but did not offer any alternative place for them to go. I worked really hard with the C&K community to make sure that there was somewhere their young children could continue to receive the wonderful education that C&K provides. Fortunately, we had just started on our expansion of prep, providing prep education to every Queensland child right across this state. This meant that the preschool facilities at The Gap, which is a neighbouring suburb, were now available, and I worked very closely with the then education minister to get the young children at Oakleigh to transfer to The Gap site. This could not have been done without a number of people with whom I worked very hard. I want to acknowledge on the parliamentary record the resilience and the hard work of that local community and those parents. In particular, I would like to thank Ms Camille Warren, Sam Wilkinson and Jenny Anderson, who represented the C&K Oakleigh Community Preschool and Kindergarten parent advisory groups from 2007 to 2010. I also want to thank Vikki Hartog, the director and teacher of C&K Oakleigh Community Preschool and Kindergarten, and Mr Peter Churchwood, the principal of Oakleigh State School. He has 1602 Adjournment 24 May 2011 been integral in getting the Oakleigh kindergarten back to its community. It is now located on the Oakleigh State School site, which means that parents do not have to do a double drop-off. They do not have to drive out to The Gap and back again; they can do a single drop-off for their children, making it a much safer option for them. I would also like to acknowledge Mr Bryan Cook, the president of the Oakleigh State School P&C, and Ms Jennifer Devine and Ms Heather Foster, who are assistant teachers at the C&K. What this shows is that our government is committed to ensuring—no matter whether you live in Brisbane, Mackay, the Whitsundays or in the far north in the cape—that every Queensland child deserves excellent education from kindergarten right through to prep and beyond. We are committed to education because this is what ensures that our children have the best start in life and can build a better Queensland for our future. The Queensland Party Mr McLINDON (Beaudesert—TQP) (8.58 pm): I would like to thank the mayor of Mackay and the community here for their very warm welcome. I would like to update the Mackay region on the progress of The Queensland Party, which now has 23 endorsed candidates across the state with branches now open in Cairns, Townsville, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan and, last but not least, Beaudesert. The Queensland Party is the credible opposition because it has consistently rolled out genuine policy positions since its registration in August last year and we have taken bold steps to ensure that we can lift the lid on our primitive two-party system in Queensland which has stifled any vision and has been Australia’s most unaccountable and centralised form of dictatorial government since the abolition of the upper house in 1922. The Queensland Party’s latest announcements were made at a policy launch at the Irish Club in Brisbane on Sunday, 15 May, and I want to run through some of those tonight. The first is the lifting of the payroll tax threshold from $1 million to $5 million. This will directly benefit 7,500 small businesses across Queensland. That is 7,500 small businesses whose potential has been capped. That was a tax introduced in World War II. In Queensland we are seeing the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The multinationals and those companies owned by foreign investors have certainly taken their toll on the Queensland people. We will be lifting that threshold and finding the 18 per cent revenue loss off the payroll tax rate at the top end of the scale, because it is time for a level playing field and time to allow these small businesses to put more people on their staff without the stagnation of the extra bureaucracy and legislation. Queensland has 70,000 pages of legislation which makes it No. 1 of all of the states of Australia. The second is New South Wales with 38,000 pages. The political system that we have in Queensland is stifling proper progress in this great state. The second announcement made was free public transport for seniors between 9 am and 2 pm, Monday to Friday. We need to give something back to our seniors after all of the good work that they have done to get this great state to where it is. Those 25 hours a week will allow seniors to travel free of charge to visit their family or go shopping or catch a movie with their friends. With regard to a moratorium on coal seam gas, The Queensland Party is the only party since 24 November that has called for a moratorium on coal seam gas. We saw what happened yesterday in Dalby with the blow-out of the well. Some 21 dangerous chemicals have not been tested and this industry is flawed and is in breach of both state and federal legislation. Rural and regional farmers and those who live in rural and regional Queensland are looking to The Queensland Party for answers because the opposition has once again been silent on this very critical issue. We also believe that we need a referendum on asset sales enshrined in the federal Constitution and that our assets of tollways, rail, water, electricity and ports should remain in the people’s hands because we have paid for them and we have built them over the years and that is where they belong. The next state election will be a choice between a government that can’t do, an opposition that has cut and pasted an expired Brisbane slogan claiming that it can do, or The Queensland Party that will do. North Queensland Cowboys; Faust, Mr S Ms JOHNSTONE (Townsville—ALP) (9.01 pm): The North Queensland Cowboys Leagues Club is a 100 per cent community owned club which is committed to the North Queensland community as much as it is to the football club itself. The club charter is to provide benefit to rugby league while also embracing a broader community responsibility. In addition to providing support to local community groups, the club believes that community service also encompasses ensuring that its operations take into consideration the impact, both socially and environmentally, on the community. Now in its second year, the Cowboys Leagues Club Community Benefit Fund grants were launched last week. I am pleased to have again been invited to be a judge for the grants. Grants totalling $25,000 will be distributed to not-for-profit organisations and students right across the North Queensland community. Split into two categories, $20,000 worth of grants will go to not-for-profit organisations that can demonstrate community benefit from their projects and another $5,000 is allocated for five educational awards for full-time students. It is very satisfying to be involved with the 24 May 2011 Adjournment 1603 leagues club once again. Last year well over 100 submissions were received and 10 organisations and five students were successful in receiving the grants, including a grant to the North Mackay Little Athletics club to purchase new radios, a high jump wear mat, a starting gun and stopwatches. Successful students last year included Kristina who intends to study music at university and was able to purchase a new carrycase for her stringed instruments. The judging panel is as diverse as the North Queensland community and I can assure applicants that the judges will ensure that all projects and awards qualify for the community-driven aim of the program. I look forward to working with general manager Joe Kelly and fellow judges— Government members interjected. Ms JOHNSTONE: Joe is a great bloke. I take that interjection. I look forward to working with fellow judges Councillor Ray Gartrell, Daryl Holmes, Mark Adams, the wonderful Father Dave Lancini, Gerard Moloney and Fiona Pelling in the difficult job of assessing the applications when they close in approximately six weeks time. No organisation is too big or too small, so if someone has a great idea for a project that will provide community benefit and needs a bit of assistance to get off the ground I encourage all residents of North Queensland from Mackay north to the cape to get their applications in. I take this opportunity to encourage particularly the Mackay residents here tonight to think about ideas for their community. In closing, I place on the record my sympathies to the Faust family on the sad news of the passing of Sam yesterday. The North Queensland Cowboys will be paying tribute to Sam at our home game on Saturday night against the Roosters and I know our Cowboys players Matty Scott, Johnathan Thurston and Willie Tonga, who are playing in the Origin tomorrow night, will also be playing for Sam. The North Queensland community is a poorer place with the passing of Sam. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr O’Brien): Go Cowboys! Toowoomba Base Hospital, Eye Surgery Waiting Lists Mr HORAN (Toowoomba South—LNP) (9.04 pm): There is no crueler hoax on people than to falsify what is actually happening with waiting lists in our public hospitals. Tonight I want to speak about what is happening with eye surgery at the Toowoomba Base Hospital. We know that this government at the last election did not tell the people about a petrol tax and then it imposed it straight after the election. We know that it did not tell the people of Queensland about the sell-off of assets like the Port of Brisbane, like QR, like the forests, like the motorways and other assets such as ports along the coast. Tonight I want to tell the parliament about what is happening with eye surgery at the Toowoomba Base Hospital and the details that have been put on the MyHospitals website by the Australian government. In the area of eye surgery, the details for the last financial year—2009-10—show that at Toowoomba all eye surgery was undertaken in two days compared to the national average of 69 days and that cataract extraction was undertaken in two days compared to the national average of 86 days. But what everybody in Toowoomba knows—particularly those people who need treatment for their eyes and particularly the general practitioners of Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley—is that these people wait up to two years on the waiting list just to get on the waiting list. What this government has done with our health system is forced hospitals not to put people on the waiting list until they are within a few days of the operation actually happening. That is one of the cruelest things that can be done to people, particularly the elderly who need cataract operations and other eye operations who think by looking at that Commonwealth government website that they will get their procedure done within a couple of days whereas in fact experienced people know that the wait is about two years. What happens is that these people do not have private health insurance because they think they can have their operation in two days. They then find out that they have to wait about two years to get on the waiting list to get on the waiting list and then they go and inquire about the cost of a private operation and find that it is around about $8,000. Many of them are joining private health insurance where they have to then go through the regulatory time of about 12 months to get their operation and get some form of financial relief. It is a cruel hoax that has been forced upon the hospital by this government, which has form when it comes to the misinformation it put out at the last election. This is a cruel hoax on people, particularly elderly people who want to have their operation. They see this false information on the Commonwealth website and think that it will only take a couple of days when in fact it will take a couple of years. If anything condemns this government, it is that sort of practice that it foists upon people—good, honest, working people who should be able to have true information put before them. Education Week Mr HOOLIHAN (Keppel—ALP) (9.07 pm): As well as spending this week in Mackay for our regional sittings, I wonder if every member of this House has given thought to the fact that it is Education Week. Our whole community knows the benefits and value of education, but how many members of this House, excluding former teachers, have got close enough to the system to realise the hard work and 1604 Attendance 24 May 2011 dedication of all of our teachers to ensure that the great strides that education has made benefit our children? I had the opportunity to experience it firsthand last week when I was at Parkhurst State School, a school of approximately 210 students in North Rockhampton, as principal for a day. I thank principal Lyle Walker and his dedicated team for the well-mannered and knowledgable children whom I met on that day. I was given a guided tour of prep and grade 1 by Ben. He was a very focused young man of five and knew and was proud of his school. I also participated in an English teaching lesson with grade 1 and was pleased to give a principal’s award for effort to Ben and Isabel. All these children show the teachers care and support for their curriculum. As well as the ordinary teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic, there is a large curriculum. Grades 2 and 3 are studying overseas countries and have presently adopted the Netherlands and Estonia as their chosen countries. Years 4 and 5 are covering nature and are studying butterflies and the northern hairy-nosed wombat, which is an endangered species. The knowledge of the students of both of those years was awesome. They have planted a garden to assist in studying the life cycle of various butterflies. Years 6 and 7 were on an English lesson and their attention to subject and skills were evident. Years 5 and 6 also had a music lesson. I set a poem to music. It is all computerised. Parkhurst State School also has an excellent orchestra and very good training and teaching facilities. There were a few things that might need attention, but I have yet to talk to the minister about them. Under Building the Education Revolution and State Schools of Tomorrow, the school has extensive IT facilities and is at the cutting edge of technology. The school won a national award for the design of its new library, computer room and performing arts centre. I congratulate Lyle and his teaching team and also the administrative staff, Fiona and Reynell, who wear many hats and who very successful undertake a multitude of tasks to support teachers, parents and students. I congratulate all at Parkhurst State School. That school is one of the approximately 1,300 Queensland schools that is producing quality citizens to care for the future of our great state. Question put—That the House do now adjourn. Motion agreed to. The House adjourned at 9.10 pm.

ATTENDANCE Attwood, Bates, Bleijie, Bligh, Boyle, Choi, Crandon, Cripps, Croft, Cunningham, Darling, Davis, Dempsey, Dick, Dickson, Douglas, Dowling, Elmes, Emerson, Farmer, Finn, Flegg, Foley, Fraser, Gibson, Grace, Hinchliffe, Hobbs, Hoolihan, Hopper, Horan, Jarratt, Johnson, Johnstone, Jones, Keech, Kiernan, Kilburn, Knuth, Langbroek, Lucas, McArdle, McLindon, Male, Malone, Menkens, Messenger, Mickel, Miller, Moorhead, Mulherin, Nelson-Carr, Nicholls, Nolan, O’Brien, O’Neill, Palaszczuk, Powell, Pratt, Reeves, Rickuss, Roberts, Robinson, Ryan, Schwarten, Scott, Seeney, Shine, Simpson, Smith, Sorensen, Spence, Springborg, Stevens, Stone, Struthers, Stuckey, Sullivan, van Litsenburg, Wallace, Watt, Wellington, Wells, Wendt, Wettenhall, Wilson