5035 Questions and Answers
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5035 PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2003-05 FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT ___________ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS No. 136 THURSDAY 9 JUNE 2005 ___________ (The Questions and Answers Paper is published for each sitting day and will contain, by number and title, all unanswered questions, together with questions to which answers have been received on the previous sitting day and any new questions. Consequently the full text of any question will be printed only twice: when notice is given; and, when answered.) 5036 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 9 June 2005 Q. & A. No. 129 8 June 2005 (Including Question Nos 4015 to 4043) Q. & A. No. 130 9 June 2005 (Including Question Nos 4044 to 4106) Q. & A. No. 131 28 June 2005 (Including Question Nos 4107 to 4140) Q. & A. No. 132 29 June 2005 (Including Question Nos 4141 to 4173) Q. & A. No. 133 30 June 2005 (Including Question Nos 4174 to 4214) Q. & A. No. 134 1 July 2005 (Including Question Nos 4215 to 4232) Q. & A. No. 135 12 July 2005 (Including Question Nos 4233 to 4268) Q. & A. No. 136 13 July 2005 (Including Question Nos 4269 to 4301) 5037 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 9 June 2005 Notice of Question given on the date shown 4 MAY 2005 (Paper No. 129) *4016 T-CARD TRIAL—Mrs Hopwood to Minister for Transport— (1) What are of the results ofhe recent T-Card trial for school students in the Hornsby electorate? (2) Have there been problems with the project with some students reporting inability of the card to be used on some journeys? Answer— The Ministry of Transport advises: (1) and (2) The T-card trial conducted in the Hornsby electorate was one component of a series of field trials. The trial was considered successful and well received by those students involved. The field trials were undertaken to identify and resolve any problems before the technology was introduced to all school travel on private buses in the greater metropolitan area. 1.17 per cent of T-cards distributed in the Shorelink trial were returned as a faulty card and 0.05 per sent were returned as a damaged card. *4017 ALLOTMENT SIZE—Mrs Hopwood to Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, and Minister for Natural Resources— When will the Minister make a decision about the Mount Errington (Hornsby electorate) minimum allotment size? Answer— I am advised that the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources is currently reviewing a draft local environmental plan prepared by Hornsby Council for land at Mount Errington that would alter the minimum allotment size. The Minister Assisting the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning (Planning Administration), the Hon Diane Beamer MP, will make a decision regarding the draft plan after she has considered the Department’s recommendation. *4023 NEWCASTLE SYNAGOGUE—Mr Debnam to Minister for Police— In relation to attacks on the Newcastle synagogue: (1) Was the Newcastle synagogue vandalised on the night of 20 April 2005? (2) Have police investigated the attack? (3) Did the attack include graffiti (including swastikas and the words ‘Jews must die’) anti-semitic stickers being applied to the walls and were windows smashed? (4) Did police identify any fingerprints at the scene? (5) Did the police investigation confirm that witnesses heard smashing of windows and saw two males running down the street? (6) Do police have information that the racist groups White Pride and/or the Patriotic Youth league may have been involved? (7) What is the status of the police investigation and have any charges been laid? (8) Have there been any convictions for attacks on synagogues in NSW in the last ten years? 5038 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 9 June 2005 Answer— NSW Police has advised me : (1) to (8) An incident occurred at the Newcastle Synagogue on 20-21 April 2005. Investigations are continuing. *4024 TRANSPORT SAFETY AND RELIABILITY REGULATOR (ITSRR)—Mr Debnam to Minister for Transport— In relation to the Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator (ITSRR): (1) Given Minister Costa told Parliament on 29 October 2003 during the second reading of the Transport Legislation Amendment (Safety and Reliability) Bill ‘This bill establishes an Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator. The regulator will be independent of the Ministry of Transport and transport operators’, what statutory or legislative provisions guarantee the independence of the organisation, its personnel, management, reporting, funding or media policy? (2) Are the statutory or legislative provisions for ITSRR different to the statutory and legislative provisions guaranteeing independence for the Auditor General? Answer— The Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator (ITSRR) advises: (1) and (2) The Transport Administration Act 1988 states that the principal objective of ITSRR is to facilitate the safe operation of transport services in the State. ITSRR’s independence from the Ministry of Transport and transport operators is outlined in various sections of the Act. Section 42P specifies the limits of Ministerial control or direction of ITSRR in areas such as accreditations, enforcement action, safety inquiries, reliability monitoring and auditing and the content of any report or recommendation. These are the critical functions undertaken by ITSRR to meet its principal objective. The Minister for Transport has ultimate responsibility for transport safety in NSW and for this reason ITSRR will continue to remain within the transport portfolio. Following the findings and recommendations of the Waterfall Special Commission of Inquiry the Government has introduced legislation that further enhances both ITSRR’s independence and the accountability and responsibility of its CEO. *4025 TICKET PRICES—Mr Debnam to Minister for Transport— In relation to ticket prices as at 1 September in each of the years 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004: (1) What was the ticket price of a return train fare from Concord West to Central Station? (2) What was the price of a return train fare from Penrith to Central Station? (3) What was the price of a return train fare from Sutherland to Central Station? (4) What was the price of a return train fare from Parramatta to Central Station? (5) What was the price of a return train fare from Denistone to Central Station? Answer— Railcorp advises: (1) to (5) Ticket Price is determined by the time of day the ticket is purchase and whether the purchaser is entitled to a concession. 5039 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 9 June 2005 *4026 SAND MINING—KURNELL—Mr Kerr to Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, and Minister for Natural Resources— When does the Government propose to end sand mining at Kurnell? Answer— The Government will end sandmining at Kurnell as soon as it is feasible to do so. *4027 F6 CORRIDOR—Mr Kerr to Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, representing the Minister for Roads, Minister for Economic Reform, Minister for Ports and Minister for the Hunter— Will the $350,000 study of the F6 Corridor undertaken by Parsons Brinckerhoff be made publicly available? Answer— I’m advised: I refer the Member to my answer to question number 3723 on the Legislative Assembly notice paper. *4028 COUNTRY PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES—Mr Aplin to Minister for Transport— Following the Premier’s recent commitment to the retention of the Countrylink XPT service from Sydney to Albury will you confirm that passenger services will continue to be offered at Henty and Culcairn stations? Answer— RailCorp advises: There are no plans to alter existing CountryLink service levels at Henty and Culcairn. *4030 RURAL FIRE SERVICE STAFFING—Mr Humpherson to Minister for Police, representing the Minister for Rural Affairs, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister for Lands— (1) Of the 96 separations from the Rural Fire Service in the past three years how many were due to (a) retirement (b) resignation (c) dismissal? (2) Of those who resigned, how many alternatively faced the possibility or the likelihood of dismissal? Answer— (1) Of the 96 separations advised in response to Question 3844, 19 were due to retirement, 76 to resignation and there was one dismissal. (2) Nil. *4032 WINDSOR ROAD WIDENING—Mr Pringle to Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, representing the Minister for Roads, Minister for Economic Reform, Minister for Ports and Minister for the Hunter— In view of the federally/privately funded M7 Westlink construction being ahead of schedule, will the Minister ensure that the upgrading of Windsor Road is completed at the same time as the M7 Westlink is opened? 5040 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Thursday 9 June 2005 Answer— I’m advised: As announced by the Premier in April 2005, the Westlink M7 Motorway is expected to open four months ahead of the scheduled completion date of August 2006. The widening of Windsor Road is continuing and expected to be completed to McGraths Hill during 2006 as scheduled. *4034 CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT—Mr Pringle to Minister for Transport, representing the Minister for Education and Training— (1) How many of the promised 129 technical support staff for classroom technology have currently been employed? (2) How many have been appointed to schools in the Hawkesbury electorate? Answer— (1) The 129 technical support positions are being filled progressively. Recruitment has commenced in all regions. (2) Schools in the Hawkesbury electorate are located in the Department’s Northern Sydney Region and Western Sydney Region. Interviews have been held to fill the five technical support positions located in Western Sydney Region. Offers of appointment will be made, subject to the completion of pre- employment checks. Advertisements have closed and interviews are being scheduled for four technical support positions located in Northern Sydney Region.