Legislative Assembly 8811 4 August 1994 THURSDAY, 4 AUGUST 1994 Review of the Camping Ground Regulation 1987 Pest Control Operations Regulation 1977 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. Fouras, Ashgrove) Poisons (Fumigation) Regulation 1977 read prayers and took the chair at 10 a.m. Review of the Skin Penetration Regulation 1987 REGISTER OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS Therapeutic Goods and Other Drugs Report Regulation 1982. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, I lay upon the table of the House the MINISTERIAL STATEMENT sixth report on the Register of Members' Interests. Overseas Visit Hon. D. J. HAMILL (Ipswich—Minister for Transport and Minister Assisting the Premier on PETITIONS Economic and Trade Development) (10.02 a.m.), The Clerk announced the receipt of the by leave: I am pleased to report to Parliament on following petitions— the success Queensland has had in Indonesia as a result of participation in the Australia Today Indonesia 1994 Trade Expo and, most Adult Theme Shops importantly, the business mission to Central From Mrs Sheldon (520 signatories) Java, our sister State, which preceded it. praying that the Parliament of Queensland will Nearly 100 Queensland business legislate to ban the operation of adult theme representatives representing 54 firms and shops within a two-kilometre radius of any public organisations were in Jakarta, with many of them or private school frequented by minors. represented on the official Queensland stand. It is with pleasure that I can advise the House that Yelarbon-Texas Road contracts totalling more that $80m are expected From Mr Springborg (420 signatories) as a result of our participation, and on the advice praying that the unsealed sections of the coming to me from many of the business Yelarbon-Texas Road be upgraded to bitumen representatives concerned, that is a very as a matter of urgency. conservative estimate. Petitions received. With an economic growth rate of 6.6 per cent this year, Indonesia provides enormous trade opportunities for our State. In fact, since PAPERS December 1989, Queensland exports to The following papers were laid on the Indonesia have increased by 147 per cent, and table— this expansion will continue. Included in the financial results from Jakarta is a major cotton (a) Minister for Transport and Minister deal, strong interest from fee paying students for Assisting the Premier on Economic and enrolment at Queensland educational Trade Development (Mr Hamill)— institutions, and consulting services in Queensland Transport Report on environmental management, capital markets, Parliamentary Committee of Public Works engineering and architecture. Inquiry into the Landsborough Highway at Bond University has signed a memorandum Jessamine Creek and University Road at of understanding with Indonesia's international Townsville—July 1994 language programs, which will initially see 30 (b) Minister for Lands (Mr Smith)— Indonesian students join Bond as Annual Reports 1992-93— undergraduates, with up to 300 students a year Operations of the Land Tribunal eventually likely to be accepted. Queensland established under the Aboriginal Land Cotton Corporation signed a $5m cotton supply Act 1991 contract with PT Bitratex Industrial Corporation, which owns a cotton spinning division based in Operations of the Land Tribunal Semarang employing more than 2 000 people. In established under the Torres Strait fact, Indonesia takes about 30 per cent of Islander Land Act 1991 Queensland Cotton's annual production of (c) Minister for Health (Mr Hayward)— around 280 000 bales. Investment deals in Discussion Papers— Queensland by Indonesians introduced during 4 August 1994 8812 Legislative Assembly the promotion, now actively under consideration, technology in tropical regions, in which my total $100m, with two projects of $20m in department is an acknowledged world leader. I distribution technology and a $6m ecotourism am pleased to table the itinerary of my visit. development likely to commence within 12 months. On any basis, this has been an MINISTERIAL STATEMENT overwhelming success for Queensland and a Model Local Laws great credit to those businesses that devoted Hon. T. M. MACKENROTH their energies and resources to the exposition. (Chatsworth—Minister for Housing, Local As members of the House would know, this Government and Planning) (10.06 a.m.), by Government participates in a very successful leave: I table for the information of honourable sister State/sister province agreement with the members the first five model local laws under the province of Central Java. The recent presence in Local Government Act. Local governments have the province of our Governor gave added extremely wide powers to regulate the daily importance to the Queensland business activities of the lives of all Queenslanders. Over mission, which was at that time also visiting the the years, a large number of outdated laws have province. accumulated. I visited Central Java after Australia Today I will give honourable members some Indonesia and was pleased to meet for the first examples of what these archaic laws mean in time the new Governor of Central Java, Governor practice. In Townsville, for example, a by-law Soewardi, who indicated his strong commitment passed on 19 April 1927 regulates external work to the relationship following on from the by females, and says in part— tremendous work done by his predecessor, former Governor Ismail. I am pleased to advise "No occupier or owner of any building the House that Governor Soewardi is planning to or part of a building shall permit any female pay his first official visit to Queensland in to clean, paint, or perform any other September this year, and the invitation extended operation upon the outside of a building or to him by Her Excellency the Governor of any window thereof by standing on the Queensland to stay at Government House in outside of the windowsill or any ladder or Brisbane during that visit has been very much step . or unless such female is clothed in appreciated. dress appropriate to the work being performed, and of such a nature and so Queensland is highly regarded as a strong arranged as not to offend against public partner in all areas of the relationship, and the decency." closeness and maturity of that relationship is evidenced by the fact that our key business And it is still in force today. Not only is the figures, and my colleague Ministers, such as Ed language used almost incomprehensible, but, Casey, Paul Braddy and Pat Comben, who have more importantly, the notion that a local visited Central Java, are as well known in government should regulate what women do in government and business circles there as they public is no longer accepted by the community are here in Queensland. generally. During my visit, I announced a new I will give honourable members a more Queensland/Central Java Graduate Award that modern example. On 23 February 1936—well will allow graduates from Central Java to study in before many members of this House were our State for up to six months, further born—the Jericho Shire made a by-law about the underlining the opportunities in education and sale of explosives which, amongst other things, the prospect for the strengthening of our stated— bilateral relationship for the future. "Explosives not to be sold by gaslight Finally, I can report that I went on from No person shall sell explosives or other Indonesia to Singapore and Thailand for talks combustible matter by gas, candle, or other with Ministers and officials on transport related artificial light within the towns of Jericho and matters and to sign a Marine Pilot Training Agreement with the Port of Singapore Authority. Alpha unless such explosives or other If I can particularly pick out two aspects of that leg combustible matter is in hermetically sealed of the trip—firstly, the strong opportunities for tins." Queensland Rail in the sale of equipment and No doubt, in its day, that was a sensible skills to Thai Rail, based on the very high regard requirement. But in the 1990s, it is hard to see its in which Queensland Rail is held by railways in relevance. Thailand; and, secondly, I also found a strong These somewhat humorous examples of interest in its Ministry of Transport for pavement local government regulation are not isolated and I Legislative Assembly 8813 4 August 1994 do not wish to leave the House with the for a range of other local government activities, impression that it is only Townsville and Jericho including important issues such as: roads and that have outdated local legislation. There are traffic, swimming pools, advertisements, and similar examples all over Queensland. The new vegetation protection. Local Government Act of 1993 introduced major In total, models are being prepared on 17 reforms in the way local governments can topics which are of interest to most councils legislate for the good rule and government of across the State. These will be progressively their communities. An important part of improving finalised and released, with the majority of them the way local governments are able to exercise available for adoption by local governments by their wider jurisdiction is the concept of model the end of this year. The goal is to have local laws local laws. which meet the needs of local governments and The purpose of model local laws is— their communities and which work effectively in to make it easier for local governments to achieving the stated objectives. develop better regulatory regimes that are To ensure local laws are relevant to their relevant to modern conditions; communities' current needs, they are supported to provide for greater uniformity of local laws by local law policies. These policies are able to across Queensland; and ensure that particular community needs are met within the broader framework of the models. It to reduce the cost of making their laws. follows that local law policies are developed by Whenever a local government makes its own and for each local government.