Legislative Council
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Legislative Council Thursday, 27 June 2002 THE PRESIDENT (Hon J.A. Cowdell) took the Chair at 10.00 am, and read prayers. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE Statement by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure HON GRAHAM GIFFARD (North Metropolitan - Parliamentary Secretary) [10.02 am]: On behalf of the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, I am pleased to inform the Parliament that the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday morning ratified Cabinet’s decision to appoint Mr Greg Martin as the Director General of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure. In this role, Mr Martin will be responsible for coordinating services and policies that reflect the Government’s vision for integration and modernisation of land use and transport planning. Mr Martin is an outstanding administrator who we believe will bring to the position valuable experience in overseeing organisational change. He has demonstrated a very considerable team-building capacity. As Commissioner of Main Roads since 1999, Mr Martin has seen Main Roads become a more open and unity-focused organisation. He has also worked to strengthen Main Roads’ professional and managerial capacities and implemented a program of recruitment of young technical and professional staff to address the agency’s ageing staff profile. Mr Martin has had a considerably long involvement in transport and planning, not only in his role in Main Roads, but prior to that as the Chief Executive Officer of MetroBus and the Executive Director of Metropolitan Transport at the Department of Transport. In applying to become the first substantive Director General of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure, Mr Martin has accepted the challenge of completing the integration of the State Government’s land use and transport planning and regulating functions. If the community is to gain better planning outcomes from this process, there must be a fusion of the agencies, not simply an amalgamation of functions. The Government has also embarked on a process of engaging the community in a far more fundamental way. Mr Martin has in his role as commissioner played a very constructive role in ensuring the process is effective. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure looks forward to working with him to achieve these outcomes for the citizens of Western Australia. Mr Martin will commence duties as Director General on 29 July 2002. Finally, we wish to thank most sincerely Mr Mike Harris for his significant contribution while acting as Director General of the department since July 2001. Mr Harris took on the challenging role of bringing together very different cultures of the Department of Transport and the Ministry for Planning for the first time, and we are most appreciative of his endeavours. Consideration of the statement made an order of the day for the next sitting, on motion by Hon Bruce Donaldson. JOHN CURTIN’S HOUSE, COTTESLOE Statement by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure HON GRAHAM GIFFARD (North Metropolitan - Parliamentary Secretary) [10.05 am]: I have another statement to make on behalf of the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. The former residence of Australia’s celebrated wartime leader, John Curtin, at 24 Jarrad Street, Cottesloe is a heritage property of national significance. It was purchased by the State in 1999 for $520 000. The Department of Land Administration acquired the property and arranged its interim management before being placed with the managing body consisting of Curtin University of Technology and the National Trust of Australia (WA). The National Trust and Curtin University agreed to accept management of the property, but needed to ensure that there were funds available to assist with the refurbishment of the house. Our Government, through DOLA, has recognised the need to make a real commitment to this important site and has contributed $73 000 to the National Trust and an additional $35 000 will be made available through the Heritage Council of Western Australia to enable the maintenance issues to be addressed. The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has requested that the National Trust provide a plan of the works to be undertaken with that money. Progress reports on the expenditure of these funds for accountability purposes will also be required. In view of the $108 000 maintenance contribution by Government to carry out essential maintenance, DOLA now anticipates it can pass management of this significant heritage property to the National Trust and Curtin University in the very near future. Consideration of the statement made an order of the day for the next sitting, on motion by Hon Bruce Donaldson. The PRESIDENT: Members, I was pleased to hear those ministerial statements on the basis that I had cause to refer to the ministry the fact that many statements were made in another place and never made their way to this place. I am pleased that we are starting to get some statements that should be made to the Chamber from time to time. [Thursday, 27 June 2002] 12145 MR IAN ALLNUTT, DEPUTY CLERK AND USHER OF THE BLACK ROD Retirement HON KIM CHANCE (Agricultural - Leader of the House) [10.08 am]: I move without notice - That this House takes this opportunity on his last day of service as an officer at the Table to place on record its sincere appreciation and thanks to Ian Allnutt, the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Council, for the dedicated and highly professional service that he has rendered to this Parliament in the past 35 years and for the unfailing personal integrity that he has maintained in the discharge of the duties of his office, and expresses the wish that he will experience good health and enjoyment of life in the years ahead. Mr President, I will speak briefly to the motion. If I can presume to speak for all of us in the House, both members and parliamentary staff, I thank Ian Allnutt very much above all else for his friendship. Members: Hear, hear! HON NORMAN MOORE (Mining and Pastoral - Leader of the Opposition) [10.09 am]: I also add to the comments of the Leader of the House. This motion is very well put together. It describes in a magnificent way the contribution that Ian Allnutt has made to this Chamber. It refers to his dedicated and highly professional service. There is no question about that. As members know, I am now called the father of the House. I have not been here anywhere near as long as Ian, but I have known him for quite a long time. When I first became a member of Parliament, Ian had been here for about 10 years, and he was very helpful and supportive of me as a new member. He and I have become very good friends over the years. We have even played a couple of games of golf together. The motion talks about Ian experiencing good health and enjoyment in his life ahead. I know that in his well-earned retirement, he will spend a lot of time on the golf course. I have every intention of joining him on as many occasions as possible. I am not quite sure, in the context of my own career, how long it will be before we can enjoy those times together. Ian has also spoken about hiring or buying a caravan and heading off to wonderful places around Australia, all of which will, of course, have a golf course. He intends to thoroughly enjoy his retirement with his family. On behalf of the Opposition, I thank Ian for a magnificent job well done. I congratulate Ian most sincerely on the work he has done for this Parliament. His sincerity and dignity have always been obvious to us all. We wish Ian a very happy retirement. I hope he gets significant enjoyment from those great things that he enjoys doing. Members: Hear, hear! HON GIZ WATSON (North Metropolitan) [10.10 am]: On behalf of the Greens (WA), I also thank Ian sincerely for the support he offered me as a new member of this place. I am sure other members join me in acknowledging that that is a very important contribution to the steep learning curve that all new members face when they join this Chamber. I join in wishing Ian all the best for his future and with whatever he does with his retirement. I hope Ian enjoys his trip, and we wish him all the very best for the future. HON PADDY EMBRY (South West) [10.11 am]: I am a very new member of a new party of this place. As such, One Nation has not had the benefit of Ian’s past experience, but he has been very helpful and considerate to us, and certainly to me in particular. I am sure that most members will be quite envious of Ian when we occasionally receive postcards from wherever he might be. We wish Ian all the best. THE PRESIDENT (Hon J.A. Cowdell): In supporting this motion from the Chair, I would like to say a few words. Speakers have referred to Ian’s integrity, dedication and, of course, his neutrality. That is all on the record. Other members have referred to the aid and support he has given to them. He has, of course, been a fount of information. Most members who have been in the Chair know of Ian’s assistance, particularly with standing orders and procedures. He has always been ready to prompt the Chair for the appropriate response or ruling and, even when the Chair did not get it right, he would indicate that Hansard would record it appropriately, and that it was done according to Hoyle.