ABORIGINAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING ...... 24648 ADJOURNMENT ...... 24693 BATHURST SIMPLOT PLANT ...... 24690 BUSHFIRE AIRCRAFT CRASH ...... 24679, 24692 BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT ...... 24682, 24691 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE ...... 24647, 24647, 24649, 24649, 24650, 24651, 24656, 24676 CENTRAL WEST JOBS ...... 24695 COBBORA COAL PROJECT ...... 24686 COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ...... 24693 COMMITTEE ON THE HEALTH CARE COMPLAINTS COMMISSION ...... 24693 FORCED ADOPTION PRACTICES ...... 24651 GET IT IN BLACK AND WHITE CAMPAIGN ...... 24683 GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS ...... 24650 HEAT-RELATED HEALTH CARE ...... 24684 HEAVY VEHICLE ROAD SAFETY ...... 24682 HOME SCHOOLING INFORMATION PACK ...... 24692 HUNTER INTERCITY RAIL SERVICE ...... 24685 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY ...... 24689 INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW ...... 24648 LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGISLATION ...... 24681 LIBRARY FUNDING ...... 24661 MACQUARIE MARSHES ...... 24688 MINING LEASES ...... 24689 MINING STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING POLICY ...... 24657 MR TREVOR MCDONALD, HANSARD STAFF MEMBER ...... 24680 NEWCASTLE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT ...... 24681 NUCLEAR POWER ...... 24696 OPERATION SLOW DOWN ...... 24686 PALLIATIVE CARE ...... 24696 PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDS OF CYPRUS STUDY TOUR ...... 24697 PARTIAL DEFENCE OF PROVOCATION ...... 24694 PENRITH PANTHERS COMMUNITY SUPPORT ...... 24648 POLICE RESOURCES ...... 24680, 24687 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE ...... 24680 RON RATHBONE LOCAL HISTORY PRIZE ...... 24647 SCULPTURE BY THE SEA...... 24683, 24691 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE AGISTMENT OF HORSES AT YARALLA ESTATE ...... 24649 SNOWY SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ...... 24691 SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT ...... 24650 SPEED CAMERAS ...... 24688, 24691 STATE BUSHFIRES ...... 24680, 24693 STATE ECONOMY ...... 24676 SYDNEY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TRAFFIC CONGESTION ...... 24687
24647
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Thursday 24 October 2013
______
The President (The Hon. Donald Thomas Harwin) took the chair at 9.30 a.m.
The President read the Prayers.
Pursuant to sessional orders Formal Business Notices of Motions proceeded with.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Formal Business Notices of Motions
Private Members' Business items Nos 1452 and 1454 outside the Order of Precedence objected to as being taken as formal business.
RON RATHBONE LOCAL HISTORY PRIZE
Motion by the Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE agreed to:
(1) That this House notes that:
(a) the 2013 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize was held on 14 September 2013;
(b) the Ron Rathbone Local History Prize aims to foster research and writing on Rockdale city local history, covering a wide range of topics on the Rockdale local government area, its buildings, organisations, residents, politicians, sportspeople, entertainers, parks, natural features and so forth;
(c) the Ron Rathbone Local History Prize awards a significant $5,000 to the author of the best piece of original research;
(d) inaugurated in 2006 to honour former mayor, Councillor and historian Ron Rathbone, OAM, this local history prize has now grown to include the Junior Ron Rathbone Local History Prize, and the winning primary school student and the winning high school student receive $500;
(e) the 2013 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize entries include:
(i) Joan Adams, "Thomas Mascord: a pioneer of the Parish of St George";
(ii) Lois Burns, "Rockdale Babies Home";
(iii) Charles Davis, "General Holmes and a man called Leitch";
(iv) Beverley Earnshaw, "Olympian Kennels: 8 Cairo Street, Rockdale, 1927-1937";
(v) David Martin, "The Rockdale Municipal Honour Roll of volunteers who served in the 1st AIF during the Great War of 1914-1918";
(vi) Karen Pentland, "The Pub on the Point: A History of a Hotel at Sandringham";
(vii) Dr Arthur White, "Rockdale's Aboriginal Past"; and
(f) the runner-up was Charles Davis, "General Holmes and a man called Leitch", and the winner was David Martin, "The Rockdale Municipal Honour Roll of volunteers who served in the 1st AIF during the Great War of 1914-1918".
(2) That this House notes the success of the Ron Rathbone Local History Prize and congratulates Rockdale City Council, the judging panel, staff and all participants on their ongoing commitment to this significant educational and historical initiative.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Formal Business Notices of Motions
Private Members' Business item No. 1539 outside the Order of Precedence objected to as being taken as formal business.
24648 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
PENRITH PANTHERS COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Motion by the Hon. MARIE FICARRA agreed to:
(1) That this House notes that:
(a) as a consequence of the bushfires in the Blue Mountains and so many homes destroyed and families displaced, Penrith Panthers through the efforts of Mr Don Feltis, Chairman of Penrith Panthers Group; Mr Warren Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Penrith Panthers; Mr Phil Gould, Penrith Panther's Executive General Manager; and Ms Sue McNeill, Chief Operating Officer of Panthers Group of Penrith Panthers are doing their all to assist in these tragic circumstances;
(b) the club is accommodating 700 firefighters and is gearing up for 1,200 firefighters to be housed and fed at the club;
(c) a mobile city has been set up, including everything fire crews need for a protracted battle, and they will be fed three meals a day by the Penrith Panthers Club free of charge;
(d) this morning Ms Sue McNeill with colleagues coordinated efforts to feed 800 firefighters; and
(e) Supervisor of State Mitigation Support Services Mr Phil Butt stated:
"The camaraderie of the crews was wonderful. It's really nice how people from so far away have become united and are working hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder for communities in need. Some crews have travelled from as far as New Zealand and Tasmania to help out."
(2) That this House:
(a) extends its sincere sympathy to those who have endured loss during the bushfires;
(b) thanks and commends the firefighters for their heroic efforts in trying to bring this catastrophic blaze, which has destroyed so many homes, under control; and
(c) commends and thanks Mr Don Feltis, Mr Warren Wilson, Mr Phil Gould, Ms Sue McNeill and all at Penrith Panthers for their selfless efforts and generosity to the community during this tragic time.
INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW
Motion by the Hon. CHARLIE LYNN agreed to:
That this House notes that:
(a) from 3 October to 11 October 2013 New South Wales hosted the International Fleet Review 2013 marking the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Royal Australian Navy Fleet Unit into Sydney Harbour on 4 October 1913;
(b) a magnificent light show on the Opera House capped a week that saw 8,000 sailors, 50 ships from 20 nations, Prince Harry, and enormous crowds gather on Sydney Harbour to commemorate the arrival of the Royal Australian Navy's first seven ships;
(c) in 1913 the battle cruiser HMAS Australia led the new fleet into Sydney Harbour, making a statement about our young nation's growing confidence and determination, and Prime Minister Joseph Cook remarked at the time that the Australian fleet was "the expression of Australia's resolve to pursue in freedom its national ideals";
(d) less than a year after sailing into Sydney, the Royal Australian Navy was at war and HMAS Sydney helped sink the German cruiser Emden off the Cocos Islands in 1914;
(e) a gun from the Emden is now a part of the memorial in Hyde Park;
(f) navy firepower is much greater now than a century ago, but the Navy's strength still depends on the willingness of Australians to leave their homes and families and put themselves in harm's way when necessary, and we should never take this for granted; and
(g) Australia is dotted with cenotaphs to those who have lost their lives in war and we should pause for a moment to reflect when we pass by, read the names, say a prayer and never forget that the liberty we enjoy today in our wonderful country has come at a great cost—Lest We Forget.
ABORIGINAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Motion by the Hon. MARIE FICARRA agreed to:
(1) That this House notes:
(a) the important role that Opportunity Hubs will play in coordinating and matching Aboriginal students' aspirations with local education, training and employment opportunities;
(b) that the NSW Department of Education and Communities is seeking expressions of interest to operate Opportunity Hubs in the communities of Tamworth and Campbelltown;
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24649
(c) that Opportunity Hubs will assess the aspirations of young Aboriginal students and match them with local opportunities in order to support them to stay at school and transition into work; and
(d) that, in addition to providing a positive link between local employers and Aboriginal students Opportunity Hubs will track the progress of students after they leave school so that the outcomes of this initiative can be monitored and evaluated.
(2) That this House acknowledges:
(a) the efforts of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon. Victor Dominello, MP, in seeking to broker partnerships between schools, employers and education providers so as to better match students to sustainable employment and promote local education, training and employment for Aboriginal students;
(b) that the initiative came out of the Aboriginal Affairs Taskforce which includes:
(i) Mr Stephen Ryan, Chair, Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations;
(ii) Mr Jason Ardler, General Manager, Aboriginal Affairs;
(iii) Mr Danny Lester, Chief Executive, Aboriginal Employment Strategy; and
(c) support from Professor Shane Houston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE AGISTMENT OF HORSES AT YARALLA ESTATE
Report: Agistment of Horses at Yaralla Estate
The Hon. Robert Borsak tabled, as Chair, a report entitled, "Agistment of Horses at Yaralla Estate", dated October 2013, together with transcripts of evidence, submissions, correspondence and answers to questions taken on notice.
Report ordered to be printed on motion by the Hon. Robert Borsak.
The Hon. ROBERT BORSAK [9.36 a.m.]: I move:
That the House take note of the report.
Debate adjourned on motion by the Hon. Robert Borsak and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Withdrawal of Business
Private Members' Business item No. 1551 outside the Order of Precedence withdrawn by the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Postponement of Business
Business of the House Notice of Motion No. 1 postponed on motion by the Hon. Mick Veitch and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
Private Members' Business item No. 8 in the Order of Precedence postponed on motion by the Hon. Mick Veitch and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
Private Members' Business item No. 9 in the Order of Precedence postponed on motion by Dr Mehreen Faruqi and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
Private Members' Business item No. 10 in the Order of Precedence postponed on motion by the Hon. Trevor Khan and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
Private Members' Business item No. 11 in the Order of Precedence postponed on motion by the Hon. Penny Sharpe, on behalf of the Hon. Steve Whan, and set down as an order of the day for a future day. 24650 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT
Motion by the Hon. DUNCAN GAY agreed to:
That this House at its rising today do adjourn until Tuesday 29 October 2013 at 2.30 p.m.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business
The Hon. MICK VEITCH [9.45 a.m.]: I move:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 1473 outside the Order of Precedence relating to an order for papers regarding executive appointments be called on forthwith.
I do not intend to take up too much time of the House. This matter has support across the Chamber. Therefore, debate will be limited.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. MICK VEITCH agreed to:
That Private Members' Business item No. 1473 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
Production of Documents: Order
The Hon. MICK VEITCH [9.46 a.m.]: I move:
That under Standing Order 52 there be laid upon the table of the House within 14 days of the date of the passing of this resolution the following documents created since 1 April 2011 in the possession, custody or control of the Premier, the Treasurer and the Department of Premier and Cabinet:
(a) any document relating or referring to the appointment of Mr Roger Massy-Greene as Chairman of Networks NSW;
(b) any document relating or referring to the appointment of Mr Chum Durvall as Chairman of Transgrid;
(c) any document relating or referring to the appointment of Mr Maurice Newman to the board of the Port Kembla Port Corporation;
(d) any document relating or referring to the appointment of Mr Nick di Girolamo to the Board of the State Water Corporation;
(e) any document relating or referring to the Register of Interests referred to in paragraph 2.6 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct;
(f) any document relating or referring to the Schedule to the Register of Interests referred to in paragraph 3.3 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct;
(g) any related Cabinet documents that do not reveal the actual deliberations of Cabinet; and
(h) any document that records or refers to the production of documents as a result of this order of the House.
As I said earlier, I do not intend to take up too much time of the House with this matter as it is a self-explanatory call for papers. The Opposition is keen to see the papers to get to the bottom of some of the executive appointments made by the Government.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY (Minister for Roads and Ports) [9.47 a.m.]: The Government supports the motion moved by the Hon. Mick Veitch because it is excited about the calibre of the people who have been appointed. For example, Chum Darvall, formerly Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank, Global Markets, 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24651
Westpac; Roger Massey-Greene, formerly mining engineer, Rio Tinto, Chair of ASX-listed Excel Coal and MD Resource Finance; Maurice Newman, formerly Chair of ASX, Chair of the ABC, Chancellor of Macquarie University.
I will compare those with appointments made by Labor in the six months before the election— 11 per cent of new board appointments were affiliated to Labor or the unions. For example, Adam Kerslake to Pillar on 14 March 2011, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Unions NSW; Steve Turner to Delta on 3 March 2011, Assistant General Secretary of the Public Service Association; Ian Murray to Eraring on 3 March 2011, General Vice President of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; and Neville Betts to Transgrid on 26 February 2011, Assistant Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union. This Government is happy to be put under scrutiny in relation to its board appointments because the comparison between now and then is stark.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. JAN BARHAM agreed to:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 1391 outside the Order of Precedence relating to forced adoption practices be called on forthwith.
Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. JAN BARHAM agreed to:
That Private Members' Business item No. 1391 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.
FORCED ADOPTION PRACTICES
Debate resumed from 17 October 2013.
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA (Parliamentary Secretary) [9.50 a.m.]: Previously in debate on this significant private member's motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham I mentioned that on 20 September 2012 this Parliament formally apologised to mothers, fathers and people adopted as children, and other family members who have suffered from the forced adoption practices of the past. Forced adoption refers to instances of adoption in Australia where children were taken from mothers against their will by the Australian State and Territory government agency, sometimes with the assistance of adoption agencies or other authorities, and adopted out to other families. Many of these adoptions occurred after the mothers were sent away by their families. Their attitudes were misguided at the time due to the stigma associated with being pregnant and unmarried. Thankfully, times have changed.
These removals occurred between approximately 1930 and 1982—52 years. In the five decades up to 1982, some young mothers were deemed to be unfit for motherhood and had their children adopted against their will. It was a practice that has been described as "institutionalised baby farming". Babies born to unmarried women were taken from them and adopted by married couples. At the time the leaders of society thought they were doing the right thing. In hindsight, we know it was wrong. Between the 1950s and 1970s, adoption had two key features: the application of a clean-break theory and the framework of closed adoption. The clean-break theory involved the removal of a baby from the mother immediately after birth, often with no contact taking place between the parent and child, which was extremely cruel. That was followed by a permanent placement of the baby with an adopting family within a period of several weeks. Closed adoption involved the sealing of the adoption records and therefore the parties to the adoption remained permanently unaware of each other's identity.
There are no precise estimates of the number of adoptions that took place in Australia, but there are feasible estimates that it was around 250,000. At that time, because of the stigma attached to being born out of wedlock and the absence of any financial support for single mothers, there was a widespread view that adopting out babies of unmarried mothers was in the best interests of the child. We now know, of course, that these 24652 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
practices had a profound negative impact. The Parliament and people of New South Wales share a determination to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. Today adoption practices are much different. Our laws acknowledge that adoption is a lifelong experience and openness and ongoing relationships between children and their birth families are encouraged wherever it is in the child's best interests.
On 19 October 2010 Western Australia became the first State in Australia to apologise for forced adoption policies of babies born to unwed mothers under the leadership of Premier Colin Barnett. On 18 July 2012 South Australia became the second State to formally apologise for forced adoption under the leadership of Premier Jay Weatherill. On 14 August 2012 the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly endorsed a formal apology, delivered by the Chief Minister, Kay Gallagher. On 20 September 2012 Premier Barry O'Farrell delivered an apology to the parents and children who were affected by past forced adoption policies and the apology was passed as a resolution of both Chambers of this Parliament. On 25 October 2012 Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and the Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews delivered an apology for forced adoption practices on behalf of the Victorian Parliament. Other governments announced their intentions to deliver their apologies. On 6 August 2012 Tasmania announced that it would present a formal apology over forced adoption policies.
On 23 August 2012 the Queensland Government announced that it would deliver an apology through the Parliament of Queensland. Therefore, the Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction not to apologise or to announce a forthcoming apology. We hope that it revisits this issue. On 21 March 2013 then Prime Minister Julia Gillard apologised on behalf of the Australian Federal Parliament. This was an historic apology by the Commonwealth Government in recognition of its role in the forced adoption policies. On the day the resolution was passed in this Parliament it was quite moving to have a mother, Lyn, who sat in the other place, as a representative of mothers whose children had been adopted. She read a moving poem describing her own traumatic experiences after her son was forcibly adopted. In accordance with the resolution of Wednesday, 19 September 2012, Lyn was admitted, addressed the House and then withdrew. The Premier then moved:
(1) this House acknowledges the traumatic effect of the forced adoption practices of the past that have echoed through the lives of tens of thousands of mothers, fathers, people adopted as children and their families; and
(2) all members of this House, with profound sadness and remorse, say to those living with the ongoing grief and pain of forced adoption practices that we are sorry.
The motion was seconded by Mr John Robertson, the Leader of the Opposition, and supported by Minister Pru Goward, and Opposition spokesperson Barbara Perry. The question was put and carried unanimously. A similar forced adoption apology was given in this place on Thursday, 20 September 2012. The Hon. Michael Gallacher, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, moved:
(a) this House acknowledges the traumatic effect of the forced adoption practices of the past that have echoed through the lives of tens of thousands of mothers, fathers, people adopted as children and their families; and
(b) all members of this House, with profound sadness and remorse, say to those living with the ongoing grief and pain of forced adoption practices, that we are sorry.
This motion was moved by the Hon. Michael Gallacher, with the support of the Hon. Jan Barham, who has moved today's private members' motion, and Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile, who addressed the House on the motion. Members will remember that we stood in silence for one minute in affirmation of this historic event, an acknowledgment of this apology. The motion was passed unanimously. At the time, the media reported that a lot of members of Parliament wept, along with scores of women in the public gallery. The public gallery in the other place was packed.
It was a very emotional day when the historic motion of apology to tens of thousands of people traumatised by forced adoptions was moved. At one time, forced adoption was sanctioned by governments, churches, hospitals, charities and the bureaucratic system. To the mostly young and single mothers involved, forced adoption was like abduction or kidnapping of their children. They have lived with that pain and, subsequently, their children have lived with that pain. It has been shared amongst their family and friends. Sometimes there is not only pain at the removal but also guilt at having allowed it to happen.
In an echo of former Prime Minister Rudd's 2008 apology to the Stolen Generations, the day when the forced adoption motion was moved has become a day of pain, remembrance, courage, healing and hope for the estimated 150,000 Australian babies born between the 1950s and 1970s who were taken from their mothers. It is a great honour to support the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham before the House today. The Government is committed to helping those people affected by forced adoption practices and it have undertaken a number of practical measures to this end. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24653
Information and mediation services are now provided by the Adoption Information Unit of the Department of Community Services. We have streamlined access to records held by the Department of Community Services. We have abolished the fees associated with getting the authority to access information from other organisations. Fees for adoption information services provided by the department have also been removed. The Post Adoption Resource Centre, funded by the department and operated by the Benevolent Society, provides information and a range of support services for adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents and others affected by adoption. We have provided funding to Link-up (NSW) Aboriginal Corporation, International Social Service and the Special Search Service to assist people to find birth family members from whom they have been separated.
On September 2012, the New South Wales Government announced an increase in funding of up to $900,000 over three years for the Post Adoption Resource Centre, with an expanded service to regional areas. Following its apology earlier this year, the Commonwealth Government announced $11.5 million in funding for improved access to a range of support services and to improve training for mental health professionals to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and care of those affected by forced adoption practices. This will further enhance the supports we have in place in New South Wales.
This Government will continue to work constructively with counterparts in other States and with the Commonwealth Government, through the Standing Council on Community, Housing and Disability Services, to progress national initiatives where resources permit. I can also inform the House that the Commonwealth Government has committed funding of $1.5 million over three years for the National Archives of Australia to deliver an exhibition to increase awareness of the experiences of individuals affected by forced adoption practices and a website to share stories of forced adoption practices. The New South Wales Parliament remains committed to improving the lives of those affected by past practices of forced adoption through the provision of ongoing information, counselling and support services. I commend the Hon. Jan Barham for her motion. This is a vital social issue and it has received the attention it deserves.
The Hon. LYNDA VOLTZ [10.03 a.m.]: I speak in support of this motion. It is commendable that the New South Wales and Federal governments, and governments around the world, have acknowledged the hurt that forced adoptions have caused mothers who have lost the children. Quite often they were young women, not much older than girls. They often did not get to see their children and did not know where their children had gone. They were told that it was the best thing for their child. With hindsight, that was a heinous practice.
As we now know, the best interests of the child would have been better served by allowing them to stay with their mothers. Had there been support services available and a broader community view, these practices, along with a wide range of others, might not have taken place. I refer to the removal of Aboriginal children and the incarceration of people who had different lifestyles or were homeless. These things belong in the past, but we should not forget them. That is why the acknowledgement is important. We should ensure that they never occur again. We must remain a society that is more understanding and compassionate than it was to those women, who did not know the fate of their children. The children never understood why they had been taken away from their mothers. They were often quite angry about it. Some have been unable since to reconcile with their parents, even though their parents were not at fault in any way.
I commend the Hon. Jan Barham for moving this motion. I acknowledge the idea of a memorial to commemorate the apology and the effect that forced adoption has had on women. We have memorials for workers who have died or been injured in the workplace, for returned service personnel and for firefighters. People need a place where they can go and seek solace for the actions of the past. Memorials play an important role in providing that solace to people. Memorials acknowledge that what happened to them was not in their best interests, or in the best interests of the State—and certainly not in the best interests of the children.
Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [10.07 a.m.]: On behalf of the Christian Democratic Party, I am pleased to support this motion dealing with forced adoption practices. As members know, on Thursday 20 September 2012 the New South Wales State Government delivered a State apology for forced adoption practices. We had a debate in this House. I strongly supported the apology on that occasion, as did all other members of this House. The Hon. Jan Barham's motion also acknowledges the action of the Commonwealth Government for its delivery of a national apology on Thursday, 21 March 2013. Thus all the other State and Territory governments of Australia have now either delivered or announced their intention to deliver an apology to those affected by forced adoption practices. Paragraph (2) of the motion states:
That this House acknowledges that offering apologies for an injustice is an essential step toward reconciliation and reparation, but that apology must be followed by ongoing efforts to recognise the harms caused and to provide support to those affected.
24654 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
It is one thing for the House to pass motions of apology or regret, but there also need to be actions to show the individuals who were forced to go through forced adoption—the mothers and children—that the House has gone further than simply rhetoric. Paragraph (3) (a) of the motion states:
(3) That this House calls on the Government to:
(a) establish an annual Day of Recognition of Forced Adoption Practices;
Observing an annual day of recognition would keep this issue before both the Parliament and the people of New South Wales. Obviously it would also help relieve some of the pain experienced by those who had to endure forced adoptions. Paragraph (3) (b) raises another important way of recognising the harmfulness of forced adoption practices. It states:
(b) construct a public memorial to commemorate the apology to those affected by forced adoption practices in New South Wales; and
This proposition is not an unusual one. We do have various memorials. Some weeks ago I attended a service down near Darling Harbour at the memorial to workers who have died at the workplace. Obviously that is particularly promoted by Unions NSW, but I attend that memorial service each year at that memorial. Again, that helps the relatives of those workers who have died, in particular their wives and children. That is a good example of the impact of a public memorial. It can help to relieve some of the pain and suffering.
I fully support a public memorial being established at some suitable location. I do not know whether the Hon. Jan Barham actually has a location in mind, but there may be some symbolic location that would tie in with the actual issue of forced adoption practices. I know there were certain buildings, which would have been in medical establishments, where these forced adoptions took place. One was in East Sydney. It may be that one of those locations linked with forced adoptions could be the place for a memorial to be located. The motion also calls for further collating of information. Paragraph (3) (c) calls on the Government to:
(c) develop information resources and a communications strategy to raise public awareness of past forced adoption practices and the traumatic effects of forced adoptions, and to highlight the support services available to those affected by forced adoption practices.
I fully support that very positive aspect of this motion. But we need to make certain that in no way are we criticising adoptions per se. Adoptions are very important in our society for those couples, particularly married couples, who for various reasons cannot conceive a child but who would love to have a child. They put their names down to adopt a child—there are thousands of couples who are suitable to be adoptive parents—but there are not many babies put up for adoption.
I have raised this issue on other occasions. It is a tragedy. I think the Hon. Tony Abbott called it a tragedy that we still have up to 100,000 abortions a year, which is one of the reasons why there are no babies for adoption. So we need to separate the value of adoptions from the forced adoption practices of the past, which thankfully now no longer occur. In an article issued by the Department of Social Work and Human Services at James Cook University, Dr Susan Gair stated:
From the 1950s, babies of unmarried women were labelled illegitimate and, as such, the women were deemed "unfit" to mother. These young women could best serve society and themselves, they were told, if they relinquished their child for adoption. Then they could "get on" with their lives.
This was a common attitude at that time. She goes on to say:
Adoption was upheld as the only option for these women because of a lack of financial and other support, and the stigma associated with illegitimacy and motherhood out of wedlock.
Dr Gair continues:
Many of the women were young, vulnerable and experiencing personal crises. They were not informed of any legal rights to keep the child, and were made to feel inadequate, immoral and undeserving when it came to raising their own babies.
Furthermore:
Birth mothers were silenced when it came to speaking out about their hidden pregnancies, their treatment during the birth— which was frightening and traumatic—and their grief after losing their child.
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24655
That helps to bring home the emotional trauma that the young women, who were unmarried and pregnant, went through. There were various ways in which the pregnancy was covered up. Often the young girl was sent away to have the baby—for example, from Sydney to Adelaide, or to the country. There was a sense of shame that the daughter had allowed herself to become pregnant. We need to understand the trauma that these mothers went through when they had their baby removed from them. Sometimes they were not even allowed to see the baby. It is very important that the Parliament, as we are doing now, acknowledges the situation through this motion. In the book written by Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, it states:
Perhaps there is nothing that tests our proactive capacity as much as saying, "I'm sorry", to another person. If your security is based on your image or your position or on being right, to apologise is like draining all the juice from your ego. It wipes you out. It pushes every one of your human gifts to its limit.
We know the impact of the apology to the Stolen Generations made in the Federal Parliament by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. I was privileged to actually be in the House of Representatives when he moved that motion as a guest of a Federal member of Parliament. He said:
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
We have an obligation to apologise, which in turn gives opportunity for forgiveness. As it says in the Bible:
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ... and forgiving one another ...
I conclude with this prayer for all those who have suffered from the immense emotional, psychological and physical impact of forced adoptions:
May God heal your body and your soul May your pain cease May your strength increase May your fears be released May blessings, love, and joy surround you, now and forever. Amen
The Hon. PAUL GREEN [10.19 a.m.]: I thank the young ladies from Canterbury Girls High School. One was checking out what time it was this morning. I think she was meant to be at school but she seemed very happy to be at Parliament serving us a very good, balanced breakfast in the way of sausages and pink muffins!
Mr Scot MacDonald: That is too much for you, Paul.
The Hon. PAUL GREEN: Yes, it was too much. I thank you both for your time today. It is great to see you investing your time to help raise funds for research into breast cancer. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and your school is held in high regard because of your volunteering. I speak on behalf of the Christian Democratic Party on this motion on forced adoptions. More than 50 years ago many women experienced the trauma of forced adoptions. We hear many numbers and statistics in this Chamber; sometimes we need to hear stories. I will put a name to one of those statistics. Angela Barra was born in 1967, just a year out from when I was born. Angela does not want the details of her conception shared publicly but, like many other unwed mothers of that decade, Angela's mother was forced to give her up for adoption moments after her birth. Angela said of her mother:
She was treated abysmally, when you hear her story. And it's really not my story to tell ...
But I will tell you she went back for me and she was told that I was adopted. She didn't even know about the 30-day period where you could actually go back and get your child. She just did it because she wanted her baby.
Angela went on to say, in her warm-hearted, self-deprecating way:
I have two different conflicting adoption dates. So I'm not really sure when I was adopted. But I think it was about $5 they paid for me ...
I think a lot of people think that adoption trauma happened to the mother at the hospital. But adoption trauma also happened to the adoptee.
And there are many adoptees out there struggling to come to terms with who they are.
24656 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
Angela believes that more specific counselling services sensitive to the unique experiences of mothers forced to adopt their babies and the adoptees themselves are needed. She said:
That to me is having people such as myself working with professionals around forced adoption. It's important that we have people like myself working with professionals so that they get an authentic understanding and we need those specialised support networks out there.
It wasn't until my involvement in the Senate Enquiry that I tried to make contact and search for my natural mum [for the second time]. I found her and she got involved in the Senate Enquiry. She came to Canberra for the handing down of the report into the findings, which was a monumental and emotional experience. And a real bonding experience for us.
I know that Mum, my natural mum, has got her power back now. You can tell. Now that she understands that it wasn't just her. And she has support groups out there and that there are other women that experienced what she experienced.
For every mother who was forced to have her child adopted, there is a child who is now an adult coming to terms with who they are. The echoes of forced adoption cannot be ignored. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye. I note that other members have spoken about the formal apology offered by the Federal Government in March this year. I will read a quote by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard during the formal apology that resonated with me. She said:
Today, this Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, takes responsibility and apologises for the policies and practices that forced the separation of mothers from their babies, which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering.
I cannot begin to fathom the effect that forced adoption had on young mothers who were simply told, "You are not good enough," so I will not go into detail on that sentiment except to say that the scenario of separating mother from child in such a cold way should never happen again.
Debate adjourned on motion by the Hon. Paul Green and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM [10.24 a.m.]: I move:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 1420 outside the Order of Precedence relating to amendments to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy be called on forthwith.
It is fortunate that we have the opportunity to debate this motion today considering the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy [SEPP] that the O'Farrell Government has announced. I hope that members will support me to bring on this motion by contingency. There is community interest for a debate on this policy. The details and impacts of the policy are pertinent and relevant today, and the community would benefit greatly from a debate on the issue. This motion should be debated today so that we can urgently address the key issues outlined in it.
The Hon. MATTHEW MASON-COX (Parliamentary Secretary) [10.26 a.m.]: The Government does not oppose urgency at this time.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM agreed to:
That Private Members' Business item No. 1420 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24657
MINING STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING POLICY
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM [10.27 a.m.]: I move:
(1) That this House notes:
(a) that the Government announced amendments to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy on 19 February that, if gazetted, would prohibit coal seam gas mining on horse studs and wineries, and within two kilometres of some residential areas;
(b) that until gazetted the amendments provide no protection to residents in Western Sydney, the Southern Highlands, Gloucester, the Hunter Valley, the Northern Rivers or any other area covered by exploration licences;
(c) that the Premier said that these amendments would be in place within six weeks, and it is now six months since this announcement; and
(d) that the community wants certainty in ensuring protection from coal seam gas mining, and wants the State environmental planning policy exclusion zones extended to prohibit coal seam gas mining on agricultural land, water catchments and sensitive environmental places.
(2) That this House calls on the Government to:
(a) gazette these amendments to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy with provisions that:
(i) extend the State environmental planning policy to include other unconventional gas exploration, such as shale and tight sands;
(ii) impose two-kilometre exclusion zones around all residences in New South Wales, not just urban areas;
(iii) prohibit unconventional gas mining on agricultural land, water catchments and sensitive environmental places;
(iv) remove loopholes that allow councils to opt out of its provisions; and
(b) initiate a Royal commission to investigate the grant and operation of petroleum titles as well as the regulation of the coal seam gas industry under the Petroleum (Onshore) Act.
I thank the House for clearing the decks to allow this important motion to be debated. It is recognition by the Government that this is the most important business in the community to be considered by the House. It is an extremely serious issue. When I came into this place the first motion I placed on the Notice Paper congratulated the O'Farrell Government on taking a policy to the State election in which it committed to develop—as the Government put it—a balance between mining, agriculture, environment and other land uses through its Strategic Regional Land Use Policy planning instrument.
As an important addendum to that planning instrument, the Premier foreshadowed the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy and announced it in March this year. I welcomed that wholeheartedly. I thought that to create exclusion zones for coal seam gas seemed a reasonable proposal. The suggestion that there would be acknowledged areas where coal seam gas was unsafe seemed reasonable. It was prudent, applied the precautionary principle and created certainty in the community. It became clear from my discussions with the community in south-west Sydney and the Wollondilly area that people living in those large residential areas did not know that the AGL development had been operating in south-west Sydney and were concerned at the proposed northern expansion of the development. I point to other areas, such as Fullerton Cove near Newcastle, which is incredibly important in terms of the Tomago sand bed aquifers. The Mining State Environmental Planning Policy [SEPP], as it was announced with exclusion zones, provided some certainty to those communities.
Last year I travelled to the United States where I saw how regulators in different jurisdictions addressed unconventional gas. It would horrify most members and the community to see unfettered development as it occurs in the United States. I am very pleased that we have stepped back from that free-for-all. In the United States there really are no no-go zones. In the heart of central business districts, adjacent to sports parks, within residential development and within high-density development there is coal seam gas, shale gas and tight sand gas development. It is completely inappropriate and unsafe. The surrounding areas become polluted from a lot of traffic movement, noise, chemical use and all the things associated with a large heavy industry. Gas development occurs outside banks and near soccer ovals, in the museum district of Fort Worth and the Hooters car park.
Everywhere I went in every part of the community there are coal seam gas developments. The community did not get a say because in the United States a different regulatory regime applies whereby the 24658 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
resources and assets are owned by an individual, not by the Crown or the State. The first that people learn of an unconventional gas industry comes from a knock on the door and someone saying, "We'd like to give you some money for some gas." People say, "What gas?" They say, "The gas that is 800 metres below the ground. We'll send you a cheque for X amount each year." The people say, "That sounds fantastic." But they do not know that they are signing up for so much more: the infrastructure, the compressor stations, the CO2 scrubbers—
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: The roads.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: —the roads, the power stations, the water pipelines and the high-voltage transmission lines. I urge all members to consider travelling to the United States to look at the scale of the gas developments.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: We have.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: Yes, we have. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps cannot say that the Argyle-Kenya gas field and compressor stations are a small, inconsequential development. That is a large heavy industry—indeed, a factory by any standards. No doubt it provides economic benefits, but it has an impact on the amenity of the community, as does any development.
The Hon. Rick Colless: Wind farms.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: Wind farms, et cetera. Exclusion zones are a good concept but, unfortunately, it is not clear whether they apply to all infrastructure associated with all unconventional gas. The policy in relation to exclusion zones does not mention shale or tight sands and does not deal with pipelines and compressor stations. I ask members to look at what happens when a high-pressure pipeline explodes: a video on YouTube shows a high-pressure pipeline explosion in the United States. Firefighters cannot get within two kilometres of a high-pressure gas pipeline when it bursts and catches on fire. All they can do is wait for it to burn out. If we allow a spider-web pattern of coal seam gas wells to develop across our nation through all types of terrain, including some of the most remote and fire-prone areas in this country—
Mr Scot MacDonald: Like in Sydney at the moment.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: Like the Pilliga. Government members should acknowledge that when hot north-westerly winds blow and the Pilliga forest is on fire, fire crews are not sent there. Government members who know anything about bushfire management in western New South Wales understand that the Pilliga is not the place to send a fire crew. The risk associated with coal seam gas from the flaring of wells is enormous. Mistakes happen.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Wells are not flared. They are only flared at the stage when they are research wells.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: They are flared.
The Hon. Lynda Voltz: Point of order: It is difficult for the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham to make his speech while the Government Whip constantly interjects. The Hon. Jeremy Buckingham is speaking at the lectern where the microphone is not working. It would make it much easier for Hansard if members ceased interjecting.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: To the point of order: When the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham is spouting such demonstrable untruths, it is very hard for me to resist interjecting in order to correct him and set him on the right path.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps has been warned many times not to make debating points when responding to or taking points of order. While interjections are disorderly at all times, nevertheless they sometimes add to the debate. However, when interjections disrupt a speaker and limit the capacity of the speaker to make a cogent argument, they are particularly disorderly. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps will remember that when he interjects, and the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham will remember that when he responds to interjections.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: Thank you, Mr President, for your ruling. I will return to my cogent argument. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24659
The PRESIDENT: Order! In making that general observation, I was not applying it specifically to the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham's speech. He should not try to verbal the President.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: I apologise, Mr President. I will return to my argument. As I said, the concept of exclusion zones is a good one and should be applied to other areas. Water catchments should be the first cab off the rank. How can we say to our community that the special catchment areas of Sydney need regulation and laws to protect them—and rightly so, as they protect the drinking water of 4.5 million people—and apply a test of "no harm" or "benefit" to activities, thereby ruling out trail-bike riding, birdwatching, walking—
The Hon. Paul Green: Twitching?
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: —twitching and other activities that could be described as minimal activity, and yet allow exploration licences in those catchment areas? In the past 2½ years the community has learnt that one-third of the State is covered by petroleum exploration licences. I know that some of those licences are longstanding, but some are highly valuable assets with massive implications for development, amenity, strategic planning and the future of a region. Initially, many people in the community were not involved in their creation. The key point is that those licences have been transferred. I reiterate for the record my concern about the activities of AGL at the Vale of Gloucester. I am greatly concerned at the probity surrounding the transfer of that AGL petroleum exploration licence [PEL].
It is remiss of me, but I cannot remember the number of that petroleum exploration licence because there are so many. However, the petroleum exploration licence was transferred from Pacific Power to AJ Lucas and then to AGL. The licence is worth billions of dollars. That licence, created by the State Government and for which it received $1,500, was handed on for a few million dollars—the exact amount has not been revealed— and as part of a deal with AGL, AJ Lucas was able to on-sell the licence for $370 million.
The Hon. Rick Colless: Which State Government was that?
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: The former Labor State Government, overseen by the Hon. Ian Macdonald and the Hon. Eddie Obeid. Those names should cause concern. We need to reassure the community of the probity of these licence transfers, petroleum or mining. That is why this motion calls for a royal commission review. The Government, in order to get its house in order and to give certainty to the community, must undertake root-and-branch reform of the mining and petroleum Acts. I am not opposed to mining. I worked in an industry dependent on mining: the first mining industry, stonemasonry. I have worked as a quarryman and I understand that we impact our environment to create the resources we need. There is no doubt about that, but it has to be done in a responsible way. Governments and miners are recognising that they have to create a responsible mining framework. I refer to item No. 753 on the Notice Paper, which is my responsible mining bill to implement a responsible mining framework. We have to have mining, but it must be done in a responsible, measured—
Mr Scot MacDonald: Sustainable.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: —and sustainable way. Sustainable is the issue. It has to be recognised that mining is unsustainable. It is a finite resource and often single use. We have to move to a cradle-to-cradle situation where we re-use our resources and mine in a way that protects our most important resources, such as agriculture and the environment, and provides ecosystem services. We cannot displace or diminish one industry for the sake of another, especially when one is finite and not long term. I give the example of vineyards. The vineyard and tourism industry in the Hunter Valley is worth billions of dollars. It has operated in the region for close to 200 years.
Mining is one of the longest, most sustainable industries in Australia and provides a huge amount of added value. It is an industry that provides high-quality products—which honourable members on the other side enjoy far too much, or some of them do. The Strategic Regional Land Use Plan and the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy [SEPP] fail by taking a Swiss cheese approach to those areas. Those areas are not excluded. Mining companies have been ruled out of the exclusion zones if they own a vineyard. That is wrong. The water quality and visual amenity of those areas are enormously important. The thoroughbred breeding industry—
The Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox: But you are happy to put wind farms on them. 24660 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: I think a wind farm would be utterly inappropriate in the middle of the Hunter Valley. I place that on the record. It would be completely inappropriate.
The Hon. Rick Colless: So you disagree with the Scone wind farm?
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: Not the Scone wind farm. The Scone wind farm is clearly not within that critical industry cluster. It is not underneath or adjacent to Coolmore Stud. It is not putting at risk the water quality or the health of the community in that area or impacting on industries that will serve us for hundreds of years to come. This exclusion zone policy has major flaws. We cannot have a Swiss cheese system with opt-out provisions for councils. That poses an enormous corruption risk, as we can see from the pressure coming to bear on councils in north-west New South Wales when mining companies turn up with offers to build a Rural Fire Service station or sponsor the local football stadium.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: They build roads, they build bridges.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: It is from the playbook that the mining industry has used for generations: turn up, employ the mayor's son—
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: They build infrastructure—how terrible.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: They build the Rural Fire Service station and offer those trinkets to the council. But when it comes to the money, it is a very poor offering. They can opt out of the exclusion zones; they can opt out and opt in. They should not be able to do that. There should be one rule for a piece of land. It creates enormous corruption risks in local government. When we are talking about billions of dollars of development and an industry with very deep pockets—Santos, AGL, $10 billion companies, some of the biggest companies in this country—
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: You hate companies that make a profit.
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: I have no problem with companies profiting, but not at the expense of communities, not at the expense of democracy, not at the expense of other industries and not at the expense of our environment. That is what this issue is about. We need root-and-branch reform and a royal commission review into the creation of these licences and the probity of their transfer. We need a planning system that has integrity and will sustain our communities for the next 50 years, not until the next election cycle. This system has fallen flat.
The vignerons, the thoroughbred breeders, the people in Western Sydney, anyone who drinks water— and there are a few around, although not as many opposite as we would hope—are impacted. People want their water catchments protected. As we move into drought, which is inevitable in this country as the cycle comes around, the issue of water quality and quantity will not go away. The Mining State Environmental Planning Policy does not go far enough. It does not deliver for the people of New South Wales. Exclusion zones should be extended and a systematic review undertaken through a royal commission in order to restore faith and integrity to mining in New South Wales.
Debate adjourned on motion by the Hon. Lynda Voltz and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. JAN BARHAM agreed to:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Member's Business item No. 1422 outside the Order of Precedence relating to the Public Library Grants and Subsidies program be called on forthwith.
Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. JAN BARHAM agreed to:
That Private Member's Business item No. 1422 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24661
LIBRARY FUNDING
The Hon. JAN BARHAM [10.48 a.m.]: I move:
(1) That this House notes that:
(a) libraries are a fundamental part of the educational and cultural vibrancy of community;
(b) libraries provide life learning and opportunities for social interaction;
(c) under the terms of the Library Act 1939 the State Library of New South Wales administers the Government's Public Library Grants and Subsidies program, which provides funding on an annual basis to local authorities to assist in the provision of public library services throughout New South Wales;
(d) Arts NSW via State cultural institutions manages significant cultural heritage collections and provides services and programs throughout the State, and together these institutions provide a unique and irreplaceable archive of the State's history and contemporary culture; and
(e) the Library Act 1939 and the library regulation state that:
(i) "State and Local Government authorities work collaboratively together to enable public libraries in New South Wales to meet the evolving needs and demands of the community";
(ii) the age of a collection is a key consideration when determining the adequacy of a public library;
(iii) the Library Council of NSW "Age of Collections" standards state that at least 49 per cent of the collection has been purchased in the last five years and 90 per cent of the collection has been purchased in the last 10 years; and
(iv) the size of a public library's collection should respond to the changing and growing size of a community.
(2) That this House notes that:
(a) in 1939 New South Wales councils were eligible for a subsidy from the Government for the provision of library services, and under section 13 (2) (b) of the original Library Act 1939 the subsidy was set at one shilling per resident within the council area;
(b) in 1952 the subsidy rate under the Library Act was set at one shilling and sixpence per resident within a council area;
(c) in 1979-80, $8,478,905 was spent by the Government on public library services while total local government expenditure in 1980 was $27,517,031;
(d) in 2010-11 expenditure by local government on public library services was $314,284,780, whereas expenditure by the Government was $25,538,000, which includes $2 million for the Country Library Fund; and
(e) from 1979-80 to 2010-11 the percentage of funding provided by local government to public libraries increased from 74.6 per cent of the total funding on an annual basis to 92.5 per cent, while Government funding decreased from 23.6 per cent to 7.5 per cent on an annual basis.
(3) That this House calls on the Government to:
(a) review the subsidy rate of $1.85 prescribed in the Library Regulation 2010 and index the subsidy rate to the consumer price index [CPI]; and
(b) review restoring Government funding for public libraries from the current 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent.
It gives me great pleasure to bring before the House a motion relating to libraries, as I know libraries have strong support from all members. This is an opportunity for members to recall experiences and memories and reminiscence about their early childhood and education. Very often, the inspiration for members ending up in this place was their relationship and interaction with libraries and important people in their lives, some of whom were librarians, teachers and others who encouraged them to spend time in libraries, even if it was at lunchtime and they were there for reasons other than their academic progress.
My motion states that libraries are a fundamental part of the educational and cultural vibrancy of community, providing lifelong learning and opportunities for social interaction. People's perceptions are changing about libraries because libraries as we know them are changing. People used to go to libraries for the quiet environment and for studying, but their function and structure have now changed. The old-fashioned place for quiet reflection and study has turned into one of community vibrancy with discussion, interaction, and sometimes performance and exhibitions: In contrast to that, individual rooms now provide space for quiet and reflection. 24662 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
Libraries are the first point of call to engage with others, and to learn or gain information about rights, responsibilities and opportunities within local, State or Federal governments. The motion is moved because funding for local government library services has been devalued. In 1979-80 State Government funding through the Ministry of Arts was 23.6 per cent of overall funding for maintenance of library services, but that has been reduced to 7.5 per cent—again reflecting further cost shifting. This is disappointing because libraries have become more vibrant in whole-of-community engagement and interaction, and in delivering services and information from all government levels. The Australian Library and Information Association issued a telling media release entitled "Libraries: a better investment than gold" in response to a report from an independent firm of economists who found that:
Australia's public libraries deliver benefits that are worth nearly three times the cost of running them—a fact that will come as no surprise to Australia's 10 million registered library users.
The report, "National Welfare and Economic Contributions of Australian Public Libraries", prepared on behalf of the Australian Library and Information Association by SGS Economics and Planning and available online, states that libraries deliver $3.20 in benefits to communities for every dollar spent. Libraries now perform more than just the traditional function of housing reference books; they have become more varied places of education, learning and community interaction. Funding libraries is important to me because of my experience when the benefits of selling an old library building were not realised in delivering a new library development to my community. It took approximately 15 years before suitable land was found on which to provide a new library. Most people know that over the past two decades properties in my home area of Byron Bay have become so expensive that they now are out of the reach of local government.
Only through the generous gesture of the local Aboriginal people, the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung nation, was a prominent piece of Byron Bay land made available to the community in appreciation and recognition of the importance of libraries. The particular land was part of the Arakwal people's Indigenous Land Use Agreement negotiated with the State Government. Its prominent location in the centre of Byron Bay will expose this brand new library to the town's many visitors as an example of a strong place within the community. This new library building also has an adjoining gallery, which I was pleased to open formally in March. It is an important place from which the Arakwal people can provide information about their journey as early residents and the Indigenous Land Use Agreement process and also hold meetings.
The building also has available two meeting places for community use, including for seniors learning, and space for courses from Southern Cross University or community colleges to enhance library activities. Yesterday's debate on the Skills Board Bill highlighted that much-appreciated and needed fine arts courses have been lost from educational facilities on the North Coast. Libraries not only provide learning but also education and training opportunities. That the State Government is denying additional funding to local government to meet community expectations from their public libraries prompted me to write to all New South Wales councils requesting information on how and at what cost financial services were provided for the past 10 years, or earlier.
I have been amazed at the incredible response. Information has been provided about previous funds under the formula that delivered the 23.6 per cent overall funding required to maintain library services. I have presented to the House many petitions detailing that the reduction in library funding to 7.5 per cent of overall funding is hurting local government. Libraries are one of the most important services of local government. As the National Welfare and Economic Contributions of Public Libraries report states, libraries are of great financial, cultural, social and educational benefit to local communities.
We only have to think about how some people are unable to engage with education and social practices, and other possibilities in the community. The library is a safe place for them to gather and meet like-minded people or to find out what is going on in their local community or further afield. Computer courses for seniors are not just to link people with their families. Some people think seniors are studying computer courses so that they can learn how to use Facebook and Skype to connect with their family. In my local library a lot of people are engaging with the world on the internet. They are joining in conversations with people in Australia and in other parts of the world via Skype; they are accessing information that is available on the worldwide web. People in our community are using the library to learn not just about their local community but also the world.
It is disappointing that government has not fulfilled a commitment to deliver funding to local government to meet this important social need. Many councils are feeling the pinch. We hear that local government is finding it hard to deliver infrastructure. The fact that in some cases it is providing up to an 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24663
extra million dollars to fund library services is a big issue. There is no way that local government will reduce services to the community. It has been tried a number of times and the community outcry was enormous. There is a broad range of community members who will stand strong, protest and lobby their councillors because they know that libraries offer much-needed important services. Libraries provide a safe place for people to gather, be informed and undertake various activities, whether they are social, educational, recreational or cultural. Paragraph 2 (d) of my motion states:
In 2010-11 expenditure by local government on public library services was $314,284,780, whereas expenditure by the Government was $25,538,000.
Local government is contributing a huge magnitude of funding to local library services compared to the amount the State Government is contributing, which reflects the change in the percentage that has been made available. My motion is primarily asking the Government to consider recommitting, and hopefully resolving to recommit, a level of funding that flows on to local government to provide library services to local communities. People thought that the introduction of technology would lead to the demise of local libraries: It is quite the contrary. We have seen a change—a growing number of people in the community are using libraries. Each year it is estimated that the number of people who become members of their local library increases by 10 per cent. I suspect that is because libraries offer so much more than they have previously and that access to information goes well beyond books on shelves. The Government should recognise that. Libraries connect people to the world and create an important point of contact for communities.
The Government also utilises library services and could do much more to make information available. That might be something the Government considers when it is deciding whether its funding of libraries is worthwhile. I suggest the Government reflects on the services offered by local libraries, such as dissemination of information and opportunities for workshops. The Government should take into account the information available from libraries when it considers whether to review library funding. The Library Act 1939 and its regulations identify that funding was meant to be reviewed every five years for the purpose of adjusting inflation so that the value of the contribution was not eroded. That did not happen.
Therefore, the funding the State Government provides to local communities has reduced incrementally. The report entitled, "National Welfare and Economic Contributions to Public Libraries" identifies the value of funding. Economists have given the Government reasons to regard library funding as a strong and important investment for all communities across the State: A $3.20 return on every dollar spent is a good investment. I have asked questions in estimates committees on this issue. Mr George Souris agreed that my assumption that funding had diminished was correct. I hope the Government will recognise that failure to provide support as an oversight.
I have had meetings with relevant organisations involved in the local government sector and I am pleased that they have shown a strong interest in library funding. The NSW Metropolitan Public Libraries Association has been involved in a review of reforming public library funding. A public call for submissions was not made, but the association made a direct submission to the Government. Despite my desire to have a copy of that submission, it has not been made available. The submission would be a valuable document. It would give us an opportunity to learn the careful and considered review the association undertook and the information that it presented to encourage the Government to urgently review and increase its funding allocation.
There is a strong argument for funding and plenty of evidence to support it. If every member of Parliament asked his or her community if there was one area they would support for an increase in funding, libraries would come out on top. They are used by a broad cross-section of the community and are much loved by the community. The dividends show the investment is worthwhile. The creation of safe places to learn and cultural places that benefit our community is well known by all members, particularly those who have spent time in local government. This is a valuable investment that the Government should reflect on because the failure to maintain a level of support has been an oversight. My motion calls for library funding to be reviewed and for an endorsement of increased funding for local libraries.
Mr SCOT MacDONALD [11.08 a.m.]: I speak to the motion on public libraries moved the Hon. Jan Barham. I understand that the Government is generally sympathetic to the motion, but possibly not to some of the funding that it calls for. I congratulate the mover of the motion. There is a lot of genuine and heartfelt sympathy for libraries in her part of the world and for regional libraries in general, and that was obvious in the wording of her motion and in her lengthy speech. I congratulate the mover of the motion from that perspective. I did not contribute to the first debate on libraries. I was overawed by the extent of the debate and by the 24664 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
contributions of members. I did not feel I could add anything more. I have since got over that, and I now feel prepared to make a submission on libraries in general. I am getting a lot of help from members, but I will plough on regardless.
We have to live within our means, and that is a feature of this Government. Of course we would like to put more money towards libraries. All regional members in this House recognise that libraries outside the major centres are an important social asset. I would like the indulgence of the House to mention three libraries I have been associated with. The first is the Guyra library, a place in which my children grew up, to some extent, and were inculcated with reading and access to books. That was a great start to their education. The second is the Griffith library. I have had some use for that the brilliant library that was built not long ago. In a place like Griffith, a town of about 23,000, the library is very much a social hub of the region and a place where all the cultures—especially the Mediterranean cultures—come together. I used that library when I was studying for my masters, in an effort to find a quiet place. I found that that was not always possible in Griffith.
The Hon. Marie Ficarra: Was that the Australian Italians?
Mr SCOT MacDONALD: The Italian community decided to use the library as a meeting place. The concept of silence in the library was not part of their thinking. I had to adapt. I adapted to their culture, not the other way around, and that is probably the way it should be. I make the point that the Griffith library had many functions, including bringing communities together and bringing the elderly together. There was also a good youth element to that library. A lot of backpackers and other people travelling through that part of the world used the library to Skype and connect with their families. The Armidale War Memorial Library is also worth a mention. It has been a bit of a hot topic in that part of the world. It was probably built not long after the Second World War. It is small and it is old. The infrastructure is fraying at the seams. Last month the Armidale Dumaresq Council supported the Joint Regional Planning Panel approval for a development application to upgrade the library. Hopefully, construction will begin sometime in 2018. Finding the money for that will be a big financial hurdle for the local council, but the community is committed to it and I congratulate the community on that.
The Government is committed to working alongside the State Library of New South Wales, together with local councils, to improve public libraries across New South Wales. The 2013-14 budget provides local councils with subsidies and grants totalling $26.5 million for this purpose. This includes an additional $2 million secured by the Minister to ensure the continuation of the Library Development Grants program. The Library Act 1939 provides that the Library Council of New South Wales advises the Minister on matters of public library policy and administration. In addition, the council is charged with the provision of assistance to local libraries and makes recommendations on subsidies payable under the Act each year. I am aware that in 2012 the Library Council commissioned a comprehensive review of the efficacy, administration and level of State funding in support of public libraries.
This review was in response to this Government's election commitment to review public library funding. The review was undertaken by the Public Libraries Consultative Committee, which is constituted by the Library Council, to receive advice from local government public library stakeholders. These stakeholders include the New South Wales Metropolitan Libraries Association, Public Libraries New South Wales and the Local Government and Shires Associations. I am also aware that the Library Council advises that increased funding and a new approach to State Government public library grants and subsidies is necessary to ensure that New South Wales councils are able to continue to maintain and develop quality library services as well as ancillary services for the people of New South Wales. I advise that the Library Council recommendations are currently under consideration by the Minister.
The Government's Revitalising Regional Libraries initiative, which began in 2011-12, will deliver an additional $4 million in funding over the next four years. This initiative has been an overwhelming success and has seen 56 regional councils receive grants of $16,000 to refurbish spaces, buy collections and upgrade information technology. I am also advised that every council that operates a local library in a regional or rural community will receive funding over four years to upgrade their library. This constitutes 111 local councils. More impressively, the wi-fi hotspot rollout component of this initiative has connected 97 wi-fi hotspots in regional libraries to date, with more to come.
I think most Government members who speak on this motion will recognise the inherent goodness of the motion. Some of the funding is probably aspirational. As I said at the beginning of my speech, following the election of the Coalition Government in March 2011, all our programs have to fit in with the Government's 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24665
principle of living within our means. That means some difficult decisions have to be made. It means some funding is prioritised and some is delayed. But, if we keep to our overriding principle, in the long run all communities will be better off, including those that value their libraries.
The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE [11.16 a.m.]: I support this very important motion that recognises the hardworking commitment of libraries throughout our State. Library services are important to the community, whether you are a councillor, a student in primary school or high school, or at university. The facilities that libraries provide are phenomenal. The dedication of the people who run libraries is exceptional. Over the last 33 years that I have lived in Rockdale I have been impressed by the services that Rockdale library has provided. The people who run libraries are fantastic, whether it is the little libraries in Arncliffe, Bexley, Sans Souci or the central library in Rockdale. Their dedication is exceptional. They go out of their way to do their best to deliver the services that the community needs, sometimes with very limited resources.
Rockdale has been an excellent central library and excellent service provider. It provides information not only to locals but also to people from around the area who visit the central library. I do not have the exact figures with me, but a very large number of people visit Rockdale central library and our local libraries. I note that a central library was built recently at Kogarah. Another significant library was also built at Hurstville. Our communities really understand the significance of public libraries. As a member said earlier, libraries are not just about books; they are about meeting places, communication, electronic media and new systems of education. Libraries do a fantastic job of providing services. Their staff cannot be praised enough for the hard work they do and the services they deliver. This is a motion of support for libraries. It calls for an increase in funding for libraries, which I particularly support. Paragraph (3) of the motion reads:
(3) That this House calls on the Government to:
(a) review the subsidy rate of $1.85 prescribed in the Library Regulation 2010 and index the subsidy rate to the consumer price index [CPI]; and
(b) review restoring Government funding for public libraries from the current 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent.
If I had my way, I would probably increase that funding to 50 per cent.
The Hon. Marie Ficarra: You are not the Treasurer of the State; that's easy to see.
The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE: That honourable member is right. The mover of the motion is probably more reasonable than I am. I know the hard work and commitment of librarians. Whether they are working in the archives, the children's section or the multicultural section they are just fantastic. The Rockdale City Library has a number of services. Before coming into the Chamber I printed out a few items from the Rockdale City Council website about the library. It has a fantastic list of books on history. There are newspapers, reports and newsletters of various community organisations. The library resources are just phenomenal and they are available to everyone. They help people to understand history, and to write about local history. This brings me to the motion I moved recently on the 2013 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize. I humbly say that I moved the motion to establish that prize, which was to recognise the work of Ron Rathbone, when I was the Mayor of Rockdale.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Tell us a bit about him.
The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE: Ron Rathbone was a school principal from Bexley. He was on the Rockdale City Council for 40 years. Ron Rathbone was dedicated to the community: He dedicated 40 years to the service of Rockdale, and throughout that time he never accepted his councillor allowance. When I was the mayor we discussed what we should with his 40 years' worth of unused councillor allowance. Ron wrote a number of books on the local history of Rockdale, so we decided that we would establish a local history prize in his name. School students and community members compete for this local prize. The winner of the community prize receives $5,000 and the two winners of the school student price each receive $500. I introduced the local history prize in 2006, and since that time the competition has generated many essays on local history. The library will put these essays, which record the histories of local homes, identities, politicians and others that have not been recorded previously, into volumes.
In discussions with council officers I was surprised to learn that Rockdale City Council is the only council in New South Wales—and I stand to be corrected—that offers a local history prize. It is a great initiative and I encourage councils and libraries around the State to offer such a prize because it encourages young and old 24666 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
to write about local history. I encourage people to have a look at the resources available at Rockdale City Library, which also provides significant multicultural library services and community information. It is committed to providing services to meet the special needs of our multicultural community. More than 50 per cent of the Rockdale community comes from a non-English-speaking background. Rockdale City Council and the Rockdale City Library are sensitive to that and have taken great strides to make sure that they address the needs of those communities. The library has material in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Macedonian and many other languages.
The Hon. Rick Colless: What about Italian?
The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE: It also has books in in Italian. In fact, about 42 community languages are covered, which is a significant number. The library also provides an English literacy collection and books about learning languages other than English. The library provides not only books but also other services. The library provides various types of assistance to school students, including assistance with homework and assignments. I encourage people to access those services, which are free. The library assists with research in various subjects such as maths, science and English. The librarians are extremely helpful and will go out of their way to assist not only young students but also Higher School Certificate students [HSC]. Rockdale City Library runs a service called HSC Rescue, which provides support for students studying a whole host of subjects, including ancient history, biology, chemistry, English, geography, legal studies, mathematics, modern history, physics and visual arts. HSC Rescue also provides support for other research that students may need assistance with.
There is a whole host of resources available for those starting school as well. There is a list of resources for school starters on the website. People who are trying to do some research at the library and who have a child with them can occupy that child with the great literacy resources available for kids. I encourage the community to use those resources, which are available in not only English but also other languages. For instance, there is a Greek-English story time. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps might want to join in that activity to learn a bit more Greek. The library runs "library fun for little ones", such as toddler time and story time. Those sessions attract a lot of women who are at home with young kids. They can bring their children to the library and do their research—
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Or men at home with young kids; let's not be sexist.
The Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE: Or men, of course. If people cannot make it to the library, as is the case for some of the elderly, the library has home library services. It can deliver standard and large print books, paperbacks, CDs, DVDs or whatever is required. Whatever the library has, it can deliver to you at home. The library facilities are phenomenal. All the library needs in return is support from the Government. That is why I think the recommendation in this motion to increase public funding for libraries from the current 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent is reasonable. It would be most welcomed by libraries, not only the Rockdale City Library but also other libraries throughout the State. I congratulate the other members who have supported this motion; and I congratulate the mover of the motion, the Hon. Jan Barham, on moving this motion.
The Hon. ERNEST WONG [11.29 a.m.]: I support the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham and concur with what other members have said. Libraries are important places in our communities where children and local people can access information. Most importantly, libraries have become multifunction centres that provide services to people from different cultural and language backgrounds and those who have impairments. Libraries are able to provide services to people with hearing or vision impairments because they now offer the latest technologies that allow those people to access information.
The Burwood library attracts an extremely large number of visitors each year who come to read books, get information and spend their leisure time. One reason that Burwood library attracts so many people is that it offers newspapers, books and other materials in a variety of languages and provides a space for people to gather together. I am happy to report to the House that Burwood Council is building a new state-of-the-art library, which will be finished in 2014. It will be a multifunction library that will cater for students and the local community by providing meeting and functions rooms in which important local activities can take place.
It is important that the State Government funds libraries well because local governments have restricted incomes gathered from rates and other sources of minimal income. The State Government must work along with local governments to ensure that councils have adequate funding to run libraries in ways that meet the needs of their local areas. In particular, it is important that they receive the funding they need to offer the high-tech equipment that allows vision and hearing impaired people to access the assistance and information they require 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24667
and are entitled to. Government members have spoken about funding increasing from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent, but when one looks at the functions libraries perform and the services they provide that increase is not as big as it seems. The funding is needed so that libraries are able to cater for the community by providing all of the different services needed. I commend the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham and urge other members to support it.
The Hon. PAUL GREEN [11.33 a.m.]: I apologise to every librarian whose library I have ever set foot in; I may have an overdue book. The Hon. Jan Barham has moved a good motion. I share her passion for libraries because they are the heart of our communities. There are not a lot of places where parents can drop their kids off and know that they will be safe. The local library is the exception. Parents can feel reassured when their children are spending time reading or meeting friends at the library because the people who work there are good, decent, honest, hardworking and passionate. They take their jobs seriously and maintain the libraries well because of what they contain. My kids have visited the library in our town and it is reassuring to know that they can safely go and be part of that community hub. That is not to take away from the other services that libraries provide.
One of the biggest debates in the Shoalhaven in the past few years was whether to invest more money in our libraries. We heard about the funding cuts for library assistance that were made to local government; there was great debate. Librarians in my area are passionate about their jobs and can be relied on to provide a standard where good is the enemy of excellence. Indeed, there is probably nothing scarier than sitting across the desk from a passionate librarian who is fighting for funding. They have a way of peering at people over their glasses in the same way that the Hon. Dr Peter Phelps is looking at me. Hansard knows the look because sometimes the way in which they push their glasses down and look over them at me reminds me of it.
The librarians fought passionately for their funding and so we opened up a debate as to the future of the libraries in our city and decided to invest in them. We invested in giving Ulladulla Civic Centre a facelift for the twenty-first century, and that is now underway. The library there will also be extended to four times its existing size. We decided to invest in libraries because we realised that they play an important role as community hubs and we also acknowledged that times have changed. For example—believe it or not—food and drink is now allowed in some libraries. Back in my day the librarian had an innate way of finding out whether a person had a food or drink product hidden on their person before they got through the door. How did she know that? It was as if she had an automatic scanning device in her glasses. In fact, librarians are rather like mums with their amazing skills of detection.
Libraries have changed. People can now have a coffee while they read, or they can go into the corner where the publications are kept and sit down with an iPad provided by the library. Rather than just researching or reading a book, people can now meet with their friends and enjoy a cup of coffee at the library. Libraries also have play centres where they teach kids to enjoy reading and contribute to their education through storytelling. Down my way sometimes seniors come into the library to give talks on the history of the local area. That allows people to embrace our history; it gives them a snapshot of what the city was like before and after World War II and more recently. Those talks are invaluable. Libraries are no longer a place where people only conduct research, read or borrow books for learning or pleasure. They have become much more flexible spaces where communities can access an array of services, some of which have been noted by previous speakers.
Free wi-fi is another service provided at most libraries. Many backpackers and others visit libraries to make contact with their parents or families through Facebook or Skype. Libraries have become places where people can touch base with their loved ones thanks to the services they provide. That is yet another example of libraries investing in a communications strategy. Libraries now offer pretty amazing and diverse services— services that are very different from the libraries that people of my generation invested in. Libraries no longer consist of just books and book shelves. Many libraries share their services through the internet and books that are not available at one library may well be available in another library a few thousand kilometres away. Librarians can go online, order the book from the other library and in a couple of days it is available for collection. That is an incredible service, especially when only the hard copy will do.
Times have changed, libraries are changing and I think they will continue to evolve. We know that electronic information will quadruple by 2015. If we had to store all our information in hard copy on shelves, it simply would be unsustainable. There is a place for information banking, and our libraries are transitioning towards utilisation of those opportunities. I note the anxiety of the Hon. Jan Barham over declining funds for libraries and cost-shifting, but point out that that is not new. It has been happening for a while as organisations reassess their funding situation. For example, as part of the Lismore City Council's budget cuts, the Goonellabah 24668 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
library was closed, but it must be acknowledged that that council did not cut funding only to that library. Funding was cut, for example, to the mowing of field parks and stormwater facilities construction. It is difficult for local government authorities to fund all projects from their rate base. Many councils would love to keep their libraries open, but at the end of the day council budgets are challenging.
We in the Shoalhaven have had very similar discussions relating to where the funding of libraries was placed in the priorities and budgets of our city. For quite a while the Government has been working towards the State living within its means, and local councils are included in that. The situation is no different for the 152 councils in this State from the position of the State Government. Many councils are trying to live within their means but some are having their arms twisted because their rate base revenue is not sufficient to keep their community assets open and managed. Places like Lismore are asking themselves the tough questions—and rightly so—such as: Can we do libraries better? Is a fundamental change required in how services are provided in local government areas? Unfortunately, part of that process is that those questions come with answers that people do not like. Sometimes the answer is: Yes, we can do libraries better, but we cannot keep three buildings open. We can keep two open really well with longer hours, or we can keep three open with sparse hours and sparse staffing. Funding for services is a real issue in local government land.
The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: I will support them.
The Hon. PAUL GREEN: Apart from receiving increases from a perhaps future Treasurer, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane, I do not think libraries will receive increased subsidies. However, the kind-hearted thought of increases in budgets would be welcomed by any librarian in this nation. As a budget item they see libraries as an investment, not a cost. That is the hard issue that many local government areas have to deal with. The motion calls on the Government to review the subsidy rate of $1.85¢ prescribed in the Library Regulation 2010 and index the subsidy rate to the consumer price index—I think that is a fair point. After all, most financial arrangements allow for increases in the consumer price index to be included, although pensioner rebates are another category of funding that does not have a component of consumer price index increases. That is probably unfair, given that the cost of living and prices of all types of necessities are constantly increasing. Yet we expect community services such as libraries to have their subsidies frozen at a rate that was determined years ago. It would be good if the Government could find a way to include consumer price index increases in funding for libraries.
The motion also calls on the Government to restore funding for public libraries from the current rate of 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent. As I mentioned earlier, there is no easy way when dealing with any budget— household budgets, local government budgets or the Federal Government budgets—to fulfil everybody's expectations and fund projects that are their passion. I thank the Hon. Jan Barham for moving this important motion and providing members with an opportunity to place the issues on the record. In local government land among the grassroots members of the community, many people love their local libraries, local librarians and local library staff and their commitment to their area as well as all the services provided by libraries to which I have referred. People are really keen to ensure that those hubs of their community continue to exist, not just for their benefit but for the benefit of future generations. Libraries, librarians and library staff are a gift that keeps giving to the community, but unfortunately that small cost in the budget must be met.
The Hon. STEVE WHAN [11.45 a.m.]: I thank the Hon. Jan Barham for moving this important motion and providing members with an opportunity to discuss the funding of libraries. The motion deals with an issue of great importance to communities throughout New South Wales and to society as a whole. We are a society that should value the accumulation and sharing of knowledge, and libraries are very much a part of that. They are also a social hub in many communities. The library system in New South Wales has grown over a long period. The motion refers to the share of the budget received by libraries having changed over the years. Obviously there is the issue of costs for the provision of library services continuing to increase and State Government funding not keeping pace with those increases. That is a legitimate matter of concern for many libraries, particularly libraries in regional areas of New South Wales where councils have a smaller rate base from which to provide library services than those of councils in metropolitan areas, which receive rates revenue from dense populations and are more able to subsidise community services.
I do not necessarily share some of the language of local government that refers to the decline in library subsidies as cost-shifting. I do not see that it is cost-shifting. In my view, libraries are core municipal services that local government authorities should provide. Therefore it is not cost-shifting when State funding does not cover the cost or when the funding is declining in value. However, the legitimate complaint that can be made is that there is a decrease in the subsidy for the operation of a service that is a core local government service in 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24669
most communities. That is a legitimate complaint for local government to make. Local authorities can quite rightly ask the Government to consider the level of the subsidy provided. The motion calls on the Government to review the level of the subsidy, and Labor agrees with that.
I will not pretend that this is a new issue that has emerged since the Government was elected. Clearly, it is not. I heard the same complaints from libraries right throughout country areas of New South Wales when Labor was in government. The decline in the proportion of funding to cover the cost of libraries in New South Wales was raised with members of the former Labor Government. I recognise that the challenge of subsidisation of library services is not an easy one for the Government to meet. I do not think the present situation amounts to cost-shifting, but I believe there is justification for asking the Government to re-examine library funding and the recurrent portion of funding in the long term to ensure that local government authorities are provided with assistance.
The alternative is to examine other sources of funding for local government. In many ways it would be better if local government was more financially viable from general funding sources instead of relying on special purpose funding for libraries. It would be better if the financial assistance grants from the Federal Government were maintained at their 1970s level. Over decades, that funding has massively declined in real value. As a proportion of the tax revenue collected by the Federal Government, they are infinitesimal compared to the level of funding provided during the periods of the Whitlam and Hawke governments.
I think the long-term solution for adequate local government funding would have been to have proceeded with the referendum on recognition of local government in the Constitution and to have established a more direct funding link between Federal and local governments, which I hope would have maintained value and eventually reflected a share of overall revenue collection by the Federal Government. I am not referring to GST revenue collection, which would take funds away from the States, but rather to overall Federal revenue collection. One of the unfortunate things about these sorts of debates is that often they get tied into specific reasons and calling for specific purpose grants rather than looking at the broader overall funding of local government. That is really the core problem here that needs to be considered.
When Labor was in government it introduced the Country Libraries Fund. That was the result of consultation undertaken by the Rural and Regional Taskforce. I was one of three members of that task force. We went out into rural New South Wales and the clear message was that it was not just about putting jobs in their communities; we needed to give communities facilities that would attract families. It was not good enough to say to families, "Here is a job for your major breadwinner, come along to our community." You also needed to provide sporting facilities, which many of our rural communities have; arts facilities, which give a breadth of cultural experience; libraries, which provide interest for the whole family; and access to vital things such as health facilities in those areas. Libraries play a critical role. The Rural and Regional Taskforce recommended that there should be specific additional funding for country libraries where population density is lower and capacity to fund major capital works is lower than the capacity of metropolitan councils.
When Nathan Rees was Premier he announced the Building the Country Package. That package included $9 million over five years for the Country Libraries Fund, in addition to the grants programs then in existence in this State. The Country Libraries Fund delivered $1 million in its first year and $2 million in subsequent years. Unfortunately, that has now been replaced by this Government's country library support program. From memory it provides funding of $500,000 a year, which is a substantial reduction for capital works in country libraries.
The Country Libraries Fund gave an immediate boost to many libraries in rural and regional New South Wales. During the recent by-election in Northern Tablelands I had the opportunity to poke my head through the door of the Guyra library. I was actually there to look at the incredible tomato farm, but the council showed me the library as well. I was advised that the library, which was funded from the Country Libraries Fund, was very welcomed by that community. The Monaro Regional Library at Cooma was built entirely from two grants: the Library Development Fund and Country Libraries Fund. I had the pleasure of being at the opening of that facility as the local member. That library was completely redeveloped from the old library model to the model many members have spoken about today. It is a terrific library. I have had the pleasure of visiting it on numerous occasions.
Today libraries still have book collections, but the focus is very much on being a venue for study, gathering information from the internet and other services. Many older style municipal libraries need to be redesigned or rebuilt—which the Country Libraries Fund assisted the Cooma library to do. As a chronic 24670 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
collector of books, I often wonder what will happen to them in the long term. I also wonder what I will do with my father's collection of 10,000 books when the time comes, which I hope will not be for a long time. These days most libraries are not keen to add major book collections to their collections. They do a lot of things electronically now. For those of us who love opening a paper book, not electronic books, that poses challenges.
I note that neither of my Queanbeyan colleagues is in the Chamber. In the past couple of years the Queanbeyan library has moved to new premises. The Country Libraries Fund funded that fabulous facility. I am particularly proud of it, given I had a role in establishing that fund. Importantly, the library provides modern library services as well as a separate space for storytelling and school holiday programs. Indeed, a wonderful part of the new design is that, on a separate floor, the kids can enjoy reading and respond to the readers without disturbing other library patrons.
I also had the great pleasure of representing the State Government at the opening of the Albury library. This fabulous facility was also assisted under the previous funding program. It is a very attractive location to visit—people do not simply walk past and wonder what it is, they go in and see. The Albury City Council deserves great credit for its work and the significant investment it has made to the Albury community. I take this opportunity to make a disclosure of interest: Albury is my wife's hometown. Some fantastic work has been done in country libraries around New South Wales. I note that the shadow Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Sophie Cotsis, has joined us. No doubt she would hear daily what a struggle it is for local government, particularly in country areas, to obtain the capital works funding needed to keep libraries up to modern standards.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Which Government created Palerang Council? Just remind me.
The Hon. STEVE WHAN: The Government Whip interjects about the Palerang Council. He might be interested to know that Palerang Council utilises the Queanbeyan library service, which was a beneficiary of the Country Libraries Fund. Unfortunately, the Government has replaced that fund with something which provides only a small proportion of that previously available. I have repeated that because the Government Whip was out of the room when I mentioned it earlier, and he will probably not read Hansard. Labor's Country Libraries Fund was $9 million over five years—$1 million in the first year, $2 million the next.
The Coalition's program is $2 million over four years—$500,000 a year for those country libraries that so desperately need funding. I thank the Hon. Jan Barham for moving this motion, which has allowed members to record the valuable role that libraries play in New South Wales, particularly country libraries. But we need to look at how we can assist local government as a whole to provide core services, not services which have been cost-shifted to them. Those core services deserve better funding arrangements.
The Hon. RICK COLLESS [11.58 a.m.]: I offer my support in principle for this motion. Members agree that libraries play an integral part in our communities. Indeed, the benefits that accrue from a well-functioning library have been well documented by previous speakers. The essence of the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham is the $64,000 question: Who pays for libraries? The community ultimately pays. But from what funding body does the community pay? Paragraph 2 (a) of the motion states that in 1939, the subsidy from the Government for the provision of library services was one shilling per resident, or 10¢ as we know it now.
In 1952 that increased to 15¢, and presently is $1.85 per local government resident. The Hon. Jan Barham's motion raises several points about public library funding. Currently, the Government is reviewing a recommendation from the Library Council of NSW to increase and amend the funding model for the State Government public library grants and subsidies. This recommendation is based on extensive consultation in 2012 with local government stakeholders. As was pointed out earlier, this review and its recommendations currently are under consideration by the Minister.
The Government is committed to assisting councils to improve their public libraries and has increased funding from the 2011-12 budget with the $4 million Revitalising Regional Libraries initiative. This builds on the 74-year relationship between State and local governments to develop libraries under the Library Act 1939 when, as I stated earlier, the subsidy was just one shilling per resident. These guidelines set targets for councils to assist with their collection development and is part of "Living Learning Libraries: standards and guidelines for NSW public libraries" developed by the State Library. The guidelines are one way the State Library assists councils in developing contemporary public library services. Local councils operate 376 public libraries across New South Wales. Impressive growth in usage since 2000 shows that libraries are more relevant than ever: physical visits have increased 30 per cent to almost 35 million per annum. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24671
Loans of books and other materials have grown to 48 million per annum, which is an increase of 10 per cent since 2000. Of course, as other speakers have mentioned, libraries now offer a whole suite of other services, not just books. One such service is access to the internet; over three million internet hours are used per annum in public libraries. Impressively, 3.3 million New South Wales citizens are members of their local library, making it one of the most popular community facilities. In respect to the call to review the subsidy rate, it should be noted that the $1.85 per capita subsidy is one component of public library grants and subsidies. Although the rate has remained at this level, the total pool has increased by nearly $10 million from $16.67 million per annum to $26.538 million over this period.
Paragraph (3) (b) of the motion calls on the Government to restore public library funding from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent. Members not in government can make those requests easily as they do not have to consider the competitive use of funds that every local government body must when drawing up budgets. Members with local government experience expounded that local government budgeting has as many competing items needing funding as the budget of the State Government. Given that so many programs compete for funding dollars, that suggestion simply cannot be considered. The Government will continue to take advice from the Library Council of NSW on providing assistance to local libraries. I am sure more developments will happen in that space in the not too distant future.
The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [12.04 p.m.]: I support the motion of the Hon. Jan Barham. Libraries should be funded better because they provide a most important community service. Libraries are societal institutions that provide a level playing field for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Children may not necessarily have their own room where they can do their homework, research or read quietly; but they can do that in a public library. We should be mindful that public libraries do not often get enough acknowledgement and recognition. Inner Sydney public libraries will have children pursuing their studies in a quiet environment free from interference from noisy siblings, a blaring television or a PlayStation. We should encourage children to use their local library because it offers the peace and quiet of a learning environment in which to sit and concentrate on their studies or simply to read.
Libraries offer a range of services that go some way towards providing a level playing field for people regardless of social or economic background. Many families cannot afford an internet connection or access to other things that can be borrowed from libraries: DVDs and all sorts of things. We also must not forget the major role of mobile libraries, particularly in country areas. They may be expensive but they are vital. The Richmond Valley area used to have a cluster of mobile libraries, including one the size of a semitrailer that offered not only books but also open space that patrons could use to study when it visited different regions. In fact, two mobile libraries were required because the large one could not get to some of the small villages in the hinterland.
Importantly, not only should those who are socially isolated have access to library resources, but also those geographically isolated. That may mean something as simple as borrowing small books for toddlers to read because many families cannot afford to buy them. It is vitally important for families to be able to borrow those types of books from libraries if every child in New South Wales is to be given at least a fair start in life and an opportunity to develop an interest in education—another important role of libraries. Other members spoke about the role of libraries in supporting local history and managing collections of particular importance to their areas, whether it is suburban libraries or in country areas. I also support that important role.
In country areas particularly libraries are almost the cultural hub of the town. Often the library is where photographic exhibitions et cetera are set up for people to view. Libraries are not just a static building with rows of books and a few internet connections and terminals for people to use; they actually provide a cultural hub for the local community. People with a range of special needs use the resources of public libraries, not just children or the disadvantaged. Elderly people appreciate the opportunity to borrow large-print books from their local libraries. These people enjoy reading but as they get older they cannot go to a second-hand bookshop or an op shop to pick up a donated $2 book. They need large-print books, due to their poor eyesight, and it is up to libraries to provide them. Libraries provide a good service, but if they are not given enough funding they cannot continue to provide this vital service.
Libraries provide a dual benefit. People not only can borrow a book or a DVD, they also can socially interact with someone who values them as a person. People who are socially isolated will go to the library, talk to the librarian, have a look through the books, perhaps chat to others and ask, "What can you recommend?", or "What is new?" They may ask the librarian, "I am interested in this topic. Can you help me?" This social interaction breaks down barriers for people who are isolated in our communities and big cities. Libraries provide a huge range of children's books, DVDs, large-print books, and talking books for those whose eyesight has 24672 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
deteriorated so much they cannot read large-print books. They also provide vital services to communities, particularly people who are disadvantaged and cannot afford to buy the latest book or a book on their favourite topic from a bookshop.
Teenagers whose parents cannot afford every book in the Twilight series, or whatever is fashionable at the time, will go to a library to borrow those books. By being able to keep up to date, they will not feel left out of their peer group. If they cannot afford to buy the trendy books, they can borrow them. Libraries undertake that role, and that should be recognised. Libraries must be better funded. The gap between rich and poor in Australia is expanding all the time. In order to ensure that all children can maximise their potential, they need equal access to information, educational resources and research material and, of course, a quiet and safe place to do their homework, assignments and study. For so many children that haven is their local library. For this reason, the House should support the motion.
The Government will have concerns about the level of funding requested by the Hon. Jan Barham. The member is asking the Government to index the subsidy rate prescribed in the Library Regulation 2010 to the consumer price index and review the restoration of funding for public libraries from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent. The Government might not like the figures set out in paragraph (3) of the motion, but it is being asked, not told, to review the subsidy rates. Libraries deserve to be adequately funded. They are an essential service in our society for the greater public good. Libraries provide many people with opportunities that they could not otherwise afford. They provide disadvantaged children with a place to pursue their education—to borrow the resources they need and study in peace and quiet—which may not be available in their home environment.
Members of Parliament are extraordinarily lucky to have a brilliant Parliamentary Library. Inter-library loans have been mentioned in the debate. In all my years in this place there was only one occasion that the Parliamentary Library could not find somewhere in Australia through an inter-library loan an obscure book I had requested. I have asked the library for self-published books and a short print run that was 30 years old and the library staff found them and provided them to me. The service is amazing. With an increase in the funding rate of libraries, people who do not have access to our brilliant Parliamentary Library would be able to receive a similar service from their local library. I am sure local libraries also provide inter-library loans but possibly staff do not have the time, resources or connections to dig out the little gems, as does our library. I commend the Hon. Jan Barham's motion to the House.
The Hon. MICK VEITCH [12.14 p.m.]: I support the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Young Library?
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: It is interesting that Young Library has been mentioned. At the outset, I declare an interest that will no doubt shock everyone: for a number of years I was chair of the South West Regional Library Service. So I know a little bit about the administration and funding of libraries.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Do you still have your library card?
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: I do still have my library card.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: No ticket, no star.
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: It is not a ticket anymore; it is a card with an electronic bar code. The honourable member should keep as up to date with library technology as he does with Twitter. Libraries are an important service in country towns. From now through to Christmas, the population in Young almost doubles as a result of the stone fruit harvest, particularly cherries. A number of fruit pickers come to town from all over the world, and they use the library for a number of reasons, particularly the free wi-fi access. They sit in the library for hours with a cup of coffee and contact their families via Skype and other means. On Saturday mornings in Young, children's reading takes place. Everyone knows it is important to read to children. Unfortunately, only one of my children turned out to be a reader. My youngest is a prolific and voracious reader, particularly when it comes to the Ranger's Apprentice series.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: An excellent series.
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: I see some nodding in acknowledgement of the Ranger's Apprentice, which is a fantastic series of books. My youngest bloke spends a fair bit of time in the library and spends a lot of 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24673
time reading in the car when he is travelling to and from sporting events, so his borrowings are quite high. He does not have any outstanding books because he returns on time so that he does not have to pay a fine. He understands the importance of return dates on books. The South West Regional Library Service also provides a service at Boorowa and Harden. The three councils got together many years ago to provide this outstanding library service.
The Hon. Niall Blair: Don't forget Murrumburrah.
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: I acknowledge the Hon. Niall Blair. In fact it is Harden-Murrumburrah. The regional library provides a triangular service. The inter-loan service between the libraries is fantastic. The critical issues of the library service that I became accustomed to were funding; the purchase of books; outstanding loans on non-returned books; and the return of books, e-books, CDs and other material that have been loaned. Funding of libraries is a serious issue that has perplexed governments for many years. For local government, the funding of a library, which includes infrastructure as well as books, is also an important matter and, I am certain, exercises the minds of community leaders and their senior staff. Libraries are an essential part of any rural community. They provide a valuable service not just for local residents but also for travellers. The grey nomads spend a lot of time in libraries. When the Hon. Charlie Lynn gets off his bike in different places, he would spend a lot of time reading books in libraries and having a cup of coffee.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Can Charlie read?
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: He no doubt will use the free wi-fi.
The Hon. Charlie Lynn: Fairclough's bookshop is the name of my library.
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: The Hon. Charlie Lynn will not be going to Queensland libraries on his motorbike because he might get himself into trouble with the new law. I commend the motion and urge the Government to seriously look at the funding of public libraries in New South Wales. Libraries are a valuable resource and they provide a valuable service, and we must support them.
The Hon. HELEN WESTWOOD [12.19 p.m.]: I am very pleased to speak to the motion moved by the Hon. Jan Barham. I thank her for bringing this motion before the House. I concur with the first paragraph in her motion that libraries are a fundamental part of the educational and cultural vibrancy of the community. I doubt that any of us in this place has not visited a local library. Like others who have spoken to this motion, I will talk about the libraries in the local government area that I have had most to do with in my life, that is, the network of libraries provided by Bankstown City Council. In Bankstown we are very fortunate to have a library at Chester Hill, the central library at Bankstown, one at Panania and another at Greenacre. There is a library in each of the wards. In fact, in one ward there are two libraries. They provide a range of services to the community.
The library has moved well beyond being a place where books are located for local residents to borrow and read. Other members referred to mobile services being provided in country areas. Bankstown has provided mobile services as well. I remember, as a child, seeing the mobile library pull up on Auburn Road, Birrong, outside the shops and we would trot up and borrow books. I think the visits were fortnightly in those days. In places like Bankstown, the library has to provide services and materials that are relevant to the demographics of the community. Bankstown library has very large collections in various community languages. Over the years, as the demographics of the community have changed so has the size of those collections and books in various languages have been added.
Whilst originally there may have been books in Polish, Greek and Italian, these days there are large collections of books in Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, African languages and the languages of Afghanistan. The council has invested considerable sums of money in collections of various community languages to meet the needs of that changing community. In an area like Bankstown, where the community is ageing, the council has had to ensure that it provides services to its older residents. My mother is a good example of someone who has benefited from those services. She was a member of Regents Park library because it was close to her residence. It is one of Auburn City Council's libraries. She read every book in that library and then had to join Chester Hill library, which is one of the libraries in the Bankstown local government area. She proceeded to work her way through its collection of books as well.
Regretfully, in the last year or so my mother has become housebound due to that evil, awful disease arthritis, which I have inherited from her. She can no longer get out of the house to borrow books from her 24674 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
library. It occurred to me one day that she was not reading anymore. When I thought about it, I realised the reason was that she could no longer visit the library. She can no longer drive and she certainly is not capable of walking to a bus to travel to the library. Fortunately, Bankstown has a great home service. All I had to do was call and talk to them about the genres she was interested in. Now, every six weeks, a basket of books is delivered and she again has the pleasure of reading. My mother certainly reads voraciously. She can read one or more books in a day.
The library also provides DVDs and magazines; the collection is not limited to books. Libraries have audio collections of music or books for the visually impaired. The extra services that libraries provide are often not well recognised by government. I acknowledge the comments that others have made about funding being an ongoing issue. I know it was an issue when Labor was in government and when I was involved with Bankstown City Council and was on the executive of the then Local Government and Shires Association. The issue of subsidies for public libraries continues to be raised. My colleague the Hon. Steve Whan rejected the notion of cost shifting. I disagree with him because libraries provide an important service and I do not believe that this service is only the responsibility of local government.
Libraries are used as meeting places by the community. They are certainly used by students; there is no doubt about that. A visit to any of the public libraries throughout the State, and particularly in the metropolitan area, will reveal many students at the local library for the purpose of study. They find that the local library collection meets their needs better than the school library. It provides a space to study for students who are not able to study at home. University students also study in local libraries. Those extra services are not the primary responsibility of local government. All levels of governments should share the responsibility. Because of the constraints that local governments in New South Wales have faced as a consequence of rate pegging, they find it difficult to meet the increasing demands that are placed upon their budgets. I do not think it is unreasonable to expect other areas of government, both State and Federal, to increase their contribution by way of subsidy to the funding of public libraries throughout our State.
I recently had the great opportunity to be at the opening of the Chester Hill Library and Knowledge Centre. This $1.7 million refurbishment was funded partly by a grant from the State Library. Bankstown City Council has other plans well underway, such as the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre, which is a $24 million project. It has received a number of State Library grants, which have made possible the implementation of council's new approach to library services. Wi-fi services are now available in all Bankstown libraries. Bankstown libraries have increased their membership to 70,000 people. Like most councils, Bankstown City Council has had to change its approach to the provision of library services.
I think it is worth mentioning some of the statistics that Public Libraries New South Wales has put together. There are actually more public libraries in New South Wales than there are McDonald's outlets. I doubt that too many people would be aware of that fact. In 2012 there were 374 public libraries across New South Wales operated by 151 local authorities. They operate as 99 services, some stand-alone and some through regional library agreements. Libraries provide services to all New South Wales local government areas. They serve more than 7.9 million people across the State. They have more than 3.3 million members, which equates to over 46 per cent of the population. They have more than 700,000 visits per week or more than 37 million visits per year. They operate public libraries providing access to 99.96 per cent of the population of New South Wales.
Many libraries are open seven days a week, including evenings, for an average of 50 hours per week. I know that was the case in Bankstown. The demand there for library services was so great—and this happened during my time on council—that we went from a having a Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. library service to opening on Saturday morning. We extended to opening on Saturday afternoon and then to opening on Sunday. Now library access is also available during evening opening hours. That represents quite a significant change in the way in which libraries operate and it has happened just in the last decade. I think it demonstrates just how vital libraries are to local communities. It is another example of why I think the State Government should commit to increasing funding to our local libraries. I know that Public Libraries New South Wales, the group representing rural and regional libraries, wrote to the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals prior to the last election, when they were in opposition. The New South Wales Liberals and Nationals wrote back to Public Libraries New South Wales, saying:
Thank you for your correspondence in relation to the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals intentions in addressing the role and funding of public libraries in New South Wales. The New South Wales Liberals and Nationals believe that local libraries play a central role in the social and educational needs of local communities. They play an integral and active role that benefits a broad cross-section of society. As such if elected to government in March 2011 the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals are committed to a review of funding allocated to our public libraries. This will involve the community as we believe there is a no-size-fits-all approach. As such we will involve and engage community stakeholders with the view to addressing the current state of Labor's underfunding and neglect.
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24675
So there were very clear statements made prior to the last election in 2011. This came from the then shadow Minister for Volunteering and the Arts, the Hon. Anthony Roberts. He claimed he was discussing these concerns with the community and was going to ensure that there was a review. What has happened since the Liberals and Nationals have come to government? There has been no action. There has been inaction on this very important issue of funding for public libraries. I think the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals now owe it to the public library system and those who rely upon it to implement the commitment that they gave prior to the last election. I do not think it is a lot to ask for them to review that subsidy. I am sure any review of the services provided by libraries, their needs and the current funding levels would lead to a significant increase in the level of funding by way of subsidy that our libraries receive from the State Government. I again commend the Hon. Jan Barham for bringing this important issue before the House today. I certainly support this motion.
The Hon. JAN BARHAM [12.34 p.m.], in reply: I appreciate the contributions from all members who spoke to my motion and note that there was unanimous support for the substance of my motion. I have to express my disappointment that we did not hear from the Hon. Dr Peter Phelps, a strong supporter of libraries. He has previously enlightened us all with his recollections of fond memories and mentions of his interest in libraries. I suppose we will have to rely on those previous words to guide us through his appreciation of libraries. Many other members spoke in this debate about the importance of libraries in their local communities. We know libraries are important. We have heard from both city and country members about their understanding of how libraries clearly provide services well beyond many people's understanding of the traditional role of libraries.
I thank Mr Scot MacDonald, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane, the Hon. Ernest Wong, the Hon. Paul Green—he knows, as I do, from local government experience how important libraries are—the Hon. Steve Whan, the Hon. Rick Colless, the Hon. Amanda Fazio, the Hon. Mick Veitch and the Hon. Helen Westwood. The Hon. Helen Westwood gave a very important overview of the role of local government and why there is a concern about cost shifting towards local government in this area. The Hon. Helen Westwood also raised the important issue of a pre-election commitment that was given by the shadow Minister to Public Libraries New South Wales. I have waited to see whether there would be a commitment to fulfil that promise. I asked a number of questions at various estimates committees about this. Unfortunately, there was no response from the Government. So I thought it was important to bring this matter to the House.
I put on record my thanks and appreciation to bodies that offer libraries their support, representation and advocacy—Public Libraries New South Wales, representing the rural and regional library sector, and the New South Wales Metropolitan Public Libraries Association, representing metropolitan libraries. In a letter to me they raised this matter of the pre-election commitment given by the then shadow Minister, Anthony Roberts, to urgently review the quantum and the allocation of library funding should the coalition win government. The fact that that has not happened is extremely disappointing to them. They believe it wrong that the fact that per capita funding has not changed since 1980 has been overlooked. Some would say that has been overlooked despite there being a regulation that requires a five-year review. So library funding of $1.85 per capita is not enough. It has not kept up with the Consumer Price Index and that pressure is now being felt by local government.
We have heard from many speakers about the wide range of services that are offered by libraries—for example, online archives and, as we heard from the Hon. Helen Westwood, services for those who are unable to physically attend library premises. Online access has changed the way people use libraries for recreation and education. I think we also have to recognise that, at a time when increasing costs are being imposed on students as they engage in education, the provision of enhanced local library services allows them to at least access textbooks, online services, wi-fi and other services. Their local library membership serves them well in that regard.
Specialist library services are to be commended, particularly services for people such as those with special needs. For example, audiobooks are available for the sight impaired. These fit with a range of government policies as to why libraries are important. I think the cost-benefit analysis undertaken that identified the value of public libraries lends great support to this motion. The Government should have a look at the funding and consider raising it to an appropriate level to maintain these services. I commend the motion to the House.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to. 24676 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. MARIE FICARRA agreed to:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 1530 outside the Order of Precedence relating to the New South Wales economy be called on forthwith.
Order of Business
Motion by the Hon. MARIE FICARRA agreed to:
That Private Members' Business item No. 1530 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.
STATE ECONOMY
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA (Parliamentary Secretary) [12.41 p.m.]: I move:
(1) That this House notes that:
(a) on Wednesday 4 September 2013 the Hon. Mike Baird, MP, Treasurer, announced strong performance figures from the New South Wales economy for the past year;
(b) for the 2012-13 period New South Wales has recorded the second-highest growth rate among the States of Australia, with the State final demand growing 1.3 per cent over the last year, and 0.5 per cent over the last quarter;
(c) solid New South Wales economic growth places the State in a strong position relative to the other States of Australia; and
(d) New South Wales low levels of unemployment, strong consumer confidence, the growing level of housing construction, and the Government's large-scale infrastructure program have all contributed to the maintenance of strong economic growth.
(2) That this House acknowledges the Hon. Mike Baird, MP, Treasurer, and the O'Farrell Government for their efforts in promoting solid economic growth in New South Wales.
I am proud to say that under the O'Farrell-Stoner Government, after a decade of slow economic growth, the New South Wales economy is now outperforming most States. The ANZ's latest economic report, dated 8 August 2013, stated, "NSW is leading the national economy, which is something that hasn't happened for a decade or more." According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics State accounts figures for 1999-2000 forward projected to 2009-10, New South Wales had the slowest real economic growth of any State during the final 10 years of the Labor Government. Nationally, the last Federal Labor budget forecast increasing unemployment. Globally, there is continuing uncertainty with slower growth expected in China, and the Euro zone remaining weak in its economic performance.
Despite these challenges, New South Wales now has the second-strongest rate of economic growth. We are proud of that. Of course, we want to make our economic growth the strongest and we will endeavour to achieve that. For the 2012-13 period New South Wales has recorded, as I said, the second-highest growth rate among Australian States. Our State final demand grew 1.3 per cent over the past year and 0.5 per cent over the past quarter. The Deloitte Access Economics report released this month found, "NSW is ready for take-off."
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Hear, hear!
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA: I will say that again: New South Wales is ready for take-off. That is wonderful because it means jobs and it gives families some degree of predictability. That is being expressed through high consumer confidence as demonstrated by current land and house prices. The New South Wales unemployment rate is currently 5.6 per cent—the second lowest of all States behind Western Australia, which, as we know, is continuing to benefit from its minerals and mining boom. The New South Wales rate of unemployment has been at or below the national average for 11 out of the past 12 months.
This follows a decade in which, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force statistics for March 2001 to March 2011, New South Wales had the lowest employment growth of any State. Since we 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24677
came to Government more than 100,000 jobs have been created in New South Wales, representing the second highest jobs growth in the nation. During that time all States with Labor governments have lost jobs. South Australia has lost more than 4,400 jobs and, unfortunately, Tasmania has lost almost 11,000 jobs.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Blame The Greens.
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA: The Greens policy probably has something to do with that. They will be held accountable by their constituency. During the last five years of the Labor Government the State unemployment rate was on average 0.4 per cent higher than the national rate. The Liberal-Nationals Government will continue to support business to create jobs. We will do that through measures such as reducing the payroll tax burden. We have raised the payroll tax threshold from $689,000 to $750,000 so that around 1,300 businesses can look forward to not paying payroll tax. The remaining businesses will have more than $3,000 cut from their annual payroll tax bills. We have increased the payroll tax rebate from $4,000 to $5,000. That is a 25 per cent increase for every new job created. We have also extended it for a further two years.
The O'Farrell-Stoner Government is creating jobs and stimulating economic growth throughout New South Wales through its $60 billion of infrastructure investment. I could talk about infrastructure investment for my entire time allocation, but I will mention just a couple of examples. The Richmond Road upgrade is supporting 10,000 jobs in Western Sydney. Construction of the new State Emergency Service headquarters in the Illawarra is providing up to 300 construction jobs and 250 ongoing service jobs. They are just two regions that I have chosen to highlight. There is a lot more good news that I am sure other members will talk about.
Businesses are also creating jobs through increased investment in New South Wales. For example, because it is important to look at business confidence, Amcor's new paper mill facility opened in southern Sydney and is providing 150 manufacturing jobs on top of the 800 jobs created during construction. Also, Digital Realty's new information communication and technology centre opened in the Western Sydney Employment Hub and created 250 jobs. Under our Building the State package the number of private dwellings under construction in New South Wales is now at its highest level since 2004.
While business confidence was the lowest of any State for most of the last five years of the Labor Government, it is now above the national average. We want that to continue. We are proud that our triple-A credit rating remains in place—I will have more to say about that—while ratings in all Labor States have been downgraded. We will continue to invest in the levers of economic growth following the decade of decline under the former Labor Government. I will quickly refer to the State's credit rating.
Today the Treasurer issued a press release in which he stated that, after Standard and Poor's affirmed the rating, New South Wales is one of only two States to retain its triple-A credit rating. Of course, the New South Wales Government welcomes that announcement from the ratings agency, but we still caution that the unchanged negative outlook is a reminder of the ongoing challenges facing the New South Wales Government. Even though this Government is achieving, we cannot forget what the challenges are and the danger that is inherent in not continuing with the Government's fiscal reform process. The Treasurer said:
NSW has demonstrated some balance-sheet flexibility, such as the long-term lease of some port operations, and has allocated the funds to address its infrastructure backlog.
We consider NSW's financial management as positive in an international context, supported by the institutional settings and the state's tightened management of its operating expenditure and government businesses.
That is a salient reminder to anyone who thinks that we can afford to relax that we cannot afford to do that. We live in precarious economic times and the worthwhile improvements that have been achieved can be quickly reversed, if discipline is not maintained. Maintaining the State's triple-A credit rating has been a huge challenge, considering the massive decline in revenues across the country and the significant infrastructure backlog in New South Wales that we inherited. I believe that Standard and Poor's announcement today is an endorsement of the Premier's and Treasurer's continuing direction of the State's financial management, and we are very happy about that.
The Treasurer has been clear that the New South Wales economy has faced many global challenges. All States have been hit by unprecedented declines in GST revenue and decades of non-performance and slow past economic growth. Despite that, the New South Wales economy has performed well and continues to show 24678 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
signs of growth. The New South Wales State final demand, which is a major component of gross State product, increased by 1.3 per cent through the year to the June quarter, and was the second-highest result among the States. It was surpassed only by Western Australia's growth of 1.8 per cent and is higher than the national average result of 0.6 per cent. This result was the strongest among the non-mining States.
I again turn my attention to the job market, which continues to be a standout. It is always good to note what others say. The CommSec State of the States report shows that the State received the top ranking for its low unemployment rate for the second quarter in a row. The latest report shows that New South Wales also has moved up a place on the retail measure since the previous quarter and has maintained its overall position, ranking fourth among States and Territories. The recent labour force figures revealed that our unemployment rate has been at or below the national average for 11 of the past 12 months. Clearly, New South Wales stands out among the States and is on an upward trajectory. I believe that that huge achievement should be acknowledged and I congratulate the Premier and the Treasurer on their discipline and sound management. Indeed, I commend all Cabinet Ministers for their management of their portfolios.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: And the Parliamentary Secretaries.
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA: Of course, I commend the Parliamentary Secretaries for their support of their Ministers. It is a team effort. Part of being a member of the Cabinet is that there are a lot of hard decisions to make. Cuts have been made in certain areas and there has been a realignment of expenditure and service allocations. That will continue as Ministers continue to grow into their portfolios and continue to notice matters that must be attended to. CommSec noted that New South Wales is expected to be one of the States to benefit the most from an increase in home building, which will further stimulate the State's economy. The New South Wales Government will continue to pursue policies and encourage jobs growth and economic activity across the State. The Government's Jobs Action Plan and our large-scale infrastructure program as well as the growing level of housing construction across the State will do exactly that. We are very proud of that.
This Government recognises the importance of the housing sector to the New South Wales economy. I will deal in some detail with housing during the course of my speech because it is a great lever and measure of economic activity and suggests great future potential. Housing, infrastructure investment and job creation are the three critical economic levers that the Government has targeted. The New South Wales Treasury estimates that for every $1 million spent in extra residential construction, a possible $2.5 million will be generated in the overall economy. Taking into account the multiplier effect, that spending will result in an additional three full-time jobs in the construction industry and a total of eight full-time jobs in the overall economy. That is of vital importance to the Government.
To demonstrate the housing multiplier effect, I cite the example of a new housing project that might result in a contractor hiring more workers, who buy vehicles and tools, and who have more income to spend. The contractor must buy timber, bricks and cement. Those extra inputs must be produced by other businesses, which then have to hire more workers, and they in turn will have more income to spend. That is a good illustration of the multiplier effect of investment. Moreover, the people who move into the houses will need to fill their homes with furniture, flooring, white goods and services and electronic equipment, all of which will boost the retail economy. The Government realises that the retail economy is suffering at the moment. If the Government can assist the housing and construction sector, the retail sector and jobs growth in the interests of our State's families, it will do so.
When the Coalition won government the New South Wales Housing sector was in dire shape. Housing investment was close to an all-time low as a proportion of the economy, new housing supply was not keeping pace with demand and affordability was low. In addition to that, in the wake of the financial crisis, property developers were reporting difficulty in accessing finance. The Government has moved quickly to boost housing supply. In the 2012-13 budget, the Building the State package redirected financial incentives towards new housing. The Housing Acceleration Fund was established to expedite the release of 76,000 lots by prioritising and funding priority infrastructure projects such as roads, water and electricity connections that are required for new developments, which in themselves generate a whole lot of jobs. The budget extended the financial incentives and allocated a further $302 million to accelerate housing construction in growth areas, including the release of a further 42,900 new lots.
As we know, planning reform has been underway. The white paper nominates a streamlined assessment process for proposals that are consistent with local plans by emphasising up-front community input into the 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24679
planning process. That is being finetuned as I speak. The Government's housing initiatives have combined with record low interest rates to provide the necessary preconditions for a full housing recovery. We are now seeing the results. Housing investment has increased by 14 per cent over the past year and there are tentative signs that its declining share of the economy is beginning to return to more normal levels. Private residential building approvals increased, with approximately 39,000 dwellings approved in the 12 months to July—a level not seen prior to mid-2005. Furthermore, owner-occupied finance approvals for new dwellings are reaching levels not seen since the early part of the last decade. Meanwhile, first home owners are responding to the Government's targeted initiatives, with first home-owner grants for newly built homes having nearly doubled in the three months to July from levels of a year ago.
Investors have returned to the market and are playing an important role on the supply side. Lending finance figures show a 55 per cent increase over the past year in investor finance for the construction of new dwellings. The broader housing market is structurally in better shape than it has been for a decade. Supply is rising to meet demand. Although we realise that we cannot supply what everybody wants at the moment, finance is becoming easier to get. We are doing our best to put the supply mix into the market and to keep pace with that demand. NSW mortgage delinquencies—that is an official term; I did not make it up—are now the lowest of all the States, after years of being the highest. Furthermore, improved affordability is attracting more buyers and turnover is increasing. It is all good news. Whether we look at the labour front, consumer confidence or housing, they are all on the right trajectory, and I congratulate the Treasurer on his great effort. I quote the Reserve Bank of Australia statement on monetary policy in May of this year:
For the state as a whole, there has been an increase in demand from first home buyers, which is likely to reflect the increase in government incentives to first home buyers purchasing new homes …
Government action is critical to continued economic growth. All three of our budgets have invested in levers of economic growth—housing and infrastructure—and over the next four years the June budget delivers an infrastructure program that will be monumental: more than $60 billion. This will help to address the immense infrastructure backlog left behind by our predecessors. There is a lot of good news, and we are very proud of it. The New South Wales economy will continue to face challenges but we will continue our action to address them.
[Deputy-President (The Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones) left the chair at 1.01 p.m. The House resumed at 2.30 p.m.]
Pursuant to sessional orders business interrupted at 2.30 p.m. for questions.
Item of business set down as an order of the day for a later hour.
BUSHFIRE AIRCRAFT CRASH
Ministerial Statement
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER (Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Hunter, and Vice-President of the Executive Council) [2.30 p.m.]: Members may be aware that this morning at approximately 10.00 a.m. a water bomber fixed-wing aircraft crashed whilst engaged in firefighting efforts in the Shoalhaven region. The aircraft was working on suppressing the Wirritin fire, approximately 40 kilometres west of Ulladulla. I am advised that the aircraft was operated by a contractor to the Rural Fire Service and the pilot was the only person on board. Police and emergency personnel, including PolAir and other emergency service helicopters, responded.
I understand the rugged terrain and spot fires are making it difficult to reach the pilot. It will take response crews some time to get to the crash site. Air crash investigators from the NSW Police Force will liaise with Air Transport Safety Bureau investigators and begin an investigation into the crash. It is fair to say that the thoughts of all in this House and in our community are with the family and friends of this heroic pilot at this time. I will update the House later today should more details become available.
The Hon. LUKE FOLEY (Leader of the Opposition) [2.32 p.m.]: I thank the Leader of the Government for his statement. On behalf of Labor members, I extend our concern to the family and loved ones of this heroic pilot. It is a sobering reminder of the great risks that so many of our citizens take to protect other members of our community. 24680 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
MR TREVOR MCDONALD, HANSARD STAFF MEMBER
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER (Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Hunter, and Vice-President of the Executive Council) [2.32 p.m.]: I inform the House that Mr Trevor McDonald, from Hansard, is in a serious condition in Wollongong Hospital. I am sure all members will be concerned about his wellbeing. I pass on the well wishes of the House to Mr McDonald for a speedy recovery.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE ______
POLICE RESOURCES
The Hon. LUKE FOLEY: My question is directed to the Leader of Government in his capacity as Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Was the dispatch of police on a three-hour operation to rescue Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim's pet macaw, Meg, from a cliff side in Dover Heights an appropriate allocation of police resources?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: Perhaps the macaw was going to squeal. It might be a witness, who knows? I will seek advice from police and happily provide a response in due course.
STATE BUSHFIRES
The Hon. NATASHA MACLAREN-JONES: My question is addressed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Will the Minister update the House on the current situation of the New South Wales bushfires?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: The House and the State acknowledges the extreme bushfire activity that we have seen over the past couple of days. We are relieved—through the tireless efforts of our firefighters and other emergency service workers—that yesterday did not turn out to be as bad as expected. But, as the Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service said, we need to remain vigilant. Fire crews continue to work to bring fires under control and monitor those that have already been suppressed. Earlier I informed the House that this morning, tragically, a fixed-wing aircraft crashed in the Shoalhaven region, 40 kilometres west of Ulladulla.
As of this morning, 64 bushfires and grass fires were burning across the State. Of these, 25 were uncontained. A total of 125,000 hectares has been burnt, with a total fire perimeter around the State of 1,630 kilometres—"fire perimeter" means an active fire front. We have experienced milder conditions today but that does not mean we should become complacent. The fire danger alert remains very high for many areas. Four total fire bans have been declared until further notice in Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Central Ranges, and a state of emergency remains in force.
More than 1,500 firefighters are in the field, with around 89 aircraft deployed or on standby. Some 959 interstate personnel from across the nation have joined the front line to help fight the fires, including 511 personnel from Victoria and 238 from South Australia, as well as other States and Territories. Tomorrow some of those interstate crews will head home, while others will remain. My heartfelt thanks go to all those firefighters who have been working tirelessly over the past week to protect life and property. Unfortunately, as of today, 208 houses have been destroyed and 122 damaged. This number would have been much higher were it not for the outstanding job done by our firefighters and their comrades in the other emergency services.
I extend my sympathies to everyone who has lost their property as a result of these fires. Building impact assessment teams will begin assessments of damaged or destroyed homes to determine if there is a public risk of asbestos. This process will take some time. The direction issued by the Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service regarding school closures has been revoked, but a number of schools remain closed in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury areas. Evacuation centres remain open in North Richmond, Lithgow and Springwood.
On behalf of the people of New South Wales, I thank all firefighter and emergency service workers for their continuing efforts, particularly the efforts of the Rural Fire Service interstate volunteer personnel who have come to our assistance. Let us not forget the important work of people who contribute to the support of our 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24681
front-line workers, providing disaster welfare assistance, control centre support, keeping vital information technology systems up and running and, importantly, feeding the safety information to the public of New South Wales. I congratulate everyone involved in the incredible response that we have seen in recent days. There was an overwhelming response from personnel across the State and, indeed, the country. Everyone has played an important role and we certainly appreciate their efforts.
NEWCASTLE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT
The Hon. ADAM SEARLE: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and Minister for the Hunter. Given that the Government has this week engaged an expert to assess the business case for a light rail line in Newcastle, and given that the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure said as recently as May that he does not think the project is economically viable or sustainable, why is the Government spending taxpayer funds to assess the business case for the light rail project if the decision to build it has already been made?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I always take with a grain of salt any quote by the Opposition in relation to members of the Crown. The question references comments allegedly made some months ago. I will take the question on notice and closely scrutinise the alleged quote.
LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGISLATION
Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Hon. Michael Gallacher. Can the Government report on the controversial Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002, known as LEPRA, introduced by the Carr Labor Government in 2002? How has this legislation handcuffed police for the past 11 years and prevented them from clearing out the violent and antisocial elements controlling our streets? Can the Government also report on the strict guidelines police must follow before they can arrest an offender—
The Hon. Amanda Fazio: Point of order: The question clearly contains argument. It should be ruled out of order.
The Hon. Michael Gallacher: To the point of order: Having listened to the question, I am in a position to answer that part of the question I believe to be in order.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The word "handcuffed" is argument. The Leader of the Government has obviously been listening assiduously to my rulings. Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile will not be able to conclude his question because his time has expired, but the Minister can respond if he has sufficient information.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I thank the member for his question. On 10 October Premier O'Farrell appointed former Minister for Police, the Hon. Paul Whelan, and former Shadow Attorney General, Mr Andrew Tink, to provide urgent advice on police powers in the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002, commonly known as LEPRA. One could not get two better people who support the NSW Police Force and who are legally qualified to do such fine work. I am pleased that Mr David Shoebridge has arrived in time to hear me comment about legally qualified people who support the NSW Police Force.
Addressing the long-held police concerns about arrest powers in section 99 of the Act is central to the review. Addressing the complexity of part 9 and section 201 is also critical in the review. A report on section 99 is due in coming days; a report on part 9 and section 201 will follow as soon as possible. The complete report is due in early December, and we all await it. Those on this side of the House are very keen to see the report of former Minister for Police, the Hon. Paul Whelan, and former Shadow Attorney General, Mr Andrew Tink, which will review the concerns that have been raised and ensure that there is some clarity.
Other members believe that police powers need to be wound back. They would like to "reapply the handcuffs"—that was the analogy used not so long ago in relation to this legislation. If The Greens, and Mr David Shoebridge in particular, get their way, the Act will be known not as LEPRA but as "leprosy". The police will have an unworkable piece of legislation if The Greens have their way. The saving grace is that police know they have a number of champions on the crossbench who are great supporters of them: Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile and the Hon. Paul Green from the Christian Democratic Party, and the members of the Shooters and Fishers Party. I am sure that they too look forward to the findings of the review undertaken by Paul Whelan and Andrew Tink. 24682 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
HEAVY VEHICLE ROAD SAFETY
The Hon. TREVOR KHAN: My question is addressed to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Will the Minister please update the House on the efforts of Roads and Maritime Services to make the heavy vehicle industry safer?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I thank the honourable member for this important question. On Tuesday 22 October 2013, Roads and Maritime Services heavy vehicle inspectors, along with their friends from the NSW Police Force, executed a search warrant on a business address at Smithfield. The action followed a truck crash on Mona Vale Road, Mona Vale, on Sydney's northern beaches, on Tuesday 1 October 2013, which claimed two lives. Officers seized a number of documents and the investigation into last month's crash continues.
The Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce of Roads and Maritime Services and the NSW Police Force started Operation Mona Vale the day after the crash. The task force carried out inspections on all Cootes Transport heavy vehicles in a two-phase approach. In phase one, more than 218 heavy vehicles from the Cootes Transport fleet were inspected, with 183 defect notices issued and 453 defective issues discovered. Ten vehicles were grounded. In phase two, the trucking company's liquefied petroleum gas [LPG] tanker fleet was ordered off the road for inspection. I can advise the House that 81 vehicles were inspected, with 57 defect notices issued and 141 defective items found. One vehicle was also grounded.
Roads and Maritime Services have been working with authorities in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia to ensure that this company meets compliance requirements. Roads and Maritime Services helped Victoria in their investigations. In total, across the two States 501 vehicles were inspected, with 421 defect notices issued. Roads and Maritime Services are accountable for ensuring that everyone using New South Wales roads does so safely, while still allowing the transport industry to operate as efficiently as possible. New South Wales has one of the most comprehensive heavy vehicle regimes in Australia, with regular inspections to ensure that vehicles and drivers comply with safety and roadworthiness standards.
The vast majority of the heavy vehicle industry does the right thing. It is just a small number of rogue operators who are causing concern. That is why I have written to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to seek a review of the effectiveness of the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, which deals with maintenance management. I have also written to the National Transport Commission asking that it work in partnership with the regulator on that review. And I have written to the Federal Government to expedite the adoption of a stability control system for heavy vehicles that transport dangerous goods. Roads and Maritime Services will continue to carry out random operator maintenance audits across a number of heavy vehicle operators that are used to transport dangerous goods, to ensure that this industry sector is compliant with New South Wales roadworthiness standards. What we have found dictates that we have to act the way we are acting.
BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT
Mr DAVID SHOEBRIDGE: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Minister, given the conclusion of the Rural Fire Service that the State Mine fire was started by explosives used by the Department of Defence, despite the known high risk of bushfires that day, what steps is the Government taking to ensure that new protocols are in place so that the Department of Defence and armed forces no longer use high explosives during high-risk bushfire days unless compelled to do so for legitimate reasons of defence? What steps is the Government taking to work with the Department of Defence and armed forces to ensure that they take proactive steps to manage the bushfire risks on their properties?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I thank the member for his question. This question would be in the hearts and minds of many people, not just those in the Blue Mountains but around the nation. As this example illustrates, there is always the potential for these things to go wrong. An investigation is underway and I understand that considerable work is about to commence with agencies such as the Rural Fire Service. One of the difficulties—as I was informed only about nine minutes ago—is that the Lithgow fire has now gone back to an emergency warning level. I understand that the fire has actually crossed the Bells Line of Road. For the last six or seven days that road has been the line of containment our firefighters have worked towards. I understand that under the south-westerly winds the fire has now crossed that road. This will probably hamper investigative ability on the ground right now.
Mr David Shoebridge: But they have made a statement. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24683
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: Yes, they have publicly made a statement. I think the question you asked me is a fair question to pose. I look forward to working with the various agencies, at State and Federal levels, to ensure that the question you have asked is answered. This is something, quite rightly, on the minds of most people in this State.
SCULPTURE BY THE SEA
The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports. More than 500,000 people are expected to attend the seventeenth annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Bondi. What traffic plans have been put in place to accommodate these crowds, particularly given that his colleague the Minister for Transport has approved track work on the Eastern Suburbs line for three out of the four weekends that the exhibition will be held?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I thank the honourable member for her question. As the member would expect, I will need to refer a question of that detail to my colleague, that absolutely outstanding Minister for Transport, for a detailed response.
The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: I ask a supplementary question. The question actually relates to traffic plans, which fall within the Minister's portfolio of Roads and Ports, and how they are going to deal with the crowds at the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.
The PRESIDENT: Order! That is not a supplementary question it is more a point of order.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: The question was about trains.
The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: No, it was not. You need to listen to the question asked.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: I was listening to the question.
The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Obviously you did not hear it.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I have made my ruling.
GET IT IN BLACK AND WHITE CAMPAIGN
The Hon. MATTHEW MASON-COX: My question without notice is addressed to the Minister for Ageing and Minister for Disability Services. Can the Minister please update the House on the Get it in Black and White campaign?
The Hon. JOHN AJAKA: I thank the honourable member for his question. I am pleased to announce to the Chamber that this morning, together with the Attorney General, I launched the Get it in Black and White campaign. This campaign is the result of Government and community groups working together to find a way to get more people to plan ahead in their legal affairs. This is the first time in New South Wales, and possibly across Australia, that such an initiative has been undertaken. When the New South Wales Government released the New South Wales Ageing Strategy last year we said that we wanted, "All people in New South Wales to experience the benefits of living longer". Helping people to plan ahead is one way of doing that.
As a former lawyer, I know how important it is to have your legal affairs in order. A good will means that if anything happens then people have already made a decision about what happens next. Powers of attorney and enduring guardianships give people peace of mind. If we are unable to make decisions for ourselves then someone we trust can do it on our behalf, and we get to choose who that someone is. That is even more important in an ageing population. On average people are living longer. More of us are living with diseases like Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Many adults become involved in arranging support or care for their older parents, whether this is care at home with support of family members or more formal care arrangements. In fact, 85 per cent of us expect to take care of some aspect of our parents' health, financial or legal needs as they age. There are some surprising statistics in this area.
Only 29 per cent of us have had any form of in-depth discussion with our parents about their finances. Only 36 per cent have had any in-depth discussion about their health or medical needs. So when the crunch 24684 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
comes, what are we left with? Sadly, often it is just guesswork. The research for this campaign told us that many people do not understand what they need to do in order to plan for later life, or even what help is out there to help people make those decisions. Only 5 per cent of people could correctly explain what a will, a power of attorney or an enduring guardianship order was. For example, some people thought that if they had appointed an enduring guardian then they also had their will organised. Many people told us that they do not know what to do or where to begin. This is particularly the case for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. That is why this campaign is so important—it is about giving people the tools and information to take control of their lives and plan for later life.
Everyone should make decisions about their future while they have the capacity to do so. These future plans should also be spelled out in black and white—in writing, in legal documents. Whether you are 33 or 73, it is never too early to take control and ensure that your wishes will be respected in your later life. No-one knows what is around the corner, so planning for later life is a practical and necessary part of adult life today. If something happens to your physical or mental wellbeing, it may be too late. I encourage all members of the community, and members of this Chamber, to look at the Planning Ahead Tools website, if they have not yet done so. I encourage everyone to get it in black and white. I am sure the Hon. Helen Westwood will be pleased to hear that an Auslan interpreter was present during the launch of this campaign. I have also given instructions for a video of the Auslan interpreter to be included on the website.
HEAT-RELATED HEALTH CARE
The Hon. JAN BARHAM: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Ageing and Disability Services. How is the New South Wales Government addressing health risks faced by New South Wales senior citizens, particularly those who are frail and aged, in the event of extreme weather and heat events over the upcoming summer? What notification and monitoring tools are in place to assist aged citizens and community services to mitigate the risk of heat-related illness in New South Wales? What procedures do Ageing, Disability and Home Care [ADHC] have in place to ensure clients do not face health risks from heat-related illness?
The Hon. JOHN AJAKA: I thank the member for this very important question. Only yesterday the Ambulance Service of NSW posted on Twitter urging people to follow a personal extreme weather plan and provided a link to detailed information. In 2012 the NSW Ministry of Health officially launched the Beat the Heat campaign, which has been developed to explain ways to take care in hot weather. It gives people information about how they can stay healthy in the heat and avoid ending up in hospital. In the Beat the Heat campaign section of the NSW Ministry of Health website, people can find information on how to prepare for and stay healthy in the heat, how to recognise and treat heat-related illness, and how to care for people who are at risk of heat-related illness.
Every year, hot weather and heat waves cause illness, hospitalisations and sometimes even deaths. The heat wave that affected Sydney in February 2011 caused an estimated 595 emergency department visits and 96 deaths. Heat waves or long periods of extreme heat can have serious impacts on people's health. Planning ahead and being prepared for extreme heat is important. The website will help people prepare for hot weather. Everyone needs to take care in hot weather, but some people are at higher risk of heat illness, especially if they live alone or are socially isolated. This includes the aged and frail in our community. It is a good idea to prepare for the heat before it arrives. The website includes practical advice on how people can prepare themselves on a personal level, as well as their house or apartment.
People should remember to have a chat with a neighbour, relative or close friend about keeping in contact during a heat wave in case they or you need any help. People are advised to regularly check their local forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology on radio, TV or on the internet. Information on bushfires is also made available on the website of the NSW Rural Fire Service. People are also advised to get advice from their doctor about whether their medication and/or their medical conditions may affect what they should do if it gets extremely hot. Further, the Ageing, Disability and Home Care document, "Health Care Policy and Procedures" provides guidance to support workers to be vigilant about changes in the health and wellbeing of the people they support on a daily basis.
The policy includes a range of indicators that staff should look for when a person is unwell. Although the policy does not mention heat-related illness specifically, some of the indicators would alert support workers to heat-related illness include difficulty breathing, sweating, change of skin colour and change of drinking pattern. The policy guides support workers on the action they must take when they observe any signs of illness. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24685
In addition, Family and Community Services districts are managing fire emergency strategies locally, and workforce health and safety units are providing resources to staff, including how to care for others during extreme weather conditions.
Although the policy does not mention heat-related illness specifically, some of the indicators would alert support workers to heat-related illness, including difficulty breathing, sweating, change of skin colour and change of drinking pattern. The policy guides support workers on the action they must take when they observe any signs of illness. In addition, Family and Community Services districts are managing fire emergency strategies locally and Workforce Health and Safety Units are providing resources to staff including on how to care for others during extreme weather conditions.
The Hon. JAN BARHAM: I ask a supplementary question. Can the Minister elucidate his answer to address matters other than electronic communication to the frail and elderly?
The Hon. JOHN AJAKA: As I indicated earlier, Family and Community Services is taking many steps in relation to bringing the information to the elderly.
HUNTER INTERCITY RAIL SERVICE
The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and Minister for the Hunter. As Minister for the Hunter, will he back Newcastle City Council's campaign for faster intercity train services for the Hunter region and agree to make representations to his colleague the Minister for Transport in support of the council's request for additional express services between Newcastle and Sydney?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I love it when Labor members start talking about the Hunter and public transport. For many years they ignored the Hunter, particularly the people of Newcastle. They now have a new-found love for the people of the Hunter. In fact, only a few weeks ago the Hon. Peter Primrose was going around the Hunter Valley with the policy begging bowl and asking people to help him define Labor policy for the Hunter. If they want to a good policy platform for the Hunter they should mirror what we are doing in the area. They should have the guts to stand up and say the light-rail proposal for Newcastle is the way to go. When members opposite finally have the courage to say the railway line must be cut and the light rail put in its place to rejuvenate the city I will start to take them seriously.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Walt Secord to order for the first time.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: They keep playing around the edges and refusing to answer the most crucial question of all, which is whether they will agree to rip up the dingo fence that separates the city from the water.
The Hon. Penny Sharpe: No, we supported retaining it.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I put on record that the shadow Minister for Transport says no. They are not interested in any rejuvenation of that city or any modern-day transport solutions for that city. The Hon. Peter Primrose was walking around with a policy begging bowl and asking people if they had any thoughts or ideas. Of course, his question comes out of the Newcastle Herald so that he can tick the box that says, "I have been to the Hunter; I know what is going on." Fair dinkum, he has got no idea. If the Hon. Peter Primrose asks me a supplementary question, this is the answer: Stand up and tell me if you are going to back the people of the city of Newcastle, rejuvenate the city and cut the rail line.
The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: I ask a supplementary question. Will the Minister elucidate his answer by advising the House of whether or not he will support Newcastle City Council in its campaign to have additional intercity express services?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: What a council Newcastle now has under Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy. Newcastle is now a city with a dream and a vision.
Dr John Kaye: Is he a Liberal?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: Dr John Kaye is a great supporter of cutting the railway line. He is on board. He just said, "I'm with you." It is great to have Dr John Kaye supporting the cutting of the railway line. I acknowledge his support and thank him. 24686 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
Dr John Kaye: Point of order—
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I hope he does not change his mind in the next minute.
Dr John Kaye: The Minister is deliberately misleading the House and is playing sport with the House on a serious question.
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order. The Minister has concluded his answer.
OPERATION SLOW DOWN
The Hon. JENNIFER GARDINER: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Will the Minister tell the House about the October long weekend traffic operation?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I am happy to inform the House that Operation Slow Down was conducted over the October long weekend. It commenced on Friday 4 October and concluded on Monday 7 October 2013. Double demerit points were in force over the entire period for speeding, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences. The sad news is that nine people lost their lives on New South Wales roads during this operation, which, sadly, is five more than last year and nine more than we can tolerate. A total of 410 major crashes were reported and resulted in injuries to 128 people. Police issued 4,924 speeding infringements, conducted 180,716 random breath tests and charged 269 drivers with drink-driving offences.
One bit of good news is that there were 37 per cent fewer drink-driving charges laid this year compared with last year's operation. But there were a couple of instances of drivers detected with extremely high-range alcohol readings. In one night, for example, Wollongong police detected three drivers who were respectively three times, 3.5 times and four times over the legal limit. In Woolgoolga on the Coffs Coast police detected a driver who was four times over the limit and had three young children in the car all under the age of 10. There were also some instances of drivers being found with unrestrained children in their vehicles.
Children are our most precious cargo and it is inconceivable to me that a parent would put their child's life at risk by not buckling them up. Yet that is what some drivers chose to do over the long weekend. One driver was found with five unrestrained children in the vehicle, another had a baby and a toddler on board but no car seats for them. For safety reasons, novice drivers are not permitted to carry any more than one passenger under the age of 21 and they have an alcohol limit of zero. Despite this, a few high-risk incidents over the long weekend involved learner and provisional drivers.
A P1 driver at Batemans Bay, for example, was detected with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol [PCA]. Five passengers under the age of 21 were in the car and a sixth passenger was found in the boot. A P2 driver in the Riverina was stopped with four passengers on board, none of whom was wearing a seatbelt. Also, an unaccompanied learner driver was detected near Orange with three child passengers. These drivers are putting their passengers, themselves and everyone else at risk with their behaviour. I am grateful that police were able to intercept them before they became tragic headlines. The nine deaths that occurred over the long weekend are a sad reminder of what can happen when things go wrong. I thank all the police officers involved in both the planning and the execution of Operation Slow Down.
COBBORA COAL PROJECT
The Hon. ROBERT BORSAK: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports, representing the Minister responsible for regional infrastructure, and relates to the Government's $20 million transition fund for the four Central West local government areas that have been impacted by the decision not to go ahead with the Cobbora Coal Project. Is the Minister aware of concerns held by residents of Dunedoo in the Warrumbungle shire, who fear they will not receive any compensation? What specific projects, programs or services is the Government planning to assist Dunedoo, given that the town was likely to benefit most from the mining if it had proceeded?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: The matter the Hon. Robert Borsak has raised is certainly an issue in those local communities. It was not just Dunedoo that was affected. Wellington, Mudgee and many regional areas are doing it tough—particularly since The Greens have closed down industry across regional New South Wales. This Government has rationalised the wart from the State—the Cobbora coalmine—that was left by the previous 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24687
Government. In fact, we have probably fixed up some environmental issues as well. The previous Government locked the contracts in. As to the particular detail, the Premier is working on that and I am hopeful there is more for Dunedoo. I will refer the details of the question to the Premier's office to obtain a response.
POLICE RESOURCES
The Hon. STEVE WHAN: My question is directed to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. In light of the fact that Meg the macaw has gone missing again and that Mr John Ibrahim is now offering a $2,000 reward for her safe return, will the Minister guarantee that no further police resources will be deployed in searching for the bird?
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: I must admit that I am unaware of the incident. Obviously, to be able to raise this matter, Opposition members have a greater relationship with the Ibrahims. Be that as it may, I will seek advice from the police in relation to this matter.
SYDNEY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TRAFFIC CONGESTION
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Will the Minister update the House on what the Government is doing to reduce traffic congestion in the central business district [CBD]?
The Hon. Amanda Fazio: Absolutely nothing.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: We will bring on a city council election. Everyone who catches a taxi in the city knows the problems of taxi drivers being able to pick up and set down passengers. The Government has been listening. When I have travelled in taxis—in fact, I use the name "Jeremy Buckingham" because the Government insisted that taxi drivers wear seatbelts—the drivers are all wearing seatbelts and they are all very happy. I have to say "Good on them". In relation to the set-downs, the Government will put in place a 12-month trial, which will begin next month, to improve taxi services for customers by allowing cabs to stop at 10 selected central business district [CBD] mail zones. That is M-A-I-L.
The Hon. Steve Whan: Is there a M-A-L-E zone, Duncan?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: It takes you a while, doesn't it? This initiative takes advantage of seldom-used spaces in the city to allow cabs to stop for a minute to set down passengers. There are 96 mail zones in the central business district and most of those are used by Australia Post vehicles several times daily, but for short periods only. The rest of the time those premium kerbside spaces are unoccupied. The Government needs to make sure that we are using our limited city road space effectively. Increasing access for taxis will reduce pressure on taxi drivers and help them to provide a better service for customers. This is an example of the creative solutions that the O'Farrell-Stoner Government comes up with to solve congestion issues in the city.
The mail zones that will be used in the trial are Pitt Street on the western side, south of Hay Street; Pitt Street on the eastern side, at Piccadilly Centre; Bathurst Street on the southern side, east of George Street; Bridge Street on the southern side, west of Macquarie Street; Clarence Street on the western side, north of Barrack Street; George Street on the western side, north of Alfred Street; Jamison Street on the southern side, west of George Street; Castlereagh Street on the eastern side, south of Martin Place; Macquarie Street on the eastern side, south of Hunter Street; and Pitt Street on the eastern side, south of Bathurst Street.
The initiative will be measured by monitoring closed-circuit television at trial locations and comparing the number of non-compliance infringement notices issued to taxi drivers before and during the trial. The feedback from taxi drivers, Australia Post drivers and customers also will be used to determine the trial's success. The Taxi Council has welcomed the trial, saying that drivers often are fined for meeting passengers' requests to be dropped off at a particular spot. The Taxi Council said there has been good cooperation with City of Sydney and Roads and Maritime Services in establishing the trial. I thank Australia Post for its cooperation in setting up the trial. We will be working hard to ensure that it is a success. I will continue to use the name "Jeremy Buckingham" whenever I hail a taxi.
The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: It is a good policy and it is thinking outside the square.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: It is sensible. 24688 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
MACQUARIE MARSHES
The Hon. ROBERT BROWN: My question is directed to the Minister for Ageing, representing the Minister for the Environment. What assistance or advice is the Government providing to landholders who recently discovered that in the dying days of the last Federal Labor-Greens Government more than 200,000 hectares of wetlands and inner floodplains of the Macquarie Marshes was declared, without consultation, "critically endangered ecological communities" under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act? Given that most of the declared land is being used for grazing and dryland cropping, does the Government accept belated assurances from the Federal Department of the Environment to those landholders that ongoing agricultural activity was "unlikely to trigger national environmental law"?
The Hon. Jeremy Buckingham: Point of order: The question clearly contained argument. The Hon. Robert Brown referred to the former "Labor-Greens Government", which clearly is not the case.
The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order.
The Hon. JOHN AJAKA: I thank the Hon. Robert Brown for a very detailed question. I do not have the complete answer with me today. I will refer the question to the Minister for the Environment to provide an answer.
SPEED CAMERAS
The Hon. GREG DONNELLY: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports. What is the status of the Deputy Premier's promise to change the speed tolerance level of fixed and mobile speed cameras?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: What?
The Hon. GREG DONNELLY: I will repeat the question: What is the status of the Deputy Premier's promise to change the speed tolerance level of fixed and mobile speed cameras?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I am happy to entertain a supplementary question that explains the question. What is a speed tolerance level?
The Hon. Walt Secord: You know what it is.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: No, I do not know. I have held the Roads and Ports portfolio for three years and I have not seen any commitment in our material on speed tolerance. I would be happy to admit its existence if the Hon. Greg Donnelly can show me a reference to it, and I would be more than happy to answer a supplementary question if he can give me that information. I am happy to entertain a supplementary question with information on tolerance levels. I am unaware of such a thing.
The Hon. GREG DONNELLY: I ask a supplementary question.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Before the Hon. Greg Donnelly asks his supplementary question, I indicate that I will ensure it complies with the standing orders.
The Hon. GREG DONNELLY: In terms of information relating to speed tolerance levels that no doubt will be available to the Minister from officers of the Roads and Maritime Services, will the Minister elucidate his answer with respect to detailing the specific timetable that has been set down for changing the tolerance level of fixed and mobile speed cameras?
The PRESIDENT: Order! The question is in order.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: The question may be in order but it did not answer the question I asked. I respect the Hon. Greg Donnelly so I will take the question on notice and check its validity. If there is any validity to it—and it is not another stupid question like the one asked recently by the Hon. Walt Secord, which was just wrong—I will provide an answer. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24689
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
The Hon. NIALL BLAIR: My question is directed to the Minister for Ageing and the Minister for Disability Services. Can the Minister update the House on what the New South Wales Government is doing to acknowledge the contribution that people with disability make to our communities on the International Day of People with Disability?
The Hon. JOHN AJAKA: I thank the Hon. Niall Blair for his question. Tuesday 3 December is International Day of People with Disability. This day is designated by the United Nations as a time to celebrate and recognise the achievements, contributions and abilities of people with disability. The New South Wales Government acknowledges this special day of celebration through a month-long campaign called "Don't DIS my ABILITY". The campaign is proudly supported by the New South Wales Government and organised by the Department of Family and Community Services.
In 2013 the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign will celebrate its tenth year. The campaign's goals are to create a more inclusive environment for everyone and challenge commonly-held misconceptions about disability. The campaign includes an ambassador program, a film festival, an arts grants program, a variety of community events, an active social media community, and the publication and distribution of a 40-page campaign magazine called Made You Look. The Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign themes for 2013 are: firstly, living in the community, including accommodation, support options, community inclusion, accessibility and the National Disability Insurance Scheme; secondly, learning in the community, including inclusion in education, and the importance of a quality education from early childhood through to adult education; and, thirdly, travelling in the community, including transport as an enabler, and allowing people with disability to participate in employment, social opportunities and leisure pursuits.
The Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign has selected 19 ambassadors who represent the voice of this year's campaign. These ambassadors will dedicate their time and energy to connect with people and promote the campaign in the media, online and at many events held across New South Wales throughout November and December. The ambassadors represent a diverse range of ages and backgrounds from across New South Wales. In 2013 we have primary and high school students, dancers, actors, a comedian and business owners represented in the program. The ambassadors will raise awareness and promote social inclusion for people with disability, and I wish to acknowledge their achievements and contributions.
The Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign will also host the Access All Areas Film Festival, a free, accessible film festival that aims to increase access to Australian cinema for people with disability and their families and carers. The Arts Grants Program is also a feature event of the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign. This program provides seed funding to six arts organisations and artists with disability to produce interactive events and workshops during the campaign period. The program also provides artists with disability an arts adviser or mentor to assist with artistic development. The Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign also encourages local councils, community groups and not-for-profit organisations across New South Wales to organise a local event in their community for the International Day of People with Disability.
The campaign also has a strong social media community. People from more than 170 countries visit the website and a community of more than 20,000 people connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. It is sad to see that members opposite are not interested in matters relating to people with disability. In addition to these events and ambassadors program, the campaign also publishes the Made You Look magazine, the official publication of the campaign, which is distributed in the month leading up to the International Day of People with Disability. [Time expired.]
MINING LEASES
The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: My question directed is to the Hon. Duncan Gay, representing the Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon. Chris Hartcher. The Government is planning to reduce the number of conditions in future standard coalmining leases in New South Wales from 24 to nine, and for other mining leases from 23 to eight. Would the Minister outline the conditions that are to be removed, and explain how these conditions are covered by obligations under the Mining Act and other legislation?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I thank the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham for a very good question. In fact, the Minister, Mr Chris Hartcher, contacted me and indicated that he thought the member, who is one of his favourites, might be asking a question along these lines. He indicated to me that the New South Wales 24690 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
Government is conscious of streamlining approvals processes for the resources sector at large to reduce the cost to businesses and return investor confidence. He welcomes the new Federal Coalition Government's intent to abolish the mining tax and the carbon tax, as well as its intention to introduce a tax credit for exploration costs and streamline green tape. We have a strong agreement and working relationship with the Federal Government, one that recognises the importance of the industry and the need to work together to foster its wellbeing.
Last week Minister Chris Hartcher, the member's friend, announced that the New South Wales Government has amended its mining lease standards to reduce duplication, cut red tape and improve regulatory outcomes. This is part of a range of actions the Government is taking to minimise the costs of doing business in New South Wales and boost investment certainty. The changes will see the number of conditions for future standard coalmining leases reduced from 24 to nine and for other future mining leases reduced from 23 to eight. Let me be quite clear on this. Our strong environmental and community protections for all mining leases still apply—they are the toughest in the country. These changes are about reducing unnecessary and often confusing duplication across agencies. This, in effect, streamlines approvals for the resources sector at large, reduces the cost to business and improves business confidence.
Mining activities are tightly controlled in New South Wales with a range of authorisations required before operations can commence. As part of this review a number of conditions have been strengthened, including compliance monitoring and reporting. Having listened to the industry, we know that when processes take too long or when regulations change too frequently this introduces unnecessary risk and cost to projects. The Government has removed conditions that restate legislative obligations in the Mining Act, mine safety legislation and other Acts; that relate to matters regulated by other departments, such as the Department of Planning; and that have become otherwise redundant; and it has updated conditions to improve regulatory outcomes.
Streamlining our regulatory framework will minimise the cost for business, create greater transparency in the process and provide greater regulatory stability to restore investment confidence. However, this does not in any way equate to a weakening of our tough environmental controls. At a departmental level, new service delivery standards for the processing of applications under the Mining Act will provide greater certainty and allow industry to better manage operations around standard time frames. Average processing time frames for minerals exploration licences and leases will be reduced from 80 business days to 45 business days. Average processing time frames for coal exploration licences and leases will be reduced from 150 business days down to 95 business days. Processing time frames for renewal of coal exploration licences and leases will also be reduced from 100 business days down to 55 business days.
BATHURST SIMPLOT PLANT
The Hon. MICK VEITCH: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports, representing the Minister for Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services. Is the Minister aware that this morning Simplot in Bathurst announced that it would be shedding more than 100 jobs in the new year? What is the Government doing to support the workers, their families and the community to overcome this devastating development?
The Hon. Jeremy Buckingham: And Electrolux is going. What are you doing?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: The Greens talking about loss of jobs is a bit rich; they have destroyed more industries in this State than has a drought. I thank the member for his question. Certainly, it is of concern that Simplot announced plans to downsize with the consequential loss of 110 jobs, as indicated by the member and suggested in this morning's media reports. It is very disappointing news. The Government is now in the process of engaging with plant management to identify the best form of ongoing support for employees and the next step for the plant.
Pursuant to sessional orders business interrupted to permit a motion to adjourn the House if desired.
The House continued to sit.
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: At the request of the local member of Parliament, the Government, through NSW Trade and Investment, has been working with the company in an effort to retain these jobs, resulting in the offer of a significant financial package. The Government's support is acknowledged in today's Western Advocate:
… the State Government has offered the company generous income … rebates while Bathurst Regional council—
24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24691
good on it—
has committed to co-fund water infrastructure upgrades if Simplot commits to keeping its Bathurst plant open …
Despite the offer of this generous assistance package, regrettably the company made its commercial decision that will result in the reduction of shifts. The facility will now produce canned corn, Chiko Rolls and frozen corn; it will lose its mixed vegetable, bean and other canning operations to Europe and Victoria. If there is any good news—frankly, that is difficult to see from such a decision—it is that between 55 and 60 permanent jobs will be retained, and there will be little or no impact on New South Wales growers, who will continue to supply corn and cabbage. The development is yet further confirmation of the difficulty faced by the manufacturing sector across the country, particularly in the face of the high Australian dollar and Labor's carbon tax.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: The time for questions has expired. If members have further questions, they should place them on notice and they will be answered in the normal course of events.
BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: Earlier in question time I was asked about the status of the current New South Wales bushfires. I indicated to the House that the Government is doing all it can to help prevent fires from starting. In 2012 the Government established the Independent Hazard Reduction Audit Panel to audit the hazard-reduction program across New South Wales. The Government will shortly introduce legislation in response to recommendations from the review, but before doing so it will seek advice from the Rural Fire Service if further required changes have been identified during the current fires.
SPEED CAMERAS
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: Earlier in question time I was asked about tolerance on speed cameras. Following a friendly discussion with the member, we ascertained that he referred to the difference between the actual speed and the speed for which someone may be fined. As happened under the former Government, Ministers of this Government do not indicate that figure. If I were to tell the House or publicly state what that figure is I would be setting a new maximum speed. It has not changed. As far as tolerance of speed is concerned, I have increased the size of signs around speed cameras. If drivers are alert and are trying to do the right thing I am not going to trap them.
SCULPTURE BY THE SEA
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: Earlier in question time I was asked about transport options for Sculpture by the Sea. The Traffic Management Centre has arranged for a direct bus service from Central station to Bondi for the duration of the exhibition, as would be expected. These buses will run every 15 minutes between 8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. on a special route that bypasses heavy traffic areas. Dedicated bus stops will be provided at Bondi. Additional route 361 buses will operate between Tamarama and Bondi Junction every 15 minutes from 10.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday only. From Saturday, route 362 buses also will operate between Bondi Beach, Tamarama, Bronte and Coogee on weekends through summer.
Traffic Management Centre communications has worked with the event organiser, council and other stakeholders to develop a communications plan to minimise the impact of track work on the event and to assist customers travelling to Sculpture by the Sea. Obviously, that information did not reach the shadow Minister. People will be encouraged to leave their cars at home and use buses, as the Bondi area is regularly crowded on weekends. I am told that the Eastern Suburbs rail line track work could not be cancelled because it had been cancelled for the British Lions tour and the rugby league finals.
SNOWY SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: On 19 September 2013 the Hon. Dr John Kaye asked me a question in which he indicated that I never answer his questions. I am happy to provide a comprehensive answer to the question. The Minister for Primary Industries has provided the following response:
The Government intends to introduce legislation for amendments to section 57 of the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997 to replace the provisions relating to the Snowy Scientific Committee with provisions for a new Snowy Advisory Committee.
24692 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
HOME SCHOOLING INFORMATION PACK
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: On 19 September 2013 Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile asked me a question regarding a home schooling information pack. The Minister for Education has provided the following response:
(1-4) The Office of the Board of Studies [the office] is responsible for administering the provisions of the Education Act 1990 [the Act] for home schooling registration. The requirements and processes for registration are described in the office's Registration for Home Schooling in NSW—Information Package [the information package] as published on the Board of Studies' website. Applications for home schooling are assessed by authorised persons appointed by the office under the Act.
From time to time, the information package is amended. Previous amendments have reflected the increased school leaving age and the introduction of registration for years of schooling. The most recently updated information package was published on the Board of Studies' website in August 2013.
The main reason for updating the information package was to provide information about the staged implementation of new Kindergarten to year 10 board syllabuses in English, mathematics, science and history from 2014 to reflect the Australian curriculum.
All children in New South Wales have to follow an educational program based on the board's syllabuses in force at any given time regardless of whether they are in school or being home schooled.
The updated information package also responds to requests from parents for clarification and more explicit information about the requirements and processes for home schooling registration.
The updated information package also has regard to suggestions made by the NSW Ombudsman to improve the openness and transparency of the registration process and to raise awareness of home schooling applicants of the way in which home schooling is monitored in New South Wales.
The clarified and explicit information has not changed the requirements for home schooling registration.
(5) Extensive and open consultation was conducted during the development of the new syllabuses. Information about the development and publication of the syllabuses has been available on the board's website for more than a year. In August and November 2012 the peak body for home schoolers, the Home Education Network, provided information for families about the development and publication of the new syllabuses. The office's authorised persons have been discussing the new board syllabuses with home schooling families for more than a year.
In July and September 2013 board officers met with the Home Education Association to discuss the updated information package and other relevant issues. In September board officers also met with the Sydney Home Education Network [SHEN], another peak body in New South Wales. Further meetings with these peak bodies are planned. The office continues to be open to consideration of matters raised by the Home Education Association, Sydney Home Education Network and other home schoolers.
The office is aware that there are differing views about the updated information package within the home schooling community.
The office has published additional information on the home schooling page of the board's website in the form of questions and answers in response to issues raised in correspondence and on social media to explain areas that may be unclear and to clarify any misunderstandings. The link to the home schooling page follows: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/parents/home-schooling.html
For home schooling families who were meeting the requirements for registration prior to the publication of the updated information package, the updated information package has not created a need to change the approach to home schooling; nor has it created less flexibility; nor has it made it harder to be registered.
Questions without notice concluded.
BUSHFIRE AIRCRAFT CRASH
Ministerial Statement
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER (Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Hunter, and Vice-President of the Executive Council) [3.37 p.m.]: Prior to question time I informed the House about a crash of a Rural Fire Service-contracted aircraft. Sadly, it is my duty to report to the House that the body of a 43-year-old male has been located. This gentleman and his family come from Trangie. The family has been notified and, of course, this investigation is now the subject of a coronial reference. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family.
Pursuant to sessional orders Government business proceeded with. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24693
COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Report: Review of the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Commission for Children and Young People
The Hon. Niall Blair tabled, on behalf of the Chair, report No. 2/55 of the Committee on Children and Young People entitled, "Review of the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Commission for Children and Young People", dated October 2013.
Ordered to be printed on motion by the Hon. Niall Blair.
The Hon. NIALL BLAIR [3.38 p.m.]: I move:
That the House take note of the report.
Debate adjourned on motion by the Hon. Niall Blair and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
COMMITTEE ON THE HEALTH CARE COMPLAINTS COMMISSION
Report: Review of the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission
The Hon. Catherine Cusack tabled, on behalf of the Chair, report No. 3/55 of the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission entitled, "Review of the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Health Care Complaints Commission", dated October 2013.
Ordered to be printed on motion by the Hon. Catherine Cusack.
The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK [3.39 p.m.]: I move:
That the House take note of the report.
Debate adjourned on motion by the Hon. Catherine Cusack and set down as an order of the day for a future day.
ADJOURNMENT
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY (Minister for Roads and Ports) [3.40 p.m.]: I move:
That this House do now adjourn.
STATE BUSHFIRES
The Hon. ROBERT BROWN [3.40 p.m.]: Tonight I speak about the recent bushfires, which have devastated much of New South Wales. I welcome the provision of advice to the House by the Minister related to the review of the bushfire regulations. He must have been listening in to our adjournment speech working group. Bushfires are not the subject about which I was originally going to speak tonight, but in the wake of speeches and claims by various State and Federal Greens politicians I felt the need to state some facts. Indeed, it was an adjournment speech by Dr Mehreen Faruqi in this House that prompted me to speak tonight. The member quoted Christiana Figueres, a senior United Nations climate official, who said that the fires were "just introductions to the doom and gloom that we could be facing".
The implication from the honourable member was that the fires are because of anthropogenic global greenhouse gas emissions. Guffaw, guffaw! It is time The Greens faced reality: The people of New South Wales surely are. One only has to look at what happened to the Green vote in the Miranda by-election—it crashed and burned. That is the reality for The Greens, not their spurious claims about bushfires being caused by anthropogenic global warning. I commend all of the emergency services crews that have worked tirelessly and bravely to defend and save properties and lives. They manage these superhuman efforts year after year. The question should be asked: Could their jobs be made easier by better planning and leadership by government?
Judging from the statement made in the House today by the Minister, it appears that is on the agenda, and I applaud the Government: It is about time. Our thoughts are with the people in all communities who have 24694 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
been affected in all communities. It is everyone's hope that the recovery process for these people is swift and uncomplicated. But I will not lose my point. Let us debunk the efforts of The Greens to link the bushfires to anthropogenic global warning. Would it surprise anyone to learn that last year the world invested almost a billion dollars a day in limiting so-called anthropogenic global warning? Thomas Heller, Executive Director of the Climate Policy Initiative, which published this figure, said:
Investment to combat and adapt to climate change is happening around the world, but it's short of where it needs to be ...
Short of where it needs to be at a billion dollars a day. What about poverty? What about drought? What about refugees from civil strife? We do not spend a billion dollars a day on each of those. I agree with the claims of David Packham, a former Deputy Director of the Australian Counter Disaster College, that the bushfires in the Blue Mountains, in particular, are the result of a lack of political leadership over bush management, namely fuel loads. He said that these conflagrations also demonstrate a failure to learn lessons from the 2009 fires in Victoria which, tragically, killed 173 people and left thousands of people homeless. It appears that we have also not learnt from the 2003 Canberra bushfires.
Thankfully, New South Wales has not faced that level of disaster in human loss, although I know we are keeping a nervous watch on the fires still burning and there is potential for more huge outbreaks at any time. These fires have not occurred because of global warning but because of 30, 40, 50, 100 tonnes per hectare of fuel. Mr Packham also points out that the Blue Mountains has accumulated huge fuel loads with the predictable outcome being large-scale uncontrolled burning. Once it starts, you can do very little about it, which has been demonstrated by this set of bushfires. Today we heard the fire has jumped the Bells Line of Road. Mr Packham said:
What is happening in NSW is exactly what happens every 10 to 20 years, right back to 1915. If you have lots of ... fire fuel, you will have lots of unpleasant fires.
It is time The Greens realised that their policies over many years of locking up national parks and not allowing enough hazard-reduction burns are at the root of most of these bushfire problems. It is disingenuous of The Greens to claim that the current bushfires are linked to climate change or to now claim that they are not opposed to burning to manage bushfires. Dr Mehreen Faruqi went to pains to distance The Greens from any responsibility for allowing fuel loads in national parks to increase over many years. Garbage!
PARTIAL DEFENCE OF PROVOCATION
The Hon. TREVOR KHAN [3.44 p.m.]: I refer to the recent release of the draft exposure bill into the reform of the partial defence of provocation. On 17 October Premier Barry O'Farrell told the other place that:
A parliamentary committee was established to examine the issue of provocation in June 2012, and it reported in April 2013. The select committee comprised members from all parties—the Liberal Party, The Nationals, the Labor Party and The Greens—and it was chaired by Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile from the Christian Democratic Party. The committee made 11 recommendations for legislative and policy changes.
I was proud to serve on that committee and equally proud of the way that members of this House worked constructively together under the chairmanship of Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile. I encourage all members of this place as well as members of the public to keep in mind that at a time when we are to be confronted by conscience votes on two contentious bills, members of this place worked constructively together. We all believed that people do not deserve to be beaten and killed because of the breakdown in their relationships or because of their sexuality. I urge each of us, when debating those two bills, to be moderate in our language and not resort to stereotypes. I accept that the draft exposure bill is a considered attempt to meet the intent behind the committee's recommendations and I thank the Premier for his commitment to reform in this area.
I note the draft exposure bill provides that the conduct of the deceased does not constitute extreme provocation if (a) the conduct was only a non-violent sexual advance to the accused, or (b) the accused incited the conduct in order to provide an excuse to use violence against the deceased. In my view, the bill will achieve the committee's policy intent of keeping the partial defence of provocation available for people who are the subject of ongoing abuse who snap and kill their abuser. The bill adopts an unlawful provocation model and achieves the committee's policy intent of excluding conduct such as infidelity, while avoiding the difficulties associated with what can be described as the listed exclusion model. The main problem with a list of exclusions arises when the excluded conduct takes place in the context of other provocative conduct such that it would be highly artificial to isolate and disregard the excluded conduct, for instance, when infidelity occurs in combination with taunting. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24695
I note that ongoing domestic violence will almost always be a serious indictable offence under section 13 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007, being conduct intended to cause a person to fear physical or mental harm. I am satisfied that this will capture the situation of what could be described as the "battered woman" for whom the partial defence should be available. The bill includes a specific exclusion to prevent the use of the partial defence of provocation where a homicide is committed in response to a non-violent sexual advance. I congratulate groups such as the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, which has campaigned on this specific issue for many years. Reform—serious and effective reform—that overcomes the results of Regina v Green is finally within sight.
I also hope that the families of victims such as Manpreet Kaur, Julie Ramage and Jay Bownds will gain some comfort from the knowledge that their suffering and grief has moved the Government to act. Too many people, particularly women, have been killed by jealous controlling partners. Too many young men have been killed by men who have then sought to rely on an alleged homosexual advance. I hope we are now at a point where this Parliament will send a message to the broader community that such conduct will not be excused. Once again, I thank all those who have worked towards this end. I thank Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile for his chairmanship and particularly Premier Barry O'Farrell.
CENTRAL WEST JOBS
The Hon. MICK VEITCH [3.49 p.m.]: In the past week much of the New South Wales Central West has been on fire. But the people of the Central West have other problems: Major local employers have announced massive job cuts that have gutted the local community. At Downer EDI's Bathurst workshop there are currently more than 100 workers. The site will close in the new year. Downer EDI is a major employer of skilled workers in the New South Wales rolling-stock industry. Apart from those 100 jobs, it is expected that hundreds more associated jobs will be lost. When announcing the site's closure to the shocked workers, the company said that the site would close because it had no secure contracts from the State Government and that now it was too late.
This morning, Simplot at Bathurst announced that more than 100 jobs would be cut in the new year. Like many food processors and manufacturers, Simplot has been confronted by the high Australian dollar and increased competition from cheap imports. Despite commitments from the former Federal Labor Government for co-investment funds that would allow Simplot to invest in modernised plant and equipment to improve efficiencies and save local jobs, no funding was agreed to by the new Federal Coalition Government. This is another major blow to employment in regional New South Wales, and to Bathurst in particular, just days after Downer EDI's announcement.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union represents workers at both sites. The union says that it is now crunch time for another major employer in the Central West whose workers it represents—namely, Electrolux in Orange. Electrolux employs more than 500 workers in Orange, many of whom come from the same families. Since it opened in 1946, generations of those families have worked at the site over the decades. Two existing plants—one in Thailand and the other in Orange—are competing for investment funds to manufacture a new range of Electrolux brand fridge and freezer products. The board will make its decision on which plant receives this funding before Christmas this year.
A decision by the board to fund Thailand rather than Orange would be devastating for the region. Electrolux at Orange has remained profitable despite the high Australian dollar and competition from cheap imports. Without the new product line, the Orange site will begin to close down from 2015. Beyond the immediate losses of 550 jobs, approximately 900 more local jobs and investment in the region of approximately $74.4 million per annum are expected to be lost if the Electrolux site at Orange closes. Electrolux operates a world-class research and development centre in Orange, with 44 engineers and designers. If the site closes, specialist technology, research and development, skills and export potential will be lost, along with the significant local skilled jobs that would be created by new technology associated with the expansion of the site.
Like Simplot, Electrolux met with the former Federal Government seeking co-investment that would support a decision by Electrolux Sweden to provide the new product range to Orange. The new Federal Minister for Industry met with Electrolux management in recent weeks. As was the case with his visit to Simplot, he failed to give any commitments to the people of the Central West. There is very little time left for the people of the Central West who are employed by Electrolux. They are fighting, along with their unions, for themselves, their children and their community. The people of the Central West need a government that is prepared to stand up for local manufacturing jobs. 24696 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
Downer EDI, Simplot and Electrolux are world leaders in their respective industry sectors. They are world-class innovators and major employers of skilled labour in regional New South Wales. Our rolling-stock and food industries have been abandoned by the State Government, which has no industry policy and no commitment to local manufacturing. It seems that they will also be abandoned by the new Federal Government. New South Wales manufacturers and the people of the Central West deserve much better. They need Government at all levels to support local manufacturers through genuine co-investment that would allow them to compete on a level playing field with the rest of the world, where governments recognise the critical role of manufacturing and do not hesitate to provide support.
NUCLEAR POWER
The Hon. ROBERT BORSAK [3.53 p.m.]: I find it comforting that more and more people are now recognising that The Greens' policy on huge fuel loads in national parks in recent years has a direct link to the bushfires we have seen ravaging much of the State. It is just one of their policy areas now being exposed as fraudulent. Another issue causing problems for The Greens is their push for renewable energy. We all know that the Greens do not like cheap power from dirty coalmines. It is as though the thousands of workers who provide the coal to power stations can be discarded because of The Greens' ideology. Remember years ago they liked clean, green hydropower until they worked out that, to get the water, they needed to build dams. We all know that is an anathema to The Greens. The idea of building any additional dam was dead in its tracks in case someone drowned a frog or killed an exotic weed.
Next they turned to wind power. They pioneered the industry in Tasmania until an endangered orange-bellied parrot flew into the turbine blades and was killed. That meant that there were 30, instead of 31, orange-bellied parrots left in the wild, so The Greens went a bit cold on wind power. Despite that, they claim solar power and wind power are the way of the future. Unfortunately for them, neither option is economically viable now or in the foreseeable future. There is another option, which even the Pommies can see. I note the London Daily Telegraph reports that politicians have made a major decision that will see them avoid the need to build 30,000 wind turbines up and down the country. Significantly, Britain has decided to go nuclear, with a new series of nuclear power stations—the first in a generation. Government Ministers want to build a dozen new nuclear reactors to help "keep the lights on" and to ensure that people can "turn on the kettle".
The Department of Energy and Climate Change says Britain would need to build more than 30,000 onshore wind turbines to produce the same amount of energy, and 30,000 turbines is seven times the number currently in operation. Conservative Minister of State for Energy, Michael Fallon, has been quoted as saying that nuclear power stations will ultimately prove a cheaper and less controversial alternative. Britain has been forced into the decision because it is facing an energy crisis, with all but one of its nuclear power stations due to close by 2023. Britain is planning ahead, as we should be. Interestingly, the British Government says that the first new reactor, Hinkley Point B in Somerset, will produce the same amount of energy as 6,000 wind turbines built on 250,000 acres of land. Building Hinkley Point B will cost £14 billion and create jobs for 25,000 people.
Forget ideology. Who in their right mind could oppose what the British Government says will be "the provision of long-term safe and secure supplies of electricity into the future"? I hope the Premier of New South Wales has been properly informed of this decision by those who are charged with ensuring our power needs into the future. We apparently have plenty of uranium in the ground. We also need cheap and plentiful power to maintain our competitive advantage and our living standards. Surely we can develop the political will to make it happen. I call on all political parties to join us in looking towards future energy needs and our best options to ensure that the lights do not go out and we can still boil the kettle. The Premier has been sent a lot of messages by electors and the media in the last five days saying, "Please do something."
PALLIATIVE CARE
The Hon. GREG DONNELLY [3.56 p.m.]: I know that many members in this House and the other place are very interested in palliative care and are seriously committed to seeing both the quality and availability of it improved significantly in New South Wales and indeed Australia. I do not wish in any way to cast negative reflections on the outstanding work currently being done by so many people, including specialist palliative care doctors, general practitioners, nurses, allied health workers, carers, volunteers, academics, researchers and advocates. It is just that we can and, in my view, must do a great deal more. As a society we should aspire to provide the best possible palliative care to all Australians, no matter who they are or where they live. That should be one of the pillars of health care in this country and taken as a given. 24 October 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24697
This afternoon I will briefly report on three matters relating to palliative care. The twelfth Australian Palliative Care Conference was held in Canberra from 3 September to 6 September. It was organised by Palliative Care Australia, the national peak body for palliative care in this country. The theme of the conference was "Palliative Care—everyone's business". Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but all the reports that I have received have been very positive. The conference brought together more than 700 delegates from across Australia and the world. Reports and discussions about best practice and the latest research, along with building and extending valuable networks, were the key features of the conference.
I suggest that those who are interested visit the conference website. It contains a great deal of information. Through it I sourced some of the excellent papers presented by the keynote speakers. I hope that in due course all the papers and presentations will be published. The conference streams—namely, Patient, Families and Carers, Health Providers and Community— along with the workshops, research presentations and project reports, contributed to making the conference a first-class event. I offer my congratulations to Palliative Care Australia, Palliative Care ACT, sponsors, participants and all those involved in making this conference such an outstanding success.
Secondly, I acknowledge the announcement by the Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, on 12 September outlining the rollout of $35 million in community-based palliative care services across New South Wales. The suite of community-based palliative care initiatives includes support packages for people dying at home, support services for dying children and their families, palliative care volunteer support services and an after-hours telephone support service. The announcement by the Minister for Health is welcome but, as she herself acknowledges, there is a lot more to be done to get palliative care in New South Wales up to the standard we all want it to be. New South Wales has 0.4 palliative care doctors per 100,000 persons—the Australian average is 0.8. This means a minimum of 30 more palliative care specialist doctors are needed today. New South Wales has a shortage of 220 palliative care nurses compared to the Australian average. I hope the 2014-15 Health budget will continue to commit greater resources to palliative care across New South Wales.
Finally, I remind members of an important forum to be held next Wednesday 30 October in the Parliament House Theatrette. The forum has been organised by Palliative Care NSW. The theme is: Palliative care: where to from here? The program is full and diverse. Topics covered will include dying at home, dying in rural and remote areas, aged care and dementia, and acute care settings. A number of highly qualified and experienced speakers address the forum. I offer my sincere thanks to Carolyn Walsh, President of Palliative Care NSW, for her support of the idea to hold this forum. I particularly thank Linda Hansen, Executive Officer of Palliative Care NSW, for the enormous amount of work she has put into bringing this event together. She has done an outstanding job.
It is expected that the forum will be a big success. Already more than 50 people have been placed on a waitlist. I appreciate that members in both places are always busy, particularly on a sitting day. However, I do hope that as many members as possible can drop in, even if only for a brief visit. We need to find out more about palliative care. We also need to contribute to the important conversation about where to from here for palliative care in this State. We should all be involved in that conversation.
PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDS OF CYPRUS STUDY TOUR
The Hon. MARIE FICARRA (Parliamentary Secretary) [4.01 p.m.]: Cyprus is an island governed only in part by the internationally recognised parliamentary democracy of the Republic of Cyprus. The northern part remains under armed occupation following invasion by Turkey in the 1970s. The Republic of Cyprus is a member of the European Union and its Parliament is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union. I had the privilege of joining a delegation from the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Cyprus from 20 to 25 July. The delegation comprised the Hon. Amanda Fazio and the Hon. David Clarke, the convenors of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Cyprus, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane and me.
The aims of the visit can best be described as using direct observation to confirm widely reported facts about Cyprus; to gain an impression of the mood of the Cypriot people; to demonstrate solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus in its commitment to and encouragement of democratic governance, freedoms, prosperity, personal development, and peaceful processes in the resolution of international and domestic disputes; and to show the people of Cyprus appreciation by Australians of the cultural, political and economic ties that bind our nations and the ongoing importance of strengthening them. I believe we achieved all these aims.
In Cyprus we found a happy, prosperous community of people but their freedoms are still shattered by Turkish occupation. This includes the alienation of some of the best agricultural land, best beaches and what was once the best tourist city and port: Famagusta. Displaced Cypriots, including Turkish Cypriots from the now occupied northern region, lost their freedom to visit homes, friends and lands they still call their own. They cannot even enjoy the freedom of flying across their occupied lands in civilian airlines of their choice. Cypriots have not emerged from the Cold War era with the degree of freedom from fear enjoyed by their European 24698 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 24 October 2013
neighbours. Those living along the United Nations patrolled green line buffer zone are confronted daily by barbed wire fences and armed guards, behind which stand powerful Turkish military forces occupying their beloved northern Cyprus. These forces have continued to threaten the peace of this lovely island for 40 years now.
We found the people governed by the Republic of Cyprus unafraid to speak the truth. They are very open to discussion of their history and of realistic processes that may one day resolve the ongoing occupation and authoritarian rule by the Turkish armed forces of their northern lands and cities. With the guarantees of peace and freedom provided by the membership of the Republic of Cyprus in the European Union, the Cypriot nationals of Turkish ethnicity in the occupied areas would have nothing to fear from majority rule over the island. The European Union includes Greece. I was unable to detect any sentiment for taking the union of Cyprus and Greece any further, thus negating an old fear and justification for ongoing Turkish occupation of Cyprus.
I join the Hon. Amanda Fazio and the Hon. David Clarke in giving heartfelt thanks to those people and organisations that made the study tour possible. I especially thank the Cypriot community of New South Wales, led admirably by Michael Christodoulou, President of the Federation of Cyprus Communities of Australia and New Zealand. He inspired this visit. I commend Michael Christodoulou and the Cyprus Community Club of New South Wales, in Stanmore. You could not find a more friendly, welcoming and hospitable community. They will do all they can to achieve a peaceful resolution to this issue. Michael Christodoulou does such a good job as a member of the Community Relations Commission. Importantly, I thank my parliamentary colleagues for maintaining a spirit of friendship and cooperation in the defence of the human, civil and property rights of the displaced Greek and Turkish Cypriots. These basic human rights will continue to be of concern to civilised democracies around the world, and particularly the Parliament of New South Wales.
OPERATION URGENT FURY THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY
The Hon. Dr PETER PHELPS [4.06 p.m.]: Tomorrow is the thirtieth anniversary of Operation Urgent Fury—the liberation of Grenada by armed forces of the United States and the Regional Security System. For those of us who were teenage anti-communists in the 1980s, this was a seminal moment. After years of communist advancement throughout the world—in Afghanistan, Nicaragua and the Third World generally—and after the deployment of SS-20 missiles in Eastern Europe, it was a bad time to be an anti-communist. But then along came Grenada. It came in the week following the bombing of the United States marines in Lebanon. Indeed, the marine expeditionary force on its way to Lebanon was diverted to the Caribbean to take part, with fellow West Indian allies in the Regional Security System, in the liberation of that nation from communist rule.
I pay tribute to the courage and conviction of then Governor-General, later to be long-serving Governor General Sir Paul Scoon. He requested intervention to save his nation from a communist dictatorship. Unfortunately, he died last month in his native Grenada. He was a brave man, a man who chose to stay behind when the communists took over. He decided to do something to save his nation from the scourge of communist control. At the time the usual suspects denounced the actions of the Reagan administration; the fellow travellers of the communists—people not unlike Lee Rhiannon—who believed that the inexorable march of Marxism meant there was going to be victory for the Soviet Union and that there would be defeat for the West. These sorts of people were loud in their condemnation of the actions of the Reagan administration. Indeed, even the United Nations came out and criticised the actions of the Reagan administration.
But what do we find? We find that Grenada today remains a valued member of the Commonwealth; that since that time it has been constantly a democracy. It has never once fallen into the trap that some others have of moving towards a military dictatorship or one-party rule. It has always been a democracy. I think I speak on behalf of all members on my side of the House when I wish current Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell, well and note Grenada's 30 years of uninterrupted democracy since its liberation from the communist dictatorship that it faced. I congratulate all Grenadians and members of the Grenada Parliament on the thirtieth anniversary of their liberation from communist dictatorship. I wish them well as our Commonwealth confrères into the future.
[Time for debate expired.]
Question—That this House do now adjourn—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
The House adjourned at 4.10 p.m. until Tuesday 29 October 2013 at 2.30 p.m.