2012 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Friday 10 May 2002 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Henry Murray) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. ADMISSION OF THE TREASURER INTO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Mr SPEAKER: I report the receipt of the following message from the Legislative Council: Mr SPEAKER: The Legislative Council desires to inform the Legislative Assembly that it agrees to the request of the Legislative Assembly in its Message dated 9 May 2002 for the Honourable M. R. Egan, MLC, Treasurer, Minister for State and Development and Vice- President of the Executive Council, to attend at the Table of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 4 June 2002 for the purpose only of giving a speech in relation to the New South Wales Budget 2002-2003. Legislative Council MEREDITH BURGMANN 9 May 2002 President BILLS RETURNED The following bills were returned from the Legislative Council without amendment: AGL Corporate Conversion Bill Home Building Amendment (Insurance) Bill GOVERNOR'S SPEECH: ADDRESS-IN-REPLY Eighth Day's Debate Debate resumed from 12 April. Mr MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [10.03 a.m.]: What can be more basic than providing infrastructure services such as sewerage funding in rural areas? I have raised on other occasions in this place the need for sewerage funding for towns in my electorate such as Collingullie and Yerong Creek. Nowhere in the Governor's Speech has she referred to additional funding for that important infrastructure. On 25 March 2001 the Premier announced that the State Government would spend an extra $60 million over the next four years to help country towns provide cleaner water and better sewerage systems. That brings the total expenditure under the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage program to around $65 million per year. Funding for the program was agreed in 1995 at $85.5 million per year each from the State Government and local government for 10 years. In recent years the State Government contribution has fallen to around $50 million per year, and by the sixth year of the program cumulative underfunding totalled around $120 million. A program of around $65 million per year over the next four years still amounts to underfunding by the State Government of around $20 million per year. When added to the existing shortfall, cumulative underfunding of the program will be around $200 million in four years, that is, by 2004-05. Many communities in my electorate—and, I am sure, in electorates throughout regional New South Wales—are screaming out for funding. Communities in towns such as East Wagga Wagga have been working hard to get sewerage connected to rural properties and continually battle for funding. The residents of Collingullie write to me continually, and I make representations on their behalf. However, all we get is correspondence that touches on the subject, with no promise of money. The residents of Yeron Creek are in a similar situation. The local council has its funds ready, but it is time that the Government put forward funding that will give these people some hope that they will get very basic services, such as sewerage. We have heard the Premier and the Treasurer squawk about what they are doing about payroll tax, and I acknowledge that there have been some small cuts. However, I wish to refer to an article that appeared in the Weekly Times of 8 May. It reads: 10 May 2002 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2013 The Victorian Government recently announced it would cut payroll tax … to 5.35 per cent from July 1 and then to 5.25 percent in July next year… Treasurer John Brumby said the move meant Victoria now had Australia's lowest number of business taxes. That says it all about why this Government has more money rolling around in its coffers but it is ignoring issues such as payroll tax. Victoria is clearly leading the way on this important issue. A reduction in payroll tax would create employment in rural areas and give businesses some relief, particularly those in the meatworking industry. The honourable member for Lachlan has raised this issue on many occasions; indeed, he has put forward a bill to reduce payroll tax. Home owners warranty insurance, which has been the subject of debate this week, is a matter of concern for business and industry in rural areas. Apart from the bill that passed through this place tinkering around the edges, there have not been any major initiatives to address the real concerns of builders in my electorate and many other electorates throughout the State. Builders are still experiencing problems with obtaining home owners warranty insurance, and if that state of affairs continues it will have a major effect on the building industry. The legislation that passed through this place is nowhere near enough. More needs to be done to address the real problem, which is to teach builders the skills they need to construct properly and to encourage them into the industry. There must be a better way, and I encourage the Government to seriously address the matter. The Governor's Speech did not deal with it. I am very disappointed that in her Speech the Governor did not place enough emphasis on public housing, which is another issue critical to the people of regional and rural New South Wales. The community of Holbrook is in desperate need of public housing. They have a sawmill, which, thankfully, has been retained for the community and now employs 120 people, an increase from 93. Three months ago we were to lose that sawmill, but thanks to lobbying of the local council by the Federal member, together with the support of State Forests and myself, the facility has been kept in action; indeed, additional workers have been employed. But there is a desperate need for public housing. It is disappointing that the Government has not put in place any major programs to provide public housing as a priority in rural areas. I wish to raise some of the problems that have been experienced by tenants in public housing estates. Attempts by the Department of Housing to bring under control residents in public housing areas who are holding communities hostage in their own premises are failing. It is disappointing that people have to go through the nightmare of seeking orders at the tribunal to encourage disruptive elements in the community to live in harmony with other community members. I am disappointed that the Governor's Speech did not announce any initiatives to overcome this problem. Good people are becoming distressed and moving out of public housing. Older people are locking themselves behind doors because the Government is unable to force out, or bring into line, people who will not abide by the rules or who cause trouble within public housing areas. The Governor said in her Speech: Careful fiscal management has seen healthy budget surpluses for six years in a row, plus a $10 billion reduction in budget sector debt and liabilities. The Government has failed in many areas, but an area in which it has failed extremely badly is waste and mismanagement. The Government could have lower taxes if it did something about some of these issues. In 2000-01 the Government spent $104 million on advertising, $528 million since coming to office, and $133 million of taxpayers' money on consultants, a total of $637 million over six years. That would be 16 new Wagga Wagga base hospitals at $40 million each. The cost of the Chatswood rail link has blown out by $800 million. WorkCover has blown out by $2.8 billion. The list goes on. The Government has an enormous amount of debtors. For example, last year the Government wrote off $65 million in public housing rent. If honourable members had listened to what I said a moment ago about public housing tenants not complying and not being brought into line under the tenancy regulations, they would realise that this is another area in which the Government is failing. Proposals to address these problems should have been referred to in the Governor's Speech. The $75 million cost blowout in the Conservatorium of Music would be two more hospitals. At a cost of $40 million each, all of us could have new hospitals built in our electorates if the Government got control of its waste and mismanagement. If one applies the sums logically to areas of need and priorities within the State all honourable members would benefit but, quite clearly, that is not happening. I could talk about many more matters of concern. For example, I could refer to the disintegration of branch lines. Many public meetings have been held and demands have been made on the Government to spend money on branch lines to get freight off the roads because they are deteriorating rapidly and funding from the Government to improve them is not 2014 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 10 May 2002 forthcoming. I could talk about funding resources to make our communities safer, for example, for policing and law and order. It is time that this Government addressed the real issues and priorities for the people of regional and rural New South Wales. Mr MARTIN (Bathurst) [10.13 a.m.]: Like other honourable members, I was delighted to listen to the new Governor speak. She was appointed by this Government and is the first female Governor of New South Wales. By now most of us would have met her. I had the opportunity of hosting her for three days in my electorate. She certainly brings a new dimension to the role of Governor. I will refer first to some of the matters raised by the honourable member for Wagga Wagga.