Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST 1988 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Papers 31 August 1988 289 WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST 1988 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. L. W. Powell, Isis) read prayers and took the chair at 2.30 p.m. PETITIONS The Deputy Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Road-funding From Mr Lingard (16 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will protest to the Federal Govemment against any fiirther cuts to funding for road maintenance and constmction. Introduction of Poker Machines From Mr Sherlock (686 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will take action to introduce poker machines. A similar petition was received from Mr Burns (1 760 signatories). Wynnum Hospital From Mr Burns (254 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will provide for out-patient, casualty and all general hospital services at Wynnum Hospital. Drivers' Licence Office, Wynnum From Mr Burns (233 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will take action to ensure that the Department of Transport sets up an office at Wynnum to issue drivers' licences to alleviate the extra workload placed on police officers. Budget Allocation for State Schools From Mr Burns (148 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will take action to inQfjS^se the Budget allocation to State schools. Maintenance of Country Hospital Services From Mr Comben (7 827 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will protect the free hospital system by ensuring all country hospital services are maintained. Petitions received. PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table— Orders in Council under— Petroleum Act 1923-1988 Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Act 1984-1988 Report of the Queensland Agricultural College for the year ended 31 December 1987. 290 31 August 1988 Ministerial Statement MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Toxic Waste Problem, Diamond Street, Kingston Hon. L. T. HARVEY (Greenslopes—Minister for Health) (2.34 p.m.), by leave: I refer to an article in today's Courier-Mail. For the benefit of honourable members, I wish to clarify the situation regarding the toxic waste problems at Diamond Street, Kingston. The Opposition has again resorted to using the most scurrilous tactics that it can to misrepresent totally the tme situation at Kingston and to mislead the public over a very serious issue. In fact, it is becoming quite typical of the Opposition to try to hide its utter ignorance of health issues by using underhand tactics and malicious mmour- mongering in a bid to divert attention away from the total failure of the ALP Federal Govemment in all areas of health. The facts regarding Diamond Street, Kingston are: these problems developed before I came to the Health portfolio, but I am advised that it was the Health Department that first drew attention to the problem and took immediate action. The demonstrated health problem is restricted to those houses in Diamond Street, Kingston which lie directly over the old toxic waste disposal site. Any appearance of the material outside the residential properties purchased in Diamond Street has been due to the transport of surface soil during excavation or fill. This is not a problem, because once the small pellets of acid and bituminous material are removed they do not reappear. The Health Department has tested all properties in Diamond Street and adjacent areas where residents have indicated concem. I note that the member who raised this issue yesterday has not bothered to come into the House today. In April, 25 blocks in Diamond Street, Amethyst Street, Onyx Place and Gamet Street were tested. Sites were chosen at the householders' direction when they were present, and at least two holes were drilled on each property. Only one positive finding of the toxic waste material was made at one site in Amethyst Street and that was due to the dumping of transported material. Such dumpings will not happen in the future. The Govemment has agreed to further testing in the area to define the extent of the contamination. It will also ensure that there will be no problems from proposed remedial action, when the contaminated material will be removed in accordance with a consultants' report which has been prepared for the Logan City Council. The Govemment has commissioned a further consultants' report dealing with this issue and the possibility of any other contamination in the area. Secondly, I wish to again clarify for honourable members vicious untmths being perpetrated by the Opposition about my alleged failure to provide information from an intemational conference on AIDS, which I attended. The tme facts are that the Deputy Director-General of Health and Medical Services requested his staff to seek from all departmental officers who attended the conference details of any policy issues that they had developed as a result of the conference. This is a routine procedure following attendance of staff at conferences. The Minister, of course, is not expected to be included on such a list, but in this instance—no doubt through staff inexperience—I also received a memorandum. Consequently, I spoke to the Deputy Director-General about the memo and he confirmed that it was not normal practice for the Minister to receive such a memo and that there had been a clerical error. During those discussions I supplied the Deputy Director-General of Health and Medical Services with details of a new initiative which I developed as a result of attending that conference. That initiative, which I will be announcing in the near future, has now been incorporated into the department's future strategies to combat the spread of the deadly AIDS vims. I am well aware that the Opposition is making very feeble attempts to discredit me, and this latest despicable bout of untmths is part of an ongoing campaign of gutter Ministerial Statement 31 August 1988 291 tactics. But it has failed dismally in its transparent attempts, which can only be described as petty nit-picking in the absence of any real issues on which to concentrate. The tme facts are that the Opposition has been motivated by shame and embarrassment to try to divert attention away from the Federal ALP Govemment's total mishandling of health issues. I have before me documents which show without any doubt that any problems associated with health-funding in Queensland can be directly attributed to the Opposition's Federal Labor Govemment colleagues. These facts are recorded in the Federal Govemment's own Budget Papers, released last week, which I now seek leave to table and have incorporated in Hansard. These documents, being part of the Federal Govemment's own Budget documents, show conclusively to the maligned citizens of Queensland the poor treatment that they have received at the hands of their elected representatives in Canberra and the shoddy approach of the members opposite of throwing a smoke-screen over the whole issue and by choosing nit-picking issues with which to attack the Health Department and me. I seek leave to table that document. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Does the Minister seek leave to table the document and have it incorporated in Hansard? Mrs HARVEY: Yes. Mr Comben: You're giving her a hand. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Windsor! Whereupon the honourable member laid on the table the following document— Table 1: Population 1984-85 to 1987-88 from Commonwealth Budget Paper No. 4 page 17 Year NSW Vic WA SA Tgc Sub­ Qld Total SOOO's SOOO's SOOO's SOOO's SOOO's total SOOO's SOOO's SOOO's 1984/85.. .. 5433.6 4098.1 1404.1 1365.6 440.1 12741.5 2547.6 15289.1 1985/86.. .. 5497.3 4140.4 1437.5 1376.8 444.6 12896.6 2597.0 15493.6 1986/87., .. 5571.4 4184.2 1479.8 1388.3 447.4 13071.1 2650.4 15721.5 1987/88.. .. 5660.5 4233.6 1519.9 1401.2 447.8 13263.0 2706.2 15969.2 22162.8 16656.3 5841.3 5531.9 1779.9 51972.2 10501.2 62473.4 Average—4 years .... 5540.7 4164.1 1460.3 1383.0 445.0 12993.1 2625.3 15618.4 Percentage .. 35.5 26.7 9.4 8.9 2.8 83.2 16.8 100.0 Table 2: Identified Health Grants to States 1984-85 to 1987-88 from Commonwealth Budget Paper No. 4 page 32 Year NSW Vic WA SA Tas Sub­ Qld Total Sm Sm Sm Sm Sm total Sm $m Sm 1984/85. 521.4 344.2 162.0 182.3 59.0 1268.9 104.7 1373.6 1985/86. 563.0 371.0 176.3 195.9 63.6 1369.8 113.5 1483.3 1986/87. 626.6 411.9 198.6 216.8 70.5 1524.4 127.0 1651.4 1987/88. 674.0 441.6 219.5 233.7 74.6 1643.4 139.3 1782.7 2385.0 1568.7 756.4 828.7 267.7 5806.5 484.5 6291.0 Percentage . 37.9 24.9 12.0 13.2 4.3 92.3 7.7 100.0 Per Capita—4 years .... S430.5 S376.7 $518.0 S599.2 S601.6 S446.9 Si 84.6 $402.8 292 31 August 1988 Questions Upon Notice Table 3: Medicare Compensation Grants to States 1984-85 to 1987-88 from Commonwealth Budget Paper No. 4 pages 104, 107, 110, 113, 116 and 119 Year NSW Vic WA SA Tas Sub­ Qld Total Sm Sm Sm Sm Sm total Sm Sm Sm 1984/85.. 351.9 249.2 85.2 118.4 32.7 837.3 75.6 912.9 1985/86.