19638 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday 15 November 2005 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Joseph Aquilina) took the chair at 2.15 p.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. CONSUMER CREDIT (NEW SOUTH WALES) AMENDMENT (MAXIMUM ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE) BILL ROYAL BLIND SOCIETY (MERGER) BILL STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE AMENDMENT BILL Messages received from the Legislative Council returning the bills without amendment. INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION Ministerial Statement Mr MORRIS IEMMA (Lakemba—Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for Citizenship) [2.22 p.m.]: In these difficult times of terrorist threats, it is important to reassure the community that the protection of our critical infrastructure continues to be treated as the highest priority. The Government has established a project group to survey our critical infrastructure within the State and to assess risks and upgrade security. The group is surveying key infrastructure in areas including transport, energy and communications. Comprehensive security strategies have been developed for a number of key assets, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. All NSW Police local area commands maintain high-visibility policing around those sites and work closely with the owner-operators to identify and investigate any suspicious activity. In October New South Wales participated in the multijurisdictional counter-terrorism exercise known as Mercury 05. This exercise tested the State's critical infrastructure protection and response arrangements around a number of sites. A key focus of the security audit has been to work on transport security and the utilities sector. Security audits and risk assessments are reassessed on a regular basis. Physical improvements, such as security fencing, access control measures and refinement of security procedures, have been implemented at key sites, including Port Botany. Business continuity plans have also been tested. New South Wales has a Cabinet standing committee on counter-terrorism, supporting chief executive officer co-ordination and the police counter-terrorism command. The work that has taken place is extensive and includes implementation of risk-based regulatory approaches to address threats; new legislation to require rail, bus, ferry and charter vessel operators to be accredited and implement security systems; preparation of contingency plans to enable response to an elevated level of threat; new training for operators and staff in relation to dealing with suspicious items; participation by transport agencies in ongoing exercise programs to test and improve their emergency capability; staff training to ensure appropriate actions in evacuating passengers, securing the affected area, rendering first aid and co- ordination with other emergency authorities; development of emergency response plans up to whole-scale CBD evacuations; and the roll-out of public awareness campaigns across the nation. Immediately after the London attacks on 7 July, additional operational measures were implemented, including increased security on urban rail networks, increased inspections of buses and ferries, deployment of high-visibility police patrols at major transport nodes, predeployment of bomb squad officers and explosive- detector dogs to reduce response times, and closure of baggage lockers at transport interchanges. I remind members of the House and the community that the Sydney CityRail network has 6,224 closed-circuit television [CCTV] cameras installed at 302 CityRail stations. That is an average of 20 live digital cameras at every station. The Rail Management Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives live CCTV coverage from 6,200 cameras. The Government will continue to be vigilant in detecting any potential threats to our security and in working to continually increase the protection of our key infrastructure assets. 15 November 2005 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 19639 Mr PETER DEBNAM (Vaucluse—Leader of the Opposition) [2.26 p.m.]: As I have told the House before, the Opposition and the Government speak as one in relation to terrorism and counter-terrorism. The Opposition has taken a bipartisan approach to this topic. That bipartisan approach would be assisted if the Premier gave notice of his ministerial statements so that we could join him in welcoming any initiative. I note that he has not done that since becoming Premier. Mr Andrew Stoner: He is pulling a stunt. Mr PETER DEBNAM: If he did, we could focus on a bipartisan approach instead of on stunts, as one of my colleagues said. The information presented by the Premier today is very useful to us all, not only to Parliament but also to members of the public who need to understand what plans are put in place to protect infrastructure assets and mass gatherings. I have made the point a number of times before that terrorists have moved from attacking infrastructure to attacking people, causing large numbers of casualties. We need to make sure that we have in place the right protection for mass gatherings and, indeed, evacuation plans. Today there is still a high level of concern in the community about whether appropriate evacuation plans have been put in place. Parliament still needs to do some work to ensure that those plans are in place and are notified to members of the public. In relation to resources generally, we all remain concerned to make sure that front-line services, especially police, have the resources they need and, indeed, the numbers they need. The Opposition has made the point continually in recent times that it is regrettable that over the past two years the Government has reduced police numbers by 611. [Interruption] The Deputy Premier seems to be making some point about reducing police numbers, which have gone down by 611 in two years. The Premier should address that as a matter of urgency. The Premier had just indicated that the numbers have gone up. They have not gone up, they have gone down. In 2003 there were 15,164 officers. The latest NSW Police web site shows that those numbers have gone down by 611. That is why the Government did not have the appropriate level of resources last week to conduct the counter-terrorism raids. That is why on Tuesday general duties officers were used to pick up a terrorism suspect. That is why those officers were used without body armour, without bulletproof vests, and that is why, in the end, one officer was shot. The resources were not there to enable them to do the job properly. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Government members will come to order. Mr PETER DEBNAM: If the Premier wants to talk about resources and having appropriate plans in place, I suggest he look first at the 611 police he has cut in the past two years. Put them back! VARIATIONS OF PAYMENTS ESTIMATES AND APPROPRIATIONS 2005-06 Mr Frank Sartor tabled variations of the payments estimates and appropriations for 2005-06 under section 24 of the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, flowing from the transfer of functions from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources to the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Planning, the Premier's Department, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office. PETITIONS Gaming Machine Tax Petitions opposing the decision to increase poker machine tax, received from Mrs Judy Hopwood and Mr Andrew Stoner. Alstonville Bypass Petition requesting that the Alstonville Bypass be completed by the end of 2006, received from Mr Donald Page. South Coast Rail Services Petition opposing any reduction in rail services on the South Coast, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock. 19640 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 15 November 2005 Pensioner Travel Voucher Booking Fee Petition requesting the removal of the $10 booking fee on pensioner travel vouchers, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock. North-west Rail Link Petition requesting that the north-west rail be completed by 2010, received from Mr Wayne Merton. Murwillumbah to Casino Rail Service Petitions requesting the retention of the CountryLink rail service from Murwillumbah to Casino, received from Mr Neville Newell and Mr Donald Page. CountryLink Rail Services Petition opposing the abolition of CountryLink rail services and their replacement with bus services in rural and regional New South Wales, received from Mr Andrew Stoner. Jervis Bay Marine Park Fishing Competitions Petition requesting amendment of the zoning policy to preclude fishing competitions, by both spear and line, in the Jervis Bay Marine Park, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock. Unborn Child Protection Petition requesting mandatory statistical reporting of abortions, legislative protection of foetuses of 20 weeks gestation, and availability of resources for post-abortion follow-up, received from Mr Andrew Stoner. Anti-Discrimination (Religious Tolerance) Legislation Petition opposing the proposed anti-discrimination (religious tolerance) legislation, received from Mr Andrew Stoner. Shoalhaven River Water Extraction Petition opposing the extraction of water from the Shoalhaven River to support Sydney's water supply, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock. Kurnell Desalination Plant Petition opposing the construction of a desalination plant at Kurnell, received from Mr Malcolm Kerr. Model Farms High School Hall Petition requesting the provision of a school hall for the Model Farms High School, received from Mr Wayne Merton. Colo High School Airconditioning Petition requesting the installation of airconditioning in all classrooms and the library of Colo High School, received from Mr Steven Pringle. Lower Macleay High School Petition requesting commencement