Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 26 MARCH 1968 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Special Adjournment [26 MARcH] Questions 2529 TUESDAY, 26 MARCH, 1%8 Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. D. E. Nicholson, Murrumba) read prayers and took the chair at 11 a.m. QUESTIONS EFFECT OF UNITED STATES REJECTION OF AUSTRALIAN MEAT CARGO Mr. Houston, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Primary Industries,- (!) Was Queensland's beef export trade involved in the recent United States' refusal to permit entry of a two million dollar Australian meat export cargo from the vessel City of Brisbane? If so, to what extent? ( 2) Is it anticipated that the reasons advanced for rejection of this cargo will have any future effect on Queensland's beef trade? Answers:­ (1) "No." (2) "The rejection will have no effect on future shipments of beef from Queens­ land as the quarantine requirements remain unaltered and can be satisfied." UNLAWFUL UsE AND STEALING OF MOTOR VEHICLES Mr. Houston, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,- ( 1) How many motor vehicles during the calendar years 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, were-(a) unlawfully used, (b) reported stolen, (c) recovered by the police and (d) found abandoned and stripped? (2) What is the maximum penalty that may be imposed for (a) the unlawful use of and (b) the stealing of a motor vehicle? (3) What action is proposed in order to reduce this type of crime? Answers:- (1) '~(a) and (b) 1964-1,711; 1965- 1,792; 1966-1,703; and 1%7-1,544. Vehicles unlawfully used and vehicles reported stolen are not classified separately in the records of the Police Department. (c) 1964-1,576; 1965-1,637; 1966- 1,542; and 1967-1,450. (d) This infor­ mation is not readily available and the incurring of expenditure to extract this information could not be justified." (2) "(a) (i) Imprisonment with hard labour for five years-<>ection 408A of The Criminal Code; (ii) Five hundred dollars or imprisonment with hard labour for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both such fine and imprisonment­ section 29 of "The Vagrants, Gaming, and Other Offences Acts, 1934 to 1967"; (iii) Two hundred dollars or impri.sonment 2530 Questions [ASSEMBLY] Questions for six months or to both such penalty ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL FOR DEAF and imprisonment-section 60 of "The CHILDREN, TOWNSVILLB Traffic Acts, 1949 to 1967"; (b) If no other penalty is provided, imprisonment Mr. Tucker, pursuant to notice, asked The with hard labour for three years, and if Minister for Education,- the motor vehicle is of the value of $2,000 As it would appear that the numbers or upwards, imprisonment with hard warrant it, will he establish a school for labour for seven years-section 398 of deaf children in Townsville to serve all The Criminal Code." North Queensland, thus keeping all (3) "It would not be in the public students much closer to their homes and interest to disclose the action proposed to families? be taken by the Police Department in this direction. However, present procedures will be increased and improved in order Answer:- that all possible measures are taken to "Present information is that there are reduce this type of offence." sixty children with a significant degree of hearing loss in the northern and north­ western educational regions, including Palm ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN, PARLIAMENT Island and Torres Strait areas. Of these, HousE thirty-four are attending the 5chool for Mr. Bromley, pursuant to notice, asked the deaf as residential pupils and eight The Premier,- children of pre-school age are being With regard to the advertisement appear­ advised by the pre-school section. The ing in the Government Gazette of March remaining eighteen are attending ordinary 9, calling for Assistant Librarian, Parlia­ schools or other educational institutions. ment House- The forty-two northern children enrollee ( I) Why did the advertisement stipulate at the school for the deaf and the pre­ "male only"? school section range in age from nine months to fifteen years and in degree of (2) Is this not a form of discrimination handicap from hard of hearing to pro­ between the sexes? foundly deaf. Thirteen live in Townsville, ( 3) As the advertisement stated that with the remainder scattered within a applications must be forwarded to the radius of 500 miles from this centre. The Secretary, State Public Service Commis­ establishment of a school in TownsvH!e sioner, and that the appointee would be would therefore enable only a iew of the excluded from the conditions of the State northern deaf children to receive special Public Service, why was this position schooling while living at home. The wide called for by that Department? disparity in the ages and abilities of children in this group would make it ( 4) Are all the staff of the Parlia­ mentary Library subject to the conditions extremely difficult to form homogeneous of the Public Service? teaching groups within a separate school and to provide an educational programme (5) If not, why was this particular at a standard equivalent to the education vacancy advertised in this way? they are receiving at the school for the deaf." Answers:- ( 1) "The position and classification of the Assistant Librarian is contained in the CoMPOSITE SCHOOL, MAGNETIC ISLAND Parliamentary Officers' and State Reporting Bureau Award. The position is one which Mr. Tucker, pursuant to notice, asked The has been occupied by a male for many Minister for Education,- years." What is the present position regarding (2) "No." the proposal of some years' standing to bring the three small schools on Magnetic (3) "Since 1946, eleven positions in Island into one composite school? the Parliamentary Library have been advertised by the Public Service Commis­ sioner's Department. This practice was Answer:- followed in connection with the advertising "The proposal to consolidate schooling of the position of Assistant Librarian." facilities on Magnetic Island involves the ( 4) "Section 4 of "The Public Service construction of a new school building and Acts, 1922 to 1965," provides, inter alia, the organisation of a school transport that any officer of Parliament or any system. The building programme of the person under the control of the Speaker Department is limited by the funds avail­ shall not be included in the Public Service." able, and it has not yet been possible to undertake this project because of the more (5) "See Answer to (3)." pressing needs of other centres." Questions [26 MARCH] Questions 2531 FLOOD MITIGATION SCHEMES FOR Ross Answers:- RIVER, TOWNSVILLE (1) "(a) Authority to Prospect for .Mr. Tucker, pursuant to notice, asked The minerals, including gold but excluding coal Minister for Local Government,- and petroleum, No. 462 M., was granted As some suburbs in Townsville were to C.R.A. Exploration Pty. Limited com­ flooded when the Ross River broke its mencing on December 1, 1967. (b) banks during heavy rain earlier this year Approximately 980 square miles. (c) The with resultant damage to property and Proclamation reserving this area for this inconvenience to the public, what are the authority appeared in the Government details of any flood mitigation schemes Gazette 1967.3.1256 of December 2, undertaken or to be undertaken on the 1967. (d) The usual conditions pertaining river? to such Authorities to Prospect. These are extensive but a copy may be perused at Answer:- the Department of Mines. (e) The period of this authority is for two years expiring "At the request and expense of the on November 30, 1969." Townsville City Council and with its assistance, the Irrigation and Water Supply (2) "Full reports on the work done under Commission is preparing detailed designs the terms of the authority must be made to for a dam on the Ross River just below its the Deoartment. On the surrender or junction with Five Head Creek. This expiry of the authority the full reports on structure is proposed for the dual purpose all the area of the authority that is not of augmenting water supply to the City then heid under title are available on of Townsville and providing flood miti­ 'open file' at the Department of Mines." gation along the Ross River. Storage for city water supply is proposed in two stages. (3) "The Geological Survey of Queens­ First stage would be 48,000 acre feet land has undertaken routine regional map­ capacity and provide an assured supply of ping in this area but has not made detailed lOt million gallons per day. A possible mineral surveys." second stage under examination is being aimed at 20 million gallons per day, for ( 4) "The examination of the area with which a storage of 245,000 acre feet would a view to possibly locating economic probably be necessary. Flood mitigation mineral deposits." would be provided by temporary pending of a volume of up to 270,000 acre feet of flood runoff above the spillway crest. UsE OF CHLOROMYCETIN Such an arrangement would reduce out­ Mr. P. Wood, pursuant to notice, asked flow from a flood similar to 1946 to a flow The Minister for Health,- which would be contained in the river channel below Black School Weir. The ( 1) What information does his Depart­ recent flood in the Ross River had a peak ment have concerning the antibiotic flow about one-fifth of that in 1946. chloromycetin? Completion of the design and working (2) What side-effects may ~esult from drawings is being aimed at enabling com­ the use of the antibiotic? mencement of construction in 1970-71, if desired by the City Council." ( 3) Are details of possible harmful side­ effects circulated by his Department? ( 4) What examination, if any, of new AUTHORITY TO PROSPECT IN NANANGO­ antibiotics is undertaken by the Depart­ HAMPTON-ESK RoAD AREA ment? .Mr.