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- 4 September 2002
Governor's Speech: Address-In-Reply
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Page: 4620
Take-note Debate
Debate resumed from 27 June.
Mr IEMMA (Lakemba—Minister for Public Works and Services, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship) [7.45 p.m.]: I wish to draw attention to some of the issues referred to by Her Excellency the Governor outlining the Government's program in her very comprehensive address at the opening of the present session of the Parliament. First, I refer to jobs growth and investment—a key part of the Governor's Speech—and how they relate to the construction industry. The construction industry will play a key role in delivering the targets that have been set—the ambitions that have been sought for job growth and investment in New South Wales. Currently the construction industry employs 9 per cent of the State's work force and can play a key role in any commitment to job growth and investment.
The Government is working with stakeholders in the construction industry to deliver on its commitment in job growth and investment for New South Wales. That commitment can be seen in the comprehensive capital works program that was presented in the budget and in the massive investment that is taking place in reviewing the State's infrastructure, whether in road or rail or hospitals and schools. As the Treasurer outlined when he delivered the budget, the capital works program for the next four years is the most comprehensive capital works program ever delivered in the history of New South Wales.
To ensure a viable, strong construction industry that can deliver those jobs and investment growth, part of the task will be to ensure that players can participate with certainty and security whether they are on government jobs or private sector jobs. That was the reason the Government introduced the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Bill in 1999. That is also why, later this year, the Government will bring forward amendments to strengthen that legislation for subcontractors to make it easier for them to obtain payment for work that they have done when they have been victims of unscrupulous operators in the construction industry who fail to live up to their legal and moral obligations.
The amendments will ensure that the tens of thousands of small businesses that operate in the construction industry are not discriminated against and do not suffer as a result of unscrupulous operators who do not meet their payment obligations. The legislation has been in force for some time and has worked quite successfully to reform payment practices in the construction industry. The proposed amendments are designed to strengthen the legislation and ensure that subcontractors can continue to receive payment for work that they have done.
As the Governor outlined, an important part of the Government's program is to deliver jobs and investment to regional areas. The biggest move in the extensive program to decentralise public sector workers is the move of WorkCover to Gosford, which will provide 440 permanent jobs. However, that does not include the many hundreds of jobs created during the construction phase of the project. I am pleased to note that a large number of regional businesses secured subcontract work on the project, which is on schedule.
The Department of Mineral Resources will move to Maitland, taking with it 160 positions. The relocation of the Infringement Processing Bureau to Maitland will create 150 positions. The State Debt Recovery Office will generate 132 jobs when it moves to Lithgow. Not only has the site been selected, but the plans have been submitted to Lithgow City Council and are now on public exhibition. Dubbo will gain 150 positions to create a Centre of Excellence in Land and Water Management. The Department of Local Government will take 58 jobs to Nowra. The Fire Brigade will create 84 new positions on the Central Coast. Wellington will gain 24 positions when the Sustainable Systems Farming Branch of the Department of Land and Water Conservation is relocated. These relocation projects are the most extensive move of public sector jobs from Sydney to regional areas that any government has undertaken.
The Governor referred to the Government's program to renew the State's infrastructure. I will elaborate on her remarks with particular reference to my electorate of Lakemba, which has benefited from the program. The major project is the M5 East, which will cost almost $800 million and will be completed in December. It has revolutionised travel from the inner south-western parts of Sydney to the Sydney central business district and also for those travelling on the M5 West. It will of course also benefit people in outer south-western places like Macarthur who rely on the M5 West and now the M5 East to get to work in the city, the southern Sydney industrial area or the airport at Mascot. The massive investment in that project has been of enormous benefit to the people of Lakemba and the local areas of Canterbury and Hurstville, as well as to people in Liverpool, Campbelltown and other parts of the south-west. It is an enormous project and a very proud achievement of this Government.
Investment has not been in road projects only. The East Hills rail line has been upgraded as part of a $109 million investment to double its capacity. Stage one of the duplication project—Kingsgrove to Turrella—has been completed. The people of my electorate and the people on the East Hills rail line are benefiting from a better service as a result of increased capacity for rail commuters. Those who have benefited most are commuters in the Macarthur area. Express trains now run straight through to the city. This is a significant boost to commuters in the outer south-west, not just the inner south and inner south-west in my area.
Part of the project has been to renew the facilities around our old stations. Riverwood railway station has been redeveloped at a cost of $3 million. The Easy Access project is only weeks away from completion and its official opening by the Minister. Beverly Hills railway station is also part of the Easy Access project and has benefited from an investment of $2 million. It, too, is only a matter of weeks away from completion. Kingsgrove railway station has also benefited from significant investment. Kingsgrove, Beverly Hills and Riverwood are the three key railway stations along the East Hills line in my electorate. Other railway stations on the East Hills line have also been the subject of significant renovation, particularly in the electorate of the honourable member for East Hills.
The Governor referred to the community action plan to deal with some of the problems in Cabramatta. I will restrict my remarks to Lakemba and a similar project in the Canterbury local government area for young Arabic-speaking people. The Arabic Youth Partnerships Plan was launched to try to resolve some of the social problems encountered by young people in the Canterbury-Bankstown area. The partnership has been active for some time. The major part of the program is an initiative whereby youth liaison teams that consist of respected members of the Arabic community, mainly clerics but also other community leaders, move about public places where young people gather. The teams try to remove the young people from situations where they may get into trouble, and redirect them to their families or community support networks.
A significant number of positive contacts have been made with young people of an Arabic background. The program has received a positive response from members of the Arabic community and also the police. It is working quite well. Another aim of the program is to direct young people into more sporting and recreational activities. In June a significant community meeting was held with sporting organisations from the Canterbury-Bankstown area. The Government is keen to establish partnerships with those organisations and encourage young people to participate in sporting and recreational activities. The response from the sporting organisations and young people in the Arabic community was significant.
Another important part of the program is to use high profile people in the Arabic community, often sportspeople, as mentors for young people. I am happy to report that that part of the program is working well. The mentors are establishing positive contacts with young people from an Arabic-speaking background. As with the Cabramatta plan, which the Governor outlined in her address, I am happy to report that the Arabic youth plan is having similar positive results in Lakemba and the Canterbury Bankstown region. The plan and program are worthy of support and demonstrate the government's commitment to good social outcomes.
In conclusion I place on record that this Government, over the past three years and for the remainder of what is left of this year, will put to the forefront policies aimed at generating jobs and investment, to ensure that our infrastructure is renewed to meet needs created by population growth and by the economic growth that is generated by our investment encouragement policies. On the social side, particularly with a very localised social program such as the Arabic youth partnership plan, it does highlight the Government's commitment to decent social outcomes for disadvantaged people in the community.
Mr McGRANE (Dubbo) [8.03 p.m.]: I speak in reply to the Governor's address. Professor Marie Bashir AC is certainly a Governor of the people. She is the first lady to become Governor of New South Wales. She has shown in the short period of time since her appointment that she is an extraordinary, compassionate human being. The Governor's Speech touched upon many subjects crucial to regional New South Wales that broadly fall into a number of categories: the continued provision of services in health, education, law and order, and transport; and the provision for road, rail and other infrastructure as well as environmental infrastructure. Unfortunately, expenditure in some regional New South Wales areas has been lacking for a long time. People in regional New South Wales have been subject to fewer services and opportunities than their Sydney counterparts. Regional members of Parliament must ensure that past funding injustice will be addressed long term during this the term of this Parliament. A strong State of New South Wales needs strong regions in New South Wales.
In the past six months my electorate has been very fortunate to have had two visits by the Hon. Carl Scully, Minister for Transport. During the past three weeks he visited for a second time. He was involved in a number of major road development and transport infrastructure undertakings. Only two weeks ago the Hon. Carl Scully announced the upgrading of the Geurie rail crossing, which has always been a problem in the village of Geurie. Geurie is a village built beside and on either side of the rail. It is split not only by the rail but also by the Great Western Highway. Unfortunately, the school is on one side of the rail and the ovals et cetera are on the other. The rail crossing area is a very busy intersection. For a number of years a Geurie community group and Wellington Council have lobbied for flashing lights at that very important rail crossing.
After the second visit the Minister announced a $350,000 jointly funded project: the State Government would provide $240,000 and the Wellington Shire Council would provide $110,000. The Minister then travelled on to a little village called Baldry, which is halfway between Parkes and Wellington. A road links these two vital parts of my electorate, but it has been neglected for a very long time. In fact, for 52 years an action group has been trying to get have that vital road upgraded.
Some four years ago the three councils involved—Wellington, Cabonne and Parkes—decided to rename the road the McGirr Renshaw Way. It was a very astute political move: the Labor Government was in power then and it is in power now. McGirr Renshaw Way was named after two very prominent Premiers and members of the Labor Party: the Hon. James McGirr was born in Parkes and the Hon. Jack Renshaw was born in Wellington. Another Premier, the Hon Barrie Unsworth, was born in Dubbo,. My electorate has been fortunate to have three Labor Premiers born in the three key places in my electorate.
McGirr Renshaw Way has received very little funding for 52 years, because it is a border road between three council areas. It is always very difficult for councils to agree on funding priorities. However, by lobbying and naming the road the McGirr Renshaw Way, I and the Hon. Tony Kelly from Wellington, with the help of the action group and the councils, all united, were able to put a submission to the Minister for Transport. He announced that $10 million would be spent on upgrading the road to an all-sealed surface. People will be able to travel by bitumen road to either Wellington or Parkes, two very vital and progressive communities. City people take it for granted that they can get to a main town on a bitumen road. It was a great day for this community along the McGirr Renshaw Way when the Minister turned the first sod to upgrade this very vital road.
The Minister then moved on to another important road in my electorate, Main Road 354 that links Narromine and Tullamore. Main Road 354, again, is a border road between the Narromine council area and Parkes council. It is also a road that has been neglected for probably a longer of time than the McGirr Renshaw Way. Through the efforts of an action group ever since I have been the member we have been able to pursue the Minister with great vigour to provide funding to upgrade the road. This is the second time that the Minister has been to Main Road 354 and announced further funding for a vital link road. Local people appreciate that we have a Minister for Transport who is willing to get out in the country and look at roads in regional areas. The Minister has announced a further grant of $200, 000 on top of half a million dollars that he had announced earlier, in addition to the normal expenditure by council for the upgrading of this important road.
When the Minister announced the further funding. I asked him to complete the roadworks and pointed out that for a total expenditure of $5.8 million the road could be completely sealed from Narromine to Tullamore. The road is a vital transport link in my electorate, but it is also very flat. Just three years ago, during one 28-day period, the road was inundated by floodwaters and became impassable. After heavy rainfall the road virtually becomes a creek and road transportation ceases, with the result that school bus schedules are unable to be maintained in Narromine and Tullamore, and farmers who engage in employment away from their farms to augment their incomes are unable to get to work. That is not good. In spite of all those difficulties however, the people of my electorate greatly appreciate the efforts being made by Minister Scully.
The provision of adequate health services is of great concern to all honourable members of Parliament and I am no exception. My electorate is fortunate to have the Dubbo Base Hospital and several multipurpose services [MPSs] have been built. MPSs are also proposed to be built at Tullamore and Peak Hill in the near future and there is a proposal to upgrade the Parkes District Hospital. It is very important for Peak Hill, which has a population of 1,300 and a nursing home and is situated on the Newell Highway, to have a doctor. But attracting doctors to small communities has always been a problem. The previous general practitioner in the Peak Hill community area retired, and it was only by dint of the combined efforts of the community, the Parkes Shire Council and Mid West Health that the services of a doctor were able to be secured for Peak Hill. Communities such as Peak Hill need a doctor and a pharmacist to retain essential community services.
State and Federal governments should provide adequate resources and conditions that will encourage doctors to settle in smaller communities in New South Wales. Peak Hill has been fortunate to attract a doctor who has been extremely happy over the four months that she has been in practice in the area. It is great to have a lady doctor in Peak Hill because, although I suspect it is quite a common occurrence in larger communities, it is a new experience for many people in Peak Hill. The doctor is a delightful lady, and the local community has accepted her extraordinarily well. The Dubbo electorate is heavily reliant on export industries and boasts one of the largest sheep meat abattoirs in Australia. The success of that industry is very much linked to the existence of a reliable transport service and a system of decent roads. My electorate also has a very large mining venture at North Parkes Mine, which is one of the largest mines in the region.
Under current drought conditions, it is a battle to ensure that sufficient water resources are available to meet the rather large quantities used in the mining process. An agreement has been reached with the Parkes Shire Council to supply sufficient water to the mine. As a result of recent changes brought about by the introduction of the Water Management Act, in-depth discussions have taken place between the Parkes Shire Council and the Department of Land and Water Conservation to ensure that the department does the right thing by Parkes in ensuring that this world-class mine has sufficient water resources. It is vital for rural electorates to retain mining industry ventures where they currently exist, and no barriers should be placed in the way of their further development because of a water shortage. I am hopeful that discussions will result in a guaranteed water supply for the North Parkes Mine.
Transportation by road and rail is of major importance to rural areas. I have held many discussions with Treasury officials over my concerns related to the sale of FreightCorp. I am pleased to note that after representations from the New South Wales Farmers Association, grain growers and grain handlers, a compromise has been reached over the sale. Recently my electorate was honoured by a visit from the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir, and her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie. The Governor visited my electorate from 16 to 18 August and had an extraordinarily busy time. Her Excellency commenced her round of engagements with a community breakfast at Parkes that was co-ordinated by the Quota Club ladies and later moved to Cooke Park to participate in a great ceremony that is held in Parkes every year, and is known as the "Birth to Kindergarten Reading Day". The celebration is an excellent way of encouraging young people to become involved in reading.
This year the main street of Parkes was closed to traffic. Older people, young people, grandparents, and mums and dads—all 1,091 of them—linked arms and formed a human chain. Hopefully, the event will set a world record for the number of people who linked arms while each was reading a book. It is a great concept and a tremendous way of encouraging very young children to develop a love of reading. The Governor then visited the Parkes High School to address the assembly and participate in an open discussion with students. After lunch, Her Excellency visited the Southern Cross Retirement Village in Parkes and met carers and senior citizens at the centre. Later the Governor unveiled a plaque at the site of the Sir Henry Parkes Cottage, which is currently under construction. I am confident that the cottage will prove to be a mecca for students throughout New South Wales who are interested in seeing the many artefacts of Sir Henry Parkes that are housed in this regional museum that receives support from the Parkes Shire Council.
Her Excellency also performed an investiture at a ceremony at the Parkes Shire Council Chambers where Jack Scoble received his Medal of the Order of Australia. Jack Scoble, OAM, has been a leading light in the Parkes community for a number of years, and I regret that time does not permit me to list all the wonderful contributions he has made to the Parkes community. On Saturday 17 August the Governor attended a reconciliation ceremony at Peak Hill and gave her imprimatur to a reconciliation agreement between the Wiradjuri people of the Peak Hill area and the Parkes Shire Council. It was a moving ceremony. I inform honourable members that Ray Keed, an Aboriginal leader in that region—a great gentleman and a mover and shaker for the Wiradjuri people—passed away on Monday. Ray, a true citizen and a great bloke in the Dubbo region, will be sorely missed.
Over the next day and a half the Governor was involved in a number of other activities in the city of Dubbo. Saturday was another 14-hour day—a day similar to the day that the Governor spent in Parkes. The Governor became involved with communities and organisations wherever she went. New South Wales is fortunate to have as its Governor Professor Marie Bashir. The Governor and her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie, are great ambassadors for New South Wales. The Governor, who has great empathy for the people of New South Wales, is aware of all the injustices in our community. I admire her greatly.
Mr ORKOPOULOS (Swansea) [8.21 p.m.]: It is with great pleasure that I speak in the Address-in-Reply debate. Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, who opened the third session of the Fifty-second Parliament, referred in the final part of her Speech to the New South Wales economy and said:
None of the plans outlined today are possible without a strong State economy.
Honourable members, the New South Wales economy is strong.
In five of the last six years, the New South Wales economy has grown faster than the national economy.
With Gross State Product at $251 billion, New South Wales has never been more prosperous.
The State's public sector—the assets we own together as a community—is worth an unprecedented $93.5 billion net.
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.
In this climate of confidence, New South Wales retains the nation's lowest unemployment rate at 6.4 per cent.
The Government will continue to responsibly manage the State's finances, ensuring continued long-term growth.
Given this positive economic environment, the Government has enjoyed significant success in attracting investment to New South Wales.
The latest Department of State and Regional Development assessment shows 200 major investment projects committed or under way.
These projects, worth $33.4 billion, will create 110,000 jobs across the State.
They confirm New South Wales as the engine room of the Australian economy.
I am increasingly of the view that the Hunter and Central Coast regions have a sound economic future. More than ever we can see that those two great regions in this State are clearly taking full advantage of their respective strengths to attract investment, develop tourism and sustain jobs. I am optimistic because all communities in both regions have experienced significant changes in the past decade or so. With prudent, quality private and public sector investment we will recast the image of Newcastle as a smokestack city. The region is being transformed and new industries are emerging. On Saturday 23 March 2002 Premier Bob Carr, at the official launch of the $330 million expansion of the Port Waratah Coal Services coal loader, said:
If people had the view that Newcastle was still a smokestack town with a rusting manufacturing industry they had better look about them.
That expansion has lifted capacity at Kooragang from 77 million tonnes to 89 million tonnes in 12 months. The Hunter region supplies 13 per cent of the world's seaborne coal. It was recently reported in the Newcastle Herald that the coal industry would undergo some pressure, with the increase in the Australian dollar and the inevitable downward pressure on coal prices by Japanese coal buyers—our largest market. I am heartened, nevertheless, by recent reports that the Japanese domestic economy is stabilising and reporting growth for the first time in years.
An encouraging trend that has emerged in the coal industry is the consolidation of mine ownership, which has blunted somewhat the buying tactics of the Japanese to target smaller mine operators, which then sets the benchmark price for the entire industry. In the Swansea electorate the coal industry is undergoing its own restructure. Two Powercoal mines—Munmorah and Wyee collieries—were sold to Centennial during the parliamentary recess. I am particularly pleased that Centennial—the new mine owners—indicated that it would consider reopening the Wyee colliery, which was closed by Powercoal because of a fault in the seam. I understand that a solution may exist requiring a level of investment that the former owner was not prepared to make.
I have previously raised the issue of LakeCoal, the new owners of the Wallarah, Moonee and Chain Valley mines, as well as coastal and lake foreshore land from Coal Operations Australia Ltd [COAL] a subsidiary of BHP Billiton. COAL closed the Wallarah mine because of flooding difficulties, which is understandable. What was inexplicable was that LakeCoal closed the Moonee pit in June after the extraction of a longwall panel. I am advised that the longwall mining plan, which is registered with the Department of Minerals, has been based for some time on mining to block 14, with the most recent plan foreshadowing mining to block 20. With each block comprising between 500,000 and 900,000 tonnes of coal, the mineable resource was, therefore, between 6.5 million and 11.7 million tonnes of coal. In other words, I am not convinced that there is a reason for LakeCoal to close the Moonee mine with the resultant loss of mining jobs.
In my discussions with LakeCoal management I was not convinced by its argument for the closure of the mine. During my discussions I expressed concern about reported statements by management that the rehabilitation of the two closed mine sites and that of the now dismantled coal washery at Catherine Hill Bay would be consistent with the requirements of the owners of the land. I remind honourable members that part 2, divisions 2, 3 and 4 of the Mining Act 1992, which cover sections 239 to 246, make it patently clear that rehabilitation of former mining lands must be strictly adhered to and not partially entered into as a means of preparing the subject land for housing development.
That leads me to the next concern. The land on which LakeCoal has its mining leases is owned by Catherine Hill Bay Development, the majority owner being Bob Rose, a highly respected developer from Sydney. Lake Macquarie City Council made recommendations in the draft revised local environmental plan that is currently on exhibition that coastal lands be zoned 7.1—the highest environmental protection that one could have—and that there be one dwelling per 100 hectares. It is therefore impossible under that zoning for any housing to be constructed in that area. On the lake side council has proposed a mixed zoning of 7.1 and 7.3, and a housing to land ratio of one dwelling per 40 hectares.
My colleague the Minister for Gaming and Racing and I made a joint submission to Lake Macquarie City Council outlining our opposition to the lakeside land being given a mixed zoning classification. We believe the lakeside land should be zoned in the same way as coastal land. In other words, we believe that the placing of environmental restrictions on those 250-hectare parcels of land should be given absolute priority. We also made submissions to the Minister for Planning outlining our concerns about further coastal development. I understand that, nevertheless, Mr Rose is pursuing a long-term strategy, which is designed to ensure that the land is ultimately rezoned so that he can develop the housing he proposes for it.
This is the third occasion on which I have spoken about this and declared my opposition to further coastal or lake foreshore development. I do not believe that the catchment can sustain that level of housing development, especially given that over the next five to 10 years the current coastal land to the north of the land I have referred to can expect an influx of some 5,000 residents. Council and the Minister have approved a zoning application for a large subdivision with 2,500 homes.
Of further concern to me and my Hunter colleagues, including my Central Coast colleague the honourable member for Wyong, is that the new owner of the mines, LakeCoal, has decided to run a cut-price outfit and not have anything to do with transporting coal from the remaining stockpile of 90,000 tonnes at Catherine Hill Bay and the estimated 700,000 tonnes of coal a year from the mine that remains open at Chain Valley Bay. The company has decided to dispense with the services of the MV Wallarah, a matter canvassed earlier this year by my colleagues the honourable member for Newcastle, the Minister for Gaming and Racing, the honourable member for Wallsend and the honourable member for Lake Macquarie. The owner of the ship, BHP, decided to sell it before it sacked the Australian crew and, with the permission of the Federal Government, installed an all-Tongan crew for the Australian domestic sea trade. That has resulted in a further reduction of Australian maritime employment in domestic shipping.
Even worse, we are under threat of having hundreds of coal trucks going through our communities. It appears that the larger companies have co-operated with the policy of successive governments over the last 10 to 15 years of transporting coal by rail and ship. But this little ant of a company, this $2 shelf company, is threatening to send hundreds of coal trucks rumbling through our communities because it does not want to bear the costs that its competitors are forced to bear. The company wants to push the social and economic costs onto the community. I do not believe our communities want that.
Members representing electorates in the Hunter region have been negotiating not only with LakeCoal but also with the various local mayors and government departments for the past three months. We are rapidly coming to the conclusion that if this company wants to be a fair dinkum player in the coal industry it must bear the same costs as any other player in the valley. It should not push the social and economic costs onto the community, thus impacting on the highly urbanised areas around the lake and in the city of Newcastle. It must also consider investing in transfer stations and other such infrastructure so that the mine can be connected to an off-road system. Today a meeting was held with the leaders of all the relevant departments at which we sought clarification of these issues. I believe that coal trucks will be a major issue for the communities of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, as well as the community of the north Wyong shire.
Tourism is also changing the nature of the local economy in Lake Macquarie. Over the past couple of years the investment in tourism in my electorate has been comparable to the investment in coalmining. There has been a deal of investment in hotels and by small entrepreneurs seeking to provide services. There has been an explosion in bed-and-breakfast establishments around the lake, which is welcome because it brings a different sort of tourist to the lake. Many people come to Lake Macquarie to fish. After careful consideration, Minister Obeid declared Lake Macquarie a recreational fishing area. There is evidence to suggest that there will be an explosion in fish-related tourism, which will be of benefit to small-boat operators, and restaurants and cafes that provide services for tourists.
The health of the lake is extremely important. The Government has clearly responded to the needs of the lake by agreeing to a further $3.5 in annual funding, to be matched by Lake Macquarie City Council, for a clean-up program to improve the water quality of the lake, provide better environmental outcomes for the its marine life, and give the increased number of fishers an opportunity to catch fish. Part of that allocation is annual funding of $1 million to control the spread of the noxious weed caulerpa taxifolia, which is found in seven waterways across New South Wales. The weed is currently taking hold in Lake Macquarie, and it is extremely important that it be eradicated. I am pleased that the Lake Macquarie catchment co-ordinator has announced funding of $500,000 for the first stage of the dredging of Swansea channel, which has been in a disastrous state for a long time. On many occasions people in yachts, large boats or cruisers try to use the channel to enter or exit the lake, but their craft get stuck and the voluntary coastal patrol has to be called to pull them out.
The first $500,000 that was announced last week will help to prepare the design of the dredging program and straighten out the channel. I intend to lobby the Government for a State contribution of $1.25 million to match the council's contribution of $1.25 million. That will ensure that the full, long-term dredging of the lake can be achieved in the most effective and cost-efficient way possible. Boats will then be able to enter and exit the lake with greater ease, and their occupants will not have to be afraid of being stuck on a sandbar. That will help the tourist industry that is flourishing around Lake Macquarie and give jobs to our younger people, who for so long have been unemployed or have had to go to Sydney to find jobs.
Mr ANDERSON (Londonderry) [8.40 p.m.]: With many others, I sat in the other place on 26 February to listen to the speech of the Governor, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir. While she was addressing both Houses of Parliament I could not help but think that she was talking particularly about my electorate. All the programs she spoke about and all the Government's commitment seem to be focused on my electorate, the Mount Druitt area particularly. Any part of the speech could have been, and probably was, addressed to programs that the Government has committed to the people of Western Sydney, to the Mount Druitt and Londonderry areas in particular.
Her Excellency spoke about the Government spending $7.6 billion in the year 2002-03 on education but in effect this year the Government will spend $8.3 billion. There will be an even greater allocation of funds than the amount referred to by the Governor when she addressed the joint sitting of Parliament. Over four years more than $1.7 billion has been invested in capital works programs and upgrades in maintenance. That figure has also been increased. The Governor spoke about a number of programs that are particularly relevant to my electorate. She spoke about $70 million that had been committed to the priority funding program for security upgrades at schools across the State. The schools in my electorate benefited greatly from that commitment. Indeed, some 22 of the schools in my electorate received significant funding.
During the recent parliamentary break I had the pleasure of visiting 15 of the 22 schools. I sat with the principals and addressed assemblies. I sat with the teachers and talked about issues in our schools and what they would like to happen. A number of them had complaints and gripes. I took those complaints on board. I will meet with the area superintendent to talk about the issues that the teachers and principals have raised. In all the schools the feeling was positive: classrooms had been painted and new carpet had been put in. Some significant repairs had been carried out to some of the older schools. It made the students and teachers feel that they were valued and that we were creating a better learning environment. They appreciated it very much.
The next jag was: How are you going to pay us, what are you going to give us when the wage case comes up? That will be addressed as it has been in the past. There will be some robust debate between the parties but no doubt there will be an amicable settlement. The fact that the teachers felt so confident in the upgraded environment in their schools made for a positive time. Not once in all the schools that I went to was any animosity expressed against the Government. It was all about the Government doing things and making things happen. The people involved in our schools and the school communities believe it is all worthwhile.
Since the Governor's Speech the Government has committed additional funds to the Priority Action Schools Program, and $16 million has been committed to a pilot program that will involve 70 schools. At least 14 schools from my electorate and the adjoining electorate of Mount Druitt have been invited to take part in that program. We have appealed on behalf of one, possibly two, other schools to have them included in the program and we will await the hearing. These two schools do not know why they have been left out. They are in the Mount Druitt area and have the same socio-economic problems as all the other schools. This program will target the most vulnerable and disadvantaged kids in our education system in my electorate and in the electorate of Mount Druitt. The Government is acting on requests, looking at the need and doing something about it.
I have attended a number of school breakfast programs. I have sat and had breakfast with kids. The teachers have told me how important that is, because so many children attend school without a solid meal. They are listless and do not participate as well as they should or could in the education programs. These breakfast programs have been an outstanding success. This new round of funding for the Priority Action Schools Program will assist such programs. It will make it easier for the kids in our schools. These programs are not only related to educational matters. The education outcome is the important thing but to get that educational outcome there are many other things we need to do. This funding will go a long way towards helping us come up with solutions to the problems that need to be addressed urgently.
The Governor also spoke about the Count Me in Too and Counting on Numeracy strategies in schools. Schools in my electorate are participating in those programs. During the visit I spoke about earlier, teachers told me that they are extremely pleased with the way things are going. They are extremely pleased that initiatives have been put in place to address deficiencies that have been in the system for some years. They have been identified and acknowledged and now action is being taken to correct the problems. That can only be good for our children and for the education outcomes we are looking for.
If we do not give the children a full understanding of what the system is about at an early age they will not be able to appreciate and participate in the higher levels of education we want them to aspire to. The initiative the Governor spoke about is worthwhile and welcomed. I have also had the pleasure of visiting a number of tutorials. In my electorate there are two tutorials. These are school facilities for children with disruptive tendencies. Such children need special attention and all the help we can offer. Additional funding for the new specialist teachers and staff in those facilities will greatly help those children. If those facilities are given the necessary resources, we will get excellent results.
I refer to the Obley Education Centre in my electorate. I have driven by St Dominic's school from the Catholic Education Office. Some 16 young people who have been expelled from other schools in the region and who cannot get back into the school system attend the Obley centre, and the results are outstanding. Out of last year's intake alone of 16 students—and we have a waiting list of 28—one young fellow got an apprenticeship in airconditioning, one young fellow got an apprenticeship as a panel beater, one young fellow is working not as an apprentice but as a painter in a car repair facility and two young people have gone back to St Dominic's high school. That shows that if the effort, resolve and resources are put in place we can do things for these young people who would otherwise be thrown on the scrap heap and then come back to haunt us with social problems in the future. That program is very worthwhile, and it is important that we pursue it and do all that we can to expand it.
The Governor spoke about healthier communities. Earlier this year in my speech on the budget I spoke about the Government's commitment to health matters in my electorate. The Wentworth Area Health Service serves the Penrith part of my electorate and the Western Sydney Area Health Service serves the Mount Druitt-Blacktown part of my electorate. The Government has committed additional funding over and above that which the Governor spoke of in her speech to the joint sitting of Parliament. Additional and better services are being provided in the new hospitals to which I referred earlier in my budget speech.
People in this part of Western Sydney have a new hospital at Blacktown worth $88 million. Nepean has seen $105 million invested in a new hospital—even more since the figures were released. That clearly indicates the Government's commitment to providing good, state-of-the-art health services in Western Sydney. As I said, the need is great and we must do other things to meet the increasing requirements of hospitals. A number of private health services in my electorate have closed or now work restricted hours. The people who were using those 24-hour health services are returning to the public hospitals for service. Because of insurance difficulties and the problems that private health services are facing, the State must pick up the responsibility and provide services that it did not plan to deliver some two or three years ago—the need was not envisaged but it is certainly real. We must appreciate that the Government is providing many additional resources to meet the health needs of our community.
The Governor's Speech referred to building healthier communities and providing better health care for the majority of people of this State. The Government's plan is working particularly well. The Government can be justly proud of the Menadue and Sinclair reports, and congratulations must go to the Minister for Health on bringing down such a significant report that has implications for the whole State. The Governor went on to speak about safer communities. She talked about how the Government must act to make our communities safer and mentioned initiatives that have been applauded by the police service. The Governor referred to the legislation that seeks to remove the presumption in favour of bail for repeat offenders. When I spoke at local public accountability community team [PACT] meetings organised by the Minister for Police, the police told me that this great initiative is already helping them although the legislation has only just been put in place. It has given police the opportunity to address major community safety issues.
At a meeting held two Thursdays ago the patrol commander for the St Marys area, Superintendent Alan Harding, told us that the problems in our area are caused by a few repeat offenders. Some 80 break and enter offences were committed by four habitual offenders who had been released on bail. If those people are arrested they will need to make a very good case to be released on bail. We hope they will not be released on bail but held in custody. This will remove recidivist offenders from the community.
The Governor referred also to the State-run drug programs and initiatives that are having an impact on my electorate. Funding has been provided for an additional nine drug treatment beds in Nepean Hospital. Drug problems in Western Sydney are significant. We have a number of methadone clinics. One clinic in St Marys, which is located near the station, has caused problems for the business community for many years. When we looked to solve the problems by identifying the drug offenders, we had difficulty getting them into treatment. I remember well during the Drug Summit travelling with James Wood to Cabramatta. We spoke to the advisers and the workers in establishments who told us that they try to help many people but they cannot find treatment beds for them. The waiting list to get into Dunsmore House at Rooty Hill was significant: Staff had to ring before 6.00 a.m. to see whether there was a treatment bed available for these young people.
That situation will be helped by the additional funding for these nine extra drug treatment beds at Nepean Hospital. That will help us to address an issue that impacts significantly on the people of Western Sydney. During the tours of inspection undertaken as part of the Drug Summit, James Wood told us that some 2 per cent of people are causing probably up to 90 per cent of the problems, which are drug related. He was spending a fantastic amount of time trying to address the problems created by that 2 per cent of the community. The Government's commitment is one step towards finding a solution to the problems. The Governor also spoke about crime prevention. She emphasised that it was not only an issue for the police; the community must get involved. I totally agree with that sentiment. The Government has put a number of initiatives in place, and we are seeing the benefits of some of them.
Key elements of the Cabramatta strategy include the Families First program, and some of its initiatives are being implemented in Mount Druitt, North St Marys and Werrington, which are all in my electorate. Those significant initiatives certainly will help us. Families there have been left on their own to solve their problems, but they will now have an opportunity to call upon professional workers for assistance. Assistance that could have been and should have been provided some time ago, but was not, is now being provided. Families First will provide tremendous benefits for Western Sydney. I shall refer quickly to the Government's package on revitalising police and community youth clubs, something that again needs to be supported. District youth clubs provide great assistance to young people by providing them with activities to fully occupy their leisure time. I thank the House for the opportunity to make this speech.
Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Whelan.
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