PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES


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No. 19
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL




QUESTIONS

AND

ANSWERS


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THIRD SESSION OF THE FIFTIETH PARLIAMENT
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FRIDAY 21 MAY 1993


(On the first sitting day after an adjournment of more than one week a full Questions and Answers Paper is published containing all unanswered questions. On the first sitting day of other weeks only the numbers for unanswered questions will be listed. On other days only answers and new questions are published).


Notice given on date shown

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4 MARCH 1993

*149 Mr Jones asked the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and Minister for Employment and Training representing the Minister for State Development and Minister for Arts^___

(1) Does New South Wales lag considerably behind other States in grants for public libraries?

(2) Are the book collections of rural libraries ageing badly and deteriorating in physical condition?

(3) Does the lack of new stock in rural libraries disadvantage people living in rural areas?

(4) Will the Minister meet urgently with the Country Public Libraries Association of New South Wales to determine what additional funding is required to upgrade and maintain rural libraries to the same standard as metropolitan libraries and libraries in other States?

Answer^___

(1) The Coalition Government inherited a system marked by years of neglect. Since 1988 it has focussed on redressing these problems not only through increased funding but by introducing more effective and equitable mechanisms for its distribution. New South Wales currently provides $15.17 million per annum to public libraries. A further $19.86 million was provided to the State Library of New South Wales in recurrent funding in 1992-93. A direct comparison of funding is not indicative given the differing library funding methods utilised by each State and the lack of an adequate benchmark.

(2) The State Library of New South Wales has advised that 60% of book stock in country libraries was purchased during the last 10 years.

(3) The thrust of State funding for public libraries has been directed towards the development of the infrastructure necessary to allow the increased utilisation of technology-based forms of information transfer. The system of Central and Library Development Grants has allowed the provision of computer technology which links even the most geographically isolated libraries to the central resources of the State Library of New South Wales.

(4) A meeting was held in February 1993 with representatives of the Country Public Libraries Association at which the Minister for the Arts re-iterated his belief that the Government's record of reform and increased funding amply demonstrates its willingness to assist country libraries to meet the needs of the rural community. The Minister has supported a submission for increased funding for public libraries in the 1993-94 Budget which will be considered as part of the Budget process.


9 MARCH 1993

150 Mr Egan asked the Minister below^___
*(xiv)The Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing representing the Minister for Transport and Minister for Tourism^___

In relation to each Department or Authority within your portfolio, how much was spent on office fit-outs or refurbishment in 1991/92 and what is the estimated expenditure in 1992/93?


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Answer^___




	Expenditure 1991/92	Estimated Expenditure 1992/93
Department of Transport	$285,905.00	$27,300.00
Maritime Services Board	$820,118.00	$248,430.00
State Transit Authority	$208,000.00	$490,000.00
State Rail Authority	$7,079,000.00	$5,872,000.00
Tourism Commission	$20,779.00	$24,322.00

20 MAY 1993

228 Ms Burnswoods to ask the Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations, and Vice-President of the Executive Council representing the Minister for Justice and Minister for Emergency Services^___

(1) In each of the State's juvenile detention centres, how many young people in custody have been placed in solitary confinement for each of the past three years?

(2) Do the cells used for solitary confinement in each of the detention centres have any windows?

(3) What are the dimensions of each of the cells used by each detention centre for solitary confinement?

(4) What is the longest period that a young person has been held in solitary confinement in the past three years?

(5) What guidelines are there on the use of solitary confinement as a punishment for young people?

(6) Can the Minister give a summary of the type of offences committed by the young people that caused them to be punished by solitary confinement?

(7) Does the Minister agree that punishment by solitary confinement is not suitable for young people? If not, why not?

229 Ms Burnswoods to ask the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing^___

(1) Does the Environmental Impact Study, released earlier this year and prepared by Camp Scott Murphy, on the impact of the ocean outfall at Look At Me Now headland near Coffs Harbour contain a section headed "Social Impacts and Social Response"?

(2) Does this section make reference to the work of Dr Peter Sandman, who has researched community participation in decision-making?

(3) Does the section rely heavily on the work of Dr Sandman in making the finding that "in the short term there will be adverse social response in some sections of the community that could lead to social disruption. It is anticipated that this adverse response will reduce in time"?


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(4) What action will the Minister take to correct the EIS following comments by Dr David Russell, Associate Professor of Social Ecology at the University of Western Sydney, writing on behalf of Dr Sandman, that the EIS misrepresents Dr Sandman's work, and therefore the conclusions based on Dr Sandman's research are incorrect?

(5) Does the Minister agree that the errors made by Camp Scott Murphy taint the EIS, making its conclusions unreliable. If not, why not?

(6) Will the Minister ensure that the EIS is not given any weight until the errors are corrected?

(7) What action will the Minister take to have the EIS corrected to properly reflect Dr Sandman's concepts?

230 Ms Burnswoods to ask the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing representing the Minister for Transport and Minister for Tourism^___

(1) Who made the decision to change the route of the morning government buses numbers 288-291 so that they now use the freeway, rather than the previous route through Crows Nest and North Sydney?

(2) What action will the Minister take to restore these buses to their previous route, given that this change means people who previously caught the buses who work between Crows Nest and North Sydney are now disadvantaged as the buses travel only on the freeway?

231 Ms Burnswoods to ask the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, and Minister for Employment and Training^___

(1) Has the Government sold Castlecrag Infants' School?

(2) Who bought the school, when and for what price?

(3) Did the Government call for submissions earlier this year on suggestions for uses of the school grounds?

(4) Did the Castlecrag Progress Association make submissions on proposed uses?

(5) When were those submissions received?

(6) Did the Government reply to the submissions? If not, why not?

(7) Did the Minister for Education in 1990 promise residents concerned at the closure of Castlecrag Infants' School that there would be community consultation on the future of the school precincts?

(8) Why has the Government failed to consult with the local community as promised?




John Evans
Clerk of the Parliaments
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Authorised by the Parliament of New South Wales


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