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Budget Estimates And Related Papers

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About this Item
Speakers - Saliba Ms Marianne
Business - Budget


    BUDGET ESTIMATES AND RELATED PAPERS
Page: 4997


    Financial Year 2002-03: Take-note Debate

    Debate resumed from 4 September.

    Ms SALIBA (Illawarra) [9.34 p.m.]: I speak in support of the eighth budget handed down by the Hon. Michael Egan, Treasurer of New South Wales, on 4 June this year. As the Treasurer has said, this budget prepares for the future, the difficulties, the challenges and the opportunities. It is a budget that sees improved government services and lower taxes, and it remains in surplus. I recall an interview on Today Tonight some months ago with a young woman who was checkout operator and became a millionaire all due to sound financial management. She said that she lives on 70 per cent of her income, pays mortgages on investment properties with 20 per cent of her income, and saves 10 per cent of her income. She now owns seven investment properties. Individuals get ahead by saving and preparing for the future-and so too does the State Government. We have been able to reduce our debts and liabilities, and increase our assets and investments.

    The police budget boosts visible street policing in the Illawarra. An allocation of $1,758 million will fund a restructured police force focused on meeting the community's expectations. More than $8 million has been allocated to recruiting and training front-line police. Only two weeks ago at the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command the honourable member for Kiama and I welcomed 17 new probationary constables, part of 56 probationary constables who came to the south-east region. These people come from different ethnic backgrounds, different age groups and different life experiences, but the one thing they have in common is enthusiasm and the desire to make the streets safer for the community.

    We will continue to see the police force grow with funding for police. This year's budget, with its record allocation for policing, represents a 62 per cent increase over the Coalition's last police budget. The budget supports new police Commissioner Ken Moroney's priorities of driving down crime, back-to-basics policing, targeting repeat offenders and greater specialisation. Superintendent Gary Hodsdon and his team at the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command are doing a great job to drive down crime and create a safer environment for all.

    The police budget included $236,000 for the upgrading of interview rooms, amenities and police lockers at Warilla police station; $100,000 for the upgrading of charge rooms and custodial areas at Wollongong police station; and $443,000 for a trial of civilian managers at police and community youth clubs [PCYCs], allowing police to devote more time to working with young people. Police officers Mark Hedges and Darren Palk are both extremely active at the Lake Illawarra PCYC, along with all the volunteers who support the club in many different ways. The Lake Illawarra PCYC was built using funds raised within the community. The club is very successful because the police and the community are committed to providing excellent activities and sport to meet the needs of our young people. I can testify to that, because my daughter Sara, who is seven years old, attends gymnastics classes at the Lake Illawarra PCYC.

    This year's budget provides major funding for health, with $2.4 million to improve oncology, cardiology and medical officer staffing. An allocation of $500,000 has been provided for Shellharbour Hospital emergency department as part of a $5 million expansion package to increase the number of beds from 12 to 20. An allocation of $32.1 million has been provided for stage-two works at Wollongong Hospital, $730,000 has been allocated to improve neurosurgery at that hospital, and a further allocation of $980,000 has been provided for orthopaedic joint replacement operations and two additional intensive care beds at that hospital.

    The budget improves education and training in the Illawarra, with two new capital works projects valued at more than $9.6 million approved to commence in 2002-03. There will be a major upgrade of Shellharbour TAFE and Dapto TAFE, with work to commence in 2002-03. An allocation of $9,095 million will be used to add a multifunctional complex to Shellharbour TAFE to provide welfare facilities, child studies, specialist health learning, business studies and a learning resource centre. A further $523,000 has been allocated to build an information technology hardware centre and a workshop at Dapto TAFE. The budget provides a record $8 billion for education and training. The key priorities are an extra $88.5 million to be spent over the next four years to improve the quality and supply of teachers and a massive $963 million upgrade of technology in schools over four years which will include $247 million for faster Internet access and $82 million for e-learning accounts, including email and individual web sites for 1.33 million teachers and students.

    A mother of four from Dapto, Leanne Heino, was interviewed by the Illawarra Mercury on Wednesday 5 June and said that faster and more reliable Internet connections will be fantastic for her children at school. All of her children use computers at school, including the youngest, who is five. She acknowledges that "computer technology is the way of the future so all kids should have the opportunity to learn about them and use them at school". This comment of hers sums it up: "The money they can put into school computers is terrific", and so it is. We need to provide children with every opportunity to keep up with modern technology and have hands-on experience. I know my four children put me to shame when it comes to using the computer. They each have their favourite programs and games. I usually end up asking one of them to assist me when necessary.

    TAFE New South Wales will receive more than $1.3 billion to provide quality vocational education and training across New South Wales. An amount of $259.3 million, which is an increase of $14 million on last year's budget, is being provided in school global budgets for items such as reading materials, minor maintenance and stores. Nearly $500 million will be provided over four years for literacy and numeracy. New South Wales students are among the world's best when it comes to literacy and numeracy, as the Minister for Education and Training stated in this Chamber earlier today. The upgrading works at Shellharbour TAFE and Dapto TAFE will greatly benefit the community.

    Rail maintenance work to enhance safety and reliability, and funding for community transport are among the transport highlights of the State budget for the Illawarra electorate. The budget provides for $5.5 million in transport expenditure for the Illawarra over the next financial year, with $3.7 million being spent on track reconstruction, rerailing, underbridge renewal, signal and electrical renewal, and other maintenance work to enhance safety and reliability for rail passengers. Another $135,000 will fund community transport services for people in the area. Many commuters will also benefit from the construction of 41 new outer suburban carriages servicing the Illawarra and other parts of the rail network, with $4.6 million allocated in this budget.

    The Illawarra will also share in the benefits of a $145 million, or 6.7 per cent, increase in the transport budget to $2.286 billion. This increase in funding will enhance rail, bus and ferry services, and ensure planning continues for new infrastructure. It also confirms the Government's ongoing commitment to fund a range of major transport projects designed to improve safety and travel conditions. Spending during this financial year will result in the completion of a number of important projects, creating flow-on job opportunities and laying foundations for new initiatives to benefit communities, families and businesses across the State.

    Transport budget highlights for the Illawarra include $543 million committed by State Rail for capital works and maintenance, with $377 million allocated for capital projects. The capital works include the construction of the new station at Oak Flats at a total cost of $2.4 million, with $2.3 million to be spent this year. On Monday the Minister for Transport turned the first sod for the new station. It was good to see the work begin on this great day. Hopefully, the station will be completed within five months. A further $1.7 million has been allocated for construction of a $2.5 million interchange at Oak Flats, with $400,000 of the total cost to be borne by Shellharbour City Council. In addition, $864 million has been allocated for the Rail Infrastructure Corporation to maintain and enhance the New South Wales rail network. Funding of $732 million has been provided for concessions, with school student travel subsidies up by $11 million to $427 million and subsidised concessions for students, pensioners, people with disabilities and other travel subsidies increasing by $5 million to $305 million.

    Roads in the Illawarra region will receive a $3.9 million boost in the budget. This year's total road spending in the Illawarra is an increase of $1 million on last year. Major initiatives this year include $1.5 million for an upgrade of the intersection of the Princes Highway and O'Briens Road at Figtree, including the introduction of dedicated right-turn lanes. The honourable member for Wollongong has pursued this issue in the past. These safety improvements for the Princes Highway and O'Briens Road will improve pedestrian safety while providing for increased traffic flow to nearby residential estates and commercial outlets. I have raised with the Minister for Roads, Carl Scully, the need for funding to improve safety for motorists and pedestrians at this intersection. I was pleased that this allocation was included in the budget. Unfortunately, not long after the release of the budget a fatal accident occurred at the intersection in which a young man was killed. Planning has now been completed and I hope the work will commence in the not too distant future.

    A further $300,000 has been allocated towards a bridge over the Princes Highway at Yallah and $250,000 for traffic management measures for the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail, including the introduction of traffic signals at the conjunction with Station Road. Local members and the community have lobbied to have the Princes Highway declared a road of national importance. I cannot understand why the Federal Government will not acknowledge the importance of the Princes Highway to communities on the far South Coast. For these communities the Princes Highway is the major link with Sydney and this road, Highway 1, needs the support of the Federal Government.

    There has been an allocation of $125,000 for traffic planning work for Lake Entrance Road and Captain Cook Drive, and $100,000 for the widening and introduction of dedicated right-turn lanes on the Princes Highway at Farmborough Road, Unanderra. The budget also includes $954,000 for important work to improve and maintain the road network. In addition, $80,000 has been provided for traffic calming at Reddall Parade, Lake Illawarra, and almost $37,500 is being provided for traffic screens to be built on the F6 and Mount Keira Road. The Shellharbour and Wollongong councils will receive a total of $962,000 for maintenance of council roads in the area.

    I welcome the record $641.1 million budget for the Department of Community Services [DOCS]. This is an increase of $48.1 million on last year's allocation. The budget allocation for the southern area of DOCS of $44.8 million, an increase from $35.9 million last year, is expected to include ongoing funding totalling more than $500,000 for around 16 local services within the Illawarra electorate. These services include out-of-home care services; youth, family and individual support; and community development programs, which are funded from the community services grants program, such as the Unanderra-Figtree Youth Project, the Dapto Neighbourhood Centre and the Illawarra Family Support Service. They also include Supported Accommodation Assistance Program funding to youth-supported accommodation, women's emergency services and programs related to the Drug Summit-the Getting It Together initiative. Those services provide valuable support to the local community, and this ongoing funding demonstrates the Government's commitment to children, young people and families in crisis.

    There is an extra $12.3 million for foster care services, $4.6 million for the new client information system, $3.8 million to support the permanency planning legislation, $18.1 million for the Families First initiative, with an additional commitment of $20.9 million over the following three years, $13.1 million to assist non-government services with the increased cost of the Social and Community Services award and an extra $7.8 million for the DOCS Helpline. This funding reinforces a greater focus on child protection services and will help DOCS to provide more support to families, young people and the communities of New South Wales. Older people, people with disabilities, their families and carers in the Illawarra will benefit from a record $1.2 billion budget for ageing, disability and related community support programs. This budget aims to improve the quality of life for older people, people with disabilities, their families and carers.

    Protection from fire and other emergencies for the community of Unanderra is set to get a boost in this year's budget. This budget will deliver a new fire engine, which will cost $250,000, for the Unanderra fire station. This is great fire protection news for our local families, businesses and visitors to the area. The new fire engine is due to be delivered in November and I know that the local brigade is anxious for that to happen. It will certainly assist the firefighters in their role. The fire engine expenditure is part of a record $564.6 million State Government emergency services budget that will ensure that New South Wales Fire Brigades, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service workers and volunteers have world-class resources and equipment to carry out their vital role of protecting the communities.

    Funding for new homes and improving government-subsidised housing in the Illawarra electorate is an important part of the 2002-03 New South Wales housing budget, with an allocation of $6.5 million. The Government is working hard for all of New South Wales and is committed to building on its proud record in public, community and Aboriginal housing. This is demonstrated by a $6.5 million investment to build or buy 36 new homes and modernise existing homes for people in the Illawarra area. Extra homes will also be leased for government-subsidised housing. The Illawarra electorate is part of the south-eastern region of the Department of Housing.

    I have a large population of public housing tenants in my electorate. Kate Vasey, Acting Area Manager, and John Quinn, team leader for the Shellharbour office, are committed to providing the best possible service to the people of the Illawarra. This year, $21.3 million will be spent in the region improving public housing and renewing communities. This is part of the $244 million to be spent across the State on capital improvement in public, community and Aboriginal housing. A total of $142 million will be spent on maintenance and day-to-day repairs. The New South Wales housing budget will increase by $16 million to $631 million it 2002-03, helping more than 500,000 needy and vulnerable people with a range of housing assistance across the State and will create more than 7,000 jobs.

    Another important part of the budget is our ongoing community renewal partnership. Under this project we are working to improve tenants' homes and revitalise housing estates through community development and tenant employment program. Despite continuing Commonwealth cuts the State has increased funding to help those most in need, including the elderly, people with disabilities, large families and people with support needs. The Illawarra regional tourism organisation will receive funding of $130,000 in 2002-03. Tourism Illawarra is working hard to promote the development of tourism in our area. Linda Marquis, the General Manager of Tourism Illawarra, works tirelessly to promote the area, along with others such as Bob Doyle, the Manager of Wollongong Image Campaign. Last year I visited the Australian Tourism Expo in Brisbane and there were Bob and Linda enthusiastically promoting the Illawarra region. Overall, this budget has been great news for the people of the Illawarra. It proves that the State Government is committed to providing the services needed.

    Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Fraser.


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