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- 24 February 2005
Cross-Border Commission Bill
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Page: 14208
Second Reading
Debate resumed from 26 February 2004.
Mr NEVILLE NEWELL (Tweed—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.31 a.m.]: The Cross-Border Commission Bill seeks to establish the Cross-Border Commission of New South Wales to inquire into matters affecting border communities and to report on those matters to the Premier and the Parliament. The commission would be a declared authority for the New South Wales public sector and, among other things, would invite members of a border community to make submissions to the commission on issues affecting their community, conduct inquiries into cross-border issues, and make recommendations to the Premier.
The Government opposes the bill because, first, it would create an unnecessary level of bureaucracy and, second, satisfactory arrangements for dealing with border problems are already in place. Two cross-border committees currently deal with cross-border anomalies, one each for the New South Wales-Queensland border and the New South Wales-Victorian border. These committees are jointly chaired by the central agencies of each State. There are insufficient anomalies in relation to the New South Wales-South Australian border to warrant a committee. With respect to the New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory border, the Premier met earlier this year with the Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory and they have agreed to develop a framework for better co-operation and co-ordination.
These committees have been effective in both identifying and resolving border problems in a low-key but effective manner. Their strength lies in their ability to tap local knowledge about border problems and resolve them by involving relevant government officials and community representatives. In contrast with the current arrangements, this bill does not require the Cross-Border Commission to directly resolve border problems. Its functions would be limited to inquiring into and reporting on matters affecting border communities. A further weakness of the bill is that the commission would not have cross-jurisdictional representation. This important fact alone may render the commission impotent in identifying cross-border problems and recommending effective solutions.
In addition to the existing cross-border committees, other mechanisms are in place to resolve problems that affect border communities. For example, the introduction of mutual recognition arrangements has made it easier for many businesses, professions and trades to operate and practise on both sides of the border. I shall give some examples in a moment. Similarly, national competition policy is removing unnecessary restrictions on competition that may affect border communities. The Government already has the power to establish further inquiries or committees if the need arises.
In my area, police on either side of the border have worked effectively to apprehend offenders through co-operation and sharing of information. Emergency services, fire brigades and ambulance services have protocols in place to enable them to work together. Indeed, ambulance workers from both States cross the border on a daily basis, with ambulances from Queensland bringing patients to Tweed Hospital. Workers compensation initiatives have enabled businesses to work effectively across the border. The Tweed Heads Office of Fair Trading has done a wonderful job in ensuring that tradesmen who cross the border are licensed and that their activities do not impinge on the registration arrangements of either State. At the time of the natural disaster in Kingscliff several years ago the Office of Fair Trading was able to assist tradesmen from Queensland to cross the border because we had insufficient tradesmen to carry out repairs to houses—a further example of co-operation between the States.
Surfside Bus Company runs services from Pottsville, outside my electorate, up to the Gold Coast, where the services link in with public transport at Robina, ensuring a seamless flow, and the system works wonderfully. The existing cross-border committee has eliminated anomalies in the system to enable students to cross the border. The hospital system is one significant example of the effectiveness of the local cross-border committee. Tallebudgera Creek in Queensland is a natural drawing area for patients, particularly women giving birth, who seek to be treated at Tweed Hospital. The system works well and enormous numbers of patients are treated at that hospital. The Queensland-New South Wales arrangements enable each State to pay for the care of the patients. Patients are accounted for on an annual basis and the system works so well that the arrangements appear invisible.
Taxation is always an area for debate because it differs on each side of the border. I compliment successive New South Wales governments on the fuel tax subsidy, which provides approximately $40 million to North Coast residents to ensure that fuel prices are kept at a level that enables New South Wales businesses to be competitive with their Queensland counterparts. The Queensland fuel subsidy is 8¢ a litre and the northern part of my electorate around Tweed has a similar subsidy, which is scaled down as the distance increases. The fluctuation in the price of fuel is an example of price variation that is almost invisible in the sense that people do not realise it is happening.
Earlier I said that people who live in Queensland from Tallebudgera Creek to the New South Wales border are in the catchment area of the Tweed Heads District Hospital and that rebate arrangements are in place to ensure that the cost of treating Queensland patients at that hospital is reimbursed to the host government. Provision has been made for New South Wales patients requiring specialised treatment to attend the only hospitals that are able to provide specialised services: hospitals in the nearest capital city, which, in their case, are Brisbane hospitals. The Government is not willing to support the creation of a new layout of bureaucracy that lacks an appropriate focus, will not produce practical solutions, and will be completely ineffective without the support of other State governments.
Mr GEORGE SOURIS (Upper Hunter) [10.40 a.m.]: I commend the honourable member for Ballina for his initiative in introducing the Cross Border Commission Bill. I previously presented a similar bill, but it was not passed because of opposition from the Labor Party, notably including, in the context of this bill, the opposition of the honourable member for Tweed. I am absolutely astounded that the honourable member for Tweed is leading the Government's opposition to this bill, because this bill could not be more focused upon his electorate and the benefits that will derive from this bill could not be better directed than to his electorate. At least when the bill I introduced was being debated the honourable member for Tweed came quietly into the Chamber and voted against it and then quietly departed, but I am sure his opposition today will not go unnoticed in border communities.
It is an interesting geographical fact that the capital cities of the other States that are contiguous with New South Wales are closer to the border than is Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide are all closer to the borders of New South Wales than Sydney is. Consequently the influence exerted by the capital cities of other States extends into border regions and is really quite significant. New South Wales people who live in border regions often have to seek hospital attention across the border because of the inadequacies of the New South Wales system. I again express my astonishment at the remarks made by the honourable member for Tweed, who said the health system in this State does a wonderful job.
Everybody knows that the number of names on the Tweed hospital waiting list has doubled since the Carr Government came to office and since the Premier made that fateful promise to halve New South Wales hospital waiting lists or resign. The Tweed hospital is an outstanding example of waiting lists that have doubled, not halved. In light of that, I cannot see how the honourable member for Tweed can say that the system in place does a wonderful job. His electorate is most relevant to this topic, but where has he been? He claims not only that the health system is wonderful but also that the existing structure to deal with cross-border anomalies is working wonderfully well. Is the honourable member for Tweed completely unaware that in the Tweed, New South Wales building companies are continually being out-tendered by Queensland companies? The main reason for that is that anomalies are imposed on them by the New South Wales taxation and workers compensation systems.
New South Wales companies pay appreciably higher payroll tax, land tax, stamp duty and workers compensation insurance premiums. That puts New South Wales builders at a competitive disadvantage in the order of 5 per cent to 6 per cent, and that is in the building contracting industry alone. State taxes and charges must be a matter of great significance to the Queensland-New South Wales border regions, which are experiencing rather significant building growth. New South Wales building companies are seriously disadvantaged because of the legislative and taxation structures in New South Wales. There are approximately 1,600 cross-border anomalies and they all impact adversely upon New South Wales residents and New South Wales businesses.
The bill will affect more than just fuel taxes and tobacco taxes. In border regions, the market dictates and has outrun government revenue policies, but governments blissfully persist in collecting revenue from payroll tax, land tax, stamp duty—particularly the exit stamp duty that was recently imposed by the Carr Government—and workers compensation insurance costs. All those taxes and charges are created by New South Wales legislation or administration and are therefore within the scope of the New South Wales Government to address. But according to the honourable member for Tweed, who made the first contribution in this debate on behalf of the Government, the system is working wonderfully well! I suggest that the officer in the Premier's Department who is responsible for revenue policy in border areas has been an abject failure. Instead of reading out a speech that was probably written by that very officer, I suggest that the honourable member for Tweed should have been urging the Government to adopt an independent approach and to conduct a review. The Government should request the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal or the Council on the Cost and Quality of Government to conduct a review of the effectiveness of the approach to cross-border policies adopted by the Premier's Department.
The honourable member for Tweed would have been better advised to press for a review to ascertain whether there is sufficient substance in the arguments presented by the Government, instead of routinely and robotically reading out a speech prepared by one of the greatest failures in the Carr bureaucracy. I suggest that the effort put into the drafting of a speech that the honourable member for Tweed blindly read out was probably greater than has been applied in previous years to the resolution of cross-border anomalies that impact adversely on the health care industry and the building industry at the very least.
Another anomaly is created by daylight saving. I will concentrate my remarks not so much on the obvious difficulties created for the airlines industry but on the industry this Government has taken a very large stick to—the clubs industry—and the implications daylight saving has for it. Daylight saving adds an hour to the period during which New South Wales clubs must remain open to attract patronage from Queenslanders. Daylight saving does not generate any more business; rather, it increases costs arising from extended operating hours comprising salaries, administrative overheads and taxation. That is one example of a cross-border anomaly that impacts very heavily on one of the biggest industries in the Queensland-New South Wales border region, let alone workers compensation and payroll tax. The effect of that single factor of daylight saving on the clubs industry is that it produces a very significant disincentive and a competitive impediment to New South Wales clubs. It is time the Government exhibited some accountability, particularly about the way cross-border anomalies are handled.
What is wrong with suggesting that a small, compact and focused cross-border commission—a small group of people who do not believe the idiotic argument that such a commission would be a bureaucratic burden on the State of New South Wales—report to Parliament? What is wrong with exposing cross-border anomalies to public and parliamentary scrutiny and then putting pressure on the Government—perhaps that is why the Government does not like this bill—to do something about them?
We are not talking about a product in New South Wales, such as football, that can be sold electronically across borders. Let that go. It is wonderful to see Australian rules football extend into New South Wales, rugby union extend beyond New South Wales to other States and so on. All that is fine. However, small businesses, building contractors, licensed clubs, whatever they might be, cannot sell their product electronically or overcome the impediments created by the nearness of an interstate border and the interstate capital. If the anomalies are caused by the New South Wales Government through the legislative program, existing laws and the administrative avenues that are available, we have the power to deal with them, solve them, and provide relief for them.
I imagine that all members of Parliament would agree that the problem is serious. The problem exists, and it is within our hands to solve it. If we are serious about the future of the cross-border regions of New South Wales we should embrace this concept—this low-cost concept, this highly accountable, reportable-to-Parliament concept. We should tackle the issue head on and do something about it, and achieve some benefits for the people of New South Wales. We should not follow the lead of the honourable member for Tweed, for example, who stuck his head in the bureaucratic sand and read out a speech written by the bureaucrat whose head he will find inside that sand. It is extraordinary. The honourable member for Tweed accepted a poisoned chalice and delivered it here.
I have never heard another member make a speech that was so directly against the interests of their electorate. I do not know who is in charge of government strategy, but I suggest that the Government should have asked a Western Sydney member to make that speech, not the honourable member for Tweed. I do not think the honourable member is treating the issue seriously. He read a bureaucratic speech written by a person who is only protecting his job and has been an abject failure all this time. Instead of enjoying the benefits of a long time in office, and the arrogance that that has created—arrogance seems to characterise the Government's approach to this legislation—I suggest that Government members refresh themselves and grasp such issues if they are ever to have any chance of surviving.
Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [10.53 a.m.]: I support the Cross-Border Commission Bill, which was introduced by the honourable member for Ballina. He first introduced the Cross-Border Commission Bill in 2000, but sadly that was defeated. However, in the four years since that bill was introduced and rejected by the Government the honourable member has recognised that the need for a cross-border commission has become even more acute. This bill provides for a more thorough and effective resolution to cross-border issues through the creation of a body with the power to call witnesses, take evidence, and undertake all other actions necessary to resolve cross-border issues, and to make recommendations to the Premier regarding cross-border solutions.
The cross-border commission will be required to prepare an annual report for Parliament in relation to the results of its inquiries, recommendations to the Premier, and any action or inaction taken by the Government. It will be constituted by representatives of the New South Wales Government, consumers, business, farmers and local government, with the capacity to appoint other representatives up to a maximum of eight. Like the previous speaker, the honourable member for Upper Hunter, I was amazed by the speech of the honourable member for the Tweed. The recent electorate redistribution shows that Murwillumbah and a big part of the area currently in the Tweed seat will become part of the Lismore electorate. I have already received phone calls from people in that area highlighting concerns about cross-border issues.
I cannot believe what the honourable member for the Tweed said. Cross-border issues influence sustainable economic and community development in New South Wales regions in proximity to our borders with Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. The bill recognises that different States have different policies, strategies and amenities. In regions close to State borders these differences affect community and business life, and may influence investment decisions, access to services, and population migration. Issues may be well recognised, such as the time zone and petrol tax issues affecting regions bordering New South Wales.
Workers compensation premiums are calculated using a complex formula for different industries, but New South Wales businesses in border communities are at a disadvantage, despite what the honourable member for the Tweed said. Businesses that work in both New South Wales and Queensland must pay workers compensation premiums in both States, at a huge extra cost. For the construction industry, WorkCover New South Wales charges 8.36 per cent while Queensland charges 4.3 per cent and Victoria charges 3.95 per cent. These rates can vary due to previous claim histories and other factors. As the honourable member for the Tweed knows, Queensland construction companies competing against New South Wales construction companies have an advantage with lower payroll tax and workers compensation premiums. Therefore they can submit lower tenders than their New South Wales counterparts and win contracts. Queensland-based companies are outdoing New South Wales companies because of these advantages.
In the past I have highlighted how the New South Wales workers compensation scheme has been operating in deficit for years, and how premium costs are still escalating out of control. New South Wales industry cannot compete with its counterparts in Queensland, Victoria or South Australia, as premiums in those States are significantly lower. No matter how much the performance of workers improve, companies still face escalating premiums due to State Government changes. Companies still struggle with workers compensation. For example, two years ago the Northern Co-operative Meat Company at Casino, which had to change its system to survive, was paying $2.4 million in workers compensation premiums. However, if the company had been based across the border, two hours away, it would have paid only $1.46 million. That is a difference of nearly $1 million. How do New South Wales companies survive when in the face of such differences and in the face of competing against Queensland companies every day in terms of livestock and products?
New South Wales fishers can be fined for fishing just over the Victorian border due to different licensing requirements. The different licences in New South Wales and Queensland are creating havoc for fishermen. New South Wales hoteliers are restricted to bar sales in New South Wales. I shall give an example of other issues faced by New South Wales companies. I received a letter from Ian Lockton of East Ballina, which stated:
I wish to bring to your attention an anomaly in the accreditation of the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) in NSW/Queensland.
NSW based RSA courses are not recognised by Queensland and Queensland delivered course are not recognised by industry in NSW—pretty much a tit-for-tat.
This is ridiculous.
I wonder if the same occurs between other States. Surely this course and training should have National Accreditation and National Implementation.
Please look into this situation I came across this whilst relief teaching at Murwillumbah High School as it affects all Gold Coast/Richmond/Tweed Region Hospitality workers.
Another cross-border anomaly is the disparity in taxes between States. For example, when purchasing a motor vehicle in Queensland a flat stamp duty rate of 2 per cent is applied. In New South Wales the stamp duty rate is 3 per cent for vehicles under $45,000 and 5 per cent for vehicles over $45,000. A person buying a four-wheel-drive for $100,000 in Queensland will pay $2,000 stamp duty. The stamp duty on the same vehicle in New South Wales will cost $4,100. In relation to vendor duty, I refer to a letter sent to me by Jenny Morris:
I am writing in response to our telephone conversation …
My husband and I moved to Lismore in Northern NSW in 2002 and subsequently purchased a home there in January 2003. Later in 2003 it became apparent my widowed Mother, who then resided in country Victoria, was requiring care and attention …
We invited her to live with us …
We then decided to purchase a larger home in Casino …
Mr and Mrs Morris purchased a larger home so that their mother could reside with them. They did not purchase an investment property; they purchased another home. They were unable to sell their house in Lismore by 1 January; they now have an offer on the table. Although they are selling their own home to buy another home they have to pay $5,175 in vendor duty. How does the Premier explain that to Jenny Morris? It is yet another imposition on people living in New South Wales. Another cross-border anomaly is the varying rules that apply when establishing a business or gaining licences. I had brief discussions with Northern Rivers Group Training at its awards night about the problems they face working in a border area. Following those discussions they sent me a letter, which states:
We briefly discussed the problems that Northern Rivers Group Training has in competing against Queensland based group training companies that are allowed to operate in the Tweed area with the consent of the Department of Education and Training.
Conversely, Northern Rivers Group Training is unable to operate across the border which has hampered the development of our business in the north.
The company wants to expand but cannot because it does not have reciprocal arrangements across the border. That is another example of a cross-border anomaly. A further example relates to the 1800 and 1300 telephone numbers. In the top end of my electorate—I presume the same situation applies to all border areas—a lady who lives on the New South Wales-Queensland border received a letter from Tamworth telling her there would be a BreastScreen unit in Tenterfield and she should ring the 1300 number to make an appointment. She did so, but because she lives right on the border she was connected to the Queensland office, who told her they knew nothing about the unit in Tenterfield and could not help her because she lives in New South Wales.
Mr Richard Torbay: It happens a lot.
Mr THOMAS GEORGE: I am listing just some of the problems faced by people who live right on the border. Depending on their area code, if they ring a 1800 or 1300 number they will be connected to an office in another State, not the State in which they live. Companies in Queensland enjoy a cheaper payroll tax system and a higher threshold than companies in New South Wales. Queensland building companies compete for business with builders in northern New South Wales. I am sure it is the same along all border areas. Because they pay cheaper payroll tax they defeat our New South Wales builders by submitting lower tenders and win the contracts for building projects in New South Wales.
The previous speaker highlighted concerns about the effect of daylight saving on clubs. Farmer Charlies, a Lismore business, has all of its produce supplied from Brisbane. Every day during daylight saving time Farmer Charlies' staff and the supplier's staff work one hour longer because of their differing work times. In the morning the trucks have to leave Brisbane one hour earlier and at the end of the day the staff at Farmer Charlies work one hour later to submit their orders. I am sure that all companies that deal with businesses across the border experience the same problem. People who live in border communities in New South Wales usually get their news items from across the border. They do not get local or State news. Whilst that may not sound like a big issue, it is important to people who live and work in New South Wales when all they get is, for example, Queensland news.
Another problem that has been highlighted relates to the area assistance schemes, which provide funding to communities in New South Wales. I received a letter from a lady at Legume, a town situated right on the New South Wales-Queensland border. She said that an application for funding from the area assistance scheme was denied because, she was told, Legume was just out of the region covered by the scheme. Those people live in New South Wales, they pay New South Wales rates, yet the community is isolated because they are situated right on the Queensland border. I have written to the Minister about that issue, which affects all communities in border areas.
The honourable member for Tweed, who spoke on behalf of the Government, said that the problems associated with health are being addressed. I remind him that on 30 October 2004 the headlines of a local paper read: "Teen waits 14 hours with a broken back". That person's treatment was affected because of a border dispute. The dispute was about finding him a bed in Queensland, which is where northern New South Wales residents go to access that type of treatment. Thankfully for the young bloke, the issue was sorted out. I know of numerous examples of cross-border issues in health and in every other aspect of life.
Recently a health alarm was raised about mosquito attacks. Queensland addressed the problem but concerns were expressed in the media that from Tweed Heads down the coast nothing was being done. Concerns were expressed about people contracting Ross River fever, Barmah Forest virus and dengue fever. I compliment the honourable member for Ballina, the Deputy Leader of The Nationals, on his initiative to reintroduce this bill. I cannot believe that members who represent border electorates and know the problems faced by people who live in those areas do not support this bill. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [11.07 a.m.]: I also congratulate the honourable member for Ballina, the Deputy Leader of The Nationals, on persevering and reintroducing this bill. The issue of cross-border anomalies is a significant one in border communities and for the people of New South Wales. I am pleased to follow the honourable member for Lismore. The honourable member and I represent many communities on the Queensland border, particularly in the Tenterfield shire, who experience many difficulties because of the varying cross-border rules. I add my disappointment again that the Government does not support this bill. Its position defies logic. The honourable member for Newcastle, who is at the table, has lived and taught in Tenterfield and he would be well aware of the many issues that are faced by border communities.
The honourable member for Lismore referred to some of the problems being experienced by people living in border communities, but they are too numerous to mention in detail. Almost every State agency and many Federal agencies experience problems. I refer to a recent issue involving ambulance services. Queensland changed the rules and that resulted in enormous upheaval for residents in New South Wales. No structure was put in place to deal with those concerns, to enable discussion, to enable an understanding of experiences in different States and to enable corrective action.
The Cross-Border Commission Bill would put in place the necessary structure to deal with those concerns. This Government is voting against an opportunity to facilitate solutions. Why would anyone vote against this bill? I urge Government members to meet and speak with people who live in border towns. They should ask people who live in New South Wales but who have Queensland phone numbers what answers they get to their questions from government agencies in New South Wales. They live in New South Wales but they have a Queensland phone number because that is the way the system works. When they ring up a State agency to inquire about something staff at the agency say, "You live in Queensland. You have a Queensland phone number." That is a process that they go through time and again.
The honourable member for Lismore said earlier that many people living in border communities operated under Queensland rules, had Queensland telephone numbers and postcodes but were New South Wales residents. New South Wales government agencies cannot cope with these problems and, as a result, residents in border towns have to revisit these procedural nightmares. Border communities tend to fall through the cracks as no structure has been put in place to deal with these problems. Community leaders should step forward and say, "This is not good for both sides. There is no process in place to deal with these problems. We must establish how to resolve them in the future." Some communities such as Tenterfield and Stanthorpe have got together and done their best to solve problems in the health area by signing a memorandum of agreement.
We need the sorts of structures that are proposed in the Cross-Border Commission Bill. If this important issue is not resolved people will soon be asking, "Why do we have States?" Governments in two States are rejecting the opportunity to facilitate discussions and seek solutions, which is what the honourable member for Ballina is seeking to do. Why are Government members opposing legislation that will assist people trying to access basic services at a State level? As I said earlier, State, Federal and local governments are not able to resolve these problems. Residents in border towns are told that they do not live in New South Wales, when clearly they do. Many border communities are facing very similar problems.
I strongly support this bill and urge Government members to do so. They should not reject this bill outright. They should talk to the honourable member for Ballina and to those who are affected and say, "Let us put in place a structure that enables discussion." New South Wales residents are being ignored or forgotten because they do not fit any criteria. There is no process in place for them to voice their concerns or to seek a solution to their problems. I urge Government members to reconsider their position and to seek solutions rather than rejecting legislation that is long overdue in this State.
Mr ANDREW STONER (Oxley—Leader of The Nationals) [11.14 a.m.]: This Parliament debates many hundreds, even thousands, of pieces of legislation, many of which often are of little or no consequence or are of questionable relevance to the people of New South Wales. This bill, however, has great direct relevance, it has a lot of commonsense and it is of direct consequence to many residents in New South Wales, in particular, those living in border areas in towns and cities like Tweed Heads, Queanbeyan, Albury, Tenterfield and countless other communities. I would suggest that the whole State has a stake in what is one of the more important and commonsense pieces of legislation that has come before this Parliament in a long time.
I commend the honourable member for Ballina, the Deputy Leader of The Nationals, for his initiative in pursuing this bill. There are countless anomalies and inconsistencies in legislation, policy and practice between State government agencies across the border—whether it is Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, or South Australia. Residents in those areas are forced to put up with those inconsistencies and anomalies on a daily basis. As many of those issues have been mentioned in debate I will not go through them. However, I refer to tax. New South Wales is the highest taxed State in Australia and that has a considerable impact on these border communities. More recent taxes have added to the burden of New South Wales taxpayers.
The extension of land tax and vendor stamp duty are resulting in investors leaving New South Wales and going into neighbouring States, in particular, Queensland, which is costing jobs. It is costing jobs in the Tweed, in southern New South Wales and in areas surrounding the Australian Capital Territory. Payroll tax is another tax that impacts on business and employment in New South Wales, in particular, in those border areas. Many years ago the regime for clubs and for poker machines was more favourable in New South Wales and, as a result, clubs prospered and grew. It appears as though the tables will be turned and the magnificent clubs along the Murray, along the Queensland border and in Tweed Heads are set to lose membership, facilities and profit and they will be unable to offer the same sorts of charitable donations to New South Wales communities.
Some examples have already been given of different stamp duty rates that again result in businesses quite often registering vehicles or doing their banking in other States. The price of fuel is another issue. We have only to look across the border in Queensland or Victoria to see lower fuel prices. Daylight saving is a nightmare, particularly along the Queensland-New South Wales border, where residents are forced to operate in two different time zones. There are logistical problems in relation to transport, issues for Queensland residents whose children go to school in New South Wales or New South Wales residents' whose children go to school in Queensland, or residents who have jobs in one State or the other. It really is a nightmare.
Workers compensation premiums are vastly different between the States—a huge impost on small businesses operating in Queensland. They are in a competitive environment. So businesses on the Gold Coast and those across the border in the Tweed versus those in Coolangatta have completely different profit margins solely because of State government policies, legislation and taxes. The honourable member for Lismore referred to problems being experienced in the health area. Quite often we hear of anomalies involving ambulance services. Who pays for an ambulance if a New South Wales resident needs to attend hospital in Queensland, or vice versa? Quite often patients are left with huge bills that they did not expect because of anomalies between ambulance services.
Last year we heard about a young lady from Ballina who gave birth prematurely. She initially went to Lismore hospital, was transferred to a hospital in Brisbane and was forced to leave her baby in Brisbane for five days because the New South Wales health system did not have a suitable humidicrib to enable her and her baby to travel from Brisbane to Lismore Base Hospital.
Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: Heart wrenching.
Mr ANDREW STONER: Indeed. Any mother would agree that it would be heart wrenching to have to leave her premature baby behind because issues have not been worked out between the States. As for infrastructure, the Tugun bypass is critical to residents of the Tweed and the Gold Coast. Yet the project has stalled because the New South Wales Minister for Roads could not agree with his Queensland counterpart or proceed with the environmental impact study that was needed to give it the green light. The Federal Government was standing by with money.
Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: So where is it now?
Mr ANDREW STONER: The bypass has still not been constructed because of repeated delays, sadly, on our side of the border. That is another anomaly.
Mr Donald Page: They didn't have to put in any money either.
Mr ANDREW STONER: That is right. The New South Wales Government did not have to fund the project. The Queensland and Federal governments had money ready but the New South Wales Government has caused a logjam in that process. We require transport and road infrastructure in order to meet the needs of growing communities in both States—the Gold Coast and the Tweed area are growing at an enormous rate. Yet this Government is standing in the way of that progress.
I turn to the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line. The Queensland Government has been talking about building rail infrastructure from that State to Tweed Heads. Any coherent and logical plan to service the public transport needs of growing communities in that part of Australia—we should think in those terms: it is not Queensland and New South Wales, but Australia; we are all Australians—should involve the States talking to each other about linking rail lines. But, rather than discussing that option, the New South Wales Government went ahead and closed the line.
Mr Donald Page: They've got no vision.
Mr ANDREW STONER: I agree with the honourable member for Ballina: This Government has no vision whatsoever. The Cross-Border Commission Bill would ensure that there is some sort of vision regarding infrastructure needs in that part of the State. It is no wonder that many people in the Tweed suggested that they should secede from New South Wales and become part of Queensland. That is what they want. What a damning indictment on the New South Wales Labor Government and on the honourable member for Tweed! His constituents want to join Queensland because of cross-border anomalies in relation to infrastructure, taxes and the other issues that I have mentioned. I could also mention bridges over the Murray River.
Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: Registration of trucks.
Mr ANDREW STONER: And the registration of trucks—you name it. There is anomaly after anomaly.
Mr Donald Page: Fishing licences.
Mr ANDREW STONER: And fishing licences. We hear time and again of these anomalies, which would be resolved by this Cross-Border Commission Bill and the commission it seeks to establish. Many border towns along the Murray River have the most rickety, disgraceful bridges because there is an impasse between the States about who is responsible for upgrading them.
Water is another hugely important issue. There are problems in the Barwon-Darling system, which does not have enough water. The New South Wales Labor Government is about to impose an arbitrary cut of 67 per cent in the allocation to irrigators between Mungindi and Menindee. That will impact on the economies and the social fabric of those towns. We know that when the jobs disappear from western towns, crime increases. Across the border in Queensland there is a different regime for water. That State has enormous water storage capacity and nothing like the restrictions, red tape and arbitrary decisions to cut allocations. So why do we not talk to our Queensland counterparts about water? We are expected to provide environmental flows to Victoria and South Australia from the Murray-Darling system. Why are we not talking to Queensland about its role regarding the water that flows into the Darling system? That is another anomaly that a cross-border commission would address.
Is it any wonder that the Federal Government gets so frustrated when it must work with these useless States, and says, "Why don't we take over responsibility?" John Anderson is showing leadership on water, with the National Water Initiative, because the States cannot get their act together. This bill offers a vehicle through which the States can do just that. The honourable member for Tweed said that the Government will oppose this bill, which is disappointing to say the least. It is also frustrating.
Mr Barry O'Farrell: It's got me out of my office.
Mr ANDREW STONER: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is out of his office. The honourable member for Tweed said that the current system is working well. But I have given example after example—with the assistance of my colleagues—of inconsistencies and anomalies. If the current system is working well, I will eat my hat—and it is an Akubra from Kempsey, so it would not be too palatable.
Mr Bryce Gaudry: Now he is attacking Kempsey!
Mr ANDREW STONER: If the honourable member for Newcastle can eat rabbit fur he is doing well. This bill represents an investment in the future of New South Wales. It proposes to establish a small commission with a limited life to examine all of these anomalies. The economic growth of New South Wales is at stake. New South Wales currently has the lowest economic growth of any State by a long way—economic growth in Victoria and Queensland is much higher. Why? It is because of the inconsistencies in State legislation and policies that operate almost exclusively in favour of the other States. It is no wonder investment and people are moving out of New South Wales, and of course the impact is far greater in the State's border regions.
The Cross-Border Commission Bill will ensure that we have a plan for the future to deal with these issues of importance to all New South Wales citizens. But, as usual, the Labor Government is set to oppose this commonsense bill. Why? It is not because of problems or flaws in the legislation; it is purely for political reasons. Labor has adopted its usual modus operandi and is opposing an Opposition initiative solely because of its origin—in this case, the honourable member for Ballina, and Deputy Leader of The Nationals, introduced the bill. This is the second time he has done so because he believes in it passionately.
Mr Donald Page: Beattie said it was a good idea.
Mr ANDREW STONER: The honourable member for Ballina reminds me that the Premier of Queensland says it is a good idea. So why does Bob not think it is a good idea? Everybody—even the Independents—thinks it is a good idea, except Labor, which opposes the bill on political grounds. That is a disgrace and Labor members should be ashamed of themselves. They ought to debate and support legislation on its merits, as Opposition members do. The Opposition supports much Government legislation that is good for the citizens of New South Wales. The people of New South Wales, particularly those who live in border regions, deserve Government support for this important bill. I commend the bill to the House.
Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Burrinjuck) [11.27 a.m.]: This is the second time the honourable member for Ballina, the Deputy Leader of The Nationals, has introduced the Cross-Border Commission Bill. I have discussed the bill with the honourable member many times both as a member of this place and before my election. The electorate of Burrinjuck is situated to the north, east and west of the Australian Capital Territory. So we are substantially surrounded by Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. Although many honourable members may not think there are many cross-border anomalies between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, I assure them that a considerable number of my constituents are adversely affected. I am sure that the honourable member for Monaro will express similar concerns about some of the cross-border anomalies that impact on his electorate.
Anomalies such as payroll tax affect the business community. In New South Wales the payroll tax threshold is $600,000 and the tax is levied at a rate of 6 per cent. But in the Australian Capital Territory the payroll tax threshold is more than $1 million. Why would one want to be a retailer on the New South Wales side of the border when the payroll tax threshold in the Australian Capital Territory is almost half the level in this State? I live near Yass, which is relatively close to Canberra.
Yass is only about 45 minutes drive from Belconnen. It is about an hour's drive from Woden or Queanbeyan. Goulburn, a major city in my electorate, is about a 45 minute drive from Canberra on the highway that is in good condition. The road from Tumut to Canberra is appalling but if one uses the highway through Yass Canberra is not too far away. Many people commute, probably on a weekly basis, between Tumut and Canberra to access the services there. So my community has a strong association with the Australian Capital Territory.
Pursuant to sessional orders debate interrupted.
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