Full Day Hansard Transcript (Legislative Assembly, 4 September 2001, Corrected Copy)

Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Henry Murray) took the chair at 2.15 p.m.

Mr Speaker offered the Prayer.

Mr SPEAKER: I draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of delegates from the 47th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference who are currently undertaking a preconference tour of New South Wales. This delegation comprises members from Guyana, Indian States, Jamaica, Kenya, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zanzibar. All delegates are warmly welcomed. We hope they enjoy both their stay in Sydney and attending the conference in Melbourne, Albury and Canberra. I also draw the attention of the House to the presence in the gallery of the Irish Attorney General, Michael McDowell, who is accompanied by senior counsel and other legal officers. Michael and his group are attending the International Association of Prosecuting Counsel in Sydney. We trust that their deliberations will be successful.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am sure that all honourable members will be interested in this statement. The concept behind private members' statements has always been the provision to members of an opportunity to bring to the attention of the House matters of particular concern to their electorates and, as such, they were originally restricted to matters of purely local import. However, over the years members have used private members' statements to touch on issues other than local ones. That has been allowed so long as the matter raised affected a member's constituents or was brought to the member's attention by a constituent.

Despite this relaxation of the original rule there are still certain matters that will always be outside the scope of a private member's statement. For example, the Chair has noted of late that private members' statements are being used wrongly as vehicles to make attacks on other members, which are not permissible other than by way of a substantive motion. One of the tenets underlying the privilege of freedom of speech in the Chamber is that serious criticism of other members or persons outside the Parliament should not be made in passing but should be the subject of a substantive motion. It is also a longstanding rule that reflections on the judiciary are not permitted. This right of free speech should always be exercised with restraint.

Other matters outside the scope of a private member's statement include the announcement of government policy or other initiatives. Ministers should not use private members' statements to raise policy issues that fall within their portfolio responsibilities except when relevant in replying to matters raised by private members. Equally, shadow Ministers should not use private members' statements to raise policy issues related to their shadow portfolio responsibilities. There are other more suitable vehicles available to members for debating legislation or commenting on policy matters. Private members' statements should not be used to anticipate or continue debate on a matter in this House or in another place. Members will agree that private members' statements are useful vehicles for raising issues of both local and broader interest. I ask members to ensure that their statements comply with this ruling.

Mr SPEAKER: I report the receipt of a letter on 13 July 2001 from Peter Richard Nagle resigning his seat as member for the electoral district of Auburn. I also inform the House that I issued a writ on 13 August 2001 for the election of a member to serve in the Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Auburn in the room of Peter Richard Nagle, resigned. Particulars of the writ are: nomination day 17 August 2001; polling day 8 September 2001; and return of writ 21 September 2001.

Assent to the following bills reported:

Health Care Liability Bill
Betting Tax Bill
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (New South Wales) Amendment Bill
Co-operative Schemes (Administrative Actions) Bill
Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment Bill
Industrial Relations Amendment (Casual Employees Parental Leave) Bill
Liquor Amendment (Gaming Machine Restrictions) Bill
National Parks and Wildlife (Adjustment of Areas) Bill
Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Amendment Bill
Home Building Legislation Amendment Bill
Housing Bill
Legal Profession Amendment (Disciplinary Provisions) Bill
Legal Profession Amendment (Professional Indemnity Insurance) Bill
Passenger Transport Amendment (Transitways) Bill
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
Sydney Olympic Park Authority Bill
Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Bill
Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation Bill
Western Sydney Regional Park (Revocation for Western Sydney Orbital) Bill
Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill (No 2)

Mr CARR (Maroubra—Premier, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Citizenship) [2.21 p.m.]: We make no apology for criticising judges about light sentences or for going to the Court of Criminal Appeal for a guideline judgment on gang-rape. Our aim is simple: longer sentences for this crime. Even the Director of Public Prosecutions said on Stateline last Friday:

The general level of sentencing ... the tariffs of sentences, for offences of this kind has slipped somewhat over the years ... not dramatically but just progressively. It has come a long way down from the maximum prescribed penalty of 20 years.

Even the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has well-known views, recognises the valid case for longer sentences in cases of gang-rape. Today my Government will move to suspend standing orders in order to allow the introduction of the Crimes Amendment (Aggravated Sexual Assault in Company) Bill. This legislation provides for a maximum sentence of life in gaol for gang rapists. The Government has been asked how it intends to define a gang. The Government will be using the existing Crimes Act definition of "in company", that is, two or more people. By focusing on the "in company" definition, the legislation does not need to develop criteria for gang membership.

This overcomes issues concerning the constitution of a gang, what makes a gang. Introducing a new definition would only result in lengthy trials. Under the new offence a person will be eligible for prosecution if the person, in the company of one or more people, has non-consensual sex with another person, and who deprives the alleged victim of his or her liberty, or—not "and", but "or"—threatens to inflict actual bodily harm on the alleged victim or any other person who is present or nearby by means of an offensive weapon or instrument, or maliciously inflicts actual bodily harm on the alleged victim or any other person who is present or nearby. I want this new offence to be passed by the Parliament urgently so that the life-in-gaol sentence will be available to the courts as soon as possible. I understand the Opposition supports the proposal. I welcome that.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Gosford will remain silent.

Mr CARR: The strongest message we can send to the courts is a unanimous one: the unanimous passing of this legislation by the people's representatives—a powerful message to the judges. The Government is also concerned about other forms of gang crime. The Government will introduce legislation for non-association or contact orders. Contact orders can be made when an individual is bailed or paroled. They can also be used as a sentencing option for minor crimes. Contact orders mean that a person is not allowed to make any contact with specified others or go to a specified place for example, contact with other gang members or just being where the gang congregates. Breaking this order would mean the revocation of bail or parole, or up to six months in gaol, and/or a $1,100 fine.

One of the most insidious gang activities is the targeting of children to commit serious crimes. The use of children as drug couriers is just one example. This can lead to a life of crime, drug addiction and dependence on gangs. The Government will create an offence of recruiting children for the purpose of committing a criminal act. This will carry a penalty of seven years.

The Government proposes that, when a crime is committed by a gang, the punishment should be harsher. The Government will increase the penalties when the following crimes are committed by gangs, that is, in company: kidnapping, 20 years will be increased to 25 years; malicious wounding or infliction of grievous bodily harm, seven years will be increased to 10 years; assault occasioning actual bodily harm, five years will be increased to seven years; discharging a gun with intent, as in the case of a drive-by shooting, 14 years will be increased to 20 years; using a gun to resist arrest, 12 years will be increased to 15 years; and demanding money with intent to steal, 10 years will be increased to 14 years. Why have these offences been targeted? They have been targeted because they are the offences that gangs commit.

Similar penalties currently apply for the in-company offences of armed robbery; break, enter and steal; home invasion; aggravated act of indecency; and aggravated sexual assault. The higher penalties for gang crime recognise, first, the increased trauma for the victim when crimes are committed by a gang and, second, they are designed to punish the cowards who hide in packs. The Government will also create new offences of car-jacking and aggravated car-jacking, with penalties of imprisonment for 10 years and 14 years respectively. These offences are necessary because police believe the current offences of robbery and theft are too cumbersome to deal with the modern-day gang practice of car-jacking.

Police use the Police Powers (Vehicles) Act to form roadblocks and stop and search vehicles. This power was provided to police after the 1998 drive-by shooting at the Lakemba police station. Police powers under this legislation will be expanded to enable police to ask all passengers in a vehicle to identify themselves. Failure to do so will carry a penalty of 12 months in prison and/or a fine of $5,500.Police also will be able to seek proof of the information provided so that they can verify the persons' bona fides. This will assist police to collect gang-related intelligence and keep tabs on the movement of gangs travelling in vehicles.

On the advice of police, the Government also will introduce a new offence of threatening or intimidating persons to not provide information to police. It will carry a seven-year penalty. Police are concerned that gangs can intimidate people with the intention of preventing them from reporting criminal activity. This offence targets those who profit from a code of silence.

The creation of these new powers and offences significantly empower our police. In 1998 we did something similar: we asked the Parliament to give police the power to search for and confiscate knives and move on those harassing others. I ask both sides of Parliament: Have the police been responsible in using the power over knives and the power to move on groups of people? The answer is: The police have used these powers responsibly. Indeed, the Ombudsman, given the power to report to the Parliament after 12 months of these new powers, said so herself. Since 1 July 1998 police have used these powers to confiscate more than 13,600 knives. They have moved on over 81,000 people who were harassing or intimidating others.

Earlier this year we asked the Parliament to give police the power to crash through drug houses and arrest those inside. The House will remember that in March I outlined what we were proposing in the so-called Cabramatta package. The powers, of course, apply not just in Cabramatta but statewide. How have these powers worked? Since 1 July the police have used the anti drug house powers to lay 131 charges in respect of 10 drug houses in Cabramatta alone. I can report to the House today that since 12 August Operation Streetsafe and the Greater Hume Tactical Action Group have made 107 arrests and laid 205 charges, conducted 105 knife searches, and created 414 intelligence reports.

Indeed, 10 days ago this tactical action group also seized more than $1 million in cash, $1.6 million in amphetamines and $350,000 worth of pseudoephedrine, which is enough to make more than $1 million worth of speed. I think it can be seen that to date the police have used the increased powers the Government has given them, with the support of the Parliament, appropriately and responsibly. We are encouraged by the Ombudsman's support for the retention of the Police and Public Safety Act. The Ombudsman said at the time:

It is clear that police have the aim of conducting these operations for the benefit of the community and, indeed, they enjoy considerable community support.

The Government will ask the Ombudsman to review the operation of these new police powers as well. Today we give police even greater powers to fight gang crime. We seek the full support of the Parliament.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI (Lane Cove—Leader of the Opposition) [2.30 p.m.]: Anyone who watched 60 Minutes on Sunday and saw the absolute devastation that the young women involved in this horrendous pack-rape case have been suffering could not help but be moved by their plight. Anyone who watched that program would have been asking themselves why the justice system let those two young women down so badly. Anyone who watched that program has a right to ask the Parliament why things have got to the stage there those young women were so badly and poorly treated. It is fair to say that everyone from both sides of the Parliament would agree we need to do something about it. Let me say, though, that it is not just because of this case that the Coalition has had a concern about this problem.

The House will recall that in 1981 when the legislation was changed it was the Coalition that opposed that part of the legislation which withdrew the right of the courts to impose a life sentence for offences of aggravated sexual assault. The Labor Party, at the instigation of Mr Frank Walker, the then Attorney General, changed the legislation. I remind the Minister for Police, who is sitting in the House today, that he was one of those who voted down the Coalition's amendment that would have retained the right of the courts to impose a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault. Because of our objection in 1981 and before the decision was brought down two weeks ago, the Coalition proposed that the right to impose a life sentence be available to the judiciary for the worst kind of aggravated sexual assault, and that is pack-rape. That proposal was made before the decision two weeks ago because we believed in the seriousness of the crime and because of our concern that the judiciary was not getting the message.

When we announced our proposal I said I looked forward to the Premier's support. I am pleased that the Government will support the change. I was relieved to hear that there was a change of heart because when I made the call on the Friday I understand that Walt Secord, who is known to members of this Parliament, was in the press gallery giving out the name of someone who was totally opposed to what I was suggesting and asking members of the gallery to contact that person to see what a terrible idea it was that Chikarovski was putting up. On Sunday the announcement about the change of heart came, and I acknowledge that I am relieved that the Government has had a change of heart on this issue.

Let me also make it clear that we have a number of concerns about other areas of the law and order debate. The Premier is right: it is an absolute travesty that young people are used as drug couriers. It is a absolute disgrace that they are recruited and used to peddle this misery and death. That is one of the reasons the Coalition has asked the Parliament—and been refused by the Government—to change the cautioning system to reduce the quantity of drugs young people are permitted to carry when they receive a caution. Why are young people being recruited in this way? Because they are not subject to the penalty; the amount of drugs the law allows them to carry is too large. We have asked this Parliament to reduce that quantity so that they become less attractive as targets for those who would recruit them as drug couriers.

If the Premier and the Government seriously support amending that aspect of the legislation, we will support them. I have not said that we will throw out the cautioning system. We recognise that in cases of young people being caught with the odd joint it is a sensible system, but that is not what it is being used for. In recent times 4,000 cautions have been issued; I would like to know how many of them had a quantity of drugs of commercial value, that is, an amount of drugs equivalent to 15 joints. That is a lot of dope. I ask the Premier to consider that proposal when making sure he supports sensible changes to the legislation. I am sure today is no different from any other day we hear an outcry over these issues: the community is increasingly concerned about the role of the Director of Public Prosecutions [DPP]. The community is increasingly concerned about what it regards as a lack of accountability by the DPP. That is why the Coalition again has called for a parliamentary oversight committee of the DPP. In the same way that the Ombudsman and the ICAC commissioner are subject to oversight committees of this Parliament, we have asked that the Parliament establish a committee to which the DPP can speak in the same way as the ICAC commissioner and the Ombudsman.

We need to restore some sense of faith in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions because at the moment there is none. As I said, people are increasingly concerned that the DPP decides not to proceed in matters when sentencing has been manifestly inadequate. The DPP should be oversighted by Parliament. If we are serious about making sure victims do not have to go through trials time and again, the Government should support our move for majority verdicts of 11 to 1. Stop the trauma for the victims! Stop the trauma for the families and make sure they go through these horrendous situations only once! The Government should support majority verdicts, but it is concerned only with certain aspects of the legal system. It is not concerned with some of the fundamentals we need to get right to protect victims.

The Premier talked about car-jacking. We agree that it would be horrendous to be involved in a car-jacking. In 1996 the de Vries family was hijacked in horrendous circumstances. In 1996 after that terrible car-jacking the Premier promised that he would introduce legislation to provide a sentence of 20 years. Five years later he is finally getting around to it, but the proposed maximum sentence is to be only 14 years. I am not entirely sure what has happened in the intervening five years to make the Premier change his mind and decide that the offence of car-jacking is worth only a 14-year sentence. Clearly, it is a serious offence and I would have thought the 20-year sentence he originally proposed would be appropriate.

The Premier talked about the need to gather intelligence about gangs. We absolutely agree. What was the first recommendation of the Cabramatta inquiry? Everyone remembers the upper House inquiry, which the Government said we did not need, into the situation in Cabramatta. We had been told Cabramatta was under control and there were no problems out there. That inquiry was established because the people of Cabramatta would not and did not put up with a Government which claimed that everything was under control. The first recommendation of that inquiry was that police needed the resources to enable them to gather intelligence on gangs.

Let us get to the tintacks of this whole argument. We can pass as many laws as we like, we can put as many pieces of paper through this Parliament as we care to, we can sit here at all hours of the night and day and debate legislation, but in the end it comes down to one thing: we must have enough police in this State to enforce our laws. It all comes down to resourcing. It comes down to a Premier who made a commitment in 1999 that there would be 1,000 additional police in the New South Wales Police Service—not 1,000 additional police from 1994 but 1,000 additional police compared to the number in March 1999. On the Government's figures at the moment there is an additional 191 because there has just been a graduation.

Given the attrition rate in the New South Wales Police Service we can assume that in the next two months we will lose another 130 police officers. In two months we will have approximately 60 more police than we had in March 1998. The police in this State are stretched beyond belief; they cannot do what they want to do: be on the streets of Sydney and in country towns across New South Wales proactively fighting crime. At the moment they are only reacting to crime, but they want to be on the streets proactively fighting crime. The Premier can fiddle with the figures all he likes but, having made a commitment that we know he cannot deliver, he should at least have the honesty to admit it. He should do at least what the community wants. He should make sure he does his best to try to honour that promise. We acknowledge that he will not be able to honour it, but he should at least have the courage to tell the community that he will not be able to deliver.

The people of New South Wales have a right to expect their communities to be safe. They have a right to expect that they can walk the streets and catch the trains, and that they can be safe in their homes without bars on their windows as they have in Auburn, Sefton, Redfern and Berala. They have a right to feel safe in their homes. The only way they can do that is by having a proactive Police Service that can get out there and do the proactive policing, which we in the community have a right to expect. We should support and help the police, but, most importantly, we should make sure that there are enough police to get on with it and do the job.

Mr Speaker announced, pursuant to the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988, the receipt of the following reports:

Garbage, drains and other things—An examination of conduct of two Liverpool City Council contractors, dated July 2001

Report on an investigation into matters arising from a Ministerial Statement to the Legislative Assembly on 10 April 2001, dated August 2001

Ordered to be printed.

Mr Speaker announced, pursuant to the Police Integrity Commission Act 1996, the receipt of the report entitled "Operation Pelican", dated August 2001.

Ordered to be printed.

Mr Speaker announced, pursuant to the Police Integrity Commission Act 1996, the receipt of the report entitled "Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 June 2001."

Ordered to be printed.

Mr Speaker tabled the report entitled "Auditor-General's Report 2001—Volume Four", dated September 2001.

Ordered to be printed.

The Clerk announced the receipt of the report entitled "Traffic Control and Safety in the Vicinity of Schools—Part 1: Major Recommendations and Summary".

Petition praying that the establishment of heroin injecting rooms be opposed and that consideration be given to the introduction of legislation for drug reform, received from Mr Armstrong.

Petition praying that the Legislative Assembly will advocate for the retention of all vacant land in the area historically known as the Willoughby Paddocks and its development as public parkland for the enjoyment of the community, received from Mr Collins.

Petition praying for opposition to the construction of a McDonald's restaurant on Moore Park, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that the all-terrain vehicles currently being trialled by Manly police be permanently retained, received from Mr Barr.

Petition calling on the Government to focus policing strategies and resources on beat policing, received from Mr Debnam.

Petition praying that the House restores to Cronulla a fully functioning police patrol and upgrades the police station, received from Mr Kerr.

Petition praying that the House prevents the closure of Woolloomooloo, Paddington, Redfern and four other inner eastern suburbs police stations and praying for adequate police resources, including uniformed foot patrols, in the inner east area, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying for increased police presence in the Surry Hills area, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that the House stops the Board of the Police and Community Youth Club New South Wales Ltd from closing and selling the Eastern Suburbs Police and Community Youth Club, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that Gordon police station be upgraded and that the number of police operating out of the station be increased, received from Mr O'Farrell.

Petition praying that the House notes the concern of Malabar residents at the closure of Malabar Police Station and praying that the station be reopened and staffed by locally based and led police, received from Mr Tink.

Petition praying that the House notes the concern of Randwick residents at the major downgrading and possible closure of Randwick Police Station and praying that the station be staffed 24 hours a day by locally based and led police, received from Mr Tink.

Petition praying that Springwood Hospital remain an acute care unit and that the operating theatre continue to function, received from Mr Debus.

Petition praying that services at Mona Vale Hospital be retained, received from Mr Brogden.

Petition praying that the Government will legislate for a five-year freeze on the release into the environment of genetically engineered organisms, imports of genetically engineered foods and patents on living organisms, received from Mr Debus.

Petition praying that the House suspends the commercial release and trials of genetically engineered crops, supports the implementation of mandatory labelling of food derived from genetic engineering and funds independent scientific research to investigate the potential risks to health and the environment, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying for the construction of a psychiatric unit in the Blue Mountains, received from Mr Debus.

Petition praying that the existing medical facilities and services at Moruya Hospital be retained, received from Mr R. H. L. Smith.

Petition opposing the closure of Erskineville Public School, received from Mrs Chikarovski.

Petition asking the House to support the retention and refurbishment of Chatswood High School, received from Mr Collins.

Petition requesting funding for public schools and opposing the merging of local schools, received from Mr Debnam.

Petition praying that funds be made available to construct a new and permanent preschool in Queanbeyan, received from Mr Webb.

Petition praying that priority be given to the construction of buildings at Frederickton Public School, received from Mr Stoner.

Petition praying that the House reduce the number of openings of the Spit Bridge on weekends, received from Mr Barr.

Petition praying that the Anderson Drive-Thornton Road link road be constructed, received from Mrs Chikarovski.

Petitions praying that Windsor Road be upgraded and widened within the next two financial years, received from Mr Merton and Mr Rozzoli.

Petition praying that the Government review the design of the ventilation system for the M5 East tunnel and immediately install filtration equipment to treat particulate matter and other pollutants, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that the House improve safety on the Pacific Highway and fast-track the proposed bypassing of Kempsey and Macksville, received from Mr Stoner.

Petition praying that the House reinstate Queenscliff as a suburb with the Geographical Names Board, received from Mr Barr.

Petition praying for the introduction of a code of practice to protect intensively farmed pigs, received from Mr Amery.

Petition praying for opposition to the export of puppies to Asia, received from Mr Amery.

Petition praying for support to phase out battery cages for laying hens, received from Mr Amery.

Petition praying that the Government supports the rectification of grass surfaces at John Fisher Park, Curl Curl, and opposes any proposal to hard surface the Crown land portion of the park and Abbott Road land, received from Mr Barr.

Petition praying that the practice of supplying stray animals to universities and research institutions for experimentation be opposed, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that the House reinstate the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Trust as soon as possible, received from Mr Rozzoli.

Petition praying that funds be made available to assist in the remediation of Manly Lagoon, received from Mr Barr.

Petition praying that the boundary of the Blue Mountains National Park in the vicinity of Bowen Mountain remains as it is, in accordance with recommendations of the local Rural Fire Service—the Grose Vale Brigade—and that the management of the fire buffer zone remains within the jurisdiction of the Rural Fire Service, received from Mr Rozzoli.

Petition praying that any rezoning of the White City site be opposed, received from Ms Moore.

Petition praying that extension of the term of the administrator appointed to oversee the affairs of Bega Valley Shire Council be opposed, received from Mr R. H. L. Smith.

Order of the day for the matter of public importance standing in the name of Mr Amery discharged on motion by Mr Whelan.

Order of the day for the urgent motion standing in the name of Mr Black discharged on motion by Mr Whelan.

Government Business Order of the Day No. 1 discharged on motion by Mr Whelan.

Government Business Orders of the Day Nos 2, 3 and 4 discharged on motion by Mr Whelan.

Order of the day for the second reading discharged.

Bill ordered to be withdrawn.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: I direct my question to the Premier. In view of his repeated comments that the sentences handed down by Judge Latham in the case involving three gang rapists were patently inadequate, why has he failed to direct the Attorney General to exercise his powers under section 5D (1) of the Criminal Appeal Act and to lodge an appeal immediately?

Mr CARR: It is well known by anyone who has spent a minimum of five—by the way, I must say I was expecting a question on this huge "hackergate" scandal.

Mr Knowles: Kelly?

Mr CARR: Yes. For months we have been treated to headline after headline of hysterical allegation after hysterical allegation by the Leader of the Opposition that somehow the Parliament was a veritable volcano of computer hacking scandals and outrages.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Hornsby to order.

Mr CARR: Those allegations and that campaign today fell completely to pieces, and that huge injustice done to the Hon. Tony Kelly was revealed.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Wakehurst to order.

Mr CARR: After an independent forensic examination we are still waiting for the apology from the Leader of the Opposition. The only way to get an appeal is in the way the Government has sought, that is, to seek one initiated by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Hornsby to order for the second time.

Mrs Chikarovski: Point of order: I am happy to provide the Premier with a copy of the Act, which states that the Attorney General or the Director of Public Prosecutions may appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal. Go on, take the Act and read it. Either of them can do it.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Mr BLACK: My question without notice is to the Minister for Transport. What is the latest information on regional airlines in New South Wales and related matters?

Mr SCULLY: The honourable member's question is timely and relevant. I am very concerned, as are members on this side of the House, about the continued viability of regional airlines. Air links are crucial to country business, industry, and tourism and ultimately to the economies of regional and rural New South Wales. This Government believes country people have a right to expect reasonable access to air services. Country people cannot expect to have those services continue in the face of unreasonable Federal Government taxes and charges. Costs are placing enormous pressure on regional airlines.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Kogarah to order.

Mr SCULLY: The pressure of costs has forced Yanda and Country Connection Airlines to cease operations to smaller centres, Qantaslink ceased services on the Kempsey run and Horizon Airlines has abandoned its services to Deniliquin. In May of this year the Australian Transport Council [ATP]—a twice-yearly meeting of Australasian Transport Ministers—met in Darwin. I put a proposal to my transport ministerial colleagues from around this country that there should be a thorough examination of the pressure of costs on regional airlines. I have unanimous support across party lines for that examination. That examination will be completed and ready for the next ATC meeting later in the year.

We also established a bipartisan regional airlines summit. In that regard I acknowledge the work of the Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs—Harry Woods; the honourable member for Tamworth, Tony Windsor; and the honourable member for Lachlan, Ian Armstrong. The honourable member for Lachlan made a significant bipartisan contribution to debate and discussion during that summit. I thank those three members of Parliament for providing great conversation and dialogue during that important summit, which included industry, stakeholders, local government and people at all levels of government concerned about the impact on regional airlines.

The summit found that the impact of government charges, mostly Federal Government taxes and charges, was crippling regional airlines. In fact, the findings of the summit confirmed what we all suspected. The Federal Government is making a motser out of regional airlines. What worries me is that John Anderson does not know this. It may not surprise some of us that he does not know what is happening in his portfolio, but I take this opportunity to remind John Anderson about what happens when a regional airline is operating its airline services. When it buys a new aircraft, Federal taxes are paid. Every time an aircraft is filled with avgas, Federal excise fees are imposed. Every time a plane lands at Mascot, landing fees are charged. When the aircraft is sold at the end of its useful life, Federal taxes are imposed again.

Before the aeroplane gets off the ground to take country people to destinations, Air Services Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority [CASA] have to charge administrative fees for the safety accreditation process. There you have it. Buying the aircraft, running the aircraft, fuelling the aircraft, landing the aircraft, safety accreditation and selling the aircraft—at every conceivable point Peter Costello, John Howard and John Anderson have their hands in the pockets of regional airlines. It is not a double hit from the Federal Government, it is hit after hit after hit. Quite simply, the Federal Government should be ashamed of itself. The bipartisan summit also found that the cost of government charges on regional airlines was just under 11 per cent. I am a little disappointed to note that John Anderson recently stated in an Australian Financial Review article—

Mr Piccoli: What are you going to do?

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Murrumbidgee has asked that question on seven occasions. He has not yet realised that he will not get an answer. If he continues to interject I will call him to order.

Mr SCULLY: On 27 August in an article in that illustrious journal the Australian Financial Review the Deputy Prime Minister had this to say:

We are looking at government charges—

Thank you for finally looking at them—

Government charges … are a relatively small part of the cost of running an airline.

Well, we have actually done some work—

[Interruption]

They do not like hearing this. I will have more to say about the position of the National Party in New South Wales. I think the House needs to hear it. Before I do that, the work done by New South Wales government agencies found that the cost was 10.8 per cent. The Deputy Prime Minister said the cost is relatively small, almost a trifle, almost not worth thinking about. Government charges comprise 10.8 per cent of the cost of operating a regional airline, almost all of which are Federal Government charges. Where does the New South Wales National Party stand on this? We need to know.

I searched far and wide, and I found the New South Wales National Party policies. A very thick document—about four pages—details all of the National Party's commitments to New South Wales.

It is very Rooseveltish—a new deal for country New South Wales. It is a major groundbreaking commitment. The New South Wales National Party wants to deliver a new deal: Rural and regional New South Wales need a political party that can deliver on its promises. What has the National Party promised on this? The policy document states that the National Party will maintain the viability of regional air services. How will it do this? The document states that the National Party will co-operate with the Federal Government to ensure that airport landing fees and other charges do not contribute unduly to regional airline costs. The overarching commitment is that the National Party is a party that delivers on its promises. What is the promise? The promise is that the National Party will co-operate with the Federal Government to get charges and cost pressures down. What is the reality? The National Party has broken that promise. Every time National Party members are asked to comment what do they say?

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I place the Deputy Leader of the Opposition on two calls to order.

Mr SCULLY: They say nothing about John Anderson, landing fees, charges and Federal taxes—absolutely zip! All they say is that the New South Wales Government should subsidise regional air operators. I am asked about this matter when I go out into country New South Wales, which I often do.

Mr J. H. Turner: You wouldn't know where it was.

Mr SCULLY: The Leader of the National Party does not even get into aeroplanes; he is too frightened. I would like the New South Wales Opposition to join with the Government in keeping the pressure on the Federal Government to reduce those cost impacts on regional airlines.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Baulkham Hills to order.

Mr SCULLY: When the Australian Transport Council is recalled in November and meets in Sydney I will tell John Anderson that if he does not reduce the cost pressures on regional airlines the viability of those airlines cannot be maintained, country people cannot continue to expect continued air services and will be denied access to reasonable air services in the future, and John Anderson will lose his seat.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: My question is directed to the Minister for Police. How does the Minister explain the Premier's claim that the Government is moving in the right direction to control crime when residents in the Auburn electorate have been warned by police that because of the risk of theft they should not use car parks during the day or leave their cars parked outside their homes at night? Is this the result of the Minister's failure to put more police on the beat?

Mr WHELAN: I note that the Leader of the Opposition, in her response to the ministerial statement, spoke about police numbers. Police numbers are important. Honourable members are aware of the Government's commitment that there will be 2,110 additional police on the front line by 2003, and that 1,000 of them will be funded. In each of the past three Labor budgets the requisite numbers of police have been budgeted for. They have been repeatedly budgeted for, and they will continue to be budgeted for.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I place the honourable member for Pittwater on three calls to order.

Mr WHELAN: Following the attestation parade on Friday, New South Wales once again has achieved record numbers of police—13,712. The Leader of the Opposition was deceitful and deceptive when she said that there will be an attrition rate. Of course police leave the Police Service. On average, between 50 and 60 police leave the service each week.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Coffs Harbour to order.

Mr WHELAN: What the Leader of the Opposition did not tell the House is that 400 trainees at the Police Academy will graduate in December this year. The Leader of the Opposition did not say that at all because it did not suit her to do so.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I place the honourable member for North Shore on three calls to order.

Mr WHELAN: Another important fact—and members opposite should get used to this—is that in the dying days of the Coalition Government, in 1994-95, police numbers were 12,678. Last Friday police numbers were 13,712, which is an increase of 1,034.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Myall Lakes to order. I call the honourable member for Gosford to order.

Mr WHELAN: Everyone knows that these police are allocated throughout the whole State. Notwithstanding the attempted job by Opposition members and their sundry friends on all members of the Police Service, and the Commissioner of Police in particular, let me tell the House that the Police Service has embarked on a recruitment campaign. People are flocking to join the Police Service.

Mr Hartcher: Point of order: Mr Speaker, you allow Ministers to make preliminary remarks but you do not allow detailed debate on the reply by the Leader of the Opposition to the Premier's ministerial statement on policing numbers. This is not a question or debate on police numbers; it is a question about the safety of motor vehicles at Auburn railway station. It is now appropriate, after three minutes, that the Minister be directed to answer the question.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Gosford is correct. However, I ask for assistance from the seven members who have interjected in the past three minutes and provoked a response from the Minister.

Mr WHELAN: Interest in recruitment in the Police Service has never been stronger. More than 1,600 people attended the Police Service career day at Westmead on Sunday 26 August. On that day there were 85 applications to join the Police Service. I have spoken previously in the House about record numbers and record policing, which is an operational decision. Under the Carr Government, police numbers in the Bankstown and Flemington local area commands, parts of which cover the Auburn electorate, have increased by 78.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Oxley to order.

Mr WHELAN: On 16 March 2000 the Premier officially opened the new Auburn civic centre precinct, which includes new police facilities. The four-storey police complex has 240 police, and is the headquarters for Flemington local area command. Statewide, the Police Service has been working to keep the community safe. Since the public safety Act began in July 1998 Flemington police have conducted 1,364 searches and located 217 knives and weapons, and have given 236 directions to move along. Police from both local area commands have been utilising these and other powers in Operation Streetsafe. Since 20 August the regional target action group has charged 37 people, including one man who was arrested and found to have 47 first instance warrants outstanding. The operation has also resulted in the arrest of a man for drug supply after he was found to be in possession of 10.3 grams of heroin.

Flemington local area command has been running operations targeting break, enter and steal offences and providing a highly visible police presence to deter criminals. Last week these operations resulted in the arrest of two offenders for service station armed robbery. Police in the Auburn electorate have access to state-of-the-art police technology including the e@gle.i system, Livescan, DNA testing, the Integrated Ballistics Identification System [IBIS] and mobile data terminals. Since Labor came to power the people of Auburn have benefited from more police powers such as tough anti-knife and illegal firearms laws, anti-gang legislation and tougher drug laws. Measures have also been taken for ethical policing and better officer safety. As I indicated earlier, the Police Service has been very active across the local area command to confiscate knives and conduct searches. I indicate to the House again that since the commencement of the Act in July 1998 Flemington police have conducted 1,364 searches and located 217 knives and weapons as well as given 36 directions to move along.

Ms BEAMER: My question is directed to the Minister for Community Services, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Minister for Women. How is the Government improving child protection in New South Wales?

Mrs LO PO': Given that this is Child Protection Week, that is a very important question. Even now, at the Regent Hotel, an international conference called Never Shake a Baby is being held. Yesterday, with my colleague the Minister for Health, I was pleased to attend that conference. It was good to see the Leader of the Opposition attend and adopt a bipartisan approach. It is disturbing that in our society we have to tell people never to shake a baby because it can kill in some cases or cause severe brain damage. That is how we started Child Protection Week—with a bipartisan approach. The Carr Government's commitment to children and families of New South Wales is unequivocal.

Not only have we given an unprecedented increase in total funding to the Department of Community Services [DOCS] and non-government agencies; we have introduced innovative reforms and new legislation that will continue to make a positive difference in years to come. Innovative early intervention programs such as Families First and the Cabramatta Street Team are hallmarks of this Government's commitment to protecting children and supporting families in New South Wales. Last year DOCS received 72,000 reports concerning children and young people. Of those reports, more than half were requests for advice about caring for children and families, and nearly a quarter were reports of alleged harm or injury to a child.

This Government has responded to the needs of New South Wales families by increasing funding for child protection by 145 per cent—from $49 million in 1994-95 to $121 million this year. We have increased capable positions in DOCS from 727 in 1994-95 to the current 1,078, an increase of 351 positions. There have also been significant increases in both child protection specialists and casework managers. Since coming to power the Carr Government has implemented significant legislation pertaining to child protection. The cornerstone of this legislation is the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998. We have made sure that children's and community services in this State have never been more accountable by establishing the Child Death Review Team, the Commission for Children and Young People, and the Office of the Children's Guardian, and we have introduced new laws to screen people in child-related areas of employment.

Last year $12.6 million was allocated to set up a DOCS helpline to provide a centralised, statewide assessment and referral service 24 hours a day for all child protection reports and general inquiries. The Government has established nine co-located joint investigation response teams, or JIRTs as they are called, where specialist police and DOCS officers jointly investigate serious allegations of physical or sexual abuse of a child. Videotaping of children's evidence has been introduced, with more than 500 videotapes having been made since the introduction of the scheme. Working hand in hand with the JIRTs is the Police Service Child Protection Enforcement Agency, which was created to conduct criminal investigations of allegations of serious child abuse.

The Carr Government's priority, as highlighted by the increase in funding and the number of case workers, and the introduction of instruments such as JIRTs and the helpline, is to protect children from abuse and neglect from an early age. The Carr Government has allocated $54.2 million for a new whole-of-government approach called Families First, which includes early intervention initiatives such as volunteer home visiting services, supported playgroups, family worker services and family centres—all of which will help parents and carers to improve their parenting skills and develop social support networks. Under the New South Wales Drug Summit plan of action DOCS has received $10.3 million over four years to fund prevention and early intervention initiatives. These initiatives are designed to strengthen and support communities, families and individuals and to reduce the risk of drug dependence.

Earlier this year we established the Cabramatta Street Team as part of the Cabramatta anti-drug strategy. The New South Wales Government recognises the contribution of the unsung heroes in our community who act as foster carers. As of 30 June last year there were 8,517 children and young people in out-of-home care. This year's budget provided $165.5 million for the provision of foster care and other out-of-home care services. This represents a 10.7 per cent increase from last year. Since this Government came to power in 1995 an additional $65.7 million has been made available for out-of-home care. We have introduced new allowances that ensure carers in New South Wales now receive the highest average base care allowance in Australia of $350 per fortnight. The New South Wales Government views children's services as an extremely important activity within the spectrum of human services. Since coming to power in 1995—

Mr Hazzard: Point of order: Rather than being a matter for question time, it is really more appropriate for a ministerial statement because the Minister is failing to explain why she stopped the publication of the deaths of children involved in DOCS care.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! What is the point of order?

Mr Hazzard: She is also failing to explain why she shut down the powers of the Community Services Commission.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The honourable member for Wakehurst will resume his seat.

Mrs LO PO': A bipartisan approach to Child Protection Week lasted one day. The New South Wales Government views children's services as an extremely important activity within the spectrum of human services. Since coming to power in 1995 this Government has increased the recurrent funding base for children's services by some 27 per cent to $41.8 million, resulting in the establishment of nearly 7,000 new child care places in high-need areas of the State. The budget for children's services for 2001-02 of $105 million reflects the Government's ongoing commitment to the program. The Government will significantly change child protection services and services for children in care in New South Wales and firmly establish New South Wales as the leading State in Australia for the care and protection of children and young people.

Mr SOURIS: My question is directed to the Minister for Police. The Premier has claimed that the Government is heading in the right direction in controlling crime. How does the Minister respond to residents of Raymond Terrace and Lemon Tree Passage, who are experiencing escalating theft, violence and vandalism; gangs of youths intimidating residents; and shots fired at the Raymond Terrace police station on at least one occasion?

Mr WHELAN: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the Premier's statement and I am pleased to provide you with detailed information. However, can I say this in relation to the Hunter—

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Gosford to order for the second time.

Mr WHELAN: The record numbers apply throughout the whole of New South Wales. They are allocated by the commissioner and his executive team on the basis of operational necessity. If there are operational imperatives for one region or area receiving additional police, then that is a matter for the commissioner and his executive team.

Mr THOMPSON: My question without notice is to the Premier. What can the Premier tell the House about community concerns over computer hacking at Parliament House?

Mr CARR: I really did think that we were witnessing a Watergate.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Baulkham Hills to order for the second time.

Mr CARR: As the headlines came out day after day and as the expressions of anxiety by the Opposition gathered pace, I found myself, along with other members of my Government, wondering what was going on.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I place the honourable member for Wakehurst on three calls to order.

Mr CARR: At times I felt that I was being cast as a Richard Nixon, holding a smoking gun in a room piled high with audio cassettes. The accusations made by the Leader of the Opposition grew progressively more hysterical.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Hornsby to order for the third time.

Mr CARR: They started with the Leader of the Opposition saying that charges would have to be laid in view of the worst case of political espionage since the 1960s. She said:

… shadow ministerial briefing notes, strategy notes and policy documents have been hacked. We don't know how long this has been going on or what has been taken …

Charges should be laid and criminal action should be taken …

The Leader of the Opposition said—and this was very suspicious, in her mind—that there were a number of question times in which the Government appeared to know what the Opposition was doing. There are alternative explanations, but I suggest that 99 per cent of the time, what the Opposition has asked during question time has come right out of last week's paper. The Leader of the Opposition was surprised at the number of times the Government appeared to be waiting for what the Opposition was doing. She even said, as quoted in the Central Western Daily in Orange—and I compliment my research staff on finding the quote—"We use this system to transmit all sorts of confidential information." Can you imagine—the shopping list for the ski season!

The Leader of the Opposition even rang Commissioner Ryan and then reported to the media that she had phoned. It was not the first time she had phoned police directly about this matter—a direct hands-on interference in a police investigation. Not content with that, she gave instructions to the Independent Commission Against Corruption [ICAC] on how it should proceed to investigate. She said that ICAC should construct a time line of the event. Is that not a revelatory approach? Sherlock Holmes would not have dreamt of constructing a chronology or a time line. I do hope that the ICAC investigators are constructing time lines even as we speak. She then went on to say that all of this confirmed her dreaded fears of what may have happened.

Remember the flurry about how parliamentary privilege was said to be holding up the investigation? Some people, unnamed—someone speculated that they were members of Parliament—were warning investigators away from their computers. No such restraint in fact was being asserted. The Leader of the Opposition went on to express her incredible frustration that it had taken so long for the police to gain access to the computers. She was amazed that it took one week. She concluded on 10 August that all of this left her "ropeable". No-one notified the Opposition, she said.

Now we have not only the Police Service report into this but a report of the independent investigators who were recruited by the Parliament to probe this whole affair, and they have concluded that the Hon. Charlie Lynn's files were dumped on the Hon. Tony Kelly's computer by the Parliament's own information technology staff. The information technology staff did it, in their own words, while they were rebuilding the Lynn and Kelly computers. The technology staff, it turns out, were the people who put the material there. Here is what the report says about the so-called hacking software.

Mr Hazzard: Point of order: Standing Order 82 provides that it is not appropriate for improper motives to be imputed against any member. On a day when the Premier has been described as a corrupt Premier by the honourable member for Parramatta, it is inappropriate for him to cast aspersions on the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The honourable member for Wakehurst will resume his seat.

Mr CARR: Here is what the report said:

None of the tools was found to be capable of being used directly to obtain unauthorised access to another computer.

Mr O'Farrell: Point of order: My point of order relates to relevance. The Premier might like to explain how that computer scanned 254 other computers, trying to access those computers.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

[Interruption]

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to order for the third time.

Mr CARR: The Red Cross ladies are coming in now with cups of tea to calm the Opposition down. Fasten your seat belts and put your tray tables in the upright position!

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House needs a little more direction than I have been able to provide up to this time. All members who have been called to order are now on three calls.

Mr CARR: So, "None of the tools was found to be capable of being used directly to obtain unauthorised access to another computer", and that is the first point. The second point is this: They say that there are 150 computers that were accessed. The report does not state that.

Mrs Chikarovski: It does.

Mr CARR: It says that there was a hypothetical assessment—an assumption only—of time taken for a scan, and that is all it is. It is a hypothetical assumption of the time taken for a scan. It says none of the things that the Leader of the Opposition, in an exercise in wish fulfilment, is trying to say the report says.

Mrs Chikarovski: Point of order: Perhaps the Premier might like to look at page 27.

[Interruption]

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is taking a point of order.

Mrs Chikarovski: Perhaps the Premier might like to quote from page 26, where it mentions the different scans.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Mr CARR: After months of publicity given to an allegation of a criminal conspiracy—an allegation of hackergate, an allegation of the Government hacking the files of the Opposition, an allegation of the Government having all of Mr Lynn's precious files at its disposal, an allegation of the Government being part of the worst exercise of conspiracy in the history of Australian democracy, an allegation of the Government being subject to charges being laid, of ICAC being required to construct time lines, whatever they are, and the police being called in, hounded and harassed to arrive at the scene of a crime—the Parliament has resumed and the Opposition has not asked one question on that subject. This is the greatest political scandal since Woodward and Bernstein at Washington in June 1972, and this House, this crucible of democracy, resumes and there is no question on the subject. The campaign of two months has dissolved.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Lachlan is skating on thin ice.

Mr CARR: The Leader of the Opposition might be ropeable, but the person who has good grounds to be ropeable is Tony Kelly. His reputation was cleared by the police, cleared by the independent forensic inquiry. The report states that the material was dumped on his computer by the technology staff.

Mrs Chikarovski: Point of order—

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has indicated that she wishes to take a point of order. The last three points of order she has taken have been totally out of order. It is obvious that she wants to explain to the House where she believes the Premier has made an incorrect statement. She will have an opportunity to do so at the end of question time.

Mrs Chikarovski: Point of order: It has been a tradition of this House that one does not lie to it. The Premier has just lied to the House when he said that the material was dumped and that Mr Kelly admitted to that. He said that he downloaded it and used it.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

Mr CARR: Independent forensic advice to the Parliament was that information technology staff did it, somebody leaked it and an innocent man has had his reputation traduced. That man co-operated with the police at all stages in the inquiry, and acted with truth. The same cannot be said of the Leader of the Opposition. The old saying rings true now, as ever, that any man or woman can make a mistake , but only a fool will persist in it.

Miss BURTON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning. What is the latest information on how the Government is protecting and enhancing Sydney's parks and open spaces?

Dr REFSHAUGE: Regularly, Sydney has been named as the most liveable city in the world and part of the reason for that is, of course, its green network of parks and open spaces. Today I am delighted to announce that grants of more than $1 million have been made available to local councils to further improve those open spaces and parks. The Metropolitan Greenspace program has allocated $1.13 million to 16 councils across Sydney to improve 20 important parks and open spaces. A number of councils will benefit from those grants, including Kogarah Municipal Council. However, I make this point: Kogarah council will not get away with cutting down trees. Kogarah council's sad idea of cutting down trees will be blocked. If Kogarah council persists with that idea, it will have to change its local environmental plan [LEP]. Its LEP will have to come to me, and I will not sign it. Those trees will not be cut down. I thank the local member for bringing that to my attention. This is another win to a member who represents her constituents so strongly.

Since 1995, the Metropolitan Greenspace program has allocated $6.3 million to Metropolitan Greenspace grants. This additional $1.127 million means that $7.4 million has been allocated for parks and open space improvements in seven years. Councils that will benefit from this grant include the City of Canada Bay Council, which has been allocated $50,000 to construct a 2.5 kilometre cycleway and improved facilities at the Bay Run, continuing previous support under the Greenspace and Parramatta River Foreshores Improvement program.

Ryde City Council has been granted $100,000 for stage three of improvements to Shepherds Bay on the Parramatta River foreshore. The council will build a playground and barbecue facilities on a former car park site. The cycleway is to be extended and more seating and lighting will be provided in the park. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition should be pleased to know that his local council, Ku-ring-gai Council, has been granted $60,000 to make the playground at Bicentennial Park accessible for disabled children and their carers. The existing playground will be reconfigured, enhanced and extended.

Mr Scully: Big tick for the Government.

Dr REFSHAUGE: That is right. North Sydney Council has been granted $100,000 to upgrade a key section of the Kirribilli foreshore reserve. Marrickville Council has been granted $175,000 to improve two parks which, I hasten to point out, are outside my electorate.

Mr Moss: They are in my electorate.

Dr REFSHAUGE: As the honourable member for Canterbury pointed out, they are in his electorate. The improvements at Tempe Recreation Reserve, which began last year, will continue. This former industrial site will become an important recreational destination. Parramatta City Council has been granted $104,000 to restore Toongabbie Creek. The restoration will transform that degraded stretch of open space into a native bushland setting linked to other areas along the creek. The Government has granted $25,000 to South Sydney Council for work on open space regeneration and a cycleway network along the Alexandra Canal.

Rockdale City Council has been allocated $100,000 for work at Scott Park, which will result in a new wetland system and the preservation of several significant Aboriginal heritage sites. Further, Canada Bay council has been granted $20,000 for an Aboriginal heritage study in the area and that will contribute to a conservation management plan for Aboriginal sites. The Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre has been granted $20,000 for a wetland stocked with plants to form the basis of a garden which will be harvested for weaving by Aboriginal, Maori and South Sea Islander people, for whom weaving is an important cultural expression as well as a traditional skill. The Metropolitan Greenspace program is an important part of the Government working in partnership with councils to improve our parks and open spaces. The program will certainly improve Sydney as a whole and will continue to ensure that Sydney is the most liveable city in the world.

Mr TINK: My question is directed to the Minister for Police. How does he reconcile the fact that shop owners in Cabramatta are alarmed at renewed activity by gang leaders over the past week with the fact that only a few days ago Assistant Commissioner Clive Small told local business owners that the gang problem in the district had been grossly overstated and that crime in the area had dropped dramatically?

Mr WHELAN: As everyone would know, the Commissioner of Police takes advice from his regional commanders. Commander Small has been the regional commander for that area since 1 January. I take advice from the Commissioner of Police and when I take that advice I often ask that commanders come to see me and elucidate that advice. The police at Cabramatta, including Commander Small and Frank Hansen, are doing a sterling job on behalf of not only the people of Cabramatta but everyone in this State. If there is a problem in relation to any criminal activity, by gangs or otherwise, it is a matter for the police. I have every confidence in the work that is being undertaken by the men and women of the Police Service at Cabramatta.

Mr MARTIN: My question without notice is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture. How is the Government working with the agricultural sector to prepare New South Wales in the event of a foot and mouth disease outbreak?

Mr AMERY: I thank the Country Labor member for Bathurst for his question.

Mr Souris: Is that the lot being led by hacker Kelly?

Mr AMERY: I am quite happy to delay my answer whilst either the Leader of the National Party or the Leader of the Opposition apologises to Tony Kelly. I am sure the honourable member for Bathurst will bear with me while I delay my answer until they apologise. But how absurd, when one looks at it. Fancy hacking into the Opposition's files to get information! It is like walking into the desert to get a drink. The whole thing was based on a false premise.

[Interruption]

Was that an apology? On behalf of the House, I certainly apologise to Tony Kelly for what he has had to go through. I thank the honourable member for Bathurst for his important question. Whilst the graphic footage of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom and the publicity surrounding it has subsided somewhat, the challenge to be prepared and prevent this country from having a similar experience is still with us. Whilst it may not be the current topic of the day in news coverage, management of the disease is still a very big problem for the community in Britain.

We have had, and still have, exotic diseases in Australia. I do not need to remind members about the Newcastle disease outbreak in 1998 and 1999. That was an exotic disease management issue. Although that outbreak was contained to a number of areas, it was an example of the sorts of problems we could be confronted with should a disease such as foot and mouth come to our country. The cost to the State and Federal governments of controlling and eradicating Newcastle disease was more than $30 million. As we all know, the local poultry industry had to go through some very difficult times as a result of that outbreak.

We also now have a fire ant outbreak and a banana black sigatoka outbreak, both in Queensland, which are costing State and Federal governments—in other words, the taxpayers—millions of dollars in disease outbreak management. Exotic diseases, and the pressure they place on us as a community or as a country, become even more threatening as the world effectively becomes smaller. Trade routes are constantly opening up and tourism is ever increasing. If foot and mouth disease were to find its way into Australia, the results, to state the obvious, would be devastating.

The crisis in Europe following foot and mouth disease is evidence of what could happen here. Not only were rural industries severely impacted upon in Britain, but so too were international sporting events, tourism and trade. With some 2,000 foot and mouth disease outbreaks now confirmed in Britain, the disease has cost British taxpayers about £1.3 billion sterling, or about $A3.58 billion on today's exchange rate. Lost agricultural production and tourism has been estimated at more than £14 billion, or about $A38.58 billion on today's exchange rate. In Australia, the cost of control and eradication alone, should the disease come here, is predicted to be about $6 million per day.

It is therefore important that we look at our preparedness for such an outbreak and assess the way we are dealing with the matter. To that end, the New South Wales Government has initiated an Exotic Disease Forum, to be held in Parliament House this Friday. It will include senior Government representatives and key industry representatives from farming, meat processing, meat retailer and livestock-selling organisations. It will also include senior representatives from the retail, tourism, transport and other important sectors.

I not only want to have industry updated on what the Government and the various authorities are doing, but, perhaps more importantly, I want to hear from industry whether we should be doing things differently and whether we are doing enough. It would be far too easy for me or this State, or for that matter any State, to say that quarantining the country against an exotic disease is a Federal Government responsibility. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service is clearly responsible for border and quarantine controls, and it would be easy to unload the problems onto that service. However, I believe that we as a State would be left with much of the management of a disease should our quarantine be breached. To that end, New South Wales Agriculture has been working for some time on upgrading exotic disease preparedness here. It has also worked with other State and Federal agencies to ensure consistency and co-operation.

For example, we have established an exotic disease response team comprising 70 highly skilled New South Wales Agriculture professionals who will remain on call. The members of the team have been selected on the basis of their past training, their demonstrated abilities during the Newcastle disease outbreak, and their recent experience with foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom. The team came together last month to hear the latest in management and procedures for dealing with foot and mouth disease. Staff from Animal Health Australia and rural lands protection boards were also involved.

The New South Wales Exotic Disease Manual is being updated. This will include valuable experiences learnt by the latest team of New South Wales Agriculture veterinarians who are currently in the United Kingdom helping to manage the foot and mouth disease outbreak. In line with a national training program, extra training in exotic disease management is being provided to rural lands protection board staff, private veterinarians and farmers. We have provided continuously upgraded information on the New South Wales Agriculture web site.

We are working with Animal Health Australia to reach non-English speaking groups. Information on foot and mouth disease has already been translated into eight languages and sent to local farming groups. We are examining the best methods and locations for disposing of infected livestock carcasses. We are electronically mapping rural holdings in New South Wales to help identify and speed up quarantine measures if and when necessary. We are mapping the locations of pest animals such as feral pigs and goats, which can often harbour and spread some diseases.

New South Wales Agriculture has joined the Australian Wildlife Health Network, which was recently established to improve preparedness for exotic diseases in wild and feral animals. We have removed all exemptions under the Stock Diseases Act, which prohibits the feeding of swill to pigs, and are reviewing the associated regulations. As I said during the last session of Parliament, there is no more swill feeding in New South Wales.

We are working with industry to promote biosecurity to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. We support a national livestock identification scheme that will help in tracing infected animals, a matter that will be further discussed, I understand, at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting. We are employing extra staff to analyse disease surveillance and other data that could help predict likely risks that could spread exotic diseases. We are employing an extra virologist at our specialist diagnostic laboratories in Menangle to enhance exotic disease diagnosis and research. We are training veterinary officers in anticipation of older veterinarians soon retiring, so that they will become field staff and diagnostic pathologists. New South Wales Agriculture is also—

Mr Fraser: Point of order: Contrary to your ruling only a short time ago, the honourable member for Bathurst and other members of the Labor Party are talking so much that we on this side of the Chamber cannot hear what the Minister is saying.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Most of the conversations seemed to the Chair to erupt from near where the honourable member for Coffs Harbour is sitting.

Mr Fraser: Further to the point of order: I would point out that we are trying to hear what the Minister has to say. It was the member for Bathurst, who asked the question, who was engaging in conversations with his colleagues. I ask you to direct him to comply with your ruling and allow the Minister to give his answer.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the honourable member for Bathurst disrupted the House, he would have been called to order. Obviously he was not doing so.

Mr AMERY: For the information of the honourable member for Coffs Harbour, I had been observing the honourable member for Bathurst and I think he has been verballed. I thought the honourable member for Coffs Harbour would show some leadership by apologising on behalf of the Leader of the National Party. A future leader would do that for Tony Kelly. I apologise. We got it wrong. Finally, New South Wales Agriculture has also appointed an emergency management co-ordinator, Kevin Cooper, to oversee exotic disease initiatives and a few members of the Opposition met him during the Mangrove Mountain problem. This will ensure that New South Wales is in a continuing state of readiness for exotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease. All this information will be put to the industry next Friday and I look forward to a response from it suggesting other ways of doing this important work. This is a major concern in the agriculture industry at the moment and I again thank the honourable member for Bathurst for his continued interest in agriculture and rural issues.

Mr J. H. TURNER: My question is directed to the Minister for Police. Now that Detective Sergeant Tim Priest has been vindicated, with the Minister incorporating elements of his recommendations in his third and latest attempt at a policing strategy for south-western Sydney, will the Minister apologise personally to Mr Priest on his behalf, on behalf of the Premier and on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training?

Mr WHELAN: It is public knowledge, and has been public knowledge for some considerable time, that at no stage have I ever personally attacked Sergeant Priest.

Questions without notice concluded.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI, by leave: During question time the Premier suggested that it was inappropriate for me to raise the question of hacking of computers in Parliament House. He used a report to try to explain to the House that in fact nothing had been done that was untoward. Rather than selectively quote from the report as the Premier did, I will use this opportunity to explain how the report confirms what the Opposition suspects were problems. The report states that two of the tools, LANguard Network Scanner and Cerberus WebScan, are network scanning tools that assist in identifying vulnerabilities in a computer operating system that may then be exploited through other means.

Mr Whelan: Point of order: The honourable member should know that she is entitled to make a personal explanation and in doing so she should indicate to the House how her reputation as Leader of the Opposition has been traduced in the House. She is not able to enter into argument. It is a simple process in which she makes a simple statement. I would be happy to draft it for her.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is at liberty to make a personal explanation, but she must show how her character or political integrity has been misrepresented.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: My political integrity has been impugned because the Premier suggested that somehow I was misleading the public with the claims about this sorry saga. He then proceeded to use a quote from a report to show how that worked. I am entitled to use that same report to protect my reputation. As I said, in the case of LANguard, which is capable of identifying Windows shared passwords through a brute force guessing approach, the only tool required—

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition cannot read verbatim from a text. She must demonstrate to the Chair how her character has been impugned.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: The Premier used this report to attack my reputation. Surely it is within your discretion to allow me to use the same report.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will not debate my ruling.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: I am seeking clarification.

Mr SPEAKER: I have given clarification.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: If the Premier is going to stand in this House and throw these sorts of allegations at me using a report, I should be able to use the same report. If you are not prepared to let me do that, then let me address a couple of specifics. A couple of the specifics from the Premier were that there had been no hacking. The report says that the software, using Windows Explorer, is capable of hacking into the computers. It actually makes clear—and we have Windows Explorer on our computers—that the two can be used together to hack in.

Mr Whelan: Point of order: I could refer to many rulings but I read from page 45 of Decisions from the Chair, a compilation of decisions of former Speakers, which states that members must show that their character, political integrity or position as a member of the Parliament has been impugned or reflected on. That can be done only with the leave of the Chair. No argument is permitted. It must be merely a simple statement. No member is entitled to read at length from any document—and obviously that also applies to Government members. The Leader of the Opposition can move a motion if she feels maligned. A personal explanation only enables a member to indicate to the House how his or her reputation has been impugned. The Leader of the Opposition has done that. She should now be asked to sit down.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: My personal explanation concerns the Premier impugning my reputation by suggesting there was something wrong in what we have raised. Perhaps the Premier would like to ask Mr Kelly, for example, why some of his staff refused to co-operate with the police or removed files—

Mr Whelan: Point of order: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will rule the Leader of the Opposition out of order if she does not resume her seat. The Leader of the Opposition is now debating the substance of the matter and the standing orders do not allow her to do that.

Mrs CHIKAROVSKI: I am giving evidence to the House about why these allegations were raised in the first instance. By raising this matter I am seeking to protect my reputation. That is a perfectly logical way of doing it. We need to know from Mr Kelly why some files were deleted from the computer once the problem was identified.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is debating the substance of the matter. I ask her to resume her seat.

Mr WHELAN (Strathfield—Minister for Police) [4.07 p.m.]: I move:

That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow the introduction and progress up to and including the Minister's second reading speech of the Crimes Amendment (Aggravated Sexual Assault in Company) Bill at this sitting.

Mr HARTCHER (Gosford) [4.08 p.m.]: I move:

That the motion be amended by the addition of the words:

"; and the Premier be required to advise the House why he is not taking any action to ensure the courts actually impose the heavier sentences he talks about and why he has failed to honour his promise to increase police numbers in New South Wales."

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I rule the amendment out of order.

Mr HARTCHER: The House should not support the motion. There are more important issues to be debated, such as why the Premier has failed to honour the promise he made to the people of New South Wales in 1999 that he would increase police numbers. He is trying to protect the Minister for Police by introducing legislation designed to overcome the failure of the Minister for Police to run the police in New South Wales. The community in New South Wales is not being protected, because the Government has allowed the police force to run down. The Minister for Police has been allowed to continue in office despite a failure to deliver on the promise that police numbers would be increased.

That is the first real issue in New South Wales. The question is not about increasing penalties but about protecting the public, and the public is not being protected by the Minister for Police, his commissioner or the Attorney General, who refuses to appeal the lenient sentences. Girls are raped in New South Wales in the most degrading and disgusting circumstances, and grossly inadequate sentences are handed down. The Attorney General has the power to appeal and has declined to exercise that power and is thereby shielding the rapists from the consequences of their crimes.

The people of New South Wales are not being protected by the Minister or by the Commissioner of Police, because police numbers are being downgraded. The people of Auburn will decide about this Government next Saturday. Bass Hill police station is virtually non-existent and other police stations have been run down. Where are the 71 police that the Minister promised the people of Auburn? When will the Minister get Auburn police out on the beat to protect the citizens of Auburn and western Sydney?

The issue relates to the failure of the Government to ensure that heavy penalties are imposed by the courts. The list issued by the Premier today shows that sentences for car-jacking will increase to 14 years, rape or aggravated sexual assault to life, home invasion to 25 years, and drug trafficking to life imprisonment. There are no drug traffickers serving life sentences and no-one will be sentenced to life imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault. No-one will get the maximum sentences for the range of offences listed by the Premier every five minutes, because this Government simply uses the issue of heavier sentences to disguise its own inadequacy, the failure of the Minister for Police to enforce the law in this State and increase police numbers, and the failure of the Attorney General to appeal.

Why will the Attorney General not appeal against the sentences imposed on these rapists? The only reply from the Attorney General is that I am disgraceful for having raised this matter. The Attorney General and the Minister for Police have failed to discharge their duties adequately. The Premier simply put words on paper to increase maximum sentences and achieved nothing by doing so.

Motion agreed to.

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Mr DEBUS (Blue Mountains—Attorney General, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts) [4.03 p.m.]: I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Government is pleased to introduce the Crimes Amendment (Aggravated Sexual Assault in Company) Bill. The bill creates a new offence of aggravated sexual assault in company with a penalty of life imprisonment. Sexual offences are amongst the most serious of all crimes. This Government is committed to ensuring the protection of all citizens from these crimes. Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring that those who are convicted of committing such crimes are subject to appropriately severe punishment. This offence will better protect the citizens of this State from abuse perpetrated by sexual predators who hunt in packs. By introducing this bill, the Government sends a clear message that such abhorrent criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.

The offence will encompass the third and most serious gradation of sexual assault in the Crimes Act 1900. The offence of sexual intercourse without consent carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. The offence of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. This offence involves sexual intercourse without consent committed in at least one of the following circumstances of aggravation: maliciously inflict actual bodily harm; threaten to inflict actual bodily harm with an offensive weapon or instrument; the offender is in company with another person; the victim is under 16 years of age or under the authority of the offender; the victim has a serious physical or intellectual disability.

This Government is of the firm view that the time has come to introduce legislation to better protect our citizens. This bill accomplishes that purpose. By creating the offence of aggravated sexual assault in company we recognise the reality of some offenders who together commit horrific sexual assaults upon their victims. In New South Wales, life sentences are reserved for the worst possible category of offence. That includes the offence of murder under the Crimes Act and trafficking in a large commercial quantity of drugs—heroin or cocaine—under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act.

To these offences we are adding this category of offence: the aggravated sexual assault of persons committed in company with violence or with such deprivation of liberty as justifying the life sentence being available as a maximum penalty. Group sexual assaults must be one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. There must be a recognition that sexual assaults by more than one person on a victim are cowardly and extreme examples of persons seeking power and gratification. The worst cases of these types of sexual assault are deserving of the maximum sentence able to be imposed by our society.

I turn now to the specific features of the bill relating to the offence of aggravated sexual assault in company. The new offence of aggravated sexual assault in company will sit above, and in addition to, the current sexual offences contained in the Crimes Act 1900. By way of proposed section 61JA (1), inserted by item [2], the new offence will be constituted when the following elements are satisfied. An accused person must firstly have sexual intercourse with another person without the consent of the other person, knowing that the other person has not consented to the sexual intercourse. Secondly, the commission of this offence must be in the company of another person or persons.

Thirdly, any one or more of the following three things must have occurred: at the time of, or immediately before or after, the commission of the offence, the offender maliciously inflicts actual bodily harm on the victim or any other person who is present or nearby; or at the time of, or immediately before or after the commission of the offence, the offender threatens to inflict actual bodily harm on the victim or any other person who is present or nearby by means of an offensive weapon or instrument; or, before or after the commission of the offence the offender deprives the victim of his or her liberty. Put simply, the new offence will be committed if a person has sexual intercourse without consent, in the company of another person or persons and either violence is inflicted or threatened to be inflicted with an offensive weapon or instrument or the person has deprived the victim of his or her liberty before or after the commission of the offence.

The law on each of these elements is well established. As stated above, the penalty for the new offence, contained in proposed section 61JA (1), will be severe, that is, imprisonment for life. The prosecution will be able to prefer charges of the specially aggravated offence in situations where it considers the penalty of life is appropriate. These situations will no doubt constitute the worst cases where victims are subject to extreme degradation, humiliation and violence—often for a lengthy period of time—and by more than one offender. The penalty of life will not only act as a general deterrent to potential offenders, but satisfy the sentencing principles of retribution and denunciation, which are particularly important in these types of crimes.

By way of Supreme Court practice note 122 issued by the Chief Justice on 28 August 2001, indictments presented for this offence where the prosecuting authority has formed an opinion that the imposition of a life sentence may be appropriate may be heard before the Supreme Court. Item [3] allows any attempts of the proposed new offence to have the same penalty as new section 61JA. The bill provides at items [4] and [5] a system of statutory alternative verdicts that will ensure that, if the jury is not satisfied that the offence of aggravated sexual assault in company has been proven, a verdict of guilty may be returned if it is satisfied that only one of the aggravating features has been proven. Items [6] to [9] make consequential amendments to existing evidentiary and practical procedures in relation to sexual assaults.

This is but one offence in a raft of legislative changes aimed at improving our criminal justice system. Honourable members will be aware that at the moment the Crown Advocate is preparing an advice on application for a sentencing guideline to the Supreme Court in relation to sexual assaults. We expect to receive that advice soon. In addition, new offences and additional powers for the police are proposed in the upcoming legislative session. The Government is pleased to introduce a bill creating the offence of aggravated sexual assault in company as the first of this raft of amendments.

This offence will apply to all offenders. It does not recognise the race, religion or sex of the offender or the victim; it simply recognises the heinous behaviour committed in groups in these worst category cases and makes available the maximum punishment in this State in appropriate cases. Having said that, it should not be forgotten that in the context of sexual violence it is recognised that women represent the vast majority of sexual assault victims and that this is a greatly underreported crime. We must not forget that many women do not report sexual assaults and that many women know their attackers. The Government is committed to ensuring that women who are victims of sexual assault—no matter the type of assault—are protected adequately by the full force of the law. The offence in the bill constitutes a valuable refinement of the criminal justice system of this State, and I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Fraser.

Mr WOODS (Clarence—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [4.23 p.m.]: The motion of which I gave notice earlier today is urgent because the people of rural and regional New South Wales will continue to suffer from John Anderson's lack of commitment to country people. This is the first parliamentary sitting day since John Anderson's announcement and we should debate this matter urgently today for the sake of the people of country New South Wales. This matter is immensely important to my portfolio constituency: the people of rural and regional New South Wales.

Mr TINK (Epping) [4.24 p.m.]: The motion of which I gave notice earlier today should be considered urgently because, although the Premier and the Minister for Police talk repeatedly about record police numbers, even Government members are now indicating that this is not so. The comments by the honourable member for Illawarra about overworked and understaffed police in that area are quoted extensively in today's edition of the Illawarra Mercury. This motion is urgent because a huge chasm is clearly developing between local members on the ground who know what is going on and senior Government members who are told by public servants what they would like them to think is going on.

Members of the public know that there are not enough police to go around and that police numbers are down, not up. Some members of the caucus are finally beginning to tell the truth and they are joining Opposition members—all of whom have known this for a long time and have been prepared to say it publicly—in saying that all is not well with police numbers. This motion is urgent because, notwithstanding the attempts by the Premier, the Minister for Police and the Attorney General in the Chamber today to increase the powers of the police and the courts and sentencing powers, they will not mean anything unless there are police on the ground to enforce those laws and to bring people before the courts to be dealt with and sentenced appropriately.

The motion is urgent because the Crimes Amendment (Aggravated Sexual Assault in Company) Bill, which was just introduced by the Attorney General, will be nothing more than pieces of paper stapled together unless the police staffing issue is addressed. Despite the recent attestation parade, to which the Minister for Police referred today, there are more resignations from the Police Service than there are recruits to that service. The Police Minister spoke today about an initiative that he is attempting in order to increase police recruitment. However, all such initiatives are failing, as becomes apparent when considered against the Police Service resignation rate.

This motion is urgent because the House needs to debate in detail why police numbers are lower two and half years after the 1999 State election than they were at that time. We must consider urgently why in November 2001 there are about 54 fewer police than at the time of the State election in March 1999. The motion is urgent because, based on the documentation received under freedom of information legislation, the House is in a position to estimate with great particularity the precise position regarding police numbers. Notwithstanding the continuing crisis in police numbers overall, 700 police are on long-term sick leave, although they are still counted in the total strength, and a further 529 police work only part time.

If we examine the material provided under freedom of information legislation, we can see that the 529 police working part time represent 135 full-time positions that have been lost to the Police Service. The equivalent of an entire local area command has been lost through part-time policing. Part-time police are included in strength statements and they are included in comments about overall police numbers by the Premier and the Minister for Police. In effect, they are including a ghost local area command. This motion is urgent because, more than two years into this Government's term of office, Parliament is entitled to hear from the Premier and the Police Minister on exactly how they intend to fulfil their promise to increase the number of overall front-line police by 2,110. This target will not be met and it is time that the Premier and the police Minister came clean about that.

Question—That the motion for urgent consideration of the honourable member for Clarence be proceeded with—put.

The House divided.

Ms Allan Mr Amery Ms Andrews Mr Aquilina Mr Ashton Mr Bartlett Ms Beamer Mr Black Mr Brown Miss Burton Mr Campbell Mr Collier Mr Crittenden Mr Debus Mr Face Mr Gaudry Mr Gibson

Mr Greene Mrs Grusovin Mr Hickey Mr Hunter Mr Iemma Mr Knowles Mrs Lo Po' Mr Lynch Mr Markham Mr Martin Mr McManus Ms Meagher Ms Megarrity Mr Mills Mr Moss Mr Newell Ms Nori

Mr Orkopoulos Mr E. T. Page Dr Refshauge Ms Saliba Mr Scully Mr W. D. Smith Mr Stewart Mr Tripodi Mr Watkins Mr West Mr Whelan Mr Woods Mr Yeadon Tellers, Mr Anderson Mr Thompson

Mr Armstrong Mr Barr Mr Brogden Mr Collins Mr George Mr Glachan Mr Hartcher Mr Hazzard Ms Hodgkinson Mr Humpherson Dr Kernohan Mr Kerr

Mr Maguire Mr McGrane Mr Merton Mr O'Doherty Mr O'Farrell Mr Oakeshott Mr D. L. Page Mr Piccoli Mr Richardson Mr Rozzoli Ms Seaton Mrs Skinner

Mr Souris Mr Stoner Mr Tink Mr Torbay Mr J. H. Turner Mr R. W. Turner Mr Webb Mr Windsor Tellers, Mr Fraser Mr R. H. L. Smith

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Mr WOODS (Clarence—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [4.36 p.m.]: I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the address given to the National Press Club by Federal Leader of the National Party, John Anderson, last Wednesday;

(2) deplores Mr Anderson's decision to terminate the October ministerial council meeting on regional development; and

(3) condemns the Federal Government for its six years of neglect of rural and regional New South Wales.

John Anderson's "Stronger regions, a stronger Australia" statement, released last week, is an insult to the people living in regional and rural Australia. Empty rhetoric is all that the Federal Coalition Government has delivered in its five long years in office, and it is all that it continues to deliver. The statement announces the restoration of less than half of the funding slashed from regional development programs in the Federal Government's first budget, in 1996. The statement is a cynical political exercise that country people simply will not buy.

Why has it taken more than five years for the Federal Government to discover that the economic and social development of regional Australia deserves some policy attention? Why has it taken more than five years for the Federal Government to discover that regional Australia is not homogenous and that one policy does not fit all? Why has it taken more than five years for the Federal Government to reveal its strategy of working in partnership with regional communities—something that the New South Wales Labor Government has been doing since 1998? There can be only one explanation. It is that a Federal election is looming. This means the tricky Howard-Costello-Anderson Government is trying to sneak back into office like a thief in the night.

The people of regional Australia deserve much more than this very disappointing statement, which values politics before the people of country New South Wales and country Australia. The people of regional Australia know that there is no silver bullet, that one size does not fit all, but they want a Federal Government that will take up the challenges and make a serious attempt at solving their problems. This statement is not such an attempt. It is talking the talk without walking the walk. Let me start with the rhetoric of "partnership" used by Mr Anderson. The Federal Government claims that this approach has not been tried by previous Commonwealth or existing State governments.

A key feature of the Federal Government's new-found partnership approach to regional development is its Sustainable Regions Program. Its objectives are remarkably similar to the Carr Labor Government's Regional Economic Transition Scheme, which was introduced in 1998. The scheme has made a significant difference to the economies of regions affected by structural adjustment by diversifying their economic base, attracting new investment or growing an existing enterprise. Since 1998, 88 projects with investment totalling more than $74 million have been assisted or are in the process of being assisted. In this time 754 jobs have been retained, 867 full-time jobs have been created and 214 part-time jobs have been created. We have helped towns such as Lithgow, Blayney, Goulburn, Bombala, Broken Hill, Gunnedah, Cobar, Eden and Cootamundra, to name a few.

The Federal Government has not delivered anything like this in five years. The Federal Government's revolutionary new Sustainable Regions Program is three years behind the good progress made by the New South Wales Government. Such good results are achieved by strategic intervention on a local level. This has been the New South Wales Government's strategy since 1998—strategic intervention looking for the opportunities to address the gaps left by market forces. It is the New South Wales Government's way; it is the Country Labor way. The Federal Government, for all its partnership rhetoric, still does not have this combination right. Unlike the Federal Government, which has only just discovered the benefits of partnerships with communities and business, this has been the cornerstone of the New South Wales Government's approach to regional development since 1998.

I shall highlight a few of the programs that have been introduced by the Government during that time. Our commitment to the Main Streets-Small Town Program helps regional communities with a population greater than 1,500 to implement and maintain successful community economic development programs. This program develops regional economies with maximum input from communities. From Sunday, Lismore will host the annual Community Economic Development Conference. This conference will attract around 200 people and help them network and learn from each other. I understand that the honourable member for Lismore will be attending the conference, as will I. The accompanying business retention and expansion survey provides an up-to-date account of the business profile of the town and assists the local communities to identify the needs and ideas of local businesses. That is central to any analysis of the local economy and the design of strategies for development. Since the program was launched in 1998 there have been 41 offers of assistance to communities wanting to undertake a business retention and expansion survey. This includes Cabonne shire, which identified the necessity for the community to access to online information about businesses. Today more than 55 businesses are online at www.cabonnecountry.com.

The New South Wales Government, in a whole-of-government approach, has introduced a series of country centres growth strategies to focus on overcoming specific impediments to economic growth or opportunities for business development in selected regional centres. Relevant communities, businesses and government bodies have been consulted on each initiative. The result is a suite of tailored initiatives packaged to provide a comprehensive approach to the regional centres' economic growth. Examples of the initiatives under the various strategies include an intensive horticulture study in the Tweed Valley; improvements to transport infrastructure in Tumut; assistance in the development of the timber industry, particularly in value-adding at Bathurst; and support to the developing olive industry in the Northern Rivers in the Richmond Valley.

The Developing Regional Resources Program works in partnership with regional communities to develop local resources to meet the challenges presented by global markets. This program provides funding for consultancies to determine the benefits of regional projects, plans for development and resource allocation. During my recent visit to the Central West I visited the Towac Marketing Co-operative. I announced that the department, under the Developing Regional Resources Program, provided funding towards the employment of a marketing co-ordinator for that marketing co-operative. That funding, aimed at addressing the gap left by the market, will be of great value to the co-operative to focus on exploring new export market opportunities.

In 1999 the New South Wales Government established the Illawarra Advantage Fund to help ameliorate the effects of industry restructuring in the Illawarra region. The New South Wales Government has set a target of creating 2,000 new jobs in the Illawarra by 2003. At present the Department of State and Regional Development has offered assistance to 27 business projects which are expected to generate 1,400 new jobs. This includes projects such as the relocation and expansion of Ocean and Earth, the Solar Sailor and the region's first commercial winery with ancillary tourist development—the Willow Vale Estate. Furthermore, the fund is contributing to five marketing projects for the region aimed at highlighting its locational and competitive advantages for business.

The New South Wales Government does know what works in partnership with community and business. The Federal Government really only talks about it. The Federal Government claims that it has been serious about regional development, but it must be asked: What happened to the 20 listening tours that were to take effect following the historic 1999 regional summit? These listening tours were meant to provide an avenue for the Federal Government to listen to the concerns of the region and discuss how best the Commonwealth could respond to the priorities identified. To my knowledge, since 1999 only one will have been held in New South Wales and that will take place this week in Tamworth. Yes, it is in the Deputy Prime Minister's electorate. Is it any wonder I am a bit cynical about this? It reeks of electioneering. For two years, since the announcement of the 20 listening forums, regional development driven by the Federal Government has laid dormant. No-one in the Federal Government has taken any notice of it. Now, in 2001, a few months before a Federal election is to be held, the Federal Government has revealed its regional business development analysis. [Time expired.]

Mr PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee) [4.46 p.m.]: To correct the Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs, I point out that Tamworth is in the Federal electorate of New England and is not currently represented by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Minister's statement is a reflection of his knowledge of rural and regional New South Wales. In rural and regional New South Wales there is a level of optimism that has not been seen for more than a decade. A lot of the credit for that optimism must go to the Federal Government. The Minister has attempted to score political points leading up to a Federal election. Therefore, it is important that the House be made aware of a lot of the positive things the Federal Government has been doing. Low interest rates can be credited to the Howard-Fischer and Howard-Anderson governments. Low interest rates benefit country New South Wales, particularly farmers and small businesses. We have not seen such low interest rates for decades. Under the former Federal Labor Government—and I suspect it will recur under any future Labor government—astronomically high interest rates sent many farmers and small businesses to the wall and caused a lot of the problems that country New South Wales is recovering from only now.

Another significant issue is the low Australian dollar. The Federal Government could have chosen to increase the dollar's value by increasing interest rates, but instead it saw the value of low interest rates to our commodity prices. We are now seeing some of the best commodity prices in country areas in decades. I refer also to the work the Federal Government has been doing in trade through Mark Vaile on the land tariffs issue. This resulted in a significant win for land producers but also for rural industries everywhere that are so dependent on trade. The optimism we are seeing in country and regional New South Wales can largely be attributed to commodity prices. We are seeing very good prices for wheat, canola, wine grapes, land, cattle—you name it.

I acknowledge that any money is good money in country New South Wales, but getting commodity prices up and interest rates down is the best thing that could happen to rural and regional New South Wales. The few dollars that are thrown around by the Minister's department are welcomed, but their impact is minimal compared to commodity prices and interest rates. The tax reform package of the Federal Government, which has taken $3 billion worth of taxes off exports, has been of great assistance to many rural industries. We now have a trading surplus, something we have not had for many years and certainly something we did not have under the Keating Government. The surplus has resulted in record agricultural exports, which, I am sure, can be attributed to the Federal Government. Any claim that the Federal Government has somehow additionally burdened farmers in regional New South Wales is a load of rubbish.

Farmers who run small businesses in rural and regional New South Wales and towns and communities in rural and regional New South Wales rely on telecommunications. The Keating Government, of which the Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs was a former member, decided to abolish analog telephones. The current Federal Government inherited a situation where country and regional New South Wales would be left with only digital services. The Federal Government—and Tim Fischer must receive a great deal of credit for this—introduced the code division multiple access [CDMA] system. Although it is not perfect throughout New South Wales, I can assure honourable members that we now have a far better mobile telephone service and telecommunications generally than we had under the Keating and Hawke governments.

If it were not for the Federal Government, particularly Tim Fischer, telecommunications in New South Wales would be a complete disaster. It cost the Federal Government hundreds of millions of dollars—I cannot remember the exact figure. Let us consider what the New South Wales Government has done with regional New South Wales. Earlier the Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs referred to Solar Sailor. The honourable member for Bega mentioned that the New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development gave $30,000 to that project and the Federal Government gave $1 million to the project. If we are talking about the relative contributions of Federal and State governments, that is a reasonably accurate reflection of what has been happening: $30,000 compared to $1 million.

It is not only the development of businesses and commodity prices, and the success of farming and businesses that boost towns, it is also the infrastructure within the towns. What the New South Wales Government has done to country hospitals is a disgrace. Every day people come into my office, and I am sure they visit the offices of other members of Parliament, to complain about what has happened to hospitals in the five years since the Carr Government was elected. It is unfortunate that the honourable member for Murray-Darling is not in the Chamber to hear this. Two doctors in Hay who were using the hospital were told by the Greater Murray Area Health Service to stop using the hospital because it was costing the service too much money. Those damn patients! Fancy getting in the way of hospital administration. It is truly ridiculous. I am sorry that the honourable member for Murray-Darling is not here to agree with me.

Water reforms are impacting significantly on the value of land and property, and the potential for farmers and irrigators in the Namoi Valley, my electorate and south-western New South Wales—again in the electorate of the honourable member for Murray-Darling—to generate income. Legislation dealing with native vegetation has seriously affected a number of farmers. Even the way in which the Government has handled ovine Johne's disease and bovine Johne's disease has had a significant impact on many farmers who run small businesses. State Government legislation dealing with water reforms and native vegetation has put them in a bind. A couple of country members from the Labor Party were opposed to the privatisation of FreightCorp. But they were steamrolled in the party room, which is an indication of the influence of those country members in the Labor Party.

The honourable member for Bathurst said, "No, we will oppose it." He was the greatest opponent to the sale of FreightCorp because it would so significantly affect his electorate. But he did not say one word after he was steamrolled by members of his party. What happened to the aluminium smelter, the great success of the Labor Government? It has gone to Queensland. It was lost by the State Labor Government. The aluminium smelter would have provided some 1,000 jobs and $1 billion worth of investment for Bathurst and surrounding areas. I do not know exactly what happened, but I do know that it will not be located in New South Wales. It is a disgrace and a great shame for New South Wales.

The New South Wales Government is doing more for regional development than the Department of State and Regional Development. But it is the Ministers of other departments who are not in this Chamber listening to this debate who are failing in their duties as the Executive of this Government to support rural and regional New South Wales and to support farmers and small businesses over native vegetation, water reform, roads and health. If one were to ask any country member here, regardless of their political persuasion, whether they think that health services in the country have improved not one would agree that they have improved. The New South Wales Government has a lot of responsibility. [Time expired.]

Mr W. D. SMITH (South Coast) [4.56 p.m.]: The people of rural and regional Australia will not stand for the Federal Government's half truths and empty rhetoric on regional development. John Howard and his razor gang savaged the Federal Government's regional development budget. It is simply not good enough for the Federal Government to show an interest in country areas only when it suits its political agenda: a bit of money here and a bit of money there to prop up ailing Coalition members of Parliament. Country people and businesses need a watertight commitment from all levels of government to generate new jobs and investment in the regions on an ongoing and consistent basis. They have that from the New South Wales Government, as well as from local governments across country areas.

The Local Government and Shires Associations should be congratulated for its efforts on regional development. It has committed $40 million to projects across rural and regional New South Wales since it established the New South Wales Regional Development Trust in the past year. It is a pity that the communities of country New South Wales do not have that same commitment from the Federal Government. To highlight a specific example from my electorate, a world-class marine centre of excellence could be established on the shores of Jervis Bay. The pristine waters of the bay and its marine park are an ideal focal point for a new education and training centre for the University of Wollongong and its students. It is a great opportunity for the South Coast community to gain worldwide recognition for this outstanding marine area.

In the recent State budget we committed $1.5 million towards that facility to ensure that the new centre would provide a great opportunity to house all government agencies involved with the Jervis Bay Marine Park, such as the Marine Parks Authority, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and New South Wales Fisheries under the one roof. The Federal Government has not been at all supportive so far. All it has to do is put its money where its mouth is. The University of Wollongong wants it and the whole community wants it, but the Federal Government has not come to the party. The people of country New South Wales will see Mr Anderson's so-called policy statement for what it really is: a last-ditch attempt to buy their votes with a few thinly veiled plagiarisms from the Country Labor handbook. The New South Wales Government and Country Labor continue to work in partnership with local communities and industry to generate new jobs and investment. Our commitment is obvious and tangible.

Since 1995 we have created some 26,000 jobs in rural and regional New South Wales. The Minister for Regional Development has referred to some of the programs that have helped country communities help themselves. My electorate of South Coast has seen the benefits of these programs and of the State Government's philosophy of working with local communities. One example of this is the inaugural nine-day Riverfest Festival, which I had the pleasure of opening earlier this year. It consisted of art exhibitions and historical displays, and the final Sunday of the fair on the Shoalhaven River attracted 7,500 locals and visitors. This festival came out of the Main Street-Small Towns Program, which is operating in Nowra. That program is a perfect example of the way the State Government encourages local communities to get involved in their own economic growth and development. The country centres growth strategy for the Shoalhaven area has seen the creation of around 160 jobs in just over a year.

New businesses, working closely with industry groups such as the Shoalhaven Manufacturers Association, and improvements to infrastructure have led to renewed employment growth in the area. Shoalhaven and South Coast businesses will be encouraged to buy local, with the establishment of the New South Wales Industrial Supplies Office in Nowra. It helps businesses find local companies to supply their needs rather than import materials and goods from outside the region or from city-based companies. The Government provided some expansion money for Probiotec, a tremendous company in Bomaderry which may create 42 new full-time positions. It is involved in the manufacture of natural pharmaceuticals from products such as shark cartilage. The establishment of the Ocean and Earth factory in Sussex Inlet, which was opened by the Premier in May, will create 13 new jobs and bring its total work force to almost 75. Most of those people live in Sussex Inlet. In some instances, the company employs all the members of one family. [Time expired.]

Mr GEORGE (Lismore) [5.01 p.m.]: The Carr Government and its supporters continually criticise the Federal Government. It is time for us to remind the Carr Government what it has done for country New South Wales—and especially what it has not done.

Mr Martin: You don't have enough time to tell us what it has done!

Mr GEORGE: I agree, I do not have enough time to highlight what has been done to country New South Wales. This Government has raked in record taxes from country New South Wales residents, yet our hospitals, education and police suffer. There would not be one member of this House whose local area command would be fully staffed at this stage. I defy anyone to say to this House that their area commands are fully staffed to their total commitment.

Mr Martin: Whose total commitment?

Mr GEORGE: The honourable member for Bathurst is right: the Carr Government has no commitment to the police of this State. In relation to health, $430 million was allocated to overall capital expenditure in New South Wales but only $92 million was designated for country and regional New South Wales—just 21 per cent. In addition, $157 million was allocated for education and training throughout the State but only $34 million has been allocated to rural and regional New South Wales. Government members do not like to hear about their funding cutbacks to regional and rural areas. In relation to TAFE capital expenditure on new major works, only 13 per cent went to country New South Wales. There are no new police stations in country New South Wales. These facts highlight the shortcomings of the Carr Labor Government. Despite record revenue, the Government has rejected the opportunity to stimulate growth in country and regional New South Wales. Honourable members should look at payroll tax in this State and see what it is doing to businesses on the border.

Mr Woods: What was it when the Coalition was it office?

Mr GEORGE: The Minister for Regional Development knows very well what payroll tax is doing to the employers of this State. The Government does not have the political will to do something about it. The Carr Government has failed to deliver. It has a slash and burn approach to the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, which the rural and regional areas of this State depend on. Cuts to the department mean significant decreases in funding for essential research and development. It is worthwhile contrasting the State Labor Government's approach with the Federal Government's contribution. The Federal Government is spending $600 million to improve quarantine protection to ensure that diseases do not enter the country.

Mr Martin: That is its responsibility!

Mr GEORGE: It is, but at least it is doing it. The Carr Government has failed to provide any assistance to the dairy farmers of the State, who are down and out. I make no apologies for saying that. The Rural Assistance Authority provides assistance to producers but it has not provided it in this case. Despite the rhetoric of the Carr Government, its contribution to addressing salinity is abysmal and a disgrace. I ask honourable members to compare the Premier's contribution to the Commonwealth Government's plan, which involves a contribution of $700 million over seven years. The Premier told the Salinity Summit last year, "This is about saving Australia, saving the agricultural future of Australia." We need to support the rural and regional areas of the State. The honourable member for Murrumbidgee spoke about commodity prices, which have certainly provided a backbone to regional and rural areas. The State is enjoying commodity prices and experiencing interest rates never experienced before. The Federal Government has contributed to the success of the commodity prices in this State and nation, and this Government is reaping the benefits. I have no problem defending the Federal Government in this regard.

Mr NEWELL (Tweed) [5.06 p.m.]: I support the motion moved by the Minister for Regional Development. I will have great pleasure outlining what the Carr Labor Government has done to benefit the people of country New South Wales—if I have time! This motion addresses the comments and proposals of the Federal Leader of the National Party, Mr John Anderson, it rightly deplores the Minister's decision to terminate the October ministerial council meeting on regional development and it condemns the Federal Government for its six years of shameful neglect of regional and rural New South Wales. Undoubtedly that shame started in 1996, when the Federal Government was elected. It simply left the transport Minister in charge of regional development but forgot to put any money into the regional development portfolio. Consequently, regional development was neglected. Polling conducted in regional Australia is showing the Federal Government the reality, and it is starting to try to redress some of the issues. As the Minister for Regional Development said, the Federal Government is simply trying to pick up some of the policies of Country Labor in this State. It is a little late and it is not doing it very well.

Mr Martin: Playing catchup.

Mr NEWELL: It certainly is playing catchup. The State Government has a watertight commitment to the development of country New South Wales. Unfortunately for country people, the National Party does not share that commitment. The National Party's latest so-called commitment is a bit cynical in that it is poll driven. This was never more obvious than when Minister Anderson made his address to the National Press Club last week. To say it is disappointing is to understate the true feeling of country people to his address. The people of country Australia will not be taken in by the weak attempt to win some political points. Country voters everywhere have rejected the Minister's notion that the markets alone can provide solutions to the problems of rural and regional Australia. You would think, after listening to the honourable member for Murrumbidgee and the honourable member for Lismore, that the National Party can take credit for the fact that world commodity prices have risen—

Mr George: Its policies have brought it about.

Mr NEWELL: I will try not to laugh at that comment, but will keep to the motion before the House. Some of the statements of the honourable member for Lismore were frivolous, but I believe this motion deserves to be taken seriously. The problems facing rural and regional New South Wales and Australia are taken seriously by Country Labor. Our policies are not hollow. We have backed them up with 26,000 jobs and a swag of new and innovative programs designed to help country communities help themselves since Labor came to office.

John Anderson's statement to the press club only confirmed that members of the National Party are shallow indicators. Not only did he try to pull the wool over the eyes of country people by attempting to pass it off as his own idea, but also he was foolish enough to think that no-one would notice. I suppose I should be flattered that the National Party is playing copycat with our policies and philosophies. However, John Anderson's underlying belief that all the problems of country areas can be solved by the markets shines more than his used-car-salesman grin. The New South Wales Government's policy of strategic intervention led to the relocation to the Tweed of luxury boat manufacturer Black Watch Boats. That facility opened this year and will create 100 jobs and inject $35 million into the local economy over the next five years. It is a fantastic achievement by the Premier and the Minister for Regional Development.

The Tweed also hosted the Community Economic Development Conference in 1999. That conference is an example of the New South Wales Government's underlying belief in the power of local knowledge. In 1999 the State Government committed $75,000 to community projects in the Tweed, such as the Main Street-Small Towns program, which actively encourages a community to get involved in its own economic development through workshops and committees. I am pleased that that program is continuing. The communities of country New South Wales deserve better than what Mr Anderson's statement has to offer. The Minister for Regional Development also mentioned other programs that have done very well in the Tweed: the study into horticulture, which has already resulted in spin-offs, and the study across coastal New South Wales into aquaculture, which has also been of great benefit.
[Time expired.]

Mr WOODS (Clarence—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [5.11 p.m.], in reply: I thank all those who have contributed to the debate on this important issue, which relates to a very disappointing statement issued last week by the Federal Government. It must be remembered that when it first came to office the Federal Government said, "We have no role in regional development" and stripped the department bare. If I were to believe what the Federal Government has said, I would have to believe that it is responsible for the present buoyant world economy and commodity prices. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Australian economy is infinitesimal, compared to the world economy. It is the world economy that has an effect on the Australian economy, not the other way around. To claim that those macroindicators of world commodity prices have been created by the Federal Government is absolutely beyond belief.

It is astonishing also that Howard, Costello, Anderson and other members of the Federal Government—and apparently those opposite—believe that the meagre offerings in the statement last week will fool country people. Country people will not forget that the Federal Government slashed more than $200 million from regional development programs in its first budget. Country people are not going to forget that it has taken the Federal Government five years to formulate a regional development policy, if you could call this a regional development policy. Country people will not forget the timing of this meagre statement. These promises made now smell of electioneering. Do you think people will believe that? I do not think they will. The Federal Government has not delivered anything to country people in five years. Why would country people believe these promises now on the eve of an election?

Conversely, the New South Wales Labor Government has been working on these challenges. We do not believe we know all the answers, but we are looking for them. I object strongly to the fact that parts of the statement made by John Anderson could almost have been lifted from our policies on partnerships. Some of the programs are similar. Since Labor came to office it has set about creating a policy of targeted, strategic intervention to create and sustain economic and social growth in the regions of New South Wales. Importantly, we have taken up the challenges and good things are happening because of that. Since 1995 the Carr Government has assisted 723 regional projects, attracting $5.5 billion in investment and created more than 26,000 jobs for regional New South Wales.

Mr George: Name them!

Mr WOODS: The honourable member for Lismore said, "Name them." Someone else asked that question some time ago and I started to go through the list. I will not do that today, but if the honourable member were to come up to my office I would give him the list. The cornerstone of that regional development approach has been to work in partnership with regional communities to find local solutions to local problems, and to get behind industry and local government in particular in creating those partnerships. I have highlighted some of those successful programs that work in partnership with local communities from the Government's 1998 Rebuilding Country New South Wales directions statement—such as the Main Streets-Small Towns, and Business Retention and Expansion programs, country centres growth strategies, and the Developing Regional Resources program.

Since that 1998 statement more programs have been introduced building on that approach. The Townlife Development program, for example, offers assistance to communities with a population of 2,500 or less to implement projects that will lead to new economic activity. In 2000, 24 projects were successful in obtaining funding. The Government's New Market Expansion Plan is aimed at assisting regional communities to develop confidence, networks and skills to pursue new markets. To date we have assisted 57 local communities through activities in that program. The New South Wales Government is committed to those programs. It is committed to regional development and to country people, and to working with them to improve the economic and social growth of the people of regional New South Wales. We will not cease that work and will be writing local solutions in partnership with local people to meet local needs. The Federal Government's effort has come five years too late. [Time expired.]

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided.

Ms Allan Mr Amery Ms Andrews Mr Aquilina Mr Ashton Mr Barr Mr Bartlett Ms Beamer Mr Black Mr Brown Miss Burton Mr Campbell Mr Collier Mr Crittenden Mr Debus Mr Face Mr Gaudry Mr Gibson

Mr Greene Mrs Grusovin Mr Hickey Mr Hunter Mr Iemma Mr Knowles Mrs Lo Po' Mr Markham Mr Martin Mr McGrane Mr McManus Ms Meagher Ms Megarrity Mr Mills Ms Moore Mr Moss Mr Newell Ms Nori

Mr Orkopoulos Mr E. T. Page Dr Refshauge Ms Saliba Mr Scully Mr W. D. Smith Mr Stewart Mr Torbay Mr Tripodi Mr Watkins Mr West Mr Whelan Mr Windsor Mr Woods Mr Yeadon Tellers, Mr Anderson Mr Thompson

Mr Armstrong Mr Brogden Mr Collins Mr Debnam Mr George Mr Glachan Mr Hartcher Mr Hazzard Ms Hodgkinson Mr Humpherson Dr Kernohan

Mr Kerr Mr Maguire Mr Merton Mr O'Doherty Mr O'Farrell Mr Oakeshott Mr D. L. Page Mr Piccoli Mr Richardson Mr Rozzoli Ms Seaton

Mrs Skinner Mr Souris Mr Stoner Mr Tink Mr J. H. Turner Mr R. W. Turner Mr Webb Tellers, Mr Fraser Mr R. H. L. Smith

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.

Pursuant to sessional orders business interrupted.

Mr ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Mills): Order! I remind members of the statement made earlier today by the Speaker. The concept behind private members' statements has always been the provision to members of an opportunity to bring to the attention of the House matters of particular concern to their electorates and, as such, they were originally restricted to matters of purely local import. However, over the years members have used private members' statements to touch on issues other than local ones. That has been allowed so long as the matter raised affected a member's constituents or was brought to the member's attention by a constituent.

Despite this relaxation of the original rule there are still certain matters that will always be outside the scope of a private member's statement. For example, the Chair has noted of late that private members' statements are being used wrongly as vehicles to make attacks on other members, which are not permissible other than by way of a substantive motion. One of the tenets underlying the privilege of freedom of speech in the Chamber is that serious criticism of other members or persons outside the Parliament should not be made in passing but should be the subject of a substantive motion. It is also a longstanding rule that reflections on the judiciary are not permitted. This right of free speech should always be exercised with restraint.

Other matters outside the scope of a private member's statement include the announcement of government policy or other initiatives. Ministers should not use private members' statements to raise policy issues that fall within their portfolio responsibilities except when relevant in replying to matters raised by private members. Equally, shadow Ministers should not use private member's statements to raise policy issues related to their shadow portfolio responsibilities. There are other more suitable vehicles available to members for debating legislation or commenting on policy matters. Private members' statements should not be used to anticipate or continue debate on a matter in this House or in another place. Members will agree that private members' statements are useful vehicles for raising issues of both local and broader interest. I ask members to ensure that their statements comply with this ruling.

Mr Armstrong: Point of order: The direction relating to private members' statements has now been read twice, first by the Speaker and now by you. I ask that a copy of the ruling be circulated to all members. I ask also that it not be implemented until members have had sufficient time to consider it, which will allow members who have prepared statements in the traditional manner to present their statements this afternoon. The ruling does not affect me.

Mr ACTING-SPEAKER: Order! The ever-efficient Clerks have anticipated this point of order and copies of the statement are available on the table. As the ruling was delivered by the Speaker earlier this afternoon, it applies today.

Mr GIBSON (Blacktown) [5.28 p.m.]: A Federal Government advisory committee discussion paper on homelessness was reported on in the Sydney Morning Herald of 6 August 2001. The article stated:

People once thought homelessness was confined to itinerant men at the end of their working lives, often struggling with alcoholism or poor mental health. In today's society this is clearly not the case. We now know that homelessness affects all kinds of people …

Homelessness is a stark reminder that not all Australians have participated in the rising living standards of recent decades.

The article further stated:

The paper said there were between 60,000 and 150,000 people, many of them children, who did not have a home. Indigenous people, older people, those escaping family violence, the mentally ill and ex-convicts made up the homeless.

In July the Federal Minister for Workplace Relations, Tony Abbott, said that poverty was partly caused by individual behaviour. The report by the Federal Government totally refuted what Mr Abbott said—and so do I. Recently I found two people sleeping in the main street of Blacktown. After talking to them and other people I found that the problem even in my own electorate is much greater than I, and others, had thought. The Holy Family Centre reported to me that it sees 20 to 30 homeless people a week. Westir, which covers the metropolitan west region of the Department of Community Services [DOCS] from Blacktown to Nepean, counts people as homeless if over the past financial year they are homeless even for just a day. The figures are absolutely scandalous. The latest figures from Westir are: domestic violence services 374, families 698, single men 1,844, single women 83, young women under 25 years of age 415, and young men under 25 years of age 747.

After attending a function in the city in May I came back to Parliament House. It was a wet night and I did not have my key. When I walked around past the State Library entrance I found 11 people sleeping on the concrete. They are there every night. I spoke to a couple of these people. According to them, they had no future whatsoever. I could not believe that so close to Parliament House there could be 11 people sleeping outside on the concrete. Mission Australia's "Hidden Homelessness" report said people sleeping on streets was only the visual part of the problem. It found most of Australia's homeless were hidden and were not even included in the available statistics. On 1 May 2001 the Wesley Mission released the "Faces of Homelessness" report. It showed that an increase in the number of young homeless—from 70,000 in 1989 to 100,000 this year—has also put extra pressure on an already overburdened system. The report challenges the public perception of Australia's homeless people. They are not all elderly alcoholics and street kids; about one-third are families with children. Throughout the country 1,200 special emergency shelters were full. The Wesley Mission's report calls on the Federal Government to reinstate $231 million cut from Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement funding.

After only starting to look into the problem I totally agree with everything that the Wesley Mission has said. Emergency housing needs to be boosted, by the Federal Government initially, and State governments should also put their hands in their pockets to deal with the problem. The number of emergency houses available for homeless people has decreased. The trend must change. It is unbelievable that so many people could be sleeping out of doors in a wealthy country such as Australia. People do not make a choice to sleep outside; they are forced to do it. Any Australian looking into the problem is saddened to see how grave it is. This Parliament should debate issues such as homelessness. The Parliament and the Government should take action on homelessness. Action is necessary in this State and throughout Australia. [Time expired.]

Mr TINK (Epping) [5.33 p.m.]: On 26 March I attended a meeting of the Cheltenham Girls High School Parents and Citizens Association at which the "Building the Future" document was discussed. Both the Cheltenham Girls High School Council and the parents and citizens association have reviewed the draft proposal in "Building the Future" and wish to register concerns regarding the potential negative impact of the proposals on Cheltenham Girls High School and also on the wider public education system. Over the past 43 years the school has established a profile and traditions that are highly valued by the community. The school maintains an acknowledged standard of academic excellence. The school has an outstanding comprehensive public high school reputation and has been celebrated at local, State and international levels.

The school believes that this quality should be acknowledged, honoured and supported by the actions and plans of the Department of Education and Training. There is concern that the school will be damaged—probably unintentionally, nevertheless seriously—by the implementation of the "Building the Future" document, a plan designed to enhance the provision of educational services in other schools. The school is operating in a dynamic market of increasing competition. Among the current factors parents are taking into account when selecting a high school for their children are access to selective places, to cutting-edge information technology and communications and to quality facilities across the curriculum. The draft proposals in "Building the Future" attempt to address these factors in relation to the Ryde district schools but Cheltenham, a neighbouring school with similar needs and with many of its current local students living within Ryde district, is excluded.

For example, Cheltenham has been excluded from the plan to expand the number of selective places that are being allocated to other schools including Malvina High School, a school in close proximity to Cheltenham. Cheltenham has been excluded from tertiary links and technology facilities being offered to schools in the adjacent Ryde district. I note in particular the plan for the proposed Macquarie Innovations Centre to establish an outreach learning centre on site at Malvina High School. Cheltenham also has been excluded from the investment in infrastructure allocated to those schools within the plan, despite the current state of Cheltenham's ageing and under-code facilities. As a result, it is likely that Cheltenham will become relatively less attractive than its Ryde district neighbours as a quality school and less attractive to those families seeking an alternative to private education. The prediction is that it will impact adversely on the established culture and tradition of Cheltenham as a top-quality school.

There is also concern that the draft proposal is inequitable and inconsistent with the provisions of comprehensive educational opportunities. It would appear that collateral damage is inevitable when restructuring is undertaken on a piecemeal basis such as with the draft proposal under "Building the Future". The school strongly asserts that any change to the structure of individual schools and to their provision of services should be the outcome of a statewide educational planning process. The interests of Cheltenham Girls High School and public education in New South Wales are not served by the process of resource allocation in specific districts without serious and detailed consideration of its impact on other schools and communities across the State.

Similar concerns have been expressed to me by Epping Boys High School, where I attended a similar meeting of parents. Epping is another school with a large drawing of students from the Ryde area. Nevertheless, it is in the Hornsby district and therefore outside the plan. I understand that representatives from Cheltenham recently met with the honourable member for Ryde, the Minister for Fair Trading, who apparently said that there would be more funds available in the capital works budget because, under the "Building the Future" plan, the number of schools will decrease, and he would advocate some of the money be allocated to Cheltenham to address the problems. He also agreed to look at funding allocations and professional development funds, particularly in relation to the $1 million for information technology for Ryde schools, whereas currently Cheltenham receives nothing. There was concern about the lack of professional development opportunities for teachers. The assumption at Cheltenham is that the $1 million would be used for staff release to access resources and information technology [IT] links with Macquarie University. Cheltenham wants some equality on that front.

There is also a need for equity in IT and links with Macquarie University to be free and equal to all with no encumbrances. The honourable member for Ryde and I agree on these points. Cheltenham Girls High School has agreed to forward by letter a statement of the capital works required to bring the school up to standard, and comparable with other schools in the Ryde district receiving substantial funding, such as Malvina and Riverside. I hope that the Government, through the honourable member for Ryde in particular, who also represents a significant part of the student body, will maintain the same capital works budget and, as a result of the number of schools decreasing—this was indicated by the honourable member for Ryde—there will be more money for Cheltenham. [Time expired.]

Mr CAMPBELL (Keira) [5.38 p.m.]: I refer to a road infrastructure project in the Keira electorate known as the northern distributor. This project began as some lines on a map in the late 1940s and early 1950s—indeed, some years before I was born, which constituents continually remind me about! The road has been planned since that time but it is not yet finished. Two stages have been completed and the road now runs from north Wollongong near the University of Wollongong, which is a great institution, to Bellambi Lane. A commitment of the Government, as part of the Government's road strategy 2010, is to complete the next stage of the project, from Bellambi Lane to Molloy Street and the Princes Highway at Bulli. The Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] has been undertaking some quite serious planning to that end and has been working through a process to develop a preferred option.

Approximately two years ago—not long after I was first elected to this place—I approached the Minister for Transport, and Minister for Roads, the Hon. Carl Scully, and pointed out that there is a lot of confusion in the electorate and surrounding areas about where the road is proposed to go and whose property or whose home might bear the impact of the road's construction. I suggested that a community liaison group be formed and chaired by me. I acknowledge those who are part of the group, namely, Mr Doug Robertson from the Woonona Primary School; Mr Clive Arthur, the Principal of the Woonona High School; Mr Stephen Price, Mr Gerry Doyle, Mr Ron Halsey and Mrs Gloria Halsey; Mr Ron Byrnes; Ms Pru Simpson; Mr Graham Sturgiss and Mr Greg Smart. Those people agreed to form the community liaison group. I have had the opportunity of working with them over the past two years.

I add that although not all those people support this great project and not all of them have continued to support it, they have made a significant contribution to the planning of the project as it has proceeded. They have provided significant input and they have changed the opinion and the minds of several of the members of the RTA's project team. I acknowledge also the RTA project team from the regional office, which is led by Geoff Style and comprises, among others, Ken Collins, Kali Gupta, Peter Beattie and Ross Dearden. The team has been quite receptive to the suggestions that members of the community have put forward. The project has reached the stage of presentation of the preferred option report in mid-October. The report will feed into an environmental impact statement [EIS] process that will also provide an opportunity for community input.

In early August the RTA publicly displayed the preferred option and approximately 1,000 people inspected the display over 10 days. Of the 1,000 people who attended, approximately 600 completed a feedback sheet and a small questionnaire. In my view that is quite a phenomenal response rate. And, importantly, approximately 87 per cent of those people indicated their strong support for the road project to proceed. The outcome from this process of community debate, community consultation and community input—a process that has been very open and transparent—is both a clear indication of the need to extend this road, from its proposed completion point at Molloy Street to the foot of Bulli Pass, and a clear understanding of the need to improve and rebuild the intersection of Bulli Pass, Princes Highway and Lawrence Hargrave Drive.

The whole project is important for commuter traffic, commercial traffic to Port Kembla, local traffic and equally it is important for access to the Illawarra region by tourists who might be driving along the Princes Highway and farther south. The Government has made a commitment under its 2010 strategy to the next stage of the project. I have spoken with the Minister many times, and I take this opportunity to reinforce the need for design work to be stepped up on the next stage between Princes Highway, Bulli and Bulli Pass, and the need for completion of work on the estimated cost-benefit ratio for work on the intersection of the Bulli Pass, Princes Highway and Lawrence Hargrave Drive.

Having made these comments, I hasten to acknowledge the support I have received from the Minister, the RTA and the community. I congratulate those who have come forward and who have spent a deal of time participating in the community liaison group. I thank them for their efforts. By my participation in this debate, I am endeavouring to ensure that the project remains a priority for this Government and that construction will commence as soon as possible.

Ms NORI (Port Jackson—Minister for Small Business, and Minister for Tourism) [5.43 p.m.]: I am very pleased to have heard the honourable member for Keira refer to plans for infrastructure works in his electorate. It pleases me that the planning process for the next stage is well under way and that the local community, by taking an active interest in the planning process, has made a positive contribution to the plans that the RTA had initially put forward. I, too, look forward to the environmental impact statement [EIS] process that will follow the options report, which I understand will be presented in the near future.

As the honourable member for Keira rightly identified, the project will improve commuter traffic and will be important for commercial traffic. But, of course, he mentioned the magic word. The honourable member is quite right in his assertion that anything that improves and enhances the access of tourists to the Illawarra and Wollongong is obviously a worthwhile project. It is terrific that the people who live in the local community have participated. They now have an investment in the plan as a local community and I look forward, if necessary, to even redirecting the very successful South Coast Touring by Car route when the road is completed.

Mr STONER (Oxley) [5.45 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House the urgent need for a high school in the lower Macleay district. South West Rocks and the lower Macleay areas have experienced incredible increases in population in recent years. Figures provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] indicate that an increase of 80 per cent occurred between 1986 and 1996 in South West Rocks and that, in 1986, 10 per cent of the Kempsey shire's population lived in the lower Macleay district whereas in 1996 the rate was 25 per cent. The total population living in South West Rocks and within 15 kilometres of the surrounding area is currently estimated to be 8,000.

Both the private and public sectors have recognised the increase in population. In the past 18 months, a new resort, a shopping centre, an ambulance station, enhancements to the country club and a soon-to-be operating community health centre have been established in the area. The only agency that is steadfastly ignoring the spectacular increase in population is the Department of Education and Training. Currently there are only primary schools in the lower Macleay district, including those at South West Rocks, Stuart's Point, Smithtown, Gladstone, Kinchela and Bellimbopinni, with a total enrolment of 637 students. High school-age children are forced to travel by bus for up to one hour to Kempsey via a narrow and potholed road, which is certainly an undesirable situation from a road safety perspective.

Since the early 1990s the South West Rocks community has sought some action by the Government to plan for a high school in the district. The community recognises that there is a 10-year planning horizon for the commissioning of a new high school. The community received some cause for hope when the Minister for Education and Training visited South West Rocks on 6 July 1996 and said, "It was not a matter of if, but when, a high school would be built at South West Rocks" and "We've set a block of Crown land aside to build a high school." However, since that time the Lower Macleay High School Establishment Association has met with nothing but brick walls from the Department of Education and Training. In classic bureaucrat-speak, the department and the Minister—in letters prepared for him by his department—keep talking about "carefully monitoring the situation", while selectively and inaccurately quoting statistics. For example, they refer to statistics related just to South West Rocks that do not include the catchment area around South West Rocks or the lower Macleay.

The time for careful monitoring is over and was over long ago. With a 10-year time frame involved in the commissioning of a new high school, it will be at least 2011 before the students of South West Rocks and the lower Macleay area receive their new school. By that time it is estimated that the population of the lower Macleay area will be more than 10,000. According to ABS statistics, in the 10 years from 1986 to 1996, the number of high school-age children in the lower Macleay area increased from 183 to 421, an increase of 65 per cent. Assuming the same rate of growth, there will be 695 high school-age students in the year 2006. It is a likely that the rate of growth would be higher than that because of the construction of the new gaol at Kempsey, which is expected to have a significant impact on the local economy. South West Rocks and the lower Macleay are the preferred places of residence for many people who work in Kempsey.

Many students from the lower Macleay currently attend Melville High School at Kempsey and that has resulted in serious overcrowding. The department's own figures clearly indicate that planning for a new high school at South West Rocks must start now. A departmental letter states that a threshold of 600 primary school students are required to support the establishment of a secondary department as a component of a K-12 central school. As at 2001, lower Macleay primary students attending the schools I have mentioned total 637. That departmental letter also states that a total population of 7,500 is a threshold. Currently the lower Macleay population is 8,000 and is estimated to rise to 9,000 in 2006 and to more than 10,000 in 2011.

I congratulate the Lower Macleay High School Establishment Association, including its President, Doug Matthews; Secretary, Anne Van Helden; Publicity Officer, Sue Whitby; Bruce Jeffery, Jenny Johnson, Michelle Ellison, Mike Clewes and all members for their hard work and persistence in the interests of the children of the lower Macleay district. I call upon the Minister to make good on promises he made five years ago to the people of the lower Macleay and to give a commitment now to the establishment of a high school at South West Rocks. [Time expired.]

Mr BARTLETT (Port Stephens) [5.50 p.m.]: In my inaugural speech I spoke, in part, about the alienation that males face in schools and in the community. The recent outbreak of so-called gang behaviour leads me to believe that that behaviour is part of the alienation. Tonight I will give an update on the Machismo project in the Port Stephens electorate. The community-based Machismo project is designed to bring together males of all ages, creating resilience and developing connectedness. Machismo operates on a number of levels using the creative and performing arts as a vehicle to improve self-esteem and wellbeing. The project provides males with non-aggressive and self-empowering tools for self-expression through workshops and performances within schools and in the community.

The Machismo project is flexible and utilises the resources of communities that take part in it. In many ways male alienation represents the lack of diversity in our community and it is the intention of Machismo to challenge those stereotypical expectations by exposing them to activities not usually directed towards males, that is, the arts. Machismo connects males, including retired men, to the community by offering fun activities in the forms of visual art, drama, film-making, music and physical theatre. My intention is to get an interchange of ideas among honourable members, because we certainly do not have any answers.

The creative and performing arts will be developed through community projects in the schools, after school and on weekends. The project comprises various strands including the physical strands that develop circus skills and performances. Another high-profile activity covers different sorts of masculinities and addresses male suicide and domestic violence. The project tries to create resilience and connectedness with the males involved in it. In Port Stephens the project is not completely in place, but it is worthwhile talking about it. The Machismo project executive comprises teachers, youth workers, people from the reuse and recycle organisation, and representatives of the local council, the arts, and the local botanic gardens. The executive group, when divided into a number of subcommittees, will do a number of things. The performing arts subgroup has received a $1,000 donation from the Minister for Juvenile Justice, which it will use to purchase unicycles and juggling sticks.

The performing arts subgroup will take young men who have a love of risk-taking on skateboards and will put them onto a unicycle and give them juggling sticks. They will be taught the skill of juggling while riding the unicycle, and they will be encouraged to perform. The performance will be put to music and a film will be produced. It is planned to take the productions to the local primary schools, which should increase the self-esteem and wellbeing of the many people involved. The project is also considering forming a photo group, which will be provided with disposable cameras to take pictures of areas in which they feel threatened and areas in which they feel safe. That could be done with males of all ages.

The Reuse and Recycling Group at Salamander Bay is involved in the establishment of a steel drum group, similar to the Jamaican Steel Drummers. The recycling group has an enormous amount of drum-size material from the waste stream including tin cans that could be used by a steel drum group. The project has discussed the implementation of a sculpture group at the local botanic gardens. Discussions have been held with the local council about displaying sculptures along the cycleway and on roundabouts. The idea is to give young men a feeling of belonging in their community. I thank many people for their involvement in this project including Janelle Pearce, Lindsay Brown, Kate Croll, Helen Brown, Graham Saxon, Barbara Lane, Jim Campbell, Ron Lindsay and Dave Sams—all of whom have given their time freely, because they believe that this project is a very good idea. [Time expired.]

Ms NORI (Port Jackson—Minister for Small Business, and Minister for Tourism) [5.55 p.m.]: I thank the honourable member for Port Stephens for drawing this matter to the attention of the House and, indeed, for having the courage to talk about it. It is not always easy for men to talk about feeling alienated within their community. I thank the honourable member for his contribution to the collective raising of consciousness of those problems. I congratulate the people involved in the Machismo project. The fact that it is community based gives me confidence that it will be successful.

Today the Premier announced some very tough law and order legislation to deal with the behaviour of certain people. Nevertheless, it is always preferable to work preventively, if we can, particularly in stopping antisocial behaviour before it becomes a problem, because offenders will be dealt with under the criminal justice system. At the end of the day, no matter how many police there are and what legislation is in force, taking responsibility at an early age for one's behaviour is the best way to achieve our social goals.

I am pleased that the Machismo project focuses on teaching men and young boys something that perhaps they are not used to, something that is a challenge to all of us as policymakers and as parents, possibly more of a challenge to those of us who are mothers, and that is to teach our sons how to express their anger and aggression verbally, not physically, and how to deal with that productively, not destructively. I congratulate the honourable member for Port Stephens and his community on their contributions to improving the social fabric of New South Wales.

Mr HUMPHERSON (Davidson) [5.57 p.m.]: I am concerned about the impact of the revised Parramatta to Chatswood rail link on the Roseville area, which is in my electorate. Along with most residents of northern Sydney I support the concept of a cross-regional rail link between Parramatta and Chatswood. However, I understand that in the short term that link has been reduced to an Epping to Chatswood link. I acknowledge that there have been many local changes because of concerns about a rail bridge over the Lane Cove River National Park. That bridge has been lowered to a covered option, to reduce the visual and environmental impact within the park. Currently, many residents living in Roseville who, potentially, will be affected do not know the consequences of that change. The consequences of reducing the rail line where it crosses the Lane Cove River mean that the line will travel a longer horizontal distance before it rises to the North Shore rail line, just short of Chatswood station. Approximately an extra kilometre has been added to the loop and that new loop will pass under the Roseville residential area, east of the existing North Shore rail line.

The original route left Chatswood railway station in a northerly direction and continued underground within the North Shore rail line corridor before it headed west near Lindfield station at which point it would have been more than 30 metres below ground level. Unfortunately the new route, which will run underground south of the Boundary Road rail bridge and will presumably travel under Boundary Road, will then traverse underneath residential homes in the Roseville area. Initially it will be at a depth of as little as 10 metres and progressively, I hope, at a greater depth.

Given the topography of the land at the point the route will commence under residential Roseville, the depth at which the rail tunnel will travel will not increase for the first half a kilometre or so. This will have a significant impact on many of the residents. The changes to the route will potentially affect several thousands of residents, and at least 500 homes in the Roseville area. Many residents who did not object to the original concept on the basis that it would not adversely affect them will now be severely affected. The document that sets out the new route contains innocuous comments that hide the significant impact. The document states:

More properties will be located above the modified tunnel alignment between the UTS and the Chatswood portal than described in the EIS.

That is about the only giveaway that the changes to the route will have any impact. I take great exception to the document, which, on pages 16 and 17, contains two maps of the entire route of the rail line that are erroneous. They inaccurately depict the route in the Roseville area. In that respect the document is misleading. It is only when one looks closely at a more detailed diagram on page 21 that one can see that the route has been deviated from the original plan. I believe that the document is misleading, whether inadvertently or deliberately, and that it tries to hide the impact of the changes on the residents of Roseville.

The residents are entitled to have their say. Previously, all residents who were to be affected by the rail link were given the opportunity to comment on the environmental impact statement [EIS]. It is essential that the EIS be re-exhibited, at least in so far as it affects Roseville. Otherwise the residents will be denied their right and entitlement to have their say and to seek changes if necessary. Currently, we have no idea about the depth of the proposed tunnel alignment under Roseville, whereas the original EIS contained enormous detail in that respect. The document that has been circulated should be withdrawn and reissued because it is totally deceptive. I cannot understand why the document has been released when it contains such glaring inaccuracies. [Time expired.]

Mr LYNCH (Liverpool) [6.02 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House and the Minister for Education and Training a request that has been made by Cartwright Public School, which is in my electorate. On 26 July this year I received a letter from Lisa Lambert, the Secretary of the Cartwright Public School Parents and Citizens Association. Part of that letter reads:

I'm writing to you on behalf of the Cartwright Public School P and C Association in regards to our school fence. Our school was promised a fence in the month of February 2001, as last year we were broken into nearly every second night, but because since the month of March this year we have been incident free (that is material things have not been stolen) the education securities department has now put our school further down on the list.

The letter continues:

Our school shows pride in our school grounds. Many an afternoon and weekends the students, teachers and parents have spent digging gardens, planting trees and moving tons of mulch to have these ruined when we come back the next day. Our school has also had numerous windows broken, outside seats stolen, and graffiti written all over the school. Cartwright school also shares its school grounds with the Macarthur Community College and the Cartwright dentist. The people using the college use our grounds for parking and their cars are put at risk.

Ms Lambert also points to a number of incidents in which unauthorised personnel intruded onto school property. That situation is potentially dangerous. In one particular incident referred to by Ms Lambert the behaviour of the intruders was sufficiently serious that the 250 students of the school had to be locked in their classrooms because of concerns about their safety. Ms Lambert not unreasonably points out that while this sort of incident did not involve theft, it is nonetheless a very concerning instance and would certainly justify the installation of appropriate fencing.

The concern of the school is that the assessment of whether fencing is necessary is based purely upon the incidence of theft, and that that would seem to be an inadequate basis upon which to make a determination. The school community is suffering from a sense of frustration at the damage done to the school and is very keen to have a solution in the form of a fence. In a letter from Mr Brian Reynolds to the Department of Education and Training, a copy of which he sent to me, this sense of frustration is well captured. The letter reads in part:

Due to the continued break-ins at Cartwright Public School which has also more recently been combined with petty and incomprehensible vandalism at our school, I feel compelled, out of a sense of duty as a parent of children attending this wonderful and happy school and also as a parent representative on the school council to write to your department to seek some urgent and tangible solutions to school security at Cartwright Public School.

I often speak casually with many parents at Cartwright Public School and they have expressed a growing concern at the increase in break-ins and subsequent interruption to their child's learning when valuable equipment and aids are stolen or damaged beyond repair. They suggest they may seek an alternative and safer school to send their children which would be to the detriment of Cartwright Public School which boasts a proud record of learning. I myself attended Cartwright Public School in the early to mid-1960's and quite frankly this school deserves much better support.

I have had the opportunity to view copies of some of the incident reports dealing with events at the school. In my view these provide a solid basis for concern that security measures at the school should be upgraded. They certainly reveal a significant increase in the volume of incidents last year. A number of other schools in this area have either had fences installed or have recently received funding for them. This is relevant to Cartwright in two ways. Firstly, if it is good enough for other schools in the area, it should also be appropriate for Cartwright. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, if other schools are more difficult to enter, there must be a real chance that people wanting to illegally enter school premises will redirect their efforts to schools, such as Cartwright Public School, that do not have fences. In that sense, an unfenced school becomes the victim of those who are deterred from fenced schools.

One other factor is relevant. Literally metres from the school is a vacant block of land at the intersection of Hoxton Park Road and Cartwright Avenue. That land is the subject of a development application for a hotel. I have previously expressed my opposition to that development, including in a speech in this place. The application was opposed by Liverpool council officers and was unanimously rejected by Liverpool City Council. Notwithstanding this, an appeal has been lodged to the courts. If that appeal results in the approval of the hotel development—despite my fervent wish that it not be approved—it adds a powerful and additional reason to the arguments in favour of a fence being built at the school. Even if the hotel development is not approved, approval of some other use on that vacant block is likely to lead to an increase in the number of people frequenting the area. That, of itself, is another reason to support the construction of a fence. I ask the Minister for Education and Training to review this issue with a view to having a fence installed at the school.

Mr GEORGE (Lismore) [6.07 p.m.]: Once again I wish to place on record my concerns about the tick control policy adopted by New South Wales Agriculture regarding the control of cattle ticks in the North Coast area. My concerns relate to the ongoing determination of the Minister, New South Wales Agriculture and the Government to charge producers for the chemicals used to eradicate cattle ticks. The Government's decision in this regard has the ability to ruin people financially, socially and emotionally. It is to be compared with dairy deregulation, which at last report has achieved 10 suicides. The decision creates a further problem for North Coast cattle producers. It must be borne in mind that these cattle producers are also dealing with problems created by bovine Johne's disease and the eradication of that disease. One North Coast cattle producer highlighted the fact that over the next six years the program will cost him about $100,000, which he cannot afford.

A further concern relates to the decision to prevent New South Wales Agriculture officers from applying the chemical. The appropriate amount of chemical must be applied correctly. Staff are trained in chemical application and are therefore the best ones to perform the task. Apparently a disgruntled producer complained, and although his complaint was subsequently proven to be false this was seized upon by New South Wales Agriculture and used as justification for this irresponsible decision. That appears to be a commonly used strategy to implement unjustifiable decisions. New South Wales Agriculture must retain control of chemical distribution.

The consequences of an acceptance of standard definitions and rules will be disastrous. For example, the zoning policy means that cattle can move freely within zones regardless of the Queensland border fence or the status of the cattle. Therefore, cattle carrying tick fever can enter New South Wales unnoticed until they become infested with cattle ticks and engorged ticks fall off, infesting and killing naive and unvaccinated cattle. There are already cattle of unknown status in the Tweed. If they become infested with cattle tick the rest of the herd will immediately be at risk and losses could be numerous. No-one can answer the question: What is there to stop Ulam ticks, resistant to Amitraz, most widely used in dips, or Ultimo ticks, resistant to all chemicals available to dairy herds, from entry New South Wales? I suggest there is nothing to prevent them from doing so.

The compensation policy has now been removed so there is no compensation for losses due to tick fever. That is used as justification for allowing the use of vaccines, but questions regarding vaccine usage have never been answered. I am concerned that decisions are being made by departmental officers with no practical knowledge or experience. There has been no consultation or discussion with the Board of Tick Control, and officers of the board believe they are not being allowed to do their job. When they are finally informed of decisions, at times it appears that the Minister has ignored their advice.

Departmental officers in Orange try to blame tick infestations on poor farm management. It is convenient to do that, but in most cases it is totally untrue and cannot be justified. It may already be too late. The department appears to be galloping towards making New South Wales just like Queensland, which will be disastrous for the New South Wales cattle industry. The Government and the Minister must realise that they are overseeing the destruction of the New South Wales cattle industry. While they continue to be dictated to by departmental officers and choose to ignore the advice of the Board of Tick Control they are displaying their own weaknesses and ignorance of the practical realities of cattle tick control. We must convince the New South Wales Government to change its attitude and to be more responsible to the control of cattle tick in New South Wales. This matter is of grave concern to me and I encourage the Minister and New South Wales Agriculture to adopt a more practical approach to the control of cattle ticks.

Mr MILLS (Wallsend) [6.12 p.m.]: Tonight I wish to commend the Wallsend Hospital Guardians for their past and present work in support of public health services in Wallsend and its districts. A few weeks ago I received an invitation which stated:

On Friday, 31 August 2001 it will be 10 years since the closure of our Hospital and we would like to invite you to come and have a cuppa with us at the Museum (Longworth Avenue) from 11.00 am to thank you for your friendship and support to us all.

Wallsend Hospital Guardians

This invitation resulted from the unfair and wrong decision of the former Greiner Government to close Wallsend District Hospital from the end of August 1991. The then Minister for Health, Ron Phillips, also sacked the area health service board and the chief executive officer. He also spread lies about the financial and health service performance of the chief executive officer and the board. Three giant protest rallies attended by 5,000, 10,000 and 12,000 people were held but, unfortunately, they failed to prevent the cessation of the provision of acute services.

Members of the Wallsend community, supported by the trade unions, maintained a picket line in the hospital's ambulance bay for 18 months from August 1991 to February 1993. Former Minister Phillips and former Premiers Greiner and Fahey did not really understand the anger of the local people, who felt that they owned this local hospital. After all, when it was opened it was the Wallsend Mining District Hospital, with its own board and with local people involved in its governance. People identified with it as their local hospital and depended upon it. This record-breaking picket succeeded in retaining the hospital buildings and property in the Hunter public health system. The picketers had an agreement with the then Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tim Smyth, who was remembered fondly last Friday. The picket line closed down on 22 February 1993.

Afterwards, the community members of the picket line maintained their association under the new name of Wallsend Hospital Guardians. There are now more than twice the number of health professionals working at the Wallsend campus of the Hunter Area Health Service than there were at the former acute care hospital. Specialist units range from those treating the young to those treating the elderly and are situated at the Wallsend campus. Also at the Wallsend hospital campus are the Wallsend District Nursing Home, the Public Dental Service, the Public Health Unit, the Migrant Health Unit, community health, community nursing, the Child and Adolescent Health Unit, Lowrey Lodge drug and alcohol detoxification, Allawah Day Care Centre for the elderly, Wattlegrove Dementia Day Care Centre and Wallsend primary care, an after-hours emergency service operated by Dr Chris Taylor and several associate general practitioners.

Last year Dr Taylor took on the services provided by Dr Bruce Raffan and Dr Paul Colette for seven years. In the near future parent craft services will be provided. The Carr Government has provided funding for Lowrey Lodge drug and alcohol detoxification to be transferred to Belmont Hospital. This will enable Lowrey Lodge to be refurbished for parent craft. My colleague the honourable member for Maitland, in whose former electorate of Waratah the hospital was situated when it was closed, sent his apologies on the day. He had a close association with the Wallsend Hospital Guardians but regrettably was unable to attend the celebrations. Those present included Joyce Pepperall, Ken Cooper, Olive Solway, Barbara Hardes, Jean McLaren, Fred Pepperall, Michael Arratoon, Elaine and Joe Lockett, Elva and Max Kerr, Coogan Frame, who represented the many miners and retired miners who came down from the coalfields to support the picket over the 18 months, Janet McLean, Jean Smits, Mary and Max Jones, Lyn Moore, the director of the nursing home, Bob Brown and Jack Lewis.

Janet McLean spoke about how the Teachers Federation organised a continued presence on the picket line every Saturday. As a consequence, 50 teachers around the Hunter were on a roster to keep the picket line going. The Miners Federation, especially the Gretley miners, did a great job and the Newcastle Trades Hall Council was also strong in support. The local police inspector, Ian Park, visited frequently and when he was off duty he would take off his hat and have a friendly chat about how things were going. To this day the Wallsend Hospital Guardians have maintained their fighting spirit in defence of public health services in the Wallsend district. I congratulate the Guardians, especially on their role as volunteers who raise several thousand dollars each year to assist the residents of Wallsend Hospital Nursing Home. I congratulate them also on acting as a community advisory group to the Hunter Area Health Service. Long may their spirit survive. [Time expired.]

Mr FACE (Charlestown—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Hunter Development) [6.17 p.m.]: I commend the honourable member for Wallsend for raising the sad saga of the history of Wallsend District Hospital, which started out as a mining cottage hospital that served the district well. At the time the decision to close the hospital was made nobody could understand either the decision or the lack of consultation. A few days ago I was reading a book loaned to me by the honourable member for Wallsend entitled Nash's Folly—A History of Wallsend District Hospital 1895-1991 written by Suzanne Punton-Butler. The book was dedicated to the memory of Narelle Punton, MBE, her mother, who played a leading role in the events surrounding Wallsend District Hospital. She quotes me as saying at that time:

Mr Face MLA Charlestown said that the Government's proposal to establish two casinos in Sydney could lead to a boost in health funding for the Hunter. Was this backhanded support from Mr Face for the knee jerk Government action to an over-run of budget? Or, was it a diversionary tactic—who knows? To me it was a statement out of order, in an emotional climate.

At the time I said that it seemed that the then Government's priority was to have two casinos in Sydney rather than health care in the Wallsend electorate. I had continually raised the matter of underfunding in the district through my good friend Professor Geoffrey Kellerman, and the present Government has now rectified that underfunding. Obviously, my comment at the time was taken by Ms Punton-Butler as being sarcastic but it was meant in jest about priorities. It is ironic that the priority of the former government was to build two casinos rather than to provide health care in the Wallsend electorate. [Time expired.]

Mr O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [6.19 p.m.]: During the recent parliamentary recess I had the pleasure of visiting a number of local schools and seeing the contribution that parents have made to them. In particular, I visited Turramurra High School, to which parents contributed $300,000 for a new shade area. At Pymble Public School I was joined by the Minister for Education and Training and saw the reopening of a refurbished swimming pool and playground, for which parents contributed $60,000. I am pleased to raise these matters in the House in recognition of the strong support in the electorate of Ku-ring-gai for public education. I place on record my appreciation of parents not only at those schools but all schools throughout my electorate for their continuing support, including continuing monetary support. As an aside I indicate that I am one of those parents because my children attend Lindfield Public School. I am concerned that such contributions by parent communities are not being matched by the Government.

This evening I refer to a saga relating to the need for a signalised pedestrian facility at Wallawong Crescent, West Pymble, specifically for students attending West Pymble Public School. In May this year I was approached by parents of students at that school and I inspected the intersection with them and the principal. It is clear to me that a signalised crossing is required. In fact, I understand that next year there may well be 330 children at West Pymble Public School, which is a significant increase in recent years. We are concerned that in August 1998 the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] advised Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council:

The Authority has considered the location and has included a signalised pedestrian crossing across Wallawong Crescent in its list of programs awaiting funding. The facility will thus be installed when funding becomes available.

I accept that was in August 1998 and the provision of the facility was subject to the caveat of funding being available. Nevertheless, I wrote to the Minister for Roads after my visit to the school. I regret that the Roads and Traffic Authority responded to the school on 30 May and indicated that the facility would not proceed. The Minister did not respond to me until last week and said:

… the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has carried out a site investigation and obtained traffic counts to ascertain the need for alterations to the existing signals to facilitate pedestrian movement across this road. I am advised that the recent vehicle and pedestrian movement count showed that the criterion for a signalised crossing was not met. The criterion is that 50 children in two counts of 1 hour duration immediately before and after school must cross the road. The RTA informed the West Pymble Public School of the same.

I am concerned that the Minister's letter is based on untruths, not of the Minister but of the Roads and Traffic Authority. There were two counts conducted and on both occasions prior to the 1998 approval the school met the criterion imposed by the RTA. As I have indicated, in August 1998 the RTA wrote to the Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council and advised that a signalised crossing was on the RTA's list of forward programs awaiting funding. I am concerned that neither of those points is reflected in the Minister's letter and I do not think he understands that in August 1998 a written communication between the RTA and Ku-ring-gai council stated that this project would proceed.

In recent times school safety concerns have been raised in all electorates, particularly pedestrian safety around schools. I place on record my strongest concern that the action of the RTA in this matter is fraught with danger. The intersection concerned is adjacent to a major arterial road that runs from Thornleigh into the city and carries significant traffic in the morning and afternoon peak periods. During the morning particularly, that traffic is in conflict with pupils attending West Pymble Public School. The response of the RTA is terrible because no-one in this Chamber wants to reflect on the potential harm and health consequences to a child who has experienced an accident at such an intersection. I ask the Government to reconsider its position on this matter. I ask the Minister to look at the file and to check the original traffic counts that supported the need for the introduction of a signalised crossing on behalf of the West Pymble Public School. Ku-ring-gai parents are not only prepared to support their local education institutions, their public schools, but often in fact do so. It is about time the Government showed the same sort of response. [Time expired.]

Mr McGRANE (Dubbo) [6.25 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of honourable members the current shortage of nurses in the small community of Tullamore. Tullamore has a population of just on 400 residents, and the community-based Kooringle Nursing Home has 21 residents. The nursing home, a fantastic achievement in such a small community, was built by the Tullamore community under the guidance of the Tullamore Apex club. At the moment the nursing home has no vacancies. It employs 20 full-time and part-time staff and is Tullamore's principal employer. Kooringle Nursing Home is a success story for regional Australia. It cares for our elderly in a compassionate and competent manner and, in turn, makes the community proud of its nursing home. This facility is at risk because of a combination of the shortage of nurses in the rural community and a crisis in aged care funding from the Federal Government.

A nursing home is supposed to have a staff of 4.2 registered nurses, plus a director of nursing. Currently Kooringle has 1.6 registered nurses and one director of nursing. The director of nursing has been employed there for a long time but is simply burnt out and will resign on 22 September. Fortunately, the Mid Western Area Health Service has reacted to this crisis in a proactive way which has ensured that Kooringle Nursing Home has remained open despite its staff shortage. Such is the quality of service offered by the Kooringle Nursing Home that a resident who was previously accommodated in a Sydney nursing home, was suffering a major weight loss problem and was taking in excess of 30 tablets a day is now putting on weight, taking only three tablets a day and has an improved quality of life.

However, the shortage of nurses remains one of the most important issues confronting regional New South Wales. Honourable members have heard much about the shortage of doctors and the worthwhile strategies put in place to stop doctors leaving rural communities and to encourage them to come to rural areas. But we must focus on devising a strategy to encourage people to take up a career in nursing. I know that the Premier and the Minister for Health have been proactive in relation to that matter. Some six months ago the Minister for Health travelled to the major capital towns throughout regional New South Wales, campaigned at various schools and talked to students about taking up a career in nursing. Ministers do not often travel to schools and encourage students to take up the worthwhile career of nursing when they leave school.

When State Cabinet met recently in Dubbo a protest was conducted by nurses outside the civic reception area of Dubbo City Council. It was a peaceful demonstration and the Premier remarked at the time that he understood the wage demands of the nurses. Communities in both the city and the country must work together to overcome this major problem, which until recently has been the subject of major headlines. If the problem is not resolved nurses will leave rural communities and that will cause their demise. The resolution of the problem will need a hands-on effort. I commend the Minister for his efforts but more must be done by both the State and Federal governments to alleviate the problems faced by regional New South Wales. I commend this statement to honourable members. [Time expired.]

Private members' statements noted.

[Mr Acting-Speaker (Mr Mills) left the chair at 6.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m.]

Motion by Mr Whelan agreed to:

That standing and sessional orders be suspended to permit:

(1) the consideration of the condolence motion for William Frederick Crabtree forthwith;

(2) the consideration of the matter of public importance standing in the name of the honourable member for Northern Tablelands for a period of up to 40 minutes; and

(3) up to 16 members to make private members' statements at the conclusion of the matter of public importance.

Mr WHELAN (Strathfield—Leader of the House) [7.31 p.m.]: It is with deep regret that I announce to the House the death of William Frederick Crabtree. I move:

That this House extends to Mrs Crabtree and family the deep sympathy of members of the Legislative Assembly in the loss sustained by the death on 12 July 2001 of William Frederick Crabtree, a former Minister of the Crown.

I had the privilege of serving in Parliament with Bill Crabtree, who was one of my predecessors as Minister for Police. Bill was born in May 1915 at Marrickville and he was a local through and through. He was educated at Sans Souci Public School and Kogarah High School and was the member of Parliament for Kogarah for a considerable number of years. He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1931 and was first elected to Parliament in 1953. He served as Minister for Lands and Environment, Minister for Lands and, as I have said, Minister for Police. The late Bill Crabtree was a stalwart of his area and was very popular in his electorate. He championed the causes of his constituents and served as Minister for Police in a variety of State Labor governments. He worked very hard both as a Minister and as a local member and it is with great sadness that I commend the motion before the House.

Mr SOURIS (Upper Hunter—Leader of the National Party) [7.34 p.m.]: I support the Leader of the House and subsequent speakers in this debate in paying tribute to the former member for Kogarah, Mr Bill Crabtree. Mr Crabtree had a long and successful period in the New South Wales Parliament. He was elected as Labor's member for Kogarah in February 1953 and held that seat for Labor until his resignation from politics in July 1983—a considerable period. During that time Mr Crabtree served as Minister for Lands, Minister for Land and Environment, Minister for Services and Minister for Police. On behalf of the National Party, I offer my condolences to Mr Crabtree's family.

Mr MOSS (Canterbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [7.35 p.m.]: I did not have the privilege of serving with Bill Crabtree in this Parliament, but I knew him well as a prominent member of the Australian Labor Party and as the Labor member for Kogarah. In fact, everybody knew Bill Crabtree as the Labor member for Kogarah because he won the seat in 11 consecutive elections. If that is not a record in itself, those 11 straight victories must be rated amongst the highest achievements of any member of the New South Wales Parliament. Bill Crabtree served in this place from 1953 to 1983 and rightly earned the title "Father of the House". Bill Crabtree epitomised the Labor member of Parliament of his time and, sadly, there are few like him today. He worked on the railways from age 14 and joined the Labor Party at 16. He rose through the ranks of his party and his union to win the seat of Kogarah. He did not just take an interest in his seat but got involved in no small way. The fact that he was both a member and chairman of the St George Hospital board for many years testifies to his great commitment to his electorate.

However, the aspect of Bill Crabtree's life that I want to praise tonight encompasses more than Kogarah. I take this opportunity to single out Bill's great contribution to the New South Wales scouting association. In 1982 as Minister for Lands in a Wran Labor Government, Bill managed to secure free of charge a long-term lease of approximately 180 acres of land as a permanent campsite for the scout association. As secretary of the parliamentary branch of the Baden Powell Scout Guild—an organisation of which Bill was an esteemed member—I know that Bill Crabtree's legacy to scouting will never be forgotten. Bill took a personal interest in securing a site for the scouts and he was keen to ensure the best possible outcome. The scout campsite is on a parcel of land adjacent to the Sydney Water reserve at Cataract Dam.

Although the scouts had various campsites around New South Wales, they did not have a site large enough to hold major events. That site was the location of the successful 1986 world jamboree attended by some 17,000 scouts and two Australian jamborees in 1991 and 2000—which were attended by some 12,000 scouts. According to the scout association, the great advantage of having a permanent campsite at Cataract Scout Park is that it is able to embellish the site rather than getting established somewhere, holding a jamboree and then dismantling it. We have Bill Crabtree to thank for that. The president of the parliamentary branch of the Baden Powell Scout Guild, John Price—who is still very active in the scouting movement—has a prior commitment this evening and has asked me to extend his condolences to Mrs Crabtree and to Bill's family. Bill Crabtree will be remembered as a person who served his electorate with great distinction and as the champion of many causes, of which the wellbeing of the youths of the scouting movement was just one.

Mr O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [7.39 p.m.]: I speak to the condolence motion on behalf of the Liberal Party. William Frederick Crabtree was born in Marrickville on 31 May 1915, and when he joined the Australian Labor Party in 1931 at the age of 16 the course of his life was well and truly set. Bill Crabtree had three passions in his life: the Australian Labor Party, the community welfare of his beloved St George area, and his family. Bill Crabtree is survived by his wife, Alice, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy. Alice was a strong and supportive partner throughout his life, including during his political career. He had a son and daughter from a first marriage, and to them, together with his many friends, I extend the sympathy of the Coalition.

The culmination of Bill's political career was to spend more than five years as a Minister in successive Cabinets led by Labor Premier Neville Wran. Successively, Bill Crabtree was Minister for Lands and Minister for Environment, Minister for Lands, Minister for Lands and Minister for Services, and finally Minister for Police and Minister for Services. I acknowledge the presence in the Chamber this evening of Jim Jolley, who is now an Opposition adviser, but who throughout Bill Crabtree's ministerial career worked for William Frederick Crabtree.

After leaving school, Bill Crabtree started work on the New South Wales Railways as a junior porter but soon won a position in the salaried officers division, where he worked as a railway accountant. His involvement in political and union activities continued, and he became honorary secretary of the salaried officers group of the Australian Railways Union. His work within the Australian Labor Party led to his appointment as private secretary to the Hon. Clive Evatt, who was the member for Hurstville and held a series of ministerial posts in New South Wales Labor governments of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. During those years Bill Crabtree established a local profile in sport and community activities that would eventually lead to his winning preselection for the ALP for the State seat of Kogarah.

He played rugby league in St George district competitions, was a founder of the Sans Souci Sailing and Canoe Club and was later chairman of the Georges River Sailing Club. His contribution to the development of St George Hospital was outstanding, and he was chairman of the board during critical stages of its development in the 1960s. He once counted up his local connections and found that he was patron to 40 local community groups. Bill Crabtree became Hurstville State Electorate Council Secretary and St George Federal Electorate Council President before coming into this Chamber representing the Australian Labor Party as the member for Kogarah on 14 February 1953. During the years of the Coalition governments led by Sir Robert Askin, the Hon. Tom Lewis and Sir Eric Willis, Bill Crabtree was a vigorous and enthusiastic performer on the Opposition benches. Those who were in the Chamber in those years recall that he was energetic with his interjections and that he was not shy in challenging the then Speaker, Sir Kevin Ellis, with a stream of points of order.

In the Parliamentary Labor Party, Bill Crabtree took the courageous and precarious course of not entrenching himself firmly in either the left or the right factions. His early connections were on the left, but he was a staunch supporter of the parliamentary leader Pat Hills, and his voting record in caucus was said to often reflect an independence of mind. His modus operandi was absolute loyalty to the party, and particularly to the leader of the day—a loyalty that unfortunately was not always returned in the degree it was offered. He confided in friends the difficulty he had when the ALP machine decided to replace Pat Hills with Neville Wran as Leader of the Opposition in 1973. Bill Crabtree initially rebuffed the approaches of the Wran camp, but finally he had to accept the inevitable. And so, when the decision was made, he gave Neville Wran the same intense loyalty he had given to Pat Hills.

When Neville Wran won government in 1976 by the narrowest of margins, and after two weeks of counting, Bill Crabtree fulfilled his ambition to become a Minister in a Labor government in New South Wales. As Minister for Lands and Minister for Environment, he established a high profile. Care for the environment was an emerging issue in 1976, with the need to formally establish national parks and to legislate protection of native flora and fauna gaining wider public acceptance. Later, Bill Crabtree was given the Services portfolio—which was an updated version of the old Colonial Secretary and then Chief Secretary's Department—where he had served earlier with the Hon. Clive Evatt. One of Bill's great pleasures was his return, as Minister, to Lord Howe Island, where he continued work and friendships he had established 20 years before as private secretary to the Minister.

When Neville Wran became Premier he maintained the organisational structure for policing set up by Sir Robert Askin, maintaining management of Police as part of the Premier's portfolio. In 1979 and 1980 there were growing controversies involving allegations of corruption, and the Premier handed over the Police portfolio to Bill Crabtree for the 18-month lead-up to the September 1981 State election. So, technically, Bill Crabtree became the first stand-alone Minister for Police in New South Wales. Former staff recalled this week that after the 1981 election Bill Crabtree felt some concerns about his position in the new Cabinet. His friends and former colleagues Kevin Stewart, Minister for Health, and Harry Jensen, former Lord Mayor and Minister for Local Government, had retired.

Premier Wran had been promoting the profiles of a group of young backbenchers that included Peter Anderson, Laurie Brereton, Michael Cleary and the current Leader of Government Business in this House, the Hon. Paul Whelan. Former staff recalled that Bill Crabtree sensed a changing of the guard was on the way. He rang around factional leaders the day before the vote and was assured that his position in the Cabinet was secure. Unfortunately, when the numbers went up the next day he was out of the Ministry, as was his colleague the Minister for Corrective Services, Bill Haigh. Bill Crabtree was very disappointed, but he was true to his Labor loyalties. He stopped to face a press conference and, while he expressed his disappointment, he refused to criticise his colleagues. It was in his handling of this setback that many of his contemporaries have lasting memories of the qualities they admired in Bill Crabtree—qualities that led to so much personal and political success.

Bill Crabtree stayed on working for his electorate of Kogarah before resigning from Parliament on 23 July 1983. Bill Crabtree was a man with enormous pride in his personal achievements and in the achievements of the institutions he cherished. He was proud to be a member of the Australian Labor Party, he was proud to represent the people of Kogarah, and he was proud that he was a member of this Parliament. Tonight we honour the contribution he made. We extend our sympathies to his family and to the many friends and colleagues who survive him.

Mr McGRANE (Dubbo) [7.45 p.m.]: I support the sentiments expressed earlier by honourable members to Bill Crabtree's wife and family. I had my first dealings with Bill Crabtree when I was shire president of Gilgandra and Bill was Minister for Services, with responsibility for emergency services. At the time the Gilgandra shire had a problem with a fire in the Goonoo State Forest, a forest partly controlled by the Gilgandra and Dubbo council areas. The fire started at about 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon. The forestry people, apparently thinking the fire was under control, decided to knock off at 5.30 and retreat to their respective places of residence. Overnight, the fire again got out of control, and on Saturday morning I was informed by my clerk that we had a problem.

At the fire site we were advised by the controller of the emergency fire control area that we should declare a state of emergency. We duly did. Though we rang all the right numbers, we got little positive response; even in those days we had answering machines! We carried on as if a state of emergency had been declared. After two days that weekend we had the Goonoo State Forest fire under control. Under the declared state of emergency we used private equipment and equipment from the Dubbo City Council and Gilgandra shire.

The following Tuesday the department decided that what we had done was not within the law and that the two council areas would have to wear the bill. I appealed to Minister Bill Crabtree for help. At the time I was about 26 years of age—the youngest shire president at the time—and not quite sure how to deal with a Minister of the Crown. Bill always gave me a fair hearing on the telephone and responded to correspondence, but as I was not getting very far in trying to resolve the problem I extended to Bill what was considered by Gilgandra to be the honour of inviting him to open the local show. It might have been the only show that Bill Crabtree ever opened. We treated Bill like royalty and showed him what we thought we were achieving. Everyone said how wonderful it was that a Minister of the Crown would open the local show. In due course, Bill came to the party and overrode his department's decision that our declared state of emergency was illegal. Thereafter Bill and I were always great mates. This shows that Bill Crabtree was a man of the people, as previous speakers have said, and he worked for the people. This place is saddened by the loss of Bill Crabtree because he was a true Australian and a great bloke.

Members and officers of the House stood in their places.

Motion agreed to.

Mr TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [7.51 p.m.]: I thank the House for the opportunity to discuss taxation incentives to regional New South Wales. It is a topical subject not only in New South Wales but throughout Australia. Currently many groups and organisations are studying the problems of regional Australia and it is time they came together to formulate an action plan. The National Farmers Federation President, Ian Donges, pointed out in May that both Commonwealth and State governments have responded to the problems of regional Australia with a range of measures designed to alleviate the most acute difficulties. Unfortunately, this piecemeal approach runs the risk of missing the important underlying causes of problems, raising expectations unduly and ultimately proving ineffective.

The National Farmers Federation, along with the Institute of Chartered Accountants and in conjunction with the New South Wales Local Government and Shires Associations, has proposed a range of initiatives. A new personal income tax and company tax zone rebate scheme for people and businesses residing and operating in country Australia has been central to that thrust. I should like to draw the attention of members of this House to the main points raised by those organisations in discussion papers. The report states:

The essential justification of a tax zone rebate scheme is to address longstanding distortions and bias against country living and do so in a more neutral, across-the-board, transparent, efficient and ultimately effective manner than the current piecemeal approach to regional Australia.

The scheme would replace the current zone-A zone-B tax rebate scheme for individuals, which has existed for more than 50 years, and the more recent fuel sales grant scheme. It may replace also some other forms of regional assistance. Arguments in favour of the proposal are that it would be simpler than the present scheme and there would be fewer zones; and it would remove the distortion or penalty on size and success. Under the new scheme eligible taxpayers will be able to claim back a given percentage of their taxable income regardless of how big the income. The tax zone rebate zones would cover more people. Metropolitan centres would not be covered. It would remove the distortion of the present scheme by widening it to include companies, which is a very important initiative, and the suggestion is to allow zone boundaries to be adjusted every five years in line with remoteness indicators that are used to define eligible districts.

The scheme is aimed at reversing the population drift from inland Australia. Given the results from similar overseas schemes, it would promote strong population growth in country areas. There can be little doubt that the primary reason people have migrated from country Australia to the cities is economic. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures confirm that per capita incomes on average are lower in country Australia than in cities. I point out also that a range of work has been done on this issue. The Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Chris Sidoti, and the Jesuits have issued reports in recent times looking at the issues, the services, the losses and the impact on communities in regional areas. A range of data is available on this topic and therefore it should not be news to members of the House.

The picture on the net asset holdings of Australians is more mixed. Data I have seen is less reliable, but it is clear that the personal wealth of city dwellers on average is now higher and increasing more quickly than that of country Australians. Loss of population particularly from inland country areas to the city has serious effects on those who remain, and that is still evident. The loss of critical mass required to keep many services going or even to maintain existing roads has been faced by many communities and we continue to hear about that. A commitment has to be made to create jobs. On this basis the various reports to which I am alluding examine enterprise zones along these lines, that is, to create real jobs in regional communities.

Even infrastructure upgrades need to be targeted around job creation, which, in turn, will feed the flow-on effects necessary to return regional communities to prosperity. The key is to have policies that seek to return regional communities to prosperity, not polices that seek to slow the decline. I believe these reports strike at the very heart of that sort of recovery and prosperity. I congratulate all of the organisations involved. Enterprise zones basically along the lines of those established in the United States of America and Europe encourage the introduction of new industry and expansion of existing industry. It is important also to create incentives to expand existing industries in regional communities whilst encouraging new industries.

The report envisages defining these sorts of zones around local government areas and using high unemployment and, importantly, loss of population as the prime criteria for enterprise zone assistance. The National Farmers Federation discussion paper and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, together with the Local Government Association report, advocate the use of taxation-based incentives to facilitate regional development. I believe, like many people in regional communities, that it is a winner. The reports propose to give tax benefits to companies investing in these regional communities that have been selected by the enterprise zones. I believe the proposal enjoys strong support from regional communities, particularly from councils in country areas that have contacted me.

In the 10 years to 1996 the population of metropolitan Australia grew by over 15 per cent and the population of non-metropolitan coastal Australia grew by 23 per cent. By contrast, the population of inland Australia grew by 6.5 per cent, with similar figures for remote Australia. Because they are broad figures, the trends in employment growth mask the important trends in domestic migration patterns. For example, from 1991 to 1996 inland regions lost some 70,500 people and remote Australia some 37,000 people to city areas. The broad picture is a relative draining of inland Australian population. Moreover, the population profile in inland Australia is ageing quickly.

I was encouraged by comments some months ago by Federal members of Parliament about enterprise zones and zonal taxation. I was further encouraged when the Federal Government had indicated that a task force would be established to examine this issue. However, I was disappointed to read in many rural press publications—I have a copy of the Northern Daily Leader of Wednesday 18 July—that the Prime Minister indicated clearly that "zonal taxation is not a viable option". I encourage all members of Parliament, both State and Federal, to reconsider this issue, and to read the reports in detail, as much of the complexity has been worked out by the practitioners and by those who have been working hard to put forward what I consider to be a meaningful policy to assist regional communities to return to prosperity.

I know it is a Federal election year but I would hope that all sides of politics would benefit, as would the community, including metropolitan areas, with policies like this that seek to stop the population drift, particularly from inland Australia. I urge all honourable members to encourage their Federal counterparts to reconsider this matter or, in the case of the Federal Opposition, to put forward a very clear position of support to encourage lifting the bar at the Federal level to ensure that regional communities are looked after. The State Government should pick up on the initiative announced recently by the Minister for Education and Training that will provide compensation to teachers in areas of need. I will not debate whether the monetary compensation is appropriate, but we should congratulate the Minister on the principle of positive discrimination to areas of need. And that is exactly what we need to do, particularly for inland and remote parts of New South Wales and Australia.

The State Government could use that initiative for payroll tax by providing differential rates for the country as opposed to the city. If the State Government were to unashamedly create such incentives it would result in balanced planning and infrastructure, but, most importantly, it would provide population growth in communities that have not experienced it. I believe very strongly in this. I hope that the Federal Government will review its position and that the Federal Opposition will state its position for the record.

Mr MARTIN (Bathurst) [8.01 p.m.]: I support the remarks of my colleague the honourable member for Northern Tablelands. I know that it is something he was interested in even before he came into this place. When he was mayor of a major regional centre, as I was, and chairman of the Country Mayors Association, many of these issues were at the forefront of his thoughts. There is no question that we need to exert as much pressure as we can on the Federal Government, particularly in regard to taxation, because taxation avenues come from the Federal Government. It is pleasing to note that taxation incentives for country New South Wales are now on the agenda. A looming Federal election will place even more emphasis on this issue. I take this opportunity to reflect on the record of the Carr Labor Government. Some people would suggest that it has no interest in country and regional New South Wales, but nothing could be further from the truth. I will outline a few tax concessions for rural communities that have been in place since 1995.

Mr Windsor: It shouldn't take long.

Mr MARTIN: It will take exactly eight minutes and 39 seconds. I refer, for example, to an exemption from contracts and conveyances duty for transfer of farms from one generation to another, and between siblings. The value of this concession for 2001-02 is estimated to be $18.6 million. A concessional rate of stamp duty of 2.5 per cent applies to insurance of crops and livestock. For five years from 1 February 2000 a concessional rate of stamp duty of 2.5 per cent applies to insurance contracts offered by the Debtor Insurance Scheme to protect stock and station agents against loss as a result of payment defaults by abattoirs. A credit of contracts and conveyances duty previously paid is now applied to amalgamation of certain western land leases to encourage consolidation of holdings. Land used for primary production is exempt from land tax. The estimated value of this concession in the current financial year is $230 million.

Land owned by agricultural societies used for agricultural shows is exempt from land tax, and land used by marketing and pasture protection boards is also exempt from land tax. Weight tax on primary producer motor vehicles not greater than 4.5 tonnes, and on cars and station wagons owned by primary producers, is levied at private rather than business rates. For trucks, tractors and trailers primary producers pay only 55 per cent of business rates. The estimated value of this concession in the current financial year is $17.7 million. A concessional rate of 30 per cent of the business rate applies to vehicle tax for tow trucks outside Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Those concessions are an indication that the Government is aware of the need for incentives to help people outside the metropolitan areas. It is interesting to note that there is a direct link between regional development and the motion moved by the honourable member for Northern Tablelands.

Since 1995, 35,000 full-time jobs have been created on the back of about $5.37 billion of private investment secured for regional New South Wales as a direct result of assistance from the State Government. There are 18 regional development offices throughout New South Wales. Some of the major programs in the current budget include $5 million for the Regional Economic Transition Scheme [RETS] to attract new industry to regional communities hit by the economic shocks of business closures, industry restructuring and global economic change. Such setbacks inevitably lead to substantial job losses, falls in local income and expenditure, and depressed local economies. Communities dependent on agriculture, agriprocessing, mining and forestry industries are particularly exposed to adverse trends in the globalisation of these industries. RETS will continue to assist communities like Eden, Broken Hill and Lithgow. I was Mayor of Lithgow in 1998 when it was one of the first areas to experience the benefits of RETS.

Other communities that will be assisted by RETS include Gunnedah and Goulburn, and the shires of Blayney in my electorate—a number of initiatives have brought industries to Blayney—Bogan, Cootamundra, Cobar, Eurobodalla, Kempsey, Nambucca, Rylestone, also in my electorate, and Scone. It is a fairly extensive list. If you put these dots across a map you will see how extensive RETS has been across New South Wales. Bellingen and Gloucester shires were recently added to the scheme. Another $724,000 of the $5 million annual RETS budget is allocated to the Meat Processing Industry Restructuring program, which is a very important initiative of the Carr Government.

The Meat Processing Industry Restructuring program was introduced to help meat processing firms form a competitive, sustainable industry, and to ease the burdens on companies, employees and communities of long-term and continuing economic rationalisation in the abattoir industry. Over five years $12 million will be provided by four government agencies. The Department of State and Regional Development is contributing almost $10 million, including $74,000 per annum allocated from RETS. The Meat Processing Industry Restructuring program will fund development with a strategic plan. Some 45 projects are expected to be assisted in this budgetary year. The Business Protection and Expansion program provides regional communities with the mechanism—

Mr Armstrong: Point of order: I am somewhat reluctant to take this point of order, but I feel I must. The terms of the matter of public importance are quite narrow: "Taxation incentives for country New South Wales". I do not think it presents an opportunity to go through a glossary of claims about the Government having assisted country industry. It is quite a specific point. It is on taxation incentives. The mover of the motion kept his contribution quite specific.

Madam ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Beamer): Order! The matter of public importance relates to taxation incentives for country New South Wales. I am sure the honourable member for Bathurst will now return to that matter.

Mr MARTIN: If the honourable member for Lachlan had been listening he would have realised that everything I am talking about has come through the taxation base of the State Government and that all of these schemes are part of our taxation concessions to country areas. This is a typical tactic of the honourable member for Lachlan. It is all to do with wasting time. I will continue. I agree with you, Madam Acting-Speaker, that everything I am talking about refers to taxation in one way or another. The Agribusiness Alternatives program will gain $800,000 in 2001-02. Guess where that comes from? That comes from the tax base of New South Wales.

The Regional Development Board is also a part of our taxation incentives. It is helping businesses in country and regional areas through these very generous tax base concessions from the New South Wales Government. Another $600,000 will go to the market expansion program in 2001-02. Once again, that will help targeted firms to develop confidence to use these concessions and meet the changing needs of country areas, create jobs and bring stability back to communities that have been affected by globalisation, economic rationalism and other pressures imposed in large part by the Federal Government.

The first step taken by the Federal Government after being elected in 1996 was to abolish the Department of Regional Development. The Deputy Prime Minister is now under siege and is talking about regional development being the driving force, forgetting that the first thing he did was to abolish the department. What sort of hypocrisy is that? It is the same sort of hypocrisy we hear from the honourable member for Coffs Harbour and the honourable member for Lachlan, who has nothing to contribute but takes inane points of order. If he has learned anything in the 100 years he has been here it is the tactic of eating into the time that members have to make their points. I support the honourable member for Northern Tablelands.

Mr WINDSOR (Tamworth) [8.11 p.m.]: I am pleased that the honourable member for Lachlan made a contribution earlier, because I thought some of the points he made were pertinent. I am pleased also that the honourable member for Northern Tablelands moved this motion. This debate has been in the offing for some time as the matter is of public importance. One of the underlying problems that country New South Wales and country Australia are facing, which even the honourable member for Bathurst overlooked, is that an economic agenda is applying pressure on population growth. The honourable member for Northern Tablelands made an important point when he said there may be any number of government programs, State and Federal, but they do not address the underlying problem, which is population shrinkage.

Mr Martin: Creating jobs will do that.

Mr WINDSOR: But the population is still shrinking. The honourable member for Bathurst referred to the Deputy Prime Minister. The Federal seat of Gwydir has experienced the greatest population shrinkage of any region in Australia outside Tasmania. There has been a movement of population away from inland Australia. Some people would suggest that that is normal, that it should happen as part of the general process of economic reform and competition policy, and that people make up their own minds about moving from various areas. I disagree with that. The honourable member for Northern Tablelands, the honourable member for Dubbo and various other members in this Chamber also disagree with that proposition. That theory will depopulate inland Australia.

The general theory of competition policy and economic rationalism is that the cheapest and most cost-effective way of providing the highest number of resources to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible cost is to put people in a feedlot. That is a strict interpretation of some of the competition policy theories, and this Government is pursuing them as much as other governments. We are doing that in Sydney and we are reaping the consequences in Cabramatta and elsewhere in the social dilemmas that people face: there has been a whole range of incidents across the State. We have to work out why that is happening. Some people say it is in response to global conditions, that we are a small player in the world, that we have to respond, and that we are at their mercy.

One of the problems I have with the Deputy Prime Minister, who happens to be my local Federal member, is that although he believes in that theory he says we are doing the best we can for the people who live in those areas. A degree of honesty has to be introduced into this debate. People who believe in that theory are saying to country people that their communities will be depopulated and that they should proceed in the quickest possible fashion to the nearest feedlot, where they can be given the greatest number of services at the cheapest possible cost. That is why country Australians are objecting. They happen to like the environment they live in and they are about to say that enough is enough.

Mr TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [8.16 p.m.], in reply: I thank honourable members who contributed to this debate, namely, the honourable member for Bathurst and the honourable member for Tamworth. The honourable member for Dubbo was very keen to participate but unfortunately the procedure did not allow for that today. It is very important that we continue to focus, as many honourable members have outlined, on population drift, particularly from inland Australia. That is the key message I want to highlight. The proposals put forward by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, National Farmers and the Local Government and Shires Associations have all targeted that population drift using enterprise zones, zonal taxation and other incentives and initiatives. That strikes at the very heart of returning regional communities to prosperity.

As I said earlier, my main concern is that governments merely dole out some goodies just prior to an election. I highlight again the report of Chris Sidoti, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, who examined in significant detail the impacts faced by the people left behind in declining communities. Other countries have shown that the initiative works. I acknowledge that the Federal Government responded quite positively in the first instance, but for the Prime Minister to suddenly say that it is too difficult is very disappointing, particularly in an election year and given the feeling in regional and remote New South Wales and Australia. I believe that the community will respond to a government or an opposition that forgets about pointscoring in respect of track records and focuses on how to return regional communities to prosperity. No government of any political persuasion can hold its head high when it comes to the messages coming out of these reports on inland Australia.

I congratulate National Farmers, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Local Government and Shires Associations for participating objectively in this process. I hope that this information will be picked up objectively by the political and legislative processes. That is why we are here, to improve the quality of life of all Australians—in our case, all of the people of New South Wales. Inland Australia deserves to have that support and will acknowledge that support when it is given. I close by saying that the information coming to me directly from the community is that those people are not looking for handouts. Obviously they are prepared to do their bit. These are never-say-die communities but they need incentives to ensure that their populations grow so that they can benefit from the flow-on effects. They will make it work but they cannot while the legislative environment does not suit their growth and prosperity.

Discussion concluded.

Motion by Mr Whelan agreed to:

That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow the introduction and passage up to and including the Ministers' second reading speech of the following bills at this sitting:

Public Finance and Audit Amendment (Auditor-General) Bill
Psychologists Bill (No 2)
Dental Practice Bill

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Mr MARKHAM (Wollongong—Parliamentary Secretary), on behalf of Mr Aquilina [8.21 p.m.]: I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

In the last weeks of the budget session earlier this year the Auditor-General released volume three of his report to Parliament for 2001. It included a copy of advice provided by the Crown Solicitor relating to the Auditor-General's power to report to Parliament. The Crown Solicitor advised on the Auditor-General's power to report on the achievement of fiscal targets under the General Government Debt Elimination Act 1995. The Crown Solicitor construed the Auditor-General's reporting powers narrowly. The Premier and the Treasurer stated that the Government would deal with the issues raised by the Crown Solicitor's advice at the first opportunity, namely, at the start of the spring session.

This bill solves the problem arising from the Crown Solicitor's advice by extending the powers of the Auditor-General to report to Parliament. The bill amends the reporting power in section 52 of the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983. Currently, the Auditor-General may report on any matter arising from audit. The bill will replace this with the power to report on any matter that arises from or relates to the exercise of the Auditor-General's functions. This problem arose from the Crown Solicitor's advice. The Government has obtained further advice from the Crown Solicitor to ensure that the bill solves the problem. I seek leave to table the Crown Solicitor's advice.

Leave granted.

Document tabled.

I draw attention to the Crown Solicitor's conclusion that the proposed amendment will significantly increase the matters upon which the Auditor-General may report. The Crown Solicitor also says that the proposed amendment would expand significantly and appropriately the matters upon which the Auditor-General may report. The Crown Solicitor advises that provided some relationship exists between the particular matter and the exercise of any of his functions, the Auditor-General will be permitted to report on it. The Government has also obtained a report from the Parliamentary Counsel on this aspect of the bill. I seek leave to table the Parliamentary Counsel's opinion.

Leave granted.

Document tabled.

The Parliamentary Counsel reports that the amendment is intended to provide the Auditor-General with the widest possible power to report, consistently with the matters being reported having some direct or indirect relationship to the Auditor-General's functions. As promised, the Government has introduced this bill to address the problem arising from the Crown Solicitor's previous advice. The Crown Solicitor's further advice and the report of the Parliamentary Counsel demonstrate that this bill will solve the problem. Indeed, the Government has gone further than simply dealing with this issue for the future.

The transitional provisions in the bill ensure that the bill is given retrospective effect. The provisions will validate anything done by the Auditor-General before the commencement of the bill that would have been valid if the bill had been in force. This particular provision, giving the bill retrospective effect, was included in the bill following a question raised by Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile, MLC, at a budget estimates hearing. The Government acknowledges Reverend Nile's contribution on this aspect of the bill. The bill addresses a number of issues in addition to the Auditor-General’s reporting powers. They arise from matters the Auditor-General has raised with the Treasurer. I turn to them now.

The bill introduces a new provision relating to the office of Auditor-General. For the first time, legislation will specifically declare that there is to be an Auditor-General for New South Wales. This provision also sets out the functions of the Auditor-General, including three new functions. First, the Auditor-General will have the function of providing audit or audit-related services to Parliament at the request of both Houses of Parliament. Second, the Auditor-General will have the function of providing audit or audit-related services to the Treasurer at the request of the Treasurer. Third, the Auditor-General will have the function of doing anything that is incidental to the exercise of his functions.

The first two new functions will ensure that the Auditor-General may be asked by Parliament or the Treasurer to carry out particular audits or audit-related services. These new functions will be particularly useful where the audit or audit-related services are not covered by the Auditor-General's specific audit powers. The Public Finance and Audit Act currently includes a restriction on the Auditor-General questioning the merits of Government policy in connection with a special audit. In light of the significant expansion of the Auditor-General's reporting powers, the bill extends this restriction to the Auditor-General's functions and reports generally. In addition to auditing the public accounts and the total State sector accounts, the Auditor-General has power to conduct special audits. These enable the Auditor-General to conduct an audit to determine whether an authority is carrying out its activities effectively, economically and efficiently; and in compliance with all relevant laws.

In keeping with industry practice, the bill renames "special audits" as "performance audits". The bill makes it clear that the Auditor-General may conduct a performance audit in relation to a particular issue across a number of agencies. The bill also makes it easier for the Auditor-General to report on such cross-agency audits. It does so by enabling the Auditor-General to ask the Treasurer to nominate one authority and one Minister to whom the Auditor-General must provide a draft report. This will avoid the need for the Auditor-General to provide a draft report to more than one authority or Minister in cases where such reporting is not warranted. Currently, the Act requires that the Auditor-General provide a summary of his findings and recommendations to the head of the authority and the Minister for at least 28 days before making his report.

The bill will enable the Auditor-General to make his report more quickly if the head of the authority has made any submissions or comments he or she wishes to make. The bill also requires that the Auditor-General provide a copy of the draft report of a performance audit to the Treasurer, in addition to the responsible Minister and the head of the authority. This will ensure that, in appropriate cases, the implications of the Auditor-General's findings and recommendations are considered more generally and not just in relation to the particular authority audited. The bill also makes amendments in relation to protected disclosures that can be made to the Auditor General. Currently, the Auditor-General may deal with a protected disclosure only by conducting a special audit.

The bill removes protected disclosures from the special or performance audit provisions of the Act. Instead, the bill authorises the Auditor-General to deal with a complaint in any manner the Auditor-General considers appropriate. Currently, the Auditor-General is protected from personal liability for acts done in good faith. The bill extends this protection for the Auditor-General to cover omissions as well as acts. The bill also includes an additional exception to the secrecy provisions that currently apply under the Act. This exception will enable the Treasurer to authorise the Auditor-General to disclose information for a due diligence process relating to the sale of a government undertaking.

The bill also makes a minor amendment to section 35 of the Act to ensure that, where the Auditor-General carries out an inspection or examination under that section, the Auditor-General will be able to recoup his costs. The bill delivers on the Government's promise to address the problem with the Auditor-General’s reporting powers that arose from the Crown Solicitor's advice. The Government has never reduced the reporting powers of the Auditor-General in any way. By this bill, the Government will significantly expand the reporting powers of the Auditor-General. I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Fraser.

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Mr McMANUS (Heathcote—Parliamentary Secretary) on behalf of Mr Knowles [8.32 p.m.]: I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

New legislation for the regulation of psychologists was introduced into Parliament last year. However, the legislation was not proceeded with because of concerns about certain aspects of the bill raised by the profession. In addition, a number of amendments have since been made to update the legislation in line with changes to other health professional registration Acts recently passed. Following further consultation, I now wish to introduce the Psychologists Bill 2001. The Psychologists Registration Board and the main professional association, the Australian Psychological Society, support the bill currently before the House. The new legislation repeals the Psychologists Act 1989 and replaces it with an updated and strengthened regulatory regime for the psychological profession. The stated object of the bill is to protect the health and safety of members of the public and to ensure that psychologists are fit to practice.

An extensive review undertaken by the Department of Health considered both the recommendations of an Ombudsman’s report and the public benefit issues required under the Competition Principles Agreement. The review process has involved detailed public consultation facilitated by a publicly released issues paper. The review concluded that there were some shortcomings with the current registration and complaints handling processes. The bill before the House introduces a number of reform measures to address these shortcomings. The bill introduces new requirements to provide greater protection for members of the public who use the services of psychologists. In her special report to Parliament into the Psychologists Registration Board, the New South Wales Ombudsman recommended that the Act be amended to require applicants for registration to positively demonstrate that they have competence at the time of seeking registration. The Ombudsman also recommended that the board should be able to refuse registration based on an applicant's past professional conduct.

Applicants for registration generally demonstrate their competence by holding the relevant academic qualifications and completing supervised practice. Nevertheless, it is recognised that there may be conduct prior to registration which demonstrates that a psychologist does not have the necessary competence to practise. The proposed legislation allows the board, in any particular case, to hold an inquiry into whether registration should be refused or conditions imposed on a new registrant to address an identified lack of competence. The power to conduct an inquiry will also be available to the board when a person applies to have his or her registration restored. A provision has also been included in the bill to make it clear that the conduct of the person prior to registration may be taken into account in determining whether a person is of good character and is therefore eligible for registration.

The Psychologists Act currently permits the board to refuse registration when a person has been the subject of disciplinary action in a foreign jurisdiction or when the person is affected by an impairment—that is, lack of physical or mental capacity—or addiction to drugs or alcohol. The new legislation, in appropriate circumstances, enables the board to impose conditions on a person's registration as an alternative to refusing registration. A right of appeal will be available against any decision of the board to refuse registration or impose conditions on a person's registration. Under the bill the board will also be specifically empowered to refuse registration when an applicant has a criminal finding against them which renders them unfit to practise, irrespective of whether a conviction has been recorded. The medical board can take immediate action to suspend a registrant, or place conditions on registration when this is necessary to protect the public. Under the bill the Psychologists Registration Board will now have a similar capacity to take emergency action to protect the public subject to appropriate review and appeal provisions to ensure fairness to registrants.

The bill also contains a number of measures to better ensure that existing registrants continue to be fit and competent to practise as psychologists. There will be expanded requirements for notification and reporting of criminal conduct involving registrants. Psychologists will now be required to report to the board within seven days any criminal convictions they sustain; any finding against them for a sex or violence offence, whether or not a conviction has been recorded; any criminal proceedings pending against them for a sex or violence offence involving a minor; and any other criminal proceedings pending against them for a sex or violence offence alleged to have been committed in the course of practice. In this context, a sex or violence offence means an offence involving sexual activity, acts of indecency, child pornography, physical violence or the threat of physical violence.

When renewing their annual registration, psychologists will be required to complete declarations detailing criminal convictions and certain other criminal findings and proceedings relevant to the question of fitness to practise, refusal of registration in another jurisdiction, any significant mental or physical illness from which the psychologist suffered that is likely to affect their capacity to practise, and continuing professional development and education activities undertaken by the psychologist in the previous year. Clause 22 will require the courts, when aware, to notify the board of psychologists who have been found guilty of an offence or made the subject of a criminal finding for a sex or violence offence. As a result the board will be much better informed as to when either disciplinary action or emergency action to protect the public is required. The current Act has a single definition of "professional misconduct" which has posed difficulties in the past. Accordingly, the Psychologists Bill adopts the approach contained in other health professional legislation of a two-tier definition that consists of "unsatisfactory professional conduct" and "professional misconduct". The two-tier definition overcomes the problem of the current statutory definition of "misconduct" being read down to apply only to conduct attracting the "gross reprobation of one's peers".

The complaints handling system has also been strengthened and now provides for certain additional powers in relation to a psychologist who is the subject of a complaint. The board may require the psychologist to undergo a medical examination in order to assist in determining the psychologist's competence to practise and may require a psychologist to provide information with respect to a complaint. The grounds for complaint in the bill have been amended to be consistent with the changes in the grounds for refusing a person registration, the introduction of the two-tier definition of "misconduct", the introduction of an impaired practitioners system, and the introduction of a system to assist the board in dealing with consumer complaints regarding psychological services.

The bill establishes the Psychologists Tribunal. As occurs with other health professions, the tribunal will deal with the more serious complaints that may lead to suspension or deregistration, as well as appeals against the decisions of the board with respect to disciplinary matters, registration and restoration applications. The tribunal will be chaired by a legal practitioner with at least seven years experience and include two psychologists appointed by the board, as well as a representative of consumers selected by the board. The Psychologists Registration Board will continue to deal with those complaints that are not of sufficient seriousness to warrant referral to the tribunal. The bill also introduces the Psychologists Care Assessment Committee, which is modelled on the successful Dental Care Assessment Committee. The committee will be used by the Psychologists Registration Board as an expeditious and expert mechanism to investigate and inquire into less serious complaints made by the consumers of psychological services.

The committee will report and make recommendations to the board on the complaints that it investigates. The committee will also have the power to require a registrant to undergo skills testing at the board's expense where appropriate. Skills testing will assist the board in dealing with complaints about professional standards and in ensuring that psychologists maintain appropriate professional standards. The committee will not have the power to determine complaints except in those cases where the patient and the psychologist who is the subject of the complaint reach an appropriate agreement between themselves. Further, if the committee concludes in the course of its investigations that a complaint raises an issue of unsatisfactory conduct that should be referred to a disciplinary inquiry, the board will be bound to follow this recommendation. In such circumstances the board will either inquire into the matter or, if it is of sufficient seriousness, refer it for hearing by the Psychologists Tribunal.

The role of the Health Care Complaints Commission has been preserved in the revised disciplinary scheme. The board and the commission will continue to consult each other regarding the action to be taken concerning each complaint received by either body. If either body considers that a complaint requires investigation by the commission, the matter must be investigated. In those cases where a complaint has been referred to the assessment committee, the commission will be provided with the committee's report and recommendations to the board. Where, in accordance with the Health Care Complaints Act, the commission recommends that a complaint be dealt with by inquiry at a meeting of the board, the board must comply with the recommendation. Furthermore, the commission will have a right to make submissions to a board inquiry into unsatisfactory professional conduct and to prosecute complaints about psychologists before the tribunal.

The proposed legislation also includes comprehensive appeal mechanisms. In the case of a decision on a complaint heard by the board there is a right to appeal to the Psychologists Tribunal and for that appeal to be by way of a fresh hearing. There is also avenue for a psychologist to appeal to the tribunal on a point of law. In addition, where conditions on registration or suspension are imposed by the board in an impairment matter, there will be a right to appeal to the tribunal. Where a complaint is heard by the tribunal there is a right to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, such an appeal may be made only on a point of law. The reason for limiting appeals in this manner is that the Psychologists Tribunal is established as an expert body with both professional and legal expertise.

As part of the board's powers to protect the public the bill enables the board to impose conditions on a psychologist's registration or suspend that registration where it is necessary to do so to protect the life or the physical or mental health of any person. These provisions are modelled on similar provisions in the Medical Practice Act, and which have also been included in other health professional registration Acts. The board will be able to exercise its emergency powers at any time, whether or not a complaint has been made. However, following exercise of these powers the board must refer the matter as a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission for investigation or, in appropriate cases and after consultation with the commission, to an impaired registrants panel. The impaired registrants scheme in the legislation allows for a less formal, rehabilitative means for dealing with impaired practitioners. These provisions are modelled on provisions in the Medical Practice Act.

The rationale behind an impaired registrants system is that practitioners whose ability to practise is impaired due to factors such as physical or mental illness, or drug and alcohol abuse, can be managed and assisted to overcome their problems before those problems develop to such an extent that patients are placed at risk. Under the proposed system an impaired registrants panel can be convened to consider impairment matters brought to the board's attention. The panel may make recommendations to the board as to the management of an impaired registrant. The board will be able to suspend or place conditions on a practitioner's registration where the practitioner agrees to this course. Where the practitioner does not agree, the board will have the option of lodging a complaint about the psychologist with the tribunal, or at a board inquiry. Because the impairment system is non-disciplinary in nature, it encourages practitioners to report colleagues or to self-notify before a complaint arises.

Under the provisions of the bill any conditions on a psychologist's registration must be entered in the register that is publicly available for inspection. Further, the board will be required to give notice to employers and other relevant persons of any disciplinary or other order made in respect of a psychologist, or of any conditions placed on the registration of a psychologist. The bill introduces a number of other changes. The process for developing the code of professional conduct has been altered to ensure that matters addressed in the code are appropriate and do not enshrine anti-competitive practices or sanction conduct that may not be in the public interest. The board will also be required to release a draft code and impact statement in accordance with such requirements as the Minister may from time to time determine. The draft code will be released for public comment, following which the board will submit the draft code for the Minister's approval. Breach of the code may constitute improper and unethical conduct in the course of practice warranting disciplinary action.

The bill also introduces provisions to increase the flexibility and transparency of the registration system. Under the current Act, a person is entitled to full registration following the completion of a tertiary course of at least four years full-time study specialising in psychology and two years practical experience. The board relies exclusively on the accreditation process of the Australian Psychological Society and does not recognise non-university based training. The bill includes revised processes for the accreditation of courses where it can be demonstrated that the course produces graduates with an equivalent level of attainment to those graduates of a four-year program of study specialising in psychology. Where the board does not recognise a course of study, an application may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of the decision of the board on such an application.

The bill reconstitutes the board with the addition of a consumer representative. A medical practitioner is no longer to be included on the board. It is not considered appropriate to require a medical practitioner to be represented on a board that provides for the registration of another independent professional group. The provisions enabling the nomination of psychologist members to the board by one particular professional association have also been changed. Whereas the Act currently specifies that nominations are to made by the Australian Psychological Society, the new legislation provides that three psychologists are to be nominated by the Minister from a panel of psychologists nominated by the Australian Psychological Society and such other bodies as the Minister may determine. This will allow greater flexibility in the sources of board nominations and remove one particular organisation’s monopoly in this regard. Further, board members will be limited to serving three consecutive terms of four years each. This will ensure that the board is able to draw on an appropriate mix of knowledge and experience as well as new ideas and approaches in exercising its functions.

A number of other reforms have also been introduced. These include prohibiting the use of the title "Doctor" by a registered psychologist, unless the psychologist is the holder of an appropriate qualification conferred by a university, allowing the board to issue guidelines with respect to voluntary continuing education for psychologists, providing for the appointment of an inspector, and allowing for the establishment of a psychological education and research account to be administered by the board. The provisions of the Psychologists Bill are designed to ensure that the public can continue to expect the highest standards of competence and conduct from the profession. I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Fraser.

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Mr McMANUS (Heathcote—Parliamentary Secretary), on behalf of Mr Knowles [8.53 p.m.]: I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I am pleased to bring before the House the Dental Practice Bill, which results from an extensive review of the current Dentists Act 1989. It is designed to enhance the regulation of dental care in New South Wales while maintaining many of the features of the 1989 Act which have proved to be so successful.

A large number of the changes being introduced with the Dental Practice Bill are designed to streamline and clarify provisions dealing with the registration of dental care providers, the recognition of qualifications and the operation of the complaints and disciplinary system. Honourable members will recall that the House recently considered new regulatory regimes for registered health practitioners in the osteopathy, chiropractic and physiotherapy professions. These statutes arise from a series of reviews that the Government has undertaken of legislation regulating health professions in New South Wales. The new Dental Practice Bill has been developed as part of the same process. The bill therefore shares many of the features of these new regulatory schemes, and many of the legislative changes embodied in it will result in increased consistency between dental professional regulation and other health professional legislation.

The main aim of health professional legislation is to ensure the protection of the public through establishment of regulatory structures to monitor and maintain standards of practice. The Dental Practice Bill reflects this by including a provision stating that the object of the Act is to protect the health and safety of the public. One of the central provisions for protecting the public in the 1989 Act was a legislative restriction which prevented anyone, other than certain specified professional groups, from undertaking the practice of dentistry. In the new legislation the practice restrictions and the offence of unregistered practice have been placed in the Public Health Act to reflect the central public protection purpose of the provision.

The definition of the practice of dentistry has also been revised to provide protection for five separate "restricted dental practices", being treatments and other activities which can be harmful if not performed properly, or if performed without proper training. "Restricted dental practices" will cover treatments which are inherently exposure-prone and which therefore place both patient and dentist at risk of exposure to an infectious disease. These treatments include procedures involving the cutting of tissue, making of moulds and preparation and fitting of dental appliances, services involving the use of radiation equipment which, if applied incorrectly, could lead to radiation exposure, and operations on the mouth or gums which could result in serious and permanent damage if not provided appropriately. Unregistered or unauthorised persons who seek to perform the functions covered by the restricted dental practices will be guilty of an offence.

The 1989 Act also contained provisions prohibiting a person who was not a registered dentist from using titles such as registered dentist or dental surgeon. In addition, I am pleased to announce that, for the first time in New South Wales, provision will be made for the recognition of dental auxiliary titles, with specific reference to the titles of dental therapist and dental hygienist. Recognition of these titles will also allow for the registration of these professional groups. Dental therapists and dental hygienists form an important part of the dental team. Enacting regulatory controls to cover the practice of auxiliaries will allow the maintenance of standards and the professional development of both groups.

Regulation will be achieved through recognition of the titles of dental hygienist, dental therapist and dental auxiliary. It will therefore be an offence for unregistered and untrained persons to, for example, call themselves a dental therapist, or hold themselves out to be a dental hygienist. Regulation will also make auxiliaries subject to the general provisions of the Act relating to registration and discipline. There are, however, a number of differences between registered dentists and the new classes of dental auxiliaries. First, while dentists will be entitled to practice all restricted dental practices, auxiliaries will be limited to those practices which are provided for in regulations to be made under the Dental Practice Act. Secondly, under the 1989 Dentists Act, dental auxiliaries were required to act under the supervision of a dentist, with the terms of the supervision appropriate to each of these professional groups set out in more detail in regulations made pursuant to the Act.

While the review of the legislation concluded that the need for supervision of auxiliaries should remain, it was also clear that, as the settings in which practitioners operate are changing, a more flexible mechanism is needed to address the professional interaction between dentists and dental auxiliaries. The Dental Practice Bill therefore describes this supervisory relationship as one of practice oversight, and provides for the development of guidelines approved by the Director-General of the Department of Health to establish the nature of practice oversight.

These guidelines will allow a more accurate and flexible description of the roles of the various members of the dental team and will provide a better model for dealing with inter-professional issues. They will also assist in developing the role of auxiliaries into new high-need service areas, such as, for example, utilising the services of dental hygienists in nursing homes, where patients can be too frail or ill to obtain dental services in the normal manner. The Department of Health will form a working party including representatives of each professional group to develop appropriate guidelines for the director-general's approval.

The 1989 Dentists Act varies from a number of other health professional Acts in that in addition to restricting the use of dental titles and dental practices it also effectively restricts who is entitled to own a dental practice. Under the 1989 Act, only very limited categories of persons who are not registered dentists are entitled to operate a dental practice. Those categories include government agencies, friendly societies and local councils. The only other circumstance in which non-dentists can run dental practices is if they do so with the approval of the New South Wales Dental Board. Before granting an approval under the Act, the board is required to be satisfied that the interests of the public generally, or of any section of the public other than dentists, warrant the granting of the approval. As a result, non-dentists can own dental practices, but only when the board is satisfied that this public interest test is met.

The Government supports the continuation of restrictions on the ownership of dental practices in the new Dental Practice Bill. In that regard, the Government recognises the strong concerns put to it by the dental profession. Those concerns were particularly directed at the potential for large corporate dental practices to establish regional monopolies which may reduce access to services in rural areas, as well as concerns that removal of the ownership restrictions may reduce the overall quality of services and accountability of service providers. The current legislative regime, which ensures that those who wish to enter the market for dental services are subject to a public and community benefit test, will therefore be retained.

The main change proposed to the legislation relates to the role of health insurance funds in the provision of dental care through dental clinics established for the benefit of fund members. Currently, health insurance funds are required to obtain approval from the board prior to being able to establish such a dental clinic. However, health funds are already regulated under the National Health Act, and under that legislation are already subject to a public interest test before they can be registered as a health benefits organisation and so be entitled to carry on a health insurance business. Given that that regulatory system already oversights the activities of health funds and requires consideration of public interest issues, it is proposed to revise the restrictions under the dental legislation to allow health insurance funds which are registered health benefits organisations under part VI of the National Health Act to employ dentists.

I now turn to some of the more general provisions of the bill addressing the registration and disciplining of dental care providers. In that regard, the Dental Practice Bill re-enacts the provisions dealing with the registration of dental care providers with appropriate updating amendments to strengthen and improve the legislation in a similar fashion to improvements that have been made to the regulatory systems for other health professionals, such as medical practitioners. For the first time it will be an express requirement that applicants for registration must be competent to practise. As part of those requirements the New South Wales Dental Board will have the power to conduct an inquiry into a person's competence.

If, following an inquiry, the board is not satisfied as to the applicant's competence, it will be able to refuse registration or make the applicant's registration subject to conditions. The power to conduct an inquiry will also apply to persons who apply to have their registration restored. Those provisions are modelled on the system that has successfully operated within the Medical Practice Act for a number of years. The bill also seeks to ensure that dental care providers maintain their competence through the introduction of a more robust annual renewal process. That process will require practitioners to submit annual declarations to the board on renewal of registration. The declarations will cover criminal convictions and findings, ongoing good character, the refusal by any jurisdiction to register the person, the details of any suspension or cancellation of registration, or the imposition of conditions in another jurisdiction or by another health registration board in New South Wales, whether the practitioner is registered with another health registration board in New South Wales, and continuing professional education activities.

In addition, the bill also provides for the board to be notified about practitioners who are the subject of certain criminal findings. Those requirements are designed to ensure that the board is aware of relevant criminal matters as soon as possible in order that, in appropriate cases, it may take swift action to ensure the public is protected. Under those provisions, courts will be required to notify the board of practitioners who have been convicted of an offence or made the subject of a criminal finding in respect of a sex or violence offence. Essentially, a criminal finding is one in which an offence has been proven but a conviction has not been recorded. A sex or violence offence is an offence involving sexual activity, acts of indecency, child pornography, physical violence or the threat of physical violence.

Practitioners will also be required to notify the board within seven days if they have been convicted of an offence of a type that the courts are required to report, if they have sustained a criminal finding in relation to a sex or violence offence, or if they are facing criminal proceedings for a sex or violence offence when the allegations relate to conduct occurring in the course of practice or involve minors. The new legislation will also substantially enhance the existing disciplinary system operating under the 1989 Dentists Act. It will do so by building on the successful elements of the current legislation, including the Dental Care Assessment Committee, and by adding additional mechanisms to increase the accountability and independence of the disciplinary process.

In that regard, the bill adopts a two-tier definition of "misconduct" based on definitions relied on in other health professional legislation, including the Medical Practice Act. Concerns have arisen that a single definition of "professional misconduct" may cause difficulty in dealing appropriately with less serious complaints. The adoption of the two-tier definition, which includes both unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct, will allow both serious and less serious complaints to be dealt with in the most appropriate manner.

Less serious complaints will continue to be considered by the board with the assistance of the existing dental care assessment committee process. The role of the committee will be enhanced by the introduction of provisions to protect the use of expert reports prepared for the committee from use in other legal processes, and enabling a practitioner who is the subject of a complaint to undergo skills testing. Skills testing will assist in dealing with complaints about professional standards and in ensuring that practitioners maintain appropriate professional standards.

If, during its investigations, the committee concludes that a complaint raises an issue of unsatisfactory conduct and should be referred for a disciplinary inquiry, the relevant board will be bound to follow that recommendation. In such cases the board will either conduct an inquiry into the complaint or, for the most serious matters, refer the complaint to the tribunal for a hearing. Matters of professional misconduct, that is, matters of unsatisfactory professional conduct of so serious a nature that they could, if substantiated, lead to a practitioner being removed from the register, will be referred to an independent New South Wales Dental Tribunal. The Dental Tribunal will be chaired by a legal practitioner with at least seven years experience and will include two dental care providers and a consumer selected by the board. Board members will be excluded from sitting on the tribunal. This will ensure that complaints are not considered by the same individuals in different capacities.

The Dental Practice Bill also includes comprehensive appeal mechanisms to ensure that there are appropriate checks and balances in the disciplinary systems. In the case of a decision on a complaint heard by a board there is a right to appeal to the tribunal and for that appeal to be by way of a fresh hearing. There is also an avenue for a practitioner to appeal to the tribunal on a point of law. When a complaint is heard by a tribunal there is a right to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, such an appeal may be made only on a point of law or in respect of the sanction that is imposed by the tribunal. The reason for limiting appeals in this manner is that tribunals are established as expert bodies with both professional and legal expertise and are the most appropriate bodies to determine if the facts of a particular complaint demonstrate whether a practitioner has acted improperly. Appeals from both the Medical Tribunal and the Nurses Tribunal are also limited in this manner.

The registration authority will also, for the first time, be able to impose conditions on a dental care provider’s registration or suspend that registration where it is necessary to do so to protect the life or the physical or mental health of any person. Under these provisions, the board will be entitled to make an order imposing conditions on a person’s registration or suspending that registration for up to eight weeks. The board will also be entitled to renew this order at the end of that period. Following such an order a complaint must be made about the practitioner.

Honourable members will be aware of the valuable role that the Health Care Complaints Commission performs in investigating and prosecuting complaints about health service providers. Specific provisions have been incorporated in the new Dental Practice Bill to ensure that the commission continues to play an important role in the investigation and prosecution of complaints about dental care providers. Upon receipt of a complaint the New South Wales Dental Board and the commission will continue to be required to consult on whether it is to be investigated by the commission or dealt with in some other manner. The commission will have a right to prosecute complaints before the tribunal and, where it has conducted an investigation into the complaint, before board inquiries. The commission will also have the right to make submissions to a board inquiry into unsatisfactory professional conduct in cases where it has not conducted an investigation.

This leads me to part 6 of the bill, which introduces a system for the board to manage impaired practitioners. These provisions are modelled on provisions in the Medical Practice Act which have been operating successfully for a number of years. The rationale for an impaired registrants system is to allow practitioners whose ability to practise is impaired due to physical or mental illness, or drug and alcohol abuse, to be managed and assisted before those problems develop to such an extent that patients are placed at risk. Following the impairment process the board will be able, with the dental care provider’s agreement, to suspend or place conditions on a practitioner’s registration.

When the practitioner does not agree to the recommendations of an impaired registrants panel, the board will have the option of lodging a complaint about the practitioner and having that complaint dealt with by the tribunal or at a board inquiry. Two essential factors of the impairment system are that it provides an alternative to the disciplinary system and that it operates in a voluntary fashion, providing an incentive for a practitioner’s colleagues and family to report impairment, as well as for the practitioner to self-report. Based on the experiences of the Medical Board and the Nurses Registration Board, the impairment systems are expected to assist in maintaining the highest standards of dental practice in New South Wales.

Finally, I turn to the administrative provisions established under the Act, in particular those relating to the establishment of the New South Wales Dental Board. Under clause 108 of the bill, it is proposed to expand the size of the Dental Board by adding three additional members. First, an additional member will be appointed to represent the community. This means that in future two board members will be directly chosen for their ability to provide a consumer perspective on dental issues. Second, in recognition of the regulatory role the board will now take in relation to dental auxiliaries, provision has also been made for an additional member of the board to represent dental auxiliaries. Finally, an additional dentist will also be appointed to the board.

Before concluding I take this opportunity to thank the New South Wales Dental Board and those members of both the dental and dental auxiliary professions who, during the course of the review of the Act and development of the bill, have given considerable time to Department of Health officers to comment on the legislation. I believe that their assistance and support will ensure that the Dental Practice Bill is a sound base to take the profession into the future. I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Hazzard.

Pursuant to resolution private members' statements taken forthwith.

Mr HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [9.16 p.m.]: I am very concerned about a matter that was brought to my attention by one of my constituents. It relates to what could be labelled a deviant's dirty deal done from behind bars to deny that deviant's victims their right to compensation. I refer to Mr Anthony George Reid, a convicted paedophile. On 9 October 1997 Judge Joseph Gibson sentenced Anthony George Reid, who was then aged 47, to 16 years imprisonment for sexual abuse involving six male victims in the Narrabeen area. Reid pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years of age, indecent assault and an act of indecency after a District Court jury found him guilty on 25 May of two counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery, offences involving a male relative.

After Reid was sentenced, in May 1998 it came to light that in June 1997 the $400,000 home at North Narrabeen owned by Anthony George Reid had been transferred to Reid's brother, Michael James Reid. On 12 December 2000, just five days before he died on 17 December, Michael James Reid prepared a will. Probate was granted on 15 June 2001. In his will Michael James Reid appointed his mother, sister and solicitor as executors. He gave his own unit and its contents to his sister, and I have no quarrel with that. However, clause 6 of the will provided for the balance of his estate to be dealt with as follows:

The balance of my estate of whatsoever nature and kind to my trustees upon trust for my brother Anthony George Reid during his lifetime and I give to my trustees power to sell, transfer or dispose of any of the trust assets at the direction of my said brother Anthony George Reid and I give to my said brother power to appoint beneficiaries under his will who will become the beneficiaries under such trust.

In other words, the house that Mr Reid owned at the time he committed the offences and of which he divested himself by means of a $1 transfer to his brother, apparently in an effort to avoid paying compensation to his victims, has now come back to him, as a result of the demise of his brother, whilst he languishes in a New South Wales prison. He transferred ownership of his house to his brother to stop the Government from recovering payments made by the Victims Compensation Tribunal to the victims and to prevent the victims from taking civil action for compensation. Then just a few days before his brother's death the will was changed and, hey presto, Mr Reid got back the use of the house, despite the fact that he is in prison.

At the very least Mr Reid has entitlement to a life tenancy. If the property were leased it would yield something in the order of $40,000 to $50,000 a year in today's market. Mr Reid will be locked away for another 13 years so he could have close to $500,000 by the time he is released from gaol. The $400,000 property is probably now worth $700,000 to $800,000 and by the time Mr Reid gets out of gaol it will be worth in the vicinity of $1.5 million. I call on the Carr Government to fulfil its promise to investigate instances of convicted criminals divesting themselves of their assets to avoid paying compensation. I also call on the Carr Government to implement the necessary legislation to ensure that victims and the Victims Compensation Tribunal can recover compensation from the assets of criminals. This dirty deal done behind bars should be a warning to us all that this sort of activity goes on under the current legal system. In the same way that victims are abused, the public is now being abused. I call on the Government to respond and to tell the House what it will do to address this concern. [Time expired.]

Mr TRIPODI (Fairfield) [9.21 p.m.]: I wish to speak on an issue that has affected all of us and will continue to do so. I refer to arranging a funeral for a friend or family member. In particular, I draw attention to both excessive fees and the huge variations in fees charged by various funeral operators located in south-western Sydney. Charges described as service fees are often not clearly explained or detailed. People want to do their best when arranging funerals. Everyone wants to give their loved one a respectful funeral as a final act of love and affection. In times of grief, people cannot shop around and compare prices to find the best deals provided by funeral operators.

My concern is that operators are taking advantage of people who are grieving and are charging them exorbitant prices for a funeral service. It is common practice for operators to charge a fee for professional services and then charge for each additional service requested. Although the charges for the additional services are specified, the services covered by the professional fees are not clarified. Pricing schedules are so vague that people arranging a funeral do not know what they are paying for, nor do they know if they are paying for a service more than once. I have been shown invoices for funerals with enormous variations in prices charged as professional fees. These fees range from $200 to $2,500.

The professional fee does not include caskets, floral tributes, transportation, celebrant offerings or cemetery fees. These are itemised and charged separately. The professional fee for service is not itemised or clarified. Some funeral operators even require payment of professional fees up front, almost as a condition of burial, which places pressure on people to find money quickly when time is scarce and emotional stress is high. Services covered by professional fees should be itemised so that people know exactly what they are being charged for. To ensure that funeral operators do not unfairly target and take advantage of people in their time of grief the Department of Fair Trading should monitor fees charged for funeral services. Funeral operators should publish industry guidelines describing the more common service components and recommended prices for each service offered. This would simplify arrangements for grieving people.

The involvement of the Department of Fair Trading would ensure that funeral service operators do not put the hard sell on people while they are emotionally vulnerable, mourning the death of someone close. When organising a funeral many operators stress, "This will be the last thing you can do for your loved one." Many vulnerable people can be made to feel guilty if they do not order the most expensive arrangement. Overwhelmed with grief at the time they do not consider the expense involved or how it will affect their family's budget. When they receive the final bill they cannot afford to pay. These people are left in a great deal of debt; some are forced to mortgage their homes and even declare bankruptcy. Two charity organisations in my electorate have informed me that they have often assisted people to pay for funerals they simply could not afford. Pensioners and others on low incomes agree to unaffordable funerals and are left relying on loans from Centrelink and food vouchers from charities.

I believe the funeral industry should come under greater scrutiny to ensure that all fees for services are clearly itemised and explained. The charges should be easily comparable to the industry norm. Huge price disparities currently existing for professional services should be scrutinised to ensure funeral operators do not continue to take advantage of people during times of emotional vulnerability. It is necessary to state that many funeral operators are ethically sound and provide considerable support to those who need their services. These businesses are to be commended. However, some use a false sense of guilt and emotional vulnerability for commercial gain.

Ms HODGKINSON (Burrinjuck) [9.25 p.m.]: Today I raise an issue of significant importance concerning the future of the Tumut River, one of the most significant rivers within the south-west slopes region. The Tumut River has its source in Kosciusko National Park on the slopes of Mount Jagungal in the Brassy Mountains. It then flows north for about 160 kilometres until it joins the Murrumbidgee River near Gundagai. Three dams restrain the waters of the Tumut River—Tumut Ponds, Talbingo and Blowering. These reservoirs are an important part of the Snowy Mountains scheme. Water from Lake Eucumbene and the Tantangara and Tooma reservoirs is diverted from the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee and Snowy rivers into the Tumut River. This forms the basis of the grand vision of the Snowy scheme, which envisaged the diversion of these waters westwards to irrigate the arid inland of New South Wales. It is in this diversion that the genesis of the Tumut River's problems lie.

The Tumut River was always a small river, pleasant, scenic and a haven for a diverse and magnificent ecosystem which attracted tourists and anglers alike. The Tumut at its widest was never more than 15 to 25 metres across and had a shallow riverbed. Conversely, the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee were much wider and deeper, suited to a significantly greater flow of water. Water that should have flowed down the Murrumbidgee is now diverted from Tantangara Reservoir into Lake Eucumbene and then into the Tumut River. The Tumut and upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee River have now swapped roles. The once mighty Murrumbidgee is but a shadow of its former self above Gundagai while the Tumut is now overwhelmed by massive flows. The once idyllic stream is now 100 metres wide in places, erosion of the river banks is an ongoing problem, and channel clearing works by the Department of Land and Water Conservation have significantly added to these environmental concerns.

About half of the entire water flow from within the Snowy Mountains catchment area is now forced down the Tumut River. In summer flows can peak at 9,800 megalitres a day to meet the high demands of irrigators. The reduced demand for water during the winter months means that the taps are turned off and flows reduced to about 560 megalitres a day. The Tumut is alternately scoured and dried each year to meet the demands of downstream irrigators; it has in effect been reduced to nothing more than a large irrigation channel. The river now has a large number of sections which are not habitable for river life and the food chain is slowly being destroyed. Locals say that the number of platapi have decreased markedly and problems associated with waterlogging and high watertables are now becoming apparent. The problem of thermal pollution—the release of very cold water from the bottom of Blowering Reservoir—is also a serious contributing factor to the decline of the river's ecosystem.

These problems have also imposed a significant cost on the local community. The Tumut tourism industry estimates that the Tumut region has lost up to $20 million as the river is now considered dead by anglers. In addition, farmers along the river flats are estimated to have lost up to two hectares of land per kilometre of river frontage in uncontrolled erosion. For over two years now I have been making representations on behalf of the Tumut River Landowners Association, Tumut Shire Council, the Tumut Region Ecological Education Society and many individuals who are concerned about the future viability of the Tumut River ecosystem. The Minister for Land and Water Conservation has been most forthright in his replies. He said:

The department, through its State Water Branch, is mindful of the effects of artificially high and variable flows on the ecology of the Tumut River.

However, as with most issues handled by the Minister, there is always a big "but". In this case the Minister wrote:

Management of flows in the Tumut River by the Department of Land and Water Conservation is largely focussed on the need to convey water from Blowering Dam for consumptive requirements further down the Murrumbidgee system.

The Minister says he is consulting and consulting and consulting. His latest remarks have been about a proposed scoping study of the Tumut River. The study was planned to conclude by August this year, and was to be followed by further discussion. This river has quite literally been discussed to death. Concerned locals such as Ron Bowden, Barry Allwright and Barry Whiting want action, not mere words. It is no wonder that they wrote on 3 June:

Presumably acting in accordance with current policy, in recent months your department has undertaken measures which we believe have had a substantial deleterious effect on local riparian ecosystems and the well being of particular species.

The Tumut River Landowners Association has proposed solutions which, unfortunately have not received the attention they deserve from the Minister. Put simply, flows from Blowering Dam need to be reduced by approximately 2,500 megalitres a day in summer and increased by about 500 megalitres a day in winter. The adjustment of these flows will not, however, mean less water for downstream irrigators. Compensatory releases from the Tantangara Reservoir into the Murrumbidgee River will ensure that the same amount of water is available downstream and will also have the benefit of returning some of the lost environmental flows to this stressed river system. The problem of thermal pollution can be addressed by the installation of a raised off-take structure in the Blowering Reservoir. The solutions are available. What is needed now is action—action by the Minister to implement innovative solutions which will benefit all parties. What is not needed is more words, inquiries, studies and departmental discussions. [Time expired.]

Mr STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [9.30 p.m.]: On 5 July, together with the Mayor of Canterbury City Council, Kaye Griffin, I attended the launch of a public appeal for the establishment of a safe haven women's refuge in the Canterbury city area, which is part of my electorate of Bankstown. The launch was conducted by a unique organisation known in my local area as the Woman's Place, which operates under the auspices of the Lakemba Uniting Church. The Woman's Place was initially set up eight years ago by Reverend Myung Hwa Park, a minister at the Lakemba Uniting Church. Reverend Myung Hwa Park is dedicated to helping those in need. She is much loved in my local community and has the rare ability to inspire those with whom she works and meets to do good for others.

The Woman's Place is a positive example of the great achievements of Reverend Myung Hwa Parks in my local area. The Woman's Place welcomes women from a non-English speaking background, predominantly Koreans. It runs programs in conversational English, sewing, cultural activities, paper tole, painting and calligraphy. The centre engenders a greater sense of self-esteem in women who come together and talk about their common problems and needs. As a result, women who have had difficulties in their life understand that there is a positive focus at the end of the road. The Woman's Place was established to be a support centre for women from a non-English speaking background.

Particularly during the past five years the Woman's Place has increasingly dealt with women who are victims of domestic violence. Many Korean women referred to mainline services experience great difficulty due to cultural and language differences. Having moved away from their normal support networks they experience increased isolation and suffer trauma by being outsiders in a culturally and linguistically strange environment. The Woman's Place is taking steps to establish a crisis centre for accommodation, a women's safe haven. This will be the first such facility established in my local area. At the moment women from non-English speaking backgrounds have to travel 20 or 30 kilometres in many instances to find a safe haven and refuge from domestic violence.

That is impractical for many women, particularly women from a Korean background. As a result, they remain caught up in a vicious web of domestic violence and do not know how to escape. Reverend Myung Hwa Park and her colleagues on the steering committee at the Woman's Place—Chris Burk, the Executive Director of Jannawa Family Centre, Marina Mottee, Kirstine Dawson, Sue Thacher, Myung Soon Ki, Kyung Sook Lee, Joy Brookes and Becky Kim—have put forward a plan to establish crisis accommodation. However, the plan for accommodation is not easy to instigate. The required rental accommodation will cost $20,000 per annum. The salary for an administrator will cost $37,178 per annum and for a sessional domestic violence worker for 10 hours per week approximately $18,500, together with other ongoing costs totalling approximately $90,727 to establish the centre.

I appealed to my local community to help out in the appeal and I am pleased to report that the Canterbury Leagues Club has donated $2,500, and that amount has been matched by Bankstown Sports Club. I have raised $5,000 from those two large local clubs, which always kick in for the local communities. They recognise the importance of establishing a safe haven for women, which I am sure will come to fruition. Canterbury City Council, with the support of its good Mayor Councillor Kaye Griffin, is now looking to support the establishment of the refuge. I know that other local community organisations will come to the party as well. I strongly support the Women's Place, which is showing the community at large that it is delivering. [Time expired.]

Mr GLACHAN (Albury) [9.35 p.m.]: On 26 March the New South Wales and Victorian Cabinets met in Albury-Wodonga—an historic occasion for Albury-Wodonga. But, to the surprise and amazement of everyone, they announced, without consultation, discussion or prior warning, that Albury-Wodonga would become one city with one council. However, that was not a new idea because on 18 June 1996 the then Premier of Victoria wrote to Premier Carr about this matter and said:

I therefore wish to propose a further reform which would need the agreement of our Governments, as well as that of the local community, to form a single administration for Albury/Wodonga. This would be a unique development within Australia, but there are examples overseas. In Canada the City of Lloyd Minster was divided by the previous Alberta/Saskatchewan Border. The original charter to the Lloyd Minster Act was started in 1930. A single structure to administer the new City of Albury/Wodonga would incorporate the two existing councils and the Albury/Wodonga Development Corporation. It would provide a single planning authority, eliminate duplication and waste and foster and co-ordinate the development of industry, businesses and tourism growth.

On 8 July 1996 the Premier of Victoria then wrote to his Minister for Local Government and said:

I trust that the Local Government Board will have discussions with both the Albury and Wodonga Councils, and their appropriate sister organisation within the New South Wales Government.

The idea of one council is not new, but the announcement on 26 March was a surprise. Initially it received a negative reaction. People were concerned about the different rating systems in New South Wales and Victoria, which is a major problem. Community groups said that there should be a referendum and that the communities should have a say before the two councils are amalgamated. It was made very clear, certainly by the New South Wales Government, that there would not be a referendum, for obvious reasons—it would be lost and the matter would not proceed. Although there was dissension within Wodonga council, it agreed to ask that the amalgamation be delayed for nine years. The council was concerned that Albury would dominate the new city arrangement and that the headquarters would be in Albury. Wodonga council has commenced infrastructure projects which it wants to finish before the amalgamation. The council was concerned about the lack of consultation and the fact that it received no warning that this would happen.

Very sensibly, the two Premiers chose the Rt Hon. Ian Sinclair to organise the requested community consultation. They could not have chosen a better person. He has held community meetings in both Albury and Wodonga, some of which have been well attended, but unfortunately some have not. It was disappointing that only two young people attended a meeting of youths in Albury. He held a meeting for senior citizens in Albury that was attended by only a handful of people, but as many as 200 have attended other meetings. The business community is right behind this project as, despite the misgivings of Wodonga City Council, it can see the advantages it offers. Albury City Council is divided on the matter. However, even those who were not too sure about the project are beginning to come around.

The Premier visited Albury last Friday, 1 September, and said that it is time to get on with the job and to look for the advantages of the proposal. I agree. We have been focusing on the negatives. I favoured a referendum as I was concerned about some of the issues that we would have to work through to get the proposal up and running. However, this is a golden opportunity for Albury-Wodonga. It would make us a strong regional competitor as we could market ourselves as a single community. We view ourselves as one community—we have done so for a long time—and a single council would certainly be a great advantage. Some people have run away with ideas about moving the boundary between New South Wales and Victoria to the Murrumbidgee, down to Wangaratta or some other harebrained scheme. That will never happen. This proposal is about amalgamating the two cities under one council and we should not miss this golden opportunity.

Mr HUNTER (Lake Macquarie) [9.40 p.m.]: I wish to speak tonight about improvements to schools in the Lake Macquarie electorate and bring to the attention of the House and the Minister for Education and Training a number of improvements that members of various school communities in my electorate have requested. I will also outline to the House the commitments that the Government has already made to improving local schools. Last year Cooranbong Community School invited me to visit the school so that it could draw my attention to a lack of facilities. I visited the school in late October last year when I met the parents and citizens [P and C] association president and toured the buildings. It was agreed that at the beginning of the following school year I would again inspect the school with Education Department officials. I arranged for Department of Education and Training officials to visit the site in March this year to examine the areas of concern.

Following that meeting the school P and C wrote to me outlining their concerns, which included a lack of storage, the fact that some classrooms had no water or wet areas, poor playground areas that were dusty and eroded, and the location and poor condition of the children's toilets. The school also sought an improved covered outdoor learning area [COLA]. I made representations to the Department of Education and Training. This followed the inspection of the site with departmental officials. I subsequently received a reply to say that the department was working on the problem by securing budget estimates and including in the capital works program a number of improvements to the school. I know that the Minister is aware of this issue as I forwarded the relevant information to him. Today I ask him to examine closely the concerns of Cooranbong Community School.

In March this year my colleague the honourable member for Wallsend and I were pleased to announce some $238,000 worth of school improvements in the Lake Macquarie and Wallsend electorates. Cooranbong school was included on the list, receiving $2,000 for a replacement telephone system. Several other schools in my area also gained funding, as did a number in the electorate of Wallsend that cater for students from the Lake Macquarie electorate. Biddabah Public School in my electorate is also seeking improvements. Earlier this year the school council contacted me and I subsequently inspected the school. The school community would like a new school assembly hall, a new and permanent library, a new canteen—although it recently received a much-improved demountable canteen facility it would like a permanent facility on the site—upgraded toilets, covered walkways and more permanent classrooms. I point out to the House that in 1999 I opened two new classrooms on the site, and I thank the Minister for funding that important project.

Biddabah school is also seeking to improve its grounds and has formulated a school development concept plan, which I have forwarded to the department. I congratulate the school on that work. Following my inspection and representations, the Department of Education and Training advised me that it is working on a number of improvements to the school and will propose capital works improvements. The good news is that at the end of last month I was pleased to announce that the Minister for Education and Training had advised me that a further $232,000 in funding would be allocated to the Lake Macquarie electorate. Eight schools in my electorate will see improvements under the minor capital works program, with the funding to come from the record $100 million allocation for the 2001-02 year.

The schools concerned are Arcadia Vale Public School, which will receive funding of $13,000 for a COLA; Biddabah Public School, mentioned earlier, which will receive $40,000 for a new security alarm system and joint funding of $14,390 for a special programs area; Coal Point Public School, which will receive $20,200 for a computer cabling upgrade; Cooranbong Public School, also mentioned previously, which will receive $65,000 for connection to the main sewer system; Lake Macquarie High School, which will receive $25,000 to improve fire safety for the school hall; Morisset Public School, which will receive $40,000 for a new security alarm system; and Wangi Public School, which will receive $15,000 for an electrical upgrade.

Recently I was pleased to receive a thank you letter from the Morisset High School council. This followed a meeting on site last year and a funding allocation of more than $70,000 for security fencing. The council has written thanking me for my assistance and it also plans to write to the Minister for Education and Training to thank him for his assistance. The school looks forward to continuing to work with the Government and to seeing improvements to the school. Today I ask the Minister to examine the concerns I have raised and consider what can be done to further improve schools in my electorate.

Mr STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [9.45 p.m.]: I am pleased that the recipe is working well: the honourable member for Lake Macquarie is working diligently with public schools in his electorate in partnership with Government policies that have delivered for public education in this State. The honourable member correctly pointed to the recent announcement of record funding of $100 million for much-needed school minor capital works. He also referred to the $232,000 that has been made available to the Lake Macquarie electorate. That funding is important because it will create positive opportunities for eight schools, including electrical, fire safety and security upgrades and basic refurbishment works.

It is pleasing that Morriset High School has written to thank the honourable member for a job well done. I will certainly take that important message to the Minister as we want to maintain open dialogue with public schools in this State to let them know that the Government will support all their education needs. It is interesting to note that Cooranbong Community School is on the honourable member's agenda for improvement, and I know that he will diligently pursue its needs and progress them to the Minister and to me. Biddabah Public School is well known throughout New South Wales for its great achievements, and I am sure that it is deserving of funding. The honourable member has been persistent in his approaches and I am sure that his persistence and that of the school community will be rewarded down the track with school upgrades. Those parents and teachers have worked co-operatively to achieve better education for our young people.

Mr ARMSTRONG (Lachlan) [9.47 p.m.]: I want to draw the attention of the House to some happenings at Condobolin. Condobolin is a town of approximately 4,000 people that is located about one hour's legal drive west of Forbes and Parkes in central western New South Wales. Condobolin essentially is a solid and proud agricultural community. It has excellent community facilities including a nursing home, a hospital and schools. It also has three clubs, one of which is the bowling club. The club, an older building situated approximately 100 metres from the main street and opposite the town's major motel, has been broken into 16 times this year.

Each time the club has been broken into, further reinforcements have been put in place. I think it is fair to say that the club is now in a steel mesh cage as more and more weldmesh is added each time the club is broken into. On each occasion there has been theft from and/or damage to the premises. One can imagine the consequences for the Condobolin Bowling Club's insurance premiums, which are almost prohibitive. The Condobolin Bowling Club is no different from many other bowling clubs in country towns in that it has fallen on financially difficult times in recent years. As a result, many of the labour and maintenance works are done on a voluntary basis. The volunteers, in the main, are older people who have sufficient time on their hands to enable them to contribute by doing gardening or bar work, helping with catering services or otherwise assisting within the club.

The Condobolin police also are very active. Approximately seven weeks ago they arrested and charged two young people, who subsequently were bailed. Again the police were extremely vigilant on the last occasion that the club was broken into, approximately three weekends ago, and arrested and charged two young people, who also were bailed. Guess what? They were the same two people. That is, the police arrested two young people, who were then bailed, but though on bail when they broke into the premises a second time those two people were again released on bail. The community is absolutely outraged. No names and no pack drill, but one can imagine how the police feel.

This is a ridiculous situation. It cannot be allowed to continue. It makes an absolute mockery of our court system, of people trying to protect their own property, and of law and order generally. This town, which is basically self-sufficient, asks for very little from government or from the broader community. This is the only bowling club in the town, and it is well patronised. Yes, I will agree that security probably could have been better initially, but the premises are certainly secure now. The bottom line is that although the culprits were arrested and bailed, that did not dissuade them from breaking into the club again—only to be bailed a second time!

I ask the Government and the appropriate Ministers—the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Police, the Attorney General, et cetera—to investigate why young people who had been arrested and bailed could again be bailed when arrested and charged with a parallel crime whilst they were out on the streets on bail. This is unacceptable. I appeal to the Parliamentary Secretary to ensure that the appropriate Ministers are aware of this matter. I have already written to the Minister for Police and the Attorney General, but I should like an undertaking that this matter will be pursued in the interests of the broader community.

Mr W. D. SMITH (South Coast) [9.52 p.m.]: On Sunday 24 June 2001 the Vincentia branch of the Australian Red Cross celebrated its twenty-first birthday with a variety concert. My wife Kerry, who is the proud branch patron, and I attended this event with much delight. I would like to, once again, bring to the Parliament's attention the remarkable talent of the South Coast region. Firstly, however, I would like to touch on the work of the Australian Red Cross within the Shoalhaven.

The Australian Red Cross began its Shoalhaven activities in Nowra following a public meeting at the Nowra School of Arts on 14 August 1914. The first branch was formed with Mrs N. J. Rodway as president, Ms Emma Bice as secretary, and Mrs R. M. Hayles as treasurer. Seventy-five members signed up for the Red Cross at that meeting, resolving to hold street stalls, concerts and dances to raise money. By the end of the year, of course, the world was at war and the first units of Australian and New Zealand soldiers were sailing to Europe. Our Red Cross services would become invaluable, with the work of volunteers providing essential support back home.

The Vincentia branch began with its first meeting at Vincentia Hall 21 years ago, chaired by one of the South Coast's most well-known philanthropists, Nan Bishop, who unfortunately passed away in 1996. Current branch president, Mrs Win Conroy, was one of the original members, with the handful of members in those early years growing to about 60 today. The Vincentia branch is one of the nine divisions in zone seven, and members involve themselves in setting up stalls and raising funds. The group is encouraging young people to become involved, and they have recently established a junior's group, with 35 young people from the Vincentia area.

Win is also a member of the Vincentia Red Cross Singers and Friends group, which began with six singers three years ago and has grown to 20 performers today. They perform at nursing homes and senior citizens events, and have drawn quite a following over a fairly short time. This brings me to the twenty-first birthday variety concert, which was held at Vincentia Hall. The program on the day featured local talent and was a truly wonderful occasion from start to finish. I need to make mention in particular of Mr Ron Hawthorne, who compered the program. His son is in a coma and is very sick. Nevertheless, Ron was able to carry on with his role as compere, and he did a terrific job, generally reflecting the selflessness of Red Cross members. The variety on the program was wonderful, with local duo SiRenics, consisting of Simon Pavitt and Sirenity Ryan, presenting three toe-tapping numbers, and Tess Stone presenting a wonderful dance routine.

I would also like to mention John Dekker and his daughter Natalie, who gave a very humorous performance; 14-year-old singer and dancer Ashley Burgess of Batemans Bay; Margaret Hay, who recited a poem "The Yellow Ute", about the White Sands Carnival; nine-year-old Tanika Duff of Falls Creek, who presented a singing and dancing routine to "Lullaby on Broadway"; pianist Michael Hill, who entertains seniors, presented an ensemble of old-time favourites; the truly gifted singer-guitarist David Price, who presented "Touch of Country"; Shirley Read, who amused the audience with her rendition of "Jake the Peg"; 15-year-old Ashley Carnelutti, who is a great dancer, with a smile a politician would kill for; and one of our favourite young talents, David Price, joined with the SiRenics for a sensational jamming of "My Girl" and "Love is in the Air". Lastly, of course, the wonderful Vincentia Red Cross Singers and Friends rounded off the celebrations, before the grand finale featuring the entire cast.

Kerry and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was a privilege to be among such a tremendous group of people. The Vincentia branch of the Australian Red Cross do wonderful work for their community, as do all branches in the South Coast region, and it is a credit to our communities also that they place such a high value on the organisation, in which so many volunteers work so hard. In this the Year of the Volunteer, I would like to pay tribute to all those who give their time, wherever possible, to Red Cross and other organisations, whether it is helping families and children, providing aid to people in times of disaster, assisting communities in crisis or raising money to help maintain those services. Where would we be without them? I congratulate them all on their dedication and their humanity.

Mr KERR (Cronulla) [9.57 p.m.]: Honourable members of this House no doubt would have been shocked when the Sutherland Shire Council decided to remove Captain Cook from its official logos. Of course, there was a public outcry. As I said at the time, the plan by Sutherland Shire Council to drop Captain James Cook from its official logo was the ultimate in left-wing politically correct stupidity. It is a matter of fact that an expedition led by the British naval officer Captain James Cook sailed into Botany Bay and planted a British flag at Kurnell in 1770. Cook had two missions: to observe the transit of Venus across the sun from the South Pacific and to investigate the then still largely uncharted landmass known as Terra Australis and assess its suitability for settlement. He fulfilled both tasks with distinction.

His Sutherland voyages mapped vast areas of the Australian and New Zealand coasts and even the Antarctic coast and established his credentials as one of the most significant British seafarers. He was renowned for his navigational skills and his insistence on proper diet for his crews. He showed respect and kindness to native peoples, which arguably led to his death in the Sandwich Islands, later to become Hawaii. That is a history of Cook's voyages which played an integral part in the founding of modern Australia by Captain Arthur Phillip some eight years later with the arrival of the First Fleet. That is the history of which no-one should be ashamed. In fact, it is a matter of pride to the people of the Sutherland shire. However, the council sought to denigrate that part of our history. I refer again to an article in the Daily Telegraph:

The irony is the politically correct believe they are enlightened, progressive thinkers. In reality, they are no different to any oppressor throughout history. Censorship of the past does not change the facts.

The Sutherland Shire councillors have the privilege of being custodians of one of the most significant pieces of our continent. If they find that task so uncomfortable that its symbolism needs to be replaced with the feel-good work of a first-year graphic arts class, they should resign.

An inquiry into how that came about was conducted by the council ombudsman. As a result, on Monday night a motion moved by Councillor Rankin and seconded by Councillor Spencer was passed that this council acknowledge that the report vindicates the current mayor and acknowledges also that the development of a logo has been in planning for up to 10 years with the knowledge of all former mayors. In relation to what does it vindicate the mayor? Once again, as a matter of history, Councillor Spencer moved a motion, seconded by Councillor Sonda, that raised this issue. So, one has to take what was passed at council on Monday night with a lorry load of salt. Apparently, neither councillor Rankin nor councillor Spencer bothered to read the ombudsman's report, which states quite clearly that nothing would be put to council unless the mayor of the day agreed that it should proceed. That is what happened.

Of course, no blame should be attached to the staff because it is clear from the report that a series of inconsistencies arose in relation to the logo. It has now been established that Captain Cook will form the council logo. It would be good if Captain Cook were to appear on the home page of the council's web site. The mayor should quickly distribute a document that states where the image of Captain Cook will be placed. It is unfortunate that a number of shire residents voted in good faith for Shire Watch, which turned out to be a very left-wing organisation whose members have attacked surf clubs and the Sharks football team. It is quite clear that the mayor is certainly a Labor mate. What we have witnessed in the shire is a disgrace. [Time expired.]

Mr STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.02 p.m.]: I appreciate, as I am sure other honourable members do, the history lesson we just received from the honourable member for Cronulla, particularly as I am a former Australian history teacher. It is nice to know a little bit about Australian history and the input of Captain Cook to the development of this great nation. However, it should be put into perspective that history also tells us that it is probably not a good idea for members of State Parliament to become too involved in local government politics. Perhaps in that lesson the message can be put out of perspective. I have discussed with the Mayor of Sutherland Shire Council at a function I attended, and with others at council, that the treatment the council received perhaps put the matter into a perspective that was not what the council was about.

As I understand, the council was considering available options for its future progress and had been using several historic logos on different letterheads, pamphlets, et cetera, in an attempt to obtain uniformity. It was obvious that a debate was inevitable. Debates are healthy and important. The debate was held in public, not behind closed doors. The clear result was that the community was concerned; the council listened to that concern and has become firmly entrenched in the view that the logo of Captain Cook will be used predominantly. Councils need to adopt that commendable approach to work effectively. Councils need to listen and deliver to the community. The Sutherland Shire Council has done that on this occasion. The honourable member has perhaps distorted the argument through misinformation he has received, but it might be a good idea for him to discuss matters with the mayor before speaking in this House about Sutherland Shire Council.

Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.04 p.m.]: Tonight I celebrate the opening by the Newcastle Family Support Service of its operation in the former Newcastle west police station. This wonderful organisation delivers services at the grassroots level to disadvantaged people in our community. Many dysfunctional families benefit from the wonderful programs run by the family support service, whether in practical skill development within the family, in outreach service in family homes, in group programs within the support service, in delivery of the Families First Program, and in development of communal groups working on better nutrition programs or programs run for the indigenous community.

I was honoured to be given the opportunity by that group to open its expanded premises in the former Newcastle west police station. When the police centre ceased operating it became the operational area for the proclaimed place in Newcastle. It changed from being an area of sorrow and despair—because many people involved in those programs were at the base of society and suffering huge problems—to a place of hope. I compliment Annette Tubnor and the members of the Newcastle Family Support Service for the fantastic job they have done in transforming that former police station and proclaimed place into a wonderful place of hope for many of the disadvantaged members of our community.

I particularly pay tribute to Annette Tubnor for her advocacy over several years in seeking to have that centre used for these positive programs. The opening day was really a gathering of the family of care in our community. Workers from the Department of Community Services, Department of Housing and many non-government organisations that attended the opening are responsible for delivering services at community level. One of the most positive aspects of the Newcastle Family Support Service is that it involves its client group both in program delivery and in the management of the centre. There could not be a more positive indication of the use of Federal or State Government money, or of the practical and positive assistance by the Newcastle City Council than these families being involved in the delivery of the programs and in the management of that centre.

It was a great pleasure to be given the honour to perform the opening. It is significant that also present were Dean Lawrence, from the Anglican Cathedral, who performed the blessing of the new Newcastle Family Support Service centre, and the community elder, Bill Smith, who performed a traditional smoking ceremony. On that day we acknowledged both the Awabakal people, the traditional owners of the land, and a number of indigenous people who participate both in program delivery and in utilising the centre's services.

This positive Newcastle community, operating out of the Joy Cummings Centre, has been offering over the last 25 years a very important service at the community-base level by lifting family parenting skills, dealing with many of the problems of families in the region, and making sure that those families have the opportunity to develop the skills that will give them a better quality of life and give their children the opportunity to break out of that cycle. [Time expired]

Mr FACE (Charlestown—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Hunter Development) [10.09 p.m.]: I thank the honourable member for Newcastle for his contribution to the Newcastle Family Support Service. It is a group in which he has taken a very personal interest, and for that I am deeply appreciative, as are his constituents and the whole Hunter region. The old Newcastle West police station near Union Street is a very desirable site. As the honourable member said, it was a proclaimed place. It was disbanded as a police station during the Second World War. I can remember working there when it was the licensing unit attached to the Newcastle police subdistrict, as it was then known.

I congratulate Annette Tubnor on persevering with this fantastic service. The Newcastle Family Support Service is the result of a whole-of-government approach to the problems that exist in the area. Non-government agencies are to be congratulated on their work. The opening was ecumenical in the sense that Dean Lawrence, the Dean of Christchurch Cathedral, attended, and that gave the function more substance. Indigenous people were represented at the opening by Bill Smith from the Awabakal community. We are trying to ensure that the Awabakal are represented by naming the Charlestown West bypass Awabakal Way or Awabakal Drive. I thank the honourable member for Newcastle for bringing this matter to the attention of the House.

Ms SEATON (Southern Highlands) [10.11 p.m.]: I bring to the attention of the House the extremely serious problem in my electorate of the police presence and police numbers. We have an insufficient police presence and very low police numbers. One of the problems is that the Government will not give me or some of my Liberal colleagues access to police roster information that we have requested under freedom of information. We need to find out exactly how serious our lack of police numbers are. Nevertheless, no-one in the Southern Highlands is under any misconception that we have sufficient police numbers. Bureaucratic obstacles have been placed in front of me to try to stop the people of the Southern Highlands getting decent information about their police services.

Recently I brought to the attention of the House how we have gone back to the bad old days of our local police performing police escort duties, which consumes up to 2,000 hours per year. As I said, the freedom of information request to access past police rosters, which would show us how many police we need to be at full strength and how many police officers are operational at any one time, has been denied. It is the subject of a reference I have made, with other Liberal colleagues, to the Ombudsman.

On 23 July I wrote to the Commissioner of Police seeking a crisis meeting to talk about those two matters in particular. The letter was acknowledged by a member of the commissioner's staff and said that my request was being considered. I received a second acknowledgment letter saying much the same thing. On 27 July I met with representatives of the combined Chambers of Commerce from my area, including Mr Lawrie Stewart, representing the Bowral chamber, Mr Irvine New, representing the Moss Vale chamber, and Mrs Alison Bailey-Tozer, representing the Mittagong chamber. Also present was the local Federal member for Gilmore, Joanne Gash, who is taking an extremely close interest in policing because Moss Vale, which is in the area she represents, is currently very hard hit with criminal problems.

Six weeks after my request to the commissioner I have had no success, but the meeting of the combined chambers encouraged me to continue with my request for a meeting. Six weeks later I have received no letter from the commissioner and no agreement to meet with me and a local delegation. In the six weeks since my letter to the commissioner an armed hold-up has been committed at the Mittagong Mobil Service Station.

We have also experienced the farcical situation of a Goulburn prison escapee being in one of the local business premises while the owner of the premises rang the police to say, "We have the escapee here. Can you come and get him?" The police were forced to say they were unable to pick up the prisoner because they did not have a spare car or a spare team anywhere in the whole Southern Highlands area. The prisoner then got on a train from Bundanoon and was later picked up in Moss Vale. It is possible that the prisoner might never have been seen again and remained at large.

This week, because there was no resolution from the commissioner, I was forced to take direct action. I presented myself at the commissioner's office at police headquarters to demand an explanation as to why none of these issues had been resolved and, more particularly, why the Southern Highlands had not been allocated any police officers from last Friday's graduating class. None of those police officers were allocated to the Camden local area command. The commissioner's staff refused me a meeting with the commissioner and drew to my attention a 1992 ministerial directive that apparently said that all requests for meetings with heads of agencies must go through the Minister.

His staff then said they sent me a letter on 31 August. It subsequently became apparent that the letter was faxed on 31 August by the commissioner's staff but not to my fax number. I do not know who received the letter. It was someone in the Wollondilly shire, but it certainly was not my fax number. On reading that letter, which they claim was a detailed response to my concerns, I learned that a review of staffing levels is under way and that I must approach the Minister for Police if I want to meet with the commissioner. I would like the Minister for Police to take this private member's statement as a formal request by me to meet with the commissioner. If the commissioner is undertaking a review of staffing levels, surely he will want input from the local Southern Highlands area and the local Wollondilly area about our concerns so that he can take them on board and provide us with sufficient police.

Mr GREENE (Georges River) [10.16 p.m.]: Last Saturday evening I had the pleasure, with my wife, Frances, of attending a fundraiser for Carinya Special School at Mortdale. The very successful fundraising event was held at the Airport Hilton Hotel. It was attended by approximately 150 people, who represented a wide range of diverse groups in our community, including a large number of business groups. On behalf of the school I thank them for their support. The donation of a large number of auction items and raffle prizes indicated the significant support given to the function by business groups. On our table were Mr Graham and Mrs Kaye Warren, the proprietors of the Penshurst Hotel, John and Jean Humphries, the licensees of the Oatley Hotel, and the manager of the Oatley Hotel, Lyn Humphries, a former schoolteacher, who was accompanied by her partner, Phil. They were very generous in their support of the function.

It was great to see a number of schoolteachers in attendance from other local schools. Jeff Evans, a good friend of mine who teaches at Connell's Point Primary School, also sat at our table. It was pleasing to see the acknowledgment of the ongoing support by the Oatley Lions Club when the current President, Mr Kevin Parker, accompanied by immediate past President, Mr Ken Nimmo, presented a cheque for $2,500. Undoubtedly, that went a long way to the success of the evening. I am led to believe, although it is only third-hand information, that the function raised somewhere in the vicinity of $13,000 for this special school that caters for approximately 75 students. It says a lot for the generosity of the people who attended. I note that a good supporter of the evening was the St George district office, which was well represented.

It says something about the generosity of those who teach in our education system that all the staff from Carinya school—the teaching and the support staff—were in attendance at the function, having bought tickets for themselves and in many cases for their partners. I particularly congratulate the school principal, Ray Pooley, who was accompanied on the night by his wife, Robyn. She is an air stewardess and she brought along a number of her air stewardess colleagues to show community support. Ray Pooley is doing a magnificent job at the school.

I was offered the opportunity to say a few words on Saturday night and I reflected on what I believe is a very important concept to remember. That is, that the success of any community is judged by how it welcomes visitors. I made that point on the night because earlier this term I attended Carinya school and was most impressed by the way everybody—the principal, the staff and the students—welcomed me into the school community. That says a lot about a school. As a school principal I have been to many schools, and the welcome I received from Carinya said a lot for the school community, and I congratulate it.

I also congratulate Rodney Marks, a professional comedian, who generously donated his services as the master of ceremonies for the occasion. He did a very good job. Mr Nick Penn, a local comedian, also donated his services and provided a very entertaining bracket in the middle of the evening. The auction had a number of very impressive items and I congratulate Warren Humphries, who teaches at Carinya school and did an enormous amount of work to ensure the success of the auction. As I said, the overall fundraising for the night was a great success. Carinya school at Mortdale is just one school in the education system, but after my visit earlier this term and the function on Saturday evening, I can assure honourable members and the Minister for Education and Training that a lot of great things are happening there.

Mr STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.21 p.m.]: As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training I join with the honourable member for Georges River in commending Carinya Special School for its great achievements. The school has a reputation throughout New South Wales for delivering and achieving. The teaching and support staff, with Ray Pooley as principal, are very dedicated and we are proud to have them as part of our school system. The honourable member for Georges River has highlighted tonight the community partnership that makes a school like Carinya successful.

The support it received at its fundraising function from local business groups, community groups, the staff from other schools and from Oatley Lions worked towards a common end: to make this school as successful as possible. Obviously the night was successful, with $13,000 being raised. I commend also the honourable member for Georges River for his input into education in his local area. It is well known that he cares greatly about education, both in the public and the non-government systems. He has been able to use the experience and opportunities he gained as a principal before coming to Parliament to ensure that the education of young people, who are the future of our society, is the most important priority, and I know he will continue to do that.

Mr O'DOHERTY (Hornsby) [10.23 p.m.]: The last time this House sat I raised with the Minister for Roads my concerns about the Pacific Highway at Mount Colah. In particular on that occasion I spoke about the intersection with Excelsior Road at Mount Colah. Some constituents had been to see me about a near miss, one of many that have occurred at that dangerous intersection. The issue received good coverage in our local newspapers, the Berowra Bush Telegraph and the Hornsby Advocate, and conveyed my request that local residents should contact me about any issues to do with that intersection with the Pacific Highway. A number of my constituents have done that and I am grateful to them.

I have written to the Minister for Roads and again tonight I raise the need for a broad look at this stretch of the Pacific Highway. Basically three roads feed the northern part of Mount Colah, a suburb which in the past 15 years has grown dramatically in residential population and in community facilities. The growth and use of sporting fields is just one of many factors that put additional traffic and pedestrian pressure on this part of Mount Colah.

The three roads are Excelsior Road, Foxglove Avenue and Beryl Avenue. I have put to the Minister, and I reinforce to the House tonight, the need for a comprehensive look at the highway through Mount Colah so we can gather information about the level of use of those intersections and their safety for pedestrians and cars. We can match that with the need for people to have a safe passage onto the highway, north and south, and the need for pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren, to cross the highway to get to bus stops, and so on, and to plan a comprehensive solution to the problems on this stretch of the Pacific Highway.

I hope that the Minister will agree to my request that the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] meet with me and with the council so we can consult with the community about the needs for this area. That consultation would include consideration of whether lights are warranted at one or more of those three intersections. I certainly believe lights are warranted. That consultation should identify which of those intersections would be most effective in providing a break in the Pacific Highway traffic to allow residents to enter and leave that lovely section of Mount Colah.

I also raised with the Minister other concerns about the Pacific Highway in the near vicinity. I will briefly outline them for the House tonight. Again, I am asking that the RTA meet with me and with Hornsby council to talk about changing traffic patterns that have defined new needs along that stretch of the highway. The first of these is the pedestrian lights on the Pacific Highway at Asquith. Constituents have complained to me about pedestrian and traffic safety at the Asquith shopping centre. Traffic that enters the highway from Baldwin Avenue past the entrance to the railway station has to negotiate an intersection that is not signalised. The signals apply only to pedestrians about 10 metres up the road. It is a busy intersection. The vehicles turning left and right are mixing with pedestrian traffic.

Quite a complicated manoeuvre is required. Locals seem to understand it, to the extent that a protocol has developed over the years. It is not written down; like folklore, it is something that people know. When non-locals are using the area there can be confusion and residents have seen near misses. I heard just last weekend about a child whose bike was destroyed by a passing car whose driver failed to see the red pedestrian lights and clipped the bicycle the child was pushing in front of him. Thankfully the child was not riding the bike at the time; otherwise a serious injury would have occurred. We need to look at that intersection. My suggestion is that we try to provide lights for both cars and pedestrians at that point.

Secondly, the guy from PJ's Pizzas has raised with me the need for a safety fence on the Pacific Highway near Mount Colah station. Pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren, rush across from the shops to the railway station entrance, and that is very dangerous. I ask the RTA to pay attention to that. Thirdly, the F3 Freeway exit onto Ku-ring-gai Chase Road is continually saturated with cars exiting from the F3, not only when there is an accident, but every Friday night. That is causing major bottlenecks through that part of Mount Colah, and that needs to be looked at as well.

Ms ANDREWS (Peats) [10.28 p.m.]: Tonight I wish to inform the House of the opening on 1 August of the National Centre for Greenhouse Horticulture at Narara by the Minister for Agriculture, and Minister for Land and Water Conservation, the Hon. Richard Amery. The national centre is located within the electorate of Peats at New South Wales Agriculture's Horticultural Research and Advisory Station, Narara. The opening coincided with the commissioning of a modern, new $372,000 greenhouse complex at the centre. Greenhouse horticulture, also known as protected cropping, is growing at a rapid pace within the Peats electorate and throughout the Central Coast. Indeed, it is one of the most intensive, fastest-growing and high-value production sectors of agriculture. Greenhouse horticulture includes the production of fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and nursery products, all of which are important components of Central Coast agriculture. It is interesting to note that the current farm gate value of greenhouse horticultural production in this State is estimated to be $500 million a year.

Growth in this industry has been spurred on by domestic and world demand for clean, safe, high-quality produce and mounting pressure for sustainable production practices. It is pleasing to note that the State Government is increasing its support for the greenhouse agricultural industry through the National Centre for Greenhouse Horticulture in order to capture some of the $4 billion export potential across the Asia-Pacific region. Potential export markets include South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Japan, which imports more than $4 billion worth of fresh produce each year. Japan is the largest single market for Australian-grown flowers, taking approximately 44 per cent of Australia's flower exports worth approximately $15 million a year. Taiwan's vegetable imports are worth more than $70 million in a year with Australia one of the key exporters to this market, while imports to South Korea are worth more than $175 million a year.

The opening of the national centre coincided with the holding of the Australian Hydroponics and Greenhouse Conference 2001 on the Central Coast. Honourable members might be interested to know that the Australian Hydroponic Association was formed in 1990 and has been holding biennial conferences since that time. The 2001 conference was historic because for the first time it included greenhouse growers and not merely hydroponic growers. The association is now called the Australian Hydroponics and Greenhouse Association. Previously non-hydroponic greenhouse producers had no industry representation. Delegates to the conference came from Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America. In total about 75 per cent were from New South Wales and there was an equal mix of greenhouse growers, greenhouse suppliers, and industry and government representatives. The New South Wales Government recognises the importance of greenhouse industries because of the importance of employment, and the ability to produce high-quality and safe food industry development needs to be fostered. Approximately 150 conference delegates took the opportunity to attend the opening of the greenhouse complex and undertook a tour of the horticultural research and advisory station.

At the opening the Minister announced the creation of five new jobs for the National Centre for Greenhouse Horticulture at Narara. Those jobs, which have been advertised, include four research horticulturalists and one plant pathologist who will work with the 51 research, advisory and support staff at the centre. The new staff will develop market access protocols and non-chemical methods of disinfestation to open up new export opportunities. A research horticulturalist will also be dedicated to improving the production of greenhouse crops. As the local member I was gratified to learn that NSW Agriculture on the Central Coast receives an annual budget of $5 million. That translates into a major contribution by the State Government department into the Central Coast economy.

I would like to mention that during the day's proceedings the Minister made a special presentation to Dr Stephen Goodwin in recognition of his many years of loyal service to NSW Agriculture's Horticultural Research and Advisory Station at Narara. The Deputy Director-General of NSW Agriculture, Dr Richard Sheldrake, was present at the opening. Special tribute was paid by the Minister and by me to the Director of the National Centre for Greenhouse Horticulture, Dr David Hall, and the dedicated staff of NSW Agriculture at Narara for the continued growth of the agricultural industry on the Central Coast. [Time expired.]

Mr R. W. TURNER (Orange) [10.33 p.m.]: I take this opportunity to mention Eugowra, one of the small villages within the electorate of Orange. Eugowra is out to the west of my electorate, between Cudal and Forbes. It is a typical small farming community that is struggling to survive with a couple of hotels, a supermarket, a newsagent, a butcher, a golf club, a bowling club, a couple of craft shops, coffee shops, et cetera. One highlight was the local council's recent approval for a feedlot located on the edge of town to progressively increase its numbers to 6,000 head. That is good news. They are environmentally conscious and very good farmers, and I am sure they will do a great job and allay any fears that people may have felt at the time of the development application.

There is also a farm produce supplier, a lucerne plant and a granite stonemason that produces headstones and various other products. Ron and Christine—the proprietors of another company, E. A. Hay and Son—are second-generation sawmillers, principally producing house frames from cypress timber. They draw the timber from various places around the area, some from private plantations but principally from State forests, getting the product from as far away as the Pilliga Scrub. As I said, that company has been using cypress pine for many years and has developed a very important trade with Japan. Cypress pine is very highly sought-after in Japan because of its resistance to white ants. Because of the way they construct their homes in Japan they need cypress pine that has that resistance, as against other timber that continues to cause problems so far as white ants are concerned. The Japanese have an objection to using timber that has been chemically treated. E. A. Hay and Son have a plan to establish a lamination plant, which would take many of the offcuts from the cypress pine that are not suitable lengths of timber, again for export to Japan.

The plant is fairly small compared with some of the major timber manufacturers but, if it goes ahead, it will cost approximately $500,000. It would provide for an additional guaranteed six or eight employees in addition to the 15 to 20 that the company already employs in Eugowra. The company is a very important employer within that small area. The problem is that the company cannot obtain a guarantee from the Government, principally from the Minister for the Environment. The company needs a 10-year guarantee in order to get a return on its investment but at the moment it is existing on a 12-month guarantee. Honourable members will appreciate that no company is going to invest $500,000 without a guaranteed supply of timber from State Forests beyond a 12-month period. Even a period of two years or five years is not long enough. At 10-year guarantee is needed. The company is not only existing from one 12-month period to another, but the Minister has said, "We will give you something like a five-year guarantee but you need to take a 10 per cent cut in production."

This company wants an increase of more than 10 per cent, not a 10 per cent decrease, if it goes ahead with this plant. The company is also investigating, in conjunction with either the CSIRO or the Department of Agriculture, whether impregnation of the oil extracted from the cypress into radiata pine will give the same resistance against white ants. That is an important investigation and may lead to further export potential to Japan. However, the company cannot do that unless it gets a guarantee of supply. Tonight I call on the Minister to see what he can do to guarantee that supply. [Time expired.]

Mr MARTIN (Bathurst) [10.38 p.m.]: Last week I had the great honour of hosting a visit by the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, on a three-day tour of the Bathurst electorate. The Governor was accompanied by her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie. While the Governor was unable to cover all of the 14,000 square kilometres of the electorate, she kept up a demanding schedule over the three days, and met and mingled with a wide cross-section of the community. The Governor is a person of great charm, dignity and compassion, and she made all those she met feel important. She showed a special affinity with children and this came as no surprise, given her professional background as a paediatrician specialising in adolescent mental health. The frail aged were also singled out by the Governor for special affection.

The first day of the Governor's visit began at All Saints College, Bathurst, where she opened a new block of classrooms. She was hosted by the headmaster, Dr Tim Wright, and the school council president, Councillor Geoff Spring. In her speech Her Excellency made much of the pioneering effort of Sir Henry Parkes in giving education a high priority on the political agenda last century, in the run up to Federation. The Governor then visited Lithgow, my home town, where she was hosted by the Mayor of Lithgow, Councillor Neville Castle, at a function to honour community volunteers. The function was held in the recently restored Union Theatre, which was constructed in 1891. The Governor made special mention of the magnificent music provided by the Lithgow String Orchestra and the Sing 2001 choir members.

Her Excellency then visited Wallerawang Public School where she was greeted enthusiastically by the school community. The principal, Duncan Auld, and his staff presented their beautiful lakeside campus at its best. A highlight of the visit was the signing by the Governor of a Federation banner beautifully crafted by the students. The Governor then travelled back to Bathurst where she met with mental health professionals from the central west. To conclude a very busy day, the Governor was guest of honour at a civic reception hosted by Councillor Ian McIntosh, Mayor of Bathurst, where she addressed and then mingled with members of the Bathurst community.

On the second day of her visit the Governor visited Oberon where she was introduced to members of volunteer groups by the Mayor of Oberon, Councillor Bob Hooper. Next stop was the town of Blayney, where the Governor unveiled a plaque marking the commencement of construction of the Blayney multipurpose service health facility. The event was chaired by Mrs Audrey Hardman, OAM, chair of the consultative committee. Her Excellency made a special point of meeting as many patients as possible. Blayney Council Mayor, John Davies, hosted a luncheon for the Governor. Her Excellency then travelled to Evans shire where she opened the new Cheshire Creek Bridge at Turondale, situated in a beautifully rustic Australian bush setting. Councillor Norm Mann, Mayor of Evans shire, hosted the opening and pointed out to Her Excellency that the plaque contained the names of every staff member who worked on the $430,000 project, which was funded entirely by the council. A dinner hosted by the Mayor of Bathurst concluded another busy day for Her Excellency.

Sunday saw Her Excellency attend church at the Anglican Cathedral in Bathurst conducted by Bishop Hurford. Her Excellency then visited St Catherine's Nursing Home run by the Sisters of Mercy and managed by Sister Melitta Bagnall, who is an old classmate of mine. The Governor met individually many members of this wonderful institution. The Governor moved next door to St Joseph's Mount where she was a guest of the Sisters of Mercy for a garden party and reconciliation ceremony with elders of the Wiradjuri people. The garden party marked a recelebration of the garden party held in 1896 during the Constitutional Convention in Bathurst. Because of the chauvinistic times in which they lived, women were excluded from the Constitutional Convention but decided to get together and have a garden party.

The Governor made a keynote speech outlining the significance of Federation and the importance of reconciliation with indigenous Australians. Sister Pat Linnane of the Sisters of Mercy Social Justice Centre and an old friend of Her Excellency was heavily involved in the organisation of this ceremony. The people of the Bathurst electorate have fond memories of this visit by our new Governor, who celebrated her first six months in office last Saturday. I am sure that if she continues in the same vein in the next 4½ years she will certainly be known as the people's Governor. It was a privilege to have Her Excellency and her husband in the Bathurst electorate, and I know that she has an open invitation to revisit at any time.

Private members' statements noted.

Motion by Mr Whelan agreed to:

That the House at its rising this day do adjourn until Wednesday 5 September 2001 at 10.00 a.m.