Full Day Hansard Transcript (Legislative Assembly, 21 October 2004, Corrected Copy)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Thursday 21 October 2004
______

Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Joseph Aquilina) took the chair at 10.00 a.m.

Mr Speaker offered the Prayer.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VACANCY

Joint Sitting

Mr SPEAKER: I report the following message from Her Excellency the Governor:

I direct that the joint sitting with the Legislative Council in the Legislative Council Chamber for the election of a member of the Legislative Council be set down as an order of the day for 3.45 p.m. today as appointed in Her Excellency's message dated 20 October 2004.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Postponement of Business

General Business Notice of Motion (for Bills) No. 4 called on, and postponed by Mr Andrew Tink.

JURY AMENDMENT (MAJORITY VERDICTS) BILL

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Second Reading

Mr ANDREW TINK (Epping) [10.06 a.m.]: I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The object of the bill is to amend the Jury Act 1977 to provide for majority verdicts by juries in criminal trials. The bill inserts a new provision in the Act, proposed section 55F, to enable juries in criminal trials to deliver a majority verdict if, in the case of 12 jurors, 11 of the jurors agree on the verdict. The bill also inserts a new provision in the Act, proposed section 56, to enable the court to discharge a jury of 12 persons after six hours of deliberations if it finds that the jury is not likely to reach either a unanimous or a majority verdict. The provisions relating to the discharge of juries in the existing section 56 are re-enacted for juries consisting of fewer than 12 persons. Some years ago I introduced a bill along similar lines but I reintroduce such a bill into the Parliament today in light of what I believe are some very important comments made by one of the most experienced criminal court judges in New South Wales and indeed the country, the Hon. Mr Justice John Dunford. Mr Justice Dunford presented a paper at the Criminal Law Conference at the Sydney Marriott Hotel on Tuesday 27 July 2004. He made extensive comments about majority jury verdicts that I will read onto the record. The judge was referring to a number of issues of concern to him about the direction of the criminal law and then said:

... there are some reforms which I believe could make the jury system more efficient. For one thing, I support the introduction of majority verdicts after a specified period of deliberation. I understand the proposal presently before the government is for an 11-1 majority, whereas in England and various other places a 10-2 majority is sufficient.

I do not know whether at that time there were any particular recommendations before the Government but my private members bill provided for an 11:1 majority verdict, as this bill does. Mr Justice Dunford continued:

I certainly do not want to second-guess Justice Dunford on that, but he made an important point: judges do know, to a very significant degree, what is going on in a jury room. Because judges get notes from juries they know the extent to which a hung jury issue is a problem, and by what margin. However, as the judge said, that material is not available to counsel. I infer from the judge's comment, rightly or wrongly, that through his experience of receiving notes from juries via the sheriff, he is aware that there is a significant hung jury problem. That is why he raised it in his speech. If the 11:1 majority were brought in that would, I infer, assist in dealing with some of the issues that have been identified in jury notes passed to a judge. Justice Dunford continued:

I think the judge is saying that at least in the case of a single rogue juror, all other things being equal, there ought to be an ability to deal with those persons. The majority verdict might, on certain models, provide some basis for doing so. I regret to say that the issue is relevant. Yet again there is a story in the Sydney Morning Herald about that type of broader problem. In any event I certainly believe that the matter should be before Parliament again. My bill is for a simple 11:1 majority verdict, which, I suppose, is the most conservative of all possible alternatives to the current unanimous verdict requirement. I cannot even suggest that we go to a majority of 10:2 and certainly not to a bare majority as they have in Scotland. I feel most comfortable with the virtual unanimous majority bar one rogue juror. That would take into account, notwithstanding what the judge said, a significant number of matters.

I refer to other jurisdictions. In Victoria, a majority verdict involves 11 out of 12, or 10 out of 11, or 9 out of 10 in criminal trials, except for cases of murder or treason. In other words, depending on the final number of jurors who are required to bring in a verdict the requirement is down to a total of 10, with one juror out: so a verdict can be entered with one juror out. In Western Australia, the arrangement is for a majority of 10 out of 12, except in murder cases. In South Australia, a majority verdict is allowed with 10 or 11 out of 12, 10 out of 11, or 9 out of 10; again, down to a grand total of 10 to bring in a verdict. In Tasmania a majority of 10 out of 12 is allowed. In the Northern Territory, if a unanimous verdict is not reached in six hours, a majority of 10 out of either 11 or 12, or 9 out of 10 applies. In Queensland unanimous verdicts are required.

Around the Commonwealth there is strong precedent for one juror who cannot agree with the rest being discounted for the purpose of a decision. It has not been said anywhere in any other jurisdiction in this country that that has caused a problem to the administration of justice. It is very important to note that one of the strongest advocates for majority jury verdicts in this State is the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is well known, I think, that the Director of Public Prosecutions and I disagree on a few things, but not everything. Certainly on this topic we are in the strongest possible agreement. The Director of Public Prosecutions has been a very consistent and longstanding advocate of majority verdicts. This is important, because none of his views are one-offs: he has held all of his views on a long-term basis and there is particular consistency in his attitude to majority verdicts.

I demonstrate that consistency by referring to three occasions, which are well-spaced in time, on which the Director of Public Prosecutions made that point very strongly. First, on 23 June 1997 he wrote an article for the Sydney Morning Herald strongly in favour of majority verdicts. That article was opposed by Ian Barker, QC, who, it must be said, is a very experienced criminal barrister. On the jurisdictions I referred to previously, Mr Cowdery's first point stated:

and that includes all the ones I referred to—

Second, on 17 January 1999 the Sun-Herald reported the Director of Public Prosecutions as saying that majority verdicts were essential in cases that were held up by one juror who could not be persuaded by reason. Of course, the bill is designed to cover precisely that point. Third, in the weekend edition of the Sydney Morning Herald of 27-28 July 2002 a statement by the Director of Public Prosecutions, a critically important stakeholder in this debate, was reported. He said:

That is very strong stuff from the Director of Public Prosecutions. I suspect it indicates an underlying frustration held throughout his office by all the men and women who prosecute on behalf of the public of New South Wales that the system of justice does not work for the public, the system of justice does not work for the administration of justice, and in particular it does not work for the victims of crime— I will refer to that matter later—where there is a continuing requirement for unanimity. Another extremely important stakeholder and commentator in this business is Judge Reg Blanch, the Chief Judge of the District Court, a former Director of Public Prosecutions of this State. He is one of the most distinguished and respected judges in New South Wales. Judge Blanch was referred to in the Daily Telegraph of 30 May 1997 on one of the occasions on which this issue was being considered by the Parliament. The article states:

The then Police Commissioner, Peter Ryan, expressed strong support for majority verdicts. I am absolutely confident that Police Commissioner Moroney and the 15,000 officers he leads would also strongly support majority verdicts. I turn to the concerns of the victims of crime. They are perhaps best demonstrated in a letter written on 22 June 2000 by Anne Harsanyi, who was the acting co-ordinator of the North Sydney Sexual Assault Service, to the then Attorney General, the Hon. Jeff Shaw. All honourable members should pay careful attention to what she wrote. The letter expresses real concern about the cost of hung juries to the victims of crime. There is a great deal of talk about wasting State resources on retrials, and that is important, and concern is also expressed about many other issues facing the justice system. However, this letter details the cost to victims of crime, and particularly those who must repeatedly give evidence to a new jury, be cross-examined and face the alleged perpetrator because the jury cannot reach an 11:1 verdict. The important point is that although the letter is from someone who was working at North Sydney Health, she was writing on behalf of victims of assault throughout the State. The letter states:

This is very important. The letter continues:

Concerns have been expressed this week about child pornography issues, and I gather that two people have been arrested today for allegedly spiking women's drinks and sexually assaulting them. That behaviour is the issue in this debate and it must be weighed up when considering majority verdicts. Ms Harsanyi's point is that majority or unanimous verdicts may be critical for women who have been assaulted in those dreadful circumstances in deciding whether to approach the authorities. One factor that might weigh on their minds is that if they go through the process of making a complaint and have someone prosecuted there is a real risk that they will have to go through it repeatedly. People who are assaulted in any way are encouraged to come forward in the knowledge that there is a good chance that their matter will be disposed of by a jury after only one trial. Any concern they will have about the possibility of having to go through the process again will discourage them from reporting the crime in the first place, and perpetrators will not be prosecuted and will be encouraged by default to continue their behaviour. That is the issue at stake and it is high time we introduced 11:1 majority verdicts.

I was astonished that at the time the letter was written the Premier said that although he would allow debate on a bill addressing the issue he was absolutely opposed to changing the current system that insists on a unanimous verdict for murder. He did not express a view about unanimous verdicts generally. He prides himself as being evidence based when it comes to making these decisions. Surely the concerns expressed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chief Judge and Mr Justice Dunford would be enough to make him move. Various Attorneys General of this State, including the current Attorney General and certainly Mr Shaw, have taken refuge in crime statistics produced by Dr Don Weatherburn in July 1997. The Crime and Justice Bulletin No. 36 of July 1997 states:

That would have an impact on 39 victims of crime, apart from anything else. Those 39 victims, especially those who have suffered a sexual assault, would have to go through the trauma of presenting their evidence and being cross-examined only once. In other words, the Government should have taken notice of that potential reduction in 1997. The fact that people such as Justice Dunford have reignited the issue is reason enough for it to be considered.

I remain perplexed by the Government's attitude in 1997. At that time, Minister Iemma, while speaking on behalf of the Government in response to a private bill I introduced, said that he would await the outcome of Attorney General's Department deliberations about majority verdicts. When Mr Justice Dunford made his recent comments, the Premier said in this place that he would refer the issue to the Law Reform Commission. In other words, after having had the issue on the table since 1998, the Attorney General's Department is apparently still deliberating. The only decision the Cabinet reached was that, in light of Justice Dunford's remarks and after seven years, it could not resolve the issue of majority verdicts and it would have to be flicked off to the Law Reform Commission. That is not good enough given that this is a fundamentally important issue in the Attorney General's portfolio.

The Government should have reached a decision and should support 11:1 majority verdicts. It is appalling that the letter written to the then Attorney General in 2000 by a person speaking on behalf of all sexual assault victims in this State has not resulted in any action. The best the Premier can do is to have the Attorney General's Department deliberate for seven years—and certainly over the four years since that letter was sent. There is still no decision and the issue has been referred to the Law Reform Commission. I think it is time the Government made up its mind. The Coalition has had its mind made up for some time now that we should follow the overwhelming majority of other States that have majority verdicts; that we should come into line with them and have the same standard of practical and effective justice in New South Wales that those jurisdictions have.

Once again I commend the bill to the House and hope that on this occasion the Government will see its way clear to supporting the bill, especially bearing in mind the wishes of the Chief Prosecutor of this State, the Chief Judge of the District Court of This State, the spokesperson for all sexual assault victims in this State, and, last but by no means least, Justice Dunford of the New South Wales Supreme Court, who is a highly respected criminal Court judge. Further, Don Weatherburn’s statistical analysis referred to the fact that 39 trials each year could have been saved by majority verdicts. Whenever one talks about the jury in a criminal trial these days one is talking about a jury hearing serious criminal charges and, almost invariably, a traumatised victim of one type or another. It is therefore significant that each year 39 victims will be saved from the trauma of a retrial if this bill is passed. With those sentiments I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned on motion by Mr Neville Newell.

POLICE AMENDMENT (CRIME REDUCTION AND REPORTING) BILL

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 16 September.

Mr STEVEN PRINGLE (Hawkesbury) [10.32 a.m.]: The objectives of the bill are indeed fundamental objectives to the efficient order and running of this State. The first objective is:

What could be a more fundamental role of this Government? But, of course, other fundamental roles have been neglected in spades in recent times by this Government—the fundamental role to get workers to work on time, the fundamental role to have access to adequate water, the fundamental role that our schoolchildren should have an environment that maximises their opportunity to learn, and the fundamental role that we all should have access to a hospital bed. The list goes on and on. Nonetheless, I am surprised that the Government appears not to support this bill.

The objectives of the bill were very much to the forefront of discussion last week at a major public meeting at Glenorie, a relatively small part of my electorate. In Glenorie some of the major issues were drug crime and what the Government is doing about it, antisocial behaviour and what the Government is doing about it—neglecting it well and truly—and particularly the lack of police resources in the rural parts of the Hawkesbury electorate. The lack of police resources often results in only two cars being available in an area encompassing thousands of square kilometres, one at one end of the electorate and another at the other end of the electorate. Consequently they cannot respond quickly and effectively to crime that is taking place.

At the Glenorie meeting, deep concern was expressed about the lack of attention being paid by this Government to Neighbourhood Watch. What a brilliant initiative that was some years ago, an initiative whereby the community had access to the police. The police were interested and they were working closely with Neighbourhood Watch organisations, and the reporting system enabled police to do their job much more effectively. Under this Government that organisation has been neglected; under this Government there has been a slow death of Neighbourhood Watch. I note that the honourable member for Tweed is present in the Chamber. In his electorate Neighbourhood Watch is indeed a very effective organisation, but what has happened to it in the remainder of the State? Why has this Government neglected such an important organisation that can help to dramatically reduce crime throughout the State?

The measures in the bill will encourage the reporting of crime. At the Glenorie meeting a number of people said to me, "I did not bother to report a crime. What was the point? It was not going to be acted upon and why should I bother wasting my time?" Surely if the Government is to react to crime hot spots it needs to have all the crime statistics, no matter how relatively minor or major they might be. Obtaining these statistics and making them publicly available is a major responsibility of the Government. That is what this bill is all about. It will empower police and parents to take action on a whole variety of crime-related issues.

Let me turn to an announcement earlier this week by the Minister for Police about how great it is, how wonderful it is, to at last have police bicycle patrols operating once again. The bicycle patrols will be introduced. How long did it take for this to happen? It has taken years to get what was an effective police operation—police out on bikes, able to respond quickly to crime, particularly in congested areas where cars are impractical. It has taken years and years, and meanwhile the bikes have been stored at the back of police stations, unable to be used. We also have the ongoing debate about what equipment a bicycle patrol officer should have. Once again, that has taken years to get a decision and to get police on the bikes and out in the community where they should be.

The same story applies to beat police, another area about which the Government appears to be absolutely paranoid. The Government is not responding to the community’s demands for more police to be out on the beat, simply walking around shopping centres such as Castle Towers or walking around Strathfield. I note that the honourable member for Strathfield is in the Chamber. In her former role as Mayor of Strathfield she was forced to employ security guards in Strathfield. There could be no greater indictment of this Government than for a council to have to take over a government responsibility. Beat police are needed and we should not have to have security guards. I commend the former mayor on her initiative in employing security guards but it should not have been council's responsibility. It is clearly a government responsibility to have police on the beat in all major hot spots, establishing communication and contact with members of the community.

I will return to what I was dealing with when the debate was interrupted. I spoke about the ramshackle state of many police facilities throughout New South Wales. I note that an audit is being undertaken but, once again, how long does it take to work out what are the problems in our police stations? In the case of Windsor station the problem is a series of small, inefficient buildings. The objective is to get maximum value for the public dollar and we are not getting that at the moment. Our hard-working police are doing their best but they are prevented from doing their job properly because they do not have adequate facilities.

I commend the three local area commands in my electorate, Hornsby, Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury, for their important contribution to the community. They have been let down, though, by a government that will not provide them with adequate resources by way of vehicles, bikes and beat police. It is not helping them to establish and maintain Neighbourhood Watch groups, and it is simply not providing resources and information, because it is not encouraging people to report crime. All crime incidents should be reported and acted upon, so that police can follow up the crime hot spots.

Again the Government is failing to look after the real needs of the people of New South Wales. We note the Federal election response: people overwhelmingly voted to return a Howard Government that had produced the goods, provided a safe environment, and encouraged business. I ask the State Government to do exactly the same. The State Government is responsible for services. One of those services is police, and a lot more police resources are needed. I urge all members opposite to support the bill, which is so important for the safety of our community.

Mr MICHAEL RICHARDSON (The Hills) [10.40 a.m.]: I support the honourable member for Vaucluse in his attempt to get some accountability into the policing system in this State. The Police Amendment (Crime Reduction and Reporting) Bill is straightforward. Its objects are to amend the Police Act 1990 to include as part of the functions of NSW Police the reduction of crime and the active encouragement of the reporting of all crime and incidents of public disorder in New South Wales, and to include those matters in the performance criteria contained in the contract of employment or any associated performance agreement between the Commissioner of Police and the Minister for Police.

One would have thought it was self-evident that a responsible government would not only support the bill but would have acted on the initiatives that are included in it—particularly a government that has been in power for 9� long, dreary years. I recall that the former Commissioner of Police, Peter Ryan, came under some heavy criticism towards the latter part of his term as commissioner because of this issue of reducing crime. Why? Because crime rates under the Carr Labor Government have increased significantly.

Over the nine years from 1995 to 2004, violent assaults in this State have increased by 81 per cent and robberies have increased by 52 per cent. About 200 robberies occur in New South Wales every week compared with only 128 robberies in 1995. Alarmingly, one in three of those 200 robberies involves a firearm or weapon. Crime statistics for my area show that in 1995 there were 252 assaults in the Baulkham Hills shire, compared with 481 in 2002, a 91 per cent increase. Given those statistics, it is not surprising that people have a real concern about crime and the possibility of being assaulted or robbed.

The purpose of the bill is to ensure the active encouragement of the reporting of all crime and incidents of public disorder, and the reduction of crime. If we are to get this right we need to know the exact extent of the crime epidemic we are experiencing. An alarming fact is that about half the crime incidents, and probably more than half the incidents of public disorder, are not reported to police. So, even the alarming statistics that are presented to us do not show the full picture; they show only half the picture. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 61 per cent of robberies, 70 per cent of assaults, 84 per cent of sexual assaults, 69 per cent of attempted break-ins, and 32 per cent of actual break-ins are not reported to police. They are extremely alarming figures. I repeat: 84 per cent of sexual assaults are not reported to police.

Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: How many?

Mr MICHAEL RICHARDSON: Eighty-four per cent. Why do people have such a phobia about reporting crime to police? Because under this Government there is no focus or emphasis on clearing up crime. In fact, New South Wales has one of the lowest crime clear-up rates of any State or Territory in Australia. The reasons for that are fairly clear: for example, the number of detectives has been reduced significantly and there is a lack of funding for police overtime. It all gets down to the Government's management of the police service.

I want to share with the House some very alarming statistics that demonstrate why the public are reluctant to report crime to police. After 90 days the clear-up rate for robbery with a weapon that is not a firearm is 13.5 per cent; robbery without a weapon, 11.8 per cent; robbery with a firearm, 11.5 per cent; stealing from a dwelling, 8.3 per cent; arson, 6.3 per cent; car theft, 5.6 per cent; break and enter offences, 5 per cent; and stealing from a person, 4.5 per cent. In other words, after 90 days, if your house has been burgled, you have only a one in twenty chance of the offender being apprehended and your goods being returned to you. People are looking at these appallingly low clear-up rates and asking, "What is the point? Why should we ring the Police Assistance Line just to report crime?" What they do not realise is that it is important to establish a pattern of crime. I therefore encourage my constituents to report all criminal activity to police. It is up to the Government to provide the resources and initiatives required to clear up those crimes. Regrettably, that is not happening at the moment.

Crimes such as burglary and car theft are very serious because, unquestionably, they significantly affect the victims. When such crimes are viewed as being simply insurance matters—which is the way the Carr Government looks at them—one can understand why the victims are reluctant to report them to police. If they do report them, it is simply because their insurance company has told them they need to do so in order to claim on their insurance. As the figures I have referred to show, the likelihood of victims getting their possessions back is extremely remote.

The honourable member for Hawkesbury spoke about beat patrols. In my electorate of The Hills the major crime hot spot is Castle Hill Park, and I want to commend Castle Hill police for their efforts in recent years in trying to clear up the crime problems in the park. However, just recently they slackened off with their foot patrols through the park. A picnic shelter in the park, a substantial structure that was erected by Castle Hill Rotary Club some 30 years ago, was trashed to the extent that it will have to be pulled down. My electorate office overlooks Castle Hill Park, so I see some of the activity there. For many years I complained about the drunken activity that was going on in that park. The building in which my office is located had some 17 large, plate-glass windows smashed over a one-year period. At a value of $1,000 each, that was $17,000 damage. The owner of the building, Rocco Mileto, was tearing his hair out because he thought he would not be able to claim on his insurance.

Castle Hill police supported me in my endeavours to have a couple of picnic tables and seats that were located just outside the building removed. Council resisted their removal, but after it was done no more windows were smashed. The vandals then attacked the picnic shelter—which is right next to Old Northern Road, but that did not seem to make any difference—and destroyed it. Crime prevention, which includes designing out crime and providing foot patrols, is as important as solving crime. I am a firm believer in the concept that nobody benefits from a crime being committed. The criminal does not benefit, society does not benefit, and the victim most certainly does not benefit. If we can in some way prevent crime from occurring, so much the better.

The bill amends the Police Act to include as part of the function of NSW Police the reduction of crime. That includes crime prevention, the kinds of things I have been talking about, and the active encouragement of the reporting of all crime and incidents of public disorder in New South Wales. If the Government accepts this bill there is potential for a change in the way in which crime is reported in this State and there is the potential for a change in the emphasis on solving crime—something at which this Government has been very bad. Recently the Premier paraded around the place and boasted that crime had reduced in New South Wales.

Crime has reduced across Australia because of the wonderful work the Howard Government has been doing in intercepting heroin shipments coming into this country and in working in conjunction with State police forces to catch the Mr Bigs of the drug trade. The Howard Government has done more to reduce the incidence of crime and drug abuse in this State than the Carr Government has ever done. It is doing that almost by remote control from Canberra because it is an effective government, a government that is strongly supported by the people of Australia, as that wonderful election result last Saturday week showed.

Mr Anthony Roberts: What a great result that was!

Mr MICHAEL RICHARDSON: As the honourable member for Lane Cove said, what a great result that was! I might add that the honourable member for Lane Cove used to work for Mr Howard. If this Government had the same commitment as the Howard Government to resolving the problems that really affect the people of New South Wales and Australia we would be living in a far better society. The bill introduced by the honourable member for Vaucluse is a genuine step forward in trying to deal not only with the perception of crime but also with crime clear-up. Including these matters in the performance criteria in the contract of employment of the Commissioner of Police is absolutely axiomatic. It will strongly benefit the people of New South Wales.

We could see that from the situation that faced this State when Peter Ryan was police commissioner and crime rates were going through the roof. He did not seem to think that solving crime or reducing crime was an important part of his employment. He did not seem to think that that was a performance criterion whatsoever. The current Commissioner of Police, Ken Moroney, has been lucky because the tough-on-drugs policy of the Howard Government has resulted in this significant drop in crime rates across the country. More power to John Howard and his team in Canberra!

Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove) [10.54 a.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to speak to the Police Amendment (Crime Reduction and Reporting) Bill, which was introduced by the honourable member for Vaucluse and shadow Minister for Police, Mr Peter Debnam. He does a wonderful job protecting the serving men and women of the police force—the uniformed officers who are underfunded and understaffed—and assisting them to do their job effectively. He is always a great advocate for them. He takes on the fight and looks after them, which is more than I can say for the State Government. The overview of the bill states:

The objects of the bill are:

(a) to amend the Police Act 1990 to include as part of the functions of NSW Police the reduction of crime and the active encouragement—

and I emphasise those words—

of the reporting of all crime and incidents of public disorder in New South Wales, and.

(b) to include those matters in the performance criteria contained in the contract of employment or any associated performance agreement between the Commissioner of Police and the Minister for Police.

The outline of provisions states:

Clause 1

Clause 2

Clause 3

Police Act 1990

Schedule 1 [1] and [2]

Schedule 1 [3]

I commend those provisions to the House. We must entrench the active reporting of crime as part of the overall policing system in New South Wales. It distresses me when I discover that up to 50 per cent of crime in New South Wales is not reported. Up to 50 per cent of antisocial behaviour is not recorded, which is disgraceful. It should be recorded. New South Wales taxpayers need to know—I think they have the right to know—what the level of crime is. My colleague the honourable member for The Hills works very hard with his local police, as do I, to fight crime and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Thomas George: We all do.

Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS: My colleagues from The Nationals also work very hard to fight crime and to look after their local police. We give them support and protection from the adverse funding cuts they continually receive from the New South Wales Government, which seems to be more interested in spin than in substance. The purpose of the bill is to change the police commissioner's contract and to establish two objectives for the commissioner: first, to reduce crime—surely the most basic of police functions and activities—and, second, to encourage the highest possible reporting of actual crime by citizens and the police. I bring to the attention of honourable members some statements that were made by the shadow Minister for Police. He said:

The shadow Minister for Police also said:

The commissioner's contract is fundamentally flawed. The current contract forces the police commissioner to pursue a media strategy to reduce the perception of crime.

That is plain wrong. As that is critical to this whole matter I repeat:

The current contract forces the police commissioner to pursue a media strategy to reduce the perception of crime.

The shadow Minister is not just referring to reducing crime; he is referring to the police commissioner being required to pursue a media strategy to reduce the perception of crime. Instead of media strategies, the commissioner must pursue a reduction of crime and a high level of crime reporting. As I said, currently a high proportion of crime is not reported to police. For example, 61 per cent of robberies, 70 per cent of assaults, 84 per cent of sexual assaults, 69 per cent of attempted break-ins, and 32 per cent of break-ins are not reported. There are unreported cases in my electorate.

Ms Katrina Hodgkinson: It is disgraceful.

Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS: It is disgraceful. I am sure that many of the honourable member's constituents, like mine, are not reporting crime. There is no point in reporting crime, because it gets you nowhere. I refer next to the police assistance line, which has been called an email into the ether, as nothing ever happens.

[Interruption]

It is a glorified filing cabinet, as the shadow Minister for Police has just stated. I commend my local police officers, who do an absolutely wonderful job under the circumstances. For example, in Longueville, which is in my electorate, there have been significant cases of antisocial behaviour. People no longer feel there is any point reporting it to the police because they feel that nothing happens. Such incidents do not show up in the statistics, if they are shown—which I do not believe they are. The statistics that are thrown about certainly do not reflect the level of antisocial behaviour and crime in my area.

Our local church has been vandalised, the local minister's home has been vandalised, and hospitals for palliative care are being disrupted and entered in the dead of night by youths. It is disgraceful. By the time the police get to the scene the perpetrators have flown the coop. It has got to the stage where people are not prepared to report a crime. In many cases, people have reported a crime to the police and then when they have followed it up there has been no record of it. It must be fundamental in the police commissioner's contract that crime be reported. That does not involve spin and telling people they are safe, because people do not feel safe—people know that the person next door was robbed or that there has been an attempted break-in. However, they are certainly not seeing that on the news.

We are getting spin over substance. The Government is saying that everything is fine. I suggest that the only reason the New South Wales Government can claim a reduction in crime is because of the fantastic work of John Howard's Government to stop the flow of drugs into this country. The honourable member for Baulkham Hills will agree with that statement. The Howard Government took a hardline approach to drugs and border security, and it has paid off. The objectives we are talking about today—getting the Commissioner of Police to report crime and it being part of his contract to do so—are different from the objectives currently set out in his contract. The police commissioner's contract currently has two objectives: to reduce crime and to reduce the perception of crime.

One would think that if crime were reduced the perception of crime would be reduced—if one just focused on that rather than the spin. As my colleague the honourable member for Vaucluse and others have pointed out today, quite rightly, the problem the Opposition has with the police commissioner's contract is that reducing the perception of crime merely requires media strategies. In effect, the Commissioner of Police has a role as commander-in-chief of our State police men and women and, at the same time, has a role as a media spin doctor for the government of the day. Such a situation is unprecedented in the history of our law enforcement authorities, and I think it reflects on this State Government. As I keep saying, it is spin over substance.

Quite frankly, the ridiculous amount of time and energy that is put into formulating media strategies for the Government by the commissioner's office would be much better spent providing resources for those good men and women who are policing and protecting property and who live day to day. If this current policy of the Government continues, perhaps we will need to totally overhaul police training. Perhaps from now on police training should involve a period of time at the Goulburn academy, followed by a cadetship at CNN or one of the major spin doctor companies. Not only will police men and women be able to drive patrol cars, they will be well versed in how to deal with the media and get those 30-second grabs on television. It is a shame that these days police are required to carry out a large amount of training in order to deal with the media; their time would be better spent catching criminals.

Under this Government, media control has become akin to the propaganda unit run by people such as Joseph Goebbels. In the office of police commissioner—rather than the man himself—we now have, effectively, a highly practised police commissioner. Why are we forced to have this? The answer is simple: it is in his contract and it has been there since day one. When Commissioner Ken Moroney was appointed in 2000 the then Minister for Police, Michael Costa, said that the commissioner would be targeting the reduction of perceptions of crime as well as the actual rate of crime. That is akin to painting old trains yellow and pretending they are Millennium trains.

Mr Peter Debnam: Carl Scully.

Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS: Carl Scully—there we go! That is where it all began. The Government created a media-driven policing model in New South Wales that encourages high-visibility policing—that is, policing that is friendly to television cameras—with the aim of reducing the community's perception of crime. Quite often we see police operations such as Operation Viking, where 20 police cars and officers are drawn from other police areas into highly visible media set-up stunts at the expense of local area commands. To reduce crime—not just the perception of crime through television—we need to return to good, old-fashioned beat policing. It worked. Classic New South Wales Labor Party strategy and politics have been introduced to our wonderful police force: lights, camera, action! Labor will give anything to the television cameras to give the appearance of change and progress. However, that is all it gives.

It is smoke and mirrors. We are told that everything is well. People are told, "I know your house has just been burgled, your wife got mugged down the street, but you know what? You will have someone on television saying it is all right." It is Nineteen Eighty-Four all over again. As has been stated in this House time and again, the Opposition believes that media spin is counterproductive and a waste of a good police commissioner's time. The Opposition takes the view that, given the police commissioner's contract is due for renewal in May, now is the time for the Government to revisit the terms of the contract to allow the commissioner and his office to focus purely on being the head of the police in this State. In the name of good government, the proposal put forward by the honourable member for Vaucluse would change the contract and establish two objectives: to reduce crime and to increase the reporting of crime.

It is essential that we go back to the basics of policing: to protect individuals and to stop crime. No police officer I know would want to go to media 101 to get his face on the news; police officers are not interested in that. These good men and women put their lives on the line in this State—particularly the city—day after day. They want the resources to give them the opportunity to fight crime. The police are not afraid of coming out and saying that there is a crime hot spot. They would welcome the reporting of crime. The police are not unhappy about the fact that crime is isolated and they can get some realistic statistics. Today the Opposition will put pressure on the State Government to provide resources to those police so they can get out there and stop crime rather than just continue the spin. The police I know gag each time they hear the latest propaganda coming out of the department, particularly from the office of the Minister for Police. It is ridiculous. We need to get behind our police force. I urge the House to support the bill.

Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Burrinjuck) [11.09 a.m.]: I join my colleagues in commending the shadow Minister for Police for introducing this extremely important bill, the Police Amendment (Crime Reduction and Reporting) Bill. The objects of the bill are to amend the Police Act 1990 to include as part of the functions of NSW Police the reduction of crime and the active encouragement of the reporting of all crime and the incidence of public disorder in New South Wales. Who could disagree with that? Another object of the bill is to include those matters in the performance criteria contained in the contract of employment or any associated performance agreement between the Commissioner of Police and the Minister for Police.

This is a sensible, practical and well-meaning bill. Assaults across the State are increasing. Previous Opposition speakers have enlightened the House with regard to figures that are currently available. I am disturbed that something in the order of 84 per cent of sexual assaults are not reported to police; that is a crime in itself. I come from a rural area and I know that many women have grave concerns about reporting problems, such as domestic violence and sexual assaults, to the police, or to anybody for that matter. In some cases they are ashamed, they believe they deserved that treatment or they do not think anyone will believe their complaint. They may have heard of rape cases being thrown out of court because people believe the perpetrator rather than the victim and they do not wish to put themselves in the position of having to relive the experience.

For that reason many women choose not to report assaults to the police, particularly domestic violence. The fact that 84 per cent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police sends a strong message to us as parliamentarians and to the police that it is crucial for women to feel safe and secure in reporting sexual assaults to police. I have outlined some reasons why matters may not be reported to the police, but I believe the police are in a better position to get to the truth of why women do not report assaults. As I say, it is criminal that they are not reported. As a community we should all encourage women who are victims of domestic violence or any sexual assaults to report those crimes.

Indeed, it is vital that the court system treats all assaults seriously and ensures that proper penalties are imposed on the perpetrators. Time and again I have heard that the appropriate penalties are not being imposed. Sexual assaults, particularly those on very young women, should be of grave concern to every member of this place. It has been shown that sexual assault of children leads to significant depression during teenage years, which can lead to more serious mental depression in adulthood. Indeed, on many occasions it leads to suicide, and there is proven evidence in relation to that. There is a lack of resources to deal with mental illness in many parts of the State, particularly in country and rural areas where mental illness is an enormous problem. As the mental illness is often caused by sexual assault in young children, this could be prevented if police were able to arrest the perpetrators—an aim that would be supported by all honourable members.

I accept that it is easy to just get up in here and make these comments, but we must aim to rid our community of the perpetrators of these crimes. This, in turn, will reduce depression and suicide in adulthood. I understand from current figures that one in four or one in five people across the State suffer from some form of mental illness. If these perpetrators were caught, there would be fewer cases of mental illness and less need for mental illness resources. It is a win-win situation. I am extremely passionate about this matter and I am sure that many other members share my views on child sexual assault and, indeed, sexual assault in any way, shape or form.

New South Wales has some of the lowest crime clearance rates in the country. I am fortunate in the electorate of Burrinjuck to have outstanding police serving my electorate. I shall take a brief moment to commend the services of one police officer in my electorate who has recently retired, Senior Sergeant Mick Newling, who has been an incredible asset to the people of Yass. His service to the community was outstanding and he will be sorely missed. I wish Mick the best of luck in his future endeavours. As the incoming new district governor for Rotary in the local area, Mick will do a sterling job, as he continues on with his community associations in the district and in the Canberra region. I thank him for the wonderful service he has provided to the local community as an outstanding police officer with NSW Police.

The New South Wales Police Academy is located in Goulburn. I pay tribute to the academy and its affiliation with Charles Sturt University—two well-recognised organisations. In recent times there has been a massive reduction in the number of recruits going through the Police Academy. When Minister Costa was appointed Minister for Police the Police Academy had an enormous number of new recruits. In fact, one of the attestation parades I attended had in the order of 800 or 900 recruits, whereas the most recent attestation parade had only about 100 recruits. One must question why fewer people are being encouraged to enter the police force at a time when New South Wales has the lowest crime clearance rate. It is a contradiction in terms. Perhaps it is because it is a down time and not an election year. At the time of the March 2003 elections massive numbers of recruits were going through the Police Academy—obviously to get through as many recruits as possible and to make the numbers look good. Now, 1� years out of an election, the numbers are very low.

It is now more important than ever to get more recruits through the Police Academy, which does an outstanding job. The lecturers are second to none and they care greatly about their students. The Police Academy is an enormous asset to Goulburn in regard to accommodation, retailers and food businesses. It is like having a university in town. It is a great asset to the people and the entire community of Goulburn. Recently we commemorated Police Remembrance Day, a very significant day. This year homage was paid to Constable Shelley Davis, who was killed in the line of duty at Goulburn on Saturday 13 June 2004. That day was also when local area commander Wayne Benson commenced duty at Goulburn and it was a shock to him for such a tragedy to have occurred on his first day of service. The commemoration service was held in the police chapel at the New South Wales Police Academy, Goulburn. Constable Davis was commended for her wonderful character, her caring nature and her commitment to her duties.

While delivering this message to honourable members of this House, it is probably prudent to note the inherent dangers faced every day by police officers in the performance of their duties. Often we take that for granted, but police officers who must front up each day and report for duty do not underestimate the size of their task. And neither should we! Police officers are out there fighting for the community on a daily basis, dealing with all sorts of issues and problems. The good, hardworking, honest cops must deal with the fact that there is corruption in the police force. There are always a few bad eggs that spoil the basket, and the good, honest cops must deal with the negativity while ensuring that they are there to protect and serve their local community. As the local member in the country electorate of Burrinjuck I am extremely grateful for that, and I know that our local communities value highly the service provided by our local police daily.

Vandalism continues to be an enormous problem throughout New South Wales. Indeed, it is a very big problem in Sydney. When I am in Sydney for parliamentary sittings I catch a train from time to time, and I do not have to go far to see graffiti vandalism on train stations and on the front of houses, as well as malicious damage, including smashed shop windows. A couple of days ago I was speaking with some business owners from Bexley who told me that they have problems with vandalism, particularly at their local business houses. That is an ongoing problem. Is it worth it for those business owners to report these crimes to the police? Do they necessarily report every broken window, especially if the same window is smashed week after week? Do they necessarily report paint strips across the tiled front areas of their businesses? Most of the time business owners have too many other matters on their minds to report these crimes. We need a simplified method for business owners to report every crime perpetrated against their business.

Vandalism is a crime not only in the central business district but also in country areas. Vandalism occurs regularly in the main streets of Goulburn, Tumut, Yass and Boorowa. However, many businesses will not bother to report vandalism because they think nothing will happen, because it is too time consuming or because they do not know whether they will get through on the police assistance line. They must continue doing business to make money so that they can support their families and so on. We need to change that mentality. We need to make it easier for people to report crime, regardless of whether the Government considers the crime, such as vandalism, to be important or insignificant. I consider vandalism to be significant but others may not.

Domestic violence, which is a hugely intrusive issue, is still extremely underreported across the entire State. We have a serious problem on our hands related to the lack of reporting crime in this State. This bill will go one step towards addressing that problem. This bill will amend the Police Act 1990 to include the reduction of crime and the active encouragement of the reporting of all crime and incidents of public disorder in New South Wales in the functions of New South Wales Police and the performance requirements for the Commissioner of Police. That is highly significant, and it is important that this bill proceed with the Government's support. All Government members should support this bill. When I am in Sydney for Parliament I listen to the radio and I hear reports of drive-by shootings and road rage. Serious crimes occur daily in the seats of members opposite who hold city seats, and they should be supporting this bill. I commend the bill to the House.

Mr WAYNE MERTON (Baulkham Hills) [11.24 a.m.]: The Police Amendment (Crime Reduction and Reporting) Bill goes to the heart of policing in New South Wales. It was introduced by the shadow Minister, who is a dedicated, committed and skilled member of the Opposition's team. Basically, this bill is fairly simple in nature and what it attempts to achieve. In dealing with the proposals in this bill, I suppose I can do no better than quote the author of the bill, the honourable member for Vaucluse. In his second reading speech the honourable member said:

In drawing a comparison with the police commissioner's present contract, as the honourable member understands it, the member said:

What this bill is about, what the Opposition is about and what I am talking about today is simple: to change the police commissioner's contract and to establish for the commissioner the two objectives of reducing crime and encouraging the highest possible reporting of crime. People may say that that is a motherhood statement, and they would be absolutely correct. Everyone in the community supports reducing crime and the highest possible reporting of crime because unless crimes are reported the Government does not know that it is happening. The Opposition is concerned that in 2004 the Carr Government and the police Minister are running parts of the New South Wales police force.

The New South Wales police force comprises extremely dedicated, committed and special people. It takes a special type of person to be a police officer. Policing is risky and dangerous, and requires a big commitment. I believe the police officers in New South Wales have that commitment. The Opposition believes that the Carr Government has failed those police officers by not allowing them to get on with the job of policing. I note the lack of interest on the other side of the Chamber for dealing with the fundamental issue that goes to the heart of policing in New South Wales. We must always give police officers a fair go, and we must allow them to carry out their duties of policing. The politicians should step back—I was about to say we should let the members opposite do what they do best, but the mob opposite does not do its best. We must allow police officers to have a command of the situation.

It is essential that the contract for the Commissioner of Police include the objectives of reducing crime and encouraging the highest possible reporting of crime. The situation relating to the reporting of crime is interesting. Some 95 per cent of people who have their car stolen report it to the police. Why do they report it to the police? Because it is necessary to make an insurance claim. A high percentage of people—I think it is about 70 per cent—who have goods stolen during a home break-in report it to the police because they need a report form to make an insurance claim. Some 95 per cent of people who have their cars stolen or maliciously damaged go to the police because it is essential for insurance claims. One might say that that is a high level of reporting, and one would be absolutely correct. People have a reason to report crimes.

However, the figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the general level of crime—these are not the Opposition's figures; they are government-based figures—show an entirely different situation. They paint a picture that is almost inconceivable and cannot be reconciled with the level of reporting in terms of theft of a motor car or loss of goods from one's home. These figures are most interesting. The Opposition's figures on personal crime show that 38.6 per cent of robberies were reported to police. In round figures—in figures honourable members understand—that means that about one in three burglaries and robberies are reported to the police. An assault can be vicious. There is nothing worse than being mugged on the way home. It is an horrendous experience, especially for elderly people, and it happens too often. Many people, particularly the elderly and the frail, are not prepared to go out at night. They stay at home because they are not prepared to go out on the streets.

Mr Thomas George: It also happens during the day.

Mr WAYNE MERTON: As the honourable member for Lismore correctly says, the fear is not confined to leaving their homes at night many people are afraid to go out during the day as well. Regrettably, the Government must face the reality that only 29.8 per cent—or a little less than one in three—of assaults are reported to the police. That means that for every assault reported, two are not. No government can gauge the level of crime in the community with that sort of reporting. We can look at the figures for the reporting of sexual assault, which is a very serious offence.

Pursuant to sessional orders business interrupted.

BANKSTOWN ELECTORATE CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS

Mr TONY STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [11.30 a.m.]: I move:

As the member for Bankstown I am proud to boast to the House about the massive achievements of the Carr Labor Government in the electorate and the surrounding region. While the Bankstown electorate has a considerable margin in favour of the Australian Labor Party, the Carr Government has not taken the people of the electorate for granted, as is sometimes the perception in electorates with significant margins, but has made a strong commitment to them. That means that under the Carr Government the Bankstown electorate has continually received its fair share of services, capital works and social infrastructure. I regret to report to the House that, in contrast, the Bankstown electorate was largely left for dead during the years of the Greiner and Fahey governments. During those years it did not receive equity in State funding or capital works projects. I am not aware of any significant capital works project being undertaken in the Bankstown area during that time. That is a sad indictment of those governments but that was the way things worked then.

I am pleased to report to the House that that has been remedied. I understand that the Coalition Government took the foul step of diverting funding from the Bankstown budget into Liberal electorates. That is shameful. A good example of that diversion by stealth, as the people of Bankstown and I regarded it at the time, was the planned multimillion-dollar upgrade of Stacey Street. I am proud to say that the Carr Government has taken on that project. The money for the upgrade was in the budget under the Coalition Government but it was diverted to Liberal electorates, and Bankstown was left for dead. The current Minister for Roads remedied that and put several million dollars back into Stacey Street, which deserved it. I will refer to that again later. Most of the funding was diverted in 1993-94, a time of critical importance. The use of Stacey Street was increasing. The venue for the Olympic Games was on our doorstep and traffic infrastructure was needed.

Unfortunately, the Coalition Government ignored the needs of the Bankstown electorate. As I have said, fortunately for the people of the Bankstown electorate and the surrounding region, the Carr Labor Government was elected in 1995 and the Bankstown region at last received funding equity. I can now proudly boast to the House that since 1995 well over $340 million has been spent on capital works projects in the electorate of Bankstown, and more than 5,100 direct and indirect jobs have been created in an area that needs job creation and job opportunities. The figure I referred to is more than the figure mentioned in the motion because some time has lapsed since the motion was drafted. The Carr Government has delivered that funding, and it is a fantastic achievement. It is about $300 million more than the Greiner-Fahey governments spent in the Bankstown electorate in their seven years in office.

Honourable members should bear in mind that during that time the demise of Bankstown was assisted in other ways. Federal infrastructure was pulled out of Bankstown when the Howard Government was elected in 1996. It took away the tax office, social infrastructure and job creation programs. Bankstown needed the Carr Government to restore funding equity to an area that needs and deserves it. The massive boost in State funding under the Carr Labor Government has undoubtedly led to positive improvements to my region. It has provided infrastructure, services and social opportunity, as well as boosting morale significantly. Those improvements were overdue and they were provided by the caring Government in this great State, which understands the need for funding equity in diverse areas like Bankstown.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: Caring?

Mr TONY STEWART: Caring, and I will prove that. The increased funding equity has increased community morale in an electorate—and I know the honourable member for North Shore will agree with this—that has been unfairly tarnished and stereotyped by the media on many occasions, simply because it has a large ethnic community. People from more than 120 nationalities reside in the Bankstown electorate. They can be easy targets. That is unfair, and on many occasions the criticism has been harsh. Bankstown today is vastly different—and that is a positive story. Bankstown is a committed, strong area built on family foundations. We are proud to boast about the many achievements in the Bankstown area. I will not go through all the sporting greats who have come from the Bankstown area, but they stand out strongly—the Waughs, the Konrads and so on. Their achievements have resulted from the strong social infrastructure in the Bankstown region, which remains firmly intact and family oriented.

The Olympic Games demonstrated how well Bankstown works. The Olympic velodrome was in the electorate of the honourable member for East Hills, who is here today to speak on this important motion. In addition, the officials for the United States of America team stayed in Bankstown, although that is not widely known. Despite the unfair stereotyping of Bankstown, the nation that is probably the most security conscious in the world had its official headquarters in Bankstown. That is tremendous testimony to Bankstown's hospitality. It is clear that the Bankstown electorate has a great deal going for it. The Carr Government, through its funding, has undoubtedly promoted and supported Bankstown and helped to make the Bankstown electorate a better place.

The best example of the Carr Government's achievements in Bankstown is capital works in the education portfolio. I can proudly boast that there are 16 public schools and 14 private schools in the Bankstown electorate. They have all done well as a result of the Carr Government's activities. An amount of $1.7 million has been committed to Bankstown Public School for a new canteen, a new hall and shade facilities. An amount of $4.8 million has been spent on the offices of the central Bankstown TAFE college. In the current budget a further $3.5 million is provided for an upgrade of the campus of the Chullora TAFE. That is fantastic. It is about education: it is about our future. It is investing in tomorrow. I am proud to boast in the House today about these things that the Carr Government is doing.

Massive road programs are under way in the Bankstown electorate. Millions of dollars have been spent on health as well: $78.5 million on Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, which was opened in 1997 under the Carr Government. Bankstown has a police strength of 280, making it the largest police command in Australia. It is well resourced and has unparalleled infrastructure compared with any other. Mick Plotecki, the commander, should be commended for his great work and for the work of his fellow officers. State Rail has upgraded Bankstown, Lakemba and Wiley Park stations. This demonstrates that our fair share of Carr Government funding is being provided to the Bankstown electorate. I am proud to say that to the House. The electorate has a significant Labor margin and we are getting our fair share of resourcing, services and infrastructure from the magnificent Carr Labor Government.

Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby) [11.42 a.m.]: It is a shame that the honourable member for Bankstown feels that he needs to skite about hundreds of millions of dollars that have gone into his electorate when millions of people in this State are suffering because of the Government's total economic incompetence. I do not detract from the hard-working people of Bankstown and I support the honourable member's comments about the multicultural complexion of his electorate. However, in skiting about the money his electorate has received he has highlighted the massive incompetence of the Government in relation to the State budget. He neglected to mention the private sector. I am sure that many struggling small businesses, clubs and associations have contributed to the wonderful community that exists in his electorate. In his 10 minutes he did not once mention the contribution of anyone in the private sector.

Mr Tony Stewart: I am saving the best for last.

Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: It seems that I have given him some ideas. The honourable member just spruiked the Government line. He made it sound as if Bankstown is an island, a utopia that the rest of the State does not relate to or does not know about. Skiting about the hundreds of millions of dollars that his electorate has received and claiming that the thousands of jobs in his electorate are due to the State Government is both dishonest and inaccurate. The honourable member failed to mention what the Government has not done in other areas. For example, in the club industry in August ClubsNSW put out a press release stating that more than 1,500 jobs had been cut from their payrolls in the past 12 months because of the reaction to the State Government's decision to increase poker machine tax rates for clubs by an average of 50 per cent. Why is the honourable member for Bankstown not defending his clubs? He just spruiks the Government line and pretends that everything is rosy when millions of people across New South Wales are suffering. All he can do in this Chamber is reread his press release. In western Sydney 450 jobs were lost at Orange Grove but the honourable member did not mention that.

Mr Tony Stewart: The motion is about Bankstown.

Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The honourable member mentioned direct and indirect jobs and capital funding. He opened the can of worms and he has to respond. A few weeks ago many of us participated in a protest by disabled people and their carers about the cut by the Government in funding for the Adult Training, Learning and Support Program. The front page of today's Daily Telegraph reads:

The crisis engulfing the state's hospital system continues to spiral out of control, with figures revealing almost four out of 10 emergency patients wait longer than eight hours to be admitted.

This is the striking reality people in this State have to face because of the Government's incompetent economic management. Instead of the honourable members opposite telling Ministers what they should be doing and setting the record straight on what the Government should be doing in economic management they skite about projects in their electorates without giving consideration to the suffering that exists in this State. I move:

Yesterday in this Chamber the honourable member for South Coast and the honourable member for Bega referred to the Princes Highway. Why is that road not getting any of the Government's capital funding? What is the honourable member's response? The honourable member for Bankstown has the audacity to skite about his electorate, but I will give two examples from my electorate of Willoughby. Chatswood High School had its capital funding cut: a project that was meant to take three years will now take five years to complete. Northbridge Primary School was supposedly given funding by the Government two years ago to build a classroom, yet the soil has not even been turned to start construction of the classroom.

The skiting of the honourable member for Bankstown about what his electorate has received is totally inappropriate and he is ignoring the massive suffering across New South Wales. Budget statements revealed that the State Government was lax. It did not release its monthly budget figures for July and August until two days ago. And we know why: because it has cut $106 million from its capital works budget. A couple of days ago it was revealed in the report on State finances that Treasurer Egan was able to announce that there was not a deficit only because he cut capital works spending by $106 million. The Government received more stamp duty revenue than any other Government in the history of New South Wales, yet the budget would have faced a $100 million deficit if Michael Egan had not massively cut capital works funding. So where is all the money going?

Mr Tony Stewart: It is going to Bankstown.

Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: People in New South Wales are suffering. The honourable member for Bankstown might joke that it is all going to Bankstown, but I would encourage him to speak to his constituents who are trying to get into hospitals for surgery. He should speak to his constituents whose children are looking for jobs in the area. He should speak to the clubs to see how they feel about prospective job losses in the area. He should speak to local school principals and commuters. Trains and buses do not run on time. The honourable member obviously does not spend a lot of his time talking to his constituents. If he did a survey now about capital works spending in his electorate I am sure that the result would show that people think that there has been a cut because services have diminished. The speech he delivered today highlights the fact that he obviously does not speak to his constituents. He is totally out of touch. He spruiks the Government line without trying to convince his Caucus colleagues to change course on economic management.

The Government is putting PR spin ahead of supporting its constituents and trying to improve the lives of New South Wales men and women. Only yesterday we heard distressing examples of how the hospital system is failing the people of New South Wales. All honourable members opposite can do is spruik the Government line. They skite about what they are receiving, but they fail to highlight the Government's inadequacies in any shape or form. Surely after 10 years some of them should have the courage to stand up for their constituents. They simply re-read the press releases that are handed to them by the Cabinet and indulge in self-aggrandisement and skiting. That does not help anyone.

If the Government cannot deliver appropriate services in the prosperous economic conditions that the Federal Government has created, what will it do in times of difficulty and change? The New South Wales budget will be in deficit this year to the tune of about $379 million and by more than $100 million the year after. State debt will rise by about $5 billion over the next four years to a total of more than $21.6 billion by June 2008. That is a damning legacy of economic management. The tax hikes in the mini-budget will rake in $3.6 billion over four years. Put simply, the Government's response to failing services at the coalface is to increase taxes, to be increasingly economically incompetent and to ignore totally the quality of life issues facing this State. Honourable members opposite have been disgraceful in skiting about the Government's lack of economic management.

Mr ALAN ASHTON (East Hills) [11.51 a.m.]: It is interesting that a motion moved by the honourable member for Bankstown thanking the Carr Government for providing millions of dollars and creating jobs can attract such passion and hatred from the honourable member for Willoughby. I am sure her contribution will be echoed by the honourable member for Cronulla.

Mr Tony Stewart: It is a class thing.

Mr ALAN ASHTON: It is a class attack. How dare the people in the Canterbury-Bankstown area receive anything! Why is this money not spent only in the marginal seats? How dare the Labor Government spend any money in safe Labor territory! What a joke! Bankstown will get a new courthouse as a result of lobbying by the honourable member for Bankstown and me. We managed to get the Attorney General to visit the area and we now have $16 million to demolish the 50-year-old courthouse and to build a new one. The Bankstown police service was spread over four or five different sites and it has now been amalgamated at Kitchener Parade in the old Australian Taxation Office premises. It could still be operating as a tax office but for John Howard deciding we did not need one in Bankstown. That was an outrageous decision. The Bankstown area now has more police officers than it has ever had, and we will get more. My electorate has been allocated $800,000 for the rebuilding of a long day care centre at Playford Park, Padstow.

Mr Thomas George: This is about Bankstown.

Mr ALAN ASHTON: The honourable member for Lismore does not know that Bankstown encompasses the entire East Hills electorate and, I am happy to say, will continue to do so after the redistribution. The council plays a great role in the work we do in Bankstown. The honourable member for Bankstown, the honourable member for Menai, the honourable member Auburn and I have a great relationship with Bankstown City Council. It often matches State Government funding for various projects. We now have a walkway from Padstow Heights, heading towards the electorate of Fairfield. I am talking about real dollars being spent to enable people to walk their dogs and get some exercise. That is State Government money. Schools in my electorate have also received funding to undertake many projects. One of the most important projects has been the provision of security fencing at Picnic Point High School, East Hills Boys High School, Caroline Chisholm School and Condell Park High School. Yesterday the Minister for Education and Training said that more funding would be provided for airconditioning and additional fencing.

While I have been the local member $5 million has been allocated for the upgrade of Padstow railway station to provide better access for elderly and disabled people and to install lifts. In addition, $40 million has been allocated for the Revesby turn-back and $10 million has been allocated to remove drains and so on. The Revesby area has received a tremendous boost in the past year, particularly with the recent opening of the Revesby urban village. It almost looks like Willoughby or the North Shore. One can have a coffee or drink Perrier water in the sun or under an umbrella. Some year 12 students in the area should have done more study, but they have been spending their time at Gloria Jean's enjoying the ambience. The State Government and Bankstown City Council paid for that project. The Carr Government's changes to the bus service mean that my constituents will enjoy the same cheap fares that honourable members opposite have had in their electorates for a long time.

The velodrome cost $32 million to build, on council land, and it is maintained by the Bankstown Sports Club. One honourable member had a shot about what the honourable member for Bankstown is doing with regard to taxes. I will not pursue that, but it is well known in many circles that he and I are great supporters of the club movement. Thank God we have the club because it maintains the velodrome. Over the past two years it has been the venue for the Oceania Cycling Federation event and other world-class events, and those events will continue to be held there.

This motion reflects credit on the honourable member for Bankstown, the honourable member for Auburn and me. Our seats are very safe—honourable members opposite will never get close—but we treat them as marginal. We are proud to represent safe seats, although we accept that no seat is really safe. We manage to attract funding for our constituents. If the honourable member for Willoughby wants to do a better job for her constituents she should approach a few Ministers and tell them that she wants what we are getting in Bankstown.

Mr MALCOLM KERR (Cronulla) [11.57 a.m.]: I congratulate the honourable member for Bankstown on demonstrating a previously undetected gift for comedy. That one-liner about the Carr Government being caring is probably one of funniest lines I have heard in this Parliament. He has not only a sense of humour but also a sense of the ridiculous. He went on to show his gift for comedy by claiming credit for Steve Waugh. It is incredible that he is so bereft of anything to say about the benefits bestowed by his State Labor Government that he must claim credit for sporting greats. His speech was so impoverished that he could only quote a series of amounts and denigrate his Coalition predecessor. Apparently the former member did not get anything for Bankstown! Nor did we hear anything about the Wran or Unsworth governments. What did they do for Bankstown? The contribution of the honourable member for East Hills was extraordinary. He and his colleagues have effectively cast a vote of no confidence in their Government's crime policies by requesting the expansion of the courthouse. They realise that there will be no outbreak of lawfulness under this Government.

Mr Tony Stewart: It is a regional courthouse.

Mr MALCOLM KERR: It is a regional courthouse and regional crime is increasing.

Mr Alan Ashton: We are looking after Cronulla for you.

Mr MALCOLM KERR: I am looking after Cronulla and I need no help from honourable members opposite. The honourable member for East Hills talked about money being made available for a walkway on which people can exercise their dogs.

Mr Alan Ashton: It is along the Georges River. Don't you like that?

Mr MALCOLM KERR: Of course I like it; it is farsighted. However, the rest of the State is going to the dogs under the Government's stewardship.

Mr Alan Ashton: I recognise that: it is an attempt at comedy.

Mr MALCOLM KERR: It is the wisest project this Government has undertaken. The honourable member then referred to buses. I would like to give each honourable member opposite the money to buy a copy of the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Alan Ashton: I wouldn't take it if you tried to give it to me. It's an outrageous, fascist rag. I want you to respond to that, so it goes in Hansard.

Mr MALCOLM KERR: I refute the suggestion that the Daily Telegraph is an outrageous, fascist rag.

Mr Alan Ashton: I wouldn't use the Daily Telegraph if I was in an outback toilet!

Mr MALCOLM KERR: Exactly. You ought to have a look at the circulation of that newspaper. What you are saying is that there are a lot of literate fascists out there who buy the paper. I return to the substance of the motion. The honourable member for East Hills spoke about buses. If he had read the Daily Telegraph he would realise how old the government buses are. The honourable member for East Hills spoke about Revesby railway station and how it is being upgraded. Upgrading the station is of no use if the trains that go there do not run on time. The Carr Government's record with regard to the on-time running of trains is a disgrace. Indeed, the Government may have to provide accommodation at Revesby railway station for people while they wait for their trains. Minister Costa may have to put in a few bed and breakfast places there so people can wait for their trains in a bit of comfort. I know it is not the fault of the honourable member for East Hills; nobody could accuse the honourable member of having his speeches written for him. He hand-wrote his speech.

Mr Alan Ashton: I did.

Mr MALCOLM KERR: He will put it before the House as exhibit A. As a member of the Left, he is left alone by the Premier's Department. That is why they call themselves the Left. They will not write his speeches for him. The honourable member for East Hills should look at what the Government is doing to the people of his electorate with regard to hospitals, Revesby Workers Club, Bankstown Sports Club, and the jobs that are going. Now club employees are not even allowed to smoke. Talk about helping the working class! We are the friends of the workers. If the honourable member for East Hills looks at the voting results for the booths in his electorate during the recent Federal election he will see which way the workers voted. They climbed over the barricades to vote for our mob!

Mrs BARBARA PERRY (Auburn) [12.02 p.m.]: I join with my colleague the honourable member for East Hills in supporting the motion. I do not, of course, support the amendment moved by the honourable member for Willoughby. Before referring to my reasons for supporting the motion I will respond to some of the issues raised by the honourable member for Willoughby. Contrary to the honourable member's assertion, the Carr Government does involve the private sector in many of the projects it undertakes, particularly in the Bankstown area. The Government's good economic management requires it to work with the private sector in partnership on many occasions. The honourable member for Bankstown highlighted significant projects in his electorate for which the Government is responsible. However, that does not mean the Government has not worked with the private sector. Indeed, it continues to work with the private sector.

Mr Thomas George: You should have done all that with the Feds.

Mrs BARBARA PERRY: Thank you. I beg to differ with the honourable member for Willoughby on the issue of economic management. The Carr Government has a good, steady record on economic management. That is evidenced by the fact that since 1995 it has cut general government net debt by $9 billion. That means annual savings of around $1 billion in interest payments compared with 1995—vital funds that can now be spent on hospitals, schools, roads, police, and all the other services to which the honourable member has referred. The facts in relation to the Government's good economic management speak for themselves.

It was suggested that the people of New South Wales are suffering. There are areas of poverty caused by social issues, and the Government is addressing them through its social policies, particularly in relation to the Department of Community Services. Historically, the Carr Government is the biggest-spending government on social services—and the honourable member for Willoughby knows that. Not only is it the biggest-spending government on capital projects, it is also the biggest-spending government on social issues, which are important to the fabric of our society.

A small part of the Bankstown area has now been included in my electorate; it now takes in the suburbs of Sefton, Birrong, Chullora and Greenacre. The people of those suburbs, who are now my constituents, benefit from some of the projects that the honourable member for Bankstown spoke about. The suburbs I have referred to comprise a residential part of the electorate, so the residents there use a lot of the services in Bankstown; indeed, they regard themselves as Bankstowners rather than as Auburn residents. They use the services in Bankstown that are provided by the Government, the private sector, and local government. The projects the honourable member for Willoughby outlined reflect the city status of Bankstown and what the suburb has become. It is important to have a courthouse in a city. Just as Parramatta has a courthouse, Bankstown should have a courthouse. The Government has acknowledged the city status of Bankstown.

Being the member for Auburn, I am interested in the new carpentry workshop in Chullora which, as I said, is now in my electorate. I visited the Chullora carpentry workshop about a year ago. The skills the young people learn in that workshop will provide ongoing community benefits. We know that in Australia there is a shortage of carpentry skills, particularly in New South Wales. The Chullora carpentry workshop is a very important project that the Government has supported, because we very much need these sorts of skills. The new public housing in Greenacre will also benefit the people of my electorate, and I commend the Government for its initiative. The honourable member for Willoughby said that people are suffering because of a lack of public housing, but we are trying to alleviate that suffering by providing housing for people who need it. [Time expired.]

Mr TONY STEWART (Bankstown—Parliamentary Secretary) [12.07 p.m.], in reply: I thank the honourable member for Auburn and the honourable member for East Hills for their positive contributions to the debate, and I thank Coalition members for their contributions. I am extremely concerned that Coalition members made a vicious, unmitigated, bourgeois, or class attack on Bankstown. The Liberal-Nationals Coalition may think it is born to rule, but I can tell them that the people of Bankstown are very proud to be part of a multicultural suburb that is judged not by class, or by stratas, or segmentation of approaches, but by social equity. That is what the Carr Government has been about.

That is why today I have boasted—and I do not use the word lightly—about what has been achieved in the Bankstown electorate and the surrounding region. What is wrong with boasting about what has been achieved through the partnership of some great local State members? The honourable member for Auburn, the honourable member for East Hills, the honourable member for Fairfield and I are getting on with the task of delivering social services, infrastructure, and resources. We have been able to do that because our Government understands the infrastructure and social needs of the Bankstown community. I was appalled to hear some of the comments of Coalition members in this debate with regard to how they perceive Bankstown. Bankstown is a great place. I am certainly not ashamed of it; indeed, I am very proud of it.

Mr ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr John Mills): Order! There is too much interjection in the Chamber. The Parliamentary Secretary has the call.

Mr TONY STEWART: The Coalition asked whether it is unfair that Bankstown gets its fair share of resources and social services from the State Government. I am perplexed by those comments. Bankstown and the surrounding region deserve their fair share. That is what this motion is about today: celebrating the opportunity and demonstrating that we are getting our fair share. While we have a strong Labor area we cannot be complacent about it. We are working hard and we are delivering social services and infrastructure.

I neglected to mention earlier what is being done to address the social needs of youth in my local region. Comments are often made about youth in the Bankstown region. They are a very positive group of people, a group that I work very closely with. They are also very positive and focused. The Carr Government has made some tremendous investments for our youth. The Youth Partnerships Scheme that was introduced in Bankstown was the first of its kind in New South Wales. It is at the forefront of social schemes that are now occurring throughout Australia and it is being looked at by overseas interests. The youth partnership is about the Government doing what it can in partnership with young people.

The Government is spending millions of dollars on young people, fostering opportunities—particularly job opportunities—and advantages for them, and helping them with their positive outlook and morale. The Carr Government has also invested significantly in a youth caf� in Bankstown run by young people, managed by young people, and organised for young people, an experiment that has worked very well. Young people visit the caf� very regularly; they organise functions out of it and it provides many services for youth in the Bankstown region. Again, it never would have been considered under a Coalition government, but it is in place.

The honourable member for Willoughby might think twice before again making detrimental comments about Bankstown. I invite the honourable member for Willoughby and the honourable member for North Shore to come to Bankstown, bring a packed lunch, a compass and their Gregory's street directories. I am happy to help them find it. I will take them through Bankstown and I will show them Bankstown's hospitality. I will show them what the Carr Government has achieved for the people of Bankstown. I will show them our great roads, our great hospital, and our rail system. I will show them what is in place as a result of positive lobbying from local State members who care a great deal about their constituents and who have promoted that to the Carr Government. In response, the Carr Government has delivered and I am very, very proud of that.

Amendment negatived.

Motion agreed to.

REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES

Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [12.14 p.m.]: I move:

Notice of this motion was given some considerable time ago, on 7 May 2003. At that time I was keen, and it is still very relevant today, to put some facts to the House about the role that regional universities play. I am sure all members would agree with some of the statistics that I have previously shared with the House, which I now intend to revisit.

First I want to make it very clear that I am a member of the University of New England Council, and have been for some time, having been appointed in about 1995 or 1996, from memory, by the Hon. John Aquilina, the Speaker, when he was Minister for Education and Training. I have enjoyed a position on the university council for some considerable time and, of course, I had a direct involvement with the University of New England as an employee dating back to 1980 when I was involved with the University of New England Union—the student or membership union.

The university is one of those dynamic organisations that continues to provide tremendous non-academic services to the wider community, including the Belgrave Twin Cinema. This is one of the roles I would like to comment on regarding non-academic services that the student organisations and membership organisations provide. It is very common for regional universities to provide services to the wider community, not just to the universities. In a joint-venture the Armidale Ex Services Memorial Club and the University of New England Union built a twin cinema complex in Armidale. I had the great honour of being the chief executive officer of the university union at that time. It was a wonderful project—we did not have a cinema—and it still operates today. That shows how much influence the university has on a community like Armidale.

But universities like the University of New England also make a significant contribution to State economic development through the provision of advanced learning and professional training, a research capacity, and a role in advancing knowledge. They are very important contributions to all areas but particularly to regional and rural areas. The value-adding impact of the University of New England on the regional economy is very interesting indeed. It is estimated at more than $277 million. And a recent survey conducted by the Department of State and Regional Development found that the University of New England generates 6,903 full-time equivalent jobs.

Of course, the university has a higher impact on its region than any of the other four regional universities in New South Wales, and the estimated figures shown in the report reflect only the minimum estimates of the total economic benefit. As I said, the impact of regional universities on their communities is very important. They are major employers in their communities. They inject substantial expenditure into the local and regional economies. They attract export income from overseas students and other activities. They carry out very high value-adding activities. They raise the educational achievements and aspirations of regional communities and many people who would otherwise be unable to access those opportunities. They provide the skills, the knowledge, the infrastructure, and the creativity to stimulate local industry and new business ventures. They contribute to regional economic planning, local government, and social and cultural development initiatives more generally.

Currently five universities are located in regional New South Wales and the latest figures I have show that these universities had 79,000 students—I understand the figure has increased considerably since this report—and directly employed more than 7,600 staff. The Department of State and Regional Development estimates that each year regional universities in New South Wales inject expenditure of just under $600 million directly into regional economies. As a former member of the University of New England Council, you, Mr Acting-Speaker, the honourable member for Wallsend, would be aware of the impact of the University of New England on its regional community. The $600 million expenditure directly into regional economies each year is not a small figure, and one must consider all the benefits and the fact that all feasibility reports dealing with the future refer to quality education, opportunities for people right across the State, quality of lifestyle issues, and research. Therefore, regional communities with universities like the University of New England are well positioned for the future. However, they must receive appropriate funding to enable them to attract new opportunities for regional communities.

I merely highlight the impact of universities on regional communities. The report shows that the direct expenditure per annum is approximately $820 million and that the value-adding flow-on to New South Wales regional economies provides 20,550 direct and indirect full-time equivalent jobs in regional New South Wales. I have had the great honour of witnessing the great contribution that the University of New England makes to the local community, and I am sure the same applies to other regional universities.

Partnerships should also be acknowledged, such as the partnership between the University of New England and TAFE colleges. Various measures are being explored to create access opportunities in regional communities around the Northern Tablelands. Already opportunities have been provided in communities such as Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield and many other communities out west that previously did not have access to this level of education. I welcome the Federal funding that has allowed the University of New England to establish outreach programs in those communities and to bolster TAFE colleges. As the honourable member for North Shore has said, more is needed, but I welcome the initiative to create educational access opportunities for people who would otherwise not have had it.

I welcome also the partnership between the Commonwealth and the State. A similar partnership exists in the health portfolio with multipurpose services, involving co-operation between local government, the community, the State Government and the Commonwealth, particularly in the area of aged care. This has taken the lid off the point-scoring process in that they are seeking ways to provide good services to the community. When all those bodies work together they achieve better outcomes for their communities. We are starting to see that in education, with the model I have outlined. It is important also to acknowledge many of the flow-on effects and opportunities offered by universities in partnership with other educational institutions, including the private and controlled entities of those universities, which branch out all over the world. In my view Australia provides incredible expertise, which continues to impress me every time I see the business paper in my office or at meetings.

I acknowledge the staff and students of universities. Much is said about how university staff, both academic and non-academic, will not change. From my observations they are constantly changing and being challenged in the provision of services for higher education. I acknowledge the funding arrangements, but believe that improving the partnership arrangements with TAFE colleges, which already have the infrastructure, will enable better access to educational opportunities, particularly to regional, rural and remote parts of New South Wales. The continual creation of opportunities will encourage people to remain in regional and remote parts of New South Wales and Australia. Those partnership opportunities can be expanded because the model is there. I acknowledge the role of regional universities, and particularly the role that the University of New England continues to play in New England and in the north-west of the State.

Mr BRYCE GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [12.25 p.m.]: The Government supports the motion, but I move the following amendment:

That the motion be amended by adding the following words after "communities":

"and condemns the Commonwealth Government's unfair funding to regional universities, and calls on the Commonwealth to reverse its exemption of the University of Western Sydney and the University of Newcastle from receiving additional funding for regional universities".

I commend the honourable member for Northern Tablelands, who has outlined the educational, social and economic impacts of the University of New England on his area, and how it attracts students from across the State. He has highlighted the importance of retaining and strengthening regional universities rather than destroying them through inadequate funding. I can assure the honourable member that at every possible opportunity the Government acknowledges the contribution of regional universities to the State and to their local communities. One example of that support was the New South Wales Government's major submission to the Crossroads higher education review. All universities make significant contributions to State economic development. They play a major role in the advancement of knowledge by conducting leading-edge research, providing professional training for large sections of the community and contributing to the nation's social and cultural development.

These contributions are particularly important in regional areas. Universities play a critical role in enhancing local skills and generating regional economic development. Regional universities are major employers in the towns where they are located. The honourable member for Northern Tablelands informed the House of the thousands of people directly or indirectly employed by the University of New England. The people who work and study at the universities inject significant levels of expenditure into local and regional economies. Universities attract expenditure from students and staff from the rest of the State and through overseas students. This means that additional income for regional economies is generated, along with additional demand for goods and services, including accommodation, food and entertainment.

Regional universities also help to raise educational aspirations and participation in higher learning in nearby populations. They provide the skills, knowledge, infrastructure and creativity to stimulate local industry and new businesses. That adds to the sustainability of regional centres and provides employment opportunities for local people. It is easiest to measure the economic contribution of regional universities by how much is spent in regional economies. Salaries and wages are the largest part of this, and most is spent locally. In the past, students also spent money in regional areas when they attended regional universities. This expenditure creates jobs for local people, who may otherwise have to leave the area to find work.

Every year it is estimated that regional universities inject $817 million directly into regional economies. When the flow-on economic impacts are taken into account, this expenditure results in value adding of $1.1 billion in regional New South Wales each year. This generates more than 28,000 full-time equivalent jobs in regional New South Wales. Regional universities have traditionally offered opportunities for people wanting to enter most industries and professions. However, regional universities are particularly vulnerable in the wake of the Howard Government's reforms of higher education. For a start, they have greater reliance on public funding and less capacity to diversify their funding sources than city-based universities. Regional universities face higher cost structures because of the distance from large centres and the inability to achieve the same economies of scale as larger universities.

One critical mission of regional universities is to attract students from less affluent parts of the community to higher education and then provide them with support and encouragement to complete their degrees. The average enrolment of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds across all Australian universities is 14.8 per cent. Rural and regional universities consistently exceed this figure. For example, the University of New England enrols 18.5 per cent of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. More than 60 per cent of all domestic students at Southern Cross University are from rural or isolated areas, as against the national average of just over 19 per cent. Indigenous students also make up a higher proportion of enrolments at these universities. In 2000 indigenous students in New South Wales universities comprised less than 1 per cent of domestic enrolments. The proportion at Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England is two to three times that rate.

Furthermore, regional universities are the leading providers of distance education and as such have a focus that goes beyond regional areas. The use of information technology in transmitting university education is becoming increasingly important, particularly in regional university settings. All this is under threat with the Howard Government deciding to give our students mortgage-size debts to pay off once they graduate. There can be no doubt that the Commonwealth's higher education reforms will impact negatively on all universities in New South Wales. The Commonwealth's package lacks an effective mechanism for indexing the Government's contribution. So each year, in real terms, the universities will get less funding. This package will entrench the need for top-up funds, and regional universities in particular will hurt more than most. It places them in a precarious position. The Commonwealth's additional offer of $122.6 million over four years as a loading to regional university campuses is not enough. It will not offset the higher costs for regional universities and institutions.

Two of this State's finest regional universities, the University of Western Sydney and the University of Newcastle, will not qualify for the extra funding. Why is that? Because of the Commonwealth's definition of "regional". The Commonwealth defines a "regional" campus as one located outside a mainland State capital city and in a population centre of fewer than 250,000. Despite the strong case made by these universities for additional assistance, supported by the New South Wales Government, their cases have been discounted—discounted on the basis of selective criteria such as population size or distance from Sydney. This is unacceptable. The University of Western Sydney and the University of Newcastle serve their local regional populations, which extend to the west of the Great Dividing Range and in the Hunter. These places are not capital city areas.

Of the universities in New South Wales designated by the Commonwealth as regional, the University of New England is the only one whose parent campus is eligible for the second highest funding load of 7.5 per cent. The campuses at Southern Cross University, the University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University are mainly in the lower 5 per cent and 2.5 per cent categories for the loading. The regional loading is unlikely to be sufficient for rural and regional universities to keep pace. Under the Howard Government's so-called reforms, higher education is set to become commodified into "designer" and "bargain" categories. This is further proof that the Commonwealth Government values one's capacity to pay over one's capacity to contribute to society. It is a travesty that in Australia the Commonwealth Government is creating a system in which students do not have equal access, and that has huge implications for our regional universities.

I thank the honourable member for Northern Tablelands for raising this critically important issue. He is a strong advocate of education in his community across the spectrum from preschool through to higher education. I am sure he shares the Government's concerns about the changes that have occurred to higher education. I urge all members to support the honourable member's motion and the Government's amendment, which has broadened the issue, taking into account the positive statements made by the honourable member for Northern Tablelands regarding regional universities while drawing to the attention of honourable members, particularly the honourable member for North Shore, the need for the Commonwealth to review its decision. [Time expired.]

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER (North Shore) [12.35 p.m.]: I am happy to support the motion moved by the honourable member for Northern Tablelands. It is a pity that as the honourable member for Newcastle walked into the Chamber he was handed a speech that was written before the Federal election. That is why he is carping about the Commonwealth Government, and the honourable member for Newcastle knows that it is absolute nonsense. This motion provides honourable members with an opportunity to talk about the importance of universities in regional New South Wales without playing the blame game of blaming the Commonwealth Government. The community is sick of it. Have Government members not worked that out? The community does not want to hear the blame game. The New South Wales Premier said, "We do not want the blame game." The Opposition acknowledges the importance of this issue and will not talk nonsense by saying that it is someone else's fault.

I shall talk about the importance of regional universities. The honourable member for Northern Tablelands talked about some of the important things that are happening with pathways, links with TAFE and so on. From my travels around the State, and from many conversations with my colleagues who represent country New South Wales so ably, I am well aware of the importance of rural universities not only in adding to the economic wealth of country areas but in providing a social infrastructure in country towns. Rural universities play a tremendously important role, and the Commonwealth Government has acknowledged that by establishing additional places in professions in which there are shortages, such as nursing and medicine, in country areas, where we need these professionals.

I am delighted that, for example, in 2004 the Federal Government made 574 new nursing places available for regional campuses. That is a good move. Over the years the Federal Government has been opening up additional medical campuses in country New South Wales in the hope that students studying in their home towns or in towns in which they can learn to love the country will be more likely to stay and work there. I shall give an indication of the new places that will be created by 2008 by the Commonwealth Government under its new funding arrangement. Some 979 new places will be created at Charles Sturt University at the Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Albury campuses; 807 new places at Southern Cross University at the Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads campuses; 506 new places at the University of New England at the Armidale and Coffs Harbour campuses; 1,266 new places at the University of Newcastle at the Ourimbah, Port Macquarie, Callaghan and Hastings campuses; and 1,943 places at the University of Wollongong at the Wollongong, Bega and Loftus campuses.

Much is happening, and we all know that more can be done. As for doing more, I suggest that members opposite talk to their colleagues the Minister for Education and Training and the Treasurer and say, "How about giving back some of the money we take out of universities in payroll tax?" I do not have the latest figures, because they are hard to get, but in 2002 some $97 million was taken out of universities in payroll tax. At Charles Sturt University the amount taken out in payroll tax was $6 million. At Southern Cross University it was nearly $3 million. At the University of Newcastle the amount was $8.4 million. At the University of Wollongong it was $5.8 million. If Government members want to do something practical, instead of talking nonsense about the Federal Government—that debate is over, people did not buy it—they should ask their own Government why it does not address the issue of payroll tax, which is an added burden on our universities. We do not want this whingeing. Yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald quoted the Premier as saying:

Government members should listen to their Premier. [Time expired.]

Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO (Penrith) [12.40 p.m.]: I congratulate the honourable member for Northern Tablelands on moving this important motion. I also commend the honourable member for Newcastle for stating some important facts regarding regional universities and for using the examples of the University of Newcastle and the University of Western Sydney. Those two members raised valid points. Unfortunately and incredibly, the honourable member for North Shore did not. Honourable members will be aware that the University of Western Sydney has had a campus in Penrith for a number of years. The Penrith campus started as a teacher's college at Westmead. It relocated in 1973 to Kingswood to deliver teachers to Western Sydney. Its logo was the phoenix rising from the ashes. There was a fire at Westmead and the phoenix did rise. The campus at Kingswood progressed. Education was its original faculty and then arts—performing arts and visual arts—became its second faculty.

In 1999 the university came along—a well-accepted addition to the community. As the honourable member for Northern Tablelands stated, having a university in a town is important and valid. The symbol of the university retained the bird but it was not the phoenix rising. As I am a local, I was an undergraduate when the campus was a college of advanced education. I was there as a postgraduate when it was a university. In the past few years I have been a visiting lecturer. What happened to this university? Ten years ago a star came into orbit around the university. The current Federal member for Lindsay, Jackie Kelly, has been in office for almost 10 years. She is not a bright shining star; she is the death star for the University of Western Sydney. In the past few months she has said that no-one in her electorate goes to university. The performance of this death star is hanging over Penrith. Funding has been reduced. Jobs have gone out of town. Courses have had to be restructured. What does this mean?

Mr Thomas George: Was she re-elected at the recent Federal election?

Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO: She was re-elected, but honourable members should look at her booth figures. This death star of the University of Western Sydney has had a wake-up call. She said that no-one in her electorate goes to university, and she did not retract it—she said it, and she meant it. She has been the death star for 10 years. If no-one in her electorate goes to university, she should ask why. Jackie Kelly should ask why people out her way are not going to university. Why are those young kids and those mature age students whom I taught for many years not encouraged to undertake lifelong learning?

The honourable member for North Shore said it is not the Coalition's fault. I fail to understand that statement. Fault means responsibility, and the responsibility for higher education is Federal. I will be watching the Federal member for Lindsay. I will be watching the announcements about the medical school. She is embracing the medical school, but where will it be located? The University of Western Sydney is located at Kingswood. Across the road is a TAFE and down the road is a teaching hospital. Is the University of Western Sydney medical school going to be where Professor Wiley is researching haematology and leukaemia, and where Professor Narn is researching stem cells? Or will it be located somewhere else? We will be watching the Federal member for Lindsay.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: The University of Western Sydney is not a regional university.

Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO: Exactly. Why did she not fight like the Federal members in the Wollongong area, who went to their Treasurer and said they wanted money? Did Jackie? No! Jackie criticised the vice-chancellor, Janice Reid—cut her off at the knees is what she said. That is what the Federal member thinks of Ms Reid's administration of the university. Jackie does not support the university. She says that people in her electorate do not go to university and that she is going to cut the vice-chancellor off at the knees.

Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [12.45 p.m.], in reply: I thank all honourable members who have contributed to the debate, namely the Parliamentary Secretary and honourable member for Newcastle, the shadow Minister and honourable member for North Shore, and the honourable member for Penrith. I had hoped that my motion, of which I gave notice some considerable time ago, would be about partnerships and looking for opportunities into the future. The honourable member for North Shore quoted a recent announcement by the Premier calling for the end to political bickering. That would be a good start for the benefit of health and education in this State and country.

The amendment moved by the honourable member for Newcastle seeks to cut across the very purpose of my motion—that is, to recognise that universities need more funding. I am not denying that fact. My support for increased funding and my opposition to many of the reforms that have been proposed over the years, providing downward impacts on regional universities, have been well documented. However, equally, the opportunities have not been extracted from within the TAFE system. Many courses in the TAFE system and the charges that have been imposed have had equally devastating consequences on access issues for regional communities. I did not want this to turn into a debate on the politics of blame—what is wrong and who is to blame for it—I wanted this motion to look at opportunities for the future.

Do I think the current arrangements are satisfactory? No. Do I think universities are adequately funded? No. Do I think TAFE infrastructure is utilised for the best benefit of communities? No. Today the issue is not the politics of the past—we have had that debate, and I have been in many protests about higher education funding. We have not focused enough on the opportunities for the future during this debate. That is what I believe is before us. It is before us in some of the tentacles of co-operation that are appearing. It is before us in the fact that the Federal Government has been returned with a significant mandate. The Premier of this State is saying that we need co-operation. We need to look at areas of responsibility so that things can be made clearer and so that opportunities are greater for the future.

If this is a polarised debate we will return to the past. As much as I have considerable views about those issues, if we continue to play the politics of blame and nothing improves, the universities and students will continue to suffer, opportunities will be lost and TAFEs will not be utilised to the extent they could be with a co-operative model. That would be an abrogation of our responsibility, given the opportunities at both levels of government that present themselves at the moment.

I urge the Parliamentary Secretary to withdraw the amendment. There seems to be strong support for the motion. People can have their views and say things about the funding models but I would like this Chamber today to pass a motion that recognises higher education and acknowledges the opportunities referred to not only in my comments but also in those of the honourable member for Newcastle, the honourable member for North Shore and the honourable member for Penrith. They are worthy contributions when considered in relation to the opportunities rather than the politics of blame. Let us look to the future. If we are going to maintain our status as a smart nation, let us do it together in health and education opportunities. Regional communities have benefited and will continue to benefit from the impacts of regional universities. The University of New England is celebrating its fiftieth year of autonomy.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: And Southern Cross its tenth.

Mr RICHARD TORBAY: It is in its first decade and the University of New England is celebrating its fifth. It is tremendous to see the impacts of regional universities. Let us acknowledge them and work together to ensure that politics is left out of the debate. We should be looking at opportunities for the future. That is what the motion was about.

Question—That the amendment be agreed to—put.

The House divided.

Ayes, 52

Ms Allan
Mr Amery
Ms Andrews
Mr Bartlett
Ms Beamer
Mr Black
Mr Brown
Ms Burney
Miss Burton
Mr Campbell
Mr Collier
Mr Corrigan
Mr Crittenden
Ms D'Amore
Mr Debus
Ms Gadiel
Mr Gaudry
Mr Gibson

Mr Greene
Ms Hay
Mr Hickey
Mr Hunter
Mr Iemma
Ms Judge
Ms Keneally
Mr Knowles
Mr Lynch
Mr McBride
Mr McLeay
Ms Meagher
Ms Megarrity
Mr Mills
Mr Morris
Mr Newell
Ms Nori
Mr Orkopoulos

Mrs Paluzzano
Mr Pearce
Mrs Perry
Mr Price
Dr Refshauge
Mr Sartor
Mr Scully
Mr Shearan
Mr Stewart
Mr Tripodi
Mr Watkins
Mr West
Mr Whan
Mr Yeadon

Tellers,
Mr Ashton
Mr Martin

Noes, 28

Mr Aplin
Mr Barr
Ms Berejiklian
Mr Cansdell
Mr Constance
Mr Debnam
Mr Draper
Mrs Hancock
Mr Hartcher
Ms Hodgkinson

Mrs Hopwood
Mr Merton
Ms Moore
Mr Oakeshott
Mr Page
Mr Piccoli
Mr Pringle
Mr Richardson
Mr Roberts
Ms Seaton

Mrs Skinner
Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Tink
Mr Torbay
Mr J. H. Turner
Mr R.W. Turner

Tellers,
Mr George
Mr Maguire

Pair

Ms Saliba

Mr Kerr

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion as amended agreed to.

[Mr Acting-Speaker (Mr John Mills) left the chair at 1.00 p.m. The House resumed at 2.15 p.m.]

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS

Mr SPEAKER: I draw the attention of honourable members to the presence in the gallery of Mrs Stephanie Key, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Youth and Minister for the Status of Women from the Parliament of South Australia, and her chief of staff, Mr Angelo Storey.

WATER SUPPLY

Ministerial Statement

Mr BOB CARR (Maroubra—Premier, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Citizenship) [2.20 p.m.]: Overnight Observatory Hill recorded 60 millimetres of rain, St Ives recorded 92 millimetres and Penrith recorded 55 millimetres. Just as importantly, our catchments have enjoyed a good soaking. Warragamba recorded 26 millimetres, Woronora recorded 61 millimetres, Upper Nepean recorded 30 millimetres, Shoalhaven recorded 23 millimetres and the Blue Mountains recorded 59 millimetres. However, we should keep this in perspective. The past day's rain has increased the total available water storage by a mere 0.3 per cent, just one week's worth of water. Our combined dam levels are still at only 42 per cent, half the level of three years ago. For our dams to get back to 70 per cent capacity, the level at which we can lift restrictions, we need 40 millimetres of rain a day for seven consecutive days. Until those steady, soaking rains occur we must keep saving water, and that means observing the water restrictions.

As I said yesterday, the people of Sydney are doing a terrific job. They have saved more than 63 billion litres of water since restrictions came into force last October. That is the equivalent of 63,000 Olympic-size swimming pools or about six weeks' supply. However, we are still not out of the woods. That is why the comprehensive 25-year Metropolitan Water Plan for Sydney, the largest commitment to water infrastructure in a generation, remains so important. This week's rain is a welcome respite from the worst drought in 100 years, but until our dam levels are back to 70 per cent we must maintain our great community effort and continue to save water.

Mr JOHN BROGDEN (Pittwater—Leader of the Opposition) [2.23 p.m.]: No-one in New South Wales blames the Premier for the fact that it has not rained much in the past couple of years, but they do blame the Premier and the Government for their failure to plan for the eventuality of a long-term drought in New South Wales. We have been waiting years for the Government to deliver a water plan. Last Sunday, the best that Backflip Bob could deliver was a 14-month study into desalination—14 months studying technology that has been well proven and is well founded around the world. The Western Australian Government has already commissioned the establishment of a $400 million desalination plant in that State. The New South Wales Government has failed to plan for the eventuality of a long-term drought in this State.

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

Mr JOHN BROGDEN: At the same time the Government has raped and pillaged the water and energy companies in this State and ripped out dividends. All I want to say is that Minister Sartor should not misuse water when he dyes his hair in future. Where is the denial? We have waited a long time for this plan. It is about time the Government got on with the job. [Time expired.]

PETITIONS

Milton-Ulladulla Public School Infrastructure

Petition requesting community consultation in the planning, funding and building of appropriate public school infrastructure in the Milton-Ulladulla area and surrounding districts, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock.

Murrumbateman Public School

Petition requesting re-establishment of Murrumbateman Public School, received from Ms Katrina Hodgkinson.

Skilled Migrant Placement Program

Petition requesting that the Skilled Migrant Placement Program be restored, received from Ms Clover Moore.

Gaming Machine Tax

Petitions opposing the decision to increase poker machine tax, received from Mr Steve Cansdell, Mrs Shelley Hancock, Mrs Judy Hopwood, Mr Malcolm Kerr, Mr Steven Pringle and Mr Andrew Tink.

Luna Park Development Application

Petition opposing the latest development application for Luna Park, received from Mrs Jillian Skinner.

Lake Woollumboola Recreational Use

Petition opposing any restriction of the recreational use of Lake Woollumboola, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock.

Marriage

Petition opposing any legislative changes that would violate the basic principles of marriage, received from Mr Adrian Piccoli.

Willoughby Traffic Conditions

Petition requesting a regional traffic plan for the Pacific Highway at Willoughby, received from Ms Gladys Berejiklian.

Heavy Vehicle Speeding and Tailgating Penalties

Petition requesting amendments to the Motor Traffic Act to penalise heavy vehicle speeding and tailgating, received from Mr Andrew Fraser.

Road Tunnel Air Filtration

Petition asking the Government to ensure that all Sydney road tunnels are fitted with air filters, received from Ms Clover Moore and Mr Anthony Roberts.

Old Northern and New Line Roads Strategic Route Development Study

Petition requesting funding for implementation of the Old Northern and New Line roads strategic route development study, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Greater Murray and Southern Area Health Services Merger

Petition opposing the merger of the Greater Murray and Southern Area Health Services, received from Mr Ian Armstrong.

Breastscreen NSW

Petitions requesting funding for Breastscreen NSW, received from Mr Steve Cansdell, Mrs Judy Hopwood, Mr Barry O'Farrell, Mr Adrian Piccoli and Mrs Jillian Skinner.

Coffs Harbour Aeromedical Rescue Helicopter Service

Petitions requesting that plans for the placement of an aeromedical rescue helicopter service based in Coffs Harbour be fast-tracked, received from Mr Andrew Fraser and Mr Thomas George.

Yass District Hospital

Petition opposing the downgrading of existing services at Yass District Hospital, received from Ms Katrina Hodgkinson.

Alcohol and Drug Services

Petition requesting increased and expanded inner city alcohol and drug services, received from Ms Clover Moore.

Mental Health Services

Petition requesting urgent maintenance of and increased funding for mental health services, received from Ms Clover Moore.

CountryLink Rail Services

Petitions opposing the abolition of CountryLink rail services and their replacement with bus services in rural and regional New South Wales, received from Mr Steve Cansdell, Mr Andrew Fraser, Mr Andrew Stoner and Mr John Turner.

Broadmeadow and Newcastle Rail Services

Petitions opposing the closure of rail services from Broadmeadow and the Hunter Valley to Newcastle, received from Mr Bryce Gaudry and Mr Milton Orkopoulos.

South Coast Rail Services

Petition opposing any reduction in rail services on the South Coast, received from Mrs Shelley Hancock.

CountryLink Cronulla Booking Office

Petition opposing the closure of the CountryLink Cronulla booking office, received from Mr Malcolm Kerr.

Bus Service 311

Petition praying that the Government urgently improve bus service 311 to make it more frequent and more reliable, received from Ms Clover Moore.

Murwillumbah to Casino Rail Service

Petition requesting the retention of the CountryLink rail service from Murwillumbah to Casino, received from Mr Neville Newell.

Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme

Petitions objecting to the criteria for country cancer patients to qualify for the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme, received from Ms Katrina Hodgkinson and Mr Andrew Stoner.

Water Carting Restrictions

Petition opposing the decision by Sydney Water Corporation to restrict the operating times for water carters and not allow Sunday cartage, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Hawkesbury Electorate Sewerage

Petition praying that funding be provided to construct a reticulated sewerage system for Glossodia, Freeman's Reach and Wilberforce, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Glenorie and Galston Sewerage

Petition requesting the delivery of sewerage services to the Glenorie and Galston districts, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Sydney Cricket Ground

Petition requesting that the Sydney Cricket Ground remain the home of cricket in New South Wales, received from Mr Barry O'Farrell.

Social Program Policy Subsidy

Petition requesting that the social program policy subsidy for sullage removal be extended to residents in the Hornsby local government area, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Business Enterprise Centres

Petition requesting the reinstatement and funding of business enterprise centres, received from Mr Steve Cansdell.

Temora Agricultural Research and Advisory Station

Petition opposing the closure of the Temora Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, received from Mr Ian Armstrong.

Department of Primary Industries Yass Staff

Petition opposing cuts to frontline staff in the Yass offices of the Agriculture and Fisheries Division of the Department of Primary Industries, received from Ms Katrina Hodgkinson.

State Forests

Petition opposing any proposal to sell State Forests, received from Ms Katrina Hodgkinson.

Sow Stall Ban

Petition requesting the total ban of sow stalls, received from Ms Clover Moore.

Department of Primary Industries Deniliquin Services

Petition opposing any reduction in Department of Primary Industries services in Deniliquin and other rural locations, received from Mr Adrian Piccoli.

Hawkesbury-Nepean River System Weed Harvester

Petition requesting the purchase of a weed harvester for the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system, received from Mr Steven Pringle.

Alcohol Wet Centres

Petition requesting the establishment of wet centres in the inner city to provide a safe place for chronic drinkers, received from Ms Clover Moore.

JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE UPON ROAD SAFETY

Report

Mr Paul Gibson, as Chairman, tabled report No. 4/53 entitled "Report on the Safety of Railway Crossings—Where Roads and Railway Lines Meet at Substantially the Same Level", dated October 2004, together with transcripts of evidence and submissions received.

Report ordered to be printed.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

_________

HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS WAITING TIMES

Mr JOHN BROGDEN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Health. Why is the Minister pretending that things are getting better in the health system when his own department's figures for August show things are actually getting worse, with 44 per cent of emergency patients presenting to metropolitan hospitals forced to wait more than eight hours for a bed, an increase from 41 per cent in July, and at 13 Sydney hospitals more than half of the patients were forced to wait more than eight hours?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Leader of the Opposition is referring to reports and figures about access block. There is no denial on the part of the Government that it is a serious issue that needs to be confronted. That is precisely why in June the Government introduced the sustainable access plan—to bring access block down and to increase the capacity of our nurses and doctors in our hospitals to be able to provide care for those who are presenting to our hospitals and requiring admission.

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

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: This is a plan backed by serious resources—$60 million to open an additional 972 beds, of which 562 are a permanent addition to the bed base in our hospitals—

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

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: That is 400 beds to enable our hospitals to cope with the hub of activity over winter and 562 permanent beds in our hospitals. It is not only a question of dollars. It is not only a question of beds; the sustainable access plan also provides the third important and fundamental ingredient, and it is something on which the Opposition simply has no policy. The third ingredient is getting better management of the beds, improving work practices and management practices of the beds to provide for sustained improvement.

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

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: That is why for one of those hospitals on that list, Canterbury, the access block figures as of October are down from 47 per cent to 31 per cent. That is why at John Hunter Hospital, where the plan started, the access block figures in October are at 14 per cent. That is why at Nepean—and the Opposition should listen to this story about Nepean.

Mr Barry O'Farrell: Point of order: My point of order is relevance. I appreciate that the Minister is providing figures; we are used to the manipulating of figures—

Mr SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

Mr Barry O'Farrell: My point is, October has not finished. How can he have October figures? It is 21 October, so how can he have the October figures?

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

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I got the Canterbury figures when I visited the hospital recently. That is why I have them.

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

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: When there is improvement, members opposite do not like it. In the past at Nepean, all the members opposite did was open beds, and nothing more. They got a short-term decrease in access block and then it went straight back up. That is why at Nepean the additional 40 beds this year are matched by changes in management practices to get sustained improvement. In the last budget there were record amounts of funding—a $700 million increase in funding—a standalone plan of sustainable access, to improve access and capacity in our hospitals, involving 972 additional beds and extra resources. It is a significant issue and this Government will not shy away from confronting the serious issues.
That is why the Auditor-General, in his review of access capacity and performance, said that this cannot happen in isolation; that our hospitals do not work in isolation. They do not work in isolation to the collapse in bulk-billing and the crisis in Medicare, which sees more families turning up to our hospitals. They do not work in isolation to the crisis in aged care where the Commonwealth does not invest in sufficient nursing home places. At any one time in New South Wales we have 800 senior citizens who should be in community care or nursing home care but who are in an acute public hospital bed because the Coalition's friends in Canberra will not invest in aged care to unblock the hospitals.

That is why the Auditor-General said that this does not occur in isolation. There is no question that this Government has a serious commitment to additional resources, extra nurses, extra beds, and better management practices to improve capacity, access and performance in our hospitals. What is required, firstly, is a national action plan on the work force so that we have enough doctors and nurses to staff the beds. Bill Glasson will say that there is a shortage of doctors throughout the nation of 3,000. What is John Howard's response? Nothing! He denies that there is a problem.

The Preston report on nursing states that we need 40,000 nurses by 2014. However, we cannot get an acknowledgement from Abbott and Nelson that there is a problem with the work force and training. Our hospitals do not work in isolation. They need a massive injection of additional resources, a plan to improve the management practices of beds and our hospitals, extra nurses and additional beds. What is also required is a partnership with, and greater co-operation on the part of, the Commonwealth. Then we might see a long-term sustained improvement in access block. Members opposite want to talk about bed closures. They may want to explain why between 1988 and 1995 the Coalition Government shut 7,000 beds and 30 hospitals.

COUNTER-TERRORISM MEASURES

Mr JOHN BARTLETT: My question without notice is directed to the Premier. What is the latest information on counter-terrorism preparedness?

Mr BOB CARR: I want to announce new police powers to conduct terrorist investigations. We will allow police to seek a covert search warrant to enter premises without notice to the occupier. This will enable police to conduct searches of suspected terrorist premises without revealing their investigation. Such covert search warrants would allow entry, search, seizure of property, copying documents, operating electronic equipment, including computers, and forensic tests. This search warrant power would apply to almost all terrorist offences under Commonwealth laws. This will include cases such as that of Willy Brigitte, in which the French Government advised the Commonwealth of suspicions that he had trained with a terrorist organisation—an offence under Commonwealth law. That would have triggered the operation of the powers I am now setting out. Training with a terrorist organisation is a Commonwealth offence, to which our new powers would have applied. Some important safeguards will operate. A notice to the occupier will have to be given within six months unless the court extends this period.

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

Mr BOB CARR: The judge would issue the warrant only if he or she were satisfied that there was a reasonable suspicion that a relevant offence had been, or was likely to be, committed, a search would substantially assist in preventing or responding, and it was necessary for the search to be conducted without the occupier's knowledge. A report is to be made to the issuing court after the warrant is executed, and there are further safeguards as well. For example, the Attorney General will also conduct a statutory review after 12 months, and the Police Integrity Commission will be able to investigate any complaints.

In addition to the new covert search warrants, we will also introduce amendments to the Listening Devices Act. These will allow police to obtain warrants for listening devices for up to 90 days for terrorist offences, instead of the current 21. Police have advised that 21 days is too short because overseas experience shows that terrorists spend long periods planning and preparing attacks. Potential terrorists may, for instance, come from overseas and take time to settle in Australia, building connections and waiting for instructions or opportunities. So police need the power to observe suspected terrorists over longer periods and then to intervene with maximum disruptive effect.

There are prison inmates who may be involved with terrorist groups. That is why we will develop a new classification for prisoners who may pose a threat to national security or be involved with terrorist groups. That classification will involve limits on contact visits and increased screening of mail. In short, there will be stronger rules to monitor communications and ensure secure detention. The New South Wales prison system already has a high security regime for its most violent and dangerous inmates, such as Ivan Milat. However, this new classification will be specifically tailored to curb terrorist inmates and others who pose a threat to national security. In this way such prisoners will not be able to contact their associates to organise activities while in prison.

These measures complement our proposed trial of mobile phone jammers using technology already being used or trialled in Israeli and French prisons. I am advised that these jammers can be targeted to prevent interference with legitimate phone use beyond prison perimeters. We need the Commonwealth's agreement on this, and I have written to the Prime Minister about it today to ensure smooth co-operation on this proposal. Another key part of the plan is improving our response to terrorist incidents through simulations such as Operation Explorer in May this year. Our experience shows that a swift, co-ordinated response from key agencies can mean saving lives and minimising damage. That is why we will combine the Police Operations Centre and the State Emergency Operations Centre to ensure a streamlined and effective response. We have also taken steps to better co-ordinate our response across government. We have established a dedicated counter-terrorism and disaster recovery directorate, which will better co-ordinate whole-of-government responses to any terrorist strike on New South Wales soil. We want to avoid the type of fragmented approach that hampered America's September 11 response.

Finally, I can inform the House that I have written to the Prime Minister on another matter requiring a counter-terrorism response. There have been suggestions that New South Wales host the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation [APEC] forum in 2007. However, there are considerable costs associated with staging an event that involves about 100 meetings in addition to the leaders' meeting. In particular, there would be significant security and associated costs—money that would be better spent on essential services for the people of New South Wales. It is estimated that the police and security costs for APEC could be about $10 million. We support the idea of hosting APEC but we are a reluctant for New South Wales taxpayers to pick up the tab for a national and, indeed, international event, particularly at a time when the Federal Government has cut grants to New South Wales by $389 million a year.

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

Mr BOB CARR: Hear the tinkle of little interjections from members opposite. They do not disturb us from the job—

Mrs Jillian Skinner: You won't be there by then.

Mr BOB CARR: Jillian, Jillian, Jillian—there you go again! Hasn't she become bitter?

Mrs Jillian Skinner: Point of order: I ask you to call the Premier to order. By not using my proper title he is insulting every woman in New South Wales, including the female members of this House.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The honourable member for North Shore should observe the standards of this House and not interject while the Premier is speaking.

Mr BOB CARR: I have always held the honourable member for North Shore in the highest and fondest esteem. I pause for a moment to regret the fact that in all the bitterness of Opposition her personality has changed for the worse. We recall with great fondness the happy Jillian who entered this House all those years ago. Enough of these distractions!

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

Mr BOB CARR: The Stasi has just given me a copy of the web page from the web site of the honourable member for North Shore.

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

Mr BOB CARR: The web site states, "North Shore MP Jillian Skinner welcomed her appointment as Shadow Minister for Education and Training and Shadow Minister for The Arts in the Brogden Shadow Cabinet following the 2003 election." That is it. There are no alternative policies; there is no view on how New South Wales should be run; and there is not a hint of what a coalition government would do. But enough of these distractions! Let us get on with the job. I have written to the Prime Minister about this issue. We would welcome the opportunity to host APEC.

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

Mr BOB CARR: However, for a national and, indeed, international meeting the Commonwealth must commit to fund all the security arrangements that would otherwise fall in their entirety on the taxpayers of New South Wales.

ELECTIVE SURGERY WAITING LISTS

Mr ANDREW STONER: My question is directed to the Premier. Given that he has failed to honour his 1995 promise to halve elective surgery waiting lists or resign, and his closure of almost 1,300 country hospital beds since then, will he now apologise to the 19,000 country people still awaiting surgery—3,000 more than at the last State election?

Mr BOB CARR: With our election a total of 360,000 extra procedures are conducted in our hospitals each year, as a result of our increased funding. Every year, 3,600 are admitted for inpatient care and 17,300 spend the day being treated in a hospital bed. This is one of the best hospital systems in the world. Since 1992-93 the average hospital stay in New South Wales has been reduced from 6.6 days to 4.88 days. The proportion of same-day admissions has increased from 23 per cent to 43 per cent. That is a massive increase and translates into higher quality of health care for the people of this State. In Western Sydney alone, in 2004-05, there is an increase in health spending of $1.6 billion a year, a 6 per cent increase over the previous year.

The Stasi, as one would expect, has been busy at work in the last five minutes since this question was asked. What is the Opposition's alternative policy on health? There it is—blank space. The Opposition is offensive enough in putting out its alternative policy to issue a blank page. Members opposite have done their little homework, their little web pages. Aren't they clever? Our current health budget is $707 million or 7.6 per cent greater than the initial health budget for 2002-03 but when it comes to rural and regional health there has been an increase of more than $1.4 billion, or 106 per cent, since the Coalition was in government. In a mere nine years there has been an increase of 106 per cent on rural health. It is going to country hospitals and country people. When we went to war with the Federal Government and said more should be allocated—last year all the Premiers were saying that—what did the shadow Minister say? He said that we should sign on the bottom line without trying to argue our case.

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

Mr BOB CARR: Members opposite have no credibility. The only health the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party has focused on it his own weight loss and diet reform, as he sits there reading a copy of Men's Health, focusing on the next round of weight loss, setting himself up for his inevitable run on the Liberal Party leadership. At the Business Council of Australia dinners or in any boardroom in this city, they are saying it is only a matter of time before Barry O'Farrell knocks off Brogden. When he said he would be interested in the leadership only when he started to lose weight, he was providing us with a clear signal of when it was going to happen. I thank the honourable member for his question.

Mr Andrew Tink: Point of order—

Mr SPEAKER: Order! On a number of recent occasions the honourable member for Epping has taken points of order that have resulted in him being placed on three calls to order. The Premier has finished his reply. Does the honourable member for Epping persist with his point of order?

Mr Andrew Tink: It is on the question of relevance and leadership. What is that conga line of people behind Mark Latham for? They are not lining up to pat him on the back. They are lining up to knife him. The next leader to go will be Mark Latham.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Epping will resume his seat. On this occasion I will be kind and place him on only two calls to order.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ms MARIE ANDREWS: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Police. What is the Government's response to community and police concerns about recent travel restrictions and travel to the United States?

Mr JOHN WATKINS: At this time of year it is appropriate that I draw attention to police issues in relation to early planning for travel overseas. In the current global climate, with the ever-present threat of terrorism, entry requirements to countries are becoming tougher, and probably rightly so. However, many New South Wales residents are unaware of what they must do to gain permission to enter several countries. This is particularly the case in relation to the United States. Residents of New South Wales generally enjoy the benefits of a visa waiver program with the United States. Under that program they do not need a visa if they are travelling to the United States on business or pleasure for less than 90 days. However, increasingly, New South Wales residents convicted of minor offences at some time in their past—perhaps their distant past—are being caught up in their attempts to visit the United States. Given that in the 12 months to March this year some 141,000 New South Wales residents visited the United States, it is a significant number of people.

I am advised that these restrictions now apply to people who have been convicted of crimes such as minor traffic offences or misdemeanours that require a court appearance. It is often not until their visa application is being considered by the relevant authority that people find out they have to undergo a full criminal record check and provide those details. That is where NSW Police comes in. New South Wales residents who are directed by the United States or other international authorities to undergo a criminal record check as part of their application have to go to one of New South Wales' 24-hour police stations to apply for the check.

Many do not realise until it is too late that these criminal checks can take up to four weeks to process. A number of members of this House have recently made representations to me seeking that this process be expedited. They have constituents who have discovered just a week before their departure date that they need a criminal record check to get a visa to enter the United States. New South Wales residents with travel plans are entitled to be made fully aware of the necessary travel requirements. It is clear that the Federal Government should take responsibility for keeping Australians informed of these requirements. It is a national issue.

Accordingly, I will be writing to the Minister for Foreign Affairs outlining the difficulties experienced by New South Wales residents and requesting that the Commonwealth do its part to warn Australian travellers of those requirements. In the meantime, the message for New South Wales residents is clear: plan ahead; find out early about entry and visa requirements of the country you are visiting; make sure you allow plenty of time for any background checks to be done, and keep up to date with the changing travel requirements that may apply to the nation you are to visit.

HOSPITAL BED NUMBERS

Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. Given his promises in April and June this year to open an additional 973 hospital beds, will he advise the House how many of those beds have been opened and how many remain open?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Government's commitment to sustainable access, the plan that involves increasing the capacity of our hospitals to cope with increasing admissions and attendances, is backed by serious dollars. The plan for the commissioning of 972 additional beds included 562 permanent beds. I can report that the 562 permanent beds are open and have been delivered. Four hundred were winter beds designed to enable hospitals to cope with the higher winter demand. I can also report to the House that the Government has plans to deal with those beds, and those plans will be announced very shortly.

While on the subject of beds, the shadow Minister might wish to explain how it was and why it was—and where they all went to—that between 1988 and 1995, 7,000 beds disappeared from the New South Wales public hospital system. I can provide some explanation as to where those beds went. A central part of that plan was to shut, privatise or downgrade 33 hospitals. Bellingen hospital was downgraded to become merely a support hospital. The Leader of The Nationals, who is no longer in the Chamber, asked a question previously about country hospital beds. Of course, we will never forget Port Macquarie, the public hospital handed over to a private group in the worst financial deal ever lumbered on any State government or taxpayers. No wonder the Auditor-General said we were fleeced twice. Yeoval Hospital was closed and Carcoar Hospital was downgraded. The list goes on.

Mr Matt Brown: Kiama.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: That is right, Kiama hospital was closed, and later it was reopened by a Labor government. Its beds were closed as well. Portland hospital was downgraded. The honourable member for Bathurst will never forget the plans to close or downgrade Lithgow hospital. It was kept open by a Labor government. Whilst we are debating beds, the shadow Minister might wish to explain what happened to 7,000 beds between 1988 and 1995.

Mr Barry O'Farrell: Point of order: On a matter of relevance, I simply asked how many beds were opened and how many remain open. The Minister promised them in April and it is now only October. Surely the Minister can remember how many were opened and how many remain open. Forget history; we are talking about the last four months.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Minister's reply has been extremely relevant to the question he has asked.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Stay tuned for stage two of sustainable access.

COUNTRY TOWNS WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE PROGRAM

Mr STEVE WHAN: My question is directed to the Minister for Energy and Utilities. What is the latest information on country water and sewerage?

Mr FRANK SARTOR: I thank the honourable member for Monaro for his question and for his interest in water sustainability initiatives, including some very exciting projects in the Queanbeyan area that I was pleased to discuss when I was last there. If I could make a quick personal explanation, unlike many members of the Opposition I do not dye my hair and I do not waste water. I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to tell us whether he has retrofitted his house.

Before answering the honourable member's question it is important that I inform the House of progress in relation to the severe storms that hit the Coffs Harbour region on Wednesday morning. The storms caused extensive electricity supply interruptions in Coffs Harbour, Nana Glen, Woolgoolga and surrounding areas, affecting up to 15,000 customers. The severity of the storms caused significant damage to 20 high-voltage powerlines, although supply was able to be progressively restored to around 10 powerlines throughout the day. At 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday around 4,500 customers remained without power. Country Energy advises me that just a short time ago the number had been reduced to 1,000. I take this opportunity to thank the employees who have had to work on restoring power. In some cases they have had to access areas by helicopter. They have done a sterling job and they deserve the congratulations of the House. The substance of the question relates to our country town and water scheme. The current drought has affected not only Sydney's water supply but also all the major country dams.

Mr Thomas George: What about Woolgoolga?

Mr FRANK SARTOR: If the honourable member for Lismore were to listen for a minute he might learn something. Despite the rain, the average water level in rural and regional dams is still below 40 per cent. Yesterday in the debate on the Metropolitan Water Plan the honourable member for Lachlan, amidst a diatribe of erroneous statements, actually said something correct. He said that Wyangala Dam, on the Lachlan, is sitting at just 12 per cent capacity. That is true. So the challenge remains. We have a plan, the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program. Through this program we have supported country towns with more than 570 water and sewerage projects, benefiting more than 200 towns and one million people. I am pleased to inform the House that the program's total allocation has been boosted to more than $900 million. This means that more high-priority water and sewerage projects in rural and regional New South Wales will be able to secure funding. As we all know, country councils and water utilities value their autonomy.

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

Mr FRANK SARTOR: There are 106 water utilities that supply water in country areas. Water is not supplied by the State Government; it is supplied by local utilities. Notwithstanding that, as part of our program the Government is providing financial assistance and technical advice to country towns facing water shortages during the current drought. The recent coastal rains are welcome but they have not broken the drought. Several towns are still carting water, and others are under threat.

In partnership with local government, we are doing whatever we can to make sure that no town in New South Wales runs out of water. For example, we are assisting with the development of drought management plans for 106 water utilities. We are test drilling for bore water in 22 locations across the State. We are assisting councils to lay pipes to access river pools or deep storages in dams, and we are subsidising the cost of water cartage. Since the drought began the Government has spent $8.8 million assisting country water utilities to secure their water supplies, and we expect to spend an additional $3.8 million that has been allocated this financial year for alternative water supplies for drought-affected communities. If the situation worsens significantly the figure could rise to $7.7 million.

A month ago the Premier brought Goulburn's water shortage to the attention of the House. At that time Goulburn's total water capacity was at 34.5 per cent. Goulburn's storages have benefited from recent rainfall and have increased to 36.8 per cent capacity. The Government has allocated $176,000 in funding. A number of test bores are currently being drilled and other water sources are being sought. Bore water is not the only option for Goulburn. The council is also considering a number of other measures, including a transfer system from Mulwaree Pond to Sooley Dam.

In Eurobodalla on the South Coast the focus of the drought is shifting. Despite the recent rains the major South Coast rivers are still recording low flows. Eurobodalla Shire Council has recently introduced level three water restrictions. Good results have been gained from investigating ground water in the Tuross River that may contribute to securing the region's water supply. I am pleased to advise the House that the New South Wales Government has been able to provide drought emergency funding of up to $662,000 to Eurobodalla Shire Council to maintain supply to communities including Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma. These funds will help the council implement essential works such as developing further ground water sources, extracting water from the lower levels of Deep Creek Dam, and providing treatment facilities to improve the water quality of the bore water and the water from the deep storage of the dam.

The strategy that we are promoting through the Metropolitan Water Plan is also being promoted in country New South Wales, where they are seeking to diversify their sources of water as we are doing in Sydney. Country utilities are embracing reuse. Some 62 per cent of local water utilities have recycling schemes. The total volume of sewage being recycled is almost 33 gigalitres, which is 20 per cent of the total volume of sewage collected. Five years ago the figure was only 14 per cent. That means 33 billion litres of sewage is no longer going into our rivers each year. It is going onto playing fields, parks and golf courses and into industry and agriculture. That means that 33,000 Olympic swimming pools of drinking water stay in our rivers and boost dam supplies. I commend the Shoalhaven City Council on its regional effluent management scheme.

[Interruption]

The mayor of Shoalhaven is a good friend of the honourable member for South Coast. He demonstrated the hypocrisy of members opposite. I commend the City of Shoalhaven. The mayor is a great man and he does a great job. I also commend Orange and Muswellbrook for their industrial recycling schemes and the schemes under way at Port Macquarie and Albury.

Desalination is another way to diversify supply, especially for rapidly growing populations facing water shortages. Just as desalination technology will be tested in Sydney today, $56,000 has been approved for a feasibility study into desalination on the far North Coast, which has seen very rapid growth since 1996. Tweed Shire has had a 15 per cent population growth. High-growth areas like the North Coast are prone to water shortages during droughts; the region is still vulnerable despite the recent rainfall. Therefore it has been necessary for utilities to introduce water restrictions. This study will investigate the potential for the desalination of salt and brackish water for potential sources of drinking water and look at the feasibility of purifying effluent for environmental flows. In addition, the study will look at alternative energy sources, such as solar, to power desalination, thereby avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government is working with local utilities and it has introduced best practice guidelines and revised the allocation formula. It is working to guarantee that best practice and water conservation measures are implemented in country New South Wales. Resources have been more effectively targeted and the Government is standing with country communities to address the issues in a systematic and sensible manner, not in the policy-free manner that honourable members opposite are adopting. I thank the member for his question.

HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR MONARO PERISHER BLUE REFERENCE

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: I direct my question to the Premier. Is it not inappropriate for the honourable member for Monaro to provide a glowing reference in support of Perisher Blue's application for a radio station licence from the Australian Broadcasting Authority after accepting a three-day family resort pass valued at $700 as a gift from the company?

Mr BOB CARR: Nothing that the honourable member for Monaro, a very conscientious member, has done is inappropriate.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Mr KIM YEADON: I direct my question to the Minister for Education and Training. What is the latest information on apprenticeships in New South Wales?

Dr ANDREW REFSHAUGE: I thank the honourable member for his question and recognise his ongoing interest in training. Skills and training and trades and tradespeople are vital to a strong economy. They create real and long-lasting jobs and career opportunities for our young people. This country needs metal fitters and machinists, toolmakers, welders, motor mechanics and panel beaters, electricians, refrigeration and airconditioning mechanics, carpenters and bricklayers, chefs and pastry cooks, and hairdressers. Over the next four years New South Wales alone will need an extra 3,000 carpentry and joinery tradespersons, an extra 1,500 panel beaters, an extra 1,000 bakers and pastry cooks and an extra 200 refrigeration and airconditioning mechanics. The skills shortage has been widely recognised by industry. A survey of 786 firms conducted earlier this year indicated that 40 per cent of the firms believe the availability of skilled employees is critically important to their businesses.

I am pleased to inform the House that this year New South Wales has experienced a large increase in the number of people taking up apprenticeships. That means real apprenticeships in the traditional trades, not the so-called "new apprenticeships" that the Commonwealth Government has championed by stimulating growth in low-skilled, short-duration traineeships. In the first half of this year there was a 37 per cent increase in the number of people taking up apprenticeships in New South Wales compared to the same period last year. That is an increase from 8,927 apprenticeship applications approved in the first half of 2003 to 12,220 apprenticeship applications approved for the same period this year. Overall, we now have 45,386 apprentices currently in training in this State. That is 5,000 more than at the same time last year. It is a massive increase and great news for our State.

The growth in apprenticeships has occurred across industry and across regions. It has been strong in all the major skill shortage areas. For instance, building and construction has had one of the largest increases, with a 46 per cent growth in apprentice approvals. Apprenticeship approvals in utilities and electro-technology have increased by a massive 47 per cent. This includes the electrical trades and refrigeration and airconditioning trades. Other areas of significant growth include an almost 30 per cent increase in the retail and wholesale industry, primarily in hairdressing, a 23 per cent increase in apprenticeship approvals in the manufacturing engineering industry, and an almost 20 per cent increase in the food industry, particularly commercial cookery.

It is especially important that this growth in apprenticeships has been across all regions of the State, with South Western Sydney region experiencing the greatest growth. In South Western Sydney there has been an increase in apprenticeship approvals to date of about 50 per cent compared with last year. I am also pleased to advise the House that these apprenticeships have been taken up very strongly by young people. Of the apprenticeships recently commenced, 75 per cent were for people aged between 15 and 19 years of age and 20 per cent were for people between 20 and 24 years of age. By creating solid career prospects these apprenticeships help to cement a future for young people. There has also been a gratifyingly large increase in Aboriginal participation in apprenticeships in recent years. This trend is continuing, with a 44 per cent growth in apprenticeship approvals this year.

I especially acknowledge the efforts of employers and their support for training. Since last year almost 2,000 more employers have taken on apprentices in New South Wales. The figure went from 21,000 to 23,000. This impressive growth in apprenticeship numbers has been achieved despite the lack of additional funding from the Commonwealth Government. In contrast to the Commonwealth's mean approach, this financial year the State Government is spending $1.6 billion in recurrent funding for TAFE NSW and related services. That is an increase of $72 million on the previous year. The State Government is also working to ensure that TAFE responds to the needs of industry.

This year the TAFE sector has put on many extra classes to meet the increased demand for apprenticeship training. For example, the Illawarra Institute has established seven new trade classes to meet a 40 per cent increase in building trade apprenticeship approvals in the area. The Hunter has seven new classes in carpentry and joinery, two extra classes in plumbing and two extra commercial cookery classes. The increase in the number of apprenticeships is very welcome, particularly given that they are in areas of skills shortages. The Government will continue to work with industry and training organisations to build on this great effort. It is important for our economy and for our young people.

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND WORKERS COMPENSATION UNIFORM LAWS

Mr ROBERT OAKESHOTT: I direct my question to the Premier. Given his recent enlightened comments about national consistency in health and education, will he also consider including industrial relations and workers compensation in the push for a single set of uniform laws in New South Wales and Australia?

Mr BOB CARR: That is a very thoughtful question. I make it clear to the House that there is no way this Government will cede industrial relations powers to Canberra.

Mr Barry O'Farrell: Tell us why.

Mr BOB CARR: The putative Leader of The Nationals, Barry O'Farrell, says, "Tell us why." Because we are going to protect workers' award benefits and we are going to protect the role of the independent umpire, the Industrial Relations Commission. That is why the Labor Party was formed in 1891. The second reason is—

Mr Adrian Piccoli: Point of order: My point of order is relevance. This is what you thought of workers a few years ago!

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Murrumbidgee will approach the table again. Because of his disgraceful behaviour, I ask the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove him from the Chamber.

[The honourable member for Murrumbidgee left the Chamber, accompanied by the Serjeant-at-Arms.]

Mr BOB CARR: The second reason we will not give industrial relations to the Commonwealth is that our industrial relations system works, and it works well. We have a low level of industrial disputation in this State; we have a low level of days lost in industrial disputes. By the way, the New South Wales industrial relations system has the support of employers as well as unions, and we are not going to give it to the Commonwealth. The New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission is able to directly arbitrate disputes involving long-term strikes and lockouts. Ninety-one per cent of lockouts occur in the Federal jurisdiction. In Victoria, where industrial relations was handed over to the Feds, between 2001 and 2003 the number of long-running disputes was almost double the figure in New South Wales. Our system works. When it comes to workers compensation, our reforms have seen more money flow to workers and less to lawyers. And we are not going to give that up, either.

REGIONAL FILM-MAKING INDUSTRY

Mr BRYCE GAUDRY: My question is addressed to the Minister for Regional Development. What is the latest information on efforts to promote the film industry outside Sydney?

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: I thank the honourable member for Newcastle for his question and his interest in our State's regional film industry. The New South Wales Government keenly supports the industry, and we encourage the creation of jobs, investment, and regional tourism. Members will recall that a recent film, Danny Deckchair, was filmed in Bellingen. It injected $1 million into the local economy and created 420 local jobs.

The Carr Government is keen to make sure that young people in regional areas have the opportunity to gain skills in this multimillion-dollar industry. Recently we supported the Coffs Harbour community in its efforts to expand its annual Cool Bananas Short Film Festival. The event attracts 1,000 visitors a year to the region. Cool Bananas gives young people the chance to develop professional skills through workshops, seminars, film shoots, and work placement. Our financial support is also helping develop local editing facilities, which is a plus for local filmmakers.
Further up the coast, in the Northern Rivers region, we have provided $16,500 to encourage growth in the regional film industry. Approximately 3,500 people—or more than 4 per cent of local jobs—are involved in the film industry. They include writers, musicians, performers, those involved in theatre production, and multimedia artists. Members will be interested to learn that the Government has provided $45,000 to encourage the local film and television industry in the Hunter region. Film Hunter—which is also supported by Lake Macquarie and Newcastle city councils—will use the funding to continue to employ a full-time project manager.

Film Hunter acts as a one-stop shop for the industry. It handles regional film inquiries and permits, and it has developed a directory of film skills, including local technicians and service providers. It also has a digital photo library of 4,000 images to help market its regional highlights to location scouts. The mid North Coast is yet another region to benefit from New South Wales Government support for local efforts to grow its film and television industry. Members will be interested to learn that the Government is providing $57,500 to support the ongoing efforts of Film Mid North Coast, which has been responsible for at least 12 local film and television projects in the past year.

Communities in the Central West of the State are also benefiting from the Government's efforts to promote the regional film industry. Next month the Government will showcase our State's heartland to location scouts, directors, and industry representatives. The three-day tour follows the success of similar Government-supported tours to the Northern Rivers and the Illawarra. The region's fabulous locations, from Condobolin to Mudgee, in the upper Hunter, will be on display thanks to the Government.

Questions without notice concluded.

SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT

Mr CARL SCULLY (Smithfield—Minister for Roads, and Minister for Housing) [3.37 p.m.]: I move:

Mr ANDREW TINK (Epping) [3.36 p.m.]: It is astonishing that after such a long recess and just a few weeks into this session the Government does not have any business for tomorrow. It is not as though the Government should not have business. All week this House has been debating a loophole in the law regarding child pornography. The Attorney General should have ready for debate tomorrow a bill that addresses the vital issue, identified by the Leader of the Opposition, of the loophole in the law regarding child pornography charges and proceedings.

That loophole in the law was created by the Government at a time when it made a solemn promise that it would tighten the law. The Government did not tighten the law; indeed, it loosened it. Despite the Leader of the Opposition earlier this week clearly identifying that loosening of the law, the Government has simply turned its back on the Parliament by not allowing an opportunity this week for the House to debate the issue and fix the law. Child pornography case hearings may well be aborted over the weekend as a result of the Government's failure to act.

But that is not the only bill the House could debate tomorrow; there are a number of others. Today I read in the newspaper that a case involving $1 million worth of public money has gone out the door because the jury was discharged after it was discovered that a couple of jurors were researching the case on the Internet. In December last year, almost a year ago, the Chief Justice and Chief Judge at Common Law said the Jury Act should be changed to bring it into line with the Queensland Jury Act, to provide that it be an offence, severely punishable at law, for a juror to research on the Internet the case the jury is hearing.

In July this year the Attorney General said he would make it an offence for jurors to conduct their own research during a trial. What happened? Absolutely nothing. In September this year, after further embarrassment, the Attorney General repeated that promise. Again what happened? Absolutely nothing. Things got so bad that on 15 September this year, in the case of Fairfax v The District Court, the Chief Justice of the State, no less, renewed his plea to the Government. It is disgraceful that a newspaper has to sue the District Court to bring such a vital issue to the fore. On 15 September the Chief Justice said that legislative intervention was advisable, and he again referred to the Queensland law. As much as any Chief Justice responsibly can, he did all he could to draw the Attorney General's attention to a shortcoming in the law. Again, absolutely nothing happened.

My comments are relevant to the special adjournment motion because the Attorney General should ensure that a bill that provides that jurors who access the Internet are liable and open to punishment is before the House tomorrow. All that would be required is the Attorney General staying back for an hour or so tonight with his departmental officers, downloading the relevant provision of the Queensland Jury Act—I am told that it takes about only three clicks of a mouse—and simply incorporating it in a bill to be debated tomorrow. We would not have to change the standing rules regarding sitting tomorrow. I assure the Leader of the House that all Coalition members would support such a bill on a bipartisan basis.

There would be no issue about everybody needing to be in the House for a division; it could be undertaken as a formal matter. That is how basic it is. I venture to think, without presuming for them, that the crossbench would also take heed of what the Chief Justice has said on two occasions in 12 months and get this fixed. The Government's failure to take up this issue tomorrow and its failure to use the time of this House properly tomorrow for this purpose leads to the direst consequences. Only yesterday Judge Armitage dismissed a jury because jurors had accessed the Internet. That trial cost a million dollars. Guess who is paying that million dollar bill? The taxpayers of New South Wales. The bill ought to be sent to the Attorney General personally. It is not as though he has not been given enough warnings about this.

This is an important issue. The Attorney General's conduct on this occasion has been reprehensible. If Judge Armitage had been able to say to the jury, "I am warning you that you must not look at the Internet in connection with anything to do with this case", and if he had been able to make a second point and say, "I am further warning you that if you do you will be liable to imprisonment", the trial would not have miscarried, the taxpayers would not be up for a million dollars and we would not have victims of crime having to come back on another day to go through the whole process again. Another reprehensible matter in the outcome in this case before Judge Armitage—I do not criticise the judge on this at all; it is the Attorney General I criticise—is that one of the witnesses had to come all the way from Great Britain to give evidence, and will have to come back when there is a retrial.

The Leader of the House said that the Government does not have business tomorrow sufficient to warrant the House sitting. I say that there are at least two pieces of legislation that the Attorney General could get instructions on and draft tonight. By arrangement, that legislation could be presented to the House tomorrow morning and passed through the House tomorrow. I imagine that that would be a very good use of taxpayers' money. The failure of the House to sit tomorrow and the cost given that we are all here attendant upon that just compounds the million dollars that has already been flushed down the toilet as a result of the Attorney General not doing anything on this issue in the first place. The taxpayers of New South Wales are already paying a million dollars in legal costs and added to that is the cost of the House not sitting tomorrow. It is plain to anybody who is observing the proceedings of this House that we are ready, willing and able to sit here, and get on with business tomorrow morning.

It is a great shame and a betrayal of the trust of the people of New South Wales that we and the Government are not in a position to deal with these matters tomorrow. The Leader of the House could stand this motion down for half an hour. It is 3.45 p.m. He could stand the motion down until 4.15 p.m. In the meantime, he could speak to the Premier, to the Attorney General, to Parliamentary Counsel and have a quiet word via the Attorney General to the Chief Justice. He could say, "Is this not business that we could be doing tomorrow?" The legislation could then be introduced tomorrow. By 4.15 p.m. this motion could be withdrawn and we could all be here tomorrow doing the very thing the taxpayers of this State expect us to be doing. I hope the motion is stood over. If it is not, we will vote against it.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided.

Ayes, 52

Ms Allan
Mr Amery
Ms Andrews
Mr Bartlett
Ms Beamer
Mr Black
Mr Brown
Ms Burney
Miss Burton
Mr Campbell
Mr Collier
Mr Corrigan
Mr Crittenden
Ms D'Amore
Mr Debus
Ms Gadiel
Mr Gaudry
Mr Gibson

Mr Greene
Ms Hay
Mr Hickey
Mr Hunter
Mr Iemma
Ms Judge
Ms Keneally
Mr Knowles
Mr Lynch
Mr McBride
Mr McLeay
Ms Meagher
Ms Megarrity
Mr Mills
Mr Morris
Mr Newell
Ms Nori
Mr Orkopoulos

Mrs Paluzzano
Mr Pearce
Mrs Perry
Mr Price
Dr Refshauge
Mr Sartor
Mr Scully
Mr Shearan
Mr Stewart
Mr Tripodi
Mr Watkins
Mr West
Mr Whan
Mr Yeadon

Tellers,
Mr Ashton
Mr Martin

Noes, 33

Mr Aplin
Mr Armstrong
Mr Barr
Ms Berejiklian
Mr Cansdell
Mr Constance
Mr Debnam
Mr Draper
Mr Fraser
Mrs Hancock
Mr Hartcher
Mr Hazzard

Ms Hodgkinson
Mrs Hopwood
Mr Kerr
Mr Merton
Ms Moore
Mr Oakeshott
Mr O'Farrell
Mr Page
Mr Pringle
Mr Richardson
Mr Roberts
Ms Seaton

Mrs Skinner
Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Stoner
Mr Tink
Mr Torbay
Mr J. H. Turner
Mr R. W. Turner

Tellers,
Mr George
Mr Maguire

Pair

Ms Saliba

Mr Souris

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VACANCY

Joint Sitting

At 3.54 p.m. the House proceeded to the Legislative Council to attend a joint sitting to elect a member to fill a seat in the Legislative Council vacated by Reverend the Hon. Frederick John Nile, resigned.

The House reassembled at 4.14 p.m.

Mr SPEAKER: I report that the House met with the Legislative Council in the Legislative Council Chamber to elect a member to fill the seat in the Legislative Council vacated by the Reverend the Hon. Frederick John Nile and that Frederick John Nile, ED, LTh, was duly elected. I table the minutes of proceedings of the joint sitting.

Ordered to be printed.

COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE VALUER-GENERAL

Membership

Motion, by leave, by Mr Carl Scully agreed to:

Message sent to the Legislative Council advising it of the resolution.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Membership

Motion, by leave, by Mr Carl Scully agreed to.

Message sent to the Legislative Council advising it of the resolution.

Pursuant to sessional orders business interrupted.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

_________

DEATH OF MR ANTHONY MICHAEL McGRANE, OAM, A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Mr PETER BLACK (Murray-Darling) [4.15 p.m.]: As honourable members would be aware, I was unable to be present last night during the debate on the condolence motion for Anthony Michael McGrane. Anthony McGrane was extremely well known in western New South Wales. He was extremely popular, respected and highly regarded by all sectors of the community. I shall reflect a little on his life, and in doing so I commend the Dubbo City News of the week commencing Thursday 16 September, with a magnificent front cover picture of Tony McGrane, 1946 to 2004; the Dubbo Liberal of Saturday and Sunday, 18 and 19 September, again relating to the late Anthony McGrane; and a magnificent front page and subsequent articles in the Dubbo Liberal of Tuesday 21 September. I first met Anthony McGrane in 1980 when I was first elected as the Mayor of Broken Hill and he was the shire president of Gilgandra. We formed a close relationship then, which continued in local government for many years.

Anthony McGrane, once being an active member of the Shires Association, became an active member of the New South Wales Local Government Association when he moved to Dubbo. He was a man of great passions and great beliefs, and those passions and beliefs propelled him to take an interest in the Executive of the Local Government Association. In 1995 at the Wagga Wagga conference of the Local Government Association Tony and I were both elected to the association's executive. On that executive I shared many good times with Anthony McGrane until we both retired in 1999 to become members of this place. In those years I was the Australian Labor Party representative on the Executive and Tony McGrane was a representative of the Independent group led by Peter Woods. I shall read a statement from the immediate past President of the Local Government Association, Peter Woods, in so far as it relates to the late Tony McGrane. The statement reads:

A great man has been lost to this place. A great man—perhaps more significantly to those who worked closely with him—has been lost to western New South Wales. He was a titan in western New South Wales, a man who assiduously fought his campaigns with determination, clarity of vision and fixity of purpose until the necessary result was achieved. His last wish at St Vincent's Private Hospital was that an Independent should follow in his steps at Dubbo, a wish that many will share. [Time expired.]

MR BILL AND MRS MARELLE BLUNDEN RURAL LAND DEVELOPMENT AND HABITAT PROTECTION

Mr STEVE CANSDELL (Clarence) [4.20 p.m.]: In 1996 many environmental studies, instigated by Southern Cross University and co-funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, took place in the Bungawalbyn catchment in northern New South Wales, mainly because of large-scale land clearing in native forests. Professor Peter Bavistock of Southern Cross University, who, on occasional visits kept finding rare and endangered species, was one of the few to recognise the absolute significance of the Bungawalbyns. The New South Wales Government agreed and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on studies and mapping of the area. Most of the studies have been done on Bill and Marelle Blunden's 829-hectare property and have shown it to be some of the most environmentally significant country in the State.

The Blundens bought their 829-hectare property in 1994 with the intention of using 165 hectares as an organic tea-tree plantation. They started their development in conjunction with the Lands department. They proceeded, leaving corridors and the relevant areas even when only developing five to 20 acres at a time. They even purchased aerial mapping from 1982, 1986, 1988 and 1992 to assist their well-prepared development and to ensure its environmental sustainability. In 1995 the Carr Labor Government came along and with it State environmental planning policy 46. This was followed in 1997 by the Native Vegetation Conservation Act, thus choking the Blunden's efforts to work with the environment.

Because of the significance of past studies, an approach was made by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which compiled an investigative report recommending the purchase of the Blunden's property. That put any development of their tea-tree plantation on hold. After months of procrastination the National Parks and Wildlife Service told the Blundens that it had no money and, if they cleared the land, "Please, just leave some for us." Mr Blunden then went through an amazing web of lies and deception in his dealings with the Department of Land and Water Conservation. He has been shunted from department to department, given hopes of stewardship if he preserved his land rather than developed it, and then unceremoniously dumped from any of the programs.

Mr Blunden has not been able to develop this property to an economically viable state, even though his environmental safeguards are way above expected guidelines. After years of negotiating with the Government, he and his wife, Marelle, and his seven-year-old daughter, Angela, are in despair, with all hope being drained. Their battle with an uncaring Government, interested only in spin and deception, has crushed their spirit. In 2003 Mr Blunden was advised to formally lodge a vegetation development application for 165 hectares. He was then informed by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources [DIPNR] that, without prejudice, it could only offer him 75 hectares. Wait, there is more! Or should I say less? He was then advised by DIPNR that only 31 hectares could remain available and even that may be subject to koala habitat inspections.

The Blunden family's hopes have been dashed, their dreams lost, and they are utterly disappointed in a New South Wales Government that has deceived, procrastinated and abused its position of authority. Their dream of operating a viable organic tea-tree plantation while being the custodians of a beautiful piece of paradise has been crushed. In Mr Blunden's frustration he told me he has given the Premier, Bob Carr, a score of one out of 10 for the ineptness of his actions. The Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Craig Knowles, is an arrogant dictator and, therefore, gets no score. He said that Bob Debus, like the poor horse that chews at the pole too long and just becomes a windblower, gets no score. I can understand the Blundens' frustrations. I recently visited their property. It has deep billabongs and abundant wildlife. There are ibis, cormorants, black swans—

Mr Thomas George: Thanks to their encouragement.

Mr STEVE CANSDELL: That is right—and sugar gliders, eastern spotted quoll, kangaroos, pretty-faced wallabies, swamp wallabies, eastern greys, bush-tailed possums, Rufus rat kangaroos, potoroos, as well as goannas, blue tongued lizards and an array of snakes. The bird life is enormous, with parakeets flying around, wonga and top-notch pigeons, a myriad of finches, and cattle to a limited extent. This man and his family have done everything possible to try to preserve the environment and worked with the environment to encourage it and make it grow. They have faced nothing but obstacles from the Government.

FIVE DOCK POLICE STATION UPGRADE

Ms ANGELA D'AMORE (Drummoyne) [4.25 p.m.]: This evening I wish to discuss policing in the State electorate of Drummoyne, particularly Five Dock police station. The electorate of Drummoyne is serviced by three local area commands. Ashfield local area command covers the suburb of Haberfield, Burwood area command covers the majority of the electorate and Auburn area command services areas such as Flemington. There has been much public debate and comment in the media and in the community in relation to the Five Dock police station. During my candidacy as the Labor candidate for Drummoyne during the 2003 State election campaign and following extensive lobbying of the then police Minister, Michael Costa, the Five Dock police station was upgraded on 6 January 2003 to a 24-hours, seven days a week police station. We are fortunate in Drummoyne to have a full complement of police.

The anti-theft squad is located at Five Dock police station and that squad focuses on the prevention of property crime. The highway patrol unit is also based at Five Dock police station. The Five Dock police station is in need of a building upgrade. The building is old and needs major repairs to bring it up to an acceptable community level. My priorities are always to consult with my local area command and police officers to ensure they have appropriate resources to keep our communities and residents safe. It is also important to ensure that our local police officers have a good workplace. They too, as employees of the State, have the same rights and entitlements as other employees. That is why I am appealing to Minister Watkins to assist in prioritising the building upgrade for the Five Dock police station.

I ask the Minister to undertake an audit of the Five Dock police station to ascertain the extent of building upgrade needed. It would be appropriate to have this audit before Christmas this year. I ask him also to assess whether any additional resources are needed by the police officers at that police station and to allocate the appropriate dollars in the next budget to complete the necessary work, and put a time frame in place to complete the capital works on the Five Dock police station. The adoption of this process will go a long way to assist in housing our expanding police numbers in the electorate of Drummoyne. I will be calling on my local community to support the building upgrade of Five Dock police station, and I thank all the residents who have discussed policing matters in the local area with me at our mobile offices, street stalls, and inquiries to my electorate office. In late 2003, to implement high-visibility policing, a bike unit was put in full operation, which received positive feedback from the business community and local residents.

The local area command has recently introduced a highly visible pro-active policing strategy within the local area. That strategy has resulted in productivity increasing by 50 per cent. Results of the strategy have been significant, with decreases in all key crime categories. Operations Selby and Tara have resulted in 40 people being arrested for charges that included malicious wounding, drug possession, drug supply, street offences and stealing.

I regularly see our local police talking to business owners in the street. The police officers regularly undertake risk assessments of various areas, making recommendations to shop owners and residents on how to improve security. We also have the opportunity to take part in the Police Accountability Community Team [PACT], which is a forum for the community to express its views about police visibility and deployment and crime generally. It also enables communities to hold local police commanders accountable for crime reduction. PACTs were announced by the Minister for Police in February 2002 after a trial. Deputy Commissioner Madden approved the statewide implementation of PACTs.

The aim of PACTs is to make local area commanders accountable to their local communities for reducing crime and the fear of crime. I have enjoyed participating in PACT meetings. We are fortunate to have good local police and a local area commander who is well trained and who has extensive skills. We can see the benefits in reduced crime in the electorate of Drummoyne. I look forward to working with the Minister for Police and his staff. I thank them for the interactions thus far on this matter. It is important for my community and the local area commander that Five Dock police station be upgraded to give the resources to our police officers that they need to keep our community safe.

CARAVAN REGISTRATION CHARGES

Mr ANDREW FRASER (Coffs Harbour) [4.30 p.m.]: I raise an issue with regard to registration of caravans in New South Wales. Watson's Caravans is a business in Coffs Harbour—I think it also has offices in Port Macquarie and perhaps Taree—that employs a lot of people. It is probably one of the greatest small businesses in regional and rural New South Wales. But it has a problem. As a caravan wholesaler and retailer it sells to many people who travel up and down the North Coast, many of them from interstate. During the winter months many are from Victoria. The company makes a quality product and these people buy the caravans on the lot and then during the summer break return where they come from and then come back during the next winter. People who buy the caravans either register them in New South Wales at a cost of $1,300, when they can do it for about $50 or $60 in Victoria, or get a permit to drive the caravan interstate. But the Government is so penny pinching that it will provide a permit for only one day, or perhaps two days if pushed. So on the $16 permit people must get from Coffs Harbour to Bendigo, Ballarat or somewhere else in Victoria.

That is one of the most dangerous things that the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] has ever done. The RTA heavily promotes the Stop, Revive and Survive program, urging people to stop every two hours. Yet it insists that people who buy caravans in the Coffs Harbour area have to take them back to Victoria within 48 hours. I suggest that it is physically impossible for elderly people to do so. Many of the people who buy the caravans are retired people who come to the North Coast to enjoy the wonderful climate during the winter months. I implore the Government to allow these people to get a 28-day minimum permit. Alternatively, why does the Government not reduce registration costs so that the vans can be registered in New South Wales at a similar cost to those applying in Victoria and Queensland? The Motor Traders Association wrote to the Hon. Michael Egan, stating:

So not only do they have a $1,300 impost on registration; they also have a $1,200 impost on stamp duty. The letter continues:

Not only do we lose the business but we force these people, if they do purchase in New South Wales, to drive in a way that is against all the recommendations put forward by the Minister for Roads and the RTA with regard to safe driving over long distances. This is a real problem. It could cost lives and is costing income to New South Wales because, as the MTA rightly identified, almost everyone has a relative in Victoria or Queensland. People will register the vans there. Fixing this double-bunger problem would help to support small business in regional New South Wales.

TWEED ELECTORATE SLIPRAILS FIRE

Mr NEVILLE NEWELL (Tweed—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.35 p.m.]: I refer to the wonderful work done by emergency services in the past week in the electorate of Tweed. Most honourable members would be aware of the natural disaster that has been declared on the North Coast in the Coffs Harbour area. However, the rainfall and storms were not as severe to the north. The dry condition previously resulted in a fire that has been referred to in media reports as the Sliprails fire because it originated on the corner of Sliprails Road and Clothiers Creek Road. The original call was to a grass fire at 4.15 p.m. on 13 October. Cudgen and Tweed Coast brigade units were dispatched and their four tankers arrived on the scene at 4.30 p.m. A quick assessment was made and the captain of Cudgen brigade, Mark Eglington, immediately requested further back-up from Dave Cook, the incident controller, as properties were threatened by the erratic behaviour of the fire and the fact that it was moving quickly uphill.

Four tankers responded from Burringbar and Murwillumbah. New South Wales Fire Brigades pumper 347 from Kingscliff also responded. The crews immediately went into property protection, saving a nursery and dwellings. Deputy Group Captain Ray Hart assumed command of the field crews and investigated possible containment strategies to minimise the burnt area. The containment strategy was to try to hold the fire at the top of the hill during the evening and to construct a containment line at the bottom of the hill in case it could not be held with the predicted extreme conditions for the following days. The changeovers of the crews were organised just after midnight and the strategies were continued until morning. At 10.30 Thursday morning the fire responded to a sudden increase in temperature and wind speed and a drop in humidity. The bush being so tinder dry from the current drought, started a significant wildfire that approached the town. This fire breeched containment lines, even jumping roads.

Again the focus was on property protection as the fire was heading towards numerous rural dwellings and the towns of Bogangar or Cabarita Beach and Hastings Point. All available Tweed crews were dispatched to assist, with back-up crews who had been on standby from Ballina, Byron and Lismore responding. It is a credit to the fire officers concerned that no property was lost to fire. They virtually went in to the properties concerned and faced the wildfire head-on as it tried to consume the dwellings. Particular congratulations must go to Captain Reg McKeever of Tweed Coast, Captain Mark Eglington of Cudgen, Frank Zambelli of Burringbar and Group Captain Rex Kemp of Far North Coast zone, who certainly drew on their training skills in the face of adversity. Those officers successfully defended, co-ordinated crews and performed to a level far beyond what could reasonably be expected.

Four helicopters were dispatched to assist and task forces from the Clarence Valley and the mid North Coast were also deployed to assist. New South Wales Fire Brigades also provided a task force. There was much concern for the villages of Bogangar and Cabarita Beach. The Rural Fire Service and Tweed Council had successfully completed an asset protection zone behind the houses in Cabarita. That allowed some protection for the dwellings but, more importantly, it allowed a focal point for the operation. Containment strategies were then instigated successfully and the fire was declared contained on Saturday afternoon. The area burnt was approximately 375 hectares. On Thursday night at about 6.30 a second fire erupted at Jones Road on the Tweed and Byron shire boundaries. Byron and Ballina crews were diverted to this fire as well as those from Burringbar, Uki, Kunghur and the task forces from the mid North Coast and the Clarence Valley.

By Monday morning the fire had the potential to threaten the town of Ocean Shores and New South Wales Fire Brigades was called in to assist. The principal of Ocean Shores Public School, who was concerned about smoke and ember attack and the children's welfare, recommended that they go home. It should be noted that, contrary to some press reports, they were not evacuated. On Friday, the Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service [RFS] approved a section 44 emergency declaration and appointed the team manager for the Far North Coast, Dave Cook, as incident controller for all firefighting operations in the Tweed and Byron local government areas. This fire was successfully contained, again with no property loss. Heavy rain early on Monday morning all but extinguished the fires, leading to the revocation of the emergency declaration at midday on Monday. The second fire burnt nearly 300 hectares.

On Tuesday the RFS put the hoses away and then assisted the State Emergency Service [SES] in dealing with storm damage. The SES should also be congratulated for its logistical support throughout the fires. In particular, the Murwillumbah unit controller, Wendy Kenny, and member Don Cowan, deserve recognition for their contributions above and beyond the call of duty. RFS volunteer operations support officer Mark Cowan also deserves recognition for the dedicated support and local knowledge he provided to the incident management team.

Extensive resources were utilized. The Tweed coast provided two tankers; Cudgen, two; Murwillumbah, two; Bilambil, two; Chillingham, one; Tyalgum, one; Burringbar, three; and Kunghur, one. Four command vehicles and two bulk water vehicles were also supplied. The North Coast zone provided five tankers. Lismore-Kyogle, the Mid North Coast and the Clarence Valley also supplied vehicles. The National Parks and Wildlife Service provided two tankers and New South Wales Fire Brigades provided five units. It was an extensive operation and I congratulate all those involved, including the Salvation Army, which provided the catering unit.

Mr KERRY HICKEY (Cessnock—Minister for Mineral Resources) [4.40 p.m.]: The honourable member for Tweed obviously holds the Rural Fire Service [RFS] in high esteem. Honourable members on this side of the House acknowledge the support that the Government has offered to the service. The RFS in my electorate does much the same great work. Last weekend the captain of the Singleton brigade had a heart attack and died while attending a fire. I extend my condolences to his family. Honourable members should compare this Government's commitment to the RFS and its increased funding to the Coalition's record in that regard. During the time the honourable member for Tweed has been a member of this House he has regularly praised the RFS, as we all should.

GALSTON DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

Mr STEVEN PRINGLE (Hawkesbury) [4.42 p.m.]: Honourable members will be aware that the Hawkesbury is the nursery and garden capital of Australia. It is the home of the Hawkesbury Harvest and it produces a large amount of the agricultural goods required for Sydney and the rest of New South Wales. It is also home to major turf farms and some magnificent properties. I draw to the attention of honourable members Galston District Garden Club's fourteenth annual open garden weekend which was held last weekend. The event is designed to showcase the gardens of the area, to encourage tourism and to ensure that the nursery and garden industry gets a great deal of support. As part of the program, some 1,900 people visited the 10 gardens on display. One garden—the Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat garden—was featured on Bourke's Backyard. On behalf of the club I thank Don Bourke for that publicity. Over the weekend the club raised about $20,000, which will be donated to Motor Neurone Disease Association, the Leukaemia Foundation, the Cancer Council and Chemo Care.

Residents of Sydney do not need to go to the Blue Mountains to see wonderful gardens; they can simply visit the Hawkesbury gardens. I commend everyone involved in showcasing their gardens. The gardens included the Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat, Dennis and Gai Merchant's Bellevue garden, Trevor and Janet Jones' Holmes Lacey garden, Mrs Lorraine Baxter's garden at Jane Place, Jenny and Phil Gilbert's water garden in Jane Place, Lyn and Bruce Newey's magnificent rose garden, Glenroy Park, Jenny and Peter Guest's Guestlands garden at Arcadia, Bill Fleming's Elegans garden at Galston, Alan and Diane Glasgow's garden in Arcadia, and Rowland Village's Harry Dunn Garden. The many residents of Rowland Village are particularly pleased with the condition of their gardens.

It is important to mention those involved in organising the festival. Verity and John Graham have been behind the event for many years. In fact, John Graham established the Galston District Garden Club 15 years ago. I acknowledge the current president, Graham Piper; the secretary, Pam Watson; the vice-president, Barbara Barrett, and everyone else involved in this fantastic program. Over the 14 years that the event has been held $250,000 has been generated for charity. The event is also an important tourism attraction for the Hawkesbury, Hornsby and Baulkham Hills local government areas. Last weekend was a tribute to all of those involved in the organisation. The event showcased the Galston and Hawkesbury district as a first-class location. People should visit the area. I wish everyone involved in the program success in future years. There will be an even bigger and better program next year with a different range of gardens. I thank all involved for their community contribution.

Mr KERRY HICKEY (Cessnock—Minister for Mineral Resources) [4.47 p.m.]: I agree with the honourable member's comments about the contribution of garden clubs. The Cessnock electorate also has many garden clubs. I attend the Cessnock Garden Club annual awards function. It is a wonderful event designed to acknowledge the efforts of people who go above and beyond the call of community duty to raise huge amounts of money for charity. The annual Kurri Kurri Ramble is a fabulous open garden event. It is an opportunity to admire the results of the town's participation in the Tidy Towns competition. Cessnock won the friendliest town in New South Wales award. In spite of the drought the contestants in the competition have done a fabulous job in generating beauty in our communities.

TOMAREE REAL FUTURES PROGRAM

Mr JOHN BARTLETT (Port Stephens) [4.49 p.m.]: I speak about the Real Futures Program in Port Stephens. In my inaugural speech on 26 May 1999 I spent some time talking about alienated young males in our society. At the time I said that almost every high school in the State has graded classes. The lowest stream comprises almost exclusively boys who have failed in the system. These students have low self-esteem, feel isolated, lack application, are aggrieved and become frustrated, unco-operative and aggressive. I was one of those boys. It took me from the age of 11 to 13 to crack into high school; I was knocked back three times.

The Real Futures Program is having real success in addressing some of the issues facing students. I have referred previously to the Machismo Program and the success the Grahamstown Aquatic Club is enjoying at the Grahamstown dam. The other day I heard a lovely story about one of the young lads working on murals for bus shelters in the Port Stephens area as part of the Machismo Program. He had had a hard six months. He argued with his parents and the school and was suspended. He finally went feral and lived in the bush outside Port Stephens. The lad has turned out to be a real success story: as a result of his mural work under the Machismo program he is now doing a spray-painting apprenticeship.

The aim of the Rural Futures Program, which is run by a committee of which I am chairman, is to ensure that all year 10 students go on to further education, or find full-time employment or training. Last year only two students out of 237 in year 10 did not go on to further education or TAFE training, or find full-time or casual employment. A further aim of the program is that year 10 students finish the year equipped with the skills required for employment and a good understanding of their career options, and that they have the motivation to seek full-time employment or training.

Program activities currently in place include charter signing, work experience, industry visits and displays, choices workshops, and an early identification program of at-risk students and intervention, which I will now deal with. At Tomaree High School, 25 students in years 9 and 10 were identified as being at risk and subsequently undertook the program. We did not think the students would survive year 9 or year 10, yet we got them to go on to year 11. Those students are now nearing the end of year 11. Only one of the 25 students identified as being at risk is facing an N award in one subject at the end of year 11.

The students are basically happy at school. Their choice of subjects in the Higher School Certificate may not be as academic as the choice available to other students, but there is now enough scope in the Higher School Certificate for such students to achieve skills that in the past they would not have had the opportunity to achieve. Through the program the students' self-esteem has improved, they are achieving success, they are getting through school, and hopefully they will finish school with a good idea of their direction for the future.

The program has become so successful we have decided to incorporate it into a body that we have yet to name. That body will also deal with vocational education and training, under which some 280 students in the Tomaree area have now secured employment; the Beacon Foundation No-dole Program, which is part of the Rural Futures Program; police youth programs; and domestic violence. The body may also include an "upsadaisy" committee, which will assist the two to four students who do not achieve at school and eventually leave school. I look forward to reporting further to the House about the success of the program.

Mr KERRY HICKEY (Cessnock—Minister for Mineral Resources) [4.54 p.m.]: The honourable member for Port Stephens has spoken about the Rural Futures Program, which assists young people in rural communities. Addressing student issues in rural communities is a problem. In my electorate, the Cessnock District Learning Centre program, which is run by the Cessnock Police and Community Youth Club, is going a long way to addressing problems with young teenagers who have gone a bit askew at school and have reached the stage where they think education is not very important. Programs that identify at-risk students, in which one-to-one guidance is provided by community leaders, are having a major impact on rural communities. Such programs improve young people's self-esteem, improve family relationships, and address the issues that cause communities to fall apart. In my view, communities fall apart because we put materialism above everything else. I consider that to be a major problem in all areas.

Under programs such as the one operated by the Northumberland Network Centre at Cessnock, young families gain great benefit from the funding the Government provides for family care. I am pleased that the honourable member for Port Stephens has raised that issue today, because it makes us think about the problems that are occurring with our youth. The major issues regarding our youth are unemployment and drug use, and these programs go a long way to addressing them. I congratulate the honourable member for Port Stephens on raising this important issue.

ABBOTSLEIGH AND RAVENSWOOD SCHOOLS

Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [4.56 p.m.]: I wish to raise an issue regarding education. As I have said on other occasions, the community I have the pleasure of representing strongly supports the concept of choice in education. They do not get caught up in an ideological debate about where education resources should be directed; rather they focus on outcomes . They understand that there will always be a public education system, but they also understand that every taxpayer in this country contributes to revenue and is therefore entitled to a contribution for the education of their children.

In my electorate of Ku-ring-gai, as well as in other parts of Sydney and New South Wales, there is a focus on the outcomes of our schools rather than on ideology when it comes to a debate about education. Two-thirds of primary school students in the Ku-ring-gai electorate are educated in public schools, but when it comes to the high school years two-thirds of our young people are educated in private schools. Ku-ring-gai has within it fine public and private schools. Both are good. As a result of competition between sectors both do well. I want to raise issues in connection with two of those great public schools in Ku-ring-gai. The first is Abbotsleigh, a school that is 119 years old and has had its premises on the current Ku-ring-gai site for 110 years. The second is Ravenswood at Gordon, which is 103 years old. Both schools are for girls. Abbotsleigh is part of the Anglican Church education system, and Ravenswood, having commenced as a Methodist school, is now part of the Uniting Church education system.

The headmistresses of both colleges are to retire at the end of this year, and I want to place on record my thanks to them for their efforts with the young women of Ku-ring-gai. Judith Wheeldon has been the headmistress of Abbotsleigh for the past nine years, and Lorraine Smith has been the principal of Ravenswood for the past 12 years. Both are exceptional human beings. Like most members of Parliament, I have the pleasure of attending presentation days. Indeed, we are now getting close to the school presentation season. I do not think I will ever forget one of the speeches Judith Wheeldon delivered at one presentation day. Anyone who is able to combine Christian values, the worth of education, and Sex and the City in a presentation day speech not only has a great imagination but also has a great way with words to be able to engage girls and get important messages across to them.

I cannot count on one hand the number of occasions on which I have spent the evening at Sydney Town Hall, with parents, listening to the achievements of the girls of Ravenswood on their presentation nights, and to the speeches by Lorraine Smith and the exceptional speakers and presenters they have at those functions. Both Judith Wheeldon and Lorraine Smith have a commitment to the Christian ethic and practical Christianity that is about more than talking about one's belief in Christ and preaching Christian values; it is about doing and being seen to be doing. Both women epitomise what is best about those who lead our schools in both the public and private sectors: their focus is on their charges, the students, in this case the girls at Abbotsleigh and Ravenswood. More importantly, their focus is on not just educational outcomes but outcomes for the individual.

These are large schools and yet in both of them—having visited them and having seen both Judith Wheeldon and Lorraine Smith in action—every student is treated on an individual basis, is supported on an individual basis, and is known to the principals. Judith Wheeldon is an exceptional woman who, with her dogs, is a well-known figure across her school campus. I see more of Lorraine Smith as she ducks up to the Gordon shopping centre near my office for the odd coffee at lunchtime. Both women are leaving for a variety of reasons. I think Lorraine Smith is the fourth principal of Ravenswood and I think Judith Wheeldon is only the ninth principal of Abbotsleigh. They are extraordinary women and they will be missed. They have made significant contributions not just to their schools but also to the girls who have passed through those halls. For each of the years I have been a member of Parliament I have hosted school captains of schools such as Abbotsleigh and Ravenswood as well as the public schools in my electorate, and the girls have always been a credit to the efforts of the Judith Wheeldons and Lorraine Smiths. They will be missed, and I thank them.

HERD BARS AND BODIES

Ms NOREEN HAY (Wollongong) [5.01 p.m.]: "To supply sustainable products through innovative environmental, economical and technological advances whilst promoting employee development and exceeding customer expectations" is the mission statement of a business, the Herd Group, that, with State Government support, relocated from Sydney to Kemblawarra in my electorate of Wollongong. An investment of in excess of $5 million, and the personal involvement of the New South Wales Premier, resulted in the company relocating its manufacturing base and head office to Kemblawarra two years ago. This relatively new facility comprises 8,000 square metres of undercover manufacturing area with four production lines, a fully heated 26-metre length paint spray booth, computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, and full plasma metal cutting machinery.

I recently visited the Herd Group compound to congratulate the company on yet another employment milestone since its establishment in Wollongong just two short years ago. This month Herd reached its target of 109 employees. Members would appreciate what a great achievement that is in an area such as my electorate that has unemployment difficulties. The company has established an enviable reputation for specialist vehicle bodywork, supplying government organisations such as the Police Force, the Rural Fire Service, and municipal requirements in Australia and overseas. Herd saw a niche market and conducted extensive research and development programs, which resulted in a major part of the company's business today being the design and manufacture of special-bodied vehicles for the security industry and police forces as well as the unique demands of the Department of Corrective Services and private security companies across the country.

Herd Bars and Bodies has considerable experience in providing vehicle bodywork applications for the very specific needs of the Rural Fire Service and the Country Fire Authority. The company's expertise results from consultation with the various fire authorities, and the innovation of the Herd designers has resulted in vehicles with improved efficiency, aligned with higher safety levels for fire crews. In June 2003 Herd Bars and Bodies was awarded a major contract from the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services for the supply and refurbishment of both medium and large inmate escort vehicles. Valued in excess of $2.2 million in its first year, and extending through five years, the contract resulted in the additional employment of up to 50 skilled metal fabricators and bodybuilders. At this time Herd was also employing 22 apprentice employees, with a view to increasing that number with the expansion of the company.

In August 2003 Herd Bars and Bodies demonstrated its superiority in its field and won a further multi million dollar New South Wales Government contract to supply high-tech vehicles for prisoner transport. This reinforced the fact that Wollongong had provided an excellent base for companies to expand and develop their businesses, with employees being able to enjoy all the benefits of working for a progressive, dynamic business whilst also enjoying the environment of Wollongong.

I commend the Managing Director, Mark Fawcett, for his successful business and his business ethic. Speaking with Mr Fawcett, I found that he has a refreshing attitude as an employer towards his employees and their future. Mr Fawcett indicated to me that the decision to relocate had not only proven its value but had also brought the group to a new and highly-motivated work force with whom they can grow. Herd employs young local people, and in attending its premises recently I got to speak to some of those young apprentices. I am happy to say that this organisation has employed some mature apprentices and is currently talking with TAFE about designing a course in Wollongong that could be specifically for the retraining and reskilling of mature, displaced workers from other areas. I congratulate this group and wish them every success. I hope they employ many more people in the electorate of Wollongong.

BROGO HALL

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega) [5.06 p.m.]: Brogo Hall is commemorating its fiftieth year since the rebuilding of the hall with a celebration ball to be held on 3 December, and I actively encourage communities throughout the Bega Valley to participate in what will be a wonderful evening. Local town halls and community halls provide a fantastic heartbeat for communities, and Brogo Hall is no exception. Imagine Brogo or any other towns throughout the Bega Valley without a hall! Bega Valley shire, which has 18 public halls throughout its local government area, has this year made available assistance to the tune of $42,000, and it is to be commended. I know that the broader community is grateful for this support.

Brogo Hall has a rich history. The original Brogo Hall, which was opened on 21 February 1928, was totally destroyed by a tragic bushfire on 25 January 1952. Following that, the hall was built near the Allsops Bridge and the present hall committee did a fantastic job of driving community functions such as the Biggest Morning Tea, which was organised by Trish Pearce, who also happens to be the youngest member of the committee and is also responsible for starting a play centre for young mothers and children. Other members of the committee include Mr Tim Lucas, who is the president, Mr Alan Pearce, who is the vice president, the secretary, Mr Keith Evans, and the treasurer, Mrs Lena Pearce. Other committee members are Mrs Pam Lucas, Mrs Isabel Bobin, Mrs Margaret Blair, Mrs Val Evans, and Mr John and Mrs Linda Martin. They do a fantastic job with the hall and they are to be commended for organising what will be a magnificent event, one that I will have the privilege of not only attending but also opening.

As I said, the hall is rich in history. It was opened by the then local member, Mr H. J. Bate. A Queen competition was held to raise funds to build the hall and at a meeting held at Mumbulla Public School on 2 May 1927 a number of young ladies were selected as Queen candidates. Many dances were held at local residences throughout the district and on 30 June at Quaama Miss Rita Sproates was crowned Queen. More than �460 was raised by this effort and at the time of the bushfire in 1952 not one penny was owing on the hall. This hall has provided a wonderful outlet to local residents throughout the Brogo area and beyond, and it has made a significant contribution to the social fabric of the area.

The committee has done a wonderful job in organising the activities that take place at the hall, from dancing through to the playgroups that utilise it. Brogo Hall stands as a wonderful testament to the closeness of local communities throughout regional New South Wales in particular. Such halls represent the rich heritage and tradition of many towns and provide wonderful venues for drawing together the community. Indeed, they are often the heartbeat of many communities and deserve our support. Their roles should never be understated or forgotten. I look forward to attending the commemoration of the fiftieth year of the rebuilding of Brogo hall following the disastrous fire in 1952.

HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR STRATHFIELD CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION

Ms VIRGINIA JUDGE (Strathfield) [5.11 p.m.]: I am one of the luckiest members of this Parliament today. Approximately 100,000 students attend schools in the electorate of Strathfield, an electorate I am proud to represent. It is a great responsibility to represent an area with such a mighty tradition for education, and I take that responsibility very seriously. Talent is so abundant among the local young people in Strathfield that I decided to publicly celebrate the achievements of the young students by introducing the Strathfield community Christmas card competition. I wrote to local public and private schools and invited year 3 students to create a design for my 2004 Christmas card. I was delighted with the refreshing and insightful entries that students submitted to my office.

It was charming to see that students viewed Christmas as being not about presents but as a time of peace and a reason for harmony across this fantastic planet of ours. I believe that the imagination of a child can actually unite a community. I received entries from Croydon Public School, Croydon Park Public School, Enfield Public School, Presbyterian Ladies College, Santa Sabina College, Strathfield South Public School and Summer Hill Public School—all excellent schools that provide our young people with wonderful educational opportunities. The standard of the artwork received was absolutely outstanding. In early October I held a function at Westfield Shopping Centre, Burwood, to celebrate the entries in a public display and evening.

The judging evening, on Thursday 7 October, was a complete success and attracted late night shoppers and passers-by from all reaches of the area. I thank the great judges, who donated their Thursday evening to the excellent cause of local youth creativity. They were Superintendent Catherine Burn of the Burwood Local Area Command, who is doing a wonderful job in a particularly demanding job; Mr Doug Sutherland, President of the Burwood Chamber of Commerce, and former Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, who is doing a sterling job with the local chamber of commerce; and Mr Hassan Moussa, President of the Croydon Park Chamber of Commerce, who has been instrumental in establishing a fantastic main-street program where small businesses operate. These fine representatives of our local police and business communities carried out their duties as judges with sensitivity and taste, and I wish to thank them for their time and dedication. I am glad I did not have the difficult task of judging the entries!

It is my pleasure to be able to announce the winner and runners-up in my 2004 inaugural Strathfield community Christmas card competition. The winner was an extremely gifted year 3 student at Enfield Public School. I congratulate this young boy, whose artwork will adorn my 2004 Christmas cards. He will no doubt flourish further in his artistic abilities as he grows. I would love to mention his name but I thought it might not be appropriate because of privacy issues. However, he is a wonderful young student in year 3 at Enfield Public School. The judges were extremely impressed by his use of colour as well as his grasp of Christmas-related themes. He communicated an inclusive and warm Christmas message through his artwork that will most certainly touch the recipients of the Christmas cards, which I will hopefully organise very soon.

In addition to his special certificate, the winner will have his design spun into a wonderful rug by Designer Rugs of Leichhardt. The owner of that business is going to give the rug to the family, which is a wonderful gift and symbol of his work. I thank Yoshi Tahl of Designer Rugs for his kind donation of the rug to the family of the winning student. Enfield Public School will also receive $100 in appreciation of this young student's fantastic achievement. The runners up were from Croydon Public School, Croydon Park Public School, Presbyterian Ladies College, Santa Sabina College, Strathfield South Public School, and Summer Hill Public School. Each of the seven runners-up will receive a box of watercolour pencils and a parliamentary memento, as well as special certificates.

I am planning to visit the schools of all participants in the next few months to present all students who entered with special certificates marking their contribution to the competition. I thank the judges, schools, students, teachers and parents who made this competition possible, as well as Westfield at Burwood, my electorate office staff, and volunteers who set up and pinned up the many entries. I hope that in 2005 the competition will generate even more interest from local schools and will provide the opportunity to celebrate even more young flourishing local talent that is just so abundant in the youth in the seat of Strathfield.

MR NICK WILLEY MESOTHELIOMA RESEARCH FUNDING

Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Burrinjuck) [5.16 p.m.]: Over the past few weeks, following the release of the Jackson report, the Premier has been very vocal about the situation of asbestos victims. Last month barely a day went by when the Premier was not fulminating about James Hardie Industries and posturing himself as the champion of asbestos victims. In his public statements the Premier frequently used the phrase "fair dinkum". In the Daily Telegraph of 30 September the Premier said:

For a while it was "fair dinkum" this and "fair dinkum" that from the Premier in relation to asbestos victims. But today I would like to talk about how fair dinkum the Carr Labor Government really is when it comes to supporting victims of asbestos poisoning and assisting attempts to fund-raise for asbestos research.

Ms Noreen Hay: Point of order: Members normally make private members' statements about issues relating to their electorates; they do not normally attack the Premier of New South Wales. I ask you to bring the honourable member back to the leave of the debate.

Madam ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Marie Andrews): Order! I remind the honourable member for Burrinjuck that a private member's statements should be used to draw the attention of the House to events that occur within the member's electorate.

Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON: I was about to do so. Mr Gerald David Willey was an apprentice painter in the 1960s and during that time that he was exposed to asbestos. In later years Gerry Willey pursued a career in local government and for many years was town planner for Yass Shire Council. His wife, Carol, was a teacher at a local primary school and I attended the Yass school with his children. Mr Willey was diagnosed with mesothelioma in early 2001 and passed away some nine months later, more than 40 years after his only known exposure to asbestos. His grand-daughter, Alice Willey, was born only three weeks before he died.

Although Mr Willey's death was a very sad and devastating event for his family and friends, it galvanised one of his sons, Nick, to do something positive to raise funds for mesothelioma research. Mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive and unforgiving disease, and is almost always fatal. I note that just this week a new drug has become available that will ease the pain for mesothelioma sufferers, but there remains no cure. This highlights the need for more intensive research—research that is very costly and relies significantly on charity fundraising.

Nick is a passionate skier and has his sights set on breaking the Guinness Book of World Records downhill endurance skiing world record of 168 hours. His aim is to use this record attempt to raise $500,000 for the Asbestos Research Group to conduct much-needed research into this killer disease. As part of his preparation for this record attempt in 2005, Nick proposes to roller ski between Parliament House in Canberra and Darling Harbour. His fundraising trip will culminate with his arrival in Sydney when the Governor of New South Wales will welcome him during the official launch of Asbestos Awareness Week on 18 November 2004.

Nick Willey has obtained special approval from the special events co-ordinator of the Australian Capital Territory Road Transport Authority to use the Australian Capital Territory road system to head north to Sydney. He has a support team of four vehicles and 12 personnel to ensure safety considerations are addressed and that other road users are aware of his presence and will, therefore, have minimal inconvenience. This appears to be a well-planned, safety conscious, and very worthwhile fundraising event.

I draw the attention of the House to the fact that Australia has uniform road rules, which are enshrined in State and Territory legislation. The Australian Capital Territory is amenable to Nick's very worthwhile fundraising event. However, the attitude of the Carr Labor Government is completely at odds with the Premier's posturing about support for asbestos victims. The Minister for Roads has been approached to give approval for the New South Wales leg of this trip. The Minister stated that roller skis are considered to be a wheeled toy and his response to Nick Willey was a flat refusal. The Australian Defence Forces use roller skis in their training so I have some concerns about the definition of "toy".

However, putting aside that issue, I made representations to the Minister for Roads on behalf of Nick. I pointed out one aspect of the Minister's own legislation about which he appeared to be ignorant. Section 72 of the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 provides for the Roads and Traffic Authority to create regulations to exempt a person from the road rules. What was the Minister's answer? No such regulation currently exists! That begs the question: Why can neither the Minister nor his department bestir themselves to create the necessary regulation? This could easily be gazetted within a week, given a bit of effort.

Nick Willey is not asking the Minister to set a dangerous precedent. Just last year the Australian actor Samuel Johnson rode a unicycle between Sydney and Melbourne to raise funds for the charity Canteen. In the early 1980s Naomi Wollstonecroft rode a cow from Yass to Canberra along the Hume Highway, before Yass was bypassed, to raise funds for charity. The Australian road rules were designed to maximise safety for road users. The section the Minister is quoting was designed to stop young kids from dicing with death on public roads while wearing rollerblades. It was never intended to stop safe, well-planned charity fundraising events. The Minister must act to ensure that this charity event can go ahead, and I call on him to show some compassion and allow this charity fundraising event to proceed. [Time expired.]

PORT MACQUARIE ELECTORATE COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Mr ROBERT OAKESHOTT (Port Macquarie) [5.21 p.m.]: Port Macquarie Community College and Taree Community College in the Port Macquarie electorate provide a significant range of education services and courses to many people in the local area. Both community colleges have written to me expressing concern about cuts in the 2004-05 State budget for the adult and community education sector. Funding has been cut from $22,261,000 last year to $18,436,000 this year, which represents an overall cut of 16 per cent and a decrease in funding relative to both the Department of Education and Training and TAFE. These community colleges are concerned that they have had to put a squeeze on the delivery of courses. I am sure honourable members do not want to see that happen when it means that people cannot access a certain level of education on the mid North Coast.

The mid North Coast is recognised as being a region that is high on the list of impoverished areas in the State, and as having the largest number of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, per head of capita, entering any kind of tertiary education. For many in our community the local community college is their only access to quality adult education and training. For example, TAFE is not an option for many regional learners, and our community colleges offer an educational alternative for those seeking both accredited and non-accredited education opportunities in a personal learning environment and a professional environment that meets the needs of individuals.

Both community colleges have written to me expressing concern about these reductions in State Government funding, which have caused community organisations a great deal of unease. As community-based non-profit organisations, Taree Community College and Port Macquarie Community College have been servicing the local area for the past 25 years. In that time they have provided significant training and education opportunities, and through the many projects with which they are involved they have created a valuable learning environment in the Taree, Manning Valley, Port Macquarie and Hastings areas. Although they have achieved great things in the community, their overheads continue to increase, as always.

Like other small businesses on the mid North Coast and in New South Wales, they are directly affected by rising wage costs, legislative compliance issues and an increase in business compliance costs. They have survived to date despite limited government support, without a consumer price index increase for the past six years and without a substantial increase in funding since 1996. They know they are good managers—many in the local community can vouch for that—and that they provide valuable community services. Likewise, many in the community can vouch for that. While they do not expect to be fully funded by government, in an area such as the mid North Coast and in an area such as adult and community education it is fair to expect the Government to support education in country areas and to recognise the substantial contribution being made by non-profit and volunteer associations to the local economy.

Philosophically, community colleges exist to provide services to disadvantaged groups in our community, which they do. As I said, it is widely recognised and acknowledged that the mid North Coast is one of the poorest and most economically disadvantaged regions in the State. This latest funding debacle is yet another example of the Government's apparent disregard for the human aspect of budget cuts. People in our region are hurting, and it seems that no-one within the government ranks is listening. So the Government is taking money from people who are already worse off to the point of even denying communities such as Port Macquarie the opportunity to help itself. I ask the Minister for Education and Training, the Premier and the Treasurer to consider, in next year's budget negotiations, the impacts they have placed on not only the adult and community education sector but also the education sector in general with the real cuts they have placed on the sector in this year's budget. The Premier always says that he is the education Premier. This Government always lauds its education credentials. Let us see it happen in real dollar terms.

BELMONT GOLF CLUB LTD DEVELOPMENT

Mr PAUL CRITTENDEN (Wyong) [5.26 p.m.]: On 19 July 2004 I spoke with the Director-General of the Department of Gaming and Racing, Ken Brown, about Belmont Golf Club. Mr Brown undertook to have a senior officer get back to me. At 2.10 p.m. on that day the Deputy Director-General, Darryl Lowenthal, informed me that he was aware of the Belmont Golf Club issue and departmental officers would attend the 20 July meeting of Belmont Golf Club members. A meeting was arranged with Mr Lowenthal for 19 August. I understood that the contract between Belmont Golf Club and Terrace Tower would have been analysed in respect of compliance with the Section 41J amendments prior to this meeting. Unfortunately, this was not the case. However, a document that I was advised was the contract was passed by officer Peter Freeman to the Department of Gaming and Racing legal officer at that 19 August meeting. I step back in time to 23 July. With respect to Belmont Golf Club, in the Newcastle Herald a spokesman for the Minister for Gaming and Racing was quoted as saying:

The journalist who wrote the story, Damon Cronshaw, is reputable. Notwithstanding the tabloid nature of the Newcastle Herald these days, I am at a loss to understand how the Minister's spokesperson could make this unequivocal claim, because the department's legal officer did not get the contract until four weeks later, on 19 August. At the meeting on 20 July 2004 club members were informed that a contract with Terrace Tower had been signed on 19 July 2004. Two officials from the Department of Gaming and Racing were present to hear this. The department knew that the contracts had been signed a month before its legal officers saw the contract but allowed the Minister's office to endorse the status quo. The Minister's spokesperson was also quoted as saying:

The Department is still monitoring the situation to ensure compliance with the legislation. The Department has not sanctioned or made formal comment on the matter.

On 23 September I personally handed the Minister for Gaming and Racing a copy of the annual report of Belmont Golf Club Ltd and asked him when he would advise me of the legal status of the aforesaid contract. The Minister's reply to me was, "I don't do the investigating." His office has previously sought to comment on this, and more than three months have elapsed since I raised this issue with the department. Departmental officers should have reviewed the contract by now and, if necessary, got outside experts. If this matter is too complex for the gaming and racing bureaucracy why has not the Cabinet Office intervened or, for that matter, Treasury, where so much policy initiative is generated in relation to so many portfolios? Are they aware of this controversial issue and the full range of financial, legal and political ramifications involved in sensitive coastal development?

This Parliament is worse than useless if it legislates, as it did in respect of the section 41J amendments, and then the Minister with responsibility for the relevant Act cannot or will not determine whether there has been a breach of the legislation within a reasonable timeframe and after a matter is brought to his or her attention. I remind the Minister that in his second reading speech of 14 November 2003 in regard to the section 41J amendments he stated:

… an alarming trend where it appears that private entrepreneurs have sought to gain control over a club's management and operations. In doing so, they have obtained significant financial benefits and in some cases ownership of the club's assets.

I call on the Minister to adduce evidence that this is not the case at Belmont Golf Club. I call on the Minister to come into this Chamber and give at least an interim report about the position of Belmont Golf Club Ltd vis-a-vis the section 41J amendments that he sponsored in this place. I call on the Minister to meet his obligations and report on the contents and legality of the contractual arrangements between Belmont Golf Club Ltd and any other entity in respect of Belmont Golf Club's real property. Tonight is the fourth occasion on which I have raised the matter of Belmont Golf Club in this House, and the members representing the electorates of Charlestown and Swansea also raised it on 16 September.

I do not mind that the Minister does not smoke; I do not mind that the Minister does not like alcohol; I do not mind that the Minister does not appreciate sport, but Belmont Golf Club is a sporting venue that traditionally has been accessible to all people in the community, no matter what their means. The present championship golf course was built by volunteers following a Crown grant 52 years ago for community use. That is why the Minister for Gaming and Racing must do his job and advise the House whether there have been any breaches of the Registered Clubs Act. And if not, why not?. It is a matter of public record that Terrace Tower contributes to the Australian Labor Party and to the Liberal Party. We all know developers only provide donations to political parties in order to promote the democratic process. They have altruistic motives, as I presume does the Minister for Gaming and Racing. I am amazed that no Liberal Party members have raised questions about this matter.

Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance—Minister for Gaming and Racing) [5.31 p.m.]: I am disappointed by what has been said by the honourable member for Wyong in his private member's statement. I was not advised that he was going to make this speech today, and I would have appreciated receiving that advice. The department has been conducting the inquiry referred to. It has not reported yet, and I cannot reflect on it at the moment. However, I have arranged with the department to reply to the issues raised by the honourable member, and that will be done. I assure the honourable member for Wyong and all honourable members that we are working on a clubs policy in conjunction with the club task force. The issues raised here are issues currently before the club task force, which is determining policy. I would have appreciated some notice, but that is the way it goes in politics. I assure the honourable member that he will receive a reply.

METROPOLITAN WATER PLAN

Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast) [5.33 p.m.]: This week the Premier announced a long-awaited Sydney Metropolitan Water Plan to finally provide some answers to Sydney's current water crisis. There were high expectations throughout the city that the Premier would introduce an innovative water plan with an emphasis on demand management, recycling and reuse options rather than simply supply solutions. Part of the plan involves some innovative and long-term solutions, but clearly the Premier's solutions to the problem are to build bigger and better pipelines to enable increased amounts of water to be taken from the Shoalhaven River system. Of the $780 million water plan, $680 million will be spent increasing the capacity of Sydney Water to siphon water from the Shoalhaven River system.

Yesterday in this House the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, and today the Minister for Energy and Utilities indicated that the plan had been well received and noted that it had received endorsement from the mayor of Shoalhaven, Greg Watson. It appears the mayor has applauded Labor's plan for the Shoalhaven River following private meetings with the Ministers and the honourable member for Kiama. I express my concern about this plan and its potential to affect the environmental flow of the Shoalhaven River. I am not alone in my stance, and residents, experts and environmentalists have raised—and no doubt will continue to raise—their voices and concerns about the plan and its potential to place further stress on the river system. Today I place on record just a sample of the comments, as time is limited, but I will continue to relay the concerns of Shoalhaven residents, who have not been consulted on these plans and who feel threatened and cheated by the actions of this Government and the actions of their own mayor. Lorraine Muirhead from Sussex Inlet said she was shocked when she found out. She stated:

Christine Edmunds from Bomaderry said they were taking too many things away from the Shoalhaven. She continued:

Tanya Easterbrook from Ulladulla said that it is wrong. She stated:

She did not think Sydney people considered those in the Shoalhaven. The editorial from the Times stated:

Mark Corrigan, a chemical engineer from Vincentia, says taking more water from the Shoalhaven River to satisfy Sydney's needs is just perpetuating an unsustainable use of their catchment. Shoalhaven City Council's natural resources and floodplain manager expressed concern a couple of times this week about the plan, saying that major river flows were essential to flush the river system to boost water quality and habitat, to maintain river banks and wetland vegetation, and to scour open tidal entrances. They are just part of the concerns the professional expert employed by the council has raised. David Jerome from Berry has dubbed the plan a disaster. He believes the Premier is only thinking of what he can do next week, rather than years ahead. That is another comment that the whole plan is shortsighted. The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales says the Government is too focused on supply solutions when demand management, recycling and reuse options do not require more water.

Finally, Charlie Weir, a local resident and a national environmental award winner for his work on the Shoalhaven River, is deeply disturbed. There is perhaps no greater expert anywhere in matters concerning the Shoalhaven River. He said yesterday and again stated on radio today that this plan will be the murder of the river. It may be too late for consultation. It seems that the Government made up its mind, conned the mayor and is simply going ahead with its plan. However, the Premier, the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Energy and Utilities and the Minister for Natural Resources should not expect to get away with this without one hell of a fight from me and the residents of the Shoalhaven. They are concerned about the beauty and the fragility of the river system they have grown to love.

GRANNY SMITH FESTIVAL

Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove) [5.38 p.m.]: On Sunday, 17 October, I had the pleasure of being a guest of honour at the Nineteenth Annual Granny Smith Festival at Ryde, which I attended with my wife, Sarah. It was a wonderful local festival for the northern region of Sydney and one that is widely recognised as one of Sydney's leading community festivals. The Lord was obviously shining on the event, as the weather was wonderful. There must have been in excess of 70,000 people for the parade, not to mention all those who came from around the northern districts throughout the day to enjoy the carnival-like and family-friendly atmosphere. The festival is named after the nineteenth century Eastwood identity Granny Smith, who was born Maria Ann Sherwood, originally harking from Sussex in England. As a young girl she was married to local farm labourer Thomas Smith, with whom, in early 1838, she immigrated to Australia. They arrived in Australia later that year.

Having worked hard and saved for nearly two decades, the Smiths bought two blocks of land—approximately 24 acres—on the edge of Field of Mars common. There by a river Maria grew a seedling. It was a mixed mutation from French crab apples grown in Tasmania. Maria passed away in 1870 and, although it had never become a commercial variety during her lifetime, her apple was cultivated by local orchardists and exhibited as "Smith's seedling" in the 1890 Castle Hill Agricultural and Horticultural Show. In the 1891 show Granny Smith's seedlings took out the prize for cooking apples.

By 1892 many growers were exhibiting "Granny Smiths", the name by which the seedling was by then commonly known. It was not until 1895, some 20 years after the death of Maria "Granny" Smith, that a Mr Albert Benson of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture named the "Granny Smith" as suitable for export and Mr Benson authorised a program of widespread production of the apple. The festival is not just a celebration of this charming and special piece of local history of my area; it is a wonderful chance for local businesses, community groups and charities to showcase themselves to the residents of the area. As I said, this year the festival attracted more than 80,000 people. The event comprised more than 300 stalls, and more than 2,000 people participated in the street parade. There were five different entertainment stages with over 50 acts and 1,000 people performing. I also pay tribute to this year's TWT Ms Eastwood Granny Smith Festival Queen, Lauren Fox, who led the parade. She is the granddaughter of Mr and Mrs Holden, who are very good and dear friends of mine in the Lane Cove electorate.

Just as Granny Smith's original seedling grew, so has the festival named in her memory. It has grown through civic-minded citizens giving a damn about their heritage and what that heritage has to offer to the local community and its residents. The result, as I have said, has become one of Sydney's biggest local events. It represents the very best mix of heritage, family and community themes. I commend the members of the Granny Smith Festival Committee 2004 for their wonderful effort: De'ann Hespe, Committee Chairperson; Derek McCarthy, Manager, City Promotions and Events, City of Ryde and the festival's event co-ordinator; John Trainor, the commentator; Cherisse Nicho from Eastwood Centre Management; Angela Bonner from The Weekly Times; John Booth from The Weekly Times, who I might add was one of the original founders of this wonderful community event, and he always does a wonderful job, together with his partner; Lydia Scuglia from Eastwood Chamber of Commerce; Sergeant Craig Thorp from Eastwood police; Graeme Craig from Ryde State Emergency Service; Craig Laybutt from Custom Audio Services; Les Watton representing the community; Mallisa Millgean from Northern District Times; Roseanne Gallo and Wayne Stafford from Eastwood Chamber of Commerce; Janeen Tesoriero from Macquarie Community College; and Adam Reid from Northern District Times.

I also particularly acknowledge the civic mindedness of the festival's sponsors: Ryde City Council, Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, Batlow Fruit Co-op, Eastwood Hotel, Macquarie Centre, Courtyard Mariott-North Ryde, and Mecu Intelligent Banking. I again pay tribute to everyone who attended the event. It was an enormous amount of hard work to put the festival together. I once again commend the Northern District Times and the Weekly Times for the magnificent effort they did in promoting this tremendous festival. I look forward to attending the festival next year with my colleague the honourable member for Epping, Andrew Tink.

WASTE WATER TREATMENT

Mr DAVID BARR (Manly) [5.43 p.m.]: I represent the electorate of Manly, which happens to be at the wrong end of 40 per cent of Sydney's toilets. I say that because we are the terminating point for the northern suburbs ocean outfall sewer, which commences in Blacktown, 46 kilometres away, and ends at Manly. Thereupon the overwhelming majority of the contents of the sewerage system ends up in the ocean. When the good residents of Blacktown have their morning constitutional it takes about 18 hours for it to reach Manly, and about 65 per cent of it ends up two kilometres out to sea. This has been going on for a long time now and it is a disgrace. Recently a company called Services Sydney applied through the National Competition Council for the right to tap into Sydney Water's system to construct a new water reclamation, treatment and storage facility.

The proposal is basically a centralised intervention scheme. It would be linked to the sewage reticulation network by new trunk main sewers at the point where the main trunk sewers connect each of the North Head, Bondi and Malabar sewage treatment plants. Water conduits would then return tertiary treated water to the base of Sydney's catchment dams to replace water otherwise needed for environmental flows. The potential benefits include avoidance of the need to construct a new dam, an increase in the water available for environmental flows and the elimination of pollution in the ocean. The National Competition Council, in a draft report, gave a tick to the proposal but it required final submissions. Sydney Water came back at the eleventh hour and asked for an extension from early this month to 5 November, which has been granted. However, in the last few days the Government has announced its own scheme, which would seem to be trying to circumvent the proposal by Services Sydney.

The proposals in the Government scheme include a pipe from the Shoalhaven River, accessing water stored at the bottom of dams, and various other bits and pieces, including some localised recycling. However, the point about the Government's plan is that there is no large-scale recycling. This is the continuing failure of the Government and of Sydney Water in this whole issue: there is no real commitment to recycling water. We are talking ever more about the importance and value of water and the need for the public to recognise the value of water. Yet here we are pumping out to sea the equivalent of 1,000 Olympic size swimming pools of water each day through the ocean outfalls. In other words, this scarce resource is not being used. We are continuing with ramshackle, band-aid, short-term fixes to the serious water crisis. It is an extension of what has happened in the past. It is analogous to the extension of the ocean outfalls to make them deep water outfalls 15 years ago when our beaches were becoming polluted.

In other words, we are not addressing this problem in the way we should be. Sydney Water, that sclerotic monopoly, is lurching on its way and it does not seem to have any long-term strategy to fix this problem. Water Plan 21 is a failure. The new proposal from the Government obviously takes over from Water Plan 21 but it is still totally inadequate as to what should be being done. We are just getting more of the same. We are getting the same kind of reactive response in the way that we have had over the last couple of decades. Both the State and Federal governments should be involved in a national strategy to deal with our national urban water crisis. I am disappointed that in the last Federal election this was not made an issue. We should have a national approach to our problems, not just in Sydney but in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide. On the driest continent on earth serious urban problems must be seen as real issues. Otherwise we will continue to lurch from crisis to crisis with stopgap measures. Shame on this Government, Sydney Water and the Federal Government.

THREATENED SPECIES CONSERVATION LEGISLATION REFORMS

Ms MARIE ANDREWS (Peats) [5.48 p.m.]: I commend the Carr Government on its current reforms of the threatened species conservation legislation. Specifically, I refer to proposed improvements to the planning system and threatened species impact assessment, in particular the ability to give biodiversity certification to environment planning instruments. The new system acknowledges that threatened species conservation is best achieved through strategic land use and landscape planning where threatened species considerations are integrated within the development of the environmental planning instrument, rather than treated subsequently as a separate step. The biodiversity certification provisions give greater certainty for applicants and councils, cut red tape and resolve the frequent tensions that arise during the assessment of development applications.

I will outline to the House some of the conflicts that have occurred in the electorate of Peats, which I am honoured to represent in this place. These conflicts revolve around industrial development and biodiversity conservation. In 1997 I was a member of the parliamentary select committee chaired by the former member for East Hills, Pat Rogan, that reviewed the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, which was landmark legislation at that time. At my invitation the select committee visited the Somersby Industrial Estate, on which prostanthera junonis grows. It is commonly known as Somersby mint bush. This native plant is listed as endangered in schedule (1) to the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and in the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. In "Seldom Seen—Rare Plants of Greater Sydney" Alan Fairley states:

Barry Conn, a botanist, has worked on prostanthera for many years. The plant, prostanthera junonis, was named after June Gay, his assistant. During the visit to the Somersby Industrial Estate in 1997 members of the select committee were briefed on the difficulties being experienced by landholders due, in particular, to the existence of the Somersby mint bush. A recovery plan for the Somersby mint bush was developed in October 2000 in accordance with the terms of both the State and Commonwealth legislation. It is one of a relatively small number of recovery plans developed in New South Wales dealing with more than 200 species and ecological communities that are listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.

The Somersby Industrial Park, which is located within the Peats electorate, contains a number of species of flora and fauna and significant cultural heritage areas. In more recent years, in a genuine effort to assist with the development of the park and to obtain a balanced outcome relating to the environmental and cultural issues, the Carr Government set up the Somersby Industrial Park task force. Arising from the establishment of that task force, a plan of management has been developed. The plan includes options available to landholders or developers that will assist in offsetting the cost of land that cannot be developed. Undoubtedly, some of the hurdles that had to be overcome in arriving at a plan of management for the estate were taken into consideration in the framing of the legislation now before the upper House.

On a positive note, the provisions of Threatened Species Legislation Amendment Bill make it easier to allow the expansion of industry and investment in regional New South Wales, including the Central Coast, while simultaneously ensuring that such development occurs in accordance with legislation that has been enacted to protect our unique environment The larger the scale of biodiversity certification of environmental planning instruments the better. The focus on conservation across the landscape will mean that whole areas will be able to be set aside for conservation rather than small fragments. That is to be applauded. It is only sensible to conduct threatened species assessment up front and then to allow developments in accordance with the certified plan to take place without ongoing dispute. Had this legislation been enacted some years ago, much of the disruption that has occurred in relation to the Somersby Industrial Estate would have been prevented. Again, it has taken a State Labor Government to address a complex and difficult issue. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Bob Debus, on adopting a commonsense and thorough approach to the complex issue of threatened species conservation.

Private members' statements noted.

The House adjourned at 5.53 p.m. until Tuesday 26 October 2004 at 2.15 p.m.
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