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Other Parliamentary SpeechesThis page is dedicated to Peter's speeches during parliament that do not fall under Questions or Questions without notice. They range from debating legislation, reporting on events or issues in his seat of Southport and his Ministerial Statements.
Budget Response |
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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jun 17 2004 |
| Other Speeches >> |
Mr LAWLOR (Southport-ALP) (8.39 p.m.): The seventh budget of the Beattie government is a great one for Queensland. I am proud that the electorate of Southport will share in its benefits not only in terms of major programs but also in regard to specific initiatives that I have been seeking since my election three years ago.
One of the most important initiatives is the construction of a new police station for Southport. I campaigned for this even before I was elected in 2001.
Ms Nelson-Carr: And you got it.
Mr LAWLOR: I got it. It has been high on the agenda ever since. I do not often get things, but I get this. This government delivers on its promises. That is evident right throughout the budget papers. I thank the government and the Minister for Police and Corrective Services in particular for the announcement that a new police station costing almost $4 million will be built at Southport and be opened by January 2006.
The current station is a disgrace. It is converted courthouse. It is totally unsuited to the needs of modern policing and inadequate in every way for the 100 policemen and women and civilian staff who work in it. At my request the minister visited the station soon after her appointment to the police portfolio in February. As a result of that visit, the minister abandoned plans to refurbish the existing rundown station and to accelerate the construction of an entirely new complex.
Thanks must also go to the previous Minister for Police, Tony McGrady, who started the ball rolling in respect of this project with a commitment during the term of the last government of $2.4 billion for the upgrade of the Southport Police Station. I thank Tony for that commitment. That is the outcome I have been seeking, the police have been seeking, the community has been seeking. I thank the minister for her initiative and support. There will be short-term inconvenience while the new station is being built but I know the police and civilian personnel are more than prepared to put up with that because in 18 months time they will have a state-of-the-art, purpose-built police station which they deserve.
In hindsight, the decision of the Bjelke-Petersen government in 1983 to convert the then courthouse into a police station was a bad one. It has taken 20 years. I have only been there three years and in that short time we have secured the outcome we believe the police and community deserve. The work of the police in a growing electorate such as Southport is vital. That work is best performed in agood working environment. By any measure, the current working environment is not conducive to a high morale or performance outcome that the community deserves. That will change. I appreciate the foresight of the minister and her commissioner in making that possible. Other major initiatives include- $148,000 for the purchase of live scan fingerprinting technology at the Southport watch-house at a total cost of $236,000. This technology allows immediate processing and cross-checking on a national database to assist in identifying offenders. $135,000 for the Logan-Gold Coast Tactical Crime Squad. It was expanded in April 2003 to two separate squad each with a complement of 14 officers. The Tactical Crime Squads target known crime and hot spots with a strong emphasis on investigating property crime and drug offences.
$124,000 for a tuckshop upgrade at Southport High School-that is important; that was where I spent most of my time in the one year that I was there-and also for reflooring at Keebra Park and Southport state high schools and the Arundel and Southport state schools under the high priority maintenance program. $500,000 for improvements to the intersection of Southport-Nerang Road at Minnie Street with a total project cost of $3.72 million. $100,000 to construct an auxiliary lane on the Southport-Nerang Road with a total project cost of $601,000.
$100,000 to resurface Labrador-Carrara between Central Street and Musgrave Avenue with a total project cost of $1.85 million. $4.18m towards the cost of the Arundel Industrial Park development which will provide 33 lots for low-impact industry. $83,000 to strengthen the regional development focus of the State Development and Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast in order to increase business development activities in the regional centre with a total project of $332,000.
One hundred and nine grants totalling approximately $3.63 million to support people with disabilities and their families in the Southport electorate. This includes $1.88 million to assist adults with disabilities to maintain their living arrangements and participate in their communities; $658,000 in general funding to organisations to support individuals with a disability; and $567,000 to support school leavers with a disability making the transition to adult life that much more easy.
$2.05 million will be invested by Powerlink for reinforcement to enhance the transition system supplying the Gold Coast area with a total project cost of $57.9 million. $4.659 million for the refurbishment of public housing in the Gold Coast region. This is an important initiative because, for whatever reason, a lot of people want to come to the Gold Coast to live and public housing is in very short supply and badly needed. $500,000 for the construction of future singles accommodation with a total project cost of $4.2 million. $906,00 to the Gold Coast Community Housing Association for the community rent scheme.
$505,000 to the Gold Coast North Home Assist Secure Service. $3.044 million for the construction of 15 medium density units of public housing with a total project cost of $3.49 million.
$600,000 for the renewal of approximately 28 existing public rental houses at Molendinar. $2.67 million to the community organisations in the Southport electorate under the Home and Community Care program. This program provides support and maintenance services for people in their homes and for their carers so they can remain living in their community and avoid premature admission to residential care. $5.03 million to the Gold Coast health care service district to enhance services as well as $1.94 million to purchase essential medical equipment including a CT scanner and four operating tables. Other budget initiatives for the Gold Coast health service district include: $300,000 for the refurbishment of existing birthing facilities at the Gold Coast Hospital; $2.5 million for the new cardiac diagnostic laboratory at the Gold Coast Hospital; and $6.3 million over three years to open eight additional chairs for the Gold Coast renal service.
$201,000 in regional tourist organisation funding for the Gold Coast Tourism Bureau for various activities, including destination based marketing. $375,000 for coordination of the Gold Coast Schoolies Week Festival, which impacts on all the Gold Coast seats, to implement the state government's three-point plan for a safer and more enjoyable festival, including events management, activities, support services, volunteer coordination, safety measures and communication has been provided. $615,000 for 15 new life-saving ambulance paramedics in the Gold Coast region.
Approximately $6 million to create an estimated 1,113 jobs through the government's Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative in the Gold Coast region, including: $3.25 million through a range of apprenticeships and traineeship programs.
Ms Nelson-Carr interjected.
Mr LAWLOR: Southport has done extremely well as all electorates in Queensland have. We are very grateful for it. These are only the major programs that I am announcing. There are a lot of others. If members would like me to announce them, hang fire. As I was saying, major initiatives include $3.25 million through a range of apprenticeship and traineeship incentive programs which provide jobs in crucial, skill- shortage industries and the public sector- $2.78 million for assistance to long-term unemployed people and people at risk of long-term unemployment through a range of community employment programs.
Approximately $89.2 million will be invested in more than six million hours of the training in the Gold Coast region. This will underpin the social and economic development of the region by creating approximately 35,000 training places. Activities include $6.31 million for manufacturing industry related training in support of the manufacturing industry initiative.
Frank Street has already been mentioned by my colleague the member for Broadwater. The record 2004-05 Queensland roads budget has provided $900,000 for the $15 million project which is due for completion in 2006-07. The Gold Coast Highway needs to be four lanes along its entire length and I am pleased there was funding allocated to Frank Street in this week's state budget.
Peta-Kaye Croft and I have been examining options-and she should get a lot of the credit for this-for turning Frank Street into four lanes as part of the joint steering group which she is the chairman of. So I am pleased that the money is on the table to address the state of this road. This is essentially the first stage of the four-laning of Frank Street. The project includes widening the Gold Coast Highway from two to four lanes from Robert Street to Stevens Street, including the widening of the bridge over Loders Creek. The $900,000 in 2004-05-the period of this budget-will be followed by two lots of $7 million in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
I want to make some general comments about the budget and the context in which it has been prepared. Queensland is the fastest growing state and by virtually all yardsticks the best performing state, and that is acknowledged by what we have recently seen in the media. That happy position produces dividends for the people of Queensland, but it also presents challenges for the government as well. The budget seeks to guarantee dividends for the community through extra funding for hospitals, schools, roads, our children and concessions for first home buyers. But it does much more than deliver dividends. It lays the foundations for better managing population and economic growth, especially in the south-east corner. The initiatives in relation to urban development being spearheaded by the Deputy Premier and Treasurer could not be better timed.
But these initiatives will fall short of their target if local government and the Commonwealth do not play their part as well. My electorate is undergoing not only growth but reinvigoration through urban renewal. The role of the state in soundly managing growth is important, but it is not a state responsibility only. The Commonwealth must put more of the billions it collects from fuel tax revenue back into roads and related infrastructure. It squanders much of its record and ever-increasing fuel tax take on other areas. The task of providing public infrastructure is a burden that must be fairly shared by all levels of government. At present the burden falls unfairly on the states, especially with regard to major roads, hospitals and school education.
The third arm of government, in which I once served, must also pull its weight. Local government is at the coalface of issues relating to increasing urbanisation and high population growth, yet some local authorities continue to neglect their responsibilities by taking easy options and by determining poor priorities. The Gold Coast City Council is the second largest local authority in Australia. It remains too consumed by politics, personalities and pettiness to the disadvantage of the ratepayers and citizens.
The Treasurer through urban growth management initiatives will drag local government to greater accountability and responsibility for managing growth and developing community facilities. The sooner that happens the better.
This budget has been framed around making a real difference to people's everyday lives as well s delivering long overdue infrastructure and services to the people of Southport. I commend the Treasurer and his staff on the preparation of the budget, and I also commend the budget to the House.
Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 12:00 AM
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