Debates Day 3 - Thursday 1 May 2003
Parliamentary Record 11
Debates for 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005
2003-05-01
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Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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DEBATES - Thursday 1 May 2003 Mr BALDWIN (Daly): Madam Speaker, the CLP certainly welcomes the review o f the Heritage Conservation Act, and we will be taking part in the outcomes of that when you bring it back to this House, minister. We certainly look forward to a full debate on that at a later date. I congratulate you on declaring the Catholic Church precinct and the Araluen Homestead. They deserve declaration under the act. It adds to a very, very long list of declarations for heritage conservation by the CLP over many years; in fact, a list that I was very proud of. I have raised this before with you, minister, and you have probably had a look at the list by now. I am very proud of the fact that I have probably the longest list of declarations of any minister in the history of the Northern Territory for declaring preservation of objects and places under the Heritage Conservation Act. I look forward to your catch-up on all of that. As far as the heritage grants go, it is good to see the government is finally loosening their purse strings in this area. There has been no action in the area of heritage grants since they came to government. I will take this opportunity to put in a plug for the Adelaide River Railway Precinct that you visited recently, to ensure that they get full consideration for their grant application that has been fully supported by their local member, as it should be. Members inteijecting. Madam SPEAKER: Order, there is too much calling out at the moment! Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I also welcome what the minister had to say about the review of the Heritage Conservation Act and that new heritage sites have been declared in Alice Springs. It is very important to preserve our heritage. I believe it is an essential part of the fabric o f our community that we do so. I would also like to welcome the ministers support for preserving the Larrimah to Birdum railway which still exists and has been under some threat. I have travelled on that small piece of railway line - 1 think it is 14 km of rail - and I believe it is one area of our early railway heritage that should be protected. As well, minister, there are heritage sites elsewhere. We recently played cricket on one of them, a 1942 cricket p itch-the Strauss Cricket Ground, the SCG. It is named after the Strauss Airstrip, which is one of four airstrips in the Litchfield Shire. Two of those airstrips are now being threatened by duplication of the Stuart Highway, which I believe can be avoided. I have asked the minister to come and visit those sites. I know he has possibly not had a chance to reply to that letter. It is important to have a look at those areas. I ask the minister to rethink the idea of heritage parks. Alice Springs is one of those areas which, in the days of Parks and Wildlife, declared places like the Telegraph Station as a heritage park. Minister, as Minister for Tourism, I tell you I can see great value in preserving our World War II heritage as heritage parks with a ranger or heritage officer, because there is great scope for the history of especially World War II sites in the Northern Territory to expand to tourism industry. Dr BURNS (Tourism): Madam Speaker, I welcome the contributions by both members. In relation to the member for Daly, it will be a healthy competition as to who has the longest list. I will certainly be trying hard to add to the list in an appropriate fashion. The Northern Territory does have a fantastic heritage in buildings and a whole range of things, including, as the member for Nelson points out, our wartime heritage. The past really informs us to some degree and forms the future, which is the present. I agree with the member for Nelson that tourism and heritage are very important and that is what people like to see. I am a new minister in this area and I have been endeavouring to leam. I have been trying to get out and about. I have taken a tour here of the ... Ms Carney inteijecting. Dr BURNS: Thank you, member for Araluen. I have taken a tour of the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct. It is a wonderful area and I would like to see it promoted more. Trade in Central Australia Mr HENDERSON (Business, Industry and Resource Development): Madam Speaker, today I report on the current state of trade in Central Australia. In October 2002, I launched the Martin governments international trade strategy Building Stronger Territory Trade. This strategy aims to broaden and strengthen the Territorys international trade performance, and Central Australia plays an important role in our current trade activity. An early outcome of the international trade strategy has been the identification o f our current 3938