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 because it is Crown land. So, all in all, it was a great day. Just before I wrap up on the Alice Springs sittings, I would like to quickly raise two issues that I would like to flag for, perhaps, the next sittings. One area which was close to a lot of peoples hearts in Alice Springs was container deposit legislation. Although we did not debate it, I believe it is a subject that needs debating. I would certainly like to hear a report from the government - a full report and a full debate - on why they have not gone ahead with their plans to introduce CDL. They have said that they will introduce something else and I would be interested, because CDL is CDL. You put a deposit on a container, and no matter what you call it, that is what it is, and it increases the price of the goods. That is the main reason they decided to drop it. I would like to see a fulsome debate at the next sittings of parliament on CDL. There was one other issue but I left it with the Acting Deputy Speaker up there. Mr ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Bob Moore. Mr WOOD: Bob Moore, yes. I was just going to say something about Bob Moore. I have written to the Minister for Parks and Wildlife about this issue. The point I wrote to the minister about was that I believe that Bob Moore, who is the ranger at the Howard Springs Reserve has, basically for a long time, had to single-handedly look after, not only the Howard Springs Nature Reserve, but also the shooting reserve, the new Shoal Bay Coastal Conservation Reserve, Tree Point Reserve and Malacca Swamp Reserve. He has actually become quite ill. I only found out today that he collapsed and was taken to hospital. He did see me during the week saying how he had not been well. I am a bit concerned that, perhaps, the amount of work he had to do was the cause of that. I am concerned that, even though we have, I think, 12 rangers, in the end he was doing a lot of that work on his own. I also write to the minister about the barbecues there. The barbecues were fixed, thank heavens. A members: Good one, Gerry Mr WOOD: That is quite all right. However, Bob Moore, sadly, is ill. Minister, I would like you to find out if it was a work-related problem. Finally, I would like to thank the people of Alice Springs. I have also enjoyed the stay down here. I certainly think it was a great move by the government and the Speaker to have parliament in Alice Springs. I was saying to people before, when I was on Litchfield Shire Council in the early days, we used to take our meetings around the shire. I believe that was very important. For reasons of possibly safety in that case, they decided not to do that. I try and take my table and chair around various parts of the electorate because it is important that one gets out to the people, rather than having the people always come to you. I thank the Hansard staff who are back there in hot and sweaty Darwin while we are enjoying this lovely weather in Alice Springs. I thank the Alice Springs Town Council for the hospitality it has given us, and the invitation to their meeting and the sausage sizzle. The Rotary Club of, I think, Stuart South-there are no local members h ere -a lso put on a lunch for us yesterday. It is terrific that all the schools have come. That is very important when you are trying to educate people about the importance of government. Also, I thank the staff of the convention centre and all our s ta ff -o r the Speakers s ta ff-w ho have worked so tirelessly out the front organising the children to get into the right place; selling all the souveniers; helping all those people who needed help and assistance, especially some of the elderly people who came. There were people here every day of the week, and that was pretty amazing. Finally, I would like to say thank you to everybody in Alice Springs for making it a wonderful stay, and I hope we are back once every two years, not once every term. Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned. 4009