Debates Day 3 - Thursday 19 November 2015
Parliamentary Record 24
Debates for 12th Assembly 2012 - 2016; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 12th Assembly 2012 - 2016
2015-11-19
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Debates
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DEBATES Thursday 19 November 2015 7440 Madam Speaker, again I thank the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, minister Chandler, for his support. I would be right if I said the previous ministers for Transport I think minister Styles and the Chief Minister have also had a hand in getting this service up and running. As the member for Katherine I appreciate the efforts of my ministerial colleagues in making this happen. I am extremely proud to be, as I said, a part of a government that has brought this milk run service back. It is good to see that after so many years it is flying again. Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, traditionally we define 1 December as the start of summer. If anybody was in the Barkly last week in 41 and 42 you would have had a hard time convincing Territorians summer is not already with us. With summer we see the activity at night in our regional towns across the Territory. The first part of this adjournment is another appeal to the Chief Minister for some support with youth services in Tennant Creek. The Chief Minister knows this story very well and understands it from the perspective of Alice Springs. I raise it with the Chief Minister and the important staff he has listening to this broadcast, because there was a promise, going back to February 2015. Tennant Creek was promised $525 000 to support youth services. We have realised $40 000 of that money and we thank you for that. It has been allocated to the Barkly Regional Council, which is making some repairs to the Youthlink youth services building in the Purkiss Reserve, the youth, sport and recreation reserve. I have been asking over a number of months now for the balance of those funds to be released. It is interesting to note that in October 2015 in a media release from the Chief Minister, you allocated $951 000 in funding to Alice Springs Youth & Community Care Centre Inc. I know the YMCA in Katherine has received over $500 000. Now is the time for Tennant Creek. We recently opened our new swimming pool, which complements the Purkiss Reserve sport and recreation precinct. We have a swimming pool, a Youthlinks Building, basketball courts, a gym and an AFL ground that is lit. Much of this co-funded infrastructure, for the member for Stuart, has related to previous governments which were Labor governments. We have some very good infrastructure to work with. The remaining balance of $485 000 would go a long way to support activity plans of our youth leadership group in Tennant Creek. It would go a long way to support a holiday activity program that is normally coordinated by the Aboriginal organisations and the Barkly Regional Council. We have some very dedicated officers in the Barkly Regional Council who are keen to support youth programs. We have a very generous volunteer base. That money release to the Barkly Regional Council to support the human resources to start to look at employing youth workers and to buy in youth services, particularly youth mentors, artists, dancers, performers, athletes, role models would go a long way to addressing what has already been emerging as a problem with antisocial behaviour at night on our streets in Tennant Creek. A number of business owners have challenged me recently and I said I would contact you via the opportunity in adjournment because I know your staff are monitoring these broadcasts upstairs. I have also supplied copies of your media releases, previous parliamentary Hansard transcripts and your address as we know where you live and those business people will be contacting you also to reinforce what the local member is saying. It would be great news if we could see the release of that meagre $485 000. I reiterate that it is perfect timing. This youth leadership group in Tennant Creek, in partnership with our youth officers and youth workers, could put together significant programs over the coming months, utilising that sport and recreational infrastructure precinct and getting kids active and involved, and providing meaningful activities. As the locals say, to wear them out, make them tired so they head home and go to sleep. That is an important request. Chief Minister, I have made this request numerous times now. We have not heard from you but it would be great if we did. You can forget about me and go directly to the Barkly Regional Council, the Tennant Creek youth leadership group, and those funds will enhance their ideas and support them for the oncoming summer months, which you understand are the very challenging months in our regional towns and remote communities throughout the Territory. To the Minister for Infrastructure, Hon Peter Chandler, there is another call for the Sandover Highway. My lobbying for the Sandover goes back a long way. I can compare the budget for the Sandover with a previous Labor government. However, let us move on as you are now in charge of a budget that, for all intents and purposes, you are crowing is in surplus. There are lots of cash reserves and you have an infrastructure fund. We hear about other major arterial roads and their upgrades. The Sandover Highway now needs some serious attention. I have been contacted recently by the pastoral community. Once again I provided them with your