Hansard: State Budget Reply speech, Davies
Author: Mia Davies
Published on: 30-June-2010
HON MIA DAVIES (Agricultural) [3.00 pm]: I would like to focus on a number of initiatives in the budget and reflect on the first year that I have served as a member representing the Agricultural Region. It has been a most enjoyable year representing the people who live in this region. From Kalbarri to Bremer Bay and out to Westonia, there has been no shortage of issues for me to get my teeth stuck into. I have had the privilege of meeting a vast range of individuals and groups, all of whom in their own way are trying to make a difference in their community. They have on occasion brought to my attention individuals who have reached the end of their tether. Having exhausted their options, they are seeking assistance. To be able to assist these people has been one of the most satisfying parts of this role, and I am sure that all members have found that to be true. I would like to reflect on that after I have spoken about my first year in Parliament. I have travelled a great deal since May last year. I know the inside of my car very well and I am getting to know my electorate and the people in it very well too. I have made a great effort to get to as many communities as possible in my electorate and, in particular, I have made a great effort to meet as many local governments within my electorate as possible.
With the issues of local government reform and the country local government fund, some lively discussions have taken place among shire councils. I take the opportunity at this point to put on the record that the National Party has made it clear that it does not support forced amalgamations. Much of the debate or criticism surrounding this issue has been directed towards local governments in my electorate. There are a large number of communities in my electorate, each with its own identity and history. They are fiercely proud of both these elements and of their ability to deliver good outcomes for their ratepayers. All those with whom I have spoken maintain that they can work together with their neighbours to achieve efficiencies.
Most of them are already doing this, to some degree. Everyone I have spoken to has said they are committed to collaborating on a regional basis. The country local government fund, which is part of royalties for regions, is designed to facilitate local governments to do just that. It provides a framework for regional collaboration while allowing individual councils to maintain their local identity. Members will note that there is an individual component of funding delivered directly to councils and that in the out years there is a regional component. The regional component can be accessed by local councils coming together as a group on a project-by-project basis. We will see some significant regional projects delivered in the future. Local governments are doing the planning for that right now. The projects that I am aware of will deliver long-lasting benefits on a regional scale. The underlying ethos of royalties for regions is to facilitate, encourage and empower regional decision making. Partnerships with the state and federal governments and the private sector can become a reality. The advice that I have given to all the local governments that I have met with in this process is that they now have significant clout when it comes to showing the state and federal governments what the local government funding priorities are in their region. These regional projects should be endeavouring to attract matching or contributing funds from the state, commonwealth and private sector. I am very excited to see what the outcome of this process will
be.
I would now like to touch on royalties for regions and place on record that I am yet to visit a community in my electorate that has not welcomed royalties for regions as a breath of fresh air. I have listened to members of the opposition speak on the subject and heard them cherry-pick the projects that they think are a waste of money, while those that earn grudging praise are glossed over. I realise that members opposite are wishing to direct their criticism at the government about the perceived failings of the program and at the minister, as is the nature of this process. However, opposition members are actually criticising community groups, non-government organisations, individuals and local governments in regional Western Australia.The projects that receive funding from royalties for regions come from the grassroots, where they are conceived and planned. Proponents contribute their own funds and time to secure the funding. The Nationals in government are working hard to maximise the accountability and value that regional communities derive from this funding. Make no mistake; we will not be second-guessing the priorities of the expenditure. That is the way to quickly fall back into the trap of the government believing that it knows best. I will say no more of this; royalties for regions does not need defending. Members of this house passed legislation that enabled the royalties for regions fund to be enshrined in law. There was an opportunity for members to vote against that legislation, and they did not.
I would like to touch on a few other initiatives specific to the budget that I have a particular interest in. I was particularly pleased to see the allocation of $51.9 million over four years for the upgrade of regional residential colleges. The Merredin residential college has been identified as one of the first cabs off the rank to benefit from this funding. I have not visited the Merredin residential college, but I took the time, while in Geraldton a couple of weeks ago, to visit the Geraldton residential college. There is definitely a need for some investment in these types of facilities. Parents will simply not send their children to live away from home in substandard accommodation; it is a deal breaker. In the absence of decent accommodation in a regional centre, parents inevitably have to send children to private boarding schools in Perth. This funding for the upgrade of the residential colleges will be the first step towards signalling that this government is serious about providing quality education experiences in regional Western Australia. I was especially pleased to see that royalties for
regions has also contributed significant funding towards the setting up of eight new Clontarf academies, two of which will be in the Agricultural Region—one in Northam and one in Katanning. I note that Mr Gerard Neesham, the person responsible for establishing the Clontarf academies, was recognised at the recent Western Australian Citizen of the Year Awards for his contribution to education and sport through this program. I also note that Hon Matt Benson-Lidholm, during his contribution to the debate, mentioned that the netball program run by Ricky Grace should have been considered a good candidate for some funding. I am sure that the Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon Terry Waldron, would welcome a discussion with the member on this issue. The other day, I had a similar discussion with the minister—albeit not specific to the program run by Ricky Grace— about how we can support netball in the same way that we support country football. Members know that the Minister for Sport and Recreation is passionate about sport, and although he is an accomplished footballer and cricketer, they should not forget that he has four daughters and has spent hours and hours supporting them on the netball court! I would be happy to have a further discussion with Hon Matt Benson-Lidholm about ways to pursue this, if that is of interest to him.
I will now briefly touch on two issues that Nationals members have raised time and again on behalf of the communities that we represent. The first is the infill sewerage program for which $100 million over four years has been allocated. Off the back of the minister’s media release, a number of local governments contacted me seeking information about the allocation of that funding. I am advised that the program rollout is still being finalised. However, it would be remiss of me to miss an opportunity to put on the public record that both the Shires of Bruce Rock and Kondinin have written to me about this matter, and that I have spoken to someone who advised me that the Shire of Chittering would be putting its case directly to the Minister for Water. I have seen the situation in Hyden; it is not good. I would suggest that this community should be very close to the top of the list as the programs are prioritised under this funding rollout. The second issue I would like to discuss is the distribution headworks charge and subsidy scheme. I know that the member for Blackwood–Stirling was particularly pleased with this initiative. He raised the fact that the headworks charge—a one-off payment for customers to connect to the electricity grid or upgrade their connection at remote or edge-of-grid locations—was a major disincentive to regional development. I commend the Minister for Energy’s announcement that the distribution headworks charge would be totally subsidised for eligible customers from 1 July 2010. Furthermore, customers who have paid the charge since 2007 will have their payments refunded through royalties for regions. In opposition, the Nationals received many representations from customers—some residential, some commercial—who had been whacked with this huge charge. The charges ranged into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases, and were essentially acting as a negative signal to businesses and individuals seeking to invest in the regions. The message was, “Stay away; take your investment and sink it into a development elsewhere.” Both the infill sewerage program and the distribution headworks charge and subsidy scheme are a strong indication that this government has identified and begun to address some of the triggers that act as a disincentive to regional development.
I now move on specifically to the Mid West and an issue that I have been working on in collaboration with the Shires of Perenjori, Morawa and Mingenew and the Mid West Development Commission. It has already been noted by a number of members in this place that the Mid West is an exciting place to be at the moment. It is on the cusp of something great and with that comes great responsibility for the leaders in these communities and the state and federal governments. Mr Gavin Treasure from the Shire of Morawa was one of the first representatives from local government to contact me in my new role last year. He and others had been working on a concept that would enable his community and others in the Mid West hinterland to lock in a lasting legacy for their communities off the back of the mining activity that is ramping up in the region.
I recently returned from a trip to Gladstone in Queensland with Hon Wendy Duncan. We were looking at regional development mechanisms at a local and state level. It struck me that there are many similarities between the Gladstone area and the Mid West and its surrounding areas. Everyone agrees—there has been much comment in the media and in the region—that we do not want to face the same challenge faced by some of the Pilbara communities, such as housing shortages, lack of services and social and physical infrastructure, skill shortages et cetera. I refer to a publication from the Queensland government’s Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, which states — Experience in the Bowen Basin — That is the area surrounding Gladstone — showed that rapid expansion of mining resulted in significant environmental, social and economic impacts, including cumulative impacts on local communities. While we were in Queensland, Hon Wendy Duncan and I learnt about the Queensland state government’s Sustainable Resource Communities initiative. Page 41 of the report I mentioned earlier states — The Sustainable Resource Communities policy was launched in August 2008 to respond to the challenges that come with accelerated growth in communities affected by resource development. It is designed to assess the impact of new industries on communities for example, the challenges faced by a town at the centre of a mining boom. The aim of this policy is to improve liveability by addressing problems of regional planning, housing, health and education. The companies involved are required to complete a social impact assessment as part of their approvals process in Queensland, which then enables government and the community to forward plan for the likely impact of increased activity in and around this region. I note that some companies do this as a matter of good practice but it is by no means the rule. In my experience, the frustration felt by state and local governments in meeting community and business expectations for timely provision of services and infrastructure is usually matched by that of the companies involved. Having worked for the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia for a short while prior to being elected, I also recognise that we do not need to make our approvals process more complex than necessary. However, I do feel that there is merit in the model being used in Queensland and the benefits would not just be confined to government. One of the biggest criticisms of the mining industry is that it is not putting enough back. This argument obviously has a national flavour at the moment. Surely a system that identifies up-front the social impacts of the project enables government and mining proponents to direct their dollars into projects that will deliver strategic outcomes as opposed to the sometimes ad hoc funding and planning that goes on. I do not wish to pick a fight with the mining industry; I understand too well the value that it contributes to our state. However, I do think there is scope for some creative thinking to ensure that the Mid West does not face the same challenges as the Pilbara and Gladstone.
I am looking forward to continuing working alongside the shires of Geraldton–Greenough, Morawa, Perenjori and Mingenew. These communities in particular have taken a proactive stance on their future and I commend them for it. The shires, along with the Mid West Development Commission and I, recently co-hosted a “Leaving a Legacy” forum in Perenjori. It was well attended by a cross-section of local government, non-government, business and community representatives, all in the one spot to focus on how communities in the Mid West could best address the impacts of proposed major resource projects as well as capture a lasting community benefit. The outcome of this workshop was a clear indication that there is a need for a regional master plan for the Mid West
to coordinate the work of agencies, business and government in the region. A great deal of planning is happening in the Mid West already. By no means am I suggesting that we need to replicate what is going on because there are a number of forums; it is simply a matter of being able to coordinate these activities. I note that the Pilbara has formulated a plan that has been the blueprint for government investment, and the other day I read in the Kalgoorlie Miner that the Goldfields-Esperance region is doing the same. I am happy to say that the Mid West region is well on its way to doing the same, and I know that its Wheatbelt counterpart is not far behind. Good planning and local prioritisation of projects will form the vision for those regions, and it is certainly an exciting time for everyone involved.
The final subject I will touch on today is that of the initiative on men’s health. It has been widely recognised by the medical profession and members in this and the other place that rural and regional men face differing health issues from their urban counterparts. In my part of the world, the Wheatbelt Men’s Health organisation has, for some time, provided counselling and support to regional men and their families. It is an exceptional service that is held up by many health professionals as the model for achieving real change in regional communities. If members have joined me or my colleagues at the Dowerin field days or the Mingenew expo or the Newdegate field days, they will have seen the Pit Stop for men, which is a non-confrontational way for men to make a pit stop and talk to people about their health. The other day I met with someone who showed me how it works. The men can pick up a work order, which takes them through a number of health tests, including a chassis check, which is the waist area; torsion, which is flexibility; the exhaust, which is whether they smoke; fuel additives, which is how much they drink; the duco, which is a test for skin cancer; and the shock absorbers, which is about emotions. The men take all the tests on the work order, and if they fail any, they are directed to go and see their doctor to talk about things. It is a non-confrontational, easy way for people who walk by to be tested. Men are particular about talking about these things, which can lead to significant problems for themselves and their families.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich: Can you get a recharge? I reckon there’d be a few blokes here who might want one!
Hon MIA DAVIES: I thank Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich for her valuable contribution!
Hon Robyn McSweeney: She should go and get her chassis checked!
Hon MIA DAVIES: The focus of the program has been on education and assisting people before they get to the point of needing to visit mainstream health services. It has also been invaluable to communities that have been ravaged by drought. Members know that men are pretty good at bottling up their emotions, and the impact that can have on their health and the wellbeing of their families can sometimes be horrific. This exceptional Wheatbelt program will now be available to men and their families statewide because the Regional Development Council, which comprises the chairs of the nine regional development commissions, recognised the value of the program and endorsed its extension. Royalties for regions provided funding to ensure that this could happen, and it will receive $2.789 million over the next three years. The program will now be known as Regional Men’s Health to reflect the extension of its geographic footprint. I welcome the inclusion of this initiative in the budget, as it is evidence that the National Party and this Liberal–National state government are about more than just infrastructure projects; they are about supporting families in need and working towards reducing the horrifying suicide statistics for men in regional Western Australia.
The 2010–11 state budget contains dozens of initiatives that will deliver a positive outcome for communities of the Agricultural Region, and I look forward to seeing them come to fruition over the next years. The royalties for regions program will play a significant, ongoing role in the state budget; it is more than a badging exercise. In my opinion, it is a small amount—we spend a lot of time talking about it—and a very small percentage of the state’s budget, but it has delivered a great deal.
