Legislative Council, Wednesday 20 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to capital works projects within all departments, offices or entities including Government Business Enterprises and State-Owned Companies:

Can the Government —

(1) Provide a full list of all capital works projects valued at over $50m; and

(2) For each capital works project include:

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 19 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to Tasmanian State Emergency Services (SES) funding and resources:

1. What is SES’s total budget
(a) Please break down the components of the total funding for operating expenses, including:

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Legislative Council, Thursday 31 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

I have given the minister a little bit of time to get his feet under the desk. In correspondence in mid June to a constituent of mine who lives in Flowerdale, whose driveway connects with the roadworks that are now completed - although full of potholes - on the Bass Highway. It is around Wynyard, basically the Tollymore Road intersection, where this issue is, an address at 17006 Bass Highway, Flowerdale. The owner of the property's driveway has increased in steepness because of the dropping of the level of the road.

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Legislative Council, Thursday 31 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for PARKS , Mr DUIGAN

On a recent visit to Whaleback Ridge, there was evidence that significant fuel reduction burns have been undertaken in that area. Concerns have been expressed with regard to the extent of those burns, both in the area burnt and the ferocity of the burn, as we might determine it, such that now the surrounding land is eroding.

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Legislative Council, Thursday 31 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to progress of the ambulance facility on King Island, noting it was part of the Liberal election promises and added to the budget of 2024/25:

Recently both the Premier and Minister Ellis assured King Island media that the project would start soon. My questions are:

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 23 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

My question is with deep congratulations - because I forgot to do it earlier - to the Minister for Infrastructure. I am sure he will do a fine job. We are really glad to have the Minister for Infrastructure in this Chamber.

I appreciate that he has only been the minister for three quarters of an hour, but I am going to ask this question and see if he is able to provide any information at all. If not, he may come back next week with it.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 23 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for WOMEN, Ms PALMER

I congratulate and thank the Premier for giving this portfolio back to our colleague in this House. I know she has a passion for it. Minister, will you ensure that all legislation has a gender lens put across it, where there is clearly, and sometimes there is clearly no obvious gender impact, but there is in many. Will you ensure that a gender lens is put across all legislation, where it is relevant?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Murchison for my first question back in this portfolio that I do care deeply about, and I thank you for the question.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 23 October 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

Has the minister a plan to ensure TasPorts operates for the benefit of the state and works constructively with all their customers, and if so, what does this plan involve?

ANSWER

Mr President, having been minister for some 30 minutes now, I can give you great detail on this. Tomorrow there will be announcements by the Premier in relation to many of the issues we have been hearing in the press regarding TT-Line, TasPorts and the whole situation in Devonport. I have not been briefed on all that as of yet, but hopefully that will all come out and be apparent tomorrow.

Legislative Council, Wednesday 18 September 2024

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

Referring to the Budget for 2024-25, could you provide measures/details of:

(1) Tasmania’s Gross State Product;

(2) The service cost for current employees of the General Government who are members of the defined benefit superannuation schemes;

(3) Employer contributions by the General Government in respect of members receiving retirement benefits from the defined benefit schemes;

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Legislative Council, Thursday 15 August 2024 

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

As there is currently no required training or limit for towing with a full car licence in Australia, this means a driver can have no experience with an articulated vehicle and trailer combination, up to the total mass limited only by the vehicle rating:

1. Does the Minister for Transport agree that this can create road safety risks when inexperienced licenced drivers tow, particularly large loads; and

2. Will the Minister for Transport commit to actively promoting a nationally consistent and recognised training program and driver licence towing endorsement for Australian drivers' who wish to tow?

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 14 August 2024 

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to ambulance services on King Island and the Government’s commitment to employing paramedics and providing a suitable facility for the current volunteers and paramedics:
1. What is the actual and specific timetable for:
a. Identification of the site for the new facility;
b. Notification of the actual site for the new facility;

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Legislative Council, Thursday 8 August 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for ENERGY and RENEWABLES, Mr DUIGAN

You informed the House on Tuesday that the Marinus Link final investment decision (FID) is now to be taken in May 2025. I understand that the Australian Energy Regulator Resolution on the cost recovery split, the pricing impact for customers between Tasmania and Victoria, is scheduled to be finalised in April 2030.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 7 August 2024

Ms FORREST - question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMMENT, Mr DUIGAN -

In your media release of 6 May 2024 titled Changes to the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy, you stated the government is looking to amend the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy to ensure that we - I think it is a typo there, but basically - can both protect our coastal environment and allow sensible and sustainable recreational and other infrastructure that is necessarily connected to our coast.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 7 August 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINSITER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN

Mr President, my question is also to the minister for Parks and Environment, again on the same matter. I did not know the member for Hobart was asking questions on this area either, so we may cross over a little bit.

Minister, publicly available information related to the draft validation State Coastal Policy Act 2024, which you have already made comments about that you do not need to repeat, indicates that the recent approval of the Robbins Island wind farm, more specifically the wharf required for the construction of the wind farm by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) has raised questions about the manner in which the State Coastal Policy previously has been applied in relation to Outcome 1.4.2 of the state coastal policy. My question is, what specific questions did it raise?

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 7 August 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN

I understand you are considering or currently working on further review of the State Coastal Policy. My questions with regard to that are: what areas of the policy are being reviewed? What is the timeline for the review?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Murchison for her question. The Tasmanian government supports balanced and sensible approach to developments that benefit Tasmanians while also protecting our coastlines and their obvious environmental values. Legal review has brought into question the way the planning authorities have applied the State Coastal Policy to developments and that is why the government has acted. The current circumstance -

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 6 August 2024

My next question, which I took on notice, was from the member for Murchison, who asked about the responsibility for the safety of children in situations where their parents have utilised the only available transport option for their child.

1. The answer is that all school bus arrangements are managed by the Department of State Growth, including the bus routes for Wynyard High School and Hellyer College. The Department of Education, Children and Young People staff can be timetabled for before- and after-school duty, including bus duty, 30 minutes prior to the commencement and conclusion of the school day.

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 6 August 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for ENERGY AND RENEWABLES, Mr DUIGAN

The minister went near the next question. Has the whole-of-government business case been completed yet, noting the extension for the FID (Final Investment Decision) is some time later than what was originally expected. And, if it has been completed, will it be released publicly before the now-expected date of the FID?

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 6 August 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for ENERGY and RENEWABLES, Mr DUIGAN

What is the expected time frame for the Marinus Link FID (Final Investment Decision) to be finalised?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for the question and am very pleased to report to the House positive steps forward taken by Marinus Link Proprietary Limited in recent days around securing a cable slot which will enable the project to roll on.

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Legislative Council, Thursday 20 June 2024 

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to the $1 million allocated for capital investment on tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (APCA) in the 2023-24 Budget, including the $900,000 referred to in The Advocate on 21 June 2023, by the minister, Mr Jaensch, for road maintenance in the area -

How much of this allocation has been spent today, broken down by amounts spent on each track, including but not limited to: West Point Road, Bluff Hill Point Road, Bluff Hill Point, Lighthouse Road, Nelson Bay Road, Sarah Anne Rocks Road, Couta Rocks Road and Balfour Road? 

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 Legislative Council, Thursday 20 June 2024 

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

Mr President, I still have three questions and I know others do too. This question will require me to table a list because I do not want to read it out.

With regard to the 92 tracks of the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (APCA) listed 1 91 in the attached list, which of the 92 listed remain open for use?

I seek leave to table this document to be incorporated into Hansard to give sense to the question.

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