Legislative Council, Wednesday 28 May 2025

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

In relation to the vacant 1 FTE radiation oncology position at NWRH;

1) Has this position been filled;
a. If not, is there an expected timeline for appointment?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Wednesday 28 May 2025

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

I appreciate the response the minister has provided regarding the Bass Highway works between Wynyard and Marrawah. The follow-up question I have from that is: what is the reason for the delay in the release of federal government funds to progress this works, being as it is not a new project at all?

ANSWER

Thank you, Mr President, and thank you to the member for Murchison for the question. It is an ongoing issue. It can be partly budgetary but also, when they are allocated, they have put new systems in place where more detail is sought.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Wednesday 28 May 2025

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

With regard to the Bass Highway – Wynyard to Marrawah upgrade:

1. Has a start date for the upgrade to the very dangerous section between Smithton and Marrawah, where frequent near misses occur, been determined;
a. If so, when will works commence; and
b. If not, when will a decision be made to commence?

2. Can the Government provide a breakdown of the costs to date per section of works for each section upgrade and the date when these were completed?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 27 May 2025

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

With regard to Cancer Services at the North West Regional Hospital:

1. How many specialist medical staff positions are currently filled in the areas of:
a) Cancer – Haematology.
b) Cancer – Medical Oncology.
c) Cancer – Radiation Oncology.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 8 April 2025

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

It is an interesting answer, that one. Along a similar line, with regard to emergency management and communication during emergencies:

(1) What departmental directive and/or Tasmanian state legislation prohibits local emergency services speaking to, informing or providing on the ground latest factual real-time updates to the local broadcaster, particularly in isolated communities?

(2) Why is this not considered crucial in an emergency such as a bushfire when all other states' position is to have localised on-the-ground updates provided directly to community radio stations as per the recommendations from the Australian Government inquiry Section 4 responding responsibly, the role of radio in emergency situations?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 8 April 2025

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

It would seem there was great interest in this and a bit of a flurry of activity after I sent my question through a little while ago. Anyway, you never know what helps to progress things, do you? With regard to emergency events including fire, flood and storm in regional and isolated areas of Tasmania:

(1) Is the local lead volunteer fire and/or SES officer permitted to engage with local media in the absence of a senior career officer when local people and property are at imminent risk to inform the local community of immediate risks; and

(2) Are lead volunteer fire and/or SES officers permitted to communicate in such circumstances in other states and/or territories?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 8 April 2025

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

With regard to the government commitment to a new feasibility study of sea ports on King Island, predominantly Grassy port:

(1) Who has been engaged to conduct this study?

(2) Please provide the terms and scope of the work to be undertaken.

(3) What is the time line for reporting.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 8 April 2025

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

With regard to cancer services at the North West Regional Hospital:

1. How many specialist medical staff positions are currently filled in the areas of:
a. Cancer Haematology,
b. Cancer Medical Oncology, and
c. Cancer Radiation Oncology?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 8 April 2025

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

With regard to the proposed new facilities for volunteer ambulance personnel, ambulance vehicles and the community paramedic to be employed on King Island:

1. When will the Development Application for the new building be lodged; and
a. Please provide a copy of the plans for this facility

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Thursday 13 March 2025

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

With regard to the government's equity share in the Group 6 Metals Dolphin Tungsten Mine on King Island:

(1) What does this equity share provide to the government;

(2) How are Mineral Royalties calculated; and

(a) has this changed with the taking of an equity share by the government?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Thursday 28 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to the MINISTER for EDUCATION and MINISTER for WOMEN and the PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE, Ms PALMER

(1) With regard to support for and services available to children and young people who are living in relationships where they experience intimate partner violence, and noting the Government's contribution to the debate in the Legislative Council of 29 October 2024 noting Dr Carmel Hobbs's paper, Young, in Love and in Danger, apart from the presence of the partnership with Our Watch:

(a) what concrete actions are in place to address cultural norms and values that normalise and/or condone violence and abuse in Tasmania that go beyond school-based education; and

(b) does the Government have any intention of following the lead of New South Wales and implement a standalone primary prevention strategy?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Thursday 28 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for WOMEN and the PREVENTION of FAMILY VIOLENCE, Ms PALMER

The Safe at Home program provides an integrated response to families and children who experience family violence. However, this is not available to children who are victims in their own right if their relationship is not recognised as significant in the eyes of the law. They have to be over 16 years of age and meet other criteria that someone else uses to make a determination of the significance of their relationship.

This means that young people are unable to be protected by FVOs or PFVOs, and that the integrated supports offered to others are unavailable to them. It is clear from Dr Hobbs's research that these relationships are significant and children are in danger.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Thursday 28 November 2024

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

With regard to the announcement from the Australian Government to commit $75m of funding for the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme:

1. Has the Government obtained a commitment from the Australian Government to quarantine the grant from calculation of Tasmania's share of GST by the Commonwealth Grants Commission;

2. Have any Australian Government grants for irrigation in the past 10 years been quarantined;

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 26 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCURE, Mr VINCENT

As you know, the Bass Highway is a long section of highway and when you head up there to look at the poor condition of the section between Smithton and Marrawah, could you take particular note of the sections that have been more recently completed? You will note areas around Wynyard, in particular the section between Flowerdale and Boat Harbour including the section that includes the intersection with Tollymore Road. The storm events caused damage to many of our roads but this section is very new and is now patched up with some even larger potholes appearing and persisting.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Thursday 21 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

Down in my beautiful part of Circular Head, I drove the road from Smithton to Marrawah. Not to remind myself how bad the road is, but because I needed to go to Marrawah. The road is in terrible condition. It has funding allocated for an upgrade. My community would like to know when they can see some actual progress on the upgrade of the Bass Highway between Smithton and Marrawah.

ANSWER

Mr President, this is interesting. There are a lot of different Bass Highway parts here, all the way from Launceston to Wynyard and Marrawah.

Ms Forrest - I only want to know about Smithton to Marrawah.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Wednesday 20 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for WOMEN and the PREVENTION of FAMILY VIOLENCE, Ms PALMER

The Safe at Home program provides an integrated response to families and children who experience family violence. However, this is not available to children who are victims in their own right if their relationship is not recognised as significant in the eyes of the law. They have to be over 16 years of age and meet other criteria that someone else uses to make a determination of the significance of their relationship.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Wednesday 20 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for WOMEN AND THE PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE, Ms PALMER

Recently, I noted in this place a report about intimate partner violence amongst young people and children and my question to the minister is whether she will consider developing a dedicated intimate partner violence action plan specifically for children and young people.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Wednesday 20 November 2024

Ms FORREST, question to the 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 $50 million; and

(2) For each capital works project include:
(a) an update on the project’s status,
(b) details of any challenges to delivery time frames;
(c) details of any known or anticipated cost increases; and
(d) each project’s expected completion date?

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 19 November 2024

Mr VINCENT - This is from 31 October in response to the review into the line of sight at 17006 Bass Highway, Flowerdale.

I can advise the project manager and the traffic engineer from the Department of State Growth visited the property owner on 16 May 2024 to discuss his concerns regarding sightlines when exiting his driveway. At this meeting and in a subsequent letter to the owner dated 14 June, it was agreed the department would investigate the matter further. It was determined by the department the sight distance could be improved and works were undertaken between 28 June and 2 July. These works involved additional steepening of the existing embankment, removal of vegetation and the installation of 'concealed entrance 150 metre ahead' signage.

Read more ...

Legislative Council, Tuesday 19 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

The minister made some public comments around what may or may not occur with a second Cam River bridge. I understand the report was not going to be provided to the minister until early next year. It appears he might already have it. Has that report been made available to you, minister? When will you release it publicly?

ANSWER

That report is not before me at this point in time. I do not have a time when that will be other than it is pending. With all reports like that, it will go through the proper process of being reviewed by myself and then going to Cabinet. It will become available when it comes out of Cabinet. I do not have a time at this stage.

Read more ...