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.

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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;

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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Legislative Council, Thursday 21 November 2024

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

With regard to the construction of personal bush fire shelters, and the National Construction Code (Volume 2 Section A5G3 (1)) providing, in part, that ‘evidence to support that the use of a material, product, form of construction or design meets a Performance Requirement …. may be in the form of any one or any combination of the following…(b) a current Certificate of Accreditation’:

(1) What evidence is required by the Director of Building Control to show that a private bushfire shelter which has a current Certificate of Accreditation, meets the performance requirements of the National Construction Code?

(2) (a) Does the Director require evidence additional to a Certificate of Accreditation; and

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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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