Questions

Published: 23 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 September 2021

Ms FORREST QUESTION to DEPUTY LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Ms PALMER -

(1) Prior to the election, the then health minister, Sarah Courtney, released a statement to enable pharmacist immunisers access to NIP vaccines and to undertake a scope of practice review for pharmacists.

(a) What is the proposed timeline for this review?

(b) What stage is the review at?

Published: 23 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 September 2021

Ms FORREST - to DEPUTY LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs PALMER

1. Is there a closer COVID testing option for Circular Head residents who are in home quarantine; and

a. If so;
i. where is it; and
ii. why are people not informed of this?

Published: 22 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 September 2021

Ms FORREST - to DEPUTY LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs PALMER

With regard to the proposed walking and mountain bike track around the Great Lake, during the assessment process and subsequently if approved:

1. How will community concerns related to the increased risk of theft, vandalism and bushfire be addressed through the assessment process;

2. Has or will the potential impact of increased costs to shack owners i.e. rates and insurance increases been considered;

3. What impact will this proposal have on current recreational activities i.e. fishing and hunting and the ability of local residents to continue to access the lake;

Published: 22 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 September 2021

Ms FORREST - to DEPUTY LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs PALMER

With regard to the welcome and planned new ambulance station in Burnie

1 For the last two years, what are the annual average number of daily ambulance call outs from the Burnie Ambulance Station listed by day of the week;

2 How does the Government propose to make it safe for exiting and entering ambulances accessing the proposed Brickport Road entry/exit point during peak traffic times;

Published: 22 September 2021

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

With regard to the Cross-Party Working Group for Local Government Reform -

(1) Does the Minister acknowledge that the Legislative Council is part of the Parliament referred to in the PESRAC recommendation that stated - Parliament should own the Local Government reform process?

(2) Please provide copies of the minutes of the three meetings of the working group to date.

(3) What mechanism will be utilised to engage with members of the Legislative Council?

(4) What date will members of the Legislative Council be invited/engaged in the process thus ensuring the recommendations of PESRAC are met?

Published: 21 September 2021

Legislative Council, Tuesday 21 September 2021

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

With regard to the leave liability within the Police Department:

1. Please provide a breakdown of the leave liability of sworn police officers appointed under the Police Service Act 2003 over the last three years?

Published: 21 September 2021

Legislative Council, Tuesday 21 September 2021

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

With regard to availability of ventilators and staff required to care for ventilated patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU’s) in Tasmania’s three major hospitals:

1 How many ventilators are available in each ICU at;
a. RHH
b. LGH
c. NWRH

Published: 02 September 2021

Legislative Council, Thursday 2 September 2021

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

With regard to occupancy of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Tasmania’s three major hospitals:

1 What has the average weekly occupancy of each ICU at Royal Hobart Hospitals, Launceston General Hospital and North West Regional Hospital over the last three years?

Answers:

1 The weekly average (50th percentile) occupancy for the Royal Hobart Hospital Department of Critical Care Medicine (DCCM) is provided in the table below:

Published: 02 September 2021

Legislative Council, Thursday 2 September 2021

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

With regard to the two AFL Finals matches played in Tasmania on the weekend of 28 and 29 August:

1. How many players, AFL officials and other support staff were permitted entry into the State;
2. Were all players, AFL officials and other support staff required to stay in hotel quarantine if they were not flying in and out on the same day;
3. How many players, AFL officials and other support staff were accommodated in hotel quarantine; and
a. What hotels or facilities were used for this purpose;
4. How were the costs of hotel quarantine met;

Published: 02 September 2021

Legislative Council, Thursday 2 September 2021

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

Please provide Estimated Outcome figures for all line items in the Tables listed below;

• Communities Tasmania – Tables 2.2, 2.10 and 2.12
• Finance General - Tables 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5
• Health – Tables 5.2, 5.5, 5.8
• Ministerial and Parliamentary Support – Tables 7.1, 7.3

Published: 01 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 1 September 2021

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

1. Have there been any further animal welfare concerns raised since 1 June 2021;

2. How many visits, with prior notification and/or no notification listed separately to Van Dairy VDL Farms have been made by animal welfare officers since 1 June 2021; and

3. What was the outcome of these visits; and

4. If no further animal welfare site visits have been conducted, how is animal welfare being monitored at the VDL farms?

Published: 01 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 1 September 2021

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

With regard to the legal dispute between the government and Basslink P/L in respect of the 2015/16 Basslink interconnector outage:

1. Does the amount of $38.5 million awarded to the government by the agreed arbitrator in June 2021 signal an end to the legal dispute;

2. Has the amount been paid by Basslink P/L;

Published: 01 September 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 1 September 2021

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

With regard to COVID-19 vaccination status and employment in Tasmania:

1 What are the government’s policy position and frameworks for:
a. A public sector employer requiring staff, who interact with the public, to be vaccinated;
b. A private sector employer or not-for-profit organisation or company requiring staff, who interact with the public, to be vaccinated; and
c. requiring people who attend invitation-only gatherings like Networking events or ‘training courses for adults’ also being vaccinated.

Published: 01 September 2021

Legislative Council, Tuesday 31 August 2021

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

With regard to the two AFL finals matches played in Tasmania the weekend the 28 and 29 August;

(1) how many players and AFL officials and other support staff were permitted entry into the state;

(2) were all players AFL officials and other support staff required to stay in hotel quarantine if they were not flying in and out on the same day;

(3) how many players, AFL officials and other support staff were accommodated in hotel quarantine and what hotel facilities were used for this purpose;

Published: 01 September 2021

Legislative Council, Tuesday 31 August 2021

Ms FORREST to MINISTER for SPORT AND RECREATION, Ms HOWLETT

Is it the case there is a $20,000 payment to all able-bodied Olympians who win a gold medal and that our athletes participating in the Paralympics get $0 for participating in and winning a gold medal? If that is the case, what is the minister going to do in terms of lobbying to see that corrected as a matter of urgency?

ANSWER

I thank the member for her question. That is something I will need to take on notice as I actually was not aware of that pay disparity, but certainly will be sending a letter and writing to try and see what we can do to fix a situation that is not good at all.

Published: 26 August 2021

Legislative Council, Thursday 26 August 2021

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

With regard to Ambulance response times in the Circular Head region over the last five years;

1) What is the average response time taken for an ambulance to reach a call out for each year;

2) What is the longest response time each year; and

2.1 What was the reason for this long response time in each case;

Published: 26 August 2021

Legislative Council, Wednesday 25 August 2021

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

During the 2021 election the State Government committed to the employment of additional school nurses.

(1) How many additional nurses have been employed?

Published: 25 August 2021

Legislative Council Tuesday 24 August,2021

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

Regarding funding to Rural Health Tasmania (RHT):

1 What is the total amount of funding provided to RHT

2 What is the breakdown of this funding by:

2.1 State funding

2.2 Federal funding

Published: 25 August 2021

Legislative Council Tuesday 24 August,2021

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

Regarding the $300,000 funding promised by the State Government for mental health services in Circular Head:

Has this funding been provided?
If so, which organisation or programs have these funds been allocated to?
How will outcomes from this funding be measured?

Published: 25 August 2021

Legislative Council Tuesday 24 August,2021

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

Regarding paramedic staffing at the ambulance station in Smithton, Circular Head;

1 When was the position of Paramedic at the Smithton ambulance station advertised;

Published: 02 July 2021

Legislative Council Thursday 1 July

Mr GAFFNEY question on behalf of Ms FORREST to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

Regarding policy statements related to the 2021 election, specifically the policy delivering better health care for Tasmanians in the north-west, the statement notes:

The Tasmanian majority Liberal government has delivered more funding, more staff, and more health services than any government before. In the north-west of the state, this has delivered around 150 more staff including 94 extra full-time nurses, 22 additional doctors, and 6 more allied health professionals.