Having listened to that most disgraceful contribution, I would actually like to make a positive contribution. Since August this year residents in my electorate of Pine Rivers have been consulted on making changes to the current transit routes taken by our local busline, Thompsons. This consultation was undertaken to improve service connectivity. The Bligh government is putting aside $750,000 for the implementation of these service changes which will be funded from within TransLink’s 2011-12 budget allocation. » more

I rise to support the Waste Reduction and Recycling Bill 2011. The bill provides for a modern and tailored approach to address waste management and resource recovery issues now and into the future. The bill introduces, for the first time in Queensland, the requirement for the government to prepare, maintain and review a waste management strategy for the state. The bill also requires state agencies and local governments to prepare waste reduction and recycling plans. » more

I rise this afternoon to put on record the work that is being done on the replacement of the northbound AJ Wyllie Bridge. At this stage, the Department of Main Roads has been fast-tracking the project and is on track to have the bridge replaced within 18 months instead of the usual 22 months. Currently, the department is progressing different stages of the reconstruction at the same time to accelerate the process. » more

It is with fond memories and with all the best wishes for the future that Bray Park State School and the Pine Rivers community wish Lexie Bell well in her retirement. After 31 years of service as a volunteer, a teacher aide and an administration assistant at Bray Park State School, Lexie retired in July. Lexie has assisted many students, parents and teachers throughout this time and will be remembered fondly by the school community for her hard work and kindness. » more

I rise to support the Aboriginal Land and Torres Strait Islander Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2010. At the outset I want to acknowledge the significance of the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and the Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991 to Queensland’s Indigenous peoples and commend those persons and agencies that contributed to the review and helped shape and advance the proposed amendments. The acts recognise traditional and customary landownership and seek to facilitate economic and social development. A review of the acts, as has been stated by other members, has been undertaken to ensure their consistency with the Australian government’s Native Title Act 1993 and to improve their operation, where possible. » more

Every year my family and I look forward to attending the Dayboro Show, which is always a well-organised event. This year’s show was no exception. It was opened by Dayboro Resident of the Year, Dr Paul Inglis, in recognition of his tireless contribution to the community. Once again, my family and I had a great time at the show. It is really an enjoyable family event. While walking around the agricultural section of the show, I became extremely envious of the wonderful entries in the vegetable and produce exhibits, as the vegetables I grow certainly do not compare to those on display. » more

This evening I rise to support this year’s state budget, which is delivering real cost-of-living savings and providing innovative new services for Queenslanders closer to home. We have lived through a summer of disasters, with floods, cyclones and torrential rain that has ruined homes, businesses, roads, infrastructure, holidays and the tourism industry as well. This budget is about rebuilding Queensland. It is a budget that cares for those who have suffered and it is a budget that helps families with the cost of living. » more

I was deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death on Good Friday of one of the great environmental campaigners of our time, Mark Ricketts. His memorial service was held in Witta in May and people came from far and wide to share their memories of Mark, to get together to affirm his conservation values and to honour a man who has inspired generations of people. In fact, ‘inspire’ was a word I heard over and over again when talking to people about Mark. » more

Last week the new TransLink rail timetables for the Caboolture line came into effect. The new timetable has added more than 70,000 weekly train seats to the Caboolture and north coast line, and commuters have told me that the additional seats on the line are welcome. As I have stated previously, there are no longer any express services operating out of Lawnton, Bray Park or Strathpine stations, and some people are still unhappy about this. During consultation some commuters said that they valued the express services whilst others were more interested in reliable services running on time and services that were not held up waiting at stations. To that end, more services are starting from Petrie, which means more available seating and reliable arrival times. » more

Each year when summer rolls around commentators from southern states take great delight in poking fun at Queensland for not introducing daylight saving. They like to ridicule Queensland as being backward and behind the times. In southern states, it makes perfect sense to adopt daylight saving. Their solar pattern lends itself to an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day so that sunset is at about 7.00 to 7.30. It would be a completely different matter if the sun did not come up until 7.00 and did not recede until 9.00 or 9.30. But that would be the case for the majority of Queenslanders in the north and west of the state. After all, daylight saving is more of a quality of life issue, and daylight saving for northern and western Queenslanders would reduce their quality of life quite significantly. This is widely accepted by most people, even those who support daylight saving. » more

I rise this afternoon to support the Parliament of Queensland (Reform and Modernisation) Amendment Bill 2011. As I stated when we debated the motion earlier this year, I was privileged to be a member of the Committee System Review Committee and it was an opportunity to shake up the way the parliamentary committee system works. I enjoyed working with opposition and Independent members of the bipartisan committee, and found our consensus approach to decision making ensured that a best practice model could be recommended that had support across the entire parliament. This bill will establish the recommended new committees, including the Committee of the Legislative Assembly. » more

I rise to support the Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, which includes a number of exemptions and concessions that will benefit Queensland taxpayers. For example, special disability trusts are established under the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans Entitlement Act 1986 to assist immediate family members of people with severe disabilities to make private financial provision for the future care and accommodation needs of the person with a disability. To qualify as a special disability trust, among other things the trust must have one beneficiary who has an impairment or disability as determined under the relevant Commonwealth legislation and be established primarily to meet the beneficiary’s reasonable care and accommodation needs. Where these requirements are satisfied, gifting concessions under the Commonwealth legislation are available for eligible family members of the beneficiary and an assets test exemption up to a certain level applies for the beneficiary. Transactions that may be undertaken for the purposes of the Commonwealth legislation include the acquisition of a residence by the trustee for use as the beneficiary’s home. These types of transactions may be liable for transfer duty under the Duties Act 2001, being either the transfer or agreement for the transfer of dutiable property, the creation of a trust of dutiable property or an acquisition of a trust interest. To help facilitate these transactions, relief from transfer duty for special disability trusts was announced in the 2010-11 state budget. This exemption is currently operating under an administrative arrangement. The Duties Act 2001 is being amended to give this arrangement prospective legislative effect. I know a number of parents of children who have a disability who will be pleased to have this matter settled. » more

I rise this afternoon to speak to the motion. I was privileged to be a member of the Committee System Review Committee and I thank the chair, Judy Spence, and all members of the committee for their dedication to the task and for the bipartisan approach to dealing with the issues that surround the operation of our current committees and the parliament. As has already been stated, the current committee system was established in the post-Fitzgerald reform era and was designed to allow for greater scrutiny of the parliament, the government and related community issues. I have been fortunate to serve on a variety of committees since my election in 2001-from the Travelsafe select committee, public works committee, public accounts committee, select committee on organ and tissue donation, various estimates committees and I am currently serving on the Integrity, Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee. » more

I rise this afternoon to support the Premier’s motion and to add the voice of the people of the Pine Rivers electorate to the words of sympathy and comfort that have been espoused in this House today and yesterday. In my 44 years I have not seen so many disastrous weather patterns pile one on top of the other for weeks on end. I, along with many others, watched on the television the disastrous events unfolding out west last year and in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley in early January. The scenes of devastation were unbelievable. » more

In rising to participate in the debate on the Water and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2010, I note that this bill deals with the further implementation of the South-East Queensland water reform program by providing additional consumer protection provisions. Consumers will be able to access information on price rises and charges and reasons for increases, as well as having access to dispute resolution processes through the proposed Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland. Importantly, the existing energy ombudsman’s role will be expanded to include water and wastewater disputes to residential and small business customers in South-East Queensland. I feel this is an important new provision and will ensure that consumers have an office that can investigate their concerns, and can then either negotiate with the distributor-retailer, conciliate or make a final order if that is required. There will be further accountability mechanisms built into this new role, including a requirement for the distributor-retailers to report to the Queensland Water Commission on complaints. » more

I rise in support of the Education and Training Legislation (Skills Queensland) Amendment Bill 2010. At the outset I would like to congratulate the minister on his obvious commitment to education reform across all sectors of education and for advocating within the important area of skills and training. The main purpose of this bill is to establish an industry led skills commission in Queensland named Skills Queensland and to strengthen the child protection measures within the teaching environments in Queensland. » more

I rise this evening to speak to and support the Land Valuation Bill 2010. This bill will repeal the Valuation of Land Act 1944 and introduce the Land Valuation Act 2010. It has been necessary to create the new act because of the extensive changes to the valuation system in Queensland. This government is reforming the statutory land valuation system so that these reforms are in place for the 2011 valuations. » more

I rise this morning to inform the House of a great partnership between the Bligh Labor government and the Pine Rivers Memorial Bowls Club. Earlier this month I assisted the Minister for Sport, the Hon. Phil Reeves MP, to officially open the two new undercover bowls greens. This $3 million project, which included the refurbishment of the interior of the club, had a state government contribution of over $1.4 million through the Major Facilities Program. » more

I rise this evening to support the Geothermal Energy Bill 2010. This bill amends a number of existing acts such as the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004, the Electricity Act 1994, the Mineral Resources Act 1989 and the Timber Utilisation and Marketing Act 1987. I will confine my remarks to the geothermal energy aspect of this bill. » more