It is my pleasure to rise this evening to speak to the appropriation bills and the state budget and its effect on members of the Pine Rivers community.

 This state budget will deliver a better education to the next generation of Pine Rivers residents and create jobs through improved local infrastructure as part of the Bligh government’s massive building program.

We will deliver on our promise to create more jobs, to lay the foundations for a strong economic recovery, deliver on better traffic and public transport outcomes and better local infrastructure as well as supporting local jobs through the Safer Roads Sooner program. It is our job to make tough decisions about how we facilitate the state’s economic recovery and how we best provide for the long-term interests of all Queenslanders. We are determined to deliver 100,000 jobs by the end of this term-and that means our infrastructure program must be maintained.

In fact it is interesting to note the release of the jobs figures today. Queensland is again the powerhouse for jobs generation for the 10th month in a row-8,800 new jobs, the most of any state, and 8,200 of them are full-time jobs. Importantly, our jobs target today stands at 50,700. We are more than halfway towards our commitment of 100,000 new jobs.

Talking about infrastructure-specifically in Pine Rivers, almost $1 million will be spent this year on the upgrade of Strathpine train station. This upgrade is something I have campaigned hard for and is a real coup for our local community. The station will receive new electronic screens, better seating, improved signage, toilet upgrades, fresh painting and industrial cleaning.

Following on from last year’s budget commitment to provide additional parking spaces at Bray Park station, the Bligh Labor government is showing its commitment to public transport upgrades and encouraging local residents to use them. Across the network, the government is spending over $174 million to continue building 64 new three-car passenger trains to deliver service enhancements across the Citytrain network-and I look forward to Pine Rivers receiving its share.

The Bligh government’s Safer Roads Sooner program will see the completion of a $482,000 upgrade to the traffic signals on South Pine Road at the Kremzow Road intersection, Brendale, and $1.47 million allocated this financial year to build a new guardrail on Brisbane-Woodford Road at Mount Mee. These are all important projects that the community asked for. This is a huge win for us and it means more jobs and a boost to the local economy. I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard, after having received the approval of the Speaker.

Leave granted.

Education and Innovation

The 2010-11 Budget highlights the Bligh Government’s clear plan to build strong local communities through a massive building program which will help secure the future of Pine Rivers.

The Budget focus on local education facilities and services demonstrates our support for Pine Rivers’ students and future leaders.
A combined $239,409 will be invested to upgrade learning facilities at Bray Park State High School and Strathpine West State School.

The Pine Rivers State High School library will also be upgraded with $105,636 going to the project in 2010-11.

Providing the opportunity for children to get the best education possible is what we must do for our children and our community.

Our children will be given the best possible start prior to entering prep through a $28,275 kindergarten education program to assist Little Genesis Early Learning Centre to provide an approved kindergarten program for children in the year prior to Prep for 15 hours a week and at least 40 weeks a year and $17,325 will go to the AEIOU autism early education centre to provide children with autism vital early intervention through a kindergarten education program before they reach schooling age.

Across the state, there will also be funding for up to 316 new teachers and teacher aides, we are overhauling the skills system through the creation of a new Skills Commission and are supporting apprentices and trainees through the 125% payroll tax rebate to businesses who assist us in investing in young people through skills development.

Community Infrastructure

Looking after our community through investment in community infrastructure and services is a central plank of Labor’s platform.

This Budget sees the final instalment of $1 million to complete the upgrade of an existing lawn green to a synthetic green with a covered shade area at Pine Rivers Bowls Club. The construction is well under way and I am very proud of Club Pine Rivers and its continuing support of their lawn bowls players and the wider community.

There is over $400,000 to continue planning and start construction of the new Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre at Lawnton at a total cost of $2 million. It is vital the Neighbourhood Centre has an enlarged premises as they provide a large number of services to local residents.

This Budget provides them with funding of over $93,000 to provide a community centre-based development and support service; almost $160,000 to provide an early intervention and family support service; and over $300,000 towards counselling and support for young people at risk of homelessness and early intervention services to people who are at risk of homelessness.

There is funding towards the purchase of Book stock for Public libraries and over $700,000 general funding to support individuals with a disability.

Funding is providing to complete construction of a four-bedroom detached house in Strathpine for social housing and over $600,000 for Home and Community Care funding to Moreton Bay Regional Council through Pine Rivers Community-Assisted Transport Service and funding for Queensland Meals on Wheels Services across the state.

Community Safety

A growing population needs many frontline services and that is why we will see an extra 203 police officers allocated across the state. This commitment is backed up by the funding of the $450 million Police Academy to train the finest officers we can.

This government in this budget is providing $950,000 towards the creation of a new Pine Rivers Police District with office fitout which services the Pine Rivers and Kallangur Electorates.

There is over $183,000 to IFYS Limited to provide a Residential Care service providing five places for young people aged 12-17 years in the Caboolture, Pine Rivers and Redcliffe Child Safety Service Centre catchment areas and $193,000 to Bargumar Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation to provide a Foster and Kinship Care service providing 30 places for children and young people with moderate to high needs.

Health

This Budget funds an additional 1200 doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to work for Queensland Health. Locally our health services provide a myriad of primary health care to Pine Rivers residents and I would like to congratulate them on the work they do. Last week I visited the Pine Rivers Community Health Centre and was impressed with the dedication of the workers and the excellent services they provide.

Local health services will receive a further substantial boost, with construction to commence on the new Children’s Emergency Service at The Prince Charles Hospital at Chermside.

This Budget delivers on our commitment to build this service, as part of a wider $140 million project to provide faster emergency care in our hospitals.

This service, to be completed in 2012, will be great news for local families, with world class emergency care available closer to home.

In addition, over $3.4 million will be allocated to complete the broader upgrade to The Prince Charles Hospital.

There is also funding for employing staff involved in nutrition, physical activity, alcohol, child health and sexual and reproductive health screening services to support the implementation of the Queensland Strategy for Chronic Disease.

In this Budget, the Treasurer has announced a new initiative to assist Queenslanders who suffer from chronic pain, with a new four-year $39 million initiative to provide four new persistent pain clinics.

There is also a new initiative to double the number of cochlear implants for children who suffer from hearing loss and we will be expanding children’s hearing services over the next four years.

Giving Queenslanders a helping hand

The Queensland Government is committed to helping ease cost of living pressures on working families, pensioners and Queenslanders doing it tough.

We are changing CTP insurance to save motorists money. By preventing motor dealers from receiving commissions and removing the HIH levy, we will reduce costs by around $24.

There is an increase to the South East Queensland Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme-up to $100 cash back for eligible pensioners from July this year.

To help reduce power bills the government is providing a Solar Hot Water Rebate of either $600 or $1000 when residents install a new system or heat pump. The Solar Bonus Scheme continues to provide 44 cents per kilowatt-hour for all surplus electricity fed back into the Queensland from roof-top solar PV panels grid.

There is more cash back for pensioners’ power bills-the government has already increased the rebate available to $190 per year, and from 1 July this year it will increase to around $216.

This Budget provides a new Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Commission Scheme which will provide a rebate to assist with the electricity costs for eligible concession card holders with a medical condition who have a dependence on air-conditioning to regulate body temperature.

We will continue our ClimateSmart Home Service which allows residents to speak to the experts to explain what steps people can take to save on power bills. Participants can save up to $325 annually on power bills. I must say, I have had this done at my place and the results are astounding. The monitor also serves as a reminder when you have left appliances running like the water booster. I highly recommend that people take advantage of this service.

This government continues to provide half price travel for pensioners and students using buses, trains and ferries, half price car registration fees for pensioners, discount taxi travel for people with a disability, and public transport users can save up to 30 per cent on public transport just by buying and using a go card.

We continue to fund a rebate of up to $180 for pensioners each year on their council rates. The Queensland Government’s Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme provides a subsidy equal to 20 per cent (up to a maximum of $180 each year) of the gross rates and charges levied by a local government.

Mr Deputy Speaker

The Bligh Labor Government is focused on continuing with our economic strategy and delivering services and assistance to Queenslanders. We will continue with our massive infrastructure building program, we will continue creating and preserving jobs, we will continue providing tax breaks for employers of apprentices and trainees and first home buyers, we will continue to have the lowest payroll tax in the nation and we will continue to ensure that the Pine Rivers electorate is included in our government initiatives.

I commend the Budget to the House.