Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Howard government believes strongly in sharing the dividends of the strong economy that we have been able to create for the benefit of all Australians through hard work and effort and without any assistance from the Australian Labor Party over the last 10 or 11 years. Recently I had the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources visit Graceville State School and we told the students there about the fact that they as a school are able to access up to $50,000 in green vouchers to help them install solar hot-water panels, water retention systems or water tanks. Given that the Queensland government had in fact abandoned its rebate on solar hot-water panels and this government has doubled its rebate, it is pretty obvious who has the greater commitment to the environment. Sherwood AFL have already made full use of the Commonwealth water grants, installing a 200,000-litre tank system. Yeronga Bowls Club have done the same thing. Graceville Croquet Club want to do it as well and I am fully supporting Jim Bakker and his team there in their efforts.

But of course the big concern I have—and given that something like 80 per cent of the year 6 and year 7 students who met Minister Turnbull and I put up their hands when we asked the question: ‘Do you have a water tank at home?’ and there would be a lot of people in my area who would be very concerned about this too—is that the legal opinion is very straight. The Queensland government can seize the water that comes off people’s roofs, store it in water tanks and use it as they see fit. There is no clear guidance from the Queensland government about the ownership of the water. The legal advice is that it actually does come under government control, so it is absolutely important that Anna Bligh, the new Queensland Premier—never elected but nevertheless anointed—in fact clarify very quickly what is going on there.

The other failures of the Queensland government to properly invest in our local schools are breathtaking. I now have schools seeking money to expand their administrative blocks because the Queensland government will not do that work. We have already had things like the covered walkways installed at Graceville State School for $136,000. Sherwood State School received $150,000 for air conditioning. Tennyson Special School, which looks after kids with difficulties and disabilities, received $132,000 for special learning areas. Rocklea State School, a country school in the middle of the city, has received the best part of $100,000 for everything from upgrading their sporting facilities to computer equipment and air conditioning—and this is a school of only 70 kids. Parents would never have been able to contribute that money. Milpera State High School received $149,000 for air conditioning and fixing up their canteen facilities. Yeronga State School received $73,000, and the Yeronga State High School received $135,000 for air conditioning. Money also went to ICT.

The point I make is that the money that has come from the Australian government’s Investing in Our Schools Program is being invested in our schoolchildren, invested in our future. As the federal Labor Party plans to expand the road network and put more trucks and traffic on Oxley Road and Fairfield Road, I am going to stand very firmly in the corner of local residents against Labor’s stupid plans.