Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise tonight to update the people of Solomon on my rapidly approaching first 100 days as their representative in this place. During the course of the election I set out an ambitious plan should I be part of an Abbott-led government. Despite the outcome I find myself part of a vigorous, energetic and focused government-in-waiting.

Mr Speaker I have, as I promised the electorate, been working hard for them to do all I can to make the electorate of Solomon a better place to live. I would like to focus on a couple of key items in my 100-day plan, including my desire to excise the suburb of Eaton so that the empty houses at RAAF base Darwin can be made available to Territorians as soon as possible. As I have advised this House previously, this is a major issue in my electorate. We are facing a housing crisis and yet we have potentially 396 houses that could ease the burden. I gave this issue top priority in my first speech.

Since being elected I have written to the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence seeking meetings to discuss this very important issue. On 17 November, I hand-delivered a letter to the Prime Minister, asking for her immediate attention to this matter. Additionally, I have lobbied key Independents in the House of Representatives for their support. I am delighted with the support that I have received from my parliamentary colleagues and I am heartened that the community continues to support this cause. Through the ‘Save Eaton’ campaign and community group I am confident we can achieve a positive result.

The next issue is an engineering and implementation study for Darwin Harbour sewerage system. Darwin harbour is two-and-a-half times the size of Sydney Harbour. It is central to the people of Darwin. The community was absolutely outraged to learn that raw sewage enters through what is known locally as the ‘poo shooter’. I have raised this issue in the parliament and formally written to the federal minister for the environment outlining the importance of this project and requesting a meeting to discuss funding.

The next item close to my heart is the Natasha Griggs Mental Health Scholarship. This is a scholarship to be awarded to a person from my electorate of Solomon who is studying in the field of mental health. It is a $3,000 annual grant funded from my electorate allowance. This month I also attended the Menzies School of Health Research Oration to meet with keynote speaker Professor Patrick McGorry, and to hear his views on how we can expand mental health services in the Northern Territory.

The next and possibly the most ambitious of all my actions is the delivery of a PET scanner for the electorate of Solomon. Let me state quite categorically that there are those in the health profession who look at such a commitment from an economic perspective. In fact I have had a health administrator say to me, ‘I worry about the finances.’ My response to her was simply, ‘I worry about the people.’ And I do not accept that a city like Darwin should not have access to the latest and greatest medical equipment. To date I have raised this issue in the parliament and advised the Minister for Health and Ageing that I would continue to make representations requesting funding for this vital diagnostic and treatment tool as well as other medical tools and facilities that the electorate needs, for example, a new hospital.

There are many outstanding organisations and individuals in my electorate who make a significant contribution. I would like to take the remaining time to pay tribute to some of the now. The first is Rey Kristofer Dayap, a student from Darwin High School who has been highly commended for his piece ‘Rainbow’ in the Best Instrumental-Classical category of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s National Song Writing Competition for 2010. This competition is open to every primary and secondary student in Australia. I am delighted his talent was recognised nationally.

I am also pleased to advise the House that two Northern Territory construction companies were awarded national awards at the recent 2010 Master Builders Australia Awards. I extend my congratulations to C&R Constructions, who won the National Alterations/Additions/Renovations Award for projects between $250,000 and $400,000. C&R won the award for a renovation in the suburb of Fannie Bay where they actually took the top floor off a two-storey dwelling, rebuilt it and then renovated the ground floor. I extend my congratulations to Caleb and Karl Gotts for this award. (Time expired)