Mr VASTA (Bonner) (19:55): Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your recent elevation to that office. It is with great pleasure tonight that I inform the House and the community and sporting groups in my electorate of Bonner of the fantastic opportunities available to them through the Stronger Communities Program. The coalition are committed to local communities. We understand the importance of creating opportunities to support local community and sporting groups, and that is precisely what we are doing through this suite of grants. In the last few weeks, I have had the privilege of being present at the openings of the Mount Gravatt Men's Shed's incredible new extension, the Gumdale and District Progress Association's new car park and the St Paul's Uniting Sporting Club's new clubhouse.

These wonderful upgrades will serve the local community for many years to come and are evidence of this government's commitment to sporting and local community groups. The Stronger Communities Program gives our local community the opportunity to apply for small capital works grants to upgrade areas across Bonner, such as town halls, sporting infrastructure like turf, change rooms, canteens and so on. The applications have now opened, and the Bonner community steering committee has been established to help assess worthy applications, so I am encouraging organisations in Bonner to get on board now. I have already received wonderful feedback from local group executive members who have wholeheartedly thrown their support behind this initiative and are eager to apply. Eligibility requirements have been designed to be simple and wide ranging, meaning there is scope for a huge variety of groups and clubs to apply. To be eligible, groups need to be listed as not for profit and have an ABN.

There is no doubt about the wide-ranging benefits of engaging positively with local groups. In Bonner, sporting clubs and community organisations are the beating heart of the community. They offer a space to fill the void of social isolation, they provide a platform to allow our volunteers to showcase their skills and, most importantly, they are eyes and ears on the ground, plugged into the needs and aspirations of my constituency in an intimate and ongoing way. I rely on my community groups as a source of information and to fill the cracks that people can slip through at times. This is why it is so important to adequately support them. I am proud to be a part of a government that asks those who know best how to spend their tax dollars, rather than having a paternalistic approach that tells them what they ought to spend their tax dollars on. I am also proud to support the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, who recognises the importance of our local groups and has worked hard to make sure they are looked after. The assistant minister understands the value of our local community.

I am really excited to see the support of government being extended to the hardworking volunteers of Bonner. For those Bonner groups and clubs interested in applying, please contact my office for more information on how to apply and details of upcoming information sessions that I will be hosting. Debate interrupted.

I rise today to acknowledge the hard work of small businesses in my electorate of Bonner.

Each and every day small businesses across Bonner put their own skin into the game and rely upon nothing but their own ingenuity, ideas and hard work to see a future for themselves and for their families. Measures such as the instant asset write off and the reduction in the company tax rate support business and aim to make what at times can be the risky venture of opening and operating a small business a little easier.

This government is the government for small businesses. Many of us on this side of the House understand small business because we come from small business. We understand that real, lasting jobs come from the expansion of small- and medium-sized businesses.

Once again, thank you to the small businesses in my electorate. I commend them to the House.

I rise today to update the House on plans to install closed-circuit TV cameras at Minnippi Parklands in my electorate of Bonner. Minnippi Parklands form an iconic green space in the centre of Bonner that thousands of my constituents access regularly.

The park includes a variety of amenities, and many community groups, such as the Tingalpa Model Aero Club, also use the grounds as a meeting place. To ensure the safety and the ongoing popularity of the park, CCTV cameras will be installed on site throughout the park. Queensland police have identified a need for CCTV cameras and have recognised that cameras are an efficient means of criminal deterrence.

Construction and maintenance arrangements are now being finalised, with the construction to proceed very soon. I would like to say a big thank you to the Tingalpa Model Aero Club for their assistance, as well as to the Brisbane City Council and, in particular, my good friends Councillor Schrinner and Councillor Murphy for the support that they have provided for me in the rollout of this plan. I commend the construction to the House.

Mr VASTA (Bonner) (13:40): I rise today with extremely good news for commuters who travel between Brisbane and Redland City in and around my electorate of Bonner. Traffic congestion on certain roads between Brisbane and the Redlands can be a real problem at peak hour. Many people who live and work in my electorate can tell you this. Just take a trip into the city via Rickertt Road and Green Camp Road during morning rush hour and you will quickly understand why motorists have been calling for upgrades to this area for some time. That is why I am happy to report that all three levels of government have agreed to work together to fix congestion and traffic problems between Brisbane and the Redlands.

On 11 May, I, along with my fellow government representatives, attended the first Redlands and Brisbane Transport Working Group meeting. We discussed the most pressing transport and infrastructure issues that affect both cities. It was the first step in what will be a major new undertaking to improve our shared transport infrastructure. I would like to thank my fellow members on the working group—Redland City councillors Julie Talty, Paul Gleeson and Paul Bishop; Brisbane City Councillor for the Doboy Ward, Ryan Murphy; the state member for Capalaba, Don Brown; the state member for Cleveland, Mark Robinson; the state member for Redlands, Matt McEachan; the state member for Chatsworth, Steve Minnikin; and my good friend the federal member for Bowman, Andrew Laming—for the insight and encouragement they have shared so far.

I rise today to speak on one of the most important issues in my electorate of Bonner. This issue is a lack of fast and reliable internet broadband. I am here to update the House on broadband access in Bonner, and the progress of the NBN rollout in my electorate. I will also speak on the technology that will help bring high-speed, reliable broadband to my constituents sooner, at less cost.

I have spoken many times in this chamber on this pressing matter. It pains me to stand here today with many fresh stories from residents and businesses who are struggling to access the world-class broadband that is essential for so many things these days.

Just the other day I heard the story of a father of two who lives in Mansfield. He tells me since he moved there ten years ago, his internet service has gone from bad to worse. Incredibly slow download speeds and regular dropouts are the daily norm, he says. It’s caused untold frustration for the whole household. His wife needs it for work on her PhD and for the days she works from home. His two children need it for their high school work. Not to mention daily activities that need a stable internet connection, like paying bills online or accessing government services.

And that’s the thing with internet broadband. It’s not a luxury that can wait—it’s a must-have in today’s increasingly tech-driven world. The Coalition understands this. On the other hand, Labor overpromised and under-delivered, as though people could afford to just hold out for years on end.

Many suburbs including those in my electorate lagged behind as a result. Carindale, Wishart, Mansfield, Wynnum West, Manly West, Wakerley and Rochedale to name just a few.

I have contacted telecommunications representatives in my area more times than I would like, on behalf of my constituents who can’t even access basic ADSL services. The NBN was supposed to be the cure-all for this from the start. Instead Labor let down the people of Bonner spectacularly.
 
Madam/Deputy Speaker, the Coalition couldn’t let the NBN go on the way it was under Labor. It would’ve cost $73 billion, $29 billion more than claimed. It would’ve increased prices for consumers by up to 80 per cent. And we would have had to wait until 2024 for it to be finished. Almost a decade, when we’re already behind much of the world.
 
Now under the Coalition’s plan, the NBN will be completed faster using a multi-technology mix. I’m pleased to report that a large number of residents and businesses in Bonner will benefit from this revised rollout strategy. It matches the right technology to the right location, making use of existing networks where possible to deliver superfast broadband. Under this model, areas with poor broadband will receive upgrades several years sooner.
 
This is great news for my Bonner constituents. Especially considering around 77 per cent of premises in my electorate are already passed by the existing HFC network, which NBN Co will be utilising to deliver superfast broadband. This means a quicker and more efficient rollout of the NBN in Bonner.
 
Further to that, NBN Co has announced it will be among the first in the world to deploy next-generation HFC technology in 2017. Users will be able to access download speeds of 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds of 100 megabits per second, where offered by their retail service provider. This will be a huge step up.

Clearly, the Coalition has put the NBN back on the right track. Under our plan, all Australians will be receiving first-rate, high-speed, reliable broadband in less time at less cost to taxpayers. In particular, the Coalition has prioritised those who were underserved by the previous government. We recognise that residents and businesses cannot afford to wait for the NBN.

I would like to also thank my colleague Malcolm Turnbull for the excellent job he has done turning the NBN around. He took a project that was way off-track and off-budget and reshaped it to ensure more areas in need receive fast, affordable broadband. The NBN will now be completed in a much timelier and more cost-effective manner. My Bonner constituents will reap the benefits of the Minister’s good work.

I look forward to seeing those in my electorate get the world-class broadband they deserve. I will continue to work with NBN and telecoms representatives to ensure this is achieved in a fast and efficient manner.

I would like to commend a grassroots action group in Bonner for their dedication to protecting residents and wildlife in Gumdale and Wakerley. The No Telstra Tower near Gumdale School group was formed out of a concern over a proposed mobile phone tower site.

I have spoken previously in this chamber about the great work that the No Towers Near Guardian Angels group had made, and now the No Telstra Tower near Gumdale School group has also done an excellent job in raising awareness of this issue. They have encouraged more accountability from Telstra. Just recently they held a community meeting that was well attended despite short notice. This goes to show just how passionate people are in our electorate.

I share the group's uncertainty on the proposed tower's location. It is close to Gumdale State School, C&K Gumdale Community Kindergarten, Kindy Kapers Early Learning Centres at Wakerley and several private residences, as well as a protected koala habitat. I note that Telstra has shown it is willing to hear out concerns over its proposal. Telstra representatives have met with me recently to discuss the proposal at length. Tonight Telstra will also be holding a community information session for residents.

I recognise that measures to satisfy the concerns of a section of the community must be balanced with the wider community's need for improved mobile services. I am pleased that the actions of the No Telstra Tower near Gumdale School group have ensured a more balanced result for all involved. I applaud them for their commitment and hard work. I will continue to work with the group and with Telstra to achieve a desirable and practical outcome.

Madame/Deputy Speaker I wish to update the House on what the Government has achieved for small businesses in my electorate of Bonner, what we are further doing to help local businesses, and what services and initiatives are now available to businesses in Bonner.

I’m pleased to report that my Small Business Forum, which I hosted with Minister for Small Business the Honourable Bruce Billson on October 14, was a great success. A number of business owners and representatives turned up on the night, and it was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of so many new people, as well as catch up with old friends, and see many in the room forge new connections over their shared passion for business.

With my own small business background managing and operating a chain of restaurants, I know the hard work and long hours involved in running a small business. It is easy to empathise with the daily predicaments business owners face.

One of the major talking points of my Small Business Forum was the need to protect small business in cases of misuse of market power and unconscionable conduct. Attendees on the night responded positively to Minister Billson’s overview of the current Competition Policy Review chaired by Professor Ian Harper, the first comprehensive review of Australia’s competition law, policy and institutional framework in 20 years.

I thank Minister Billson for his update on the Harper Review, and for encouraging attendees to ensure their important voice is heard by making a comment or submission on the Harper Review Panel’s recently released Draft Report. I look forward to seeing the outcome of the Harper Review and for some positive outcomes for small businesses in my electorate.

Other important issues Minister Billson and I addressed at the Forum included cutting red tape for small businesses, and helping employers grow their businesses and create jobs.

The Government’s first Red Tape Repeal Day back in March was a major win for small business.

We removed more than 50,000 pages of unnecessary government regulation and legislation as part of our commitment to cut $1 billion a year in red and green tape costs. Our second Repeal Day took place yesterday and will mean more savings and benefits for small business.

Of course, I must also mention the biggest win for small businesses in Bonner this year: the repeal of the carbon tax. At my Small Business Forum I was extremely pleased to hear from business owners who have seen significant savings in their power bills since the carbon tax was abolished in June.

Treasury has estimated that, with the carbon tax gone, retail electricity prices should be around nine per cent lower and retail natural gas prices should be around seven per cent lower in 2014-15.

This is a great win for small businesses, particularly those who rely on cold storage – as Minister Billson shared at the Forum, refrigerant gas prices went up an incredible 400 per cent after the carbon tax was introduced. What a relief this giant impost on small business is now dead and buried.

Minister Billson also informed attendees at the Forum, some of whom expressed reservations about the $1,000 GST low-value exemption on imported goods, that the GST threshold was a key focus at the inaugural Small Business Ministers meeting earlier this month. I eagerly await further progress on discussions over lowering the GST threshold, which will help small businesses in Bonner against fierce overseas competition.

I am pleased that small businesses in Bonner are also benefitting from new, existing and upcoming services available to them that are continuing to evolve and improve.

I thank the Wynnum and Districts Chamber of Commerce for coming out to the Forum and inviting attendees to register with their Small Business Advisory Service. Through this free service, local businesses can access experienced mentors with strong business expertise, business and marketing planning advice, a referral service, and small group think tanks and Q & A panels on selected business topics.

I also thank those from the Manly Chamber of Commerce and Bayside Women in Business who attended the Forum. Manly Chamber of Commerce also does great work for small businesses in Bonner, while Bayside Women provides local women in business with networking opportunities as well as assistance with building and running a small business. I have also been involved in plans for a new community-oriented business hub in Wynnum that will be another great boost for Bayside businesses.

Many thanks go to Minister Billson for attending my Small Business Forum, and to those who turned up on the night. I very much appreciate those who took the time out of their busy schedules to discuss with the Minister and myself the issues most important to them. I will continue to fight on behalf of all small businesses in Bonner and to assist them in any way I can.

Thank you.

Madame/Deputy Speaker I rise to give an update on some of the positive outcomes that have been achieved in my electorate of Bonner.

As I have previously spoken about in this chamber, Bonner has benefited from a significant amount of Federal funding, and we have continued to deliver on our commitments to the area.

This month, I received the extremely good news that the Queensland RSL Manly-Lota Sub-Branch will be receiving $13,525 in Government funding. This will be provided under our restored Building Excellence in Support and Training, or BEST, grants programme.

The Manly-Lota RSL provides vital support to local veterans, and it’s wonderful to be able to supply this funding that will help the volunteers at Manly-Lota with their day-to-day work.

I am extremely proud of Bonner’s active veteran community and it was a privilege to attend services for Vietnam Veterans Day in August at the Wynnum RSL and also the Brisbane East Branch of the National Servicemen’s Association at the Manly Lota RSL Hall– it was a great honour to be asked to do a the Bible reading at the Brisbane East Branch’s service on the day.

On top of Manly-Lota’s BEST grant, the Government will also be providing $125,000 to Bonner under our ANZAC Centenary Local Grants programme. These funds will help local groups and organisations with projects and events that commemorate the coming ANZAC Centenary. I look forward to seeing these wonderful projects that have been set up to honour the Centenary being rolled out throughout Bonner.

This month has also seen the rollout of a number of Green Army projects in Bonner. The Government is now recruiting young people aged 17 to 24 to take part in rehabilitation projects in Mansfield, Wynnum North, Minnippi Parklands, Rochedale, and Carina. Local youths who sign up will be some of the first in Australia to take part in this crucial environmental initiative.

Several young people in Bonner have also benefited from individual grants to help them pay the costs of participating in state, national or international sporting competition. A total of 15 young sportsmen and women from Bonner, whom I was happy to nominate for funding, have received Local Sporting Champions grants of $500 to help cover their costs.

I was so happy to hear from Laura Tyson and her mother Dee about how the $500 grant she received helped her attend the World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Paris. I’m glad Laura was able to have this wonderful experience, and I look forward to helping many more young athletes like her in future.

 Primary school students across Bonner will benefit from $100 million that the Government is putting into its new Sporting Schools initiative over the next three years. From next year, local primary schools can apply for grant money that can be spent on their sporting activities throughout the year. I’m pleased that primary schools in Bonner will have these funds available to them to help their students into a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Students who would benefit include the wonderful boys and girls at St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, whom I was thrilled to meet with last month. They had some great questions for me about Australian politics and life in Parliament House. I thank them and their teachers for their insight and for a lovely morning out.

Following up my previous update, I am pleased to report that the improved safety measures at Minnippi Parklands in Tingalpa are going ahead smoothly.

We have provided $70,000 in funds to go toward safety measures that will include new CCTV cameras in the area.

I would like to thank the members of the Tingalpa Model Aero Club, who have given their time and assistance in implementing the new safety measures at the Parklands. They’re a great bunch who are doing their annual fly-in to Norfolk Island this October. I was happy to arrange some meetings for them for their time over there. I wish Allen Danvers and the rest of the TMAC team the best, and I look forward to hearing the outcomes of their trip.

Finally, I am so pleased to report that the volunteers at the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed have been doing well. Just last week I heard that five volunteers at the Shed have been working on an important G20 project. They are constructing a giant 3D “E”, which will be used to form a 25 metre-long sign of the word “BRISBANE” that will go on display in the lead-up to the G20 Cultural Celebrations later this year.

It’s great to hear the men at the Shed have taken a lot of satisfaction out of the project. It’s just one example of the great work the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed does, and I look forward to seeing what else they achieve, with the help of the $100,000 in funding we will be providing them.

 Thank you.

Madame/Deputy Speaker, I’d like to speak tonight about some major commitments the Coalition government has made in this years Budget for my electorate of Bonner. It pleases me to say, we have managed to fulfil our election promises to the people of Bonner and delivered funding for a number of key projects in the area.

Firstly, I am proud to say we have secured $100,000 for the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed. The Coalition government is investing this money to help the Men’s Shed build new facilities and upgrade its existing infrastructure. This is a big win for the Bonner community, in particular the men living in my electorate.

From the outstanding work of the Men’s Shed and its volunteers, the men of Bonner have the means to participate and interact within their local community.

I’ve been involved with the Men’s Shed for some years now. Two years ago I committed to securing this funding, so it’s with great pride that I make this announcement today. I have seen the Men’s Shed number of members grow to just over 275 as of this month. They’re a great group of men who’ve dedicated so much time and effort to support each other and those in the wider community.

I’m very pleased that the Coalition government is able to provide these funds to help the Men’s Shed continue to grow.

On top of these funds for the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed, the Coalition government has also approved funding for several other key community projects. We promised funds for these projects during the election campaign and I’m happy to say we have delivered with this year’s Budget.

Wewill be investing $70,000 to install new CCTV cameras in Tingalpa’s Minnippi Parklands. The Brisbane City Council and Queensland Police Service have been working tirelessly to improve safety throughout Bonner. I’m pleased that the funds provided by the Federal Coalition government will contribute to strong preventative measures that will help make the Minnippi Parklands a safer and more family friendly environment.

We are also providing $26,000 to the Gumdale District Progress Association. This money will allow the Gumdale Association to seal their car park at the Gumdale Progress Hall on New Cleveland Road in Gumdale.

The Coalition government is also providing a great deal of funding to go towards new recreation and sporting facilities in Mansfield. One of those facilities is the Mount Gravatt Sports and Recreation Club Sports Complex. I was very pleased to attend the opening of the Sports Complex earlier this year along with the Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss. The Sports Complex will greatly increase the number of sporting activities available to people in the area.

We are also providing $59,400 in funds to the St Pauls United Sporting Club for the first stage of construction of the Yandina Park Mansfield Clubhouse Facility in Wishart. This will go towards change rooms, public amenities, and a first aid and referees room for the new clubhouse.

As part of the Coalition government’s Green Army Program, the Bulimba Creek Catchment Committee will have a Green Army team deployed to help with floodplain enhancement and maintenance of the Manly Road Reserve, rehabilitation of wetland corridors and vegetation at Moreton Bay College, and additional work to protect and enhance the Lindum Wetlands.

It is always with the greatest pleasure that I announce funding for projects such as these in Bonner. I have been able to help a great number of people in my electorate in my time as a Member, and you could not meet a more friendly and hard-working group. I look forward to providing more assistance to the people of Bonner in the future, and in turn I thank them for their wonderful friendship and support over the years. 

To read Ross’ speech on the Hon Warrick Raymond Parer please click the link below:
 
Warrick Parer Speech