BEULAH PARK FIRE STATION

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the new Beulah Park Metropolitan Fire Service Station.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: You never like good news. You must go to bed at night gritting your teeth thinking, 'Another good day for the Labor government. They make us look so incompetent.' It must frustrate you to do death. From this side you look like a mob of incompetent yobbos.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: This morning the minister opened another—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: You do not like good news. Once again—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: You ought to hear what your own party says about you out in the corridors. They call you a goose.

The PRESIDENT: Order! There will be no gooses here.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Thank you, Mr President. This morning the minister opened another new MFS station. As part of the ongoing program of improving resourcing—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Beulah Park—is that all too much for you in the eastern suburbs? Is this the best you can do? You wonder why you look like such losers.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley will disregard the interjections from the opposition.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. This is supposed to be part of an explanation, not an excuse for the honourable member to throw insults across the chamber while on his feet.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lensink does not have a point of order because her colleagues behind her were as much to blame as the Hon. Mr Wortley.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:42): If members opposite are so excited because someone makes a slip of the tongue, they must lead very boring lives—very sad. This morning I was—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: This morning I was delighted to open the new $3.9 million station on The Parade at Beulah Park. The station will replace the ageing Glynde station. This project finished on time and on budget. We are getting very good at bringing new stations on line, which is good as construction is soon to start on the $4.4 million station at Paradise, due for completion next year. Those two projects alone represent an $8 million commitment to the MFS and community safety in our north-eastern suburbs.

The local member, the member for Norwood (Ms Vini Ciccarello), championed very strongly for this project. This morning I was joined by Vini and other members of parliament, chief officers and representatives from local government and, of course, most importantly, the firefighters themselves who use this wonderful facility. I also acknowledge that the Hon. Stephen Wade was present in his capacity as spokesperson for emergency services. I am glad that he joined me in the good news. A project such as this requires the willingness of all parties, and I would like to thank the United Firefighters Union, its state council and its secretary, Mr Greg Northcott, for their cooperation. The station itself is state-of-the-art.

Its design has the latest environmentally sustainable design features, including 71 grid-connected solar panels on the roof and water recycling systems, including a 20,000 litre underground storage tank which can be used for firefighter training and more general purpose use. The construction of the station was achieved with environmentally sustainable building material, such as a polished block internal wall finish which has a high thermal rating and which requires minimal maintenance. As I said, the MFS and SAFECOM project team is getting very good at station construction on time and on budget. We have new stations at Renmark, Elizabeth and Golden Grove. Further new stations are to be built at Paradise, Seaford and Port Lincoln.

Last week I also sought approval to bring forward a budget announcement to fund 22 additional firefighters for the north eastern suburbs, with funding committed for 22 additional firefighters for the Seaford station when that station is constructed. I would like to thank all involved in bringing this project to fruition, and I wish the firefighters who serve in it safe service.