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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-12 Daily Xml
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ASHFORD ELECTORATE, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:23): In my grievance speech today I would like to talk about an issue that is very dear to me, and that is the difference between information sharing and consultation. As an industrial advocate, one of the test cases I coordinated for the United Trades and Labor Council was the termination change and redundancy case, which was a flow-on from the National Australian Council of Trade Unions case in employment. This was, admittedly, in the mid-1980s and it was important to establish—and still is, in my view—workers' rights and entitlements in a turbulent and changing employment market.

Although some awards and industrial agreements provided for workers when they had been made redundant or there had been major changes in the workplace (such as amalgamation, rationalisation and restructuring), most of the industrial provisions did not make that allowance.

I have been reminded of the difference between consultation and information sharing in the past few weeks, particularly with regard to some infrastructure projects that are happening in the electorate of Ashford. As much as I am pleased to see those infrastructure projects happening—and I compliment the government on that—I have been to a number of community meetings and information sharing in relation to those projects, particularly with regard to the tram overpass project.

Certainly I congratulate the department on conducting these information sessions, and I congratulate the minister on making this part of the philosophy with regard to big projects. Of course, the problem is that the residents, like workers, know the difference between information sharing and consultation. This has been evident in the case of residents living along the tramline, particularly those living in Glengyle Terrace and Norman Terrace—the site of the proposed tram overpass.

The community around Blackforest Primary School should also be mentioned. They are concerned about traffic management on South Road and the school crossing just before the Gallipoli Underpass. In both these examples, the community has been not only patient while being inconvenienced in many cases—and will be even more inconvenienced as the project gets underway—but also positive in relation to changes in local surrounding areas—even taking on the chin that tram stop No. 6 will be temporarily closed until the overpass project is completed. It would be fair to say that the community is being very reasonable and positive in this case.

As the local member, it is my view that the challenge will be in the response. In my view, it will be consultation—harking back to my industrial relations' experience—if the issues and suggestions raised at the community meetings are taken seriously, responded to and, where possible, acted on. I will give one example. At the Blackforest Primary School meeting last night, a number of suggestions were made to ensure the safety of the school community and local residents at the crossing on South Road. It would be fair to say that these suggestions did range from what one would call in industrial terms the high ambit stakes right down to the practical and less expensive ideas.

One of the major proposals that came from the meeting was that Blackforest Primary School should have an improved footbridge, similar to that which Pulteney Grammar students enjoy on South Terrace. Practical suggestions were also made by the school crossing monitors, who said that if the pedestrian crossing was widened motorists would have to stop at a greater distance from the people crossing the road—which seemed to be a good suggestion. Another suggestion was that a permanent speed camera be placed either side of South Road, as well as extra red light time. In my view, these are all practical suggestions and I hope the department responds.

Time expired.

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