Premier's journal - November 2009
Eco-tourism opportunity
25 November 2009
Lamington National Park, Green Mountain.
Today I announced a new plan to put Queensland's best environmental assets on show in the growing eco-tourism market.
The Queensland Government will be seeking expressions of interest from private investors to establish low-impact eco-tourism holiday accommodation in or adjacent to seven national parks throughout the state.
Semi-permanent safari tents and new infrastructure will boost tourism in some of our state's most beautiful locations while protecting the precious environments.
Introducing more people into our national parks will not only be a major boost for tourism, it will help to build awareness about conservation, and encourage more people to appreciate and respect our incredible natural environment.
This proposal will create new opportunities for tourism, jobs, investment and allow everyday people to get out there and enjoy the best of what Queensland has to offer.
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Keeping drivers safe
25 November 2009
This week cabinet approved draft laws to be introduced in February 2010 to reduce the alcohol limit for P-plate and learner drivers regardless of their age to zero.
These new laws will ensure that the 65,000 P-plate drivers that are over 25 are also required to have a zero blood alcohol content.
Importantly this is about keeping Queenslanders safe in their early years of driving regardless of how old they are.
We know that early drivers are novice drivers. They are more likely to find themselves in some form of trouble and it's much better that they are doing that without a blood alcohol content.
We have to make every effort to keep Queensland drivers safe.
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Kindergarten roll out begins
25 November 2009
We made an election commitment to roll out 240 kindergartens right across Queensland over the coming years and the first one will open at Moorooka State School in 2010.
This is the single largest roll out of kindergartens ever in Queensland's history, increasing kindergarten education by 60 per cent.
This $321 million investment is giving Queensland kids a real flying start to their education.
It's also creating 2500 construction jobs and 900 teaching and administration jobs once all kindergartens are operational by 2014.
We know the early years are critical and that's why we want to ensure that all children have access to a quality kindergarten program.
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The Search for the Centaur
23 November 2009
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and I have announced $4 million in funding for the search for the Centaur.
We expect the search will start in mid December by Defence Maritime Services' vessel, the Seahorse Spirit.
The sinking of the Centaur, a hospital ship during World War II, is one of Australia's worst maritime disasters and it's a major part of Queensland's military and social history.
This search is very good news for the many people who lost loved ones, friends and family in the sinking of the Centaur in May 1943.
And if we can find this ship it will bring peace to those people, it will allow us to appropriately mark the site with a memorial and also allow us to protect the site from commercial and other inappropriate activities over time.
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Greener, cleaner, cheaper technology
23 November 2009
Townsville is now home to a cutting edge, world-class algal bio-fuel research and development facility, situated at James Cook University.
This technology gives us the chance to recycle CO2, reducing carbon emissions, while producing 14,000 litres of oil from algae.
It's great news for regional Queensland and we can feel very proud of the quality of research that’s happening in Townsville.
Not only does this put Townsville on the international green technology map, but shows the Smart State taking action to prevent climate change.
Sitting here in the backyard of the Great Barrier Reef, we need to take our fragile environment seriously and this facility provides protection and a potential solution to carbon abatement.
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Population growth
20 November 2009
Our population continues to grow in record numbers with more than 100,000 new residents calling Queensland home every year, putting particular pressure on South East Queensland (SEQ).
We can't close down the state borders and we can't dictate how many babies people have.
But we can try and spread the growth more evenly around the state and support regional prosperity at the same time.
That's why this week I announced we are looking at new ways to encourage people to settle in regional areas.
A proposed $3000 boost to the first homeowners grant for those settling outside SEQ is among a raft of initiatives the government is investigating as we look at ways to manage growth.
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Wage rise for Queensland teachers
12 November 2009
Teachers are at the forefront of improving education for our kids and that's why the state government has brokered a billion dollar boost for teachers across Queensland.
We have taken the latest step in modernising and reforming our education system by reaching an agreement with the Queensland Teachers' Union to boost all teachers' pay by 12.5 per cent over three years.
This means graduate teachers will be the highest paid in the country by 2011, receiving just under $57,000 in their first year of teaching. It means higher wages for new teachers, experienced classroom teachers and principals.
The agreement is consistent with our need for a public sector wage restraint, but provides some prudent additional investment at targeted points in the career structure.
I'm committed to improving the state's education system, and this deal delivers a system that lets us recruit, reward and retain the best people to teach our kids and support our parents and schools across the state.
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Delivering an open and accountable Queensland
12 November 2009
We're leading the nation with our integrity and accountability reform drive.
Sweeping reforms I announced this week mean Queensland will be the most open and accountable system of government in Australia.
The reforms include Australia's first ever ban on success fees for third party lobbyists, expanding and improving the independence of the Integrity Commissioner, expanding the jurisdiction of the CMC to cover Government Owned Corporations and overhauling political donations with the implementation of a $1,000 cap by the middle of next year if the Commonwealth doesn't act.
We'll also implement a live online people's Question Time so that Queenslanders can ask myself and other ministers questions about the issues that matter to them.
We're leading the way and I'm committed to ensuring we stay ahead of the pack on this important issue.
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Climate Change
6 November 2009
Tony Blair introduces Anna Bligh's Climate Conference.
Request text transcript
Climate change is the biggest issue facing the world today and as a state, Queensland is among one of the world's highest polluters. Because of our historic reliance on fossil fuels and our sensitive environment, we're also the state with the most to lose from the impacts of global warming. But, there are many simple ways that we can make a difference and reduce our carbon footprint – and the easiest way is to use less power. Simply turning off the lights as you leave the room, or choosing to catch public transport instead of driving to work, all make a difference.
Queenslanders have already taken up the challenge to become cleaner and greener – and that was clearly demonstrated in our recent 'Big Switch' campaign. We gave away 1 million energy-efficient light bulbs to Queenslanders right around the state, saving a massive $11 million dollars on our power bills and 72 000 tonnes in carbon emissions. Similarly, through our Climate Smart Homes program more than 105 000 Queenslanders have had energy-efficient upgrades undertaken in their homes.
This week, I hosted the Climate Conference which brought together some of the world's best experts on climate change to talk about ways government and business can work together to tackle climate change. Former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, addressed the conference from overseas.
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Last updated Thursday, July 01, 2010
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