Mr WETTENHALL (Thursday 1 December 2011) (3.00 pm): Today I tabled a paper and e-petition with 2,978 signatures calling for restrictions on commercial net fishing in the Trinity Bay fishery. The petition was open for just four weeks. This fishery includes waters inshore of a line between False Cape and Taylor Point including the Barron River but excluding Trinity Inlet, which has previously been closed to commercial netting, and it includes most of the popular and accessible inshore areas favoured by recreational fishers, particularly those targeting barramundi.

Mr WETTENHALL (Wednesday 30 November) (10.39 pm): I rise to support the Civil Partnerships Bill. I hold a fundamental belief that all Australians, and therefore all Queenslanders, should be equal before the law. Over the years this parliament and other Australian parliaments, mostly led by Labor reforms, have progressively removed laws that discriminate. As a result of laws that protect and promote human rights and prohibit discrimination, Australia and Queensland have become immeasurably fairer, more tolerant and better societies. Yet there is this important piece of unfinished business. Under current Australian and Queensland law, same-sex couples cannot have their relationships recognised. Whilst the law of marriage is the province of the Australian parliament, this parliament can, and in my view should, provide an opportunity for same-sex couples to declare their relationships and have them registered and recognised under the law of this state. That is what this bill will achieve, and the time has come for it to be enacted.

Mr WETTENHALL (Thursday 17 November 2011) (2.32 pm): Every year over 500 Far North Queenslanders have to travel to Brisbane to access public urology services. I know this because many people have spoken to me about their experience. In some cases, patients fly to Brisbane for treatment and stay overnight and then fly back again for follow-up treatment five days later. They can do this every week for six weeks. Many of these patients are extremely unwell and their constant travel can be debilitating. Far northerners should be able to access urology services under the public health system closer to home, at Cairns Base Hospital. By providing urology services at Cairns Base Hospital, we can save urology patients the stress, inconvenience and expense of having to travel to Brisbane to undergo treatment and procedures.

Mr WETTENHALL (Wednesday 16 November) (10.42 pm): Last week I represented the sports minister in officially opening new sporting fields at Kuranda District State College, made possible with Bligh government funding of $260,000. The fields adjacent to the junior campus of the college will be available for use by the community as well as the school and will encourage participation in those great sports such as rugby, soccer and cricket. I am sure that other sports and community events will come to be held on the field as well.

Mr WETTENHALL (Tuesday 25 October 2011) (5.16 pm): I rise to speak in support of the Disaster Readiness Amendment Bill 2011. In part the bill seeks to implement a number of the recommendations of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry that handed down its interim report on 1 August 2011.

Whilst many of those recommendations related to issues in relation to the management of dams, particularly in South-East Queensland following the floods in that part of this state earlier this year over the summer period, a number of the recommendations relate to some wider issues in terms of the management of natural disasters throughout the state. It is to those that I will particularly refer. I thank the members of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry and all of the people who gave evidence to that inquiry. I acknowledge the good sense of requiring an interim report from that inquiry prior to the coming summer season, for obvious reasons.

 The recommendations go to improving our preparedness for another wet season when, as we know, our state can experience extreme weather events and that is what this legislation is aimed at.

Firstly, it is a significant improvement to the arrangements to expand the membership of the state disaster management group to include representatives of the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Red Cross. In the course of the debate other members have made reference to the important role that members of the Australian Defence Force played, particularly in the recovery phase after the floods and cyclone. Those of us resident in Far North Queensland witnessed firsthand the fine job done by members of the Australian Defence Force in assisting communities in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Yasi, which wrought widespread devastation and havoc throughout the area that it struck between Cairns and Townsville. I acknowledge their efforts and I acknowledge the good sense in including them in the state disaster management groups because of the experience they have gained over decades in assisting communities to deal with natural disasters.

It is also quite proper and appropriate that the Australian Red Cross is given membership of the State Disaster Management Group given the critical and vital role that it plays in assisting communities. I will say a little more about the Red Cross in a moment. It is also quite appropriate that the Bureau of Meteorology and Surf Life Saving Queensland have membership of this group. Both organisations are well known to Queenslanders. Their skill, expertise and experience in dealing with natural disasters is going to aid the work of the State Disaster Management Group.

I also commend the requirement in the bill that disaster management plans, at all levels—that is, state, district and local level—be published. One thing we know for sure is that, throughout Queensland, but particularly in those areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters, people want access to reliable information about how their communities are going to be managed during times of natural disaster. With the benefits of modern technology, having those disaster management plans made available online is certainly going to arm members of our communities with the information they need about how natural disasters are going to be managed in their communities. That is going to help them not only prepare for natural disasters but also recover from natural disasters. That can only enhance the overall effectiveness of the arrangements throughout the state.

So all three disaster management groups will be required to publish their disaster management plans on their relevant websites. That is a very welcome improvement.

I might mention that, following Cyclone Yasi, the Cairns Regional Council has issued revised, improved and much easier to understand maps that indicate which areas in the Cairns Regional Council area are vulnerable to flooding but particularly storm surge. As I have mentioned in the House on many occasions previously, there are a number of coastal communities in my electorate that are particularly vulnerable to storm surge. It is vital for those communities to have accurate, reliable and accessible information about the level of their vulnerability to storm surge at various different levels. It is absolutely vital. I commend the Cairns Regional Council for publishing that information this year. It is a significant improvement on the information that was available last year.

Whilst on the subject of the Cairns Regional Council, I want to acknowledge the role that the mayor, Councillor Val Schier, played during Cyclone Yasi.

Ms Boyle: She did a great job.

Mr WETTENHALL: I take the interjection from the member for Cairns. The mayor of the Cairns Regional Council, Val Schier, with the experience that she had in managing disasters, did a very fine and capable job in leading our community through one of the worst natural disasters that has struck the Cairns Regional Council area. Whilst some other people were writing in local newspapers about the mayor's hairstyle—

Ms Boyle interjected.

Mr WETTENHALL: I take the interjection from the member for Cairns. While the LNP candidate for the seat of Cairns was writing about the mayor's hairstyle, she was getting on with the job of managing a very serious crisis. She did it very capably. I want to acknowledge the role that she and her officers played during that crisis. What she did was ably lead the local disaster management group and ably lead her community.

There are some other provisions in the bill that I want to briefly mention that are very important. They are the new powers that are given to more effectively manage flooded roads. Every wet season in Far North Queensland we have roads that become flooded. Sadly, we have people who attempt to cross those flooded roads in their vehicles. Sometimes, as we witnessed over the summer period, that happens with tragic and fatal consequences. Beefing up powers in this legislation to allow the more effective enforcement of road closures and giving officers the power to enforce those through offence provisions is very important.

Only last week when we had heavy rain in the Cairns area we had reports of people attempting to cross flooded roads and being washed off. That happens for a number of reasons. There are some people who are ignorant of the risks. There are some people who are not ignorant of the risks but take those risks regardless. There are some people who make poor decisions and poor judgements in times of stress. The provisions of this bill that will enable more effective signage and closure of roads that are flooded are very important. Ultimately, it is going to save the resources of the people who manage our disasters and will also save lives.

I commend the bill to the House.