Mr WETTENHALL (23 April 2009) (11.56 pm): I would like to advise the House on the outcome of two key election commitments for Barron River made during the 2006 election campaign that have now been delivered.

The first was to upgrade the Smithfield Police Station. This $1.3 million has
transformed the station into a state-of-the-art facility required for policing in the 21st century. The refurbishment includes new conference rooms, holding cells, breath analysis apparatus, fully equipped interview rooms and new interior fittings to improve operational efficiencies. The refurbishment provides much-improved working conditions for police and, very importantly, enables police to reduce the time taken to transfer offenders to Cairns Police Station so that police can be back on the beat faster than ever before.

Over the past 2½ years I have supported calls for extra police in Cairns and have lobbied for this outcome in the Barron River electorate, so I am delighted with the decision to allocate an additional two police officers at Smithfield to take up their work in these first-class new facilities.

The other 2006 election commitment delivered in Barron River that I am particularly pleased about is new sporting facilities in the Freshwater Valley at Redlynch. Redlynch is one of the fastest growing communities in Queensland and now boasts new sports fields and courts for Australian Rules football, rugby league and netball funded by a $900,000 grant by the state government matched by a similar
amount from the Cairns Regional Council. The project was made possible by a unique collaboration between the state government, the Cairns Regional Council and St Andrews Catholic College, on whose land the facilities have been built for the benefit of the entire community. I congratulate the vision and determination of all who were involved in bringing that project to reality.

The other announcement which I want to briefly mention is a major refurbishment of science laboratories at Smithfield State High School. This $1.273 million project will completely refit all existing science labs in the school to provide the high-quality facilities and modern equipment that students need to achieve their best and to prepare them for careers in science. First-class science facilities in schools will
play an important part in encouraging students to pursue science and help to arrest the decline in students taking science as an option. Improved police facilities are going to make our community safer.

New sporting facilities are going to make our community happier and healthier, and new science facilities will contribute to making our communities smarter.