Tasmanian Parliament is finished for 2023 following a week of GBE hearings – here’s what we learnt
The parliamentary year has wrapped up with government business enterprise hearings, when MPs can examine state-owned businesses. Here’s what we learned.
Tasmania
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Parliament’s annual festival of scrutiny for Tasmania’s state-owned companies has ended after a four days of questioning for ministers, CEOs, CFOs and their like.
The Government Business Estimates Committee hearings are a chance for Tasmanians to find out what really goes on behind the scenes at major enterprises like Hydro, TT-Line TasWater and Aurora Energy.
Along with budget estimates committee hearings, it is one of the busiest weeks of the parliamentary year. Here are some of the highlights from the week:
Metro maintenance in the spotlight
The hearing focusing on Metro Tasmania was told public safety had not been at risk when a Metro bus serviced by unsupervised apprentices went out on the road.
Metro is currently in dispute with its mechanics amid negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement and contractors are being used to supplement employed staff.
Metro chairman Tim Gardner was asked whether he was aware of work done by apprentices working for an external contractor which had not been checked.
“One did go on the road, it was subsequently reviewed and there were no safety issues. But I know that is unacceptable,” he said.
Different minister, same troubled industry
The GBE hearing on Tasracing heard a police officer looking into a late-night crash, which injured four harness racing workers and killed four horses, was removed from the investigation two days after raising concerns about the industry’s fatigue problem.
RTI documents showed Tasracing CEO Andrew Jenkins went above the investigator’s head to a senior officer before telling senior Tasracing staff the matter was “all sorted”.
The hearing was told no fatigue management policy had been developed in the wake of the crash.
Minister Felix Ellis said his heart went out you the young racing workers involved.
The Committee heard the government had secretly extended the tenure of the director of the Office of Racing Integrity Justin Helmich by six months to March next year, despite the pending Murrihy review of the industry and a vote of no-confidence from industry participants.
Mac Point wastewater relocation cost still under wraps
Another round of GBE scrutiny hearings has come and gone without TasWater being able to name a cost for the relocation of the Macquarie Point wastewater treatment plant.
The plant must be moved to make way for development at the site, which now includes the proposed $715m stadium linked to the state’s AFL team.
Moving the plant was estimated at $140m in 2017, however the final cost is expected to be significantly higher.
This time last year TasWater declined to estimate a cost because it was about to go to market for construction bids.
This week, a cost prediction was again declined, because TasWater was “in the final stages of negotiating that price outcome”.
TasNetworks staff ‘suffering’
A TasNetworks staff survey unearthed allegations of sexual assault and bullying in the workplace, prompting a frank concession from the CEO that “our people are suffering”.
TasNetworks CEO Seán Mc Goldrick said the company received the results of the survey – which generated about 2000 comments from staff – on October 30 and that some of them “indicated the presence of psychosocial hazards that are of a very high level of concern”.
Duigan feels the heat over electricity bills
Less than two months into the job Energy Minister Nick Duigan faced scrutiny over electricity prices which have gone up more than 20 per cent in two years.
Labor highlighted the 14,000 customers in energy debt - an increase of 3000 people since last year.
Labor energy spokesman Dean Winter asked Mr Duigan to explain why the state government wouldn’t again cap electricity prices.
Mr Duigan said the Tasmanian Economic Regulator was the appropriate body to determine prices.
He said the state government had taken “unprecedented action” to help people in need to pay their bills.
Refuelling argy-bargy
Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson accused Franklin MP David O’Byrne of “troublemaking” over the refuelling woes of the Nuyina.
The Australian Antarctic Division’s new icebreaker can’t refuel in its home port of Hobart because it’s too big to go under the Tasman Bridge.
During the TasPorts estimates hearing Mr O’Byrne said he understood the AAD was looking at port facilities elsewhere because of the issue.
TasPorts chairman Stephen Bradford said he was confident Hobart had a long future at the home port for the RSV Nuyina.
A fuel barge is one of the options being considered to enable the Nuyina to refuel in Hobart
‘Forestry Tasmania’ offends
The Greens pursued Sustainable Timber Tasmania over its environmental record, including a Tasmanian devil apparently burnt in a regeneration burn and a widely publicised picture of a giant tree log being carted through Maydena.
However it was their use of the title “Forestry Tasmania” that upset STT chair Rob de Fegley.
As Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff continued to call the entity Forestry Tasmania, Mr de Fegley accused her of “bullying and harassment” and urged her to withdraw her comments.
Also during the hearing the state government announced a significant supply of hardwood plantation logs would soon be released to local sawmillers.
Those awkward conversations about Hydro bonuses
The bonuses paid to Hydro executives are rising as fast as Tasmanian power bills.
Hydro made a $168m profit and returned a $110m to the state government in 2022/23.
Tasmanian power bills went up 7.5 per cent in July – adding an extra $200 the average yearly energy bill
Nine out of ten Hydro executives received 80 per cent or more of the maximum bonus.
Labor’s energy spokesman Dean Winter asked Energy Nick Duigan if the bonuses were appropriate when electricity bills had risen so much.
Mr Duigan said executive remuneration was an issue for the board.
Shiploads of caravans and motorhomes
TT-Line made a profit of $8.6m for the year following on from a loss of $14m in the prior period.
This was driven by a 50 per cent increase in passengers from 284,000 in the prior year to over 450,000.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson said the Spirit of Tasmania ferries carried a total of 17,413 caravans and 11,903 motorhomes and campervans - also an increase of almost 50 per cent.
Originally published as Tasmanian Parliament is finished for 2023 following a week of GBE hearings – here’s what we learnt
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