Mr PETER BESSELING (Port Macquarie) [1.52 p.m.]: On 13 November 2009, while I was attending the annual golf tournament presentation night on the beautiful World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, the island's powerhouse, which houses the diesel-fired generators, was badly damaged by fire. Local residents, State Emergency Service [SES] volunteers and I worked throughout the next morning to secure the on-site generators from further damage and to put in place some protection from the wild weather—winds and rain—that often frequents the island.

It is important to understand the impact that this fire could have had on the health and safety of local residents as well as visitors to the island that filled the accommodation venues as a result of the golf tournament. Lord Howe Island lies 550 kilometres due east of Port Macquarie and relies solely upon the island's generators for electricity. Any permanent damage to the generators would have had an impact on the availability of potable water and the management of septic waste, and would have led to the inevitable consequence of evacuation of the entire island. That situation was avoided only by the quick actions of nearby residents and fire volunteers.

Following the fire the State Emergency Service's operations controller determined the situation on Lord Howe Island to be an emergency under the State Emergency and Rescue Act 1989. This determination was revoked following initial stabilisation works and replacement of the roof. The State Emergency Service's operations committee sent three New South Wales Government engineering and building specialists to the island on 15 November 2009 to inspect the powerhouse. Following that inspection a plan was developed to safeguard against collapse of the building and ensure the continuous supply of power to the island.

Due to the isolation of the island community the arrangement of temporary power generation while the damaged generators were being repaired was not a simple task—or an inexpensive exercise. Costs for that aspect of power management alone totalled nearly $90,000. The Treasury Managed Fund, which is the self-insurance scheme that is owned and underwritten by the New South Wales Government, approved the appointment of the Government Architect's Office to inspect the building and determine costs associated with repair of the existing building, or its replacement with a new structure. A structural engineer inspected the building on 20 November and finalised a report on the structure on 24 March 2010—some four months after the fire. The report noted:

... that the remaining building is not structurally sound and is unsuitable for repair as the vertical timber stud framing was damaged by fire. As a consequence it is not considered feasible to simply repair the existing building fabric. A preferred strategy would be to re-build the external walls and roof while utilising the existing concrete slab and maintaining the generator plant and associated equipment.

Upon visiting Lord Howe Island last week, I was extremely disappointed to note that not only has the powerhouse not been rebuilt, but also that there is currently no confirmed time frame within which reconstruction will occur. The current state of disrepair of the island's powerhouse creates a great number of issues for the local island community. It is beyond comprehension that a piece of infrastructure that is so vital to an isolated community remains in a vulnerable state due to the temporary nature of many of the works that are in place to ensure that the building does not collapse.

There remains no internal wiring for lighting, and internal timber bracing and Acrow props are the only measures in place to hold up the ceiling. The building is located in an environment that already has been the subject of a tsunami warning this year and regularly is impacted upon by severe weather patterns, such as cyclonic winds and storms. As a result of concerns relating to airborne materials from the damaged building an air monitoring system costing nearly $3,500 a month has been in place since December 2009. That is impacting upon not only the time and efforts of the Lord Howe Island Board's staff but also the cost to government. This system alone has cost over $38,000 to date.

The impact upon amenity of this important tourist and environmental jewel in the New South Wales crown cannot be underestimated. Local cafés, businesses and community facilities are being adversely impacted upon by the constant drone from a building that is devoid of any soundproofing material and that produces noise significantly greater than the noise experienced prior to the powerhouse being damaged. Given that the peace and tranquillity of the island is a major drawcard for tourists, the noise of the on-site generators is of great concern to local business operators.

Rebuilding the powerhouse offers a perfect opportunity for the generators to be relocated from their current position, which is arguably the prime viewing and community location on the island, to a less obtrusive position within the same site. I call upon the State Government to resolve the situation by replacing the Lord Howe Island powerhouse as a matter of urgency lest this shameful 12-month anniversary stretch into the new year.

Ms ANGELA D'AMORE (Drummoyne—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.57 p.m.]: I thank the member for Port Macquarie for his strong advocacy on behalf of his community on Lord Howe Island. We all know that Lord Howe Island has World Heritage significance and status. The issues the member has addressed are of great importance not only to the local community but also to the Minister. The member for Port Macquarie is correct in stating that the NSW Government Architect's Office has been engaged to undertake an assessment of the structure, which was badly damaged by fire in November 2009. He is also correct in stating that it is vitally important to proceed to construction of the new building to prevent severe weather impacts significantly interrupting a supply of power to the island. The Government Architect's Office commissioned a report, and the report has identified that the existing structure is not suitable for rebuilding; demolition and rebuilding to current standards are required.

I am pleased to report to the member for Port Macquarie, whose electorate includes the Lord Howe Island community, that the Minister has advised me, as the Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Police and Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, that he is arranging a meeting for Thursday 25 November 2010 to address the outstanding issues regarding the insurance claim and to determine a course of action that will resolve the situation as soon as possible. I am sure the member for Port Macquarie will be part of the discussions and will be able to report to the Lord Howe Island community very soon on a suitable outcome. I thank the member for Port Macquarie for drawing the attention of the House to this important matter.
 

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