Page 1453 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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connection with the ACTEW corporate plan for 1989-93. In particular I note that Mrs Grassby has selected an interesting point arising from that report. I quote the Minister:
Canberra is a growing and ageing city -
may I stress "and ageing city" -
In the next 13 years there will be an increase of almost 100 per cent in people over 65 years of age.
Mrs Grassby: That is you and I, Hector.
DR KINLOCH: That is a lovely thought. The Minister went on to make the point that, as far as ACTEW is concerned, "this will have implications for the assistance schemes such as pensioner rebates and the need for easier access to services".
I was pleased to see that in the tabled report and also in the report itself; and I am sure all members of the Social Policy Committee are pleased to see this recognition of the long-range need for planning in these areas related to the aged and ageing, and others of course as well. We commend, therefore, the intention of ACTEW to be involved in social planning, and we hope that will not just be rhetoric but will be carried through fully.
I now turn to the April 1989 corporate plan, a well-produced and interesting document. Although well-produced, it is not super-glossy - on the edge of glossy but I think reasonably so. It provides much useful information, as has been indicated.
I would emphasise the same point that Mr Stefaniak made, and particularly draw the attention of members to the over-riding philosophy of ACTEW: "The overriding corporate philosophy recognises that first and foremost it is a customer oriented business enterprise". I ask members to note that comment "business enterprise". That is a very welcome statement, but immediately it needs to be tested against the actual performance of ACTEW. It is well said, we welcome it, I am sure everyone welcomes it, but is the authority fully carrying that out?
I also turn, somewhat hesitantly in my case, to some of the charts and figures on pages 14 to 20, and I recognise some of the good things in those charts. May I especially wonder though about the question of targets - targets on the continuity of electricity supply, the reliability of water supply and of sewerage systems. I am puzzled by some of these targets which seem to expect considerable percentages of failures to provide services. I will not go through the details - they are on pages 14, 15 and 16, which you can see for yourselves - but let me take the example of sewerage. This is the one that says "reliability of sewerage systems" and indicates that the
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