Page 4974 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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I would like to say that it is a very proud achievement of this Labor Government that in the public housing program we have significantly increased the starts of new public housing units this year - a 60 per cent increase over last year's commencements. That is a very significant achievement in a tight budgetary time.
This is one of the few areas where we have drawn very modestly on our borrowing program. We have taken up some $6m worth of borrowings; but those borrowings have been very quickly returned to the community by way of real assets, in additions to public housing stock. That 60 per cent increase in the commencements program will go some way to remedying the obvious problem of an increased public housing waiting list. I think that is a significant achievement for which the Government is to be commended.
Mr Jensen and Mrs Nolan were making quite a number of remarks about facilities for Tuggeranong. While I note that they are correct in saying that we do need to give attention to, particularly, the new areas of South Tuggeranong - Conder, Gordon and so forth - that will be looked at for the rolling program next year.
One almost could forget that shortly we will be opening the really superb Tuggeranong Community Centre, which will be the new home for the Tuggeranong Community Service. It really will be, I think, the best of the community centres in Canberra. The design of that has taken advantage of all the experience of other facilities in Canberra. That really will be the jewel in the crown of the community centres. So, while the Government notes that there obviously needs to be attention given to smaller-scale facilities in the newer suburbs, one must not forget that Tuggeranong is shortly to receive the best and brightest of the community facilities. That building, which is now in its final shape beside the lake, will really be quite something.
Ms Maher raised, again, the concern of the licensing function. Again, the Government's position on that is that administrative staff positions are being looked at. The negotiations are still going on through the unions. I am not sure whether those particular administrative positions have been finalised, but I will again look. The main focus of the Government is in providing more child-care. Administrative and licensing services really are areas that I think we can look at and see whether savings can be achieved there, bearing in mind the need to protect the quality of services provided to the children.
I certainly do not think that anything I said in that answer the other week was in any way incorrect, although I must express nervousness when the transcript is pored through on questions relating to the child-care licensing facility. It seems to be an area where the fine print is looked at in a great deal of detail. We are aware of the
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