Page 1935 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
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appropriate infrastructure, as Mr Kaine has already mentioned. Again, we do not want these facilities in isolated locations, and nor do the patients. They will be no good at all at Acton Peninsula unless Acton Peninsula has appropriate facilities. Recovering patients do not want to be isolated. It would be counterproductive for them to be positioned in a location that was isolated from shops and other activities. In case you have not noticed, it is quite a long way from Acton to Civic and, as Mr Berry appropriately said, a very long way on crutches.
Mr Berry: No, that was Mr Kaine. He is the one with the red face.
MRS CARNELL: I am sorry; Mr Kaine. If we are going to have these health facilities on Acton we must consider a diversity of uses for Acton. This means shops, residential uses, and other activities such as entertainment, restaurants and so on. Another area I would like to cover is the need for student accommodation. I understand that the ANU has offered to buy Sylvia Curley House, and I think we should look at this seriously. Acton Peninsula is an appropriate place for more student accommodation.
We have talked recently about the need for urban consolidation. We must remember that urban consolidation is most appropriately pursued in locations close to work or study. It is only if we pursue urban consolidation close to workplaces that we can expect a realistic reduction in transport costs and pollution. It is no good building up urban densities 10 or 20 kilometres away from work locations, because people will still have to use their cars. It is in this context that I suggest that Acton Peninsula is an appropriate place for student and other types of accommodation, and also for the health facilities that we have already talked about. If we wish to bolster the viability of businesses, shops and entertainment in Civic, I think this is an appropriate way to go as well. This means that Acton Peninsula really must be looked at in a totally comprehensive light. Certainly, student accommodation is one area that we should look at. We should also look at medium density accommodation, possibly the backpackers hostel that was talked about, and we should not forget aged persons accommodation whenever we look at these sorts of issues.
Finally, I understand that the use of this area is still being considered, but the Labor Government must make sure that it makes sensible decisions with regard to this site, taking into account the best social, economic and aesthetic criteria. I urge them to do so.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (4.18): In the short time available to me I will touch on some of the issues which have been raised. The first thing that I will say in response to Mrs Carnell's contribution is that we will indeed make a sensible judgment about the provision of facilities on the site and those decisions will be made against a background of our commitment to social justice. I think that essentially this boils down to ensuring that the Labor Party's commitment to a strong public hospital and health system is carried through, and we will do that. Undoubtedly, the Acton Peninsula provides a wonderful site. It is a nice setting. There is, indeed, an emotional connection with the site for some people, and it has been argued in the past that it would be appropriate for convalescent treatment and those sorts of things because of the nature of the site.
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