Page 2360 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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that we will need to amend regulations to dispense with this requirement. Given that there was public concern raised as to whether Building Control was being vigilant, I have directed that all laws and regulations that should be enforced be enforced. If some of those regulations are contradictory or overly regulatory or overly bureaucratic, we will look at them, as we have done in relation to minor building works, where we have cleared red tape out of a whole range of building works.
At the moment, as Mr Westende indicates, it is a problem. There are some delays. I have senior officials of both Building Control and ACTEW looking at the matter. If it is a matter where we need to change regulations we will have to do that, but we are not prepared to say that blind eyes can be turned to any existing regulation or statutory requirement. It is important to preserve public confidence in building integrity.
MR WESTENDE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. If I give the Minister an instance of where a commercial building has been held up now for over a week, will the Minister look into it and see that the matter is resolved amicably?
MR CONNOLLY: I certainly would, in relation to individual matters; but I can assure Mr Westende that we are looking at the whole issue. We are aware of the problem, but it goes to the question of whether that regulation is necessary or unnecessary. It may well be that we end up changing some regulations.
Cardio-thoracic Unit
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. Yesterday the Minister announced funding for the planning of a cardio-thoracic unit. What does this mean for the people of the ACT?
Mrs Carnell: Not much in the near future; but a good idea, a wonderful idea, totally positive, one of the good things.
MR BERRY: You just cannot get it right for the Liberals, can you? Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow, or whatever. "You are not taxing enough; you are taxing too much; you are not spending enough".
This budget makes provision for $250,000 for the purpose of planning for the establishment of such a unit. The purpose of the unit will be to remove the need for a significant number of people in Canberra to travel interstate for cardio-thoracic surgery. There has been some argument about the numbers in the past. Around election time the figures grow; the real figures could be argued to be significantly lower.
The Government needs to make sure that the unit, when established, is targeted at a range of services which it can provide at the highest level possible. It is pointless to establish a unit if the number of a particular category of patients is not up to the level required to maintain the most efficient level of service in that unit. So the planning is a crucial stage of the development of cardio-thoracic surgery in the ACT. It will require the appointment of a cardio-thoracic surgeon, who will plan and direct the project. Cardiac surgery skills are necessary for this to happen, since further special tailored programs need to be implemented for nursing and other specialist staff.
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