Page 1189 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Acton Peninsula - Hospice
MS SZUTY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health, Mr Berry, and it concerns the siting of the hospice at Acton Peninsula. I have stated both publicly and in this Assembly that I support the siting of the hospice at Acton Peninsula. However, my question to the Minister is: Why has the siting decision been made outside of the overall context of the planning for the peninsula?
MR BERRY: I thank Ms Szuty for the question. As far back as the last election, members will recall, the Labor Party gave in its election portfolio a commitment to the development of a hospice, and that was to be built on the Acton site, along with other facilities. As the community knows, the Labor Party delivers on its promises. It galls those members opposite when we deliver on those promises, particularly the Liberals because they hate to see the good news that flows from the implementation of Labor Party policies.
In relation to the siting of the hospice, there was some communication with the National Capital Planning Authority in relation to the site, and I agreed with the site proposed by the National Capital Planning Authority. What members fail to accept is that this Government was elected on a commitment to put the hospice on the Acton Peninsula.
Mr Humphries: And to consult.
MR BERRY: Of course, there was considerable consultation with the community. There was considerable consultation with the community over a long period about the community call for health facilities on that site. A range of community bodies called for health facilities on that site, and nobody has said that we ought not have a hospice. The Government decided that the hospice was a priority. We provided funding in the last budget to construct the hospice, and a site has been agreed with the National Capital Planning Authority and it will be built. Gall the Liberals as it may, it will be built, and it will provide a valuable service to the people of the ACT community, one which they will welcome. It was something that we had to get on with. You just cannot keep talking about these issues forever. Some in the community would say that if we do not agree with them we have not consulted enough. Well, there comes a time when you take your promise, you take your election commitment, and you take the budget which funded sufficient money to build the facility and you get on with it. That is what we have done.
MS SZUTY: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. The Minister has said that he has communicated with the National Capital Planning Authority regarding this decision. Has he consulted at all with the Consultative Committee on Acton Peninsula, which is the community based group?
MR BERRY: If you are referring to the one that was established by the NCPA, I have not conferred with it personally. As I say to you, we could sit around for years and years and we would get nothing done. There was no denial from the community that we needed that facility. All of you agree that we need the facility. There was some disagreement about where it ought to be.
Mr De Domenico: No, there was plenty of disagreement as to where it should be.
Mrs Carnell: So you made the decision.
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