Page 910 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 April 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The ACT Government gave COTA a one-off grant of some $6,000 during 1993-94 to cover some unforeseen expenses they had had. In addition, they receive some $3,000 from the ACT Government towards the cost of producing their annual publication, theDirectory of Services for the Ageing in the ACT.
COTA has also received a grant from the ACT Cultural Council since 1990. That grant is to coordinate and deliver the Seniors Week activities. As is the usual practice with these grants, the early funding was quite considerable - about $22,000 in 1990-91 - and subsequent funding for the Seniors Week purpose has been gradually reduced. That practice is fairly usual and is designed to allow an event to become well established and then to move towards a more self-sufficient form of operation. So in that way the Government is able to fund a range of new events within the limited resources we have. COTA has received considerable funding from the ACT Government. I will, of course, follow up on the specific difficulty they now find themselves in; but it is the case that the Government has even given COTA one-off funding to help them with previous unforeseen difficulties they were having.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I am pleased that the Chief Minister is up to speed on how much money has been given to the Council on the Ageing in this current year; but the fact is, my information says, that they are approximately $12,000 short. There are reasons for that, which we can go into in another place. If they do not get supplementation of about $12,000 they will virtually have to close their doors at the end of May. Will the Chief Minister give a commitment that she will not permit that to occur?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I was present when Mr Rope made his comments and, from memory, he made no reference to closing their doors. What he did say was that towards the end of this year COTA would have to dip into some reserve funds they had set aside to meet some of their staff expenses, such as leave entitlements, superannuation and so on. I think we need to be very clear that in the comments I heard Mr Rope make there was no allusion to the closing of COTA's doors. I have said that I will follow up on the specific difficulties they may be having, and I will.
Community Art Program
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. Can the Minister inform the Assembly of details of the community art program at the Woden bus interchange?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for her question. Madam Speaker, this Friday I will be launching a community art program associated with the opening of the refurbished Woden bus interchange. The community art program that is being proposed for this area is as a result of cooperation and coordination between officers of the city management section of my department, and the Woden Plaza Community Centre Inc., along with the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .