Page 1880 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 14 June 1994
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The Government is determined to reduce and, as far as possible, to eliminate child abuse in the community and to ensure that any child subject to abuse can get help and protection quickly. A number of initiatives are funded in the budget. These include coordination of preventative activities and early intervention services; improved advocacy and monitoring of child protection services; and training of persons mandated to report sexual and physical abuse cases. The budget also responds to the needs of victims of crime. The capacity of the Legal Aid Office will be enhanced to assist victims of violence to obtain quick access to legal remedies. A coordinator will provide information to victims about the justice process and promote attitudinal change to victims of crime within the criminal justice system. A counselling service will be established in Civic for women victims of sexual assault and other violence. These initiatives build on the national strategy on violence against women being implemented in the Territory and demonstrate our resolve to address these fundamental issues.
Additional funding of $150,000 to the youth services grants program will provide services where gaps exist and meet the emerging needs of young people. Home and community care for aged citizens and people with disabilities will be expanded through the provision of a further $580,000 in recognition of the increasing numbers needing those services. A home modification and equipment scheme will be introduced to maximise the potential for independent living. Concessions on a range of government services have been expanded. We have already provided enhanced access to electricity concessions in the winter months. Concessions on rates will now be able to be retained even if rates payments are deferred. The Council on the Ageing will receive a special grant to assist in advising aged citizens on these matters. The Government has decided not to proceed with the introduction of a cap on rates concessions at this time.
Madam Speaker, community organisations play an important role in delivering services to Canberrans in need. The Government has undertaken to ensure that grants to these organisations will be indexed in 1994-95 and future years to cover normal cost pressures. Should individual organisations feel that they can demonstrate that their costs have suffered significant increases for special reasons, we will consider making a contribution to those cost pressures on the merits of individual cases.
The budget provides over half a million dollars to expand the ACT's participation in the supported accommodation assistance program. Some $280,000 will be provided under the new social housing subsidy program for a private rental leasing project to make more housing available for people on the public housing waiting list. The Housing Trust's capacity to deliver services to tenants will also be increased through efficiency improvements resulting from the resource review conducted during 1993-94. A new housing loan option known as HomeEntry will be introduced to target existing and potential Housing Trust tenants and to provide some people, otherwise not able to purchase, with an option to own their own home.
Madam Speaker, the Government has announced that it is implementing the recommendations of the independent review of the Health Department conducted earlier this year. The priorities for the Government are to improve financial management and accountability and to reduce unacceptably high costs. This reform will be carried out in stages while maintaining and strengthening high-quality service delivery.
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