Page 1969 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 June 1994
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It remains my view that continuing to make allowance for voluntary redundancies makes good sense. Mr De Domenico has asked how we will be targeting them. We will not be targeting them by any particular agency. As occurred in the current financial year, the funds are within a central pool and they will be made available on the basis that there is a demonstrated return to the Territory; in other words, there must be a saving over time and, if there is that saving, redundancy proposals will be considered on their merits. Madam Speaker, it is very important to acknowledge that all of these redundancies are on a voluntary basis; there are no enforced redundancies. It is very important also to note that all of the provisions of relevant awards and other conditions of service are observed in the implementation of redundancy programs.
MR DE DOMENICO: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Chief Minister, you mentioned in your answer that voluntary redundancies would be looked at on the basis of savings over time. How are you going to gauge those savings?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, where voluntary redundancies are part of the restructuring proposal within an agency, then it is possible for the savings in that restructuring proposal to be costed. The Treasury officials look at each proposal on its merits. They make an estimate of when there will be a return, when the redundancy proposal might, in effect, pay for itself and whether that represents good value to the Territory community. There is not a hard and fast rule. In some cases returns can be achieved within a year, 18 months or two years. In other instances the return is over a somewhat longer period. But there is that scrutiny of all proposals. This is an area where I believe that making this provision is a prudent form of budget management. As I say, where it is entirely voluntary and where all of the award provisions are honoured, I believe that it is a fair deal also for the employees who may be made an offer.
Community Precincts
MR STEVENSON: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to Mr Lamont. It concerns precincts which have been established in some community areas around Canberra. We understand that there is growing interest in this traditional idea of having local grassroots community involvement; certainly, the community council groups in Canberra have gone very much this way. I ask Mr Lamont: When were the precinct areas established, what was the goal, and how are things coming along so far?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for his question. It is another reminder to members of the Assembly and, indeed, the Canberra community that the Follett Labor Government is consulting the community and involving the community in the provision and improvement of services, particularly such essential services as the shopping centres within the ACT.
We have established a pilot program at the O'Connor shops which we will extend to the Narrabundah shops. Following what I am confident will be the successful resolution of issues, we will then extend into a number of other shopping centres in the Territory, particularly in the older areas. This project is designed to refurbish those shopping centres, with community input, to a level that would be consistent with, say, Manuka.
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