Page 2911 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 September 1994
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MS FOLLETT: I can certainly assure Mr Kaine that the ratepayers will not be disadvantaged. It is a very important point that people who paid their rates on time subsequently received letters from the Revenue Office saying that they had lost their right to pay by instalments because their payments were late. That was very disturbing for those ratepayers and also makes for poor relations with the Revenue Office. I certainly trust that this sort of incident will not happen again. I am sure that the State Bank takes the view that they have a reputation to guard in this matter. I trust that they regard it as something of an honour to be operating as the ACT's bank and that they will institute appropriate procedures to ensure that this kind of incident does not happen again.
Housing and Community Services Bureau - Appointment
MR BERRY: My question is addressed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Housing and Community Services. Yesterday the Canberra Times reported the appointment of Mr Peter Guild to the Housing and Community Services Bureau. Would the Minister explain to the Assembly what Mr Guild's role will be and the significance that his appointment has in terms of housing policy?
Mr Kaine: What happened to Ken Horsham?
MR LAMONT: I thank Mr Berry for his question. If you can exercise some restraint, all will be revealed to you, Mr Kaine. Madam Speaker, the article advised that Mr Peter Guild, former first assistant secretary and head of the Land Division of the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning, had been appointed to a new position of general manager, ACT Housing, starting on 12 September 1994. The creation of a new position of general manager, ACT Housing, at the Senior Executive Service band 2 level, to manage the housing group, including the Housing Trust, recognises the enhanced role required of the Housing Trust and places greater emphasis on the strategic focus of the housing group within which it is now located.
Ms Suzanne Birtles will continue in her current statutory role as the Commissioner for Housing, underpinning the Government's commitment to enhancing the management of client service delivery on behalf of the Housing Trust. The changed arrangements flow from the findings of the housing review, which emphasised the need for more focused strategic planning and policy review within a widened appreciation of the housing environment, improved services for Housing Trust clients and enhanced asset and financial management strategies. The new arrangements will increase the capacity of the Housing Trust to provide high-quality services to its clients, to offer a comprehensive range of housing assistance options and to responsibly manage its asset base. The work undertaken by the housing review has been consistent with national efforts aimed at reforming the delivery of public housing, particularly the recommendations of the Industry Commission's report on public housing, the Hilmer report on national competition policy and the national housing strategy.
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