Page 3654 - Week 12 - Thursday, 13 October 1994
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It is acknowledged that there needs to be more done in establishing a greater range of options, as far as exit points are concerned, out of SAAP services. Cooperatively, this Government, in conjunction with the non-government organisations providing exit point services in the ACT, intends to work to meet that demand, and to provide the range and types of exit point accommodation to meet the legitimate needs of people leaving SAAP services.
A range of other initiatives have been outlined in this year's budget and previous budgets as far as assistance to SAAP services is concerned. While there is always room for improvement and while I do not believe that we as a community, either here in Canberra or in Australia, can regard as acceptable any level of homelessness, I believe that this Government and the non-government organisations in the ACT have targeted extremely well the provision of services - not always, I might add, Madam Speaker, to a level that some of the non-government organisations may wish. But I believe that, within the constraints placed upon us in terms of the economic circumstances of this Territory, we do it better. We do it better, but we could improve.
Housing Trust Properties - Garages and Carports
MR STEVENSON: My question is to Mr Connolly and it concerns housing tenants who erect garages on their properties.
Mr Lamont: Madam Speaker, Mr Connolly has not had responsibility for this matter for some time.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Lamont.
MR STEVENSON: I redirect my question to Mr Lamont. Once the tenant has moved, is it a set policy of the department to demolish any such garage or carport? If not, to what degree is the standard of the structure taken into account?
MR LAMONT: I thank Mr Stevenson for his question. I can confirm that the policy that my colleague the current Minister for Health, the former Minister for Housing and Community Services, adopted is one that I concur with and am continuing. Madam Speaker, the ACT Housing Trust will remove either an unapproved or approved structure from the property if it was poorly constructed, inappropriately sited or poses a health or safety risk. If the structure is sound and was constructed within specifications required for design and siting approval, it is left in place for the use of the incoming tenant. The Housing Trust then accepts responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of such structures and the work to seek and achieve design and siting approval. The ACT Housing Trust raises a charge against outgoing tenants for the cost of removing unapproved structures or structures which are, or do pose, a health or safety risk. We also require the outgoing tenant in such circumstances to make good the site or to meet the cost of returning it to a condition similar to that which existed prior to the construction.
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