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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 38 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

roles played by the community social work teams, which complement the community mental health teams, can the Minister provide an assurance that both of these positions will be filled in the near future and reiterate the Government's position in relation to maintaining community health services?

Mr Berry: There is no policy on that. They are not committed to that.

MRS CARNELL: I am very happy for Mr Berry to answer the question if he would like to. The Government has a total commitment - - -

Mr Berry: Thank you. Mr Speaker, I would be very happy to answer.

MR SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Berry. I would prefer the Chief Minister to answer the question because that is the person to whom it was directed.

MRS CARNELL: The Government has a total commitment to community health services and, as we have always said, we will ensure that those services are available where they are most needed in the Canberra community. We have not given and never will give an undertaking that services will stay in the same place forever, simply because the community changes, demographics change and the needs of the community change. We have already announced that we will be looking at a new one-stop-shop health facility, shall we say, in Gungahlin in the near future, combining a number of family services, child health services and so on. Where the services are needed, they will be provided. That is obviously a dynamic situation which changes. There is no doubt that social work services, mental health services and so on need to be available for the people of Belconnen.

MS TUCKER: I ask a supplementary question. You said that the services will not stay in the one place unless they are seen to be needed there. I am assuming that you have done a needs assessment which has shown that it has not been needed in this area, although it is servicing Gungahlin at the moment. Could you table some such needs assessment, because the impression I have is that - - -

MR SPEAKER: Is this a question or a statement again?

MS TUCKER: I think there is a question coming.

MR SPEAKER: The question is not coming. It has arrived. Could we have it.

MS TUCKER: Could Mrs Carnell please explain when the needs assessment was done that showed that we did not need to fill these positions right now and that we could wait until services were provided in Gungahlin?

MRS CARNELL: I am certainly willing to give the member a total briefing on the service provision at Belconnen Health Centre right now and for the future as well.

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