Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1841 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

during winter, which covers quite a number of months in the ACT, there is no place where young people can do various activities, except inside, and that the community room that is there has acoustic problems. It is very difficult for anyone to have any quiet space. Also, all the different activities - conversation, television, playing pool - take place in the one large room. I cannot imagine that that allows for any interactions of any meaning.

This report by the Official Visitor would suggest that Quamby's physical facilities are not up to standard. I would suggest that they are nowhere near the standards expected by the UN. However, some of these issues have been raised. I noted in the article in the Canberra Times of last Saturday, in Cheryl Vardon's farewell interview, that she mentioned some of the issues in relation to education and work programs at Quamby. They sounded extremely useful. I hope that this is an example of some of the changes that have happened at Quamby. I would have liked at this time to have the opportunity to give you some insight into the state of these facilities and the conditions which people who are in custody are experiencing, but I have not yet seen the facilities or had the opportunity to get this first-hand information. I am sure that we will be able to find ways of addressing that.

Mr Speaker, to return to the report itself, it is not entirely complimentary of what is going on in our juvenile facilities at the moment and it raises some important and serious issues about children in care, particularly those in Quamby. I hope that the Minister has some good news for me and is able to inform the Assembly that the matters have been rectified. I look forward to finding out what is actually happening in these areas of children's services in the ACT.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Children's and Youth Services) (4.37), in reply: I am delighted to advise Ms Reilly - I will go into more detail shortly - that a large number of points raised by the Official Visitor have been taken into account by this Government. Further, Ms Reilly, I understood that you had had briefings, and if you need to visit Quamby or want to visit Quamby I will make arrangements in relation to that. I was under the impression that you had had some briefings or that briefings had been arranged. If you leave that with me I will ensure that you get briefings and also the chance to visit the establishment.

Mr Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the Official Visitor for his service to Quamby and to the community, and also to assure the Assembly that his services are highly valued by the Government. Mr Bill Aldcroft has provided the services for some time now. He also has provided a number of other services to young people and adult prisoners and adult defendants in the courts. During my most recent stint in private practice I had cause to deal with Mr Aldcroft on a number of occasions in relation to persons who were charged with offences, and I always found him most supportive and very competent in his role at the courts in assisting those persons and their families. It is a role he takes seriously, and he also takes seriously his role as Official Visitor. I have had a number of discussions with him. His services are highly valued, as is his experience, and he has some good ideas which the Government has been able to action. Obviously, we cannot action every idea, but some major improvements have been made.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .