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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 4119 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

But what happened in 1995-96? Did you stop all construction? There is no indication from this annual report that anything was done. This brings up the complaint that we have made before - that a lot of the annual reports are fairly deficient in information. One is left with the feeling that maybe it is all secret. Or maybe nothing did happen last year. Maybe everybody sat around in absolute stunned amazement for a year and achieved very little. I doubt that that was the case.

When we look at what is planned for 1996-97, from the little detail that is given in the budget papers we have only 10 APUs, 18 flats and 15 houses. I think it is disappointing that so few APUs are being constructed when they have one of the longest waiting lists. It is an extremely successful program and there is a waiting list of five years. As was pointed out last Sunday, and it would have been pointed out at any time, when you are 60 or 65 a waiting list of five years is extremely daunting. With the move for more people to age in place, for people to age within the community where they have been living, I would have thought that revving up the APU program would be a useful thing to do.

The other day the Minister told us that the maintenance budget has gone up this year. There is no way of finding out from the budget papers how much is in the maintenance budget and how much it has gone up for this year. This increase is extremely pleasing. What I hear from tenants is that there is no maintenance budget; that there is no maintenance to be done.

MR SPEAKER: The member's time has expired.

MS REILLY: May I seek an extension of time?

MR SPEAKER: You can have another 10 minutes now, if you wish.

MS REILLY (2.20 am): Having asked a few questions about maintenance, to which I have not received answers yet, I think we need to look at the maintenance. If there is additional money in the maintenance budget, can we spend it? Can we spend it on the tenants who need it? It was very generous of you to replace doors in a shower for a woman that she did not request and then charge her. It would be better if some of the maintenance was done in a quick way so that people feel comfortable and secure about it. Often they do not. I would be interested to see any figures that you have for your tenants service charter and what they mean in relation to maintenance. How often do they meet the one week timing and the one month timing? How often do people sit at home waiting for a housing inspector to come to look at the maintenance to be done and the housing inspector does not turn up? You never hear from them again because they do not return their phone calls either. Maintenance is very frustrating, particularly for older people. You have told us a number of times, Minister, but I have forgotten what percentage of people are over 50.

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