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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (6 May) . . Page.. 1004 ..

skills of students right across the government schooling system is demonstrated with extra funding in this budget of $400,000 to extend literacy testing into high schools and introduce numeracy testing into all primary and high schools. As part of our capital works program, almost $6m has been identified for upgrading specialist technologies areas and science laboratories in high schools and colleges. I am also pleased to announce that for special education services in the non-government sector extra funds totalling $200,000 have been included in this budget. And for 1998, the Canberra Institute of Technology will be able to offer an additional 200 student places.

Mr Speaker, this Government has taken a measured, responsible approach to the introduction of mandatory reporting of child abuse in the ACT. Training of most professions across the Territory is nearing completion, with legislation to come into effect from 1 June. To coincide with this introduction, the Government has put money where its mouth is by allocating an additional $600,000 in 1997-98 for extra substitute care places for children at risk. A further $200,000 will be dedicated to the employment of additional child protection workers. These extra resources will ensure that the Territory is properly resourced to manage the introduction of this important community safeguard.

The Government places a high priority upon ensuring that Canberrans continue to enjoy living in what is one of the safest cities in Australia. Part of our community safety strategy is to ensure that there are adequate resources to provide a highly visible and accessible police service to the community. Today I can announce that a total of $800,000 will be allocated in this budget to enable the transfer of at least 18 Australian Federal Police officers back into operational duties across Canberra. This major increase in operational strength will be achieved by creating new civilian positions within the AFP as well as transferring police away from court security duties, thereby freeing up these officers and boosting the AFP's front-line response to crime. These initiatives fulfil our election commitment to put more police back on Canberra's streets.

The opening of the new joint emergency services centre in Gungahlin in early 1998 will see residents of North Canberra benefit from an integrated police, fire and ambulance service operating right on their doorstep. It will also result in employment for an additional 24 firefighters and 12 ambulance paramedics, with recruitment for these new positions already under way.

Mr Moore: Where is the helicopter?

MRS CARNELL: In New South Wales. Funnily enough, while the Opposition is still catching up with the fact that there are now five ambulance crews operating across Canberra, Mr Humphries is introducing a sixth ambulance crew, to be available once the Gungahlin complex is opened. This budget also contains funding of $75,000 to properly support the 24-hour Aboriginal friends call-out roster and ensure that an appropriate network is in place to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are taken into custody. This has been a long time coming and is a project that I think is very important.

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