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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2150 ..

� MR SMYTH (continuing):

the implementation of new tenure arrangements from 1 July 1999 so that all new public housing tenants will be offered leases that will be reviewed every three to five years. This will ensure better targeting and matching of tenants needs with available housing stock. It should be noted that special safeguards have been set in place, for example to protect the interests of people with disabilities; and

improvements to the applicant management system, including clearer guidelines for the handling of priority access to public housing.

Consistent with the Auditor-General's finding that the rental bond loan scheme was neither effective or efficient the Government has decided that the scheme be terminated at the end of this financial year.

Reviews into the Applicants Services Centre and tenant appeal mechanisms will be completed by 31 December 1999. I will provide the Assembly with the outcomes of the reviews following their completion. I am sure that the Assembly will agree that the range of measures that have been introduced are comprehensive and largely address the matters raised in the Auditor-General's recent report.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (3.05): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to the Standing Committee on Urban Services Report No. 7, entitled "Management Plan for Canberra Nature Park", which was presented to the Assembly on 22 September 1998. I also present "Horse Riding in Canberra Nature Park - Management Principles and Policies", dated April 1999, and a report to Environment ACT entitled "Horse Riding in Canberra Nature Park" prepared by Jill Landsberg. I move:

Mr Speaker, in July last year the Standing Committee on Urban Services considered the final draft management plan for Canberra Nature Park. In September the committee issued report No. 7, which contained some 20 recommendations. The Government deferred consideration of the response until early 1999, in light of recommendation 3 of the standing committee's report that independent advice be obtained to review the impacts of horse riding in conservation areas. We did this because several other recommendations depended upon recommendation 3. It seemed most appropriate to do it in that manner.

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