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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 9 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2611 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

whatever as their first priority. Those sorts of things need to be targeted first. In terms of preventative policing, obviously the AFP will have to target things where they can put the resources in to make sure that they have got the right kind of response, based on a whole range of factors, including the number of people that they have available to do a particular job.

I suppose I would say in answer to Mr Kaine's question that there is always a use, potentially, for more police. That is probably true for every State in Australia. But it is also probably possible to say in other areas of government service that more hands would create some greater output in some respect. I think we have to work out how we can best use our available resources as our first priority, Mr Speaker. I am confident that the police are giving the appropriate priority to Bega Flats within the range of their present responsibilities.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health and Community Care, Mr Moore. Minister, earlier this year you announced joint Commonwealth-ACT funding for the development of an ACT youth rehabilitation centre. At the time, you noted that the Government was considering providing a building to house the rehabilitation centre and I recall that Watson Hostel was being proposed as a possible site. However, I notice in the budget papers that the Department of Health and Community Care proposes to sell those premises. Basically, I am interested in where we are going here.

Ms Carnell: No.

MR WOOD: I get the message that you are not proposing to sell Watson Hostel. Is that likely to be the building to house this rehabilitation centre or is another building proposed? What information can you give about that rehabilitation centre?

MR MOORE: I thank Mr Wood for the question. No, the Watson Hostel is the favoured site for the youth rehabilitation centre. Certainly, the Ted Noffs Foundation people have been up to have a look at it, along with ADDInc, who are the people who won the tender from the Commonwealth and are interested in proceeding with that site. The issues are being finalised at the moment and we expect the first clients of that service to be there at the beginning of the year. I expect it will be at Watson Hostel. I do not expect any change to that, but if there is any change to that I will inform members in writing immediately and consult them as to the reasons for that. I do not expect there to be a change. I do expect it to occur at Watson Hostel.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, my question is also to the Minister for Health and Community Care. Can the Minister explain why the assessment of potential new hospice sites was asked to include the eventual addition of a 60-bed aged care facility?

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