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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (17 February) . . Page.. 270 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

is a regional approach. There was important assistance from the Commonwealth in this through the Australian National Training Authority. I am delighted to recognise their assistance. We will develop Narrabundah College, Lake Ginninderra College and St Clare's College as information technology skill centres. This announcement delivers on the Chief Minister's pledge made in last year's vision statement to concentrate government energies on quality information technology resources for our students.

The skill centres project will target nearly half a million dollars over two years to those three colleges for a range of projects aimed at providing students with the most up-to-date information technology skills - skills demanded by the Australian community in the twenty-first century, skills that will take students into the work force or into further study. The computers will be geared to specially developed information technology skills for use in vocational education and training.

Narrabundah College will get $150,000 to develop IT resources, a web site, and retail, financing and office skills. Lake Ginninderra College will get $150,000 over two years. That is in your electorate, Mr Hird, and mine. You will be pleased with that. That will develop a call centre as well as promoting IT, retail and office skills. St Clare's College will receive a similar amount of funding, and their computers will be used to help in courses in things like child care and aged care. What is more, the computers and the skills that are available at Narrabundah College and St Clare's College will also be utilised by students from Marist and St Edmunds as part of the regional aspect of this program.

I think it is a very exciting announcement, Mr Hird. It further scotches the misleading impression left by that unfortunate DETYA report. Over the last couple of years we have done similar things for IT and multimedia facilities at Copland College and Lake Tuggeranong College. Now we are seeing a very nice spread of these important things throughout the Territory.

Mr Stanhope interjected about a letter from the Wanniassa High School board. Mr Stanhope, I have written to that board. Unfortunately, they did not see the corrections made in the Canberra Times and the Chronicle in relation to school bank balances. I suggest, Mr Stanhope, you check my press release of 9 February and get your facts right.

MR STANHOPE: My question is to the Minister for Health and Community Care. The Chief Minister has indicated she will take his questions. Mr Speaker, consolidated financial management reports for November and December 1999 tabled in the Assembly yesterday reveal the worsening position of the Canberra Hospital budget. At the end of November the shortfall against budgeted revenue was in the order of $1.1m, and by the end of December the shortfall was in the order $1.5m, according to the reports. In each case the shortfall was reportedly due largely to a decrease in private admissions to the hospital. Responding to the concerns of the Standing Committee on Health and Community Care on this problem, the hospital CEO, Mr Ted Rayment, said:

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