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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 532 ..
MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the last time I was given a full briefing on where we were up to with Bruce Stadium there were still outstanding some small bills where a contractor had not actually fulfilled their requirement. I am not sure whether that is still the case; but, as I am sure members would be very pleased to know, Bruce Operations do not pay bills for work that is not done to standard and, as there are with most big projects, there were some bills outstanding where work had not been done to the standard required by the contract. I am not sure where those disputes are up to at this stage, but I am more than happy to find out for Mr Wood.
MR WOOD: I thank you, Chief Minister, if you could do that, and look at the payments for the substandard press boxes for Mr Rugendyke. As part of that inquiry, Chief Minister, would you check about the possibility of a last minute electrical wiring contract occurring and advise what that contract was worth and whether it was also under the appropriation?
MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I will take that on notice.
MS TUCKER: My question is to Mr Smyth and relates to housing. Mr Smyth, several constituents have reported to me recently that a priority allocation or transfer in ACT Housing is withheld if the applicant is in arrears on rent. The same constituents have also assured me that they have been advised by senior staff that this is ACT Housing policy, even when the tenant has entered into an arrangement with ACT Housing to repay the debt and in many instances has substantially done so. Is it the policy of ACT Housing to penalise tenants in arrears on rent, no matter what arrangements have been made?
MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, we take rental arrears very seriously. We do not want tenants getting into deep water and living beyond their means. Because of that, we do negotiate with tenants. It is very important that tenants understand that they can approach Housing staff. They do so. I have insisted as well that Housing staff work with the tenants as best they can. For areas like that we have in place budget counselling through CARE, we now have direct debiting of rent and we negotiate agreements, where appropriate, with tenants, guardians or advocates on their behalf. But it is always about making sure that we are looking after them so that they can get on with their lives. As an indication of that, you have only to look at the way over the last two or three years we have been able to reduce the number of evictions, for instance. In 1997-98 there were 128 evictions. In the financial year to date the number is down to 22. That is because we work with our tenants in a variety of ways to minimise the debt that they get into and the disruption to their lives.
MS TUCKER
: That did not answer my question at all. Maybe I need to rephrase it. I will ask my original question again in case Mr Smyth actually did not understand it rather than was trying to avoid it. My question was, Mr Smyth: If someone has rent arrears which they are paying off - you have made such an arrangement, as you just explained - is it Housing policy not to allow them to have a priority allocation or transfer while they are paying off the debt? The question is about approving a transfer
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