Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3844 ..

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I have an answer to a question I took on notice from Ms Tucker on Tuesday. She asked me how many consultancies have been conducted with people moving from Hennessy House, as a group and as individuals. All Hennessy House clients and relatives have been consulted with regard to the impending changes in their accommodation. A letter was forwarded to all clients of Hennessy House and their relatives in June advising them of the impending accommodation changes.

At a meeting held to discuss the changes, attendees were advised of the necessity for people who did not meet the criteria to move to appropriate accommodation. Unfortunately, this meeting was not well attended and ACT Mental Health Services subsequently made arrangements for a project officer, team leader and regional coordinator to be made available to discuss any concerns related to the intended changes.

In addition, the villas at Hennessy House have weekly meetings where residents can raise issues of concern with staff. Staff have maintained this issue as a high priority at the meetings. Individual case managers at Hennessy House have also worked through the issues of relocation with individual clients. The office of the Community Advocate was informed of the impending accommodation changes in August this year.

In her supplementary question, Ms Tucker said that some clients who require 24 - hour care are to be moved to Macquarie Hotel, even though there is a fear of this hotel amongst the clients. Mental Health Services is facilitating the relocation of clients to appropriate locations. Those clients who have agreed to move to Macquarie Hotel are doing so as an interim measure. One will be returning to his parents in the new year, and another is seeking accommodation in the general community. All clients who require 24 - hour care are being assisted to move to appropriate accommodation which ensures that 24 - hour care will continue. No client requiring 24 - hour care is being moved into the community.

MR HUMPHRIES: On Tuesday Mr Quinlan asked me about the situation with the NRMA being in competition with motor vehicle repairers in the ACT. I do not yet have full information about the situation, but I can indicate that the scheme the NRMA is now implementing in the ACT has been discussed with representatives of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. They were approached by the NRMA in September this year because they anticipated that there would be some complaint by smash repairers. The ACCC is maintaining a watching brief on the issue but at this stage does not believe that there are any breaches of the Trade Practices Act. The scheme, however, is being further examined by the ACCC on the basis of incoming complaints. I will take further cognisance of the issues that Mr Quinlan raised.

Mr Quinlan also asked about the NRMA holding a monopoly on compulsory third - party insurance in the ACT. In fact, my advice is that the NRMA does not have a monopoly on compulsory third - party insurance; that it is only the fact that there are no other competitors in the marketplace in the ACT that gives them a de facto monopoly. There

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .