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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 5 Hansard (1 May) . . Page.. 1307 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

One of the most significant innovations in this budget is the delivery of the community health information system. Nearly $13.5 million in recurrent expenditure over four years and $3.5 million in capital expenditure has been allocated to this program. It will provide an agency wide information system for ACT Community Care to allow for case management of individuals and the better coordination of their care across agencies-a major innovation.

Addressing poverty

Poverty in Canberra is one of our hidden problems. While the statistics continue to show that incomes in the ACT are above average, we need to understand that there is still a significant pool of poverty in our city. That is why we are keen to work with the ACT Council of Social Service to find new ways to address poverty. This budget forms part of our response to the report of the joint ACT government/ACTCOSS poverty research project.

As we know, transport can be a major barrier for those in need. This budget allocates some $500,000 a year to provide public transport for low income earners. Some $100,000 a year has been allocated to provide 50 scholarships to enable financially disadvantaged and indigenous students to undertake study at the CIT. A further $0.5 million a year has been set aside for a program to help link people living in major public housing complexes to service providers, particularly in the areas of employment, family and living skills, education, health and welfare.

We will also establish a home-based outreach program for young people with particular problems. This initiative will support young people with special needs-for example, those with a substance abuse or behavioural problem or a disability-to improve their independence and wellbeing in the community.

Access to dental health care has been a problem for many in our city. We are allocating an additional $1 million to reduce waiting times for vulnerable members of the community and allow an additional 950 clients to be treated in 2001-02.

Some $0.5 million has been set aside in the budget year and more than $800,000 in the two subsequent years to redress the digital divide-the barrier between the information rich and the information poor. Our program will provide a package of measures to address priority needs and will be shaped by recently released findings in the digital divide task force, chaired by Mrs Burke.

Early intervention

We could reduce the many social, behavioural and health problems in our community that I have just spoken about if we had, as a whole, a stronger focus on early intervention. This budget seeks to put a greater emphasis on early intervention than has previously been the case. While improvements may not always be immediate, the community will gain real and lasting benefits from those initiatives in years to come. We are investing, in other words, in our future. The most significant early intervention initiative is our commitment to reduce early childhood class sizes for primary school students.

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