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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 4 Hansard (11 April) . . Page.. 1022 ..

MRS DUNNE (continuing):

proposal as it stands.

I made this statement in consultation with my party room, with the concurrence of my party room, because we were aware of the high level of local concern and the level of uncertainty in Curtin. We agreed that a strong message needed to be sent to the elderly people of Curtin, who were being told by the developer that they could get out, if they did not like it. We needed to send a message to the people of Curtin that a seven-storey building on the highest point in Woden that could be built was unacceptable.

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, I am not interested in what the Liberal Party wanted to do, I am interested only in your personal explanation.

Questions without notice

Budget-technical adjustments

MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, I took a question on notice the other day from Mr Stefaniak in relation to Mr Humphries' technical adjustments and tabled the press release. However, I am informed that it would have been right and proper for me to table a signed answer for Mr Stefaniak. I would like to do that now. I present the following paper:

2002-03 Budget Consultation Document-answer to question from Mr Stefaniak taken on notice on 9 April 2002, concerning the effect of technical changes on the Territory's budget operation, dated April 2002.

Remandees-mental health problems

MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, I took a question on notice from Mr Smyth yesterday in relation to remand detainees and mental health. Mr Smyth asked:

Can you inform the Assembly of what percentage of Belconnen Remand Centre remandees over the past year have been identified as having some form of mental health condition? How many of them received treatment for this condition while they were in the BRC?

My advice from the ACT Forensic Mental Health Service Unit, who provide the specialist mental health staff to Belconnen Remand Centre, is as follows:

As a preamble to answering the question, it is best to explain that all remand prisoners are assessed by the Forensic Mental Health Service within 4 hours of their first arrival at BRC. The comprehensive assessment determines if the remandee requires a higher degree of observation than any other remandee does, and for what period. It also includes a mental status examination. No statistics are kept on the number who are initially assessed as having a diagnosable Mental Illness or Mental Dysfunction, or conversely are determined to be 'well'. The Forensic Mental Health Service then access a centrally held Mental Health database to determine if the remandee is currently on the database and if the remandee is currently being seen by a case manager of one of the ACT Mental Health Service Regional Teams. If they are being seen, then that Team is advised that their client has been placed in BRC, and that they should continue to monitor their progress. Any remandee, who does not have a current case-manager but is deemed to require

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