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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4526 ..

(2) The ACT however remains a proponent of such a scheme and has been actively seeking to gain support for the examination of the potential costs, benefits and social implications of a nationally pooled mechanism to manage the funding and service delivery of along term care scheme.

(3) The Prime Minister, in announcing the Commonwealth's Medical Indemnity Insurance Framework on 23 October 2002 indicated support for further inter governmental examination of arrangements to provide long term care to persons with catastrophic injury.

(4) The Heads of Treasuries Insurance Issues Working Group (IIWG) has been tasked, in relation to long term care, with undertaking a comprehensive review of current arrangements and possible alternatives.

(5) The Chief Executive of ACT Health has been nominated to represent Australian health departments on the IIWG Long Term Care Group.

(6) The IIWG is to report in April 2003.

Poisonous mushrooms

(Question No 336)

Mr Cornwell asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 12 November 2002:

Following the death of a local woman from eating poisonous mushrooms and the Coroner's recommendation that the public be regularly warned about the hazards of eating such mushrooms, what steps will the Government take to issue regular warnings.

Mr Stanhope: The answer to the member's question is:

� The season for death cap mushrooms is late summer to early winter after good rain or heavy irrigation. The ACT Health Protection Service (HPS) has, and will continue to, issue warnings in the media about the dangers associated with consuming death cap mushrooms. These warnings are issued prior to the season commencing and also during the season.

� The HPS also works with key land managers, such as the National Capital Authority and Canberra Urban Parks and Places, to ensure that warning signs are placed in all areas where the death cap mushrooms are known to grow.

� For the coming season, the HPS has prepared a new fact sheet that will be made available to the public to further raise awareness about these deadly mushrooms. The fact sheet will be distributed through ACT libraries and government shopfronts.

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