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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (20 August) . . Page.. 2967 ..

MR CORNWELL (continuing):

The waiting time for aged care places in the ACT is amongst the highest in the country. The median number of days between assessment and placement in a high care bed in the ACT is 27, compared with 12 in New South Wales and 21 nationally. The median waiting period for all aged care services is 57 days, compared to 22 in New South Wales and 37 nationally.

In response to the quite heavy media criticism six weeks ago, the government responded by, first, setting up a new aged care advisory council. That was useful for providing beds, wasn't it? It then seized upon my question on notice No 733, which was provided on 17 July, and the minister published a statement using those figures on 21 July, but still nothing was done.

There was a media release published at the same time, 21 July, called "High interest in developing Aged Care accommodation in the ACT". Please tell me something that we do not know: there has always been a high interest in developing aged care accommodation in the ACT. But wait, that may be the headline but the actual release goes on to say and I quote,

The Land Development Agency and ACT Planning and Land Authority are aware of 14 new developments and six extensions to existing facilities being considered-

being considered, that is where the high interest came in-

in Woden, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Belconnen. Some of these proposals are still at the formative stage and some may not come to fruition due to a number of factors, including commercial decisions and planning requirements.

Tell me something we do not know. Is this an improvement, Mr Speaker, in the crisis in aged care accommodation, that some proposals are still in a formative stage?

Mrs Burke: Where is the urgency in that?

MR CORNWELL: Yes, indeed. However, let us turn now to the real issues. Let us leave aside the hype and leave aside the public relations exercise and examine some of the initiatives that this government has failed to take.

Calvary health care was granted a licence for 65 nursing home hostel beds in January 2002. Where are they? Twenty months later, nothing has happened. They are meant to be up and running, but nothing has happened. However, the Stanhope government produced another media release, "Calvary development to proceed". Don't get too excited, read further: "Further work needs to be done before a final offer of lease can be made and development can commence."Indeed, the Little Company of Mary went on to say, "The Government's announcement yesterday clarified the size of the land...but we are still awaiting the price."

Please, this is not an initiative being taken by the government in addressing aged care. In any case, we have a major problem with the Greens about the Calvary site because Ms Tucker does not like it. The buildings will cover 40 per cent of the site and, while the original plans were for 64, this has been changed to 70, and now to 84. I am not

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