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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 4441 ..

MR CORNWELL (continuing):

The private and non-government sector are responding to the ACT's ageing population with proposals [for]...over 500 independent living units and 300 aged care beds across Canberra.

Four months later, we have seen nothing of those but yesterday, in response to a question without notice in this place, Mr Corbell scaled down that commitment a little. A little? It appears that 145 have been promised and facilitated by the Commonwealth-103 high-care and 42 low-care beds-which is quite a change from the 500 and the 300. We hope that even this lower number of 145 will eventually be built but I have my doubts because, even for these, we have been waiting for such a long period of time.

Again, Mr Corbell went on to tell us all about the facilities that had been promised. He said, in answer to my question yesterday:

The government is continuing to work very closely with all proponents...of new aged care facilities. As the member will be aware, the government has approved grants of land to both the Little Company of Mary at Bruce and Southern Cross Homes in Garran.

The grants of land for the Little Company of Mary at Bruce have been around for over two years. I may be a couple of months out. However, it is at least two years and there is still no sign of any activity on that site.

Indeed, in response in estimates to my colleague, Mrs Dunne, the minister said that consultations were still going on with Calvary Health Care and the Land Development Agency. Calvary has advised that, should the land be available within the time frame of the first quarter of 2004-that indicates that Calvary has no faith at all that it will be available in that time-that it would be able to commence construction of the new facilities in the second half of 2004. We now have three years of waiting for this promised facility. We do not really know when the Southern Cross Homes project in Garran may come on line but I, at least, am not holding my breath.

In addition, Mr Corbell went on to say in reply to me:

In addition, the government is moving to release a site on the shore of Lake Ginninderra for aged care facilities early next year, within this financial year. The government is considering additional sites at Gordon, Greenway and Nicholls for future release.

All of that is fine. Mr Corbell continued:

The government's processes are moving in an effective and timely way. We will always focus on ways to further improve those, but the government has identified both the demand and possible sites and is moving to expedite them.

That is a rich word-expedite. Not as far as I can see. I must have read the wrong English dictionary because I do not see any indication from this government that it is expediting anything in relation to aged care facilities, or the provision of them in this city. If we want to twist the language, we can consider that the only thing they are

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