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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Wednesday, 10 March 2004) . . Page.. 1009 ..

Mr Wood: It is detrimental to keep going forever.

MRS BURKE: We cannot keep the centre open forever, as Mr Wood interjects. We are saying that we should give people time.

Mr Quinlan: Say something real.

MRS BURKE: I haven’t heard you talk in this debate. Perhaps you are going to say something real for us all to enjoy. That will be a delight. People also suffer from loss of sense of direction in life. Again, people have a sense of direction relating to the centre, a sense of purpose of going to a place where they know that they are going to be listened to, that their needs are going to be cared for. People also have continuing disturbing memories of the disaster.

I am pleased to support the motion today. I am pleased that the Leader of the Opposition had the foresight to move this motion. We have been lobbied by our constituency and have at least listened to people in a highly vulnerable state and a highly vulnerable position. We call on the government to think carefully and to consider this motion. I commend the motion and support it wholeheartedly.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (5.16): The ACT Recovery Centre has indeed made a most significant contribution to the Canberra community and particularly to those individuals, families and community organisations directly affected by the bushfires last year. From the beginning of the recovery process, the government accorded the highest priority to assisting people directly impacted by the fires with information, services and support.

The ACT Recovery Centre has been instrumental in the overall effort to help the ACT community get back on its feet after the devastating events of 18 January 2003. The recovery centre was established on the basis of the disaster recovery principle that people want to manage their own recovery, but to do that they need sufficient support and information to enable them to make the decisions which are right for them and their loved ones. On that basis, the recovery centre has provided personal support to households, counselling for those who need and request it, and a range of practical help and information to enable people to regain their households and their lives.

The recovery centre provided services to more than 1,500 households, representing around 4,000 people. The forms of assistance provided to people throughout the recovery process have included: provision of a range of initial financial assistance for emergency household relief; the continuing provision of counselling services; provision of financial assistance and advice to fire-affected businesses, including home based businesses and rural leaseholders; support for community organisations and networks, including assisting volunteers, managing large numbers of donations of goods and services, supporting communities and community organisations directly affected by the fires, and supporting frontline community organisations and the community based bushfire recovery appeal; and supporting people through the decision making and recovering process by providing information on parenting after disasters, counselling and mental

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