Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Thursday, 11 March 2004) . . Page.. 1054 ..

very interesting and important inquiry. But there is not the time to do justice to such a full inquiry that looks at aged care across Canberra.

The particular issue of section 99, Holt, raises a number of questions. Questions about this proposal in relation to open space and concessional leases have been asked both by the community and by ACTPLA. Further investigation into those matters is needed. There is also the need to balance issues with increasingly urgent need to provide accommodation for older people in the Belconnen, north Canberra region. There are some real issues that do need consideration.

The amendment that I have circulated is about extending the scope of the inquiry to look at other sites in Belconnen. There has been some discussion about section 87 Belconnen, on the lake shore, being an alternative site to section 99 in Holt. It is quite possible that neither site is suitable, or that both sites are suitable. There should not be the suggestion that aged care accommodation can be built only on one, not the other. We need to look at what land across Belconnen is available when we are looking at the provision of aged care facilities.

We need to extend the scope of the inquiry. We need to consider how developments are impacting, as the minister has already mentioned, on residential amenity, and also on lake shore amenity. A number of concerns have been raised about the development on the shores of Lake Ginninderra. There are wider issues about the uses of open space, as well as the provision of aged care facilities. An examination of these two particular sites, and referring to demand, will allow the committee to uncover some of the underlying debates that I am sure will be around for a little while longer, and start to propose some solid solutions to the aged care crisis that we are facing.

I note that there has been some concern about the process in relation to the moving of this motion. I note that Mrs Dunne put it on the notice paper maybe a week and half, two weeks ago. When seeing that it was going to be raised for debate today, I worked to make sure that I had my amendment circulated this morning so that we could have a broader inquiry.

The issue of aged care facilities, specifically section 99 in Holt, has been around for a number of months, even a year.

Mr Hargreaves: Twenty years.

MS DUNDAS: Mr Hargreaves shouts out 20 years. The issue is not a surprise to anybody. I am almost foreshadowing what I think other members are going to say, but I know that there are concerns about the process in terms of how this inquiry is being established. That means that better processes need to be instigated in the future. But that should not devalue the importance of what this inquiry is about. It is the provision of aged care facilities, and looking after both our open space and our ageing community in the territory.

Mr Speaker, I move:

Omit everything after “1 July 2004”, substitute:

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .