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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Thursday, 11 March 2004) . . Page.. 1211 ..

Mr Corbell: The answer to the member’s question is:

(1) The Commonwealth Government is responsible for allocating residential aged care places to approved providers.

Under the 2003 National Aged Care Approvals Round, the Commonwealth Government recently announced 121 new residential aged care places for the ACT and 19 new Community Aged Care Packages to allow people to remain in their own homes with support. This brings the total number of provisional aged care places in the ACT to 255.

The ACT Government is now working to ensure that these places are operational as soon as possible. Of the 255 provisional places, it is expected that 87 will be operational and 168 will be under construction by December 2004.

Once all provisional places allocated by the Commonwealth Government to approved providers in the ACT become operational, the ACT will be above the Commonwealth ratio for aged care places.

(2) The Aged Care Act 1997 made provision for the establishment of Aged Care Planning Advisory Committees (ACPAC) in all States and Territories. ACPACs are responsible for negotiation with the Commonwealth Government with regard to residential aged care places. ACT Health is represented on the ACT ACPAC.

ACPACs are required to assist in identifying community needs, ranking the identified needs in priority order, considering the types of care that should be provided in particular regions, and considering the most appropriate proportion of places for the different groups of people.

The end result of the ACPAC contribution to the planning process is advice to the Secretary on the recommended distribution of new residential and community care places by type (nursing home – high level care, hostel – low level care, and community care), by special needs group and by region. The advice includes the rationale supporting the ACPAC’s recommendations.

The number of aged care places allocated by the Commonwealth Government is based on a ratio of 100 places per 1,000 people aged over 70. This ratio is applied nationally. The ACT Government has, in collaboration with other States and Territories, raised concerns about the adequacy of the ratio and requested the Commonwealth Government to review it. The Commonwealth Government has not to date been prepared to review the ratio.

(3) N/A.

Bus concessions
(Question No 1295)

Mr Cornwell asked the Minister for Planning, upon notice:

(1) Did you state to the Assembly in 2003 that a bus concessions review to extend pensioner off-peak tickets to peak periods was underway; if so, will you make the outcome of this review available to Members of the Assembly;

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