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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Thursday, 1 July 2004) . . Page.. 3143 ..

Pharmacies

MR WOOD: The response to a question from Ms Tucker about pharmacy friendly societies is even longer. I will table that.

Review of traffic management

MR WOOD: On February 11 this year, the Assembly resolved that Ms Gallagher and I conduct a review of all crossings and traffic management around schools, child-care centres and older persons’ facilities and report back by 1 July 2004.

This was a major task. I am not surprised that it has taken a great deal of time to complete. Therefore I seek agreement from the Assembly—a nod will do—to an extension of time to report back on those findings. The report is substantially done. We are now looking at the implications of that report. I anticipate that I will provide an answer in the next sitting period.

Children—playgroups

MS GALLAGHER: Yesterday Ms Dundas asked me a question on the Playgroups Association. I undertook to get back to her with some information. The 2004-05 funding agreement for the ACT Playgroups Association has recently been finalised. The new agreement was negotiated with the executive officer of the association. Prior to the finalisation of the agreement, the executive officer forwarded suggested wording and performance measures the association wanted to be included in the agreement and these were incorporated.

During the negotiations, there was discussion with the executive officer about Australian government funding for new playgroups and the role of ACT government funding. ACT funding is primarily expended on promotion of playgroups and telephone support for families wanting to find out more about playgroups or join a playgroup. This was articulated to and supported by the Executive Officer. In 2003-04, ACT Playgroups Association received $36,733.48 in ACT government funding. It will receive $47,222.89 in 2004-05.

Education

MS GALLAGHER: Yesterday Mr Cornwell asked me a question about the number of year 10 and year 11 students who dropped out in 2003. Mr Cornwell’s questions can best be answered by comparing students enrolled in the February 2003 census to those enrolled in the August 2003 school census.

Of the year 10 students who appeared in the February census, 114 were not enrolled in ACT government schools in the August 2003 census. Of the year 11 students who appeared in the February 2003 census, 324 were not enrolled in the ACT government schools in the August 2003 census. These figures include students who found employment or undertook an apprenticeship or traineeship or who moved interstate, overseas or to a non-government school between February and August. Therefore the number of students who dropped out will be only a small proportion of these totals.

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