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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 09 Hansard (Tuesday, 17 August 2004) . . Page.. 3724 ..

days of making that decision. As required by the act, and for the information of members, I table a statement providing a description of the development, details of the land where it is proposed the development take place, the name of the applicant, details of my decision and the grounds for that decision. As required by the Land Act, I also table the comments of the ACT Planning and Land Council on this matter.

Planning and Environment—Standing Committee

Report 31—statement in relation to government response

MR WOOD (Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Arts and Heritage, and Acting Minister for Health): I seek leave to make a statement regarding report No 31 of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment on the Karralika development.

Leave granted.

MR WOOD: As Acting Minister for Health, I felt that I needed to make a statement as a result of the statement that was made earlier by Mr Quinlan. I affirm the government’s commitment to providing appropriate alcohol and drug rehabilitation services for the whole of the ACT community. The current Karralika rehabilitation facility, which is an excellent facility, is a core component of the drug and alcohol services provided in the ACT. As the demand for rehabilitation services in the ACT is on the increase the government needs to ensure that it has suitable facilities available to deal with that demand.

The government acknowledges the concerns raised in the community and in the Assembly in regard to the process of planning for the necessary expansion of services across Canberra. In order to address those concerns the government requested ACT Health to undertake a broad community consultation process under the auspices of a special Karralika consultative committee. The proposed terms of reference of the committee would be: to examine the potential role of Karralika in meeting the increasing need for drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in the ACT; and to examine and provide advice to the ACT government on the most appropriate improvements, if any, required to the physical facility of Karralika to meet those needs.

That analysis will include an examination of the impact that any of these improvements might have on the local built and natural environments and the amenity of the general neighbourhood. The government will soon announce the composition of the committee, which will include solid representation from the local community. ACT Health looks forward to working with the committee and awaits with interest the outcome of deliberations. Depending on the outcome of that community consultation, ACT Health may undertake a development application process, the scrutiny of which will be subject to the normal process. It might mean that no change is necessary as a result of that consultative process. However, if a draft variation emerges the government gives the community a clear commitment that it will not expand that facility by more than 10 beds.

Mr Smyth: Will the minister table that document so that members have a written copy of his speech?

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