Page 1868 - Week 06 - Thursday, 5 May 2005
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Questions without notice
Health—public services
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Minister for Health. Budget paper No 4, output 1.4, public health services, shows that the total cost for public health services in the 2004-05 budget was $23.3 million. The budget for 2005-06 shows a reduction of $2 million to $21 million. The government payment for output mirrors this cut, dropping from $21 million to $19 million. Minister, why are you cutting public health services by $2 million?
MR CORBELL: The government is not cutting public health services. In terms of the detail of the adjustment in the budget figures, I am happy to take the question on notice and provide a detailed answer to Mr Smith. However, I should clarify to members that there is no reduction in public health services. The key functions of public health services, health protection services, in the ACT will continue because they are important services and ones that the government is committed to maintain.
MR SMYTH: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, will you guarantee that this cut will have no negative effect on the integrity and supply of blood products in the ACT?
MR CORBELL: Yes.
Planning—City West development
DR FOSKEY: My question is to the Chief Minister. On 21 December 2004, the ACT government announced that it had signed a deed of agreement with the Australian National University regarding designated areas in the proposed City West development space. To date, we are still waiting for this deed of agreement to be tabled in the Assembly and made public. We have not yet seen ANU’s plans for the area. In the media release related to the deed, you said:
The rights of existing lessees will be protected completely and community groups in the area will be well catered for.
However, since the announcement of the ANU deed of agreement, the recommended final variation to City West has been referred to the Planning and Environment Committee for consideration. An outcome has not yet been reached by the committee.
This week, homeless constituents of the City West ROCKS area made my office aware that they had received a notice stating that buildings in the area would be demolished from 23 May 2005. The buildings in question are on the corner of Hutton and Childers streets.
What I would like to know is: how is it that buildings in the City West area are already in the demolition process when the ANU’s and the ACT’s plans for the area have not been tabled in the Assembly, or made public, and the recommended final variation for City West has not yet been scrutinised by the Planning and Environment Committee?
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