Page 3756 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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that this has been another ongoing submission to the ACT government. They ask that facilities be provided halfway down Anzac Parade. Again, there has been inaction from the government. Regarding the Veterans Park redevelopment, there are a number of issues that are of great deal of concern to many veterans organisations.
There are a number of concerns relating to the Canberra Hospital redevelopment, particularly in terms of parking—the destruction that is going to be caused by the car park demolishment and the rebuild in that location. They also mention the veterans garden which, in the words of the KOC, is considered “sacred ground”. There is real concern in that regard. They mention the isolation of veterans. Obviously many who are ageing or hospitalised feel isolated. They also raise the issue of disabled car parking in the ACT. They say there is a lack of disabled car parking positions in Canberra. There are a whole number of things that are at this point in time being raised by the ACT veterans community that are not being addressed by the Stanhope-Gallagher Labor government.
The Victorian government, the South Australian government and the New South Wales government, amongst others, have started to put in really good programs to address the needs of veterans. When we talk about leading the way, I would acknowledge the work that has been done by the Victorian Labor government in this regard. They have done a range of things and I will speak further on those in closing. They have made real steps—and I encourage you to look at the website for the Victorian government—in implementing programs that actually help ex-service organisations and veterans in their day-to-day lives. Part of that involves strengthening commemoration and education within the community, promoting veterans’ wellbeing, preserving veterans’ heritage and supporting ex-service organisations.
Indeed, Victoria has a veterans act—the Veterans Act 2005—which was developed through consultation with an organisation called the Victorian Veterans Council. In Victoria they have a council which is an independent statutory body established in 2006. The council plays an important role in supporting Victoria’s veterans and reporting directly to the premier on issues that affect the Victorian community. In addition, it advises the premier on how the council distributes the Anzac Day proceeds funds, which is a fund that has been set up to support veterans.
The council was set up in response to two significant changes in the community. The first is that veterans are getting older. There are a number of real consequences with an ageing veteran community, particularly in terms of the increased care that those veterans need. The total number of veterans is declining as those generations pass away. The widows and dependants of those veterans also require a high level of care. (Time expired.)
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (6.12): On behalf of the Chief Minister, I am pleased to stand here tonight to speak to Mr Hanson’s motion. The ACT Labor government has a long history of supporting and honouring those men and women who have defended their nation and their community. The Assembly will recall that it was Labor that redressed
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