Page 599 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010
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This government has revitalised former schools sites into regional community hubs and will create up to eight neighbourhood halls. The revitalised community facilities will sustain our valuable community arts programs, community services and health and wellbeing programs.
The ACT government value the important role of the community sector. We will continue to work collaboratively to deliver services to vulnerable members of our community.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, a supplementary question?
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can the minister please inform the Assembly how the government is supporting the community sector with infrastructure, including for playgroups and play schools?
MS BURCH: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves, for your interest in playgroups and play schools. This government provides the community sector with a variety of infrastructure support, including community tenancies and grants through a number of agencies. These include the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, the Department of Land and Property Services, the Department of Education and Training and the Chief Minister’s Department.
In the past two years the government has focused infrastructure works for the community sector on the $29.8 million regional community facilities project, undertaking work at nine former school sites and two greenfield sites. The centrepiece of this work has been the transformation of sites at Holt, Cook, Chifley and Weston into community hubs for the community sector and the use of the local community.
Thirty-seven organisations will take occupancy of space as community tenants in these hubs. Some moved in recently. Other occupants will be moving in from now until the end of this financial year. These community sector organisations include peak bodies, community housing organisations, disability support organisations, arts organisations, health and wellbeing organisations and organisations providing support and services for women, youth and children. Some of these new community tenants will experience significant cost savings as a result in rental payments to government, as they will no longer be paying commercial rental rates.
Organisations are meeting together in their hub groups to decide how they will work together and create better collaborations across the community sector. A list of the organisations is available for those interested on the DHCS website.
I am quite proud of the work that the department is doing to support services for children provided by the community sector, and particularly playgroups and play schools. A number of these are within the regional hubs. The refurbishment of the Noah’s Ark Children’s Resource Centre at the former Rivett primary school was completed last October.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mrs Dunne?
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