Page 3081 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2012
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I will note in relation to that that this was a recommendation that all the committee agreed on, that all detainees at the AMC should have timely access to hep C treatment. I note, though, that this treatment is dependent on the gene type and body weight that a person has. I note that that factor does obviously need to be taken into account.
Looking at some of the other issues, as I said, there are a broad range of issues, particularly in health, going from campaigns to focus more on preventative health to looking at health promotion grants, the Village Creek centre, which we know was discussed and has been discussed on a number of occasions, to make sure that that is accessible by public transport, and looking at issues around the birth centre and midwives. This is obviously an issue the Greens have brought up on a number of occasions but there are recommendations around that.
There are recommendations around public transport also, noting that we are maintaining investment in infrastructure that allows us to maintain sustainable transport targets. That is going to be extremely important in terms of how we promote and progress public transport into the future. We believe that it was good to see all the committee agreeing on that being an important factor.
We have had a number of deaths on work sites in the ACT and this is an issue that was discussed in the committee process. Also, obviously, the CIT bullying situation was discussed in the committee and there are a number of recommendations around that also.
I will address this very briefly because we did have a recall hearing with Dr Bourke on this matter. It was in relation to Billabong. I have to say this was something that did—
Mr Hargreaves: I owe you $5, Chris.
MS BRESNAN: I did have to raise it, Mr Hargreaves, because it was an important issue, I think. It was around Billabong and recognising that this was an Aboriginal organisation. I will not go into it, because I think it was prosecuted through the hearing, but I think it is a matter that needs to be looked at very carefully. I think that we did have concerns, as we have had for some time, that while Billabong had people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island descent in that housing, they were the only organisation in the ACT specifically providing accommodation. And it is concerning to us that while those properties will remain with the current tenants at the time, as the directorate said, they will not specifically be allocated for people from Aboriginal backgrounds and they will not then be managed by an Aboriginal organisation. That is concerning.
I think it is a shame—more than a shame; I think it is a detriment that we are losing Billabong as a provider for that accommodation. I recognise that there were issues around that process about them registering, but I think it is very disappointing that that could not be resolved.
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