Page 4254 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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MS FITZHARRIS: Minister, could you please update the Assembly on childhood vaccination rates in the ACT?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Fitzharris for her supplementary. As I was mentioning, facilities like QEII do help families with a broad range of services, including vaccination. Here in the ACT vaccination rates are at a very good level. Immunisation data for children under seven years is collected by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. Coverage rates show that the ACT sits across all three cohorts at between 91 to 93 per cent compared to the Australian average, being somewhere between 89 and 92 per cent, so much, much stronger vaccination rates here than in the rest of the country.
We continue to work to improve this coverage. We do this through a range of ways, including the immunisation webpage, promotional campaigns to highlight the importance of immunisation, liaison with immunisation providers and the immunisation inquiry line. We also do regular reminders to parents of children—quarterly mail outs—who are recorded in the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register as overdue for immunisation.
It really does highlight the collaborative effort between public and private immunisation providers, ACT Health, the Capital Healthcare Network—formerly Medicare Local—and commonwealth departments to make sure we can keep vaccination at a very high rate here in our community.
Gaming—casino
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Economic Development. It relates to projects in and around the city. Minister, what discussions have you had with the owners of the casino about their intentions to expand the facility considerably?
MR BARR: The owners of the casino have presented a proposal to government. They have made that publicly available through various media outlets and provided a brief presentation of their intention at the Canberra Business Chamber dinner last night.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, what discussion has your office or directorate had with representatives of the casino about committing to legislative changes to allow poker machines?
MR BARR: The casino’s proposition to government has been put on the public record. They, like every other operator of the Canberra casino over history, have made an approach to government seeking access to poker machines.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Chief Minister, what is the status of the stadium in the city proposal and is it linked to the casino expansion going ahead?
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