Page 1965 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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desperately—in fact, they say urgently—a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation centre in the ACT. It may be that the government should apply for a lease purpose variation. We have been promised a copy of the crown lease and variations this week, and I thank the minister for that. This will give us the details of what is permissible on the property.
However, a further variation to the lease would allow the current facility, as expressly built, to operate as a fully functional clinical rehab centre. This should deliver the model of care developed in response to the tender request. It would certainly make sense considering the phenomenal amounts of money spent on the development of this facility. It would also make sense if the government wants to avoid the accusation that it has built little more than a very expensive campsite. Alternatively, the government needs to commit to building or making available a new facility that will meet the immediate and urgent needs of the community.
The opportunity is here for the government to meet the ongoing and urgent needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the ACT in the provision of a drug and alcohol rehab centre, whether on the bush healing farm property or as a new facility. I look forward to that happening with all urgency.
I thank my colleagues for speaking in support of my motion. The Canberra Liberals will support the motion as amended, but we look forward to receiving the information as promised by the minister and to a resolution of the issue of the Ngunnawal bush healing farm to the satisfaction of the community.
Amendments agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Community facilities zoned land—government transparency
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (11.27): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) this Government says it is committed to transparency in process and information;
(b) former Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has stated that as a first principle information available to the Government should be made available for use by the community;
(c) Mr Jack Waterford has said the ACT has the weakest FOI Act in Australia, possibly the world; and
(d) in August last year, the Government passed a new Freedom of Information Act that Mr Rattenbury said will ensure the ACT is one of the most open jurisdictions in the country;
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