Page 1970 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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However, it is important to reflect directly on how the Freedom of Information Act operates for the community when they seek to make requests for government information. Freedom of information requests are an important part of our democratic process and demonstrate our commitment to transparency as we work to deliver on our goals of improving outcomes for public housing tenants.
The government is absolutely committed to transparency and openness. Former Chief Minister Katy Gallagher in 2011 made a statement on open government which came with several measures to increase transparency. This provided for freedom of information releases to be published online. A government information office was created to promote more access and use of digital information. Since that time this government has maintained its commitment to being open and transparent. The existing freedom of information laws and, more importantly, the culture and the efforts of this government to make information available have shown that to be true.
All members are aware that from 2018 a new freedom of information law will commence, bringing with it a renewed focus on transparency. This government provided additional resources of more than $950,000 in the 2017-18 budget to support this new scheme. The funding will allow the Ombudsman to undertake new functions, including providing a review service to help resolve FOI disputes. Future funding will be determined by reference to the outcome of a review of the volume of work that is being undertaken. The new FOI Act will further strengthen the community’s right to access government-held information unless, on balance, releasing the information would be contrary to the public interest.
As with the open government statement in 2011, the government is investing resources and effort in making the new FOI law work for people. Within the public service, a robust program of implementation work is underway, which includes preparing internal guidance about the application of the public interest test, the obligations of ministers under the new act and the definition of an agency’s policy documents; a communications strategy to promote understanding across the service; and, in consultation with the ACT Government Solicitor’s Office, developing and piloting practical training for ACT public service staff about how to apply the public interest test. This government has always demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate its commitment to openness: in its commitments by its resources and through its legislation.
On public housing renewal, more than 430 homes have been completed as part of the public housing renewal program, highlighting the ACT government’s continued commitment to this significant program of renewal. We are continuing to make a real difference to the lives of our tenants by improving the quality of the housing in which they live.
Six sites recently announced at Monash, Mawson, Chapman, Wright and Holder are not the first instances of public housing being developed on community facilities zoned land. Housing ACT has already got more than 340 supportive housing properties on community facilities zoned land, forming part of the public housing portfolio. This
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