Page 4685 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
protection investigation. This is above the obligations outlined in the Children and Young People Act.
The Public Advocate, as members may be aware, can request information at any time from child and youth protection services, subject to sections 78 and 79 of the Children and Young People Act. As indicated by the Public Advocate, the timing of the reporting of these matters is indicative of the length of the investigation and not indicative of failures to report.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, why is the ACT government continuing to seriously compromise the Public Advocate's ability to perform her function as an advocate for children and young people in care?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I absolutely reject the premise of the question. I repeat what I said: changes have been made to ensure that timely advice is provided to the Public Advocate. As I said in my previous answer, child and youth protection services has commenced informing the Public Advocate of all matters of children in care that are proceeding to appraisal before the completion of the appraisal. I understand that this was not previously the case.
Child and youth protection Services has also commenced providing the Public Advocate with the full appraisal outcome report at the completion of the child protection investigation, which is above and beyond the obligations set out in the Children and Young People Act.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, what specific steps is the government taking to make sure that the Public Advocate has all the information she needs when she needs it, so that she can support children and young people during investigations of alleged abuse?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Milligan for his further supplementary question and refer him to my previous answer.
Public housing—renewal program
MS CHEYNE: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, could you update the Assembly on the progress of the public housing renewal program?
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Cheyne for the question. As members will know, across the public housing renewal program, 56.6 per cent of the overall program is now complete. As of 25 October 2017, 480 tenancies have already been relocated into new houses, resulting in about 691 people already in their new homes. The government has conducted almost six months of consultation sessions with individuals in the community who have been interested in the housing renewal program. There has been an outstanding response to that, particularly from residents in Chapman, Wright, Mawson and Holder. Their input into the consultations on and the planning for the housing in those areas of Canberra has been quite positive, for the most part, looking at ways to welcome new residents into their area. The task force has been working
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video