Page 721 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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MR RAMSAY: I thank Mrs Jones for the question. Criminal organisation control orders—anti-consorting laws, as they have been somewhat inaccurately nicknamed by the opposition—have been, obviously, well looked at. One thing that I do not know that the opposition has heard yet, so let me say it again, is that the reason that they are not being considered, that they are not being taken any further by this government, is the clear evidence that they are ineffective. This is not a government that chooses to implement laws which the police have said will have no effect.
We are happy to look at the wisdom that has occurred in other jurisdictions. Other jurisdictions have made it clear that these particular laws do not work. The New South Wales Ombudsman has said that these laws should be repealed. They have not been implemented in other jurisdictions around Australia. When we were looking at Mr Hanson’s bill, one of the things that was made very clear was that the police had said that those particular laws would not provide them with an effective tool. This government will not legislate just for the sake of legislating for ineffective tools.
Health—nurse-led walk-in centres
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister please provide an update on the progress of the Gungahlin walk-in centre and when it will open?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mr Pettersson very much for the question. Indeed I am very pleased to provide an update on the progress of the Gungahlin walk-in centre, which will open later this year, in the third quarter. In the 2017-18 ACT budget the government committed capital funding of $2.925 million to deliver our third walk-in centre, for Gungahlin.
The new walk-in centre will be an extension of the existing Gungahlin community health centre and will be approximately 240 square metres of new construction that will include four patient treatment spaces and support infrastructure. It will feature a high ceiling corridor, to let natural light into the building, as well as easy access from the nearby public car park.
This year we have seen the approval of the development application and finalisation of the building design by the project architect, May Russell. The designs were based on the successful design of the Belconnen walk-in centre which, members will know, has been operating since July 2014.
The head contractor, Manteena, was engaged in September last year and work commenced on 16 February this year. I was very pleased to attend a sod turning with Mr Pettersson and Ms Orr on 23 February and look forward to the centre opening later this year.
MR PETTERSSON: Can the minister provide the most recent information on how walk-in centres are being used and the most common health issues that are treated at these centres?
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