Page 2601 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 August 2019
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MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Le Couteur for the supplementary question. Barnardos Australia is the leader for the ACT Together consortium and Barnardos has assured the Community Services Directorate that it will step in and ensure continuity of support for the children and young people in residential care. That is our primary consideration: the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people.
We are also considering the needs of the staff who work at Premier Youthworks, 125 staff based in the ACT. For children and young people in residential care the continuity of support by staff they know and trust is an important part of their care. Barnardos and the Community Services Directorate are working directly with each of the staff, particularly those who provide frontline support for children and young people, to support a transition to ACT Together where that is appropriate but also to support them to identify where the need is.
As I said, the safety and care of young people are priorities for the Community Services Directorate, Barnardos and the rest of the ACT Together consortium. That is our number one priority in managing this transition. I have absolutely no doubt that the Community Services Directorate and ACT Together will manage this transition well. The Community Services Directorate has considerable experience in managing transitions in support for vulnerable people and it is well prepared for this work.
Development—Red Hill
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, has construction work stopped on the site of the former Red Hill flats, and if so why?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I am taking the question as Minister for Urban Renewal. I thank Ms Lawder for the question. It is the case that construction work has stopped on the Red Hill flats site. There was some contamination identified on that site. The site had previously been given a clearance certificate but there was some additional contamination identified on that site. That is something that is currently being worked through with the Suburban Land Agency and Stockland as the purchaser of the site. Yes, it is the case that construction at this time has ceased.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what soil testing and rectification works were done on the site of the former Red Hill flats prior to the sale of the site to developers by the government?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Lawder for the supplementary. As I indicated, a clearance certificate for that site was issued prior to the sale going ahead; that of course required testing and remediation of the site.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, what do you say to the local businesses that have increased their staffing in anticipation of construction worker patronage but instead have seen work stalled while dust storms plague the area?
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