Page 2724 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee (Legislative Scrutiny Role)—Scrutiny Report 33, dated 6 August 2019, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I seek leave to make a brief statement.
Leave granted.
MRS JONES: Scrutiny report No 33 contains the committee’s comments on 134 pieces of subordinate legislation and three government responses. The report was circulated to members when the Assembly was not sitting. I commend the report to the Assembly.
Hydrotherapy services in south Canberra
Ministerial statement
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Disability, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (10.03): I rise today in response to the Assembly’s resolution about hydrotherapy services in south Canberra. Members will recall that the resolution called on the ACT government to agree not to close the Canberra Hospital pool until an appropriate level of access at other suitable locations, readily accessible for those on Canberra’s south side, can be continued, and to continue to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to include their input in the work that is currently underway to determine the current demand and usage of hydrotherapy and warm-water facilities across the ACT.
At that time the ACT Health Directorate had recently engaged an external adviser, Nous Group, to undertake an assessment of access to hydrotherapy in the ACT. Today I will provide members with an update on the work undertaken by Nous, the outcomes of that work and the actions being taken to address their recommendations.
I would firstly like to confirm that, in line with the government’s commitment to keep the Canberra Hospital hydrotherapy pool open until access at other suitable locations could be found, Canberra Health Services extended the hydrotherapy pool user agreement with Arthritis ACT until the end of September 2019. This ensured continuity of access for the pool users while the Nous work was underway, and until a way forward could be identified.
I can further confirm that this arrangement will continue until the work to secure access at other suitable locations is completed. However, it is also now in everyone’s interest to resolve the situation as quickly as possible to give pool users certainty. For the information of the Assembly, I present the following papers:
Hydrotherapy services in South Canberra—Ministerial statement, 13 August 2019.
Access to Hydrotherapy in the ACT, prepared by the Nous Group, dated 2 July 2019.
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