Page 3424 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
transformational change in the disability services sector across Australia. The royal commission will inform governments, institutions and the wider community on how to better protect people with disability from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation in the future.
We know that our community sector is strongly supported by volunteers. In my role as Minister for Community Services and Facilities, I look forward to supporting our everyday heroes to continue their work in fostering participation, providing meaningful experiences, promoting the value of sharing information and enhancing community connectedness.
I am pleased to be taking a leading role in delivering the ACT carers strategy 2018-28. I look forward to working with Canberra’s carer community to deliver the first action plan and, through this, to support and recognise the work of carers and the difference they make in our community. This work addresses this government’s commitment to genuine engagement with members of our community to shape and develop solutions that actually work for them.
I am also in a privileged position to work with our community partners, who, with the assistance of funding from the ACT government, achieve effective, inclusive and positive social outcomes for our community. The community services sector faces an unprecedented period of change, including new service delivery modes and business models and a stronger focus on achieving social and economic outcomes. It is doing this while managing increasing costs and complexities. To achieve systematic change, we need to foster inclusive and supportive communities through productive partnerships and sustainable relationships, and working alongside community partners to do this will be a highlight of my portfolio responsibilities.
I am also pleased to continue the highly innovative agenda of developing a new commissioning strategy for the community services sector in the ACT, which has a working title of “Strengthening partnerships—commissioning for social impact”. I look forward to working with the community to collaboratively develop the strategy. This new approach has the potential to build stronger partnerships and increase our understanding of the needs of people and should allow us to better evaluate our service system and what it is achieving. Most importantly, this work will ensure that our investment is focused on improved outcomes and wellbeing for people in the ACT.
Also under my community services and facilities responsibilities sit initiatives of the ACT Property Group. As members may know, Property Group manages ACT government-owned properties. The ACT government is investing almost $5 million across 17 community facilities through the 2019-20 better infrastructure fund initiatives for ACT property upgrades. These proposed works include lift refurbishments and upgrades at Belconnen community centre, new roofing for Pearce community centre buildings, a new men’s shed at the Hughes community centre and refurbishing the wet areas at the Spence Children’s Cottage.
As Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, I take this opportunity to express to the Assembly my commitment to ensuring that there is a very strong focus on work health and safety in Canberra workplaces. As members of the Assembly would know,
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video