Page 2202 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 31 October 1989

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time ago on the proposed section 19 development. It is my understanding, on advice now, that that social impact study does form part of the EIS process under Commonwealth legislation. I have, of course, seen that.

Mowing Equipment

MRS GRASSBY: I have an answer to a question asked by Mr Stefaniak on 26 October, concerning the delivery of five Hustler lawn-mowers. My answer to the member's question is as follows: to date two have been received, a third will be delivered this week, and the remaining two will be delivered over the next two weeks.

Mr Moore: What colour are they?

MRS GRASSBY: I think we are having them pink with yellow spots. I rather like those colours.

PUBLIC HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT
Ministerial Statement and Paper

MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health), by leave: In 1987 the first strategic plan for ACT health services proposed that the development of services across the three public hospitals should be complementary, and it suggested a scheme to rationalise the distribution of services between them. The plan envisaged that Royal Canberra and Woden Valley Hospitals would continue to operate at around the same capacity.

In 1988 an independent review of ACT health services by Dr Brendon Kearney recommended the adoption of a "one principal hospital" concept and the establishment of a steering committee to review the options for implementing the proposal.

The steering committee examined 10 major options, ranging from the status quo to construction of a single 1,000-bed hospital to replace all existing facilities. Between these two extremes the committee identified a number of alternatives which focused on a principal hospital of between 600 and 700 beds and one or two community hospitals. Full details of these options were included in the steering committee's report which I tabled in this house on 24 August this year.

The steering committee strongly supported the concept of a principal hospital, and it recommended that Woden Valley Hospital be developed for this role. It provided two distinct options for the provision of associated community hospital facilities. The first involved the expansion of Calvary Hospital to its current capacity of around 300 beds and the closure of Royal Canberra Hospital. The second


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