Page 2455 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
The following answers to questions were provided:
Casino
Mr Jensen asked the Chief Minister, without notice, on 31 October 1989:
I refer [the Chief Minister] to the first recommendation of the Select Committee on the Establishment of a Casino, which urged the Government to "adopt as a matter of policy the urgent implementation of the Social Impact Survey recommendations relating to the epidemiological studies and establishment of counselling, referral and education services".
Can the Minister advise what progress has been made in implementing this important recommendation?
Ms Follett: The answer to Mr Jensen's question is as follows: the Social Impact Study of the Civic section 19 development and casino recommended that a community based counselling service for research and data collection on the nature and problems of gambling in the ACT be assigned to an appropriate agency. These recommendations were included in the Government's submission to the Assembly select committee and were accepted by the committee with the additional recommendations that such services be established irrespective of whether a casino is approved and that a proportion of total government gambling revenue be dedicated to the funding of the counselling services.
The Social Impact Study indicated that there probably exists at present a small but significant problem of excessive gambling in the ACT community. It was unable to quantify the level and nature of the problem. Without such data it is not possible to determine whether the establishment of a counselling and referral service specifically for excessive gamblers is justified, or whether it would be more appropriate to deal with the problem through enhancement of existing agencies in the financial counselling, mental health or addictions areas.
The Government therefore proposes to address the Social Impact Study's second recommendation, relating to research and data collection, as its first priority. My colleague the Minister for Community Services and Health, Mr Wayne Berry, has asked his department to investigate and report on the excessive gambling problem that may exist in Canberra, its level and nature, and the options that exist for providing appropriate counselling, information and referral services. It is anticipated that this report,
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