Page 639 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 1990
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Intellectually Disabled - Group Houses
DR KINLOCH: My question is to the Minister for Health, Gary Humphries. Can the Minister inform the Assembly of the progress made in the proposal to move five intellectually disabled people from Stirling group house to north Lyneham group house?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, I can provide information about that. I do not think I need to tell Dr Kinloch that health facilities in this Territory are expensive to run and it is vital, therefore, to ensure that we use these resources as rationally as possible to make sure that real health needs are met. To this end my department has recommended that the residents of the Stirling group house for intellectually disabled people be relocated to a house in north Lyneham. The basis for that move was that the Stirling group house was designed for people with extreme physical disabilities as well as intellectual ones, and that is not the case with the north Lyneham home.
I acknowledge that I have had some time to look at this issue and to address the question of what to do. There was some initial resistance from the parents of the people involved in that move and I acknowledge, in particular, that Ms Maher was helpful in talking to those people and meeting with me and with them to talk about the way in which this might be resolved.
We have discussed the appropriate answer to this problem with those parties and we have, in fact, offered two solutions to those parents; a Housing Trust home on the southside, staffed by the Department of Health or a move to that house in north Lyneham. I can indicate to the Assembly now that the parents have accepted the offer of a suitable house in Waramanga.
I think this illustrates the openness of this Government to consult with the community about problems of this kind that arise. I want to, as I said, thank Ms Maher for her interest in this matter in allowing us to negotiate a settlement with the parents that was acceptable to them. The resulting arrangement of a Department of Health staffed Housing Trust home illustrates the scope that exists for the community and the Government to work in partnership. As the fiscal constraints of self-government impact it is vital that we look less to government to fix things and more to community based solutions. I might, at this stage, wish the young men that are moving from Stirling to Waramanga all the best in their new home.
Territory Planning Authority
MS FOLLETT: My question is to Mr Kaine as Minister for planning and it relates to an area of the Territory Planning Authority. Mr Kaine, can you outline the function
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