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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1684 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

There has been some reconstruction already. It was commenced in 1987. There was some more in 1989-90 under the previous Labor Government in the First Assembly. Of course, in 1987 we had a Federal Labor government. With my Federal colleague the then Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Brian Howe, I announced the finalisation of this long-running program up at the village in the presence of a large number of residents and staff from Centacare. Commonwealth money, of course, plays an important part in this redevelopment. The redevelopment will offer residents a very much improved quality of housing. I am advised that there are currently 180 residents at the village. The total capacity of the accommodation on site after the project has been completed will be 210.

Previously, there were four crisis rooms which were not always fully utilised. Centacare, which leases the village and is responsible for all tenancy management, has made arrangements for the same amount of space to be available during the redevelopment, in a dormitory-style room with an adjoining en suite. The residents of the village who require crisis accommodation will have case management in which their needs are assessed and an appropriate plan developed. If there is an additional demand for crisis accommodation during the redevelopment, Centacare will arrange a referral to another service offering crisis accommodation. All residents have been consulted in determining their accommodation needs, and no residents will be homeless as a result of the redevelopment of the village. Centacare have also arranged temporary accommodation off site, with appropriate support, for some residents during the redevelopment, and a number of rental flats and houses have been offered to residents. Residents will have the option to remain in this accommodation with the support of Centacare as a long-term arrangement or to move back to the village at the completion of the project.

Centacare has fully supported the redevelopment of Ainslie Village, as did the former Federal Labor Government and former ACT governments. The project has involved extensive planning and consultation with Centacare, ACT Housing and the residents. The result will be that residents will certainly enjoy a much improved standard of accommodation. Some of the newer style of accommodation was shown on a WIN program which starkly contrasted it with the old style of barracks which will now be finally removed.

MR HIRD: I ask a supplementary question. Could the Minister further inform the house how much this project will cost?

MR STEFANIAK: Just under $2m, Mr Hird.

MR BERRY: My question is to the Chief Minister in her capacity as Minister for Health. I refer the Chief Minister to a Canberra Times article of 22 May in relation to the emergency bypass at the hospital. I mean the emergency bypass that the hospital needed, not the emergency bypass that was needed by somebody at the hospital. Mrs Carnell said that since the Liberals had come to government an extra 1,000 patients had been treated. Fair enough. That is 1,000 patients in 15 months. But a fairly boastful media release

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