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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4689 ..

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, I refer to the discussion yesterday about reports and surveys done in relation to the strategic plan. Will you table in this Assembly by the close of business today the reports of the focus group meetings, the minutes of the public meetings, the results of the survey and any other analysis, plus any other public comment gathered to develop the Canberra: A Capital Future document?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am very happy to table whatever is available.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Housing, Mr Stefaniak. Could the Minister please inform the parliament of what steps the Government is taking to assist people who care for members of our community who have disabilities?

MR STEFANIAK: I thank Mr Hird for the question. It is timely. The Government is fully conscious of the very substantial contribution made to the community by people who care full time for people with disabilities. Some of those people are Housing Trust tenants. In consequence, the Government has recently agreed to a significant rent concession to assist ACT Housing Trust tenants who take on the role of full-time carer for a close family member.

Where other residents occupy an ACT Housing dwelling with the tenants, the normal policy is to require an additional contribution towards the rebated rent otherwise payable. That is assessed at 10 per cent of the other residents' income where that exceeds $100 a week - which, I might add, is considerably less than the previous Government's proposal of 25 per cent, but that is another issue. This helps to meet the significant cost of providing government housing.

In the case of public tenants who are caring for an adult child who is on a full disability pension, I have recently agreed, in consultation with the Chief Minister, to disregard that pension for the purposes of rent assessment. Where the resident is receiving rent assistance from the Department of Social Security in addition to the disability pension, only an amount equal to that rent assistance will be added to the tenant's rebated rent.

This new policy recognises that people who agree to take on the role of carer give of their time at great personal, financial and emotional cost. The policy also recognises that people who undertake the role of carer in their own home help reduce the cost to the community that would arise if institutional care were the only option. The Government felt it was appropriate and timely that that group of tenants who do take care of loved ones who are disabled should get some recognition for that fact.

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