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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 3124 ..

MS REILLY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health and Community Care. Minister, can you inform the Assembly what tender processes were followed with the awarding of the contract for the proposed youth health service which is about to be set up in the ACT? What was the date for the calling of tenders? How was the tender advertised? What was the closing date for the tender? How many organisations put in a tender proposal? What were the selection criteria for the selection of the successful tenderer and who was on the selection committee?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I assume that - - -

MR SPEAKER: You are not announcing Executive policy, I trust?

MRS CARNELL: No; I am happy to answer this one. It has not actually been announced; but I think we can run with this one, because there has been so much consultation in this area. I think Ms Reilly is right about this. I assume, Ms Reilly, you are speaking about the Junction?

Ms Reilly: That is right.

MRS CARNELL: The Junction idea was put together by the Youth Coalition and, I suppose, me in the first instance. It came about as a result of consultations we had with a number of people in the youth area and the view that it would be very sad to see the old QEII building sitting idle for a couple of years, as the property market is not in a state where that building is overly saleable at this stage. Rather than let a building sit empty on a site in the centre of Civic for a minimum of two years, we looked for innovative proposals that might be able to be trialled or pilots that might be able to be run out of that particular entity.

We approached the Youth Coalition, which is the overarching youth body that represents youth groups in Canberra, and asked them what they would do with it, what they thought was an appropriate approach for this particular venue. They went out and spoke to various youth groups, various service providers in the youth area, and came back to the Government with a proposal for the temporary use of the QEII facility. I think that is a great approach. Instead of sitting on our hands, instead of letting a building sit there idle for a couple of years, we went out and looked for an innovative approach with the peak body representing youth. The proposal they have come back with is innovative and represents a number of interests in the youth area, and I am hopeful we will be able to reach agreement with them to use the old QEII building constructively.

MS REILLY: Chief Minister, as you have now told us that there was no tendering process for this service, can you let us know why you have not followed your Government's policies on competitive tendering for community services and also what advertising you did to allow all the community to put in ideas for use of the empty QEII building?

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