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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 10 Hansard (14 October) . . Page.. 3159 ..

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, what Mr Wood is referring to is that the Caltex service station quite rightly applied to vary their lease and were given certain permissions to go ahead. Then, inside the service station itself, they incorrectly developed too much retail space for general goods, non-automotive goods. When it was brought to their attention that they were over the limit they were told that they could remedy this by removing the unapproved areas, or they could apply, as they are well able to do under the Act, to have that area legitimised. In keeping with the policy, they have applied to have that area legitimised, and I understand it is out for notification until 21 October.

MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question. So you would insist on that part of the building being demolished if their application is not successful?

MR SMYTH: It is curious, Mr Speaker, that yesterday Mr Wood accused the Government of not being caring and sharing because we were enforcing the law. Now that we enforce the law in a generous way we are picked on again. You cannot have it both ways. When the fact that they had too much retail space was brought to our attention they were asked to remedy the situation and options were offered to them. They have taken up one of these options and are seeking to remedy the situation.

Ms Carnell: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I have a number of answers to questions I have taken on notice. The first one is from today. Mr Stanhope asked me about the COOOL houses at Macquarie. The organisation there, CHOM, has indicated that it will seek a review by the Chief Executive Officer of Health and Community Care to review the recommendation made by a senior panel of government officers and a non-government adviser. Secondly, ACT Community Care is seeking to recruit long-term workers in anticipation that it may be asked to take on the contract for a period of two years. ACT Community Care has been advised that it has not been offered a contract of two years at this stage, pending the review process. Residents will be integrally involved in the development of a longer term contract with ACT Community Care should this eventuate, including the need for ACT Community Care to develop service agreements with each resident and the residents, as a group, at the house level. Residents were offered a range of options to determine their care provisions earlier this year. It was advised that the bid by CHOM was their preferred means, CHOM being the COOOL Houses of Macquarie.

The panel recommendation balanced the need for stability and certainty in accommodation support, with a high level of residents' participation in developing the way the support will be provided. I think that is the answer the member was looking for.

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