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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (30 January) . . Page.. 27 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

There has, of course, been much discussion about the design and planning of the city since the fires of two Saturdays ago. Members will be well aware that the development of a Canberra spatial plan, a strategic plan for our city, has been under way since April last year. This work has been looking at land use, including the urban perimeter, and much discussion about constraints and opportunities has already taken place. The issue of bushfire has been given consideration in this planned work.

The spatial planning team will now be working closely with the Canberra bushfire recovery task force to gather and analyse data and present options for urban form and adjacent land uses. As a matter of urgency, the government is seeking to establish whether any parts of the city need to be formally declared fire-prone zones and what special planning requirements should or need to be put into place. The neighbourhood planning program for 2003-04 has not yet been determined, but I will consider giving priority to affected areas in this year's program. (Extension of time granted.)

I will now turn briefly to the issues confronting ACT Health on 18 January. The Canberra Hospital saw its busiest day on record: it had 312 people present to casualty in the afternoon and evening and took 69 admissions. Staff at Calvary Public Hospital received 95 people and took nine admissions. The Queanbeyan Hospital saw 34 people come in and took one admission.

Of particular concern is the status of patients who had to be transferred interstate because of their injuries. A mother and daughter with burns were transferred to Concord Hospital in Sydney, and I am pleased to advise they are now in a serious but stable condition in the intensive care unit there. Another patient, who was transferred to the Royal North Shore Hospital, is also in a satisfactory condition.

There were a number of other impacts on ACT Health. Most significantly, the Health Protection Service on Mulley Street, Holder, was substantially destroyed. The Health Protection Service contains records on ACT immunisation, communicable disease control, pharmaceutical services and environmental health. The one time we needed them most, in terms of water supply quality and air quality, their own headquarters were seriously damaged. I am pleased to advise, though, that the analytical laboratory within that complex amazingly survived the fire and should shortly be operational again. That is $7 million worth of analytical equipment that is still serviceable.

At the moment, the Health Protection Service is located in Moore Street but will shortly be moving to Fyshwick for the short to medium term whilst decisions are made about replacement premises for that very important service. Those people continued with their very important work, ensuring that basic hygiene issues were addressed and that appropriate spoiled food collection points were established in the affected areas, not just for individual households but also for the very large refrigerators full of food in many of the supermarkets-in the Weston Creek area in particular.

Fact sheets were made available on basic hygiene, food hygiene and gastroenteritis. Dr Charles Guest was acting Territory Health Controller from 18 January until 24 January, when the Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Dugdale, assumed the role.

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