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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (20 August) . . Page.. 2968 ..
MR CORNWELL (continuing):
surprised: if we have to wait 18 months before anything happens, of course the demand is going to increase, and it will continue to increase if we take much longer.
However, what disturbs me most about Ms Tucker's media release is the concluding paragraph:
I can see why people would look on this latest version of the proposal as nothing more than a land grab, using community facilities as an excuse. As much as we need aged care facilities, the Little Company of Mary cannot use that fact to justify inappropriate land development.
What is inappropriate about providing aged care facilities? It appears that the Greens are prepared to hug a tree, but not a senior citizen.
The second example I want to give is the 68-unit facility that was required and being planned for the Chinese community over in Kaleen. On 6 April, there was a rather sad photograph of an elderly Chinese gentleman who is staying at a nursing home where he is not really happy, because the other residents are not of the same ethnicity, the food is not to his liking, and so forth. Numbers of people, including Annette Ellis, Senator Kate Lundy and Kate Carnell were all very interested in this. I asked question No 709: what is happening please? Mr Corbell replied on 28 July, "The National Australian Chinese Association is proposing to develop a number of living units."The previous government gave in-principle agreement to block 7 section 85 Kaleen.
Since that time, would you believe that there have been discussions with the association about the proposed use of the land? The minister continued:
Initially, it was considered that the proposed use of the land fell under the definition of "retirement complex". Based on current information ACT Planning and Land Authority advises that the proposed use is defined as "supportive housing".
To progress the development of Block 7 Section 85 Kaleen it will be necessary for the Association to prepare a Community Facility Needs Assessment and produce a design concept.
Again, does this advance aged care facilities?
Who is being fair dinkum on this? Look what happened when somebody tried to use a section of the golf course over there at Belconnen for some aged care facilities. The minister said it could not be done or should not be done and, as far as I am aware, the matter is dead. Again, what sort of commitment does this show to aged care facilities in this city?
I turn now to a question I asked, No 727: "is land set aside for such facilities: Near John Knight Park, Belconnen; and Gungahlin Town Centre"? They picked one out as a possible site for aged persons' facilities-block 6 section 87 Belconnen. "A Planning Study has just been completed that looks at the suitability of the site for a retirement complex."That is as far as that has gone. A number of sites in Gungahlin have been identified as suitable for aged care and "the Gungahlin Development Authority has had ongoing discussions ... It is planned for the release of suitable sites
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