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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (20 August) . . Page.. 2973 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

facility. Again, I would be surprised if Mr Cornwell is advocating that we ignore those processes.

While substantial work has been done to identify sites that can be used for aged care facilities, I have asked both ACTPLA and the Land Development Agency to give priority to identifying further sites for these facilities.

Members will also be aware of variations that have been made to the Territory Plan that are designed to improve the ability of organisations to provide accommodation suitable for the aged. In September 2002, the Territory Plan was varied to introduce the concept of supportive housing, in full compliance with the election commitment that Mr Cornwell just chided me about.

Supportive housing is residential accommodation with on-site support provided for people who need such services, usually because of age or disability. The housing may be self-contained dwellings. There is a requirement that the development be managed by a territory-approved organisation that has the capacity to provide the necessary support and services.

In regard to land to which a community facility land use policy applies, the plan was varied in September 2002 to include supportive housing, subject to such a proposal meeting specified controls and restrictions, for example, where it can be demonstrated that the land is no longer required for other community facilities and where such housing can only be separately titled if the lease requires the consent of the territory prior to any dealing in the lease. These additional controls are required in order to protect the integrity of community facility land and to ensure that it is used for genuine supportive housing and not exploited as de facto residential multiunit development.

In identifying sites, a range of issues is taken into consideration, including locational guidelines. The guidelines for site assessment for aged care facilities are being reviewed by ACTPLA. These reviewed guidelines will be used to assess sites for aged care facilities.

It is worth making the point that, just because there is pressure to provide additional aged care facilities, the government should not automatically agree to every aged care facility proposal that comes along. I copped some criticism, Mr Speaker, from Mr Cornwell for not accepting the proposal for the redevelopment of part of the Belconnen golf course. That proposal would first of all involve a variation to the Territory Plan but, more importantly, it would involve the government breaking an election commitment to the people who live on the estate currently, as we said we would not permit further residential development on the site.

Mr Speaker, I do not know about you, but I would imagine that your constituents feel fairly strongly about that issue and the need for the government to honour its commitment not to permit further development on the golf course. Just because it is for aged care does not mean it is automatically in the right place. You look at each case on its merits. Again, Mr Cornwell has unfortunately presented a very simplistic assertion of the facts.

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