Page 284 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 December 2004
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urban landscape stay at an extremely high quality. But there is more to a city than just this: the people who make up our community make Canberra the great city it is.
In taking on the role of Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services I will be working toward a harmonious and productive relationship between the government and the community. The creation of a broad-ranging human services department provides significant opportunities to tackle entrenched issues of concern across the areas of community services, housing, disability, therapy and family services. It enables a coordinated approach to the critical areas identified in the Canberra plan and the Canberra social plan, with specific actions and targets to be met to improve the lives of those people experiencing disadvantage. The government’s priorities in this area are:
• respecting diversity and human rights;
• enhancing our strong, safe and cohesive community;
• improving health and wellbeing; and
• developing housing for a future Canberra.
There are many challenges in the portfolio but the government’s major focus will be on more effective management of:
• children and young people with complex needs and challenging behaviours;
• coordinated service responses to families in crisis;
• multiprogram responses to locations or issues of concern relating to poverty, disadvantage or disconnectedness;
• a more holistic engagement with the community services sector, given that almost 70 per cent of non-government human services will be funded through the one department;
• a stronger linkage between community engagement policy and community service delivery;
• consistent approaches to the management of community facilities, across childcare, youth centres, community centres and neighbourhood houses; and
• effective integration of issues for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, across human services programs.
The government recognises and respects the harmonious cultural and ethnic diversity of the ACT community. We have had some great achievements in this arena with the development and launch of Facing up to racism: A strategic plan addressing racism and unfair discrimination; the development of a new service funding agreement for community service providers; the funding and development of a multicultural centre; and the 2004 national multicultural festival, with planning for a bigger and better 2005 festival now well advanced.
In the coming term we will:
• develop a charter of multiculturalism to redirect and revitalise the spirit and purpose
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