Page 1596 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 April 2005

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(3) water and sewerage. Currently, the Territory is paying all of these costs. Once the Licence is issued it is envisaged that the electricity costs based on previous bills paid by the Territory will be around $50.00 per quarter which reflects the current use.

(4) The ARHS has been advised that the adjoining Canberra Rail Freight Centre, which is situated on another part of Block 2 Section 47 Fyshwick and consists of an area of 1.5ha including the building, is being transferred to Property ACT with a view to providing accommodation for a number of community groups including the ARHS. It is understood that ARHS has an interest only in part of the building for storage purposes which leaves the grounds and a number of individual office spaces on the top floor of the building available for other users. Any agreement by the Territory for use of the building will also be an interim arrangement whilst the East Lake studies are being undertaken.

Housing—long term market renters
(Question No 216)

Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice, on 8 March 2005:

(1) What measures will be put in place to encourage high income, long term market renters to move into more appropriate forms of housing;

(2) How will ACT Housing implement price signalling mechanisms to aid some market renters in public housing properties who do not take up incentives such as the Sales to Tenants Program to move into alternative housing options other than social housing.

Mr Hargreaves: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) This issue was canvassed in detail in the report on the Review of Housing ACT Market Renters, tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 26 August 2004. The Review found that market renters play an important role in the viability and sustainability of Housing ACT. These tenants provide a significant income source that helps pay for services the organisation provides, and are an important contributor to the broader role of public housing being more representative of the community and sustain long term tenancies.

(2) Housing ACT has no plans to implement such mechanisms.

Children—autism
(Question No 218)

Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice, on 8 March 2005:

(1) Further to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition which describes Pervasive Developmental Disorders as “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development” and also defines these conditions as “clinical disorders”, does the ACT Government accept that Pervasive Developmental Disorders, including autism and Asperger’s disorder, are clinical disorders that require clinical attention;


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