Page 3152 - Week 10 - Thursday, 18 October 2007
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strategy and action plan 2003-08. Subsequently, in its 2006-07 and 2007-08 budgets, the ACT government has committed an additional $33.4 million to mental health for the period to 2011. Spending on mental health in the ACT has progressively increased under the current government, from $27.4 million in 2001-02, to $55.2 million in 2007-08, an increase of 109 per cent. This additional funding has enhanced the ACT’s service responses.
Following an open tender process, Centacare was awarded the contract for a 24-hour step-up, step-down supported accommodation service for five young people in July 2007. Funding was provided in the 2007-08 budget for a similar service for adults. An open tender process is being finalised for the provision of an adult step-up, step-down service, which will also provide five places, with services expected to be operational in 2007-08. Additional ACT government funding will also enhance promotion, prevention and early intervention programs and will focus on workforce recruitment, training and retention strategies, including mental health community sector development, through the Mental Health Community Coalition, and expanded perinatal and infant mental health services.
The ACT government has also publicly stated its aim to work towards increasing the mental health budget to 12 per cent of the overall health budget by 2012, in line with the expenditure in leading OECD countries on mental health. The ACT government has also provided funding for additional public housing capital. The 2006-07 budget committed $10 million per annum over three years, and an additional $4.3 million was provided in the 2007-08 ACT budget for capital purchase.
The affordable housing action plan 2007 also involves a multi-million dollar investment in the not-for-profit community housing sector by enhancing its capacity to deliver innovative, affordable housing solutions. Specifically, the government has targeted Canberra’s main provider of community housing—Community Housing Canberra or CHC—to undergo a major expansion, delivering an additional 500 affordable dwellings over five years and more than 1,100 over the next decade. Community Housing Canberra will keep around 250 of these extra properties for rent over five years, increasing to 470 over the decade.
Expansion of the sector through CHC will also be assisted through the injection of a $40 million equity through title transfers to Community Housing Canberra; the provision of a revolving $50 million loan facility and a $3.2 million capital subsidy over three years to CHC; and the transfer of 135 properties to CHC from the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services. The ACT continues to prioritise supported accommodation options and is working with all stakeholders to progress this and other priorities of mental health reform through the development of the Mental Health ACT services plan.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I table the ACT government’s response to the Standing Committee on Health and Disability, report No 4, Appropriate housing for people living with mental illness, and I commend the government’s commitment to increasing affordable housing through the affordable housing action plan and the broad-reaching reform of both housing and mental health services in improving responses to people with mental illness.
Debate (on motion by Dr Foskey) adjourned to the next sitting.
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