Page 602 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010
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MR SPEAKER: Order! Ms Hunter, I thought the same thing, but Ms Porter’s last word was somewhat inaudible and she actually said “community sector workforce”, so, Ms Burch, please continue.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, members!
MS BURCH: I will just go to the interjection, where they are dismissive of the community sector workforce. In 2009 this government introduced portable long service leave for the ACT community sector, which will take effect from 1 July this year. Access to a portable long service leave will be an incentive to encourage employees to either remain with individual organisations or stay within the community sector generally. It is anticipated that employees will be able to transfer within the sector, having a stronger career path within the sector, and this will assist in retaining a professional workforce in the sector. This incentive has been recognised by other industries, including construction workers and cleaners, and we believe it is appropriate for the community sector workers.
We have introduced the scheme to develop the community sector workforce, improve quality of services, reduce training costs and encourage retention of staff in the sector. The scheme will protect the basic entitlement to long service leave for all community sector and childcare employees. This is one part of the ACT strategy to improve the sustainability of the community sector.
In 2006-07 a new community sector indexation rate was introduced to better reflect the cost pressures. To better understand the community sector workforce issues, this government has engaged HBA Consulting to complete an industrial relations review of the community sector that considers wages and conditions in the ACT. We understand that this initial—(Time expired.)
Road safety—cyclists
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the minister for TAMS and it is about cycling safety. Are you aware of the ANU report that revealed the hidden statistic of cycling injuries and showed that, unfortunately, almost one-quarter of hospital episodes due to road trauma in Canberra are cyclists? And what are you doing to make our roads safer for cyclists?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her question. Yes, I was aware of that particular report. It is a report on which I do require some additional analysis. There is the raw figure by the ANU in relation to the number of hospital presentations by cyclists. I think it was a national report for here and other places around Australia. One of the pieces of information or analysis that I am not sure was done as part and parcel of that work was how many of those presentations were as a result of accidents involving other road users, most particularly cars.
Certainly I am a quite keen cyclist. I acknowledge that I have come off my bike a number of times and have injured myself, but every accident I have had on a bike
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