Page 678 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011

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This new community will co-locate a small group of young adults with disabilities alongside 20 public housing tenants who will intentionally elect to live in the community, providing informal support as a good neighbour. I would like to personally thank the Getting a Life group and its members, Sally Richards, Cheryl Pattrick and Karen Connaughton, for their dedication and consistent advocacy for an intentional community in the ACT.

The community will create a sense of home through a suitable physical environment, informal networks and positive social relationships. The homes will be built to be fully adaptable and to meet or even exceed energy efficiency requirements. It is this combination of the high quality of the built environment and the mix of formal and informal supports that have made this innovating concept a proven success in other jurisdictions—and, we hope, here very soon: in fact, this year, I hope, in the ACT.

At the end of her letter of support, Janet Salisbury and cosignatories say this: “We sincerely hope that the Swinger Hill development will be a successful project showcasing Canberra as a truly inclusive city.” I share those sentiments with Janet, and I hope that all members of this Assembly do and that they support the intentional community as it is developed.

These are potentially exciting times for the disability community. I noted with great interest a recent publication of the Productivity Commission, the draft report Disability care and support, and welcome the bipartisan support that has been shown so far. I hope that this continues. The draft report attempts to address many of the long-term issues that people with a disability and their carers have highlighted. These include inadequate resources, limited services and restricted choice for users.

This Assembly will be aware that since 2002-03 this government has increased funding for disability services by 78.6 per cent. Notwithstanding this, the report makes it clear that there is still work to be done and that the new disability insurance scheme is indeed required. As the ACT minister for disability, I look forward to playing a proactive role in making sure that the commission’s draft recommendations are taken forward and that any resulting systems are sustainable and deliver a fair and equitable benefit for those with a disability.

Canberra Area Theatre awards

Australian Anglo-Indian Association of Canberra

MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.50): Yesterday I did a speech on the Canberra Area Theatre awards and I listed a few of the award winners. There are just a few more that I would like to record in Hansard. The Teatro Vivaldi best actor in a leading role in a musical went to Brent Dolahenty from The Boy from Oz, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre. The Channelvision best musical director went to Chris Mickle, Dusty, Orange Theatre Company. The Richards Consulting best choreographer went to Kathryn Fisher, The Boy from Oz, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, and Pauline Young, Hot Shoe Shuffle, MoonGlow Productions.

The DSP Productions best director of a play went to Cate Clelland, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Free-Rain Theatre Company. Stage Whispers best director of a


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