Page 4565 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 18 October 2011

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and kinship care placements. Already the ACT provides legislative rights for carers. This charter provides an accessible and easy-to-understand document that outlines what carers can expect from ACT government and government-funded community organisations. The charter is a policy statement and not a legislative statement of rights. The carers charter is written to be accessible to as many people as possible, to be concise and to be simple.

The five principles of the charter are: carers are engaged in matters that affect them as carers; carers are valued and treated with respect and dignity; carers are supported to sustain their caring role; diversity of carers needs to be acknowledged, and appropriate supports provided; and carers share a quality of life that is in accordance with the community standards.

Implementing the charter requires that the key audiences are informed of their roles and responsibilities, and this must include involvement across ACT government, community partners and carers. The charter has been uploaded onto the Community Services Directorate website along with explanatory notes and fact sheets aimed at particular caring communities.

The government will continue to work with community organisations to ensure the principles of the charter are upheld and to ensure the work of carers is valued as it should be in our community. Carers ACT recently commenced a new carers advocacy service, enhancing services already available to carers in the ACT.

Finally, I would like to thank the carers of the ACT for the courageous and outstanding job they do. I hope this carers charter raises awareness of the vital role they undertake and affords them the much-needed recognition they require and deserve.

Papers

Ms Burch presented the following papers, which were circulated to members when the Assembly was not sitting:

Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act, pursuant to section 13—Annual Report 2010-2011—Community Services Directorate (2 volumes), dated 1 September 2011.

Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act, pursuant to section 13—Annual Report 2010-2011—Cultural Facilities Corporation, dated 23 August 2011.

Mr Corbell presented the following papers, which were circulated to members when the Assembly was not sitting:

Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act, pursuant to section 13—Annual Reports 2010-2011—

ACT Public Cemeteries Authority, dated 28 September 2011.

Territory and Municipal Services Directorate (2 volumes), dated 22 September 2011, including a corrigendum.


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