Page 1696 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR HARGREAVES: Chief Minister, what meetings will you be attending soon to make sure that we have solid and cooperative relationships with our regional partners?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. A decision I had taken several months ago was for the ACT government to become a full member of the South East Regional Organisation of Councils, also known as SEROC. We have only attended those meetings in the last few years with an observer status.
SEROC is made up of mayors and general managers of councils within the region and its objectives are very similar to the objectives that I am interested in pursuing: looking at advancing the interests of the region; to promote regional sustainability; to develop regional cooperation and coordination, and where possible resource sharing; and to facilitate greater regional planning.
The first meeting I will attend of SEROC is later in May but I think it will give us a great opportunity to look, particularly going forward, at any avenue that we can to ensure that the most efficient and effective delivery of municipal services to our communities can occur. The ACT government, in the heart of the region, should certainly be a party to those discussions.
MR COE: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Chief Minister, what transport services and infrastructure, such as Pialligo Avenue, do you plan on upgrading to show a commitment to cross-border relations?
MS GALLAGHER: As Mr Coe would be aware, there are a range of priorities that come to government each year, and they are considered in the budget context. The priority at the moment in terms of cross-border relations is to upgrade Canberra Avenue. We have provided half the funding, or stage 1, for that work to occur. We are in discussions with Deane’s around some possibilities there for being able to pick up and continue their route from Queanbeyan and pick up through the ACT. We are also supporting the combined—I believe it is combined—RDA priority around extending the Canberra Avenue upgrade right through to Queanbeyan. That is the priority, but obviously there are others as well.
The benefit of having regional collaboration—meeting with the Queanbeyan mayor, meeting with other mayors around the region—is that you can actually work together and prioritise what would make the biggest difference to support the growth and economy of Queanbeyan, in this instance, and the ACT as well. Canberra Avenue was rated higher than Pialligo Avenue, and that work is being done.
Canberra Hospital—emergency department data
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, in the briefing provided to Mr Hanson on 26 April this year, the Health Director-General stated that the person who deliberately manipulated emergency department data had access to
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video