Page 839 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 April 2014

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The ACT has led the way with its nurse-led walk-in centre service and the government expects that the Tuggeranong community will embrace having a walk-in centre in the town centre. Indeed, the advice I have relating to the existing walk-in centre patients in the 18 months to December 2013 shows that a little over 40per cent, or nearly 11,000 people who accessed the service, were from Tuggeranong.

It has always been the government’s intention to have a nurse-led walk-in centre co-located in community locations that would be easily accessed by people who use them and the data has certainly shown that the government’s position on this matter is correct.

MR HANSON: Supplementary.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: Minister, when will you scrap the walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital that you promised to keep open during the 2012 election campaign?

MR BARR: The government’s commitment was to double funding for the nurse-led walk-in centres, and we were always very clear that we would be locating them in the community, in Belconnen and in Tuggeranong.

Sport—canteen upgrades

MRS JONES: My question is directed to Minister Barr in his capacity as Minister for Sport and Recreation. Minister, health protection services has advised sporting clubs that some canteens and kiosks require upgrades to meet current Food Act standards. Can the minister advise how many sportsground canteens are currently not in conformity with current Food Act regulations?

MR BARR: Certainly the government has been working closely with sport and recreation organisations to ensure that the vast number of canteens and food service opportunities that take place across any given weekend of community sport in the territory are meeting the food safety requirements. We have certainly been working closely between Sport and Recreation Services and—

Mrs Jones: On a point of order as to relevance, Madam Speaker, the question was directly how many sportsground canteens are not in conformity. I am wondering whether or not we are headed in that direction.

MADAM SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. I would remind the minister that the standing orders require him to be directly relevant. I am hoping that what he is saying is that he is getting to the point of being able to come up with a number.

MR BARR: The point I was trying to make, Madam Speaker, in the four minutes I am allotted to answer a question, was that there are a large number of facilities across the ACT. We are working closely between Sport and Recreation Services and the relevant food health folk within the Health Directorate and sport and recreation organisations to ensure that the community can have confidence that food that is served will not make them sick. That is an important thing to do. We are working through a process with sport and recreation organisations. I do not have in front of me,


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