Page 933 - Week 03 - Thursday, 19 March 2015

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stretches the period out from 30 June 2015 all the way through until 30 June 2020, provided of course that asbestos management plans are in place for the individual property.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: How is that approach different from what was announced late last year as part of this scheme?

MR BARR: It is not different.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.

MR DOSZPOT: Chief Minister, what is the health rationale for the current cut-off date of 2020?

MR BARR: On advice from the asbestos task force, where it was appropriate to manage the asbestos contamination within individual homes on a case by case basis, it was recommended that a five-year period would be the appropriate time where asbestos could be managed but also we could respond to individual circumstances. That is the basis on which we have sought to balance both the interests of householders and the broader community interests, particularly the interests of those who might be required to undertake work on those particular properties.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot?

MR DOSZPOT: Minister, are there any circumstances under which you would consider residents living in their Mr Fluffy homes beyond 2020?

MR BARR: I am not going to speculate on that at this time.

ACT Policing—staffing

MR WALL: My question is to the minister for police. Minister, in February and March there have been three murders in the ACT and a spate of suburban shootings. The Australian Federal Police Association have expressed concern over “a plunge in ACT police numbers” and noted that they were “concerned that the capacity to investigate crime would be hampered”. They say that the ACT efficiency dividend of 1.5 per cent is “biting hard on ACT Policing resources”. Minister, will the level of police resources investigating murders and suburban shootings hamper investigations into other crimes?

MS BURCH: I do thank Mr Wall for his question. As I understand, the Chief Police Officer was on 666 yesterday morning talking about this and assuring the community that the police do have the resources and the capability to respond to these quite devastating incidents that are going on across our community. There has been no reduction in front-line services, and police resources are adequate to manage. In particular, with regard to your comment about those three homicide investigations, they remain agile. They are able to shift resources around internally as needed, and


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