Page 1041 - Week 03 - Thursday, 23 March 2017

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(3) Are all vending machines on ACT Government premises compliant with this policy; if not, what actions are being taken to make them compliant with this policy.

(4) Are ACT Public Sector employees still able to celebrate birthdays or other special occasions with cake or other foods classified in the red food group.

Mr Barr: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) Under the ACT Public Sector Healthy Food and Drink Choices Policy, the selling of fundraising chocolates by employees or social clubs is being phased out of ACT Public Sector workplaces in an effort to enhance the availability of healthy options. The policy requirements will come into effect from 1 August 2017. These policy requirements are already in place within ACT Health and have been since 2014.

(2) The ACT Nutrition Support Service, managed by Nutrition Australia ACT, has been contracted to provide ACT Government staff, community groups and other stakeholders with information and advice about the ACT Public Sector Healthy Food and Drink Choices Policy. This includes advice in finding healthy or other fundraising alternatives such as fruit or vegetable trays, sporting equipment, and plants or seedlings. The Government encourages these groups to take advantage of this support.

These groups can of course continue to undertake chocolate fundraising, however the sale of this type of fundraising will no longer be supported in ACT Public Sector workplaces from August 2017.

(3) Vending machine compliance with the ACT Public Sector Healthy Food and Drink Choices Policy was most recently audited in 2016. That audit indicated a 27 per cent compliance rate which is a significant increase since the baseline assessment in 2014. This represents a reduction of 43 per cent of unhealthy red products in vending machines.

Directorates have been provided with reports from the 2016 assessment and have been asked to make the necessary changes to ensure that their vending machines meet the policy requirements. Directorates and vending machine providers have also been encouraged to contact the ACT Nutrition Support Service to assist with classifying products against the traffic light system and identify healthier vending machine options.

(4) Yes, ACT Public Sector employees can still celebrate birthdays or other special occasions with cake or other foods or drinks classified as red against the traffic light system. Employees can also continue bringing food from home or purchasing food from external food outlets for personal consumption in the workplace.

Hospitals—neonatal deaths
(Question No 70)

Mrs Dunne asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 17 February 2017:

(1) How many neonatal deaths occurred in Canberra hospitals in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15, (c) 2015-16 and (d) 2016-17 (to date).


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