Page 43 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders—Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, last year we learned that there were large numbers of Indigenous clients waiting to be treated at drug and alcohol rehab centres in Canberra. Many have to travel interstate to get this treatment. Minister, how many clients have been treated at the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm since it opened in August last year?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mr Milligan for his question and note that it is not a fact that many have to travel interstate. In fact, that has not been made clear to me. But, in terms of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm, there have been 31clients who have been referred or identified and approximately 20 applicants from the through care program were interested in participating in the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm. A five-week, non-residential program was delivered from 14 November to 14 December. Programs were delivered four days a week; they were offered to male and female clients aged between 18 and 40 years of age who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
There remains strong interest from clients to make meaningful changes. I will take the specific number of participants on notice.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, what has been the hold-up for accepting more clients at the bush healing farm?
MS FITZHARRIS: I am not aware there has been a hold-up. I will take the question on notice.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, when will you address the need for an Indigenous residential drug and alcohol facility in the ACT to meet the needs of Canberrans?
MS FITZHARRIS: As I believe was discussed in last year’s annual report hearings, residential detox and withdrawal facilities are something that we are giving consideration to.
Planning—Curtin master plan
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Urban Renewal and relates to master plans. Given the community panel engagement process undertaken by ACTPLA in relation to the draft Curtin master plan last year, when will the Curtin community be able to see the revised draft master plan?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her question. Indeed, the community panel process has worked well, I think, in this situation. We tried it, of course, in other situations, and it did not work well, but we are up for trying different communication models as we go forward in looking at master planning and other planning issues.
The directorate advised me on Monday that they are almost ready to finalise the master plan for the area. There are a few more additions to go in. We want to ensure
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