Page 138 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019
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after themselves and that they know how to keep themselves cool and get help if they need it, should they be affected by the heat.
I can assure the Assembly and Ms Le Couteur that Housing ACT take very seriously making sure that housing tenants are kept safe during conditions like extreme heat. They do have a program of visits. I understand that they visited all of those residents in public housing who might have needed extra support during that time.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, given climate change, what is the government doing to address the issue of dangerous heat in the existing public housing stock that is not scheduled to be renewed?
MS BERRY: There is significant work going on to ensure that our public housing properties are easy to maintain, easy to keep cool and affordable for our tenants. Last year I attended a public housing property with Mr Rattenbury, around replacing old gas furnaces with reverse-cycle air conditioning and heating. That means it is not only easier and more affordable but also much more comfortable for our tenants to be able to get through some of this extreme heat, as well as cool situations in winter.
In addition we will be working with the minister, Shane Rattenbury, on other different ways that we can make sure that public housing properties are sustainable and that they can be affordably heated and cooled so that our tenants are able to have comfort in their lives.
MR PARTON: Minister, how many of those at-risk residents you spoke of earlier were visited during the recent hot spell?
MS BERRY: That is a good question, and I will get the number to you. Thank you, Mr Parton.
Education—data collection
MS LEE: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. On 11 February this year, the Canberra Times reported:
In its latest annual report, the directorate reported 1660 student incidents in public schools, though that number does not capture all incidents reported to the directorate.
Anecdotally, parents have advised that some of their reports to the schools have not been recorded. Minister, how many incidents were not reported? And why?
MS BERRY: Schools are required to report incidents, and that information is collected at the school level and provided to the Education Directorate. I do not have any information around the actual numbers that Ms Lee is after. I will check with the directorate and find out if that information is available.
MS LEE: If the directorate collects this information centrally then why, in your answer to question on notice 1930, does it say that the directorate does not?
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