15 MAY 2019 Wednesday, 15 May 2019
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NINTH ASSEMBLY 15 MAY 2019 www.hansard.act.gov.au Wednesday, 15 May 2019 Petitions: Restoration of Belconnen bus services—petition 12-19 .............................. 1659 Restoration of Belconnen bus services—petition 9-19 ................................ 1659 Canberra sexual health centre—petition 2-19 (Ministerial response) Motion to take note of petitions and response ......................................................... 1661 Leave of absence ...................................................................................................... 1662 Health—sexual health outreach ............................................................................... 1663 Health—hydrotherapy services ................................................................................ 1676 Questions without notice: ACTION bus service—weekend services .................................................... 1698 Visitors ..................................................................................................................... 1699 Questions without notice: Light rail—patronage ................................................................................... 1699 ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1700 Federal election—impact .............................................................................. 1701 ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1703 ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1705 Schools—cleaning services .......................................................................... 1706 ACTION bus service—new network ........................................................... 1708 ACTION bus service—bicycle racks ........................................................... 1708 Government—space industry policy ............................................................ 1709 ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1710 ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1712 Government—building documentation guidelines ....................................... 1712 Supplementary answer to question without notice: ACTION bus service—school services ........................................................ 1714 Housing—residential property sector ...................................................................... 1714 Environment—re-usable containers ......................................................................... 1731 Transport—network changes ................................................................................... 1747 Building—National Construction Code ................................................................... 1762 Adjournment: Dr Enrico Taglietti—tribute ......................................................................... 1771 Anzac Day—events ...................................................................................... 1772 ACT Heritage Library .................................................................................. 1773 Environment—textiles industry .................................................................... 1774 Legislative Assembly for the ACT Wednesday, 15 May 2019 The Assembly met at 10 am. (Quorum formed.) MADAM SPEAKER (Ms J Burch) took the chair, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional custodians, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory. Petitions The following petitions were lodged for presentation: Restoration of Belconnen bus services—petition 12-19 By Mrs Kikkert, from 591 residents respectively: To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory This petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly that bus network changes substantially inconvenience Belconnen residents by: • removing the 712, 714, 717, 743 and 744 Xpresso buses; • eliminating school buses taking Belconnen students to and from Canberra Grammar School, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, St Clare’s College, St Edmund’s College and Daramalan College; and • reducing the frequency of the 40 bus in the Aranda area during both morning and afternoon peak hours despite requests for increased service. For many students, workers and families, this means significantly more time spent commuting from 29 April 2019. Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the ACT Government to restore these bus services or provide an equivalent or better alternative. Restoration of Belconnen bus services—petition 9-19 By Mrs Kikkert, from 589 residents respectively: To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly that bus network changes substantially inconvenience Belconnen residents by: − removing the 712, 714, 717 and 744 Xpresso buses; 1659 15 May 2019 Legislative Assembly for the ACT − eliminating school buses taking Belconnen students to and from Canberra Grammar School, Lyneham high school, Brindabella College, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, St Clare’s College, St Edmund’s College and Daramalan College; and − reducing the frequency of the 40 bus in the Aranda area during both morning and afternoon peak hours despite requests for increased service. For many students, workers and families, this means significantly more time spent commuting from 29 April 2019. Example - 712 takes 40 minutes to Northbourne and instead it will take bus# 43 and 9 approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the ACT Government to restore these bus services or provide an equivalent or better alternative. The Clerk having announced that the terms of the petitions would be recorded in Hansard and a copy referred to the appropriate minister for response pursuant to standing order 100, the petition was received. Pursuant to standing order 99A, the petition, having more than 500 signatories, was referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Transport and City Services. Ministerial response The following response to a petition has been lodged: Canberra sexual health centre—petition 2-19 By Ms Fitzharris, Minister for Health and Wellbeing, dated 14 May 2019, in response to a petition lodged by Ms J Burch on 12 February 2019 concerning support for the Canberra Sexual Health Centre. The response read as follows: Dear Mr Duncan Thank you for your letter of 12 February 2019, regarding petition 2-19 lodged by Ms Joy Burch MLA, about ACT Health to provide increased support for resource and infrastructure improvements at Canberra Sexual Health Centre. In response to the petition, I offer the following information. The Canberra Sexual Health Service has an essential role in supporting the health of Canberrans and focuses on safe sex promotion, the testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and the long-term management of HIV infection among other important functions. The ACT Government is currently planning for the relocation and enhancement of infrastructure supporting the Canberra Sexual Health Centre, as part of the Surgical Procedures, Interventional Radiology and Emergency (SPIRE) Centre Project. The location of the SPIRE Centre will displace the existing Canberra 1660 Legislative Assembly for the ACT 15 May 2019 Sexual Health Centre at Canberra Hospital, requiring an investment in new infrastructure. This investment will see the centre relocated and expanded to meet contemporary health design and clinical safety requirements, as well as to meet changing and increasing demands for the service. Additionally, Canberra Health Services is focused on continued improvement and innovation in the delivery of their clinical services. To this end, work is underway improve the way in which Canberra Sexual Health Centre provides out-reach services, including the use of our community health centres and Walk- in Centres (WiCs) to deliver services closer to home and provide consumer advice and education. Most recently, this has included the promotion of access to chlamydia screening for young people at WiCs. In addition to these new approaches, the Canberra Sexual Health Centre has a significant program of out-reach and in-reach services delivered in partnership with community organisations and other ACT Government partners, including the Aids Action Council, Karralika Programs Inc, Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT, Hepatitis ACT, University of Canberra Medical Centre, the Education Directorate, the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and the Sex Workers Outreach Project. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the ongoing and hard work of clinicians and staff from the Canberra Sexual Health Centre and extend my thanks to petitioners for bringing this important matter to my attention. Thank you for raising this matter. I trust this information is of assistance. Motion to take note of petitions and response MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to standing order 98A, I propose the question: That the petitions and response so lodged be noted. MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (10.03): I have presented petitions signed by 1,180 Canberra residents who want this Assembly to understand how frustrated they are with recent changes to the bus network in the Belconnen