Spring is upon us and it seems such a short time since I last wrote to you all, when we were just starting to face the rigors of winter. We will all soon be walking amongst the tulips and daffodils of Floriade. This year’s theme is all about film and I hope you are able to get along to the Nightfest. Check out more details.

Since I last wrote there have been a number of important pieces of legislation brought before the Assembly, I encourage you to access information about this legislation at http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/

Most will remember the passing of the Civil Unions Bill in 2007 and the subsequent disallowance by the Governor General at the request of the then Howard Federal Government.

In May 2008 this Assembly once again passed similar legislation, however, in order to prevent a repeat of recent events, negotiations took place once again, this time with the Rudd Government. Some aspects of the Bill needed to be amended to have it safely passed into law, e.g. those surrounding the holding of a legal and formal ceremony. However the Bill was passed and speeches in the House at the time can be read at http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2008/week05/1753.htm (Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2008 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) Page 1753)

As usual the work of the Assembly Standing Committees continues. As you know I am Chair of the Education and Training and Young People’s Committee and Deputy Chair of two other Standing Committees. I once again chaired the Select Committee on Estimates and if you are interested to learn more about the hearings etc you can go to:
http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=110

I am pleased that I was eventually able to table the final report of the Standing Committee on Education Training and Young People into the Practice of Restorative Justice Principles in Youth Settings.
The Committee made several recommendations and received positive responses from practitioners, the public and my colleagues. You can view the report through clicking on to the following link

http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=53&inqu...

My tabling speech can also be found at
http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2008/week04/1337.htm

The Minister responded in the last week of sitting and this response can be found at
http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=53&inqu...

Also the Committee tabled its report into Skills Shortages this month and it is to be found at
http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=53&inqu...

My tabling speech can be read here.

The public is being asked to comment on the school leaving age for the ACT.

Minister for Education and Training Andrew Barr has released a consultation paper, Pathways to the future – a consultation paper on increasing young people’s engagement in education, training and work, outlining proposals for raising the ACT’s school leaving age above 15 years.

The school leaving age was last raised in 1943 when ACT schools were part of the NSW system. Since then our society, economy and education have changed.

There is now research to suggest that early school leavers are more likely to become long-term unemployed as adults and to earn less when they are employed; whereas productivity growth will be significantly raised by investing in school retention.

The ACT already has the highest year 10 to12 retention rates in the country, however there is a group of students who leave school without going onto further education or training. Having just completed my inquiry into Skills Shortages in the ACT, I know how important it is that we continue to work to ensure these students can go on to satisfying and productive careers. Of course we also need to ensure ACT businesses have the skilled people they will need.

Pathways to the future, is available from the ACT Department of Education and Training website at www.det.act.gov.au The consultation period closes on 31 October 2008.

The ACT Government is investing $29.9 million to revitalise community facilities on former school sites across the Territory over the next two years.

Following extensive consultation with people in the local communities where the sites exist it has been found that there is support for the retention of open space and opposition to medium to high density housing being established on the sites.

Thousands of Canberrans provided their views and put forward ideas through community forums, phone surveys, information stalls and public meetings conducted and through written submissions.
New Regional Community Centres will be established in Cook, and Holt as well as Community Parks. I am still working with the Minister and the Hall Progress Association in relation to the site at Hall.

As I said it has been a busy time for all the Assembly Committees. I am Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Disability and this Committee has tabled several reports of late, including one on the use of Crystal Methamphetamine “Ice” in the ACT, Vulnerable Children, Health Sciences and, finally, the Closure of the Wanniassa Health Centre. All these reports can be found at:

http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=54

Recently the Government announced that it intends to provide access for the first time to a new public diagnostic mammography service for women diagnosed with breast cancer, if returned to Government this year. The new service would complement the $5.7m for digital mammography announced in this year’s Budget.

The new service will be run through the Canberra Hospital’s Medical Imaging Department and will provide access to public mammography services for an estimated 2,000 women per year and would be operational within a year.

This service will significantly improve timely diagnosis of breast disease in women, especially for younger women and for those women, who require follow-up services following breast cancer surgery, however will be available to women of all ages and with symptomatic or clinical abnormalities. It will also be available for post operative routine assessment. You are probably aware that breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women.

I am Deputy Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee and it recently tabled the report of its inquiry into Namadgi National Parks Draft Management Plan. The report can be found at:

http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=55&inqu...

The Committee was also very pleased to table its report of its inquiry into Molonglo and North Weston. The Committee made 16 recommendations, and I am very glad to be able to say that the Minister, when responding, agreed, or agreed in part to most of the recommendations. Here is a sample of these important recommendations

Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government retain and manage remnant pockets of Yellow Box-Red Gum Grassy Woodland in East Molonglo for conservation purposes.

Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that the Kama Nature Reserve be expanded to provide a more significant wildlife corridor.

Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that Central Molonglo be removed in perpetuity from being considered as a future urban area.

Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that that the ACT Government consider implementing a system of conservation leases in the Central Molonglo area.

Recommendation 6
The Committee recommends that a comprehensive survey of raptors and woodland birds in Molonglo and North Weston, including nocturnal species, should be conducted over the course of four seasons so as to better inform planning decisions.

Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government consider mitigation measures for loss of habitat, in particular the conservation and restoration of remanent woodland areas.

Recommendation 8
3.58 The Committee recommends that the ACT Planning and Land Authority assess the impact of development on other uncommon species in Molonglo and North Weston.

To read more of the report and the Minister’s response you can click on to:
http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=55&inqu...

As you know the ACT Government takes the issue of climate change very seriously and has been taking a proactive response to the problems of a changing environment.

Weathering the Change is the ACT Government's response to climate change. The strategy sets out the approaches the ACT Government will pursue between now and 2025 to support the broader community response to climate change. Detailed Action Plans will be developed at regular intervals during the life of the Strategy and you can view the Strategy on the following link:
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/sustainability/climate/weathering_the_ch...

You may also be aware the Chief Minister tabled the ‘Australian Capital Territory State of the Environment Report 2007-08’ and the ‘Third Annual Report of the Operation of the ACT Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme for the 2007 Compliance Year’ in the Assembly on Thursday 14 August.

You can view these reports on the following links-
State of Environment Report: http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/soe/2007actreport
ACT Gas Abatement Scheme: http://www.icrc.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/111960/ACT_Greenh...

Recently I hosted a forum for representatives from Government Departments to learn more about an innovative program which helps people set up bike fleets at work. The organisation behind the program is the Bicycle Federation of Australia and to learn more about it just go to their very aptly named www.bikes4work.com.au

I am sure you are pleased to learn that the ACT Government is to commission an independent business case for light rail for Canberra.
The ACT Government will advertise for consultants interested in preparing the business case to form part of the ACT bid to “Infrastructure Australia”

Previously the ACT Government nominated light rail as one of a number of infrastructure projects it believed warranted Commonwealth co-investment. The Commonwealth has now asked the ACT for a formal business case.

A number of factors make light rail a priority right now, our population has grown, petrol prices have risen and of course we are facing climate change.

The Government is aware that work on the idea of light rail is currently being undertaken by a partnership between the Canberra Business Council and the Conservation Council ACT Region and hopes that this valuable work will feed into the development of the Government's business case.

The following need to be explored in some detail in relation to light rail:
• analysis of the most appropriate staging and routes
• refinement of previous costings and possible funding sources
• the role of complementary bus services
• physical access to light rail and patronage strategies
• impact on the ACT's urban form, and
• the social, economic and environmental implications of light rail.

You may recall this Government’s first Canberra Plan, this plan has now been updated and we are seeking your comments. You can find out more about the plan, and how to comment by going to http://www.canberraplan.act.gov.au

The ACT Government is constantly seeking to engage the community in consultation and, your opinion is important, you can go to the following site to find out more about a number of matters that may interest you:

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/policystrategic

As you are aware, following representations made to me, I have been researching the governance of retirement villages in the ACT and consulting with stakeholders about various issues and possibilities. Following this research and consultation I tabled my discussion paper in the last week of sittings of the Assembly. I am now calling for submissions and comment. The paper and further information can be found at: http://www.maryporter.net/rvproposal/discussion

On August 1st, 2008 Focus I jointly facilitated a special forum for families to discuss future housing and support challenges for people with disabilities and their families as they age. Twenty five family members and friends of people supported by Focus participated in the forum to express their views about:

• the needs of people with disability as they age and their care needs increase, placing extra demand on support resources

• demands and pressures on family carers as they age and their ability to provide assistance to their sons or daughters with disabilities is diminished over time, and

• the need to find more appropriate and accessible housing to better meet individual needs.

Following the Forum Focus circulated a draft paper to all the families they support for further comment. Below are some of the concerns and suggestions of carers whose family members are receiving long term support from Focus:

• a review funding levels for people who are ageing already in accommodation support services

• access to aged care programs and supports for people with disability

• additional support resources through a mix of State/Territory and Commonwealth funding (Department of Housing and Community Services, ACT Health and Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing)

• increased resources and access to professional health care supports and

• assistance for people with disability to plan for retirement and remain involved in their communities

• a review of properties managed by Focus

• improved access to subsidised retirement villages and nursing homes including facilities that offer a range of supports, from low to high needs

• other models of support be investigated and trialled , such as special purpose housing for people with disability, and

• provision of information and resources to families on various supported living options.

The Units Title Amendment Bill 2008 was also passed during the last week of sitting. I am aware that there is some confusion and concern about the Act and its implications.

If you are concerned in anyway about this Act, or what you believe is in the Act, please contact me, via my website or on 6205 0100, and I will obtain up to-date accurate information for you. In the meantime you may wish to access a fact sheet on the Bill and an interesting article by going to (insert link here please john)

As we all know the 18th October this year is the date for the next ACT Election. I have been approached by numbers of people wanting to know how to vote if they are going away over the period.

For more information on matters pertaining to the Elections go to:
http://www.elections.act.gov.au/election_08.html

As usual I am always available to take up your issues on your behalf. My Mobile Office times dates and venues can be found at my home page.

I hope to meet you soon at one of my Mobile Offices, or you can ring my office on 62050100 or drop me an email at porter@parliament.act.gov.au

Mary.