Dr LIM - 2003-08-13
Last Thursday, the same day your government was launching Seniors Week in Parliament House, your department had a meeting with many of the elderly residents at Coconut Grove Seniors Village. At that time, staff from your department were not able to confirm when the elderly residents would have to move from their homes, but gave an approximate date of 28 August, with a proviso that it would probably be later rather than earlier. Residents were told they would have to move out for two weeks while repairs were being done.
Minister, do you know that several residents were contacted on Monday and told they had four days to be packed and shifted out? Why are you forcing people in their 70s and 80s to move out of their homes without giving them adequate time? What steps have you taken to ensure that these people are being assisted fully so that the move is the least traumatic as possible? What guarantees can you give that the repairs scheduled will be kept to two weeks and no longer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the lengthy question from the shadow Minister for Housing, given that he was the former Minister for Housing. I have his correspondence here. I have a letter coming back to you. I will read the letter so that you can understand:
Dear Dr Lim,
Thank you for your letter dated 9 July 2003, inquiring about issues relating to replacement of flooring at Coconut Grove
Seniors Village.
Mr Reed: Five weeks ago!
Mr AH KIT: Hang on. Take your tablets; just wait:
The sheet vinyl floors at the Coconut Grove Seniors Village have lifted due to the breakdown of the adhesive fixing. The
cause of the problem is still to be determined, therefore there is insufficient evidence at this time to hold any one party
responsible for the damage.
My department has decided to permanently fix the flooring problem by replacing the vinyl with ceramic tiles. The vinyl and
adhesive will be removed, the slabs ground to remove all foreign matter and to gain a flat surface, and a waterproof membrane
will be laid prior to the laying of the tiles. Tenders have been advertised and work is expected to commence this month, with
six units being repaired at a time, meaning an anticipated completion date for all units around the end of October 2003.
During the period of the work, expected to be a maximum of two weeks per unit, residents are to be accommodated at
government’s expense at City Gardens Apartments, Woods Street, Darwin. Regrettably, accommodation closer to the
Coconut Grove Seniors Village was not available. City Gardens Apartments are fully self-contained, airconditioned
two-bedroom apartments close to the number four bus route (Cavenagh Street) which goes past the seniors village.
My department is also arranging containers for the residents’ furniture and belongings, as well as removalists to move
belongings into and back from the containers.
My department fully appreciates the stress that the project places on the residents. Regrettably, as you can appreciate,
the need for remedial works is unavoidable.
I can assure you that staff are making every effort to minimise the stress and inconvenience to residents during this
major logistical exercise.
I will table that letter.
Mr Elferink: What is the date?
Mr AH KIT: The date is 8 August. Is that all right, fellas?
Mr Elferink: It took you four weeks.
Dr Lim: It took you a long time to reply to me.
Mr AH KIT: I received the letter on 9 July …
Mr Elferink: Boy, you are on the cutting edge!
Mr AH KIT: Hang on. Madam Speaker, we are talking about letters, and the member for Macdonnell said in adjournment last night that he would go hand in hand with me - and that would be a pretty picture, us holding hands together - going to the Commonwealth government and fronting them on essential services. I am responding to you, I do not want to read that letter out because we do not want to run out of time for questions.
I can also table a letter that I wrote to Mr Denis Burke, Leader of the Opposition. This talks about entering into a bipartisanship arrangement. It talks about the funding and the formulas, where we are not getting the money we are entitled to under Local Government through the federal minister, Wilson Tuckey. It talks about the shortfall we get - $15m to $20m - in the Aboriginal remote housing program and …
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: It is about correspondence …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! My question was about asking the minister why he is forcing people out of their homes, what steps he has taken to ensure that these people are being assisted and the trauma is minimised, and what guarantees can the minister give that the schedule of works will only take two weeks. This has nothing to do with the federal minister’s correspondence.
Madam SPEAKER: I suggest, minister, if you have answered the question, you resume your seat so we can get on. Let us have a few questions today. Have you answered the question?
Mr AH KIT: No, I need a short half a minute, Madam Speaker. My point in regards to the four weeks correspondence: this letter was sent to the Leader of the Opposition on 25 June. It talks about Indigenous Essential Services, and about having a bipartisanship arrangement. I have still not received a response from the 25 June, so do not talk to me about times in terms of correspondence backwards and forwards.
Minister, do you know that several residents were contacted on Monday and told they had four days to be packed and shifted out? Why are you forcing people in their 70s and 80s to move out of their homes without giving them adequate time? What steps have you taken to ensure that these people are being assisted fully so that the move is the least traumatic as possible? What guarantees can you give that the repairs scheduled will be kept to two weeks and no longer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the lengthy question from the shadow Minister for Housing, given that he was the former Minister for Housing. I have his correspondence here. I have a letter coming back to you. I will read the letter so that you can understand:
Dear Dr Lim,
Thank you for your letter dated 9 July 2003, inquiring about issues relating to replacement of flooring at Coconut Grove
Seniors Village.
Mr Reed: Five weeks ago!
Mr AH KIT: Hang on. Take your tablets; just wait:
The sheet vinyl floors at the Coconut Grove Seniors Village have lifted due to the breakdown of the adhesive fixing. The
cause of the problem is still to be determined, therefore there is insufficient evidence at this time to hold any one party
responsible for the damage.
My department has decided to permanently fix the flooring problem by replacing the vinyl with ceramic tiles. The vinyl and
adhesive will be removed, the slabs ground to remove all foreign matter and to gain a flat surface, and a waterproof membrane
will be laid prior to the laying of the tiles. Tenders have been advertised and work is expected to commence this month, with
six units being repaired at a time, meaning an anticipated completion date for all units around the end of October 2003.
During the period of the work, expected to be a maximum of two weeks per unit, residents are to be accommodated at
government’s expense at City Gardens Apartments, Woods Street, Darwin. Regrettably, accommodation closer to the
Coconut Grove Seniors Village was not available. City Gardens Apartments are fully self-contained, airconditioned
two-bedroom apartments close to the number four bus route (Cavenagh Street) which goes past the seniors village.
My department is also arranging containers for the residents’ furniture and belongings, as well as removalists to move
belongings into and back from the containers.
My department fully appreciates the stress that the project places on the residents. Regrettably, as you can appreciate,
the need for remedial works is unavoidable.
I can assure you that staff are making every effort to minimise the stress and inconvenience to residents during this
major logistical exercise.
I will table that letter.
Mr Elferink: What is the date?
Mr AH KIT: The date is 8 August. Is that all right, fellas?
Mr Elferink: It took you four weeks.
Dr Lim: It took you a long time to reply to me.
Mr AH KIT: I received the letter on 9 July …
Mr Elferink: Boy, you are on the cutting edge!
Mr AH KIT: Hang on. Madam Speaker, we are talking about letters, and the member for Macdonnell said in adjournment last night that he would go hand in hand with me - and that would be a pretty picture, us holding hands together - going to the Commonwealth government and fronting them on essential services. I am responding to you, I do not want to read that letter out because we do not want to run out of time for questions.
I can also table a letter that I wrote to Mr Denis Burke, Leader of the Opposition. This talks about entering into a bipartisanship arrangement. It talks about the funding and the formulas, where we are not getting the money we are entitled to under Local Government through the federal minister, Wilson Tuckey. It talks about the shortfall we get - $15m to $20m - in the Aboriginal remote housing program and …
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: It is about correspondence …
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! My question was about asking the minister why he is forcing people out of their homes, what steps he has taken to ensure that these people are being assisted and the trauma is minimised, and what guarantees can the minister give that the schedule of works will only take two weeks. This has nothing to do with the federal minister’s correspondence.
Madam SPEAKER: I suggest, minister, if you have answered the question, you resume your seat so we can get on. Let us have a few questions today. Have you answered the question?
Mr AH KIT: No, I need a short half a minute, Madam Speaker. My point in regards to the four weeks correspondence: this letter was sent to the Leader of the Opposition on 25 June. It talks about Indigenous Essential Services, and about having a bipartisanship arrangement. I have still not received a response from the 25 June, so do not talk to me about times in terms of correspondence backwards and forwards.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016