❓ Mr. Cook questions the Health Minister about the WA Country Health Service's acquisition of 24 Pelago East apartments, querying the need for so many when only four are occupied and the high rental cost. The Minister defends the decision as a cost-saving measure and denies being forced into the acquisition.
AnsweredQoN 224Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WA COUNTRY HEALTH SERVICE — PELAGO EAST
APARTMENTS
224. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the transfer of 24 Pelago East apartments from the
Department of Housing to the WA Country Health Service on 20 January 2015.
(1) Why did
the WA Country Health Service require 24 apartments when only four are being
rented to WACHS staff?
(2) Is the
minister satisfied that the weekly rent for the four apartments that are being
rented to WA Country Health staff is almost $4 400 a week?
(3) Why was
the WA Country Health Service forced to acquire those apartments when Pelago
rents are so exorbitant and the apartments are not needed by the WA Country
Health Service?
APARTMENTS
224. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the transfer of 24 Pelago East apartments from the
Department of Housing to the WA Country Health Service on 20 January 2015.
(1) Why did
the WA Country Health Service require 24 apartments when only four are being
rented to WACHS staff?
(2) Is the
minister satisfied that the weekly rent for the four apartments that are being
rented to WA Country Health staff is almost $4 400 a week?
(3) Why was
the WA Country Health Service forced to acquire those apartments when Pelago
rents are so exorbitant and the apartments are not needed by the WA Country
Health Service?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
When Pelago East was being built, it was always done around the premise that
the WA Country Health Service was paying a huge amount of money for rentals in
the community. There was a major rental problem, with significant costs. We
wanted to purchase housing for those people who were long-term workers within
the system.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
also had a lot of people who were either single or came up for short periods of
time, including specialists. So, when funds were made available for Government
Regional Officer Housing, as it was at the start, we had a bit of a complaint,
because GROH manages all the public service housing, except for the Department
of Health; we manage our own housing. We were missing out on some of those
funds going to support other state government housing. We therefore asked � to be given access to some of those units
that were being built. That was all part of those discussions in the first
place. When Pelago East was constructed, we did not end up having any units.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES : But
when those units were not being rented out, and the proposal was put forward
that we take over the rental of some of those units, we grabbed that
opportunity. We did not need all those units at once.
Mr F.M. Logan : You
were forced!
Dr K.D. HAMES : No;
we were not forced. We volunteered.
When we said that we would take over that number of units—because
that is the number that we foresaw, as time went on, we would be able to make
full use of—we said that it might take six to 12 months until we were
fully using those units, but we would take them then and build our use of them
over that time.
When Pelago East was being built, it was always done around the premise that
the WA Country Health Service was paying a huge amount of money for rentals in
the community. There was a major rental problem, with significant costs. We
wanted to purchase housing for those people who were long-term workers within
the system.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Dr K.D. HAMES : We
also had a lot of people who were either single or came up for short periods of
time, including specialists. So, when funds were made available for Government
Regional Officer Housing, as it was at the start, we had a bit of a complaint,
because GROH manages all the public service housing, except for the Department
of Health; we manage our own housing. We were missing out on some of those
funds going to support other state government housing. We therefore asked � to be given access to some of those units
that were being built. That was all part of those discussions in the first
place. When Pelago East was constructed, we did not end up having any units.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana!
Dr K.D. HAMES : But
when those units were not being rented out, and the proposal was put forward
that we take over the rental of some of those units, we grabbed that
opportunity. We did not need all those units at once.
Mr F.M. Logan : You
were forced!
Dr K.D. HAMES : No;
we were not forced. We volunteered.
When we said that we would take over that number of units—because
that is the number that we foresaw, as time went on, we would be able to make
full use of—we said that it might take six to 12 months until we were
fully using those units, but we would take them then and build our use of them
over that time.
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