Department for Health and Ageing, $3,070,300,000

Membership:

Dr McFetridge substituted for Mr Pisoni.

Ms Redmond substituted for Mr Speirs.

Mr Pengilly substituted for Mr Tarzia.

Minister:

Hon. Z.L. Bettison, Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr D. Swan, Chief Executive, SA Health, Department for Health and Ageing.

Mr D. DeCesare, Acting Chief Finance Officer, Finance and Business Services, SA Health, Department for Health and Ageing.

Ms S. O'Brien, Executive Director, Policy and Commissioning, SA Health, Department for Health and Ageing.

Ms J. Walters, Manager, Policy and Programs, Office for the Ageing, SA Health, Department for Health and Ageing.

The CHAIR: I declare the proposed payments open for examination and I ask the minister to introduce her new line-up of advisers and to make her opening statement, if she wishes. In the meantime I remind members that the estimates procedures are informal and there is no need to stand to ask or answer questions.

I remind members that we would like them to preface their questions with the lines of expenditure in the budget papers for the benefit of Hansard as well as all members attending the committee. Supplementary questions will be at my discretion, obviously. We are being as generous as we can be today. Do you have an opening statement, minister?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes, I do. It is often cited that South Australia is the Australian mainland state with the highest proportion of older residents. They are a uniquely diverse group. In the 2011 census it was noted that almost 18 per cent of South Australians aged over 65 years were born in countries where the main language spoken is not English. Impressively, over 125 countries are represented in South Australia's over-65 community. The 2011 census also identified that more than one third of South Australia's total population of 1.6 million was aged over 50 years with 25 per cent of this group—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: —being the baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. There is more than one baby boomer present in parliament today.

The CHAIR: Name them!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think someone has already named themselves—thank you member for Finniss.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Looking at our Aboriginal community of 37,408 people, 6,952 are aged 45 years and over, 4,976 are 50-years plus, and only 1,383 are aged over 65 years. This proportion needs to grow. There are no surprises in our population projections. Between now and 2036 and beyond—towards 2050—the proportion of people aged over 65 will increase from 16 to 25 per cent, while the over 80s will almost double, from 5 to 9 per cent.

I am always mindful of the issue of dementia, the single greatest cause of disability in Australians aged 65 years and over. In my own family, my grandmother suffered from dementia, and it was a very, very difficult time, when we felt we lost her five years before she passed on. Nationally, more than 332,000 Australians live with dementia, and by 2050 this number is projected to increase to 900,000. In South Australia, Access Economics has projected that the number of people living with dementia will increase from 21,760 in 2010 to more than 50,000 by 2050.

Over the last year, the Office for the Ageing has been working hard to provide policies, plans, programs and projects that reflect the diverse views, opinions, needs and priorities of older South Australians. In October 2013, the government released 'Prosperity Through Longevity: South Australia's Ageing Plan—Our Vision 2014-2019'.

Our state ageing plan outlines a new vision for ageing in South Australia under the priorities of health, wellbeing and security, social and economic productivity and all-ages-friendly communities. Visions need actions, and so in February 2014, 'Prosperity Through Longevity: South Australia's Ageing Plan—Our Action Plan' was released. The action plan features projects across a broad range of areas.

In 2013-14, the Office for the Ageing delivered a range of initiatives for older people under Prosperity Through Longevity, enabling the office to fulfil the objectives and functions of the Office for the Ageing Act 1995. Key amongst those has been the 'Strategy to Safeguard the Rights of Older South Australians 2014-2021', which I had the very great pleasure to launch on 16 June this year at Adelaide's 2014 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The strategy focuses on raising community awareness of the abuse of older people carried out by someone the older person knows and trusts, especially thinking about prevention and early intervention. It will guide future work in this state, contributing to the key priorities of Prosperity Through Longevity. In 2014-15, Office of the Ageing will work on an action plan to drive the implementation of this strategy.

The removal of mandatory age-based annual medical testing for car class licences to commence on 1 September 2014 is another important policy under the new state ageing plan. An expert group has provided advice on strategies to enhance reporting systems and increase awareness amongst both health professionals and the community on mandatory car licensing reporting requirements for all age groups regarding their ability to drive.

Other key ageing plan projects include 'Partnering to Build an Age-Friendly South Australia', with Office for the Ageing working with local governments and Alzheimer's South Australia to make our communities friendly for people of all ages and for people with dementia; and Planning Ahead Day, to support the community-wide implementation of our new state advance care directives and other legal instruments that enable choice at times of illness or at the end of life.

I have a particular interest in our older workforce and note that several work-related projects commenced under our ageing plan's action plan. In 21^st century South Australia, our older population will work and remain active for much longer than previous generations. After all, in 2011, Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) accounted for approximately 27 per cent of the South Australian population and over 38 per cent of the South Australian workforce. At that time, people aged 45-plus accounted for 47 per cent—almost half our state's workforce—and almost one-third of the workforce was comprised of people aged 55-plus. In 2011, almost 10 per cent were 65 years and older.

Grants are also very important. In 2013-14, a funding package of $400,000 supported the ever popular Positive Ageing Development Grants and Grants for Seniors. Positive Ageing Development Grants provide incorporated community-based organisations with a one-off grant of up to $25,000. They fund the development of projects which provide opportunities for participation and enable greater choice for older people. These grants are a great boost in the creation of all-ages-friendly communities.

An example from 2013-14 is the $25,000 one-off funding provided to Minda Incorporated to enable 15 individuals aged 55 to 65 with an intellectual disability to move from active work to community volunteering, allowing participants to maintain their community contribution and a sense of purpose and dignity while transitioning to retirement.

The Grants for Seniors program provides one-off grants of up to $5,000 to incorporated community bodies. These grants promote older people's involvement in their local communities. They fund smaller projects, such as buying equipment or paying for an instructor to run activities, and are very well received by seniors and the community organisations that represent older people.

An example from 2013-14 is the Intergenerational Interaction for Senior Farmers on Kangaroo Island project. A grant of $2,800 has been provided to enable semi-retired and retired farmers to gather together for networking and socialising. The project also involves intergenerational learnings, enabling both young and old to gain understanding and respect for each other.

In 2013-14, we once again supported Council of the Ageing (COTA) SA with funding to celebrate the annual statewide Every Generation Festival which honours the contributions and achievement of older South Australians. This is a very popular festival.

South Australian seniors greatly appreciate the state government’s Seniors Card Program. In June this year, there were over 340,000 members: 26 per cent were regionally based, and 74 per cent metro based. Members look forward to receiving their annual Seniors Card Discount Directory—

Ms REDMOND: They do not get any concessions.

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: —‘Your Lifestyle Guide’, as well as WeekendPlus, a digital magazine emailed to 40,000 subscribed members fortnightly. Our state Seniors Card is not just a symbolic benefit. All Seniors Card members are eligible for discounts and benefits from hundreds of sponsoring businesses across the state, as well as state government concessions including rebates on council rates—

Ms Redmond interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: —and discounted and free (outside peak hours) public transport. From December 2013, the free travel period for Seniors Card holders was extended to 9.01am to 3pm and 7.01pm to 7am on weekdays, and all day on weekends and public holidays.

The commonwealth government funds the government of South Australia to administer the Aged Care Assessment Program on their behalf in South Australia. In 2013-14, SA Health, through the Office for the Ageing, received funding of $8.95 million to carry out this vital service. The ACAP, as it is known, provides frontline comprehensive assessment services for older people, with 9,784 completed assessments undertaken during the period of July 2013 to March 2014.

In 2013-14, the South Australian Aged Care Assessment Program has undergone significant reforms both at a state and commonwealth level. As a consequence of the 2013 review of the Aged Care Assessment Program, which looked at efficiency, governance and structure of the assessment teams and program, a new structure for the Aged Care Assessment Teams came into effect from 1 July of this year. Three teams will be established within Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, and will better service clients across these three local health networks.

Housing is very important to older South Australians. Retirement villages provide an alternative housing option for some seniors, and the Office for the Ageing protects their interest by administering the Retirement Villages Act 1987 and the Retirement Villages Regulations 2006. Currently, there are 523 retirement villages in South Australia providing a total of 17,711 dwellings. These villages are spread across the state, with 111 villages in regional local government areas.

There is continual growth in the retirement village industry. Consequently, it is timely to consider the act which governs it, with the act needing to be flexible enough to allow changes in offered products while maintaining the protection of residents’ rights. In November 2013, a parliamentary select committee, chaired by the Hon. John Hill MP, tabled its report into a review of the Retirement Villages Act 1987. The report contained 34 recommendations, featuring approximately 80 possible changes. I note that both the member for Morphett and the member for Heysen were members of that select committee.

I am pleased to advise that the majority of recommendations have been supported, especially where they relate to clarification of provisions within the act or legislative amendments that will enhance transparency for both operators and residents. There are a number of recommendations that the Office for the Ageing are investigating further. This is to ensure there is a clear understanding of the consequential changes caused by legislative amendments prior to progressing draft legislation. It is my plan to release draft legislation later in the year for consultation and further comment by all interested parties.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I do note that Flinders University said to me four years ago, I think, that you are not considered old until you turn 80 nowadays.

The CHAIR: Eighty is the new 40.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Eighty is the new 60, I think 60 is the new 40, and down we go. Age and experience will always beat youth and enthusiasm, let me tell you. The interesting thing about South Australia, as you have pointed out, minister, is that it is a state of this state that we are getting older. Unfortunately for the people of Hindmarsh and Morphett, their demographics are that we reflect what Australia is going to be in 25 years, they tell me—and I use the royal ‘we’ there, as the proud member for Morphett. The wonderful people of Morphett, though, have returned me with a 3 per cent swing at the last election, and I am here to do my—

The CHAIR: What budget line is that?

Dr McFETRIDGE: That was an introductory statement. We will move on and get into this. Ageing is a very topical issue because it is not just for people who are getting older: it is also for the people who may have to look after them, their families, the connections, the businesses—every one of us.

Minister, this is just a general question. In your opening statement, you referred to older South Australians and concessions and free travel on public transport. On the administration of that, surely it could just be opened up to seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Oldies are not going to travel when the trams and buses are packed anyway. Has the Office for the Ageing had any discussions with the Department of Transport about reducing and removing the need to enforce that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: My understanding is that some conversations have taken place with the Department of Transport. At this stage, we will not be proceeding, but we will continue to discuss with them our thoughts around full accessibility of transport.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just on that same issue, when older drivers go to renew their licence, part of the process is having a medical check. I have had older South Australians come to my office and complain about the fact that not only is there a sign-off by their GP on the fact that they are fit to drive but, during that process, an extensive medical history is recorded and then passed on to the Department of Transport.

I see that as an unnecessary expansion of information across government departments. Surely, a final sign-off by a licensed medical practitioner would be enough. Can you assure my constituents and older South Australians who undergo these tests that those records are held in strict confidence and are not shared at all?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that the information is held under very strict confidential arrangements in the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. However, I would like to note that, in December 2013, the previous minister for health and ageing announced that the policy of mandatory annual fitness-to-drive testing for ages 70 years and over will be abolished from 1 September 2014.

To address your question and some of your concerns, this has been at top of mind, and this has been part of the discussion in regards to moving forward on that. We think that removing the mandatory testing age is a key part of the ageing plan, which aims to support older residents to be more active and engage in the community.

The policy change will move South Australia to a system that will focus on actual fitness to drive for all drivers. We have had an expert group that has been convened to advise us of any measures that may support this policy change. The group has had wide representation, including the RAA, the Council on the Ageing and the Australia Medical Association, and is due to report back to myself and minister Piccolo (Minister for Road Safety) shortly, with any recommendations.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Minister, just on that, will all the information that has been gathered and is on file now in the medical files that are held by, I assume, the Department of Transport, be deleted, and can we be certain that that will be a thorough process?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We have not had a discussion in relation to those health records. I think that we can take that on notice and raise that in our collaborative meeting.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I think that would be a good thing for all South Australians who have those records being held by numbers of departments now. Minister, the big issue that came out of the budget was the changes to the emergency services levy and the removal of concessions. My understanding is that all state Seniors Card holders will lose their emergency services rebate. If it is not all, how many will? What is the impact, and what are the penalties if you cannot afford to pay the full ESL?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Just to clarify , for 1 July this year the ESL concession of up to $46 will only be available to eligible pensioners, other Centrelink beneficiaries and self-funded retirees who hold a commonwealth seniors health card, meaning as I think you have raised not all Seniors Card holders will be eligible to receive the emergency services levy concession. My understanding of that is because that Seniors Card is not based on income.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Do you know how many Seniors Card holders will be losing the rebate?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We do not keep their financial information. Seniors Card is based on age and working hours.

Dr McFETRIDGE: So, that would probably be a good thing to go back and find out exactly how many seniors will be affected because I would think that now there would be a lot of seniors who just cannot afford to pay that increase. Have discussions been had between the Office for the Ageing and Treasury, say, for allowing an instalment plan or something like that to pay the extra money?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: To be perfectly frank, I think the best way of supporting them would be to ask the federal government to change their view on the National Partnership on Certain Concessions and reverse their decision.

Dr McFETRIDGE: No, this has nothing to do with that. The state government has made the decision to remove this concession and people will be put under extra financial stress, so with this particular issue of the emergency services levy is there an opportunity for state seniors to pay in instalments?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The state government will remove the general remissions provided on the fixed property of the emergency services levy for 1 July. However, the eligible pensioners and low income households will continue to receive the concession on ESL for their principal place of residence—

Dr McFETRIDGE: But you do not know the numbers on that?

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: —and the self-funded retirees who have a commonwealth seniors health card will also be able to receive an ESL concession.

Dr McFETRIDGE: But the state Seniors Card holders, that is the thing that I think—

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The state Seniors Card, as I spoke about before, is about people over the age of 60 who are working under 20 hours—

Dr McFETRIDGE: Yes, I understand that.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is not based on income, whereas obviously when we are looking for concessions it would be predominantly on an income basis.

Dr McFETRIDGE: But state seniors are actually losing the concession from what I have read.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am sorry, say that again.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The state Seniors Card holders actually lose that concession, and I was surprised how quickly that actually appeared on the Treasury website on the evening of the budget, because I was looking at the concessions. Do you know how many?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, I do not have that information.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Can you bring that back to the committee? Thank you.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Well, I am actually not sure if that information is available because we do not look at their income.

Dr McFETRIDGE: But how many Seniors Card holders? Surely you would have an estimate there of how many people have Seniors Cards?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think your question is: how many people have Seniors Cards but do not have a commonwealth seniors health card? Is that—

Dr McFETRIDGE: Well, if that is the answer, then how many of those are there?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think that information will be very difficult to provide to you; however, I will take it on notice and endeavour to come back with a response.

The CHAIR: Do we have some questions on the right? Member for Torrens.

Ms WORTLEY: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 16—Policy, Clinical Services and Administration, and pages 24 to 27—Policy and Commissioning. Minister, can you advise the committee on the provision of community development grants to support increased community participation amongst older people?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The government, through the Office for the Ageing, provides annual one-off grants in the order of $400,000 to a range of community organisations to promote opportunities for older people to be involved and active in their communities.

In 2013-14 the Grants for Seniors Program provided funding to 58 projects to purchase equipment and to support cultural, educational and sporting activities and programs. Samples include seniors keep fit classes for the Sikh Society of South Australia, sporting equipment for the Crystal Brook and Districts Senior Citizens Club, and kitchen equipment for the Mount Gambier RSL and District Bowling Club.

A further 12 projects were funded as part of the Positive Ageing Grants. These projects had a focus on projects that support positive perceptions of ageing, participation and learning, and enable independence. Examples include a project to support the transition to volunteering for older workers with intellectual disability; a program for older men, particularly widowers or those in a caring role, teaching health and cooking skills and reducing isolation; and a project to teach older Italian women basic computer skills through documenting their life stories and posting them on the internet. These stories will be shared through a website to celebrate and recognise these older women.

There is a number of other grants provided through the Office for the Ageing to support activities for older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to celebrate older lives and to assist older people to ensure they are aware of their rights. Funding is also provided to peak bodies for research, representation, and advice to decision-makers and ageing sector consultation and coordination. These grants support the new state ageing plan.

Mr HUGHES: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, sub-program page 24. Can the minister provide advice on the government's response to the Select Committee on the Review of the Retirement Villages Act, including the establishment of an advocacy service?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: On 20 May 2014 I tabled the government's response to the select committee report on the review of the Retirement Villages Act 1987. The select committee report made a number of important recommendations about improving the clarity and transparency of the act to support both residents and operators.

Some of the more salient recommendations included the following: a proposal for the introduction of standard disclosure documents prescribed by regulation to assist residents in understanding their rights and financial obligations; to prescribe additional protections for holding of funds in trust; ensuring greater transparency of operations and financial management; to increase the dispute resolution processes and tribunal powers; and to increase the powers of investigation and compliance and provide the ability for the appointment of an administrator, receiver and manager where a village is being mismanaged.

This was the first major review of the act since it was first established. Much has changed since this time. In particular, the number of retirement villages and retirement village residents has grown. As such, the government is now focused on what changes are required to the act to reflect the needs of residents and operators today. Important considerations included the improved protection of resident funds, increased transparency, contractual disclosure and further expansion of dispute resolution processes.

The government has largely supported the select committee's recommendations. Further investigation is being made ahead of the introduction of legislative amendments later this year to ensure that the right balance is achieved between the needs of operators and residents. Better practice guidelines are also being developed in line with draft legislative amendments to promote good practice across the industry.

The 2014-15 state budget also announced the establishment of an advocacy service for residents of retirement villages. This service, through the Aged Rights Advocacy Service, will commence in 2014 and will provide an important service for older South Australians in advocating and providing information to retirement village residents on their rights under the act. I am grateful to the Aged Rights Advocacy Service and key stakeholders from both operator and residential peak bodies for their support and input in developing the model for this service.

Ms HILDYARD: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 24. Can the minister tell the committee about what actions the government's undertaking to ensure the safety, security and well-being of older South Australians?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: On 16 June I launched the Strategy to Safeguard the Rights of Older South Australians 2014-21 at the South Australian World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference. There is no excuse for abuse. The strategy focused on preventing the abuse of older people carried out by someone the older person knows and trusts. It raises awareness of physical, psychological, social, sexual, chemical and financial abuse, accidental or deliberate, that can occur, particularly during times of increased vulnerability. It includes recognition of the diversity of our older population and acknowledgement of the rights that the strategy seeks to safeguard, including dignity, self-determination and security.

The strategy also sets out how to recognise the risk factors for elder abuse and the signs, and how to take appropriate action. The strategy has been developed with the assistance of an expert steering committee and it is the first major policy initiative released under the 'Prosperity through longevity: South Australia's ageing plan 2014-2019'. An action plan is being developed over the next 12 months outlining the implementation of the strategy. It will include strengthening elder abuse prevention policies and practices and reviewing legislation to enable consideration of reforms. This is a critical policy initiative to ensure whole-of-community awareness and action, ensuring the safety, security and wellbeing of older South Australians.

Ms REDMOND: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 25, the matter about the Retirement Villages Act. Minister, you mentioned in response to an earlier question that there are 523 retirement villages in the state. I wonder if you could tell me how five have therefore closed since the Office for the Ageing issued their annual report in October last year? That report says there are 528, of which nine are inactive, making 519 active.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Thank you for your question. I take it you are saying there is a difference of five. As we know, some retirement villages choose to make the decision to operate no longer and some new ones are opened. We are happy to take this on notice and come back with the specifics for you.

Ms REDMOND: Minister, you said specifically that there were 523, but the report from October last year—the annual report of the Office for the Ageing—says that there are 528, of which nine were inactive.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That would be the difference between October last year and today's date. They do have to seek approval and give notice before they close, I am advised. Therefore, we can detail the information and get back to you.

Ms REDMOND: According to the report, nine villages were closed, resulting in 519 active villages. Does the minister have any idea as to which villages closed—whether they were under a single ownership and a single corporation or whether there were any particular reasons for the closure? If you look at the graph that appears in that report, it is obvious that until now there has been a steady increase in the number of retirement villages and then suddenly, between the year 2011-12 and 2012-13, we find closures of retirement villages and a decrease in the numbers.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that often these villages consolidate or they may merge together, but I do not have the full details of the difference. We can take that on notice and come back to the committee.

Ms REDMOND: Thank you. The minister pointed out that the member for Morphett and myself were both on the select committee. I note that, in fact, they were unanimous recommendations from a committee which consisted of the former long-term minister for health, John Hill, who was chairing it, as well as two members of the Labor Party and the then Independent member for Frome. There were 23 unanimous recommendations; can the minister tell me which of those the government found unsupportable?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I am advised that none of the recommendations is unsupported by the government. What we are seeking to achieve during this time of consultation is a balance between the needs and desires of the residents and those who are operating retirement villages, and we are going through a process of negotiation to find an outcome at this time. I think it would be clear to say that at this point it is not that we do not support the recommendations but that we are working on a process to find that balance between the two groups.

Ms REDMOND: Obviously, the select committee also considered trying to get a balance. Can the minister give an undertaking that the entirety of those recommendations will be brought into the new proposed legislation?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The principle of the recommendations will be supported with, obviously, the focus on the protection being clear to residents or potential residents of retirement villages. Some ways that could result are through legislation, whereas we believe that some of the areas of recommendation could be achieved through guidelines.

Ms REDMOND: Still on this area of retirement villages, I think it would be fair to say that the committee had some concerns about the willingness of the generation of baby boomers (about whom you said so much in your opening statement) to enter into retirement villages. Has any thought been given as to what is going to happen if that trend that appears in the report—of a decrease in the numbers—continues and villages fail to attract people willing to go into them?

The average age in the retirement villages, if you read that report, is quite high; it is over 80 now. As those people die and if the new lot of baby boomers do not go into the village, has the government given any thought to what is going to happen if there is a financial failure because of a failure of people to enter into retirement village living over the next few years?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We have a good relationship with the industry and we are going to work closely with them. I am advised that we believe that the numbers do not reflect the trend, and we expect that there will be growth in the retirement villages area.

I have a particular interest in this area of ageing. Older people, like all people, are quite diverse in their choices. I guess, as a government, we want to work with industry to provide people with a range of opportunities. I think most people have expressed a desire to stay in their own home—and I think that is quite a high percentage—so part of that will be about home-based support and home care. Obviously, some of that will be around social inclusion. The majority will at some point be living on their own in what will be the family home—how do we engage them?

Obviously, there is also the aged-care sector and the retirement villages. I think from a government point of view this is only at the start of some of the discussions we will be having about the different types of facilities and different types of lifestyle arrangements and supported ways that people can live as they age. I think we will find that there will be an increased need for retirement villages. I suspect that the market will be segmented and that there will be more choice and more variety in the market.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just to assist the committee on that, I will give a personal example. One of the volunteers in my office has moved from a retirement village that was okay (that is probably the best way to put it) to a much nicer one, but the problem is that there are units vacant in the village she has moved from, and her unit is now vacant.

They are having problems marketing those units, so she is still paying fees and will be, according to her contract, for up to six months. Can the minister assure the committee that the government will not be delaying any changes to the Retirement Villages Act to make sure that people are not being trapped because they want to move onto better facilities?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Obviously, I have said very clearly that I am looking to bring draft legislation forward on this. As to the specifics between sales and people paying fees, I am not in a position to make a comment on that. I do know that this is one of the areas of transparency so that, when someone enters a retirement village, they are very aware of their obligations, rights and responsibilities if they do choose not to continue to be at the village.

I think that what is most important (and I think that both the member for Morphett and the member for Heysen touched on this when they spoke in the house) is that people need clarity about what they are contractually obliged to sign up to, and I think that will be the key aspect of this legislation.

Ms REDMOND: Minister, I understand that the government has indicated its rejection of the proposal for a web-based calculator that consumers and residents can use to calculate the exit fee scenarios which might apply. Is that case and, if so, on what basis does the government reject that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will ask Sinead to detail those specifics.

Ms O'BRIEN: In relation to the web-based calculator, when we have looked into that in more detail, with the logistics around trying to do that, with all of the variables that it involved, it was felt that it would be extremely difficult to be able to provide people reassurance and accuracy in relation to that. The key and most important thing that we have picked up from the recommendations is that transparency and that people are fully aware of the risks, the issues and any termination clauses that are in there.

We are working with both the industry and the consumers in this space to make sure that the outcome we look at is appropriate and fits the purpose for both. But the variables appear to be too great in the web-based calculator, as I said, to find an accuracy that would be able to find somebody a finite answer when they were embarking on something they may want to terminate three years down the track.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I refer to the same budget reference. In the annual report there is a figure on page 14 that indicates that there was a 27 per cent reduction in the number of telephone calls to the office because staff were working offline to assist with the legislative review, I understand. What is the reason that this number of calls was either unanswered or unable to be dealt with? I do not think that a 27 per cent decrease in calls is something that would be a natural change. Having received evidence during the committee stage, I think the concerns are increasing, if not exponentially increasing, in many cases.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I apologise but I missed the end of your question. Your question was specifically about the 27 per cent reduction in phone calls into the Office for the Ageing?

Dr McFETRIDGE: Yes. What is the reason for it? How many staff were working offline to assist the legislative review, and does this mean that there are insufficient staff in the office to take phone calls and did phone calls go unanswered? Certainly, the impression I got from my time on the select committee was that the number of concerns was increasing. The number of calls, as shown in the diagram on page 14, went from 1,414 in 2010-11 to 2,513 in 2011-12, and then there was a dramatic drop to 1,842 (a 27 per cent drop) in 2012-13.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have a specific answer as to why there has been a drop. One might think that perhaps people are using other ways to get in contact, such as email, but I will have to take that one on notice.

Ms REDMOND: Minister, on the issue of elder abuse—and I think you mentioned in response to a previous question, if not in your opening statement, some things that you are doing—there will no doubt be some settling-in time for the advance care directives, but the major area of elder abuse tends to be financial rather than physical and emotional, and so on. The biggest area is financial, and that often occurs under the use of powers of attorney. I understand that they are still in place as opposed to the advance care directives, which are largely the medical and care side of things.

Is the government considering any steps which might help to protect older people from abuse under a power of attorney, given that the act like the Retirement Villages Act was written a long time ago and has very basic provision that basically says that anyone who is acting for someone under a power of attorney and agency has to do so in the best interests of the person?

It frequently occurs that—and I am sure the minister has had it in her own electorate office—people come in, concerned about the fact that someone who has power of attorney is abusing that power and taking the money for their own purposes. The only way to deal with that at the moment is by basically taking an action in the Supreme Court which is time-consuming and stressful and costly, and a whole lot of other things. Is the minister or the government considering any way of better protecting those who are having their financial affairs managed pursuant to a power of attorney?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I thank the member for her question and her interest in this area. When I launched the safeguarding rights of older South Australians it was just the beginning of this process, so we will follow that up through an action plan that has short, medium, and long-term outcomes. I would propose that this issue in regard to the powers of attorney would be addressed during those action plan times. I think that some of the action plans will result in some legislative change, and that may well be one of the areas that we consider.

Ms REDMOND: Perhaps if we move to the aged-care assessment teams. Minister, you mentioned that you have a new structure for aged-care assessment teams, and I was wondering whether you could tell me how we compare, in terms of those assessments, both as to numbers and the speed with which assessments are made for what I think are termed category one, category two and category three. How do we compare in this state with national figures, and to what extent will the new system improve things?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Thank you for the question. In the year 2013-14 approximately 13,100 face-to-face assessments were completed. This was consistent with the number of assessments in 2012-13, however, slightly less than those that were projected, and this was due to an improved screening process undertaken by the Access2HomeCare service, which ensures people are directed to the service that best meets their needs.

As a result of this, we have improved the timelines of assessment. As I said, we went through a review and successfully implemented a new system known as eACAT to a number of the regional assessment teams. This system enabled the electronic transfer assessment information to Medicare, which meant quicker access to services by consumers and quicker access to payments for aged-care providers and we expected that would be rolled out to the rest of the assessment teams.

Turning to the specifics of your question on a comparison between South Australia and other states, as this is paid by the commonwealth there is an expectation by the commonwealth for us to make key performance indicators, and we have matched those.

Ms REDMOND: So are we at the same level as other states, or are we slower or faster?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: We do not have that data to see if they are better or worse. I guess that would be an answer probably directed to the commonwealth minister.

The CHAIR: Did you have another question over there, member for Torrens?

Ms WORTLEY: Yes I do, thank you, Chair. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 24 to 27. Minister, can you provide the committee with information about the new state ageing plan and key projects that are being rolled out under the action plan?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Prosperity Through Longevity, our state action plan, was launched in October 2013. It outlines a strong vision for older people in our state, a vision which encourages participation in our community, provides opportunities for older people to let government know what is important to them, and values the contribution that older people make to our state. The action plan released in February 2014 outlines a range of programs and initiatives that implement the new state ageing plan.

Key projects and initiatives under this plan include the removal of mandatory medical testing for drivers at 70 years of age to commence by 1 September 2014. As I have mentioned, there is an expert working group providing recommendations on this implementation ahead of the introduction date. On 16 June, I launched the 'Strategy to Safeguard the Rights of Older South Australians', as I have detailed.

It also focuses on a mature workforce forum experience, and it has got Experience: The Business Benefit, and that will be held tomorrow in partnership with Business SA. I will be there at the opening, and this event will bring together local businesses to hear about the benefits of employing older workers. Bunnings and Taylors Wines are two of the organisations who will talk about how they have made the most of the experience of older workers. The event will also be used to discuss the barriers to employ older workers and what can be done to assist.

Also in the planning is a project to develop and trial a new approach to food in aged care settings through the Maggie Beer Foundation's 'A Good Food Life For All'. They will work with local aged care facilities to bring fresh, well-presented and nutritional food to the plates of residents. SA Health's Mount Pleasant Hospital is one of the facilities participating in this project.

A veterans' wellbeing event with Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum (retired) was held in February 2014, where older veterans, their families and key organisations involved with veterans came together to learn about new approaches to wellbeing developed especially for veterans. I actually had a chance to hear her speak at a Northern Business Breakfast. She is incredibly inspiring with the work that she has done on wellbeing and resilience, and that is based on the work of Martin Seligman, who was one of our Thinkers in Residence.

A Conversation with Aboriginal Elders forum was undertaken on 18 June as part of the full meeting of the South Australian Aboriginal Elders. The forum was used to discuss the state ageing plan priorities and the areas of importance for older Aboriginal South Australians. In particular, our focus on ways to prevent elder abuse and the early detection of dementia were key areas of interest.

This initiative seeks to help inform and guide future projects under the plan. Just as I said, the action plan has short, medium and long-term aspects. I would expect that we will be starting those discussions on those different areas in the near future.

Mr HUGHES: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, pages 24 and 25. Can the minister provide information about mature-aged employment in South Australia and strategies to assist increased participation?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: South Australia is equalled only by Tasmania in our significant and growing older population—people aged 50 years and over. In 2011, there were 569,000 aged 50 and over out of a population of 1.6 million, and baby boomers aged from 50 years to 65 make up 57.7 per cent of South Australia's 50-plus population.

Meaningful engagement with the community through social and economic activity is a vital part of maintaining personal wellbeing. It is also an active imperative for South Australia that boomers keep actively participating in the economy as workers as well as consumers. The government, through the Office for the Ageing, is establishing a new dialogue with business, community leaders and the older population to enable increased opportunities and reduce age discrimination.

The Office for the Ageing is addressing mature workforce issues in 2014-15 through two key projects that come under the Volunteering section of the Ageing Plan. As I mentioned just before, experience—The Business Benefit, a mature workforce forum, will be held tomorrow, and that will see up to 100 private businesses and key stakeholders provided with information about the benefits of employing mature-age workers, including the financial incentives available. The forum will feature experts from business, academia and industry, providing specialist commentary on the South Australian business landscape.

The other project is the greatest asset—Overcoming Age Discrimination is a project supporting the state’s ageing plan, funding by the Office for the Ageing and delivered by the Equal Opportunity Commission. This project will promote increased recruitment and employment of older workers in the private sector. It will also raise awareness of and combat age discrimination in employment.

Workforce is a key strategic focus for my government. The state government is providing community leadership in promoting the positive community benefits in greater engagement of older South Australians as workers and vital contributors to the state’s economic prosperity.

Ms REDMOND: Minister, further to the answer you have just given, you mentioned financial incentives available for the employment of older workers. Can the minister advise specifically what the financial incentives are that are available for employing older workers and whether those financial incentives only apply to people up to normal retirement age, or whether they are available for people, for instance, over the age of 65?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: This financial incentives are from the commonwealth government. There was something previously and they have just changed it slightly. I do not have the details; I assume it would probably go up to the age of 67 now, which I think is the official retirement age. Those financial contributions rely on someone having been on Centrelink benefits for a certain amount of time, and then after that period of time the employer is paid, from my understanding, on commencement and then after six months, I believe. I do not have that in my portfolio—that is a commonwealth responsibility—but that is my understanding of those arrangements.

Ms REDMOND: Thank you. Minister, you mentioned in response to an earlier question—it might have actually been in your opening statement—the fact that in our aged care facilities we have an increasing number of people for whom English is not their first language. It is clear that as people particularly go into dementia they will often revert to their original language because—it is described as like peeling an onion: the layers of your most recent memories peel away and so people with dementia often go back to very early memories; they cannot tell you what they had for lunch, but they can tell you who was at their 12^th birthday party.

Consequently, a lot of those people, even if they have been living here for a long time, are likely to revert to their original language, so that is going to be an increasing issue for us. Has the government done any work on how you are going to recruit people into the aged care sector for employment specifically to address that issue, and/or has the government contemplated taking on a computer system which I saw demonstrated probably eight years ago at Tailem Bend Hospital?

This system had been developed and was only at a cost then of around $20,000, which did things like take a person’s native language and interpret for a staff member so that a person coming into serve that particular person could simply, by pressing a button, have an interpretation of that person’s need, speech and all sorts of things like that. It did a range of things; it was quite remarkable.

I am not a fan of technology, but this thing enabled, for instance, exercise using either feet or hands to get the exercise, but with a screen showing a picture going around the person’s farming property. It could have on it things about their early life so that some of them would sit there and just read through and look the pictures of their early life. Has the government given any consideration to adopting that sort of technology to address that specific issue?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have the specifics on that. I think that sounds like very interesting technology. I have a particular interest in the opportunity that South Australia could have in this aged care technology sector. Not only in our own country, but across the OECD region we have an ageing population, and our nearest neighbours in the north have an ageing South-East Asian population.

I am very interested in looking at those different tools and applications that we could use. I do not have any knowledge about us specifically looking at that program. I think you have touched on a very important issue; that is, the support and development of our aged and disability care sector and the growing need for recruitment of personal care attendants and in other areas.

Some of the focus on that would have occurred through our Skills for All training that supported people to go through certificates I, II and III. The specifics of that are probably best directed to the Minister for Higher Education, but I know that this is at the core and at the forefront of the growing needs.

As I am also the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am very aware that, while we have some very well-established volunteer meal delivery services in both the Greek and Italian communities, we will see increased needs potentially in our Vietnamese population, which is one of the most significant ageing cohorts that we have. I think we are just at the beginning of understanding the many different layers of supporting people going forward.

It is often referred to as a triumph of civilization that many of us will get to live to 85; however, I think that we are at the start of the journey to understand what it means to live a fulfilling, engaged life. If language is one of those barriers, how do we support people? Whether it be language or mobility, these are some of the things that we need to understand, and that is why the ageing plan is so important, but more important are the actions that come from that ageing plan, acknowledging that this is a growing need within our community.

The CHAIR: That being the final question, I declare the examination of the proposed payments completed and thank the minister and her advisers for their attendance. In accordance with the agreed timetable, I advise that the committee stands suspended until 5pm.

Sitting suspended from 16:47 to 17:01.

Membership:

Ms Sanderson substituted for Dr McFetridge.

Mr Williams substituted for Ms Redmond.

Mr Wingard substituted for Mr Pengilly.

Departmental Advisers:

Ms J. Mazel, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr A. Thompson, Executive Director, Financial Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms S. Wallace, Executive Director, Policy and Community Development, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr G. Myers, Principal Coordinator, Strategic Projects, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The CHAIR: We are beginning with the Office for Youth. It is already open and has been on the table this morning. Minister, would you like to make your opening statement?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Every day young people contribute their talents, enthusiasm and creativity in many different ways right across our state. They are the future of our community. It is they who will shape and lead the South Australia of tomorrow. Recently, I took some time to see the Youth Parliament and I think they are pretty keen to take the leadership as soon as possible. It makes sense, therefore, for the government and community to invest in our young people and support their development and participation, particularly those young people who face barriers to their participation because of social, cultural or economic circumstances.

The Office for Youth has an important role in supporting the state government's effort in relation to young people. This is principally a strategic and policy role, including through youth sector support, advocacy and events which promote and celebrate the contributions of young people. The direct funding of services to young people occurs in other portfolios, such as education and child development, health and further education, whilst the commonwealth government also has an important role, for example in income support, employment and higher education.

During 2013-14, the Office for Youth continued to manage two youth grant programs. The youthconnect grant program provided funding to the youth sector to implement projects and programs that are aligned with South Australia's current youth strategy. During 2013-14, grants totalling $500,000 were awarded to 14 organisations to deliver initiatives across the four funding priorities of young volunteers, young carers, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people, and young people with disability.

The Youth Network Grants program provided approximately $56,000 in funding to 13 networks to support 26 activities. The aim of this funding is to increase the capacity of the youth sector to deliver high quality, effective and coordinated services for young people. Four of the funded networks are located in metropolitan Adelaide. The remaining nine are located in the greater Adelaide and country regions.

During 2013-14, the Office for Youth also implemented a new program. The Leadership, Engagement and Partnership Program, referred to as the leap program, is designed to fund activities which encourage and support young people to be involved and engaged in the community. Importantly, organisations assisting young people who are not involved in formal education are eligible for funding under this new program. This means that the activities funded will be available to some of our most disadvantaged and disengaged young people.

The previous 12 months also saw the release of several resources for the youth sector to support them to work with young people. The 'Youth Development—applying the positive approach' resource seeks to assist organisations adopt a positive approach to youth development. It outlines a number of program values and characteristics associated with this approach. It provides examples of how to put a positive approach into practice.

The 'Working with Vulnerable Youth—key concepts and principles framework' is designed for youth sector organisations. While most young people manage the challenging transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood successfully, a minority do not. This guide identifies key concepts and principles relevant to understanding and working with vulnerable young people.

Over the next 12 months, the Office for Youth will continue to have a positive impact on young people by establishing a regional student internship program to provide opportunities for regionally-based students to access work experience opportunities in government departments and/or parliament. The state government has also committed to establishing a scholarship program to enable more young people from regional areas to participate in the highly successful Youth Parliament program. The Office for Youth is currently scoping the development of a range of implementation options for the scholarship and regional student internship programs for my consideration.

The Office for Youth's mission—to make a positive impact for young people—is challenging, given the small size of the portfolio and the key roles of other departments and levels of government. However, its strategic value is significant, both through the grant funding it provides and for the focus it maintains on the interests and wellbeing of those young South Australians towards whom we as elected officials, and the community more generally, have a special responsibility.

The conclusion of youthconnect later this year provides an opportunity for the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion to review the strategic direction of the youth portfolio and to ensure that the Office for Youth's activities are aligned with and support the broader direction of the department. I look forward to working with the office during 2014-15 as it identifies a new strategic role in direction for the youth portfolio.

Ms SANDERSON: Some of this may have just been answered in your opening statement; however, just to reiterate, the Office for Youth no longer delivers the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The active8 program has been remodelled, and I believe you said that is now the leap program. You also mentioned that the youthconnect policy does not go beyond 2014. When will the minister be releasing the new youth policy?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Perhaps I can start with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and then touch on the other areas. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an international youth development program open to young people aged 14 to 25 years to undertake activities in four key areas: physical recreation, skill development, community service and an adventurous journey. We have held the South Australian state licence for approximately 20 years, and the Office for Youth previously delivered the award on the minister's behalf.

In June 2013, the South Australian government approved the transition of the award out of the state government. From 1 January 2014 the delivery of the award transferred from the state government to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award National Award Authority. The award transitioned successfully, with no negative feedback received from South Australian stakeholders. This is how the award is delivered in most jurisdictions across Australia, including the NT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the ACT. That, I think, answers that portion that you were asking about.

Ms SANDERSON: Can I just ask a quick supplementary on that while you are on that topic?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes.

Ms SANDERSON: Do you expect, with the new national management of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, that there will be an increase in the number of participants? Is that the idea?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Perhaps I can reflect on that. In 2013-14, the target was reduced to 500, reflecting the six-month delivery of the program by the government prior to transitioning. From July to December 2013, 540 new participants commenced the award. It is estimated that there will be 648 active participants in the award as of 31 December 2013. I think that answers those questions. I am advised that the National Award Authority has a target of 1,000 new participants for the 2014-15 financial year, and it is a performance indicator in their funding agreement.

Ms SANDERSON: When will you be releasing a new youth policy that will account for the changes in the youthconnect?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I have a particular interest in the Office for Youth, and this year we will look at strategically reviewing the role and direction of the youth portfolio to identify priority actions. In this time we will continue to provide funding to the community sector to support organisations that deliver services or programs for young people who face risks to their positive participation with the social, cultural and economic life of their communities.

I had an opportunity to speak at a YACSA breakfast the other day, and I decided that we should facilitate some debate about what are some of the priorities for youth. While youthconnect is a very detailed document and a very thorough strategy, I am very keen to get a little more specific when I work with youth about key projects we can work on. In some preliminary discussions with people who were represented, working in the youth sector, mental health and wellbeing was probably the key aspect that they talked about. That is just one of their key areas.

As we look at the development of this strategy, I am very keen to follow on what we have done in the volunteer sector, which is when we did a series of round tables with different from people from the sector and different participants, and from that time we developed the strategy. Post that, we have some specific working groups working on particular projects. I am keen for us to look at that model as a way of engaging people most deeply through the youth sector and for youth, so that will come out. I see that that will happen throughout the latter half of this year.

Ms SANDERSON: I refer to page 127, Performance Indicators, regarding youth volunteering. There has been a considerable decrease in the number of young people volunteering in their local communities. What programs are in place to increase the number of young people volunteering, and how much funding has been allocated, if any, to promote youth volunteering programs? Do you think the cost of screening and police checks will be a deterrent to youth and lead to a further drop in numbers?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I touched briefly on volunteering previously. We have just launched the volunteering strategy. One of the reasons we have seen a change in the number of volunteers has to do with the Duke of Edinburgh Award and how it is accounted for in those numbers. Since the launch of the volunteering groups, in the working group for volunteers we put in a governance framework for the strategy and implementation, and those working groups with independent chairs are working on implementing the strategy.

Two of the focus areas are to invest in the foundations of volunteering and to promote/inform on the benefits of volunteering. In the lead-up to the development of the strategy, the Minister for Volunteers hosted a youth volunteer forum as an integral part of the consultation process to develop that strategy. It was the recommendations from the forum, and its accompanying survey, that included specific actions for government, business and volunteers to increase the opportunities for young volunteers.

Some of the areas we saw were minimising red tape and providing better information on relevant volunteering opportunities (and that is being addressed through that strategy). We also saw that in 2013-14 organisations were awarded funding of $248,420 through the Office for Youth through the youthconnect grant to deliver initiatives to support young volunteers, such as:

$37,740 to the Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers to fund a team leader and trainer to lead conservation volunteer field training for 48 young people;

a camp, protective equipment and delivery of the Conservation Volunteers training program;

$40,200 to the Hutt Community Centre to deliver leadership and development opportunities for 15 young people;

recruitment, training and placement of 100 young volunteers, and the recruitment and training of 40 organisations in youth volunteering; and

$45,900 to Northern Volunteering SA towards the development of an identification tool to assist in placing volunteers, and the delivery of Volunteer Ready to assist 30 disadvantaged young people prepare for volunteering.

In addition, last year the state government provided funding of $25,500 for the Youth Volunteer Scholarship Awards, which recognises and encourages young volunteers. The scholarships provide up to $3,000 to assist young volunteers pursue study options with a university, TAFE SA or vocational college. We also did some community capacity program building, and $100,000 was directed to that to engage students with community service organisations.

I got to go to the launch of this recently: the Community Voices program, in partnership with Flinders University. It sees students working with community organisations to produce television commercials or short documentaries for volunteer recruitment and community education; and the Sustainable Online Community Engagement program, in partnership with the University of South Australia, connects students with volunteer groups to help build websites, produce promotional materials and market their services.

Ms SANDERSON: I refer to page 127. What was the actual number of youth engaged throughout the 2013-14 year? We have the estimated results here, but now we have completed the year we should have the final results.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The completed results will be in next year's budget, so it is an estimated result for the year.

Ms SANDERSON: Thank you. Can the minister please outline how activ8 has been remodelled? I think you may have said it was now the LEAP program, but if I could have more detail.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Certainly. The LEAP program is the Office for Youth's new youth development program. It will support the youth sector to deliver site-specific programs of structured activities for young people between 12 and 25 years to build their skills, encourage them to engage with their community and promote partnerships. It is the LEAP program, which is Leadership, Engagement and Partnerships, and is being delivered as a two-year pilot with two funding rounds.

The program provides a framework for community organisations, local councils and schools to develop youth development with the following elements: 12 months of structured regular activity that builds skills for specific groups of young people; incorporating youth participation; developed in conjunction with young people; participants manage a project within the program which addresses an issue in their local community; involves organisations for at least two different sectors (e.g. community organisations, local councils, schools, other government agencies); of course, the participants have to be between 12 and 25.

In 2013-14, nine organisations were successful in receiving $123,550 to deliver programs to engage 163 young people. I have some details of the programs for round 1. The City of Mitcham received some money for Empowering Teen Girls, which was to deliver a program to support 20 selected young women between the ages of 13 and 16 to gain vital life skills for handling relationship stress, body image, peer pressure, bullying, emotional ups and downs, and improve resilience to support them achieve healthy levels of emotional health and wellbeing.

The City of Playford had the project My Address, which was led by and for young people and brought together young volunteers, youth services and homeless young people, and delivered a number of projects that target youth homelessness. The project has been developed and will be run by young people, with the support of City of Playford, Anglicare, Headspace and HYPA. Through early intervention projects, large scale community solutions and the My Address backpacks project, the young people involved aim to create significant change.

The District Council of Mount Barker's project was Activate, Facilitate, Create and Recreate. That was a program that was shaped and delivered by 15 young people aged between 12 and 18 and responded to the express needs of the skater and BMX communities in the provision of activities and public art. The project improved young people's engagement in public space and active citizenship and provided them with leadership opportunities.

The District Council of Streaky Bay project was Be the Best You Can Be, and this program supported people between 12 and 21 who are isolated from services and not engaged locally, to gain skills in goal setting, healthy lifestyle, safety and engagement with local services.

The Migrant Resource Centre did the Living in Multicultural Equality project. That was actually delivered in Bordertown, in Tatiara and Limestone Coast, and looked at a specific culturally appropriate youth program for young people recently resettled in the Bordertown community. The objective of that program was to reduce isolation and encourage social inclusion and community engagement. The project has various components that will address skill building, participation in multiple areas, and particular knowledge of local sporting, recreation, musical and service clubs.

At Ocean View College, Ocean View Clowns supports 20 young men and women between 12 and 17 to gain skills in clowning and running workshops and become self-motivated. They had partner organisations Cirkidz, Adelaide West and Planet Teal. That was delivered in Taperoo and Yorke Peninsula.

Reconciliation South Australia looked at the feasibility of an SA Aboriginal youth council and helped 20 young Aboriginal people between 17 and 20 who wanted to provide leadership in the Aboriginal community to gain skills in leadership, mentoring, advocacy and lobbying. The program will support them to achieve the establishment of a peak Aboriginal youth council in South Australia. That was a statewide program.

We had a program in Port Lincoln called NRGise (maybe I am not hip enough to get quite what that means). Young people identified the need for space of their own and more activities to do in the community, as well as social issues that were concerning them. That had leadership camps involved and the opportunity to contribute at council meetings.

The last one is the Young Christian Women's Association of Adelaide's SHE Meets. That was a program to support 18 young women between 20 and 23 seeking safe social space for informal networking, support to increase their skills, confidence to improve their community, raise the profile of issues they care about and increase their ability to advocate. That was held throughout the state.

Ms SANDERSON: I refer to page 127. Can the minister explain the reasoning behind the Office for Youth being moved to five different departments and having eight different ministers during Labor's term? How is Youth fitting into DCSI and are there any plans to move Youth again?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As the Minister for Youth, I can say that it fits incredibly well within the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, along with Multicultural Affairs and Volunteers. I think that what we have in this department is a way to look across the board in South Australia at how best we can support people, capacity build, and reach out to those people who need us to support them. It fits perfectly well in Communities and Social Inclusion and it will stay there.

Ms SANDERSON: I refer to page 127 again. Has the South Australian Vulnerable Youth Framework been released? If not, when will that be released?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Perhaps while we get that specific answer, I will say that the Vulnerable Youth Framework identifies key concepts and principles in understanding and working with vulnerable young people. This resource will assist the youth sector in ensuring that services are appropriate and effective. Relevant youth sector organisations were consulted and involved in the development of the resource. It was part of the South Australian Youth Strategy 2010-14 and focused on prevention and early intervention for young people. I am advised that it was released last financial year.

Ms SANDERSON: If that was the framework for 2010-14, is there a new one that is the 2014-18 that has been released?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, that strategy actually committed to the development of this strategy so it was not one of the commitments.

Ms SANDERSON: Right, thank you. I was wondering if the minister would not mind going through the breakdown of the amounts spent and also the amount of participants of different programs. I have a table from estimates of last year. I believe that for the youthconnect program normally $500,000 is allocated and this year would be the last year because you are changing that structure. I just want to confirm whether the 2013-14 year was also $500,000.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: So you were after the expenditure?

Ms SANDERSON: Yes, that is right, the breakdown of the different programs.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: What I have here is grant funding. For community sector grants, we have $650,000 allocated for this year, 2014-15. The discretionary grant line is $9,000, 2013-14, and $20,000, 2014-15. The LEAP program (which I have detailed), 2013-14 was $123,550 and this year the budget is $430,000. National Youth Week was $90,000 and that is projected at the same this year. Port Augusta Social Vision Program was $215,000 last year and is the same this year. The Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre was $25,000 last year but we have not budgeted that this year. The Youth Affairs Council has some allocated funding of $234,811 this year. Youth Network grants increased from $56,374 to $80,000 this year. Youth Parliament will remain the same.

I can read out the Youth Network grant recipients, which is a different program to the LEAP, but I do not have the participants and will have to come back to you about that. Just to break it down:

Adelaide Hills Youth Sector Network, $5,000 for professional development;

Central Workers for Youth Action Network, $3,864, including some fast-track maps printing and update professional development;

Eyre Regional Youth Network, $5,000 for professional development;

Gawler Youth Workers Network, $5,000 for development of mobile application;

Mount Gambier and District Youth Groups, $5,000 for Mount Gambier and district needs analysis;

Murraylands Youth Sector Network, $5,000;

Playford Youth Network, $5,000 for professional development training and core funding;

Riverland and Mallee Youth Sector Network, $5,000 for grant writing workshop;

Salisbury Youth Services Network, $5,000 for professional development training, mental health training and core funding;

Southern Fleurieu Youth Network, $4,750;

Western Workers With Youth Network, $5,000 for core funding;

Yorke Peninsula Youth Workers Network, $760 for core funding; and

Youth Barossa.

The total of that Youth Network grant program was $56,374. We will have to come back to you about the participants.

Ms SANDERSON: Is that separate from the Youth Advisory Committee? Is that a separate thing? I am wondering if you have details as to how many advisory committees there are and the number of total participants.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: You would like to know how many people are on the Youth Advisory Committee as it stands?

Ms SANDERSON: Yes, and how many there are. I believe it is run through councils, so there is a certain number of them.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will ask Sue to detail those changes.

Ms WALLACE: The Office for Youth has funded youth advisory committees to operate through local councils in general for approximately 10 years now. I do not have the numbers of youth advisory committees that are operating at the moment, although there were approximately 60 operating up until the end of this last financial year. From this financial year the department is not providing funding to support the youth advisory committees. That funding has been redirected to the LEAP program, but the LEAP program does include the capacity to support youth advisory committees as part of the program.

The CHAIR: That was the final question, so we thank the minister and the advisers for the youth section. We turn now to the volunteers portfolio.

Membership:

Mr Pengilly substituted for Mr Williams.

Departmental Advisers:

Ms J. Mazel, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr A. Thompson, Executive Director, Financial Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms S. Wallace, Executive Director, Policy and Community Development, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr G. Myers, Principal Coordinator, Strategic Projects, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

The CHAIR: Minister, I invite you to now proceed with your opening statement for volunteers.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Thank you, Chair. Volunteers make an enormous social and economic contribution to the fabric of the South Australian community. Already I have had the great privilege of meeting with many volunteers across our state, and attending significant events of celebration and acknowledgement. Volunteering brings many benefits to the community. It builds and strengthens communities, and fosters belonging, connection, neighbourliness and engagement.

Through volunteering local people care for their community and neighbourhood and take action on issues that are important to them. Volunteering also gives back to the individual volunteers as they establish friendships, develop new skills and gain a sense of purpose and achievement.

The Office of Volunteers has a whole-of-government role to promote and facilitate volunteering in South Australia. It does this by providing leadership in volunteer policy, providing information, resources and other support programs for volunteers and the volunteer sector, and funding the volunteer sector through a number of volunteer grants programs.

The government values the contribution that volunteers make to our community. This contribution was recognised in 2013-14 through a number of programs, including the South Australian Volunteers Day concert held on the state Volunteers Day public holiday in June. I note that the member for Adelaide and the member for Morphett also attended that concert. We were very fortunate to have some participants from the Cabaret Festival which was on at the same time to perform for our volunteers.

In addition, the South Australian Volunteer Awards each year recognise an outstanding contribution by an individual, a group and a corporate entity; and certificates from the Premier and from myself, as the Minister for Volunteers, enable organisations to formally recognise their volunteers including those who have made a particularly significant contribution.

During 2013-14, the Office for Volunteers partnered with the Local Government Association, Volunteering SA & NT and Business SA to develop the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia. I just want to make mention that I had the opportunity to be the chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Volunteering and I was put in that position by the previous minister for volunteers. It was a great group which worked on the development of this strategy—very diverse as our volunteers are—and it was a great opportunity for me to really understand the diversity of our volunteering bank. The strategy's development was underpinned by a consultation process with input sought from a broad cross-section of the volunteering community.

Launched on 14 February 2014, this is a joint strategy between government and the community that aims to build the capacity of volunteerism in South Australia. It is intended as a collaborative blueprint for action between the four partner sectors. It articulates a joint commitment, highlights the key issues and addresses the barriers to volunteering. The implementation of the strategy will be overseen by the Volunteering Strategy Partnership Board appointed by the signing partners. I also acknowledge the contribution of the former opposition spokesperson for volunteers, Dr Duncan McFetridge, the member for Morphett, for his bipartisan approach to this important strategy.

During the 2014 state election, the government announced two initiatives to recognise the invaluable contribution made by volunteers. These are the development of a time-exchange program and a volunteer recognition scheme. Time exchange allows volunteers to 'exchange' their donated hours to redeem benefits from individuals or volunteer organisations offering a service they require. Generally known as 'time banking', this system has been implemented in several countries and is now established in New South Wales.

The government has allocated $600,000 over four years in the 2014-15 budget for a trial of a time-exchange program. The volunteer recognition scheme has been identified as a priority to be actioned under the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia. Volunteer contribution can be recognised in a number of ways, and volunteers could potentially be rewarded with discounts, free tickets and promotional offers with participating businesses and organisations. The money has been committed in the budget to the establishment of this, delivering on the government's election commitment. Both of these important initiatives will be progressed by the Office for Volunteers this year.

In closing, I acknowledge the contribution of the former minister for volunteers, the Hon. Tony Piccolo, for the significant contribution he made to this important portfolio, particularly in regard to the development of the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia.

Ms SANDERSON: Also referring to page 125, the time-exchange recognition scheme, has the minister completed a feasibility study, including a cost-benefit analysis, into both the time-exchange program and the volunteer recognition scheme?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this time, we will be scoping and developing the time-exchange pilot program. You will notice that we have allocated $600,000 over four years, and they will have an annual budget allocation of $150,000 that will be available. While we scope and develop that time-exchange program, we might take into account some of those tools to assess the program as it is developed.

Ms SANDERSON: What consultation has been undertaken with those who would be required to keep the time records and the amount of time and administration costs that would put on the volunteer organisations?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Both the time-exchange and time banking came out of the conversations developing the volunteering strategy, and some of those issues you have raised are being discussed through the four working groups we have.

Ms SANDERSON: Given the government's previous ventures into online systems, such as EPAS and Oracle, which experienced a blowout in costs and in time and were reprofiled to provide less than they originally planned, how realistic is it that the minister's new time-banking program would even be capable of handling the some 900,000 volunteers in South Australia?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Obviously, I do not think that all 900,000 volunteers will participate in these programs. It is something that was raised during the strategy, and we are interested in developing it. Obviously, we always take into consideration administration costs in developing something like time exchange or the banking. We do know that it has rolled out in other states and in other countries, so we will be taking their experiences onboard and recognising how they use their systems before we roll this out.

Ms SANDERSON: If it has been rolled out in other states, in theory you would already have the cost-benefit analysis done before you announced the policy?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: At this point, while we are developing the specific nature of how this will operate through the strategy working group, we would not be able to do that analysis at this time.

Ms SANDERSON: It sounds very similar to a barter system if you are time banking, so I have queries about whether volunteers would be required to keep time books and what the tax implications would be, because barter is considered taxable. They would have to be reporting their time that they have received back. Have you got a tax ruling or has the ATO been involved in this process?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: All these elements obviously would have arisen with some of the other states that have rolled out this program. We will take those into consideration as we develop the nature of this program. Obviously, there are different ways that you can do it. If there were some tax implications, we would identify that and take advice.

Ms SANDERSON: Given that they are already rolled out in other states, what are the tax implications? You would already be aware of those, and is there an ATO ruling?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I do not have that information. While we are aware of the other states' programs, we are still developing the nature of the program that will be here. Obviously, if other programs have had to have ATO rulings, we would take into account what triggered that ruling and whether that would be part of our program or not. I think that to guess what the ATO would make a decision on is outside of my portfolio.

The CHAIR: Member for Torrens, do you have a question?

Ms WORTLEY: Yes, I do. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 124. Minister, can you provide information on the state government's support for the Volunteering Australia's 15^th National Conference on Volunteering?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I had the opportunity to pop by the 15^th National Conference on Volunteering held here in Adelaide on 4 to 6 September 2013. The conference was themed Lead, Partner, Build, Sustain, and was organised and hosted by Volunteering SA&NT, with funding support provided by the state government through the Office for Volunteers.

The conference brought together a range of Australian and international experts who provided conference delegates with the current national and global thinking on volunteering. Attracting more than 500 participants, the conference program provided cutting edge concepts and knowledge to improve volunteering practices and leadership in the community. An allocation of $55,000 in state government funding through the Office for Volunteers was provided to support the conference, in particular, for attendance scholarships.

The funding covered the cost of national research scholarships for academics and postgraduate students attending the conference; and inclusion scholarships, providing one conference registration fee per organisation for volunteer board members, chief executive officers, managers and/or supervisors from remote or small organisations or where the representative was 18 to 25 years of age.

As a result, 11 national research scholarships and 20 inclusion scholarships for South Australia were awarded, enabling a wider cross-section of the volunteer community to benefit from attending the conference.

Mr HUGHES: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 124. Can the minister advise how the Sustainable Online Community Engagement Project benefits the South Australian voluntary sector by promoting volunteer participation?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: This is something I am really pleased to talk about today because I think that we can only do more and more in collaboration with our universities. We have our three foundation universities here in South Australia who I think have an enormous amount of research potential.

The Office for Volunteers Sustainable Online Community Engagement Project, run in partnership with the University of South Australia School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, has been delivering an innovative approach to promoting volunteer participation since 2001.

The program builds information communication technology capacity in the community sector and develops relationships between younger people and volunteer organisations. The connection with students through the UniSA curriculum brings a program with a range of skills in public relations, film and video, multimedia journalism, creative writing, publishing and community.

Through the program, students work closely with community organisations to help them build their own websites. It is hosted free of charge and they produce a range of multimedia promotional materials to promote their organisations and services and develop the skills to maintain and update their new products. Since 2001, over 500 websites and other promotional materials have been delivered to community organisations across South Australia through the program.

This program delivers a real win-win for both the university and the community, providing students with real-life experience as part of their education while delivering capacity-building services to community organisations. I believe the program exemplifies the principle of partnership, participation, inclusion and communication that this government seeks to nurture in South Australia.

Ms SANDERSON: I refer to Budget Measures Statement page 25, Screening services. What consultation did the minister undertake with the volunteer sector before implementing significant changes to the screening requirements, and why was only two weeks given for them to be implemented?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The increase of the fees, as I understand you are aware, is actually part of the budget process bid, so that was specifically there. We have always run the Screening Unit—and I say this as I take on my community and social inclusion portfolio—on a cost recovery basis. That has not always been able to be achieved, and particularly with the dramatic increase numbers (we have gone from about 67,000 to 112,000) that has been something that we have had to put on new full-time equivalents for. So, in order to seek some cost recovery, we have had to realign.

The cost recovery is not just the increase in applications, it is the depth of what we look at with applications. I have gone through several times about what we look for in regards to working with children, aged, vulnerable and disability and a general screening.

Since the introduction of the new fees, both my department I have held meetings with affected organisations and other stakeholders. We included an information session that stakeholders were invited to attend. These meetings are focused on providing information, discussing issues and concerns and identifying potential over-servicing—that is where organisations were requiring their employees and volunteers to have multiple types of screening checks.

The 2014-15 budget includes net appropriation to the department of $1.3 million, and that ensures that the impact of fee increases on volunteers is minimised as well as enables important service improvements, such as application processes that will benefit all applicants.

I am aware of the concerns of the volunteer community about the impact of the fees and I will monitor these issues very closely. Any consideration of special funding measures will be on a case-by-case basis. My department and I will continue to work across government and with the sector to monitor these impacts.

I just want to make note, although as the Minister for Volunteers obviously this goes to increased costs to volunteers, that it is often the change of policies in the areas of disability and the child safety framework that has now made it compulsory for these checks to go ahead.

Ms SANDERSON: With due respect, minister, holding information sessions after making an announcement is not in any way consultation. Many, many people in the volunteer sector are very angry that there was no consultation about this at all and it was implemented with only two weeks' notice, which I think is completely unacceptable.

Do you have any plans to perhaps extend the time period for volunteers to get their clearances, given that it can take several months? You give people two weeks' notice, you have expanded how many have to have the clearances—it is not possible to achieve. Your office could not even service that in two weeks.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As the Minister for Volunteers, I am not responsible for those policy triggers that required particular organisations to have that next level of screening of their volunteers. However, as the Minister for Volunteers, I am very open to talking to people on a case-by-case basis about how we can support them through this process and this new requirement.

Mr HUGHES: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 125. Will the minister advise how the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia will improve the outcomes for organisations that use volunteers and improve the experience of volunteers?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Thank you very much. On 14 February 2014, the then minister for volunteers, Hon. Tony Piccolo MP, endorsed the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2014-2020, along with three other partners: Volunteering SA & NT, Business SA and the Local Government Association of SA. As a community we depend on over 900,000 volunteers for essential services and community wellbeing.

Volunteers are experiencing increasing demands in the dynamic environment in which they work. There is much research on the issues and barriers facing volunteers. These include demographic changes, new technology, volunteer rights, and recruitment and recognition. We want to ensure that the number of volunteers continues to grow, even in the face of changing community norms, an ageing population and emerging technology.

The Volunteering Strategy is a collaborative blueprint for action between four sectors: volunteer-involving organisations, business, local government and the state government. Since the launch in February, a governance framework has been put in place for the strategy's implementation. The framework includes the Volunteering Strategy Partnership Board, which is made up of representatives from each of the four partner organisations and an independent Chair, Ms Rosina Hislop.

Ms Hislop is a board director and strategic consultant with over 20 years' experience in Australia and the UK advising business and government on strategy, risk management, business reviews, alliances, financial reporting and audit. Four working groups, also with independent chairs, are charged with implementing the strategy through a three-year operational plan.

These groups are comprised of hardworking individuals from across the volunteer sector, business and government. The strategy formally commenced on 16 May 2014, with a plenary meeting of all board and working group members.

The four areas of the strategy are: investing in the foundations of volunteering, promoting and informing on the benefits of volunteering, implementing leading practice and high-quality standards, and working together to achieve change.

I am pleased to see that the quarterly reporting to the signing partners will commence in September 2014 through the partnership board. In addition, an annual review of the strategy will take place, commencing in 2015, to measure progress and to make sure that the operational plan remains current.

Ms SANDERSON: Can the minister please advise whether any modelling was done on the impacts of the changes to the screening services and the implications for the number of volunteers in South Australia?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: No, I am not aware of any of that modelling.

Ms SANDERSON: Can the minister advise whether grandparents visiting or volunteering at schools will now need some form of clearance? If so, which one, and how much will that cost?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: While I am the Minister for Volunteers, I am not responsible for the Department for Education and Child Development's policies, and I think that question is best directed to the minister for that area.

Ms SANDERSON: In regard to service clubs, then, which are in the volunteers area, will members of clubs such as Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis need to have screening? What about people delivering Meals on Wheels, for example? If so, what level of screening?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: What I am advised is that it always depends on the roles they are performing. Of course, I cannot sit here and know what those service clubs are and what roles volunteers will be performing. Obviously, it depends on the nature and the contact in regard to the Disability Act and the child safety framework. In most circumstances, however, volunteers will not be required to have a screening check.

Most people, if their organisation requires it, will still be able to use the volunteer organisation authorisation number and that will be the free police check. I think I should be clear that when people are required to get this higher level of screening, whether it be child, vulnerable, aged, or disability, it is the nature of the volunteering work they do that will determine whether they need that level of screening. It is not across the board as a volunteer that you need this screening. It is to do with the nature of that volunteering.

Ms SANDERSON: Generally, service clubs might hold barbeques or put up shadecloth in a school ground, but generally they are not working directly with children, so perhaps it sounds like it might be the police clearance. But, for example, with Meals on Wheels, you are working with older people. Would they be considered vulnerable; therefore do you need a higher screening, or do you need any screening at all?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That would be a conversation that we will need to have with Meals on Wheels. What we also find is that, depending on how people are supported through the service level agreement or government contract, that might require people to have a certain level of screening. So, it would determine whether they feel that their contact with aged or vulnerable people would then require them to have that screening. Mostly, if it is not because of a policy requirement, it would be potentially because of a contractual requirement from either the state or the commonwealth.

Ms SANDERSON: I am getting a lot of calls to my office and I have not been able to work it out from the website and from ringing your office; I cannot clarify all these. Will some information sheets be sent out to all the service clubs, the Probus clubs, schools, grandparents for their grandkids, because people are very confused? What is the definition of ‘vulnerable’, as well?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will take on board your concerns. Obviously, from the screening unit, we sent out to people who were regular users of the screening unit who are in community groups and offered them a briefing. I am very happy for us to take things to that next level. If people are calling you, I would ask you to pass them to my office, and I will work with my department. My door is always open to discuss with them.

I think in many of these situations it would be a discussion with the board or the executive committee of that service club, because if they make a decision as an organisation about something that has not been triggered through a contractual obligation or a policy, then they as an organisation—and we have seen this with many of them—have made the decision that they would like this higher level of screening. I think that we need to be clear about the level that we are talking to.

The CHAIR: This is the final question; we have some procedural things to do before the end of this session.

Ms SANDERSON: Yes, sure. For example, in my electorate office, we certainly work with people with disabilities that come into my office, and we work with people I would determine to be vulnerable, but I am not sure of your exact definition. Does that now mean all staff in electorate offices need either a police check or some sort of screening? That is the level of confusion that I have.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is not my understanding. If you provide me with specific examples, I am happy to provide a response.

Ms SANDERSON: My staff, for example, if I am not available, might cover for me on Meals on Wheels. If I need a clearance, does that now mean everyone else needs a clearance? People coming into my office are certainly vulnerable.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I take it if they are your staff they would be volunteering their time to work at Meals on Wheels, and I think we would have to, as they are employees of the state government, take that on notice, and you would have to get Treasury and Finance approval, or understanding about that role.

The CHAIR: Regrettably, we have to consider that the last question; I know we would all like to keep going. I thank the minister and her advisers for their assistance and declare the examination of the proposed payments completed. I lay before the committee the draft report for committee A.

Mr HUGHES: I move:

That the draft report be the report of the committee.

Motion carried.

At 17:59 the committee concluded.