House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-11-17 Daily Xml

Contents

South Road Upgrade

864 Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15 October 2021). With regard to South Road upgrade land acquisitions and mental health impacts:

(a) What mental health services are available to people who are having their homes acquired?

(b) Why must a person contact the DIT official managing the acquisition of their property to request access to 'confidential' counselling sessions?

(c) Can the minister concede that a counselling service is not confidential if an affected landowner needs to identify themselves to DIT to gain access to such services?

(d) Has a psychology provider been identified? Are they currently providing services? How many people have they assisted so far?

(e) What is the name of the government's chosen psychology provider and what are their contact details?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing): I have been advised:

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) appreciates that land acquisition can be distressing and tries to provide as much assistance and support to those impacted by land acquisition as is reasonably possible. In this respect, although not governed by the Land Acquisition Act 1969, DIT will pay for up to five confidential counselling sessions where such assistance would be helpful.

DIT staff discuss this service with impacted owners during confidential land acquisition meetings and the Land Acquisition Fact Sheet provided to all impacted property owners refers to this service.

Where an owner or tenant requests additional information regarding this service or where a case manager considers it appropriate to reiterate the availability of the service, DIT will provide the relevant contact details. Offering the counselling service is a sensitive topic and parties react in different ways, therefore case managers carefully and respectfully manage the process on a case-by-case basis.