(1)   How many (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages are there in the (i) Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA), (ii) Shellharbour LGA, (iii) Kiama LGA, and (iv) Illawarra Region.

(2)   How many people over 70 years of age are there in the (a) Wollongong LGA, (b) Shellharbour LGA, (c) Kiama LGA, and (d) Illawarra Region.

(3)   What is the ratio of (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages per 1000 people over 70 years of age for the (i) Wollongong LGA, (ii) Shellharbour LGA, (iii) Kiama LGA, and (iv) Illawarra Region.

(4)   How does the provision of (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages per 1000 people over 70 years of age for the (i) Wollongong LGA, (ii) Shellharbour LGA, (iii) Kiama LGA, and (iv) Illawarra Region compare with the Government’s target of 108 operational places for every 1,000 people over 70 years of age.

(5)   How many additional bed places would be required to meet the Government’s stated target in the (a) Wollongong LGA, (b) Shellharbour LGA, (c) Kiama LGA, and (d) Illawarra Region.

(6)   How does the Illawarra Region compare with the other Regions of NSW in the provision of (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages.

(7)   In which categories of places/packages in the Illawarra Region does provision fall below the NSW average.

(8)   How many (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages have been allocated to the (i) Wollongong LGA, (ii) Shellharbour LGA, (iii) Kiama LGA, and (iv) Illawarra Region.

(9)   How many residential places approved for the Illawarra Region have yet to become operational and where are they located.

(10)   Which organisations in the Illawarra Region applied for and received approval in the (i) Wollongong LGA, (ii) Shellharbour LGA, and Kiama LGA, in the most recent Approvals Round.

(11)   Which applications for (a) high care places, (b) low care places, and (c) community packages for the Illawarra region were not approved in the most recent Approvals Round and, in respect of each application, what was the reason for its non-approval.

(1) (a)   (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) Planning for Australian Government funded aged care is undertaken on a regional basis. The Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region includes many of the Local Government Areas referred to in the question. The number of residential high care and low care places and community care places in the Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region as at 31 December 2004 is as follows:

(2) (a)   (b) (c) and (d) The population projection of persons aged 70 years and over for the Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region from ‘Medium’ Series B Population Projections Australia 2002 to 2101 (ABS Cat. No. 3222.0 published 2 September 2003) is 41,049 as at June 2004. (3)   (a) (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) The ratio of allocated places for persons aged 70 and over for the Illawarra Region as at 31 December 2004 is as follows: 37.7 high care; 44.3 low care; 16.3 community care. (4)   (a) (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) Following the announcement of successful applicants for the 2004 Aged Care Approvals Round on 5 March 2005, the Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region has a total allocated place ratio of 110.9, made up of 40.8 high care, 51.5 low care and 18.6 (CACP and EACH) places per 1,000 people aged 70 years and over. (5)   (a) (b) (c) and (d) The Government does not set targets for individual aged care planning regions. (6)   (a) (b) and (c) Information on allocated and operational ratios for aged care planning regions as at 31 December 2004 has been provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to a question on notice from the Committee’s February 2005 hearings. As at 31 December 2004 the total allocated ratio for New South Wales was 108.9 and the total operational ratio was 100.0 for people aged 70 years and over.

(3) (a)   (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) The ratio of allocated places for persons aged 70 and over for the Illawarra Region as at 31 December 2004 is as follows: 37.7 high care; 44.3 low care; 16.3 community care. (4)   (a) (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) Following the announcement of successful applicants for the 2004 Aged Care Approvals Round on 5 March 2005, the Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region has a total allocated place ratio of 110.9, made up of 40.8 high care, 51.5 low care and 18.6 (CACP and EACH) places per 1,000 people aged 70 years and over. (5)   (a) (b) (c) and (d) The Government does not set targets for individual aged care planning regions. (6)   (a) (b) and (c) Information on allocated and operational ratios for aged care planning regions as at 31 December 2004 has been provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to a question on notice from the Committee’s February 2005 hearings. As at 31 December 2004 the total allocated ratio for New South Wales was 108.9 and the total operational ratio was 100.0 for people aged 70 years and over.

(4) (a)   (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) Following the announcement of successful applicants for the 2004 Aged Care Approvals Round on 5 March 2005, the Illawarra Aged Care Planning Region has a total allocated place ratio of 110.9, made up of 40.8 high care, 51.5 low care and 18.6 (CACP and EACH) places per 1,000 people aged 70 years and over. (5)   (a) (b) (c) and (d) The Government does not set targets for individual aged care planning regions. (6)   (a) (b) and (c) Information on allocated and operational ratios for aged care planning regions as at 31 December 2004 has been provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to a question on notice from the Committee’s February 2005 hearings. As at 31 December 2004 the total allocated ratio for New South Wales was 108.9 and the total operational ratio was 100.0 for people aged 70 years and over.

(5) (a)   (b) (c) and (d) The Government does not set targets for individual aged care planning regions. (6)   (a) (b) and (c) Information on allocated and operational ratios for aged care planning regions as at 31 December 2004 has been provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to a question on notice from the Committee’s February 2005 hearings. As at 31 December 2004 the total allocated ratio for New South Wales was 108.9 and the total operational ratio was 100.0 for people aged 70 years and over.

(6) (a)   (b) and (c) Information on allocated and operational ratios for aged care planning regions as at 31 December 2004 has been provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to a question on notice from the Committee’s February 2005 hearings. As at 31 December 2004 the total allocated ratio for New South Wales was 108.9 and the total operational ratio was 100.0 for people aged 70 years and over.

(7)   See answer for question 6. (8)   (a) (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) In the 2005 Aged Care Approvals Round there are 300 residential care and 175 community care places (including 25 Extended Aged Care At Home Packages) available for allocation in the Illawarra region.

(8) (a)   (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) In the 2005 Aged Care Approvals Round there are 300 residential care and 175 community care places (including 25 Extended Aged Care At Home Packages) available for allocation in the Illawarra region.

(9)   There are currently 1,055 approved residential aged care places in the Illawarra region that have yet to become operational, 515 of which were allocated in March 2005. I note that over 70 per cent of the delays in bringing provisionally allocated aged care places into operation has been due to the time it takes to receive state and local government planning and land use approvals.

(10)   (i) (ii) The providers that were successful in receiving places are listed at the following web site: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/Publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-acar2004-index.htm

(11)   (a) (b) (c) It would not be appropriate to release information in relation to unsuccessful applicants in the 2004 Aged Care Approvals Round because applicants submit their applications on a competitive and confidential basis.