Welcome to the Health and Community Wellbeing Committee homepage. This committee examines health and community services in the ACT, in addition to homelessness, housing services, and domestic violence prevention.

Committee members

Chair
Deputy Chair
Member

Contact the committee

You can contact the committee by email LACommitteeHCW@parliament.act.gov.au or by calling the Committee Secretary, Ms Katie Langham, on (02) 6207 5498.

Resolution of establishment

The Assembly resolved to establish a standing committee on Education and Community Inclusion on 2 December 2020. Please click here to view the current resolution and previous amendments.

The committee is responsible for examining the following areas:

  • Health and health system
  • Justice health
  • Mental health
  • Homelessness and housing services
  • Prevention of domestic and family violence
  • Families
  • Community Services

Click on the title of an inquiry to be taken through to its dedicated sub-page. Click here to find which committee inquiries are currently open for submission.

Inquiry Date startedStatus
Inquiry into Raising Children in the ACT5 March 2024Submission open
12. Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2022–202324 October 20239 April 2024
(Completed) 
11. Inquiry into Recovery Plan for Nursing and Midwifery Workers9 August 202220 February 2024
(Completed) 
10. Inquiry into Abortion and Reproductive Choice in the ACT1 July 2022 (self-referred)18 April 2023
(Completed) 
9. Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2021-202213 October 20226 April 2023
(Completed)
8. Inquiry into Period Products and Facilities (Access) Bill 20229 August 202228 September 2022
(Completed) 
7. Inquiry into the West Belconnen Supercell Thunderstorm8 March 202221 September 2022
(Completed)
6. Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2020-2021Inquiry undertaken pursuant to clause 3 (A) of Resolution of Establishment passed by the Assembly on 2 December 2020 (and amended on 16 September 2021).31 May 2022
(Completed)
5. Review of ACT Health Programs — Children and Young People and Responses to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)23 March 20215 May 2022
(Completed)
4. Inquiry into Public Health Amendment Bill 2021 (No 2)2 December 202128 February 2022 (Completed)
3. Inquiry into ACT Budget 2021-226 October 202112 November 2021 (Completed)
2. Inquiry into Carers Recognition Bill 20216 July 202124 August 2021 (Completed)
1. Annual and Financial Reports 2019-2020; Appropriation Bill 2020-2021 and Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2020-2021Inquiries undertaken pursuant to clause 3 and 7 of Resolution of Establishment passed by the Assembly on 2 December 2020 (and amended on 11 February 2021).9 April 2021
(Completed)
Inquiry into ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug Harm Reduction Policy and Programs - Discontinued9 February 2021March 2021
(Discontinued)

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Referred Bills

All bills presented to the Assembly are referred to the relevant standing committee for consideration under Standing Order 174.

The committee must advise the Speaker of its decision to inquire into a bill within three weeks of its presentation to the Assembly, or one week after the relevant scrutiny report is tabled (whichever is later).

Where the committee inquiries into a bill, it must complete its report within three months of the bill’s presentation in the Assembly, except bills presented in the last sitting period of each year where the committee must report within four months of the bill’s presentation.

Below is a list of all bills considered by the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing during the 10th Assembly.

Referred BillDate
presented and referred		Outcome
Health (Improved Abortion Access) Amendment Bill 202410 April 2024 
Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2024 (No 2) 19 March 2024Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 26 March 2024
Domestic Violence Agencies (Information Sharing) Amendment Bill 202330 November 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 5 December 2023.
Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 202328 November 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 5 December 2023.
Mental Health Amendment Bill 202321 September 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 10 October 2023.
Children and Young People Amendment Bill 202329 August 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 18 September 2023.
Human Rights Commission Amendment Bill 202330 March 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 4 April 2023.
Variation in Sex Characteristics (Restricted Medical Treatment) Bill 202322 March 2023Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 4 April 2023.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner Bill 202221 September 2022Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 11 October 2022.
Period Products and Facilities (Access) Bill 20224 August 2022Committee resolved to undertake an inquiry 9 August 2022.
Health Legislation Amendment Bill  20224 May 2022Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 10 May 2022.
Radiation Protection Amendment Bill 202224 March 2022Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 29 March 2022.
Domestic Violence Agencies Amendment Bill 202224 March 2022Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 29 March 2022.
Public Health Amendment Bill 202110 November 2021Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 24 November 2021.
Domestic Violence Agencies Amendment Bill 2021.23 June 2021Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 6 July 2021.
Carers Recognition Bill 202123 June 2021Committee resolved to undertake an inquiry 6 July 2021, committee report released 24 August 2021.

Bill refers to Standing on Health and Community Wellbeing

Referred BillDate presented and referredOutcome
Public Health Amendment Bill 2021 (No 2)2 December 2021Committee report released 28 February 2022 and tabled 22 March 2022.
Referred Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 99A—a petition or e-petition with at least 500 signatories from residents/citizens of the Australian Capital Territory shall be referred to the relevant Assembly standing committee for consideration. In the event that the subject matter of the Petition makes it unclear which committee it should be referred to, the Speaker will determine the appropriate committee.

2021, 2022, 2023

Referred PetitionDate
Presented and referred		Outcome
Petition 042-22 and 001-23—Birth Centre in the North Side of Canberra7 February 2023The Committee considered the petition on 14 February 2023 and given the aforementioned, relevant consultative processes; the Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry.
Petition 19-22—Nursing and Midwifery Workers3 August 2022On 9 August 2022, the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing resolves to inquire and report on e-Petition 19-22 (Recovery Plan for nursing and midwifery workers), which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 3 August 2022.
Petition 34-21—Eating Disorder Position Statement30 November 2021On 7 December 2021, the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing considered the petition 34-21 (Eating Disorder Position Statement) and resolves not to undertake an inquiry.
Petitions 24-20 and 3-21—Improve and Strengthen Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services in Canberra9 February 2021

On 9 February 2021, the Committee resolved to inquire into the matters raised by the petition and to conduct that inquiry in conjunction with other matters which are relevant to the petitioners’ concerns. Inquiry is discontinued in March 2021.

DescriptionPDFWord
QToN 2 Answer - HCW - Clare Holland House staff transition to CHS data - Mr Davis PDF (109.4 KB)
Media Release - Calvary Hospital Communiqué PDF (190.1 KB)
Calvary Briefing Communiqué - July 2023 PDF (568.2 KB)

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