PALM LODGE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:45): My question is again to the Minister for Health. Will the government confirm that it will close the mental health facility Palm Lodge, and when will this closure occur?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:45): Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I am happy to give the detail that the member asked. The Palm Lodge building was build in the mid-1950s as a motel in Adelaide and has been used as a mental healthcare facility since the 1970s under various models of operation and management. It is a 20-bed facility in poor condition and is no longer suitable to deliver supported accommodation services. The occupancy rate of Palm Lodge has been around 50 per cent or less over the past two years, and currently there is just one resident there.

In line with the Social Inclusion Board's recommendations, the government has developed supported accommodation, which has resulted in a significant increase in supported housing availability for people with a mental illness—in fact, I think it is 260 houses we are building in South Australia through funding provided by the commonwealth government's stimulus package for mental health consumers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Much of that will be in supported accommodation. There are 57 new supported accommodation houses being built across metropolitan Adelaide, as well as 20 new supported accommodation units that are part of the Glenside campus redevelopment. These new houses and units are being completed between May and December 2011. As I said, there are 262 social houses allocated to mental health use under the commonwealth government's Nation Building package. So that is 300-and-something extra units that are available. That will replace and add substantially to the accommodation that is inadequately provided at Palm Lodge.

Over 200 of these 262 houses have been tenanted by mental health consumers. In addition, there will be another 80 supported accommodation places available through the government's success in obtaining commonwealth subacute funding. Consumers who may have gone to Palm Lodge previously are now able to receive care in community rehabilitation centres and intermediate care centres.

Residents of the new supported accommodation will receive regular support from mental health clinicians as well as community services provided by non-government organisation support workers to help with their individual needs. The clinical and nonclinical staff of Palm Lodge will be offered similar positions in the health system or elsewhere.

In answer to the question, it is expected that Palm Lodge will close in the next two months once all the residents—and as I say there is only one left—are placed in accommodation that suits their needs. The future use of the site for other mental health services is under consideration. This is old stock. We are now moving to put people into better, purpose-built accommodation. We have done it slowly to take into account the interests of the individuals and their families, and I think it is a very good outcome for mental health in South Australia.

The SPEAKER: My statement before about comments being picked up by microphones applies to both sides of the house. The member for Morphett.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! That was not an invitation to talk.