Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:56): Supplementary, sir: does the government plan to sell the Repat and the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre land?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:56): Moving off the Hampstead site is something that has been talked about for a very long time. I remember my predecessor, John Hill, talking about the state government decommissioning the Hampstead site. There are issues with it, there are particular clinical—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Listen to me. There are particular clinical reasons for us continuing not to provide rehab services on the Hampstead facility site. We will obviously have to have some discussions about what happens to that site. Of more importance and more sensitivity, of course, is the Repat and what happens to that site. What I have undertaken to do, and what I will do, is have a conversation with veterans' groups and veterans about what happens to that site. I think that site has enormous potential in the aged-care and health space. We have ViTA on that site; they will continue offering services there. The Flinders University have a presence on that site and, in conjunction with ViTA, I assume that will continue.

I can give an undertaking that we will have a conversation with veterans about the future use of the Repat site and, certainly, I have given a guarantee that the important parts on that site—the memorial garden and the chapel—will be protected, regardless of what happens with regard to the future of the Repat. We will look after the chapel and we will look after the memorial garden. There are also heritage buildings on that site and, obviously, consideration needs to be given to that. While no firm decisions have been made, I will consult with veterans because I think that that site has enormous potential to continue operating in the healthcare space.