Grievance Debate

Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:35): I rise to speak about a very important issue in my electorate of Torrens and also for South Australia: the inconsistent opening hours of the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre hydrotherapy pool.

Not only is there an increasing lack of access to the pool for user groups, but at least one significant user, Elite Swim School, which has among its clients around 100 participants with autism spectrum disorder, has had its fees increased, from around $8,500 to more than $30,000, without explanation. The director, Jayne, has been at the centre for more than 25 years, and she offers her services at a discounted rate to make it more affordable for families.

The Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre hydrotherapy swimming pool is used by the centre's inpatients, other members of the community for rehabilitation therapy, people with a disability, those on the autism spectrum and for general swimming instruction and recreation. I have had a number of residents contact my office regarding the recent ongoing temporary closures of the pool, sometimes with only a few hours' notice.

Early this week, a mother travelled with her child nearly 30 kilometres only to get to the centre and find out that, on that particular day, it had again been closed. One resident wrote about the Hampstead pool, saying:

We have used the pool for hydrotherapy and also the gym. Our doctor referred us to enable management of health conditions and to maintain optimal levels of functioning. We and others believe it is beneficial to our health and well-being. We have been advised the pool is closed for repairs.

This has been going on for a number of weeks and we are told they do not know when it will be fixed. We get notification on the day of our session or the night prior. We share the concerns of others about the prolonged closure and believe it requires investigation.

Another resident I spoke to said:

For over a month now, the hospital management have been opening and closing the pool constantly. First for the odd day, then for two weeks and now almost every other day. My kids have missed multiple lessons with no end in sight.

The small business trying to run a fantastic local community swim school is slowly being brought to its knees and it's now testing the loyalty of the users to their limits, through no fault of their own. I'm sure they are having to pay staff as closure time sometimes only occur hours before classes.

Another local resident said:

Seven members of our family have used this facility for approximately 15 years and, in that time, we have not seen such disruption and lack of direction towards a maintenance solution—not ever. For a period no less than 6 weeks, the pool has been closed for repairs and/or maintenance repeatedly, most often at short notice and for protracted periods.

It's quite clear that those who are managing this situation, and I am not referring to the pool manager, are contributing to the prolonged closure through inaction. Subsequently, this is also contributing to the frustration of the user groups and creating a flow-on effect for many others.

The letter continues:

I also shudder to think of the damage this has already done and will continue to cause the patients and the families of the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre who rely on this facility to regain health, mobility and life skills if something is not done immediately.

I have raised the issues surrounding the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre pool with the Minister for Health, and I have highlighted the importance of this issue being investigated immediately so that the facility can be promptly returned for use by members of our community at an affordable rate to those who rely on it on a regular basis.

I also want to raise today the unexpected notification to community user groups that the Strathmont pool, also a hydrotherapy pool, is to be closed in January 2019. The community was shocked by this news given the very full seven-day-a-week timetable use of the pool. There is a notice at the centre that says, 'The pool is fully booked. No extra time available.' This facility serves the local community well and has done so for many years. It is appalling that the Marshall Liberal government is moving to close down the pool without any proper consultation with the community groups that rely on it for rehabilitation therapy, to assist with sensory therapy, water safety schools and exercise, without plans to replace it.

Time expired.