Mount Barker Health Services

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister inform the house of the Malinauskas Labor government's response to the rapidly increasing community demand for healthcare services in Mount Barker?

The SPEAKER: Minister, I am very keen to hear this answer.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:40): Thank you, sir. I thought you might be interested in this particular answer, Mr Speaker, as I am sure the member for Playford is because the truth of the matter is that we do have a rapidly escalating population in the Mount Barker region and that we do need to provide appropriate health services for people who live in that region.

That's why I am very delighted to be part of this Malinauskas government that is delivering for people who live in the Mount Barker region. Sir, we have listened to you, we have listened to the federal member for Mayo, we have listened to Mayor Ferguson and other community leaders and to people in the Mount Barker community who have been saying to us loud and clear that we need improved hospital services in the region and that we need improved ambulance services in the region.

That's why I am delighted that in this year's state budget we have a historic commitment of a $220 million new Mount Barker hospital. Not only that, delivering what we said we would have the state election, but in fact we are bringing forward more funding of that to get work started sooner and to open up more beds and facilities for the Mount Barker community even sooner.

People will be familiar that in the election we promised that $95 million of that commitment would be provided within the forward estimates; in fact, we have now brought that forward to $127 million within the forward estimates. We want to get this work started as soon as possible. We want to start delivering improved services for people in the Mount Barker community as soon as possible.

It was great to be there recently with you, sir, and the Premier and the Treasurer to meet the staff at that Mount Barker hospital who were delighted with this news. The Premier and I met Anthea, who had been working at the hospital as a midwife for 42 years and it happened to be her retirement day, which is an incredible length of service. She was so excited at what this meant in terms of the future of birthing services and children services for the growing population.

As you know very well, sir, this is a population that has grown from a few thousand people a few decades ago to what is scheduled to be up to 50,000 people, but with the same number of just 34 hospital beds across that time. We will triple the number of hospital beds at the Mount Barker hospital to make sure there are 102 beds in the community, which not only improves services for people locally but helps to keep pressure off the city hospital system because we know that there is a low level of self-sufficiency.

Less than one in two services that people need for the Mount Barker community are able to be provided locally. They have to travel to Flinders Medical Centre or the Royal Adelaide Hospital, so the more services we can provide locally the more that keeps pressure off our health system right across the state.

This is just one element of our delivery for the people of Mount Barker. As you are aware, sir, we are also investing in ambulance services for Mount Barker. At the moment, there is only one emergency ambulance available for people in Mount Barker, and very regularly that has to be down in the city or in other communities, leaving Mount Barker significantly uncovered at times.

We will invest in two additional ambulances: one another emergency crew and one would be a regional transfer crew, as well as building a brand-new ambulance station for the growing community there for the future. This is a very exciting development. In terms of the hospital, it is also going to involve 12 mental health beds, new operating theatres, new pathology services, and we are committed to getting started straightaway.