Western Hospital

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:45): I rise today to talk about a very important issue for my local area, the Western Hospital. I think it has become abundantly clear over the last week or so that from the local community's perspective the hospital needs to continue, not just because of its immense connection to the local community but also because of what it would mean for the broader South Australian public health system, should the hospital close. In the context of having ramping now two or three times what it was when Labor took office, the importance of this hospital has only become increasingly more over the last number of years.

We are talking about a facility that has been on this site since 1974 but in the community for much longer, when it was previously located on Seaview Road. Somewhere in the order of 350 to 400 patients go through the GP clinic every day. There are 50 or so inpatient beds, and also day oncology and other services are provided at the hospital precinct. As media commentators have said to this point, this hospital is way too big to fail for the immense role that it plays in ensuring that there is significant pressure taken off the public system. Its contribution is huge.

At this point in time, I think we have to take the Treasurer's word in terms of his assessment and Treasury's assessment of where the books are, with the hospital having gone into voluntary administration just a week ago. In terms of what we can do moving forward, I and certainly others in the community think that there is still a greater role that can be undertaken by the government in ensuring that the future of the Western Hospital is preserved.

I think there is a place for the government to provide absolute certainty, as best as possible, in terms of an assurance of the level of public day surgery or elective surgery work that can be conducted at the Western Hospital to make this as appealing an asset for purchase as possible. I also think it would be incredibly helpful to have the government come out and provide an absolute assurance that the land on which the hospital sits will not be rezoned into the future, and will be kept as land that is only for the use of private healthcare facilities or public healthcare facilities, so that we can have assurance over that into the future and whoever owns the land or the buildings—noting that is not the hospital at the moment—understands that our community's view and the state government's view is that there should be no change in use for that land moving forward.

My office has been inundated with people contacting me in terms of understanding what this looks like moving forward. There is obviously a level of uncertainty that surrounds the current situation. To that effort, and to call on the government to undertake what I have just mentioned, we have launched a petition that we think will help send a message to the government, to the voluntary administrators and also to any potential buyers showing just how much this community hospital means to us and how much the community supports this hospital.

Everybody wants to see this hospital continue so that we can see it continue to provide those important services into the future. In less than a week, we have already had well over a thousand people sign the petition. I encourage you to come into the office or to contact me via the office number on (08) 8353 1111. It has been amazing to see the number of people who have come in and picked up copies of the petition to take out to local community groups. Colleen Billows, a local community legend whose late husband, Gordon, was the inaugural chairman of the hospital and is buried at the hospital, has been stellar in getting out and continuing that effort around the community. Angelo, the chair of the Friends of Western Hospital, has likewise been incredibly helpful in providing assistance. It is genuine community grassroots people who understand that we need this hospital to continue.

While I am on my feet, I would just also like to mention that the countdown is well and truly on for the West Beach Surf Life Saving Club Pink and Blue Swim, Walk and Run this year on Saturday 10 February. We have well and truly diversified from just the swim to the walk and now to the run, so everybody can come down and participate. The event raises significant funds for both breast cancer research and prostate cancer research in South Australia, having raised more than $500,000 already over the years that it has been going.

The community have loved being involved. I have loved being involved since well before my time as the local member. To Paul Rafanelli and his team that organised the event down at the surf club, thank you for what you do. If you want to jump on and get involved, simply visit the West Beach Surf Life Saving Club website at westbeachslsc.com.au. Register and come down. We would love to see you in the water this weekend.