FRIENDS OF THE WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AUXILIARIES DIVISION CONFERENCE

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:40): On 27 April this year I was pleased to be invited to open the Friends of the Women's and Children's Hospital Auxiliaries Division Conference for region 4, which encompasses the Barossa Valley and the Mid North. That conference was held in Gawler, and the region includes the branches at Hamley Bridge, Tarlee, Stockport, Greenock, Balaklava and districts, Mallala and Gawler, as well as the Williamstown and Barossa Valley liaison groups.

There are 45 auxiliaries in South Australia and Alice Springs, and these groups work in their communities to raise funds and to raise the hospitals' profile, particularly in country areas. In the 2007-08 financial year the auxiliaries division donated over $180,175 to the Women's and Children's Hospital. These groups also have a strong health promotion focus through the Friends Promoting Good Health program. Auxiliary liaison groups continue to fundraise in their capacity with a contact person, although annual general meetings and ordinary meetings are no longer held.

With regard to the other regions: region 1 encompasses the Adelaide suburbs, Hills and South Coast, with six auxiliary branches in that area; region 5 incorporates the Murray Mallee, where there are six branches; region 6 has five branches, taking in the Riverland region of the state; region 7, in the South-East, has two branches; region 8, in the northern area, has four branches; region 10, comprising the north-west district, also has four branches; region 11, on Eyre Peninsula, has five branches, as well as two liaison groups; region 12, taking in Yorke Peninsula, has eight branches; and region 15, in the Northern Territory, is based around Alice Springs.

In addition, there is what is known as the shops auxiliary, which was formed about 48 years ago, and 150 members of this auxiliary manage and staff the two Women's and Children's Hospital shops, which provide an essential service for patients, their families and staff. In 2007-08 the members gave 28,500 hours of service and donated a record $375,000. Further monetary value is added to the hours of service worked of $570,000.

I commend all the auxiliary volunteers. Through the State President, Kaye Steer, and the co-ordinator of the auxiliaries, Sonia Davies, I commend them for the work that has been going on in the 51 years since the auxiliaries were established. The Liberal Party has announced that it will investigate future options for the Women's and Children's Hospital following the Rann government's continued failure to allocate much needed funding for capital work at the site. Options for rebuilding the hospital at a different location, including next to the Liberals' renewed Royal Adelaide Hospital, will be explored on top of an on-site rebuild. The 2009-10 state budget delivered on 4 June was the Rann government's eighth opportunity to pour much needed capital funding into the Women's and Children's Hospital, but again the government failed to do that.

The recent and current upgrades of the hospital have been paid for by the federal government and charities such as the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation and the McGuinness McDermott Foundation, with very little coming out of state government coffers. The role of the auxiliaries in supporting the Women's and Children's Hospital should never be understated, and I wish them all the best in their future work for that facility.

Time expired.