Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Community Hospital Funding COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FUNDING The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE Legislative Council COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FUNDING The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about the Keith, Moonta and Ardrossan community hospitals. Leave granted. The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE Legislative Council The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I have with me today a flow chart from the state government's website on regional impact assessment. The diagram shows that, if a cabinet submission has an impact on regions, then, if it is minor the impact should appear as a regional impact statement subheading to the cabinet submission and, if it is a significant impact, a regional impact report must be prepared. A 'significant impact' is defined as follows: A change that will or is likely to affect an entire rural or regional community or groups of individuals living in regions or regional communities in the short term or over time. The residents of Keith tell me that at least 55 jobs are at risk from what is now the town's major employer, namely, the Keith & District Hospital. The residents identify the Rann government's razor-gang cuts to country community hospitals as the reason for those job losses. Without a hospital, they say, no emergency services in the area will be available, 18 aged-care residents will lose their home and families will leave the district. My questions therefore to the minister are: 1.	What level of regional impact assessment has occurred for the Keith community? 2.	When was it initiated? 3.	Is that process completed? 4.	Will the minister table the assessment at the earliest possible opportunity? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for Regional Development Minister for Public Sector Management Minister for the Status of Women Minister for Consumer Affairs Minister for Government Enterprises The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. The honourable member would know that those matters relating to the health policy areas are the responsibility of the health minister, and I am happy to refer those questions to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response. I did want to take this opportunity to point out that, in fact, in the 2010 state budget there were a number of initiatives for regional South Australia, particularly in relation to health. Some quite large infrastructure funds were made available for our hospital developments; one in particular was to the Berri Hospital. These were public hospitals; so these are public hospital services that are available to all members of the public. One was the Berri Hospital, and two other regional hospitals also received considerable infrastructure funding in that particular budget. Also in that budget there was $5.9 million to provide additional cancer services in country areas, which is obviously a very important service. There are also those services that indirectly relate to people's health, such as, for instance, the $5 million towards the Port Augusta Sports Hub. All those sorts of— The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE Legislative Council The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Point of order, Mr President. I am sure the people of Berri appreciate their hospital having some money spent on it, but relevance is the point of order. I asked what the minister did to try to stop the Keith Hospital from being closed. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister can choose to answer the question the way that she sees fit. The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you, Mr President. As I have said to the honourable member, his questions pertaining to particular health services are the responsibility of the health minister. I am more than happy to refer those to the Minister for Health in another place and to bring back a response. However, I was pointing out that health services are not just about our hospitals. Regional health services are not just about hospitals. To be able to maintain people's health, safety and wellbeing, which contribute to people's overall health, is a very important challenge and commitment of this government. I then proceeded to outline a large number of initiatives, particularly financial commitments that this government has made to regional South Australia, to improve the health of those members of the public living within regional areas.