KALPARRIN COMMUNITY

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation questions about the Kalparrin community's rehab centre in Murray Bridge.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I asked the minister during question time on 18 June whether the state government will be able to come to the aid of the Kalparrin community's drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility near Murray Bridge. This unique centre provides fundamental services to multiple Aboriginal communities. However, as was previously discussed in this house, the commonwealth government has decided to cease their funding, placing vulnerable members of the community at risk and cost shifting to the people of South Australia. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the minister visited the Kalparrin community rehabilitation centre?

2. If so, what were his impressions of the facility and the good work that is being done?

3. If not, will he give a commitment to visit the Kalparrin community centre as soon as possible and fight for continued federal funding?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for his important question, which of course he has asked me previously, and one of my previous answers was that this is the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Ageing in the other place.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: They can't come up with any original questions.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It's okay. It is an important question and it gives me the opportunity to put on the record what the South Australian government is doing in relation to Aboriginal health issues.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will take a few short moments—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —to detail some of those initiatives. There has been much progress in our efforts to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal peoples. One of the Close the Gap targets includes a commitment to close the life expectancy gap within a generation. Life expectancy data is not available annually. However, the proxy target of Closing the Gap rates by 2031 shows some signs of improvement. National data from the five jurisdictions with deaths data of good enough quality to report indicates that, based on long-term trends from 1998 to 2011, the gap in death rates is closing. Progress since 2006 baseline is consistent with the long-term trend, I am advised. For the five-state total, in 2011 Indigenous death rates were 1,122 deaths per 100,000 compared with the non-Indigenous rate of 588 deaths per 100,000—a gap of 535 deaths per 100,000.

The South Australian implementation plan under the National Partnership Agreement on Closing The Gap on Indigenous Health Outcomes provided a total of $53.89 million over a four-year period from 2009-10 to 2012-13 for 29 program initiatives under six priority areas: tackling smoking; primary healthcare services that can deliver; fixing the gaps and improving the patient journey; healthy transitions to adulthood; making Indigenous health everyone's business; and data collection and evaluation.

Some of the examples of outcomes achieved include the tackling smoking initiative and aims to reduce smoking rates and the consequential burden of tobacco-related diseases by delivering effective marketing campaigns and quit smoking services. The number of Indigenous participants in smoking cessation and support activities in 2012 was 746, resulting in a 233 per cent increase from 2011.

The oral and dental health program has continued to expand and key achievements in 2012 include: community dental clinics participating in the Aboriginal Liaison Program have steadily increased, with 26 community dental clinics; and a 6 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal children and adults attending the SA Dental Service. The Aboriginal Dental Scheme provided emergency services where there are no dental clinics, and visits occurred to Ceduna, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, Nganampa, Marree, Leigh Creek, Nepabunna, Pika Wiya, Yalata and Oak Valley. The focus on Aboriginal pregnant women and preschool children has seen an increase in Aboriginal preschool attending the School Dental Service, with 14 per cent of children referred being Aboriginal.

The target 'Halving the gap in mortality rates for Aboriginal children under five within a decade' I am pleased to say has seen significant progress towards halving the gap in mortality rates for Aboriginal children under five. According to progress points along the national trajectory, Australia is on track to halve the gap in child death rates by 2018. Death rates for Indigenous children aged zero to 4 significantly decreased from 252.3 deaths in 1998 to 196 deaths per 100,000 children in 2011. There was also a significant decrease for non-Indigenous children. The rate fell by an average of 5.7 deaths per 100,000 per year over this period. For non-Indigenous children the rate decreased by 1.7 deaths per 100,000 per year. The gap reduced from 139 deaths per 100,000 in 1998 to 109.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2011.

For the five-year period from 2006-10, the national peri-natal death rate for Indigenous children was 12 deaths per 1,000 births compared with 8.1 deaths per 1,000 for non-Aboriginal births, and in South Australia the Indigenous peri-natal death rate was the lowest nationally at 4.7 deaths per 1,000 births.

A key initiative in influencing mortality rates for Aboriginal children in South Australia is the Aboriginal family birthing program. This program focuses on increased access to best practice, core antenatal services for Aboriginal women, and the provision of specialised clinical education opportunities for Aboriginal workers. This program has continued to expand across country and metropolitan sites, with a steady increase in the number of births under the program between 2011 and 2012, with positive results being seen in the proportion of pregnant women attending antenatal care.

With those few words about our health response, I commend that information to the house and the honourable member. He knows that the issue he raised is the responsibility of the Minister for Health and Ageing in the other place, and if he wishes I can take on notice his question and seek a response.