Aboriginal Health

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation regarding Aboriginal community controlled health services.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Healthy Futures Report Card 2015, between 2012 and 2013 Aboriginal community controlled health services saw over 250,000 Aboriginal clients, who received almost 2.1 million episodes of care. Of these, 210,000 Aboriginal people were regular clients. Within Australia, I am told that of 134 Aboriginal community controlled health services, 57 per cent reported a health service gap in mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. This was the highest percentage of a recognised health service gap, with youth services, dental services, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and prevention or early detection of chronic disease also reported as having a significant gap in service provision.

Additionally, with the social and economic effects of overcrowding known, alarmingly, 2011 national census data shows that there were 115,555, or 25.4 per cent, of the total Indigenous population living in crowded households. The percentage of overcrowding increases with the remoteness of a household. The report notes also that the Indigenous infant mortality rate remains double that of non-Indigenous Australians. So, my questions of the minister are:

1. Will the minister ensure overall system reform so that adequate mental health and social and economic wellbeing services are delivered to Indigenous South Australians?

2. What cost benefits has the government identified from early intervention services for Indigenous South Australians in mental health and social and economic wellbeing?

3. With significant evidence of overcrowding, what additional housing resources could be identified and afforded, especially for Aboriginal people living in remote communities?

4. What is the minister doing to improve the infant mortality rate in this cohort?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:42): I thank the honourable member for her very important questions in a number of areas that have to do with areas where Aboriginal people face significant disadvantage and important areas that are needed to be addressed to close the gap. In relation to the first, second and fourth questions, I will refer them to the Minister for Health in another place and bring back a reply.

In relation to the third question, I will refer that to the Minister for Social Housing in another place and bring back a reply. I note that they are very serious questions—and, of course, these areas go to a whole lot of other areas in government—and that getting these things right helps with overcoming disadvantage and progressing a lot of areas. So, I thank the honourable member for her questions and will bring back those replies from other ministers.