SHINE SA

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:21): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the minister heed the calls of the 11 community organisations which are signatory to an open letter calling on the government to reverse its savage cuts to SHINE SA, and what is the minister's response to the over 400 clinicians who signed an open letter warning that these cuts would lead to an increase in STIs and unplanned pregnancies?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:21): The decision to close the two sites at Davoren Park and Noarlunga was that of SHINE and not the government of South Australia. The government considers that with greater utilisation of the Medicare Benefits Scheme funding SHINE SA should be able to operate sustainably and maintain services. I raised my concerns with SHINE SA late last year, and in that context SHINE SA has advised me that they have revised their plans and sexual health services will be continuing in 2019 in both the southern and northern suburbs, though in a different configuration.

A SHINE SA sexual health counsellor will be located in the Onkaparinga Headspace on Thursdays, commencing 21 February 2019, and at the Metro Youth Health office in Elizabeth on Fridays, commencing 1 March 2019. SA Health continues to work closely with SHINE to explore arrangements for ensuring the sexual health needs of those communities impacted by the clinic closures are met.