Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Mount Gambier

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:53): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to Mount Gambier.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Last week I, together with a number of my colleagues, spent some time in our famed South-East, predominantly in picturesque Mount Gambier, on official parliamentary business. While there I met with a number of people desperate to have a stand-alone drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit established in Mount Gambier.

One brave woman I met with, a reforming drug addict trying to get her life back on track, said she was completely abandoned by Mount Gambier hospital staff and left to fend for herself earlier this year when she presented to the hospital one night in a drug-induced state, desperately seeking their help. I am advised this woman was abandoned purely because she had presented with an apparent drug problem and not a mental health problem.

This was on the back of the city once having the unenviable label, as I mentioned before, of being Australia's ice capital and that the city hosted the federal government's National Ice Taskforce community meeting in 2015. We know that last year the federal government announced that Mount Gambier, for reasons not clearly stated, wasn't eligible for direct funding from a $720 million over four years program aimed at reducing the impact of drug and alcohol misuse on individuals, families and communities by boosting local drug and alcohol services.

The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, announced a $20 million funding package for drug and alcohol treatment across the entire state, which will provide grants of up to $2.5 million to substance abuse services in regions considered in greater need of services. My questions to the minister are:

1. What is the state government doing to ensure a much-needed stand-alone drug and alcohol rehab unit is established in Mount Gambier as soon as possible?

2. Has the minister had any discussions with his federal counterpart prior to or following the announcement to negotiate any future funding that would guarantee the establishment of such a facility?

3. Does the minister agree that Mount Gambier needs such a facility?

4. Given the widespread economic, social and health impacts of ice addiction to a community, does the minister acknowledge such a facility would lead to cost savings to the broader Mount Gambier community?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for her question and acknowledge her interest in the needs of the Mount Gambier community. I was fortunate to facilitate a meeting for her with health personnel in Mount Gambier. The Morrison Liberal government investment in drug and alcohol services across South Australia was greatly welcomed. I acknowledge the role that some federal colleagues played in facilitating that investment. After all, it was a commonwealth investment. It was up to them as to where they distributed it. My understanding is that there was engagement with state officers in that process.

In terms of where we spend limited resources, it always will be a challenge about balancing the need and responding to emerging trends. We have seen drugs such as ice having a more significant impact in country South Australia and, particularly as supply waxes and wanes, those impacts can increase and decrease. The honourable member talked about the challenge of dealing with health, mental health and substance abuse issues in the hospital, in the health context. Certainly, when I have been in Mount Gambier, I have met with emergency department clinicians who have talked about the challenges of providing services to that group.

It is an expectation that, as people present at the emergency department and at our health services, they are dealt with in a holistic way in terms of all of their needs. In terms of shortfall of services versus demand, I will certainly take on notice that detail for the honourable member and bring that back.