Hospitals, Environmental Impact

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:18): My question is directed to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the minister update the council on steps that the government is taking to make our public hospitals more environmentally friendly?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:18): I thank the member for his question and for his interest in the area. Hospitals are heavy consumers of non-renewable energy, and South Australian hospitals are no different. The Marshall Liberal government is committed to decreasing the carbon footprint of our hospitals, reducing the amount of non-renewable energy consumed and replacing it with renewable energy. Earlier this month, I announced that SA Health is tendering to add almost 6,000 solar panels to three of South Australia's largest public hospitals: the Flinders Medical Centre, the Lyell McEwin Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The environmental impact of the 6,000 additional panels will be significant. It is the equivalent of taking almost 500 cars off the road. Across the three sites, the panels are expected to generate an additional 1,995 kilowatts of power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,735,650 kilograms of CO₂ each year. The panels are expected to reduce our hospital power bills by more than $600,000 each year. That is taxpayers' money that can be better spent on strengthening hospital services.

In each of the three sites, the new solar arrays will be located on the top of existing or new car parks, all of which are expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. Of course, solar panels are not the only way we can make our hospitals more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, for example, is working hard to decrease the amount of waste it sends to landfill each year. SALHN has established a network-wide recycling initiative that had, as of the end of last year, diverted more than 3.1 tonnes of PVC from landfill. Instead of ending up in landfill, that amount of PVC could be turned into 20 kilometres of garden hose and over 450 play mats for children. In addition, SALHN has recycled more than 2,300 aluminium anaesthesia gas canisters that could be turned into children's bicycle frames and 1,420 cubic metres of plastic that has been used as a process engineered fuel coal substitute.

The Marshall Liberal government's commitment to more sustainable and environmentally friendly health facilities is part and parcel of our broader commitment to a strong and sustainable network of hospitals and health services. As SALHN strives to decrease the impact its services have on our environment, the Marshall Liberal government is also investing heavily to ensure that these services are meeting the growing needs of the people of the south.

The government's landmark $86 million Southern Health Expansion Plan will ease pressure on the Flinders Medical Centre emergency department and undo some of the damage of Labor's Transforming Health on services in the south, when Labor closed the Repat Hospital and downgraded services at the Noarlunga Hospital. With this government's significant health infrastructure spend in the south, not only are we—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, please finish. I would like to get to the Hon. Mr Pangallo.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: With this government's significant infrastructure spend in the south—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, desist.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —not only are we creating jobs but we are also making the public health system more accessible to Adelaide's southern communities.