Health Services

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister update the chamber on what this government is doing with regard to preventative health?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:06): I would like to thank the honourable member for his question. The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us for a little over a year. It has presented many challenges and we have learnt many lessons along the way as part of our rapidly evolving response. One lesson the pandemic has underlined is the importance of preventative health, with complications and death from COVID-19 frequently associated with comorbidities, including preventable conditions such as obesity.

After the McCann review, the former Labor government took millions of dollars out of preventative health programs, but the Marshall Liberal government, from opposition, recognised the importance of preventative health and made a number of clear commitments, and we are delivering on them.

One commitment was to invest in the Healthy Towns Challenge. The Healthy Towns Challenge initially committed $1 million over four years to support projects in rural and regional South Australia that promote health and wellbeing in the local community. Applications for the fourth round opened last month and will close on 26 March.

I am very much looking forward to hearing the ideas that will come from rural and regional South Australia this year, because the first three rounds have been so exciting. The previous three rounds have seen a number of innovative projects, such as a school kitchen, helping students and their families learn how to prepare nutritious meals; a bike program aimed to encourage physical recreation and develop the skills to maintain a bike; and also a partnership with a community co-op store and University SA to support increased activity and healthy eating in the community.

On their own, each of these projects receive modest levels of funding, but collectively their potential is significant. By bringing people together and helping them to embed the sort of healthy behaviours that can make a real difference to people's lives, they can have an ongoing impact on the broader community.

I know that when the Hon. Terry Stephens was the legend of the South Whyalla Football Club, organised sport was a dominant presence in country South Australia. I know that it is still very strong. In fact, I am now getting memories of the Hon. John Dawkins' illustrious sporting career. I am feeling more and more inadequate being in such a constellation of sports champions.

Pushing on, I would simply say that I would encourage all South Australian communities to visit the Healthy Towns Challenge website, to be inspired by the stories of other towns and communities across the state and decide what innovative ideas you might bring forward to be part of the future wellbeing of your community.