Parliamentary Committees

Legislative Review Committee: Report on House of Assembly Petition No. 50 of 55/1 Western Hospital at Henley Beach

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (16:19): I move:

That the report of the committee on House of Assembly petition No. 50 of 55/1, entitled 'Western Hospital at Henley Beach', be noted.

The Western Hospital at Henley Beach petition was signed by 11,134 residents of South Australia and tabled in the House of Assembly on 7 March 2024 by the member for Colton. In evidence before the committee, the member for Colton advised that subsequent to the petition being tabled additional community members have signed the petition, bringing the total number of signatures to well above 16,000. This number demonstrates the significance of the Western Hospital to South Australians—and, just for the record, I note that it is where I was born.

The petition was referred to the Legislative Review Committee pursuant to section 16B of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991. Section 12(ba) of that act requires the committee to inquire into, consider and report to parliament on any eligible petition referred to it. The Western Hospital petition requested that the House of Assembly:

…urge the Government to ensure the future of the Western Hospital at Henley Beach, and in particular, ensure that the land on which the hospital sits remains zoned for health care services into the future.

I am advised that the petition arose in response to the Western Hospital being placed into voluntary administration on 29 January 2024. The member for Colton advised the committee that the Western Hospital offers GP, cardiovascular, oncology, specialist, radiology, elective surgery and other important health services. The member for Colton advised that these services support residents of the western suburbs as well as other regions across South Australia. He emphasised that in providing these services the Western Hospital has also supported and eased pressure on the public health system.

The committee heard evidence on 10 April this year from the member for Colton, as well as Ms Colleen Billows OAM, who is an advocate for the Western Hospital, and Mr Angelo Piovesan, who is the Chairman of The Friends of Western Hospital Association Incorporated. This evidence supported the petitioners' claims that the Western Hospital is important to the community as well as to the public health system. The witnesses agreed that the government and relevant ministers are best placed to determine the most appropriate way of retaining the site for healthcare services into the future.

As a result of the evidence heard, the committee has made the following two recommendations: one, that the Minister for Planning receive the report and consider the petitioners' request that the minister ensure the future of the Western Hospital and, in particular, ensure that the land on which the Western Hospital sits remains zoned for healthcare services into the future; and, two, that the Minister for Health and Wellbeing receive this report and consider the impact on South Australia's healthcare system should the land on which the Western Hospital sits not remain zoned for healthcare services.

I would like to thank the other members of the Legislative Review Committee who were involved in this inquiry. In the House of Assembly they are Mr Michael Brown MP, Mr Sam Telfer MP, Mr Lee Odenwalder MP and previous committee member Mr John Fulbrook MP. In this place, I would like to thank the Hon. Connie Bonaros MLC and the Hon. Nicola Centofanti MLC. In addition, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the committee secretary, Mr Matt Balfour, and the research officer, Ms Maureen Affleck, for their assistance. I would also like to express the committee's gratitude to Mr Matt Cowdrey MP, member for Colton, for his contribution to the committee's inquiry into this petition.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. B.R. Hood.