National Advance Care Planning Week

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:13): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General inform the council about this year's National Advance Care Planning Week?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his question about National Advance Care Planning Week. It is a very good question and a very important area. National Advance Care Planning Week is marked from 17 to 23 March and is a perfect time for all South Australians to have a conversation with their loved ones and health providers to make sure people round them know what matters to them most.

National advance care planning covers many important decisions and documents that South Australians can have in place to ensure that their wishes are recorded in relation to their medical treatment and what they wish to occur, particularly following their death. In January 2025, wills and estates law in South Australia changed, with the introduction of the new Succession Act. A will is an important document for South Australians to have in place to determine what will occur with their property and many other important issues.

Most people have heard it all before, but it is important to increase awareness of two very important documents in particular: advance care directives and enduring powers of attorney. An advance care directive is a legal document through which you can record your wishes and instructions for your future health care, end of life, preferred living arrangements, and other personal matters. It can also be used to appoint a person or people to make decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself.

An enduring power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint a person or people you trust to manage some or all of your legal and financial affairs during your lifetime. This can include paying bills, buying or selling property (including real estate), managing investments, and authorising legal proceedings.

I encourage all South Australians to speak to their loved ones and take steps to make sure that these important documents are prepared. Generally, we often do not like to think of the tough decisions that will need to be made if we suddenly become incapacitated, but not knowing our wishes and preferences makes the work of those around us even more difficult. To assist this process, I encourage South Australians to contact one of the many legal practitioners who can prepare these documents, or the free Legal Helpline run by the Legal Services Commission for more information and resources.