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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-13 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

ARCADIA SUPPORTED RESIDENTIAL FACILITY

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:09): A short time ago I asked a question in this house regarding the Arcadia supported residential facility in Port Elliot and its impending closure. This impending closure is causing a large degree of concern for the residents, their families, and the people of Port Elliot. The residents of that facility are known and trusted in Port Elliot and are part of the community—indeed, I am informed that one of the residents has been there for 29 years. It is the only home he has, and it is very sad that he will have to move out. The minister, in her answer, referred to the fact that they were private facilities making a profit. Yes, indeed, they are, and I do not know why anyone would have a problem with that. We hear the Rann Labor government regularly talking about the profits made by private companies and encouraging them in South Australia.

The issue in this case is that I am informed of the likelihood that some 350 beds will disappear in supported residential facilities in South Australia within the next two years, with the impending closure of other facilities, such as Arcadia at Port Elliot. I am further informed that the organisation has had communication with the Public Trustee and the Public Advocate. They have been attempting to get a meeting with the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse for three weeks without any action. I note that the minister said that they are meeting with her at 4 o'clock this afternoon. I am pleased that they are, because we face an enormous crisis in South Australia, not only with the loss of Arcadia but also with the potential loss of another 350 beds.

These places are fine facilities, whether they be government, private or whatever. It is ensured that people get their medication and that they get three meals a day, plus morning and afternoon tea and various other things. The people who need these facilities are very fortunate that they are well cared for in the state of South Australia. That is not the issue when they are in there; the issue is the potential closure, and I mentioned earlier the closure of Arcadia at Port Elliot.

We have another facility on the South Coast at Victor Harbor. It is on Victoria Street just near my office and also houses a number of people. The residents are happy with the way they are treated there, and they are looked after by another organisation, which I understand is a combination, although I do not have the fine details. There will be a problem for these 22 people as there are not the facilities on the South Coast, and I am sure that the minister is aware of that. Earlier on, my question specifically asked where they would go. I am concerned for them.

The sister of one person who has been there for a long time contacted me at the weekend expressing her horror that it will close and asking what would happen to her brother. The rumour mill in Port Elliot has it that the government is closing the facility. I have actually said that that is not correct and that the government is not closing the facility but that it is closing because of the lack of government subsidy to the operator, which is a different thing. However, I made the point that the government is not closing the facility.

As the minister said, these places are home to many people with a mental disability or drug problems and, increasingly, a large number of people from the corrections department go into those facilities. I have been given some information on the make-up of who stays in some of these places; indeed, we are lucky that we are able to put them in such facilities.

To go back to Arcadia, although the minister has offered to give me some more information, which I appreciate, I am not satisfied where we will put these 22 residents from Arcadia. I believe that it has become a large public issue in the Alexandrina Council district in the last couple of days, and I am sure that there will be a great deal of interest in this over the next two or three weeks in the lead-up to 4 December. I am following this issue closely. It is an issue of great concern to me, and it should be an issue of concern to members of the house.

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