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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-16 Daily Xml
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BAROSSA VALLEY HEALTH FACILITY

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (14:35): Can the Minister for Health advise the house when the business case into a new health facility for the Barossa Valley will be released? An amount of $70,000 was allocated in the 2008-09 budget to undertake a business case investigation into a new health facility for the Barossa. A steering committee was formed and the business case report was completed. The business case was handed to the minister in July 2009.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:35): I am happy to take this question. In fact, I sought advice about this very matter, anticipating that the member for Schubert would ask it, but he should not make claims in his explanation which are untruthful. It has not been handed to me, Ivan, at all. I keep telling you that it has not been handed to me.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Well, I will answer that part of your question. You should not make claims which are untrue.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I have told you privately, I am telling you publicly: it has not been handed to me. I asked the other day, 'Where is this report? I want to see it.' They said that they were still working on it. When it is completed, member for Schubert, I will happily brief you and make it available, but I have yet to see it.

I know that the member for Schubert wants to see two hospitals in his electorate closed. It is interesting how we have debates about whether or not hospitals should close. The member for Schubert actually wants to close two hospitals: the Angaston Hospital, which is a very important hospital to me because my wife was born there, and the Tanunda Hospital. Both those hospitals the member for Schubert wants to close down and build a brand new hospital.

They do not want to build a brand-new hospital in Adelaide. They want to keep a pile of rotting buildings in place in Adelaide, but in the country they want to close down two hospitals and build a brand-new hospital in a new location, away from where the existing hospital—

The Hon. M.D. Rann: On a greenfields site?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: On a greenfields site, next to other facilities, but away from the other sites where the current hospitals are and have one hospital rather than two. That is a very sensible thing; I agree with it. I did note the excitement of the honourable member when the Independents formed an alliance with the new federal government and there is a large sum of money for regional infrastructure. He was the first person in Australia to put up his hand, and I thought, 'Good on you', and I hope that there is some there that we can spend wisely in South Australia.

It does make sense, and I agree with him. One of the hospitals, in particular, is pretty run down, and it does make sense to combine the resources and have a more rational approach. It will probably save money in operating overheads and the like and provide a better service for that local community, just as it will in the case of the RAH being closed down and a new hospital being created.

I am happy to see this work produced. I do not have a budget line for it, as the honourable member would understand, but I am sure that at some stage in the future it will go ahead. I am not deliberately holding up the release of the report. I can assure the honourable member and the house that I have not got the report despite what the honourable member keeps saying and believes. It is still within the department, they are still working on it, and, when it is completed, I will do what I have said I will do, which is make it available.

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