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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-18 Daily Xml
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APY LANDS, HEALTH

The Hon. L.R. BREUER (Giles) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister tell the house about new investment in the Closing the Gap health strategy and activities underway in the APY lands to support those most in need in our Indigenous communities?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:37): I thank the member for Giles for her question. She has significant experience and interest in Indigenous Australians who live in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, and I thank her for her interest and her advocacy in this area. The current National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes was signed in December 2008.

The signing of this agreement was an important investment in programs that contribute to longer-term targets of closing the gap in Indigenous life expectancy in a generation. It was also aimed at the goal of halving the gap in Indigenous child mortality for children under five years old within a decade. I acknowledge the contribution of my predecessor, the honourable member for Kaurna, in prioritising Indigenous health on a broader health agenda, and also the federal government's confirmation that they will continue funding for the Closing the Gap strategy.

The South Australian implementation plan under the agreement has provided $53.89 million over four years to deliver 29 programs to our Indigenous community. I am pleased to inform the house that there have been good results from carrying out many of these programs. For example, the Early Childhood Development program, which was implemented in 2012 in consultation with the Anangu community on the APY lands, has increased access and engagement to intensive parenting support services for Aboriginal families. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service program in the APY lands provides consultation and assessment of children and young people through referrals from clinics, schools, Families SA and the community via a visiting and land-based service to the APY lands.

In 2012, the program has provided approximately 700 occasions of mental health services to Aboriginal children and young people. The Aboriginal Family Birthing program has had success and is contributing to lowering mortality rates for Aboriginal children in South Australia. The Oral and Dental Health program has seen a 6 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal children and adults attending the SA Dental Service, with 14 per cent of Aboriginal preschool children attending the School Dental Service.

Because of the success of programs under the Closing the Gap strategy, the state government is committing an additional $32 million over three years from 2013-14 in programs we know have evidence of effectiveness and in areas where program delivery is most needed. We are also investing an additional $3.5 million over two years to continue and expand therapeutic services in response to problem sexual behaviour on the lands.

I think all members know there are no easy fixes available to the complex needs of our communities on the lands, given the remoteness and other issues they are confronted with every day, but I am glad that where programs have shown results this government continues to support them. Later this year I am looking forward to travelling to the APY lands to listen to the concerns of locals on the lands and see firsthand how the state government's investments are making a difference to these communities and what we can do to continue to improve health outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living here in South Australia.

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