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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-20 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister tell the house about the South Australian government's investment in the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute?

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) (14:24): The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute was established in December 2009. The establishment of SAHMRI is a unique collaboration between the three South Australian universities and the South Australian government, made possible with the support of the commonwealth government. The South Australian government is committed to making SAHMRI the leading medical health and research institute in this state, as well as ensuring that the institute is recognised nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence.

The dividends for South Australians, both economic and in research return for the state government, are significant. According to an Access Economics report, every dollar invested in health and medical research returns on average $2.17 in health benefits. The Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia also recognised that health and medical research has great potential to improve health outcomes and the cost effectiveness of the health system. These are benefits not only to SAHMRI but also to South Australia and, indeed, the nation.

In 2009, the government was successful in receiving $200 million from the federal government to construct the SAHMRI building. This is being built alongside the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site and will accommodate up to 675 researchers. As part of the 2013-14 budget, the government committed $41.3 million in funding to support SAHMRI in attracting world-class specialty medical research groups. Transferring of research teams to SAHMRI helps the institute in growing its research capacity and to contribute to its becoming a leader in health and medical research. Some of these research groups include:

the Flinders Research Clinical Group, which conducts trials in the area of cardiology;

the Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit, which is the only group researching lysosomal storage diseases nationally and is the largest multidisciplinary group researching this topic worldwide; and

the Melissa White laboratory, which focuses on the research undertaken to understand the biology of chronic myeloid leukaemia, to develop better diagnostic and monitoring tests, and to further improve therapy and outcomes for this disease.

SAHMRI will have access to funding of approximately $17 million to research projects through the health and medical research fund. Combined with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute forms the hub of the exciting new development that is happening in the West End of Adelaide, highlighted by the announcement last weekend of $40 million for a new University of South Australia cancer research building and $60 million for the University of Adelaide medical and nursing school. These developments will mean that South Australians have access to the largest health and biomedical precinct in the Southern Hemisphere.

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