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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-12-05 Daily Xml
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St John Ambulance Anniversary

Mr DULUK (Waite) (12:18): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises the 135th anniversary of the establishment in Australia of St John Ambulance;

(b) acknowledges the significant contribution that St John Ambulance has made and continues to make in support of the health and safety of every South Australian through the delivery of life-saving first aid services;

(c) acknowledges the invaluable contribution of St John Ambulance's highly skilled and qualified volunteers who dedicate their time to delivering emergency first aid and community care services;

(d) acknowledges the important role St John Ambulance plays in strengthening emergency preparedness, response and recovery across the state, including through its ongoing support of the State Emergency Management Plan; and

(e) acknowledges the crucial first aid training St John Ambulance delivers, including through its First Aid in Schools program.

This year marks 135 years since the commencement of St John Ambulance in Australia. I am honoured to be able to move and recognise this motion on behalf of this side of the house and to acknowledge the important contribution of St John Ambulance Australia.

St John is a self-funding not-for-profit organisation supporting the health and wellbeing of people all around Australia. It is Australia's leading provider of first aid services, training and equipment, and with 135 years of experience it is well known and trusted. It is probably one the most recognised volunteer organisations in Australia. I want to acknowledge each and every person who makes up the St John family, as they provide vital care and a wonderful service to so many within the community and dedicate their time to delivering emergency first aid and community care services.

In particular, I want to acknowledge the Chief Executive Officer of St John SA, Mr Michael Cornish, and Chair of the Board of St John Ambulance Australia SA, Ms Karen Limb, who are both in the gallery today. I want to mention His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, who is the Deputy Prior of St John Ambulance Australia SA and Knight of the Order of St John, even though His Excellency cannot be with us here today. These individuals represent St John Ambulance in our state, and they know the importance of the organisation to our community.

In 2017-18, St John SA attended more than 2,300 public events, treated more than 18,000 patients and contributed nearly 80,000 hours of service to first aid events. Today, as we celebrate International Volunteer Day, it is really important to acknowledge those 80,000 hours of service to first aid events. We cannot actually quantify the dollar value of that importance. These volunteers can often be seen at local events around the state, ready to support anyone who requires assistance. The Mitcham division of St John Ambulance was at the City of Mitcham carols at Kingswood Oval last Sunday, and they were doing fantastic work in my community.

The volunteers can be called upon under trying circumstances, but continue to do their job with integrity, respect, dedication and compassion. We all attend many events in our local electorates and throughout the community, and I am sure many of my colleagues have seen the important work of St John volunteers. I have no doubt that, with a really big event starting in the tomorrow (the Test match) the patience of many St John volunteers will be on show over the next couple of days. St John's contribution is immeasurable. The organisation has truly made an incredible contribution to the wellbeing of many South Australians.

While you might see St John volunteers at local community events, they also teach first aid—something I encourage everyone to learn—and provide first-aid kits. They provide community care services for elderly people and have a focus on young people with their national youth development program. Their services are not limited to Australia; they are also across the world. The organisation also funds and supports ophthalmic services at the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and in East Timor. The international head of St John is of course Her Majesty The Queen, as our Sovereign.

Young people are a really important part of St John Ambulance. St John have a fantastic cadet program, which allows youths to learn important life-saving first aid skills, along with essential life skills including teamwork, communication and organisation. Being part of such a worthwhile program allows young people to build their confidence and self worth. Skills are developed through different programs and, as young people grow, they can begin hands-on practice in first aid.

I know so many young people who joined St John as cadets and have gone on to pursue careers in nursing—as I know the member for Hurtle Vale has done—and medicine, and as paramedics and ambulance officers. The St John cadets program and its involvement with young people is very important. I know St John volunteers are always present at schoolies and they play a very important role. I have two St John Ambulance divisions in my community: Blackwood and Mitcham-Colonel Light Gardens. This Friday night at the Blackwood Christmas Pageant the Blackwood division will be providing fantastic community support, as well as marching in the pageant with their float.

On Monday night, I had the privilege to attend the Mitcham-Colonel Light Gardens cadet division award evening at Mitcham Reserve. It was fantastic to see many cadets learning the lifelong skills of first aid, teamwork and leadership. I congratulate all the award winners who received their awards and badges. It reminded me of my time in St John cadets. Believe it or not, for many years, I was a member of the Unley cadet division.

The Hon. A. Piccolo interjecting:

Mr DULUK: I was in uniform, member for Light. I made this remark on Monday night when I was talking to the cadet leaders and those involved in the corporal and sergeant courses of St John. The skills that are being imparted to young people today are certainly the skills that were imparted to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing the leadership course with St John Ambulance. I have no doubt that organisation and my experience there played some small role in helping me get here today, member for Light. I hope that I never have to put my first aid skills to saving your life, member for Light, because I do not know how it would go. For me, in some small way, I know that organisation exposed me to a lot of skills, teamwork and leadership that are so important.

Another important part that St John plays in my community is in the ANZAC Youth Vigil. Together with the Scouts, CFS and Girl Guides, my local St John cadets participate, not only from the first aid point of view but also in the civic volunteer life of our communities, which is important. By volunteering with St John, you can make a positive impact in your community. You can learn new skills, build strong relationships and work with emergency services to make a real contribution. When you volunteer with St John, you are part of a welcoming team that has the potential to change many lives. Every call-out is a new experience and potentially you can play a role in saving somebody's life. It is a very important organisation with a very proud history, not just in Adelaide but across the state.

One of the other programs the organisation looks after is its community care program with a special focus on supporting the elderly in our community. The program enables the elderly to live healthy, more fulfilling lives by participating in a range of activities. Volunteers assist older people in many ways in helping them to get to appointments and outings.

Of course, there is the First Aid in Schools program which is vitally important. St John SA launched its First Aid in Schools program as recently as 2013, and over 50,000 primary school children have been trained in crucial life-saving skills. A qualified St John trainer comes to a school to deliver a first aid course tailored for young kids. St John Ambulance Australia believes that every child in Australia should have access to vital first aid knowledge which is important.

Of course, there is the broader role that the organisation plays as part of the State Emergency Management Plan. The organisation and its volunteers are there during emergencies such as bushfires, storms and floods. As part of the State Emergency Management Plan, St John SA is integral to the functional service group, being ambulance and first aid. They are volunteers, and not just St John volunteers but all volunteers are ready to respond and work alongside emergency services during extreme events.

In closing, I thank St John Ambulance for the role it has played in South Australia for over 135 years, and over that time its role has changed. Many years ago St John members worked alongside the ambulance service, going out to day-to-day incidents on the road. In country areas, many ambulance stations are still manned by volunteers. Being that first point of call in first aid is important. Its proud history stretches to theatres of war, as it has provided stretcher services and the like.

Today, the modern St John is a first-class institution that provides a vital service for the South Australian community, one that goes along in its daily work providing its services. We call upon their services when we need them for a public event. They complement so much that we do in society, especially in the public sphere. At every Royal Show there are always plenty of St John cadets and adults volunteering their time. As a former member, I would like to thank them for their service and congratulate them on celebrating 135 years of service.

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (12:30): I would like to rise today to commend the motion of the member for Waite. St John Ambulance is in its 135th year. It must have been from some pre-life experience that I remember the 100th anniversary. As a young person, I joined St John Ambulance cadets and made so many friends. I made lifetime friends from that experience. That also exposed me to some really fantastic leaders, some of whom I would like to thank for the leadership they showed me and the guidance they gave me through my teenage years.

As a member of parliament, I have knocked on doors and reconnected with some of them in recent years. One is Sheila Hayes, who was the most loving and caring woman to all of us at the Noarlunga cadet unit. Sheila used to tell us wonderful stories about her growing up. I understand that when she was younger she was very close to Roger Moore, and we were all very jealous.

Katie Wye also took us under her wing and helped us develop skills for caring and nursing. A number of us, who went through St John cadets together, became nurses, and another became an anaesthetist. We were led down that path by Katie Wye, a wonderful leader. Jenny and Peter Croft live very close to my house, and I have reconnected with them. They are a wonderful couple who have shown enduring leadership for many decades in St John Ambulance. In fact, Jenny's grandson has also been an employee of the member for Kaurna. They continue to be very active in the community, particularly in our local church.

I would also like to thank Lyn and Keith Dansie, who were involved in St John's in the late fifties and early sixties, and their children. They were involved in St John cadets when I was younger, and we spent many hours together developing our skills as cadets. I think that tells a story about what St John's can do for younger people and still does. I have been involved in judging competitions and such in recent times, and the feeling is the same, particularly with the casualty simulation competitions and first-aid. Recently, I got wrapped up really awkwardly in bandages and had a great time.

Some of the highlights that I remember very fondly include the 100th year at the Angaston camp, an annual jaunt to Angaston on the train. I understand it does not happen anymore, but it was great fun and we did lots of things. During the 100th celebration, I was either Miss Angaston or I won the best hat. I got them at some point, but I cannot remember which one. Great fun was had and lots of long-term friendships were made. We continue to be friends now in our professional lives.

So thank you for that leadership of young people but, broadly, thank you for the hard work that has happened in the evolution of the paramedic, going from the full volunteer brigade right through to now when, I believe, only a few days ago paramedics became part of a national registration process under AHPRA enabling paramedics to register, travel across borders and have their qualifications recognised. Having worked in the retrieval health service, I can attest to the incredible knowledge and skill of the now professional paramedics, many of whom started their lives as cadets in St John.

The comfort that rural brigades and their volunteers give when coming into an accident scene as a retrieval flight worker through MedSTAR or, in past times, the intensive care unit, is second to none. You know that there is a very well-educated, caring and dynamic team of volunteers down there doing their very best, usually for someone they know, be it on a farm or on a rural road. Thank you for the work that St John has done for 135 years. Like I said, I remember a century of St John from my pre-birth experience! Thank you very much for everything you do now and I look forward to continuing to work in this house to support St John.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (12:36): I rise with great pleasure to support this motion to recognise the work of St John Ambulance on the 135th anniversary of its establishment in Australia. St John Ambulance is a globally respected organisation that has been involved in every natural disaster in Australia over the last 135 years. Whilst their presence is a stand-out at our local events in the Narungga electorate, regularly assisting at events such as Kernewek Lowender, Cavalcade of Cars and YP field days, as well as being at a number of sporting events and concerts—in fact, anywhere a large crowd gathers—the largest recent assembly of St John personnel was their invaluable assistance during the 2015 Pinery fire.

This was the largest disaster that has faced the people of the Narungga electorate in recent years. It claimed two lives; hospitalised 16 people, five with critical injuries; burnt 82,600 hectares; destroyed 97 homes and damaged a further 49; destroyed 546 sheds and outbuildings, and 483 vehicles; 18,000 sheep were confirmed lost; 600 other stock lost; 54,000 poultry lost; and $30 million of crop, hay and straw were burned. To give an idea of the scale of the event, the fire started at Pinery, 70 kilometres north of Adelaide, and rapidly spread to Mallala, Wasleys, Roseworthy, Freeling, Tarlee, Hamley Bridge, Daveyston, Greenock and Kapunda.

Appliances came quickly and then incident management teams. The state emergency centre was activated, command centres were set up, strike teams and first aid posts were activated and, due to the support of and involvement in the State Emergency Management Plan, in came St John Ambulance personnel. There were 88 volunteers on duty, who donated 775 hours of assistance, including 28 clinical treatments and 122 non-clinical presentations.

Apart from helping on the ground, they launched an appeal in partnership with Bendigo Bank, which ultimately raised $85,000 for the fire-affected community. The funds were used in partnership with St John Ambulance toward the following projects: to affix fire awareness signage on major arterial roads in the region; to provide six defibrillator units for CFS groups in the region; two St John firstaid training sessions, which included mental health first aid training; events in the region, including two women's resilience events; and a number of other things.

The St John Ambulance motto is: For the Service of Mankind, and the charity organisation dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger has certainly lived up to its motto throughout its 135 years in this country. There are 32 divisions of St John Ambulance in South Australia, including two in the Narungga electorate at Balaklava and Mallala. In addition to the many hundreds of South Australia's major and local community events attended by St John Ambulance personnel every year, a landmark project was commenced in December 2017 that is deserving of special mention.

The Every Heartbeat Matters campaign this past year saw the first 104 of over 300 publicly accessible automated external defibrillators deployed across regional South Australia by 30 June 2018. This project is set to continue over the next two years, aligned with the St John Ambulance mission to build more resilient communities. I am pleased to advise that defibrillators have already been rolled out on Yorke Peninsula as well as across the Hills, the Barossa, the South-East and South Coast, and Kangaroo Island.

With statistics showing that only one in 10 people survives a cardiac arrest outside of hospital, the Every Heartbeat Matters campaign aims to markedly improve the outcomes of cardiac arrest. This is particularly important in regional areas, where access to emergency medical attention can be limited by the tyranny of distance.

Aside from its volunteer hours at events and disaster incidents, St John Ambulance is renowned nationwide for its excellent delivery of valuable first aid training. Its provision of first-aid kits and merchandise is well appreciated by a number of different community groups, and its youth engagement programs resonate strongly with those who attend, leaving a lasting impression on the importance of first aid and safety.

In the last financial year this charitable, non-profit organisation attended 2,324 events and emergencies, treated 18,931 patients, attended 533 community care clients and trained 8,197 schoolchildren in first aid. This is a tremendous effort. Its education and public training programs cater not just for children; they also offer adult instruction certification courses in workplace first aid, advanced resuscitation, advanced first aid, automated external defibrillation, remote first aid and occupational first aid. Indeed, they issued almost 49,000 public training certificates in 2017-18. The same year they sold over $2 million worth of first-aid kits and equipment for SA homes, workplaces and cars.

This important motion provides a good opportunity to thank the 677 St John event health service volunteers in this state, along with the 507 cadets and juniors, the 462 community care volunteers, the 112 staff, and the 30 historical society volunteers for the work they do and the difference they make to the lives of South Australians. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteer ambulance operators in the electorate of Narungga. There are a number up and down the leg who do an outstanding job in what is, I imagine, an often intimidating task in testing and trying circumstances. I cannot thank those volunteers enough.

I know it is difficult at times to attract new volunteers, and I would also like to extend a thankyou to those people who work tirelessly to recruit new volunteers to the cause. It must be a difficult balance to provide training thorough enough to ensure cadets or new volunteers are capable when they arrive at an emergency but that is also not too onerous that it deters potential recruits from joining the service.

I congratulate all those who volunteer across Yorke Peninsula and provide an ambulance service where there is a need. I would also like to commend all who commit to the extensive training necessary to be involved in St John Ambulance, who give up treasured time away from home, workplace and family to assist people in need at the height of disasters such as the Pinery fire, and for the event health services and community care programs they deliver. This state would be a poorer place without you. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (12:43): It is a pleasure to rise to support the motion moved by the member for Davenport in relation to St John Ambulance and the role it plays—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr PICTON: Sorry; Waite now. He keeps changing. I thought it was Fisher at some stage.

Mr Pederick: He's held more seats than most.

Mr PICTON: That's right, more seats. Maybe one day more parties—

Mr Pederick: Anything government, it's great.

Mr PICTON: Excellent. Well, I congratulate the member for Waite on moving this motion and thank him for bringing to our attention the 135th anniversary of St John Ambulance Australia, particularly its role in South Australia. It has had a very rich history in terms of providing health care, particularly emergency health care, to the people of South Australia and, as the shadow health minister, I am certainly able to add the opposition's support for this motion.

Established in 1883, St John Ambulance is the leading supplier of first aid services and training in Australia. I think we would all be familiar, from our own electorates, with the work that St John volunteers do in our communities. It is a great opportunity for young people to get training and experience and leadership development as part of a St John first aid program. In fact, I understand that some 4,000 people are part of the national youth development program in St John. There are 16,000 St John volunteers who deliver 1.2 million hours of service, treating 100,000 people every year. This is, of course, at various public events, where we will always see St John volunteers helping out, but also, as has been mentioned, in terms of national disaster relief efforts, which is very important as well.

Since I took the shadow health portfolio, I have been lucky enough to attend a number of St John events, having previously exclusively attended those in my own electorate where I am most familiar with the Noarlunga unit of St John who play an excellent role in the southern suburbs, However, I have also now been to a number of statewide events. In June, I attended the St John Ambulance annual Investiture Ceremony at Government House and, on 20 October, I also attended the St John annual awards day ceremony on the grounds of Government House.

Both opportunities were excellent in the sense that we were able to honour those people who have dedicated so much of their lives to helping the community through St John, some of whom had done so for many, many decades. There are a number of very significant traditions associated with St John that I was not aware of until this year, including that they wear quite impressive cloaks at the ceremonies, including the Governor, who has his role.

Mr Duluk: You should join so you can get one.

Mr PICTON: That is right. I think you not only have to join, member for Waite, but you have to have dedicated a lot of your life to get one of these. It is a very high level once you get to the Order of St John to wear one. At the awards day ceremony in October, I was sitting in the front row, as you tend to do as an MP at these things, and looking around and thinking that the government had not sent anybody to be part of this. There was no government representative, which I note has happened at a fair few things I have been to since the election. However, at this event, I was surprised to see, coming out in the official party, the Hon. Andrew McLachlan in his St John cloak, given that he was a former CEO of the organisation. He was there in an official capacity and no doubt representing the government as well. It was good to see that he popped in to watch a bit of this debate in the chamber today. I am sure he is still a big supporter of St John.

It is a very important role that they have. Of course, St John used to provide all the ambulance services in South Australia and, gradually, over time that has transitioned to be a government role through the SA Ambulance Service. A great number of people got their start working in our health services through St John. I know that a number of people in our ambulance service used to have roles in St John, and it is still providing that training today.

Through all the stories that we heard at the annual awards day, we know how vital these services can be in saving a life. A number of awards were given for people who had saved lives through either their St John training or the skills that they had learnt through attending a St John course. This included people who had had heart attacks at events and people who had passed out and were saved through CPR provided by St John.

St John also now provides a great service in trying to extend the reach of defibrillators. We know that defibrillators can save lives. We know that it is important to make sure there are more of them in community centres, in shopping centres, at sporting clubs and in schools, all locations where people assemble and where there is the potential that somebody might have a heart attack and might need a defibrillator to save their life. I thank St John for that work as well.

I look forward to continuing involvement on behalf of the opposition in Health in supporting St John. I thank Michael Cornish, the CEO of St John—who I note did not get a cloak at any of these things, but I hope one day that will be available to him—for being here in the chamber today. He has taken on the CEO role with relish since he has taken on that responsibility, supporting the work that volunteers do. I particularly thank all the people who put up their hands to be volunteers, going out and helping the community by making sure that they have great training and are available to save our lives. Thank you very much to all of them.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (12:49): I thank the member for Kaurna and the member for Narungga for their contributions and the member for Hurtle Vale, who reminded me that I was a Mr Angaston in my day as well. I put on the record my thanks to Mrs Raelene Denham, Margaret and Bob Nunn and Gloria Curtis, who were very much involved in my time at St John. I will finish with the wonderful Cadet Code of Chivalry, which I was reminded of when I went to the division on Monday night:

I promise,

To serve my God,

To be loyal to the Sovereign and to my Officers,

To observe the mottoes of the Order, which are:

Pro Fide—for the faith; and

Pro Utilitate Hominum—for the service of mankind,

To be thorough in work and play,

To be truthful and just in all things,

To be cheerful and prompt in all I do,

To help the suffering and the needy,

To be kind to all animals.

With that, I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.

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