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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-06-04 Daily Xml
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Hurtle Vale Electorate Community Events

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (15:19): I wish to congratulate Kalyra Communities and Southern Montessori School on the launch of the new Australia-first co-located middle school and aged-care facility. It is an intergenerational site in the heart of Hurtle Vale, and I attended the opening on 27 May. Principal Noel Browne invited Onkaparinga Mayor, Erin Thompson, to formally open the middle school after a wonderful smoking ceremony conducted by Major Sumner. Sara Blunt, CEO of Kalyra Communities, emphasised the importance of the benefits from the intergenerational collaboration. It recognises that elderly people have a meaningful contribution to make within their community, regardless of their housing option.

The research around intergenerational learning is extremely positive, showing that shared activities such as music, art, history and cooking provide a really enriched and positive experience for the young and the young at heart. The James Brown Memorial Trust program is just part of the $20 million redevelopment of the centre, with the conversion of an existing building into a classroom and an additional two new buildings built to establish a community hub.

The Montessori curriculum includes an area called 'practical life', which is focused on experience and interactions. The residents in Kalyra will be able to opt in to the program, which aims to improve quality of life and present new opportunities. Being respectful, graceful and courteous is also part of this. Students from years 7 to 9 are at an adolescent age where there is a real emphasis on finding a place in the world.

The co-location with Kalyra is a perfect setting to experience different parts of our society. The students are looking forward to the barista training so they can work in the new cafe, and they also have plans to work with the Kalyra men's group to build a pizza oven in the coming months. It really is an exciting time for them. I look forward to catching up with all the students and residents of Kalyra over the coming months and seeing the benefits to the community.

I also ask the house to reflect on the cuts that we are seeing from the Premier and the Marshall Liberal government. The budget has not even been delivered yet, but we are seeing plans to cut, privatise and abandon some critical public services. I am horrified at what actually may be hidden in the budget papers by those opposite, given their current record. This week, we have heard about a ruthless 25 per cent cut to state-funded mental health services from 1 July, meaning that one-quarter of South Australians accessing critical mental health services may go without.

Vulnerable South Australians living with mental illness will find it very hard to access the preventative and early intervention services they desperately need. This will put additional strain on our health system and clog up already blocked EDs and hospital beds. It will also further contribute to the homelessness statistics in our state. Only two weeks ago, the Zero Project, coordinated by the Don Dunstan Foundation, confirmed that Adelaide's inner city homelessness population has skyrocketed over the past 12 months from 143 to 227.

At least 70 per cent of rough sleepers have a medical problem, at least 70 per cent have a mental health problem and 70 per cent have substance abuse problems. In fact, half the number of rough sleepers have a combination of all three comorbidities. To quote Shelter SA:

If this situation was caused by a bushfire or flood we would immediately open an emergency shelter and provide food, bedding, clothing and financial assistance, not just sit back and read it in the paper.

Ministers Wade and Lensink are cutting mental health and community services from their budgets, and our homeless population is simply going to climb.

On Sunday, overnight temperatures in Adelaide were as low as 5.9°. Last night, Monday night, they went down to 5° and lower. It is worse in the regions. On Tuesday and Wednesday night, it is forecast to be 5°, but I can bet you that it will be lower than that. Minister Lensink in the other place must initiate a Code Blue to bring rough sleepers in from the cold to protect our most vulnerable members of the community.

The minister must consider the danger that rough sleepers are being placed in during this freezing weather, particularly while South Australia is experiencing such a horrid flu season. People's lives are at risk if they are not adequately protected through the triggering of a Code Blue. We have to be agile and we have to trigger this. Governments must use what triggers they have available to them. It is not good enough to hide behind a stuck policy while people freeze to death.

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