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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-03-25 Daily Xml
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Community Resilience

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:29): I take this opportunity to reflect on the importance of the strength of community, particularly the strength of our regional communities, and the importance of doing all we can in the context of a crisis like this to help our regional communities to be as strong as they can possibly be. In doing so, we invest in supporting health and wellbeing in our regions.

We heard the Premier just now refer to the unhappy news that he had to convey to the RSL, regarding the closure of the RSLs, coming at this particularly unfortunate time close to ANZAC Day. I reflected immediately on the proactive steps that have been taken at Macclesfield by President Dennis Oldenhove. Knowing that the ANZAC Day service, which is such a special part of commemorations held in the evening on the main street at Macclesfield, would have to cancel, he immediately was on the front foot saying, 'Right. How can we get behind our veterans in other ways? How can we make sure that we support our community in other ways?' He has provided such great leadership in adapting so as to continue to build the strength of his local community and to ensure that its wellbeing is bolstered.

I bring to the forefront the need to focus on health and wellbeing investment, particularly so at a time like this. We know that the South Australian government has been first off the mark with this extraordinarily enormous stimulus spend of $350 million. We know that $15 million of that will be directed to the bringing forward of a rapid maintenance program for regional hospitals. It is hugely important, but it is not all about the money. It is about what it drives in terms of community confidence and the ability of the community to say, 'We are responsible for the strength of the fabric in our local area.'

We know that the government planned to spend, prior to and in the first budget of the new Marshall Liberal government, a generationally significant amount on renewing and expanding aged-care facilities at Strathalbyn, and it is relevant now more than ever. I want to highlight in that respect that, yes, it is a significant spend of money. Yes, it is a necessary investment in our regional health infrastructure. But all the more importantly so, it is backing and supporting the community's initiatives to establish a means by which those in need, those elderly people in the Strathalbyn community, can continue to interact with each other and continue to have a maxim of wellbeing.

In that respect, I highlight the very important work of the op shop at Strath, led by Neil Hissey and his team of dedicated volunteers at the op shop. I have made it clear to them at all times that they and the community they serve are very much at the centre of all that we do with our money investments in delivering improvements. Strength of community is so important at this time. We know that the health investments in the regions are significant and they are widespread.

As part of strengthening the health workforce, we know that they have committed $20 million to doing that, there have been investments in the rural ambulance workforce, the digital telehealth network and the SA Ambulance Service, to name a few. We have $200 million coming to country hospitals. I applaud it and look forward to being part of that implementation.

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