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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-07-06 Daily Xml
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Mental Health Funding Cuts

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:39): I rise to speak about federal government funding cuts to mental health by not renewing National Partnership Agreements (NPAs) with the state government. I am left extremely concerned about the expiry of commonwealth funding across a range of important mental health programs on 30 June this year. It is my understanding that the Hon. Leesa Vlahos, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, has addressed the state's concerns to the federal mental health minister, the Hon. Sussan Ley, about the $20 million in funding that was cut from mental health services tied into the NPA.

The $20 million funding cut relates to two agreements: the NPA on Improving Public Hospital Services and the NPA on Supporting National Mental Health Reform. The state cannot afford to continue the entirety of previously federally funded programs, which provide for 64 new mental health beds and two community mental health services.

I commend minister Vlahos for intervening to save mental health community rehabilitation beds in Whyalla. The state government has recently announced $8.5 million over four years in this year's state budget to save some services that were scheduled to close on 30 June. The state government is also funding the 10 forensic mental health step-down beds at Oakden that were also impacted by these federal government cuts.

The state government is unable to cover all the cuts that the federal government has made. One of the cuts of particular concern to me is the severely reduced hours of the walk-in mental health service at Salisbury, which I am told is accessed by about 1,400 people each year. It is extremely concerning that the federal government does not see the value of providing an after-hours assessment service to people in Adelaide's north. This disruption in services will cause unnecessary pain and anguish to the most vulnerable people in the community. The Mayor of Salisbury council, Gillian Aldridge, is also extremely concerned about the removal of services in her community and has recently stated, and I quote:

One of the staff members recently told me he walked eight young people in here in the last month. Eight young people who had someplace to go to get some support and help. What about, I'm concerned about domestic violence situations where a woman, or a man, I suppose, under extreme stress has actually no place to go.

The opposition often criticises the state government for not reducing waiting times and for the lack of services for mental health patients at emergency departments. However, services have improved, with the government investing over $300 million in recent years in response to Monsignor David Cappo's report Stepping Up—A Social Inclusion Action Plan for Mental Health Reform.

I can imagine how extremely disconcerting this issue of funding cuts has been for mental health consumers, staff and the entire mental health sector. It makes service planning very difficult, particularly with the need to maintain and attract appropriately qualified staff. The federal government has demonstrated its blatant disregard for the mental health sector in South Australia.

It was left to the state government to address most of the uncertainty surrounding this matter, and I commend minister Vlahos for her work in advocating for the majority of funding to be installed. I also congratulate her on her continued advocacy for the northern suburbs. I support her in her calls for the federal government to, at the very least, reinstate its commitment to the Salisbury walk-in service and show some support for the northern suburbs.

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