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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-04-12 Daily Xml
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Mental Health Commission

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:36): I rise to speak about the state government's establishment of the Mental Health Commission and the development of a state mental health plan. These were commitments that the state government made before the last state election. The state government had pledged $9 million at the 2014 election to establish a South Australian mental health commissioner's office.

It is astonishing to think that one in five South Australians will be affected by mental illness in any given year and that 45 per cent of all South Australians will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime. The worrying aspect of the statistics is that it is currently estimated that 65 per cent of adults with mental illness do not or cannot access any services. It has also been estimated that the total direct health and non-health expenditure to support people living with mental health issues in Australia is $28.6 billion per year. This nearly doubles to almost $50 billion per year when you factor in productivity losses. Mental health illness accounts for nearly a quarter of a million lost working weeks across Australia annually.

If left unchecked in South Australia, by 2037 mental and behavioural disorders will surpass cancer and cardiovascular disease in terms of the actual burden of disease. All of these statistics provide useful context when considering the need for a mental health commission and a statewide mental health strategic plan. The aim of the SA mental health strategic plan is to work towards providing a whole-of-person, whole-of-life, whole-of-community and whole-of-government approach to building, sustaining and strengthening the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians.

Mr Chris Burns has been appointed as the state's first Mental Health Commissioner. Of course, many honourable members would be aware that Mr Burns came from the Defence Teaming Centre, where he was a voice for the defence industry and had successfully advocated for defence projects to be built in South Australia, including the future submarines. Mr Burns had a long and distinguished career in defence, working in Syria, Iran and the Gaza Strip. He held leadership positions in the Australian Army and headed the SA Veterans' Health Advisory Council.

Mr Burns has stated that his interactions with veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder encouraged him to apply to become the state's first Mental Health Commissioner. Mr Burns has been tasked with formulating SA's mental health strategic plan. The plan will provide strategic direction for the five-year period from now to 2022, with a ten-year outlook to 2027, based on a 20-year vision for South Australians' mental health and wellbeing.

The development of the plan will be undertaken in strong partnership with people who have lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers, providers of mental health services, government departments and NGOs. The expected outcomes of the project are the development of:

1. A shared vision for the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians.

2. A plan which provides strategic direction for action plans to build, sustain and strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians.

3. Clear performance measures, indicators, responsibilities and time frames for achieving meaningful, long-term outcomes based on a shared vision.

Consultation has already been well underway on this plan. From that point, with all the necessary data collected, the commission will be tasked with identifying the key issues and strategic priorities for mental health in this state.

The Mental Health Commission is encouraging South Australians to share their ideas and suggestions about what should be considered in developing the plan. For those organisations and individuals who are yet to provide feedback, I would encourage them to do so by visiting the Mental Health Commission's website at samentalhealthcommission.com.au. It is my understanding that the mental health strategic plan will be finalised by the end of this year, and I look forward to seeing its findings.

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