Page 991 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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We then come to the question: Why would you want to move the Therapy Centre to the Weston Creek Health Centre? It was not because it was a better location for the people that used it. That was not proven. As I have said earlier, it was because the Government had forgotten about it and had to find a place in a hurry. It seemed that there was some sympathy within the bureaucracy towards the withdrawal of that important community health centre from the people of Weston Creek.
What services at the Weston Creek Health Centre have been closed down or moved out? The podiatrist has been closed down in the Weston Creek Health Centre.
Mr Humphries: Closed down there; not moved away.
MR BERRY: The Minister agrees that it has been closed down at the Weston Creek Health Centre. The dietitian has suffered a similar fate, as well as the immunisation clinic, the baby health clinic, the physiotherapist and the psychiatrist. It may be argued that the psychiatrist could provide services from another location because those services are for all Canberrans. But the same cannot be argued for those other important services which have been closed down in the Weston Creek Health Centre.
Mr Humphries: Why not?
MR BERRY: All of the other services were local services for the people of Weston Creek. Mr Humphries asked, "Why not?". If he had spent a little bit of time out in the Weston Creek Health Centre he would have noticed that the people who use these services are mostly the frail and the aged, or the very young and the disadvantaged in the community. Obviously the Minister has not spent any time there, or he would have noticed this and he would not have had to ask me the stupid question, "Why not?". What a stupid question.
The people who were using those services in that centre were the people who needed them; not people who could hire a chauffeur or a taxi or have somebody drive them to centres far removed, perhaps even to private practitioners in the medical field. These were the people who needed a community health centre, one nearby - the old, the frail aged, the young and the disadvantaged. And all I get from the Minister is, "Why not? Why shouldn't we close that health centre?". Well, that is just not good enough.
We have had many complaints from the residents of Weston Creek about the closure of their health centre. There have been a couple of public meetings which have addressed this issue, but the Government still takes no notice. Canberra's population, if this Government has not noticed, is ageing fast and we must ensure that there is a full range of services provided where those services are needed.
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