Page 1944 - Week 05 - Thursday, 5 May 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (4.16): This budget takes steps to provide protection for low income households that are finding life harder because of Canberra’s strong economy and increases in the cost of living. However, this budget also awards most of the new funding to acute areas with smaller amounts to prevention. While there is an increase in recognition of preventative focus programs, we need a greater shift in funding towards prevention to create a better future for Canberra’s population.
Taking health as the first example, the acute end of services accounts for the majority of recurrent funding. The standout preventative initiatives focus on chronic disease management and mental health training. The Greens acknowledge that the Canberra population is growing at a rate of about one to two per cent annually, but the health budget is growing at seven to nine per cent per annum, and most typically at the acute end.
I also acknowledge that shifting the focus of health budgets to preventative focus is going to take time, particularly when we look at the level of chronic illness in the community currently. However, the rates of growth in health budgets cannot be sustained. There is a recognition from health organisations that we need to shift to a wellness approach to health that focuses on people addressing their health before they become ill, particularly chronically ill. What the Greens want to see from the government is a strong vision for what it will do to address the impact of chronic illness in the future.
In regards to mental health, a priority area for the Greens, we are pleased to see the government increase funding to this area. We are particularly pleased that two initiatives in the parliamentary agreement have had successful trials and are now permanently incorporated into future budgets. These are mental health training for teachers, police officers and emergency workers and providing additional staff to the ACT Magistrates Court forensic mental health liaison team. We also have an increase in new funding going to government in the community sector through the agreement.
The majority of the funding, however, for mental health has gone to the acute end for the new adult inpatient unit at Canberra Hospital. It is essential that the new unit is best practice. However, we must see an investment in community services in keeping people well and preventing them from going from crisis to crisis. I am very concerned that there is no funding in this budget for the construction of the forensic mental health facility. It is not clear what has occurred, and the minister would not be surprised to know that I will be seeking information on this in the estimates process.
The community provided feedback on the proposed forensic facility, and the government, I understand, made a significant range of additions to the design. Questions that need to be answered are: why has the identified $40,000 per annum been taken out of the budget; what has been done to improve the crisis management unit at the AMC in the meantime; and what will now be the time line for the new forensic facility?
It is also interesting to see in relation to corrections that $620,000 allocated is for a feasibility study for future growth at the AMC. The Greens recently asked the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video