Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1164 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

interventions may successfully occur as early as possible. A detailed account of providing actual services to meet specific health needs is under way. The Assembly knew that when it gave the committee the reference. The strategy for improving indigenous health is being developed through the work of the ACT Department of Health and Community Care, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, the Commonwealth and the ACT indigenous community.

The work of the Assembly committee will complement that task. After meeting with the Minister and his officers, there is agreement that there should be no unnecessary duplication of work. The committee expects the departmentally organised strategy to deal with measures to improve the services and facilities that are needed over the foreseeable future. If appropriate, we will join with departmental officers in meetings with local groups. We will be briefed on progress. We ask the Minister to allow the committee to make comments on a draft strategy and, where appropriate, we will recommend changes based on our work. Whilst it will be no easy task, the committee hopes to return with a meaningful report.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care): I seek leave to make a short comment on the same matter.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, when the motion was first put in February of this year, I welcomed the support of the inquiry into indigenous health. I am not on this occasion outlining what the Government has done in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health because, to be quite frank about it, there is so much more that we have to do before any government can really claim to have achieved a significant level of success.

Mr Speaker, I agree with Mr Wood that for a number of years many governments, both Federal and State, have promised to deliver on indigenous health, but rarely if ever have these promises led to successful outcomes for our indigenous people. The ACT's indigenous population is diverse in geographic origin and background, as Mr Wood highlighted. It is this diversity that makes the ACT's indigenous population at once unique and complex. It is up to this Government and future ACT governments to come to grips with these local peculiarities if we are really to address ACT indigenous health issues.

The Government is working in a tripartite agreement with the Commonwealth and the regional ATSIC office on developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional health action plan. The plan is a genuine attempt to achieve improved health outcomes for indigenous people in and around the ACT. A coordinated approach will address the priority areas of injury, trauma and poisoning, alcohol and drugs, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, women's and children's health, mental and emotional health including suicide, violence including sexual assault, communicable and preventable diseases, indigenous youth, bringing them home services, men's health and men's business.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .