MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS
Thank you so much, Dan. In spite or in light of some of the words spoken since the Referendum, can I say what a privilege it is for me to be welcomed to Kaurna Lands by Uncle Moogy and by an outstanding emerging young First Nations leader, Jakirah Telfer. I was so proud to be an ally of Jakirah’s as she led the Yes campaign here in South Australia for the 2023 Referendum. And I want to restate it is a privilege to be welcomed to a country that has been cared for by the oldest continuously surviving culture on the face of the planet. I feel proud to stand in front of these two flags behind me to celebrate the privilege that all of us have.
I feel a little intimidated, of course, by following Aunty Pat. If ever there was someone who could echo these themes, these characteristics of Aunty Lowitja’s, it's Aunty Pat Anderson, and we’re so sad she couldn't be with us today but so privileged to receive those words of wisdom opening this conference. I want to acknowledge the elders past, present and emerging of the Kaurna people and thank them for their care and custodial leadership in this beautiful part of Australia that I feel privileged to call home, the Kaurna Lands, and what we also now call Adelaide.
It is so great to be on the banks of the River Torrens. Jakirah talked about how important that river was and remains to the Traditional Owners here and has been for a millennium. And I want to extend that respect to First Nations people here from all parts of our great lands but also from all the countries that Dan mentioned are represented here today. I want to acknowledge the Lowitja Institute's co-patron and namesake, of course, the late Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, whose state funeral I was so privileged to be able to attend just up the road about 15 or 16 months ago. And of course, her family member, Deb Edwards, who was there of course as well, is addressing you later today. I want to acknowledge all of the esteemed guests who are here, particularly my karaoke buddy, Donnella Mills, representing the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
Thank you for the great privilege to be able to be with you here for the 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference hosted by this terrific institute. As Pat said, a First Nations-led research organisation that my Government is just so proud to support. I remember as a junior Health Minister proudly attending in 2010 that launch of the institute, now 15 years ago. Of course, I'm really pleased that my department, the Department of Health Disability and Ageing, is the principal partner supporting this conference because there is so much to share and to learn together. 1,200 delegates have come to this room. I was here last week. This is just a terrific gathering, not just of people from across our great nation, but First Nations people from right across the world, all standing strong, being fearless, and working together for the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, marking this year's theme of Strong, Fearless, Together. That was precisely, as Aunty Pat said, the late Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue’s approach and her sentiments throughout a lifetime of devotion and advocacy for better rights, for better health and wellbeing for Indigenous Australians.
Today, the Institute is forging ahead, strong, fearless, and together by continuing Dr O'Donoghue's legacy of advocacy through investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led community driven research by translating knowledge to have the greatest impact to people and by supporting a growing and capable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research workforce. I'm proud to say that these priorities align very much with our Government's approach to First Nations health as we prioritise culturally safe and appropriate healthcare for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Striving towards Closing the Gap targets, and targeting investment at areas of greatest need where they will deliver what we know is the greatest impact. Our Government is committed to funding the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, or ACCHS, to continue providing community controlled healthcare that is deeply and firmly grounded in country, founded upon culture, and connected to community. We're ensuring these critical services have certainty to plan well ahead, thanks to four-year rolling funding agreements that we put in place after requesting terrific modelling from the sector itself in July last year. Our $164 million investment is constructing new clinics as we speak and refurbishing existing clinics to strengthen the ACCHS sector. Just in March this year in our own state of South Australia, construction began finally on a new purpose-built healthcare centre for First Nations people in Ceduna on the beautiful west coast of South Australia, thanks to $14 million from our Government and contributions from both the South Australian Government and the Ardia Health Aboriginal Corporation. This new health centre will deliver culturally safe and accessible health care to 1,300 Aboriginal people living in that far west region of South Australia.
As the third largest employer of First Nations people in the country, that ACCHS sector faces workforce shortages that we know are too familiar. Building a strong and well-trained First Nations health workforce is crucial to improving health outcomes and ensuring access to cultural safety in primary healthcare services. That's why, at the 2022 election, we promised to build that workforce by investing in the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program, which aims to train 500 new Aboriginal health workers and practitioners by July 2027. That program is exceeding expectations and has already enrolled more than 460 trainees since it began, with more than 120 students already completing their qualifications. I'm delighted also to hear that the Lowitja Foundation nursing scholarships commenced this year, helping to support First Nations people into nursing careers.
Along with a commitment to increasing the number of trainees and supporting nursing scholarships, we are also providing record funding to improve and expand renal care to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our Government is delivering better renal care and an additional 30 dialysis units, each with four chairs, in communities over the next four years. We’ve invested already more than $70 million and identified 16 sites that need dialysis units so far, including the first dialysis unit to be set up in Coober Pedy, right here in remote South Australia, and it’s already having a life changing impact.
Before that dialysis unit was established in Coober Pedy, patients had to move away from the community to receive that life-sustaining dialysis treatment in Port Augusta, five hours away from community and from country. Since the Coober Pedy Dialysis Unit opened in June last year, patients have been able to move back to country and be with family and community. That’s just the beginning. Planning is already well under way for other remote communities across WA, the Northern Territory, other places too in South Australia and in Torres Strait to receive dialysis units as well.
We've also invested $7 million to expand the Deadly Choices program, which is doing terrific work to encourage more people to get their regular health checks and prevent the need for dialysis treatment in the long term. Deadly Choices has partnered with the Australian Open, Super Netball, the NRL and the AFL - I hope soon with all our local football clubs of course - in Australia's foremost preventative program. This program has made a real difference to improving health outcomes for Indigenous Australians and you can hear more about the Deadly program in a conference presentation by the Institute for Urban and Indigenous Health happening later today.
Another funding initiative having a really big impact is Birthing On Country. The Australian Government has invested $50 million to establish 10 Birthing On Country sites in rural, remote and very remote locations. Some exceptional First Nations health experts are leading this program, working with health partners to transform maternal health care and directly contributing to Closing the Gap Target Two. The results to date are, frankly, exceptional. At Birthing On Country trial sites, we've seen a 50 per cent reduction in pre-term birth rates.
Some of you may have heard Professor Yvette Roe and Melanie Briggs talking on the ABC Radio National Breakfast program last week about how this program is improving outcomes for First Nations women and their babies. If you're keen to learn about this exciting program, I encourage you to check your program for the Birthing On Country presentations that are scheduled for tomorrow morning.
There's so much more I could talk about with some more time, like my commitment to work with the Community Control sector and others to implement recommendations from our review over the last year or two into First Nations healthcare in prisons. Or all that our broader reforms to strengthen Medicare and the PBS can do for First Nations Australians and the organisations who continue to bulk bill them in their care.
But I want to conclude by talking about our commitment to seeing more community control in Health. Because when services for First Nations people are delivered by First Nations people, we know that better outcomes follow, and that's something I want to see grow. Case in point, the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship program. One of my first commitments as Health Minister back in 2022 was that the scholarship, this competitive scholarship, could return First Nations control. Here was a scholarship, after all, named in honour of a great First Nations man in Health, to train more First Nations people in health, and yet it wasn't being delivered by a First Nations health organisation.
I'm really glad to report that last year the Indigenous Allied Health Australia Organisation won a competitive tender and assume management of this terrific scheme for the first time.
This is the first time in over 20 years that this landmark program, flagship program has been delivered by a First Nations-led organisation. It's the first of many programs that will be redesigned in partnership with or transitioned to First Nations-led organisations over the next few years. This is part of our Government's commitment, not just to Closing the Gap, but also the Coalition of Peaks Priority Reform Number Two.
NACCHO is co-chairing the First Nations Health Funding Transitionary Advisory Group, working through, literally line-by-line, the various programs that my Department funds for First Nation’s people to build a plan to transition them to First Nations control. That group is working through a transition roadmap for 32 programs and is also reviewing 85 population based programs to make them more responsive to the needs of First Nations people. Services for First Nations people being delivered by First Nations organisations because collaboration must be front and centre in everything we do, and there is so much to do.
Alongside the examples I've spoken about today, we're also co-designing ongoing investments in the mental health of First Nations people to ensure culturally safe and responsive mental health and suicide prevention services. This aligns with the release of the new 10-year plan to tackle Indigenous suicide rates earlier this year, which was developed in partnership with Gayaa Dhuwi, or Proud Spirit Australia.
As well, our mainstream health policies will mean real on-the-ground benefits for First Nations people - strengthening Medicare, bulk billing for all, better access to cheaper PBS medicines, generational reform to aged care and securing the future of the NDIS, growing the health workforce and building a fairer and better mental health care system.
But in conclusion, can I thank you for inviting me to speak. It's a great, great privilege to be with all of you this morning, particularly in my own hometown. We worked hard to deliver on the promises that we took to the last election back in 2022 and to stay true to our principles, including training more First Nations health practitioners, investing in First Nations-led health services and improving access to critical health care services. In the new term, I really look forward to continuing to work closely with First Nations health researchers, leaders, organisations and workers to ensure that these benefits can be fully realised right across the community, as we continue to build on Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue’s proud great legacy.
Thank you everyone again for the invitation and I wish you all the very best over the next few days here in Adelaide.