Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to talk today about an organisation based on the Central Coast of New South Wales that is working hard to close the gap in health outcomes for Indigenous Australians. The Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre is an Aboriginal community controlled health organisation that provides services to one-third of all Aboriginal people living on Darkinjung country, or about 4,000 people.

As well as the primary care of GPs, Yerin provides home visits and support for patients in hospital; support for mental health clients during hospital treatment and after discharge in the community; and support for young people, in an effort to stop them entering or re-entering the child protection system and the juvenile justice system. It provides support for young people living in out-of-home care and the foster parents they live with. It provides help with transport; allied health services; dental services; nursing services; child care services; support for mums and bubs; drug and alcohol support; access to the NDIS; and health literacy, health promotion and services to help quit smoking. The list is long and the work is important, and yet Yerin's funding levels have not increased in eight years and they have outgrown their workspace.

As the population and the demand for services grow, Yerin must be supported to continue its work. We know that appropriately resourced Aboriginal community controlled health care represents evidence based, cost-effective and efficient solutions for closing the gap in Indigenous health outcomes. When services are provided for community by community, they are most effective. Nearly three-quarters of Yerin's staff are Indigenous and the welfare of staff is important too. As the demand for services has grown, the safety of staff has come into focus. Unfortunately, assaults have occurred. Yerin must have a purpose-built fit-out that ensures staff and patients are safe.

There are other broader challenges that Yerin faces. Staff say a lack of affordable housing creates problems in the community and that counselling and support services for the chronically ill that bulk-bill are in short supply. There are challenges placing children under 16 in rehab facilities for drug and alcohol problems; children have to travel all the way to the John Hunter Hospital or to Hornsby and places are limited; and there is a shortage of foster carers for Aboriginal children who are disproportionately represented in out-of-home care.

There are 600 Indigenous children on the Central Coast living in out-of-home care but fewer than half of them, only 42 per cent, are able to be placed in kinship care. More Aboriginal foster carers and more supports are needed to help Indigenous children and their families and to provide those families with the support they need. We are in grave danger of creating another stolen generation unless we solve these problems.

I want to thank Yerin staff for their commitment to our community. They are a bedrock of the northern Central Coast and they do great services for that entire community.

See this speech in context