Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

In rising to speak on this matter, I note that this is not my first speech. I thank Senator Griff for raising fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD. I also thank Senator McCarthy for her contribution, because I recognise that this is an issue in the Territory. But it is also an issue across all of rural and regional Australia, which makes it an issue that we must all be aware of and that we must all address.

FASD is an overarching term. It's used to describe a range of cognitive, physical, mental, behavioural, learning and developmental disorders that result from fetal exposure to alcohol. Given the prevalence of FASD in rural, regional and remote Australia—especially, but not exclusively, in our Indigenous communities—I am very proud, as a Nationals senator for New South Wales, of the work the coalition government has done since 2014 with respect to this issue.

Despite its prevalence, FASD often goes undiagnosed. The National Rural Health Alliance has observed that children suffering from FASD might be regarded as wilful or undisciplined, when in fact they have little control over their behaviour. That is why it is a very important issue for us to continue to work on. It is an entirely preventable but incurable condition caused by a baby's exposure to alcohol in the womb. If an expectant mother has zero alcohol consumption during pregnancy then her child has zero risk of the developmental abnormalities from exposure to alcohol. I am very pleased to say that awareness of this issue is increasing and therefore more expectant mothers are aware of the risks.

FASD is currently the largest cause of non-genetic at-birth brain damage in the country and, tragically, the average life expectancy for a child born with FASD is only 34 years of age. It is at epidemic proportions, particularly in rural and regional Australia, which is exactly why the coalition government continues to pursue a national approach, in collaboration with families, communities, service providers and state governments, to tackle it.

As a National, I'm very proud that the National minister at the time responsible for rural Indigenous health, Senator Fiona Nash, commissioned the FASD Strategic Action Plan and provided $9.2 million in funding for its development. This was a watershed moment for Australia. It was the first time there was national recognition that we have an epidemic in Australia of babies born with brain damage because of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. In the 2016-17 budget, the coalition committed $10.5 million over four years to take action on FASD. The funding was provided for a range of activities, including providing online telephone support for individuals and families affected by FASD, improving access to FASD diagnostic services, and undertaking prevention and education across the country. The focus of this funding has been very strongly directed at communities of high need, which, as I've already mentioned, is predominantly in rural, regional and remote Australia.

In 2018, Minister Hunt launched the FASD Strategic Action Plan, which this original funding developed. This plan provides a clear pathway of priorities and opportunities to improve the prevention, diagnosis, support and management of FASD in Australia. Critically, the strategic action plan recognises that, with early and accurate diagnosis, along with early individualised interventions for children and adults who have FASD, the quality of life outcomes for individuals and their families can be substantially improved. Upon the release of the strategic action plan, the coalition government committed further funding to support the delivery of activities that align with the planned priority areas—namely, prevention, screening and diagnosis, management and support, and priority groups.

FASD is an epidemic in rural, regional and remote communities and, given the scale of the issue in Australia, the Liberals and the Nationals, in government, continue to take a national approach to combat it. Since 2014, the total funding committed to reducing the impact of FASD has been over $27 million. We are delivering on the FASD Strategic Action Plan and are investing in the activities which have been shown to be effective, and these activities are working. Awareness of FASD is growing and, through various government supported programs and initiatives, mums-to-be are being supported and are receiving clear and consistent advice as to what is safe and that it is safest not to consume alcohol while pregnant.