Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes:

(i)   the tragic death of South Australian woman, Ms Gayle Woodford, who worked as a remote area nurse in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands,

(ii)   the online petition calling for increased safety measures for remote area nurses, started by Ms Joanne Norton on Change.org following Ms Woodford's death which has now been electronically signed by more than 130,000 people,

(iii)   a survey of members of remote health worker organisation the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia Plus (CRANAplus) which shows one in three remote area nurses has experienced physical violence, and

(iv)   the important and vital work of remote area nurses in outback Australia, and their right to be safe in the course of their employment; and

(b)   calls on the Government to:

(i)   immediately review the adequacy of current safety measures for remote area nurses,

(ii)   abolish single-nurse posts in remote areas or mitigate the risks they pose,

(iii)   implement a policy that remote area nurses attend out-of-hours emergencies in pairs (whether that is two nurses, a community member, security officer or other),

(iv)   require that all emergency services vehicles be fitted with GPS technology which would allow the vehicle to be tracked and located easily, and

(v)   allocate the necessary funding to effect subparagraphs (b)(i) to (b)(iv) above.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government supports the intent behind Senator Xenophon's motion. The impact of Gayle Woodford's death is still being felt by the APY Lands community in South Australia and, indeed, throughout remote communities across Australia. The Minister for Rural Health convened an urgent round table following the murder and is continuing to work with remote health workforce stakeholders. The government has provided direct support to Nganampa Health Council clinic and is working with the Aboriginal community controlled health sector to assist with improving security arrangements. One of the central tenets of Aboriginal medical services is self-determination and we do not intend to walk away from that principle. We appreciate the senator's advocacy on this important issue and we will work with him and with the remote communities to address ongoing safety concerns.

Question agreed to.