Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to stand here today and update the chamber on a project that I have spoken about here before, which is the Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance Innovative Models of Care Program. We know that in some of our regional areas access to health care is very, very challenging. Innovative models are required to enable us to provide the kind of health care that people need in different circumstances and in different geographic locations.

I've had the pleasure of working alongside the Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance for the last couple of years, looking at solutions. What happens out in some of our regional areas is that, when the community see a challenge, they immediately start looking for the solutions. They're not always looking for somebody else to fix their problems; they're actually looking to find the solutions that will work for their own local communities, and that's exactly what the Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance has done. I was delighted when we got news last week that they'd received funding to enable the Innovative Model of Care Program to go ahead as a trial. They have been given $1.38 million, which will make a fundamental difference.

We know that in those regions it's important to not only give doctors, nurses and allied health professionals the opportunity and attraction to be there but also to provide them with the kind of support they need to have a fulfilling professional career. This cluster model, which has been designed by the community for the community, is exactly what we are going to trial here. I'm delighted, and I particularly want to give a shout-out to the Mayor of Kimba, Dean Johnson, who has worked tirelessly on this project. Well done to everyone in northern Eyre.