2011 Budget Estimates Hearings - Department of Health
2011 Budget Estimates Hearings - Department of Health
Hearing commenced at 1.04 pm
HON HELEN MORTON, MLC - Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health, examined:
MR KIM SNOWBALL - Director General, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR WAYNE SALVAGE - Acting Executive Director, Resource Strategy and Infrastructure, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MS NICOLE FEELY - Chief Executive, South Metropolitan Area Health Service, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
DR DAVID RUSSELL-WEISZ Chief Executive, North Metropolitan Area Health Service, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR PHILIP AYLWARD - Chief Executive, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR IAN SMITH - Chief Executive Officer, WA Country Health Service, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
DR TARUN WEERAMANTHRI - Executive Director, Public Health Division, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MS JENNI COLLARD - Director, Office of Aboriginal Health, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR BRAD SEBBES - Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Hospital Project, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MS JODIE SOUTH - Acting Director, Health Infrastructure Unit, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR JON HARRISON - Executive Director, Corporate and Strategic Services, Department of Health, sworn and examined:
MR NEIL GUARD - Executive Director, Drug and Alcohol Office, sworn and examined:
MR GARY KIRBY- Director, Prevention and Workforce Development, Drug and Alcohol Office, sworn and examined:
Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to the tenth line item “Contracted Mental Health” in the second table on page 128. What I want to know is whether that amount includes funding for costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of mental health facilities.
Hon HELEN MORTON: The answer is: no, it does not. That is the funding that was allocated to the Mental Health Commission to undertake its functions as a commission.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Is there a line item in the health budget that refers to the maintenance and upkeep of mental health facilities—that is, the bricks and mortar rather than the delivery of services?
Hon HELEN MORTON: It is actually contained in the minor works program. I do not think that it is specified as a mental health area, but it is contained in that level of funding that is allocated to minor works.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Would you mind drawing my attention to where that is, because I was trying to specifically get that detail?
Mr Salvage: I refer the honourable member to page 146 of budget paper No 2. It is in the section at the top of that page. There is provision there for the minor building works program showing an allocation of $25.2 million in 2011–12.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Thank you. Is it possible to get a breakdown of the minor works budget?
I am happy to take this on notice.
[2.10 pm]
[Supplementary Information No A6.]
Hon HELEN MORTON: As with the allocation for the budgets that I mentioned before, this is still going through the process of negotiating the outcomes for each of the area health services, in terms of what their allocation will be, so that has not been finalised for the coming financial year yet.
Hon ALISON XAMON: When are you anticipating that they should be finalised?
Hon HELEN MORTON: That will be in line with the previous answer of two weeks.
The CHAIR: Perhaps we could keep it as a supplementary question, but acknowledge that you will not get it until after, obviously, the time when it is available. Is that okay?
Hon ALISON XAMON: Thank you, Madam Chair. I did have a whole range of questions associated with that, so I suppose we will have to revisit it once the budget line item has been finalised. Page 146 of the Budget Statements, under “Completed Works”, has a line item for “Graylands Hospital—Redevelopment Planning”. Can I confirm—because there is nothing in the forward estimates—that that is because it is now under the Mental Health Commission budget?
Hon HELEN MORTON: I really am having difficulty hearing; I am sorry.
The CHAIR: Slowly, clearly, and loudly.
Hon HELEN MORTON: You will just have to say it a bit slower.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Page 146, “Completed Works”, Graylands Hospital, and, underneath it, “Joondalup Health Campus Inpatient Mental Health Unit”; there is nothing in the forward estimates, and I wanted to confirm that that is because that has been shifted over to the Mental Health Commission, not because no more money will actually be put in there.
Hon HELEN MORTON: That amount shows the completed works, and so there is no funding going on into the out years because the final amount is the completion of that project.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Has the Graylands Hospital redevelopment planning been completed?
Hon HELEN MORTON: Is your question specifically about Joondalup?
Hon ALISON XAMON: No; I did ask specifically about Graylands Hospital and specifically about Joondalup.
Hon HELEN MORTON: Joondalup has been completed. In terms of Graylands, I will ask Jodie South to answer.
Hon ALISON XAMON: It is hard to think that it could be completed.
Ms South: Through the minister: the allocation for planning for Graylands was a once-off allocation for determining models of care around the facility. There is another line item for “Graylands Hospital—Development Stage 1” for $16 million; that is for the actual capital works component.
Hon ALISON XAMON: In the Health budget?
Ms South: Correct; yes.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Do you mind drawing my attention to where that was? I hope you understand that it is all a bit confusing.
Ms South: Sure; I will see if I can find it. It is page 146, and it is under “New Works”, “Graylands Hospital—Development Stage 1”, towards the bottom of the page.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I am sorry, I missed the page.
Ms South: Page 146.
The CHAIR: It is the same page.
Ms South: It is under “New Works”, down at the bottom, “Graylands Hospital—Development Stage 1”; it is just over $16 million.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Thank you. Madam Chair, I have another question, if that is okay.
The CHAIR: Yes, Hon Alison Xamon.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to the funding for the Council of Official Visitors.
Hon HELEN MORTON: Do you have a page number?
Hon ALISON XAMON: I do not have a page number; I have been trying to find a line item that would potentially pertain to it. I want to determine whether that funding is still in the Health budget. I mean, these are very short on detail, I am sure you would appreciate, and trying to find where the Council of Official Visitors was listed in it was not easy.
The CHAIR: I think the question is: is there a budget line item for the Council of Official Visitors?
Hon ALISON XAMON: Is there a budget line item for the Council of Official Visitors?
Hon HELEN MORTON: No, there is not.
Hon ALISON XAMON: But the funding for the Council of Official Visitors is coming out of the Department of Health; is that correct?
Hon HELEN MORTON: It is for the time being; that is the best I can say. I do not think it is intended to stay like that, but in this particular budget, yes.
Hon ALISON XAMON: The question then is: how much has been allocated for the Council of Official Visitors for this year?
Hon HELEN MORTON: The Council of Official Visitors has put a submission through to the health department. It is part of the same situation as has previously been mentioned; those negotiations are continuing right now. It will not be finalised until at least the two weeks that I have been referring to, but I can assure you that it will not be less, if that is of any concern—I do not know if it is. You will probably be looking to see how much more it will be.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I certainly would be keen to see not only more money going in to deal with the pay increases, but also for improved administrative support. I think we all recognise that they do a wonderful job and they probably need to have significantly more money. Madam Chair, can I take your guidance on this? I want to be able to put a series of questions pertaining to this on notice now. Is it that we are looking at, effectively, putting those questions on hold until the budget has been finalised?
The CHAIR: I suggest that you submit them at the end of the session. We will provide them to the department on the understanding that, obviously, they can only supply the answers once the decision has been made, so it might not be the 10 working days requested; it might take a little longer. I think that is the easiest way to deal with those.
Hon ALISON XAMON: On a related note then, I was going to ask, along a similar vein, about the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist. Is that in a similar situation, whereby the money is yet to be determined?
Hon HELEN MORTON: Yes, it is.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I will put my questions pertaining to that on notice as well.