Questions on Estimates and Financial Operations
Extracts from Hansard [LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL]
Questions to the Legislative Council Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations on Thursday, 18 June 2009
Perth Bicycle Network/Country Pathways - View here...
Mental Health - View here...
Home-based Midwifery and Homebirth Schemes Statewide - View here...
Child Protection - View here...
Education and Training - View here...
Transport - View here...
The CHAIR: I give the next call to Hon Alison Xamon.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to page 415 of the Budget Statements. How much of each of the figures listed in the “Perth Bicycle Network/Country Pathways” line item, from the 2007-08 actual through to the 2012-13 forward estimate, relate just to the Perth bicycle network?
Hon SIMON O'BRIEN: I will ask Mr Roberts to field that question.
Mr B. Roberts: I think this was a question asked on notice listed for the Perth bicycle network and country pathways. For the Perth bicycle network proportion, was the member referring to from 2007-08 forward?
Hon ALISON XAMON: Yes.
Mr B. Roberts: In 2007-08, the actual expenditure on the Perth bicycle network was $1.411 million; in 2008-09, the estimate is $1.925 million; for 2009-10, the estimate is $1.737 million; and from 2010 through to 2013, the estimate is $1.910 million. That is the separation out of the Perth bicycle network from country pathways.
Hon SIMON O'BRIEN: As Mr Roberts indicated, we might also have received notice of a question on a related matter and a written answer has been provided to the committee staff. No doubt it will find its way to the member.
The CHAIR: Unfortunately, because we received the answer so close to the beginning of this session, we could not provide it to the member.
Hon SIMON O'BRIEN: I thought that is what was done in past years, Madam Chair. I apologise. The answer was available earlier. I thought we were meant to provide the answers at the start of the session. I am very old-fashioned.
The CHAIR: That is not a problem. Thank you.
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[Supplementary Information No C1.]
Hon ALISON XAMON:I have a series of questions about mental health. I refer to the third dash point at the top of page 167 of the Budget Statements, which states - establishing a peak body for mental health consumers and advocates for mental health services. I cannot actually find where that item is in the budget, or whether money has been allocated for it. Can someone point that out? It is an election commitment, and from the feedback I have received from peak bodies, they seem to think it is a fairly positive one. I want to know how much money has been allocated to it.
Dr S. Patchett: The establishment of a peak mental health consumer voice was one of the five election commitments of the new government. The proposed model to establish that peak mental health consumer voice is being developed at the moment and there will be an important influence on that from the strategic planning exercise that mental health is undertaking at the moment, whereby much of the consultation with carers and consumers and the mental health sector is being used in the establishment of this consumer voice. Funding has been identified within the existing budget to fund that peak voice when the model has been properly decided upon and worked through.
Hon ALISON XAMON: When is it anticipated that that will happen?
Dr S. Patchett: It will happen progressively through the mental health policy and strategic planning exercises being undertaken at the moment that will give us the blueprint for the direction of mental health for the next 10 years. That is being undertaken at the moment. The report will be finally handed down at the end of January next year. It is a huge exercise. As part of that, this issue will be properly analysed and decided. It is fair to say that there are a lot of varying views about what that peak body should be and what is the correct model for representing the consumer voice in mental health.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Is there even a vague idea at this point of what it is anticipated it might look like, and how much will be allocated to it?
Dr S. Patchett: I could not comment on that at the moment.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to the asset investment program for mental health services shown on page 179 of the Budget Statements. How many inpatient mental health beds are currently available in the East Metropolitan Region? Are there any plans to increase this number; and, if so, where? I will give an idea of where I am going with this as well. I also want to know how many inpatient mental health beds will be located at the new Swan Health Campus, and when they will be available. I realise that that is four different questions, but they all point in a similar direction.
Dr S. Patchett: With regard to the first question, I did not -
Hon ALISON XAMON: East metro.
Dr S. Patchett: Unfortunately, the Department of Health does not have a separate designation in regards to east metro. Health services in this state are divided around areas of north and south metropolitan and Western Australian country health services. I could take it on notice if the member could be more specific about what she envisages as east metro.
[Supplementary Information No C2.]
The ACTING CHAIR: I think the member is referring to the East Metropolitan Region in terms of electoral boundaries. I am sure the minister can assist you with information pertaining to those boundaries.
Dr S. Patchett: We will be able to match up the services with that area.
Hon ALISON XAMON: The specific question was in relation to the new Swan Health Campus: how many inpatient mental health beds are expected to be created there and when will they be available?
Dr S. Patchett: The Swan Valley Centre currently has 25 beds, and the designation of beds in relation to what may be additional beds in the Midland health campus development is yet to be determined. Currently, it is planned that there will be 15 extra beds at the Midland campus, so that will take the total number of beds in the Swan region to 40. The service planning around that will see those 15 beds in the new hospital serving the hospital in terms of consultation and liaison, and serving the emergency department as well with acute beds. It has yet to be determined where the 25 beds in the Swan Valley Centre will actually go, or whether they join the 15 beds already at Midland, but if they stay on the Swan Valley site, they will be intermediate care step-down facility beds.
Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to page 161 in relation to the suicide prevention program, for which there has been a significant injection of funds. That is great, but there is not a lot of detail. I am interested in getting some more information about how that will be administered, what it will look like, and how the funds will be allocated statewide.
[11.50 am]
Dr S. Patchett: Western Australia has been at the forefront of suicide prevention for the country since the late 1980s, when there was a spate of youth suicides in the north west. We have always had a suicide prevention strategy through the auspices of the youth suicide advisory committee, which then became the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention in the early 2000s. The Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention was completing the work towards a state suicide prevention strategy. There is a requirement for a state suicide prevention strategy to fall out of the national suicide prevention strategy-the LIFE framework as it is known, for Living is for Everyone. The new government made a specific commitment in relation to that-commitment No 3-and allocated $13 million to develop the suicide prevention strategy for the state. That has been a replanning exercise of the draft from the ministerial council and it is in the final stages of preparation. It is being driven strongly by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Mental Health, Hon Helen Morton, who is sitting in the chamber now, and it is about to be released. The whole state of Western Australia will be excited about what they will see in front of them.
I reiterate that the state suicide prevention strategy borrows heavily from the national suicide prevention strategy priority areas, with particular reference to Aboriginal clusters of suicide in this state and having a robust and effective model to deal with those. The $13 million funding will be split over three years. The initial funding is $500 000 this financial year and then $6.25 million for next financial year and the following financial year. That funding will go towards particularly the community development aspect of the suicide prevention strategy. We will see the advent of a new ministerial council for suicide prevention, a small office for suicide prevention and then community suicide prevention coordinators.
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[Supplementary Information No C2.]
Question: Hon Alison Xamon: I refer to the asset investment program for mental health services shown on page 179 of the Budget Statements. How many inpatient mental health beds are currently available in the east metropolitan region? Are there any plans to increase this number; and, if so, where? I will give an idea of where I am going with this as well. I also want to know how many inpatient mental health beds will be located at the new Swan health campus, and when they will he available. I realise that that is four different questions, but they all point in a similar direction.
Answer:
(1) As at midnight 22 June 2009, there were a total of 77 mental health inpatient beds in the East Metropolitan Region (electoral boundary). Breakdown as follows:
• Armadale - 40 (32 Adult, 8 Older Adult)
• Swan Valley Centre - 37 (25 Adult, 12 Older Adult)
(2) There are plans to establish 15 additional mental health inpatient beds in the Midland campus.
(3) See (2) above. The commissioning date is not yet known.
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Hon ALISON XAMON: I apologise for being unable to find a reference point for this issue in the budget. How much has been allocated in the upcoming financial year for the home-based midwifery and homebirth schemes statewide, and how does that compare with 2008-09?
Hon SIMON OíBRIEN: David Russell-Weisz will answer the question.
Dr D.J. Russell-Weisz: The community midwifery program will be expanded. We are negotiating with Community Midwifery Western Australia, which assists us in running the community midwifery program. The program comes under the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. CMWA will receive its usual core funding, and additional core funding of about $600 000 will be provided in 2009-10 to extend the number of homebirths that can be done.
Hon ALISON XAMON: How does that compare with the demand for these services? Will that amount come close to dealing with the number of women who want to access these services?
Dr D.J. Russell-Weisz: We are seeing an increase in demand, and there has been an increase in the number of women taking up homebirth deliveries. That is why additional funding has been provided for the community midwifery program. I am happy to take on notice the question about the increase in numbers. In 2009-10, we expect to see an increase in the number of homebirth deliveries, just as there was an increase in 2008-09. .
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Hon ALISON XAMON: I refer to the sixth dot point on page 781 under “Significant Issues Impacting the Agency”, which refers to mandatory reporting. I understand there were 382 reports up to 31 March, at least. Does this reflect an increase in the number of reports compared with the previous years; and, if so, by how many? I have some follow-up questions from that.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: There has been a 22 per cent increase in child protection notifications and an 84 per cent increase in child sexual abuse notifications. That sounds horrific, but it was from a number of around 360, if I remember correctly. Some of those were multiple reports.
Hon ALISON XAMON: Does the minister know the number of children that represented?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: I am fairly sure that it represents around 360 children. I am happy to provide the member with further information, because it shows how many reports have been made by teachers, police, nurses and doctors. When I said that some of those were multiple reports, it means that a doctor, a nurse and sometimes a midwife have all made reports.
The ACTING CHAIR: That will be provided as supplementary information.
[Supplementary Information No G2.]
Hon ALISON XAMON: How is mandatory funding allocated? Specifically, what proportion of funds is allocated to investigation, prosecution, treatment and also prevention? I wanted to get a picture of how that is playing out.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: The allocation over four years was $68 million, including $43.9 million for the Department for Child Protection to implement it. Is that the line of the member’s question?
Hon ALISON XAMON: Implementation can take a number of forms. I am trying to get an idea of how that is broken down as well. Does the minister have those figures?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: It is entirely in assessment and investigation. I must say that the mandatory reporting system set up by the previous government is a brilliant system. I was very sceptical before I went out and looked at the office. It is absolutely state-of-the-art and probably the best system that I have seen in Australia.
Hon SUE ELLERY: I hope Hansard got that!
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: As the Minister for Child Protection, I have continued the mandatory reporting system. I have been minister for eight months and I do not see anything wrong in saying that the previous minister did the right thing about the reporting of sexual abuse of children. I think we are both on the same page in that respect. However, before the term of this government ends, I will make it mandatory for all forms of abuse to be reported.
I return to the question asked by Hon Alison Xamon. The allocation covers staff numbers at the centre, assessment, working with police, and the information systems at the core unit. The amount allocated to the unit was $3 803 000 to set up information systems, infrastructure maintenance, on-call training and professional education. There was an allocation of $4 905 000 for training, learning development and after-hours services. We have six FTEs in crisis care. The Crisis Care Helpline is run from this unit. When the Department for Child Protection is called after hours anywhere in the state, the call goes to Crisis Care. One of the six staff at Crisis Care takes the call and calls the person on duty in the area from which the call came, who will then contact the police and perform the call-out. There are also allocations for country services, non-government services, sexual abuse treatment and HR support, and the balance goes to DCP core services, for which there are 53 FTEs in the mandatory reporting unit.
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[5.50 pm]
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Hon ALISON XAMON: I will follow up on the question asked by Hon Sue Ellery about the defunding of the SafeCare program. I am aware that the SafeCare program had a number of elements to it. It was not as simple as treating women and children or men; its whole-of-family approach to dealing with either sexual abuse or the risk of sexual abuse in the family was renowned. Can the minister advise whether any programs within her portfolio have been allocated funding that would take a whole-of-family approach to deal with sexual abuse, which would not necessarily be covered by a perpetrator simply being referred by a GP to a clinical psychologist?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: No, I have not. The SafeCare Young People’s program was given $133 000 in funding and the SafeCare Families program was given $92 000. I took the view that the money was better spent in the children’s area and that the perpetrators could be sent to a clinical psychologist. A lot of people in the community, including psychologists and people who are trained to deal with sexual abuse, were rather alarmed that perpetrators could be sent to SafeCare to undergo two years of psychological counselling for sexually abusing their little girl or little boy and be placed back into the family. There are two views. The member can read any of the literature she likes. There are those who would be horrified that people who insert their fingers into a little girl’s vagina or put their penis into a little girl’s mouth can receive two years of counselling and then be put back into the house in which the child is a voiceless little victim, and there are others who would agree with that. The member can read the two opposing views. I was faced with having to find savings because of the three per cent efficiency dividend and I had to make a decision about where the money would be best spent. Uniting Care West has been given $500 000 for all those little children out there who have already suffered. I took the view, in discussing it with the department and having that report that was done on SafeCare, that there were some concerns that the money would go to children who had already been abused knowing that there were clinical psychologists who do deal with perpetrators.
[6.00 pm]
Hon ALISON XAMON: But there is no whole-of-family approach to those families that so desperately want help. The simple answer is no.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY: No. UnitingCare West actually does support the whole family and there are child sexual abuse therapy services-C-SATS-that do support the whole family. There are places where the whole family can get support.
Hon ALISON XAMON: But it is not being –
The ACTING CHAIR: I ask the member to refrain from making comment. I am sure the minister will be happy to have a conversation with her outside the chamber, but this hearing is for asking questions about the estimates, and I would rather stick to that so that I can follow the rules that have been given to me as well. The Leader of the Opposition indicated that she had some further questions, but Hon Philip Gardiner has also indicated that he has some questions.
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[Supplementary Information No G2.]
Hon Alison Xamon: asked the minister to provide details of the 382 mandatory reports received up to 31 March; how many children did that represent?
Answer: There were 382 mandatory reports, reporting 368 children, received during the period 1 January to 31 March 2009. Of the 382 mandatory reports received to 31 March 2009 (which include multiple reports and reports on matters already under assessment), 97 were made by doctors, 35 by nurses, 186 by police and 64 by teachers/school principals.
Of the 382 mandatory reports, 95 of these mandatory reports related to matters already under assessment by the Department (42) or were additional reports about the same child/incident (53). The remaining 287 mandatory reports, reporting 321 children, resulted in 347 new notifications of suspected sexual abuse.
Please note: the Department's May reporting snapshot shows there were 347 notifications of suspected child sexual abuse between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2009. The figure of 360 was compiled primarily from the April reporting snapshot. Earlier figures reported and the difference in numbers is due to subsequent data correction since the April snapshot was taken.
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[Supplementary Information No H3.]
Hon Alison Xamon asked: in relation to central office administration operations, where, by division, were the three per cent efficiency dividend cuts being made?
Answer:
Forward Estimates $000,Title of Administration or Operation Function $ Amount Cut over
Staff Reductions 46 000
Workforce Policy 1 343
Policy and Accountability 5 139
School Administration 936
Training 1 285
Finance 906
Grants and Subsidies 4 000
Facilities and Services 3 586
Shared Service Centre 1 600
Technical Infrastructure Reforms 12 000
Corporate communications 1 631
Total 78 426
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