ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr VATSKALIS: It will continue; it will be part of the new contract.
Mr WOOD: Could I ask a question that hangs on that?
Mr CONLAN: Yes, look, I wanted to move through this one pretty quick, so over to you, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: What happened to the McKay Report? Was it the Mackay Report or McKay Report? Was
it ever made public, were there recommendations in there, and did the government take up those
recommendations?
Ms CAHILL: That report that you are referring to was it done in 2004-05?
Mr WOOD: I think so, it was never released, I do not think.
Ms CAHILL: Yes, my understanding is that it has not been. I have not personally seen it.
Mr VATSKALIS: Cabinet have considered that report but it has not been released to the public
because it is part of Cabinet deliberations.
Mr WOOD: A long deliberation. Do you think it will be released?
Mr VATSKALIS: Cabinet has made the decision that St John Ambulance is going to be the preferred
provider, and we will continue with that, but with improved governance and efficiency.
Mr WOOD: Okay, thank you.
Mr CHAIRMAN: So you have finished, have you, member for Greatorex?
Mr CONLAN: Yes.
Mr CHAIRMAN: Member for Macdonnell, have you any questions of 2.2?
Ms ANDERSON: No.
Ms PURICK: Thank you, Mr Chairman, I have probably three questions also regarding St John
Ambulance Australia NT.
Minister, in regard to my discussions with St John and, as you know, I worked there many years ago
so I have some understanding of how they operate, the trigger for another crew is about 20 000
people. The rural area is growing fast, as you know and understand, and our population is almost
hitting 20 000 if not over, so when is the government going to start to commit seriously funds to the
development of a centre down there, bearing in mind that a few years back when the fire station and
the police station at Humpty Doo precinct was opened, there was a photograph of the Chief Minister
in front of a sign that says ‘Ambulance Centre Stage 2’. That is some years ago. Stage two or stage
one?
Mr Wood: I have a picture of the sign.
Ms PURICK: The sign has mysteriously disappeared. My question, minister, is when is the
government going to consider the people in the rural area equally as people in the urban areas
regarding ambulance services?
Mr VATSKALIS: We already have. That is why we are putting a new 24/7 ambulance service in the
Palmerston area.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Ms PURICK: That is not the rural area that is Palmerston. That is some 20 km away from Lambells
Lagoon.
Mr VATSKALIS: Any future growth in the area will be taken into account as part of the new contract
to be provided by St John over the next few years.
Ms PURICK: You do not care about people in the rural area. That is what you are telling them.
Mr VATSKALIS: Hold on, hold on, do not put words in my mouth. We said we agreed with St John
that we would have a three year contract until 2013. Part of this contract will be governance and
efficiencies, and part of this governance and efficiency will be where and how we expand the service
to cater for people all over the Territory, not only in the rural area. We have the growth towns - we
have to address issues in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Gove and some of the growth
towns.
I do not say we do not care for people in rural area. We care, and that is why we awarded the contract
to St John Ambulance, and that is why we say, with St John, we will provide the means to have a look
at the current governance model and how to improve their efficiencies.
Ms PURICK: I understand the department is still in negotiations regarding St John and their delivery,
so perhaps I need to lobby the board to say part of their discussions should include another crew
based in the rural area. I will leave it there for now.
Mr VATSKALIS: Can I ask Robyn Cahill to answer.
Ms CAHILL: Just to let you know at a meeting yesterday with St John’s to do our planning processes,
we reached agreement that we will spend the next four months doing the modelling and demand
requirements based on geography and population, so all that will be taken into consideration.
Ms PURICK: That is good because the police and the fire complex at Humpty Doo do not have scope
currently to house an ambulance and crew. It needs expansion, which needs funding from
government. Thank you for the answer.
Minister, my other question is regarding the after-care paramedic service provided at the Palmerston
Centre which no longer is provided by St John - it is now provided by a company called International
SOS. My concern is on 23 January an advertisement was placed in the newspaper by International
SOS seeking people to work in that complex, however St John Ambulance were not told until 28
January they were unsuccessful in winning the contract.
My question is was there some insider trading as to why this company got the contract and St John
did not? I have evidence of the advertisement in the paper, and when St John was notified. The
advertisement appeared in the paper before St John was told they did not have the contract.
Mr VATSKALIS: It is a different output; it is under Health and Wellbeing Services, so if you would like
to ask ...
Ms PURICK: Take it on notice?
Mr VATSKALIS: No, the output …
Mr CHAIRMAN: Under 3.0?
Ms PURICK: Minister, my last question refers to St John, and this is obviously something that
concerns all Territorians not just us poor under privileged people in the rural area.
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