ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
they had won the tender at that point. All letters went out to successful and
unsuccessful tenderers on
the same day.
Ms PURICK: I will leave it at that. It seems very strange that they were that presumptuous. It does not
go good for their management. Thank you, minister.
Mr CHAIRMAN: That concludes consideration of Output 3.1 - Community Health Services. We now
move to Output 3.2 – Mental Health Services.
Output 3.2 – Mental Health Services
Mr CHAIRMAN: Shadow Minister.
Mr CONLAN: Minister, similar information about available beds, available
bed days, total bed days,
bed occupancy rates. We do not have to go through that; perhaps if you could take it on notice?
Mr VATSKALIS: I do not have that information at hand, so we have to take it on notice.
Mr CONLAN: And occupancy rates, so the percentage. I want available bed days, total bed
days and
bed occupancy rates.
Ms HENDRY: I can give you that.
Mr CONLAN: I thought in the interests of time, instead of reading it out, are you able to …
Mr CHAIRMAN: You can either table it or you can answer it now.
Mr CONLAN: You can do it, yes. There are only 25 minutes to go and a bit to get through.
Ms HENDRY: I may as well give it because that will …
Mr CONLAN: Take up more time.
Ms HENDRY: Well, it is easier just to give it than have someone rewrite it out, as well.
Mr CONLAN: But can we …
Ms ANDERSON: I cannot hear.
Mr CONLAN: We will ask for a copy of it anyway.
Ms ANDERSON: You have to
get her to speak up, to stop slurring.
Ms HENDRY: Sorry?
Ms ANDERSON: I said you need to speak up so we can all hear you.
Ms HENDRY: Sorry, Bronwyn Hendry, Director of Mental Health.
Ms ANDERSON: Sounds like a drunk – a slur like a drunk. I am not saying you are a drunk; just that
you slur ...
Mr CHAIRMAN: I just think we can say that, then we can table it.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Ms HENDRY: All right, we will just give it to you in a moment.
Mr CONLAN: That will be very helpful, thank you. We will table it anyway. If we could just ask for it to
be tabled.
Mr CHAIRMAN: Do you have that in a format …
Ms HENDRY: Well, it is in various bits …
Mr CHAIRMAN: It is not a form that can be tabled.
Ms HENDRY: … so I will have to actually compile it.
___________________________
Question on Notice No 7.19
Mr CHAIRMAN: So, it has to be done as a question on notice then.
Mr CONLAN: Would you please provide the committee with information on occupancy rate of mental
health beds for each hospital; that is, available beds, available bed days, total bed days, and bed
occupancy rate?
Mr CHAIRMAN: For the
purposes of Hansard, I allocate that question No 7.19.
_______________________
Answers to Question Nos 7.6, 7.7, 7.9 and 7.14
Mr VATSKALIS: Mr Chairman, I have some answers for questions on notice before - 7.6, 7.7, 7.9,
and 7.14. I am happy to table them.
Mr CHAIRMAN: No worries, thank you very much.
Mr VATSKALIS: You are welcome.
________________________
Mr CONLAN: Minister, how many instances of services are provided in Royal Darwin Hospital to
prisoners of Darwin Correction Centre?
Mr VATSKALIS: I suppose you are referring to mental health?
Mr CONLAN: Yes, that is right.
Mr VATSKALIS: We will take that question on notice.
Question on Notice No 7.20
Mr CONLAN: In that case I will expand on that. Would you be able to provide the total percentage of
bed occupancy or total bed days utilised by Darwin Correctional Centre prisoners?
Mr VATSKALIS: Okay.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr CHAIRMAN: For the purposes of Hansard, I allocate that question No 7.20.
Mr CHAIRMAN: Sorry, some of the people missed it. Hansard got the question, but some of the
people …
Mr CONLAN: Well, actually it might be easier this way because the next one. How many instances of
service are provided by Royal Darwin Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital to prisoners of Darwin
Correctional Centre and the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, and what would be the total
percentage of bed occupancy or total bed days utilised by Darwin Correctional Centre prisoners and
Alice Springs Correctional Centre prisoners?
Mr CHAIRMAN: And
to clarify the issue, is that the people who are listening to the TV to get the
question on notice to get the answer during the Estimates Committee are missing it at times when it is
read. That is why I was asking.
Mr CONLAN: Okay, yes.
Mr CHAIRMAN: I think Hansard have got it because they get to play the tape back, but the people
listening to the TV trying to get the answers out the back are sometimes missing it.
Mr CONLAN: Yes, no worries.
Mr VATSKALIS: Just to clarify, inpatients?
Mr CONLAN: Yes, that is right.
Mr VATSKALIS: For mental health?
Mr CONLAN: Yes, for mental health.
Mr CHAIRMAN: And that was 7.20 still? That was not a new one?
________________________
Mr CONLAN: Yes. Minister, the Secure Care
facilities; are you able to give us an update on that - the
$5.9m, I think, stated throughout – I do not have it; the figures are here somewhere. I know the latest
is - you rode in on the white horse, again, to suggest they now be moved. Is that correct?
Mr VATSKALIS: Actually, it was in the other Camry I rode. I went in there and I had a look, personally
at both facilities in Alice Springs and in Darwin. I formed the view that not only the reaction of the
people but, also, the areas were inappropriate for various reasons. I asked
the department to have a
look at different facilities. Now, the Alice Springs one will move away from where it was proposed; it
will go to Old Mount Plains, the old Bowen Springs Station, and the one in Bees Creek will go to
Holtz.
Mr CONLAN: Okay.
Mr VATSKALIS: Before anything is established, further consultation with people who
may live around
will take place.
Mr CONLAN: All right, very good. That is good news.
Mr CHAIRMAN: Do you have any questions, member for Macdonnell?