Issues Paper Mallee South Country Cabinet, 11 - 13 September 2016 On 11 to 13 September 2016, the South Australian Cabinet visited the Mallee South region, covering the District Councils of Tatiara, Southern Mallee and Karoonda East Murray. Over three days, the Premier and Ministers travelled across the region to speak with local people about the issues that concern them most. This document summarises the issues, listed by topic, that were raised with the Government by the local community during the Mallee South Country Cabinet visit: Transport, roads and infrastructure Infrastructure Inadequate power supply to the region is preventing industry expansion. The single power line and its fragility of supply during peak load presents a financial risk to businesses. The cost of power is noted as being detrimental to industrial expansion, with opportunities being lost to Victoria due to their significantly lower power costs. The area has more than 50 registered mobile black spots. Limited broadband coverage impacts the economic output and wellbeing of the community. The community understands it is an unrealistic expectation to obtain 100% coverage, however, consider it important to have coverage along all major roads. The economic impact of poor mobile coverage is felt by primary producers. This loss to the producers also has a flow-on impact to the local community and to the state’s economy. There are also the safety concerns of not being able to easily contact someone in the case of an emergency. The three Councils have allocated funding towards tower development as part of their applications for Round 2 of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program. The community is grateful that the South Australian Government has committed $2m in co-funding for Round 2. Announcements are due at the end of October 2016. It is suggested that a Mobile Back Spot baseline assessment could be done across the state, as done in other regions of Australia to assess where towers are most needed rather than where they give best commercial advantage to mobile providers. Concern was expressed in regards to the state of the Government Radio Network (GRN) and mobile black spots and their impact on the effectiveness of emergency services. Roads and Transport There is a concern at the condition of the Bordertown to Naracoorte Road and the Francis to Naracoorte Road which were built for 10 tonne trucks, and now support an average of 30 B-Doubles a day. Some transporters are so concerned about the state of some roads in the region, they are now directing their drivers to use other roads, including some managed by the Council. This is placing a burden on the Tatiara District Council’s maintenance of these roads. The Karoonda Highway and Mallee Highway are facing increased heavy vehicle traffic following the decision by Viterra to conclude their rail transport contract. The high yield anticipated for the 2016 harvest will only increase this anticipated load volume on these highways. Interest was expressed in the development of a road from Murray Bridge to Gepps Cross, or further north of Adelaide, that bypasses the Adelaide metropolitan area. This would allow trucks to move freight to major depots north of Adelaide without having to descend the treacherous South Eastern Freeway and will avoid traffic congestion. Both the Mallee and Karoonda Highways have few safe straights for overtaking and it would be desirable to have dedicated overtaking lanes on these roads. It is requested that funding be allocated to help seal the remaining exposed shoulders of freight transport corridors. Clarification was sought as to whether or not rail infrastructure in the region might be re-opened as this could potentially reduce freight costs for local export producers. Councils raised the Rubble Royalty as a key concern. Councils note that they were yet to see any of the royalty returned despite their understanding that 75% of this funding is meant to come back to local Councils. Users of multiple heavy vehicle licences are frustrated on the need to carry these licences on them at all times and are interested to hear when electronic licences will be available. Access to transport is reported to be a significant barrier for isolated carers in the region. Planning Clarification is sought as to how the proposed new planning system will treat applications, such as the development of a new waste depot in the Tatiara District Council region. A private developer proposed the project several years ago but it was refused by the Development Assessment Commission. Council remains supportive of this project. Unused Government assets provide opportunities for the local community and local economy, if they are repurposed. There is interest in the process for the sale of unused Crown Land. In Bordertown, the old Bordertown Railway Station and a strip of Crown Land that runs parallel to the Adelaide to Melbourne Rail line, could be utilised for other purposes. Health, Wellbeing and Community General Health Services The community does not want to see any reduction in services in the region, which is currently home to five hospitals. All hospitals are on major transport routes which can increase patient numbers. Access to medical services, including general practitioners (GPs) is an ongoing issue. There are concerns regarding the risk surrounding the inability to recruit and retain health professionals across a range of disciplines. Clarification is required for residents who are deemed ineligible to access the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) if they are visiting specialists in Adelaide rather than Mount Gambier. The community is interested to hear of the outcomes of the South Australian Social Development Committee’s Review of Country Health Advisory Councils. Relocation of services away from the Repatriation General Hospital is a concern of the broader veteran community. Bordertown’s health infrastructure is ageing, with the Tatiara Community Health building needing replacement. There is strong community support for the plan to build a purpose-built health centre next to the existing hospital. There is a desire from the community to maintain the Level One Theatre, 24/7 service to enable visiting specialists to practice at Bordertown. It was reported a patient was turned away from the Bordertown Hospital, as they had no capacity for the patient. Mental Health Services Limited provision of mental health, drug and alcohol support services are a concern, with many patients required to travel to Mount Gambier or Murray Bridge to access these services. There are also reports of a lack of help for veterans with PTSD. Aged Care There is increasing demand for Aged Care Services in the region. In Bordertown there are 43 Commonwealth funded aged care beds, which are all currently full, with a waiting list. There is a projected need for 20 to 30 more aged care hostel beds in the Tatiara region (currently 62 beds in the aged care hostel). Keith Hospital There is continued community interest in the future of Keith Hospital. However, the current short-term funding arrangements are not enabling the hospital to implement long term planning, impacting its ability to attract and retain staff. There is concern for residents with no private health cover at Keith who are not able to access the services of the hospital. These patients have to be admitted to hospital in Bordertown, Mount Gambier or Murray Bridge with their families unable to be close by to support them. It is estimated that up to 50% of the Tatiara community doesn’t have private health cover. Keith Hospital is reported to be charged for ambulance transfers for patients to other hospitals. It is the understanding of the hospital that this cost is the responsibility of the patient and would like the issue followed up. There was also concern about the impact of rising ambulance costs and whether there was an opportunity to collect a levy for this service similar to other states. Community Services Clarification is sought as to how the child protection reforms and proposed improvements for Families SA will impact rural areas. Concern was expressed over falling membership and retention levels within the Country Fire Service, particularly in the Mallee. Current levels of police services are meeting most of the region’s needs, however, there is reported to be a need for additional staffing in the Southern Mallee area. There was a report that volunteers for multiple organisations were required to pay for separate police checks for each role. It was suggested that the rules be changed to enable one police check to be adequate, for all volunteer roles an individual undertakes. There is a need for better succession planning for leadership in shrinking regional communities. There is reported to be a good program on the Eyre Peninsula working with sporting clubs that could be expanded to other areas. The cost of insurance for activities in which older citizens participate such as dancing, is making the cost for participants too high. The region is home to a significant migrant population. It has been reported that services for the migrant community in Tatiara have been reduced and that additional funding recently provided by Multicultural SA has not filled the gap. Migrants play an active role in these communities, including filling vital volunteer roles (e.g. CFS, SES). There is a perception that regional areas do not receive an equitable amount of funding from the Office of Recreation and Sport (ORS). Southern Mallee Council advised that the Lameroo Sporting Club is a joint venture of the Lameroo football, netball, cricket and tennis clubs. The Club has raised $200,000 to upgrade its facilities, but has been unsuccessful in its application to ORS for funding in the past three rounds. There have been numerous trials run over the years to resolve the childcare services gap in the region.