Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Siewert for the question. I know Senator Siewert has a longstanding interest in Northern Territory Indigenous health issues. I am aware that, on 6 November 2009, Minister Snowden offered the Northern Territory government the temporary use of a relocatable two-chair dialysis facility for placement in Flynn Drive in Alice Springs. This facility will be used as an interim measure to ease some of the pressures on Northern Territory dialysis facilities whilst the new 12-port facility is being constructed.

I understand that the Australian government is also working with the Northern Territory government, but the Australian government acknowledges that access to renal dialysis in Central Australia is, and continues to be, a major issue. Dialysis services are predominantly administered by state and territory governments, but I am aware that the Northern Territory government has implemented protocols to refer new patients presenting for treatment in Alice Springs who are nonresidents of the Northern Territory to their state of residence for treatment. The Northern Territory Department of Health and Families has advised that this decision was necessary due to delays in establishing a new 12-port renal facility in Alice Springs and to a substantial increase in patient numbers in Central Australia.

Given the high demand for dialysis services in Alice Springs, the Australian government, as I have indicated, has recently agreed to make available to the Northern Territory a two-port relocatable dialysis facility. It is only for temporary use while we await the 12-port facility, which will ensure that Central Australia is serviced with dialysis facilities, to come online. The Northern Territory government is— (Time expired)