In this senate estimates session I drew attention to the living conditions of the inhabitants of Mornington Island. To describe it as ‘Third World’ would be a kind interpretation.
The health of Mornington Islanders has been of concern to me for several years since one of my staff visited the island.
According to a recent KPMG report, $326 million has been put into Mornington Island community between 2017 and 2022, yet there have been “no consistent improvements” achieved in the areas of schooling, employment, chronic disease and child health. Where’s the money gone?
Transcript
CHAIR: Senator Roberts, you have the call.
Senator ROBERTS: The health of Mornington Islanders has been of concern to me for several years, since one of my staff visited the island to see first hand how the islanders were being serviced. To describe the conditions of those living on Mornington Island as third world would be a kind interpretation. It has been pervasive for a long time. How many Mornington Islanders in the last three years have died from alcohol related kidney disease or diabetes? If you haven’t got the figures—
Mr Exell: I’d have to take that specific thing on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: What medical services are currently provided on Mornington Island?
Mr Exell: I’m just checking—
Ms Turner: We’ll take that on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: What improvements to the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables have been made in the last three years?
Ms Turner: I think we’ll have to take that on notice as well.
Senator ROBERTS: What progress has been made in establishing a market garden to provide fresh fruit and vegetables?
Mr Exell: For that one, there might be a broader—
Ms Guivarra: You may be aware—and I think we’ve talked about it previously—that there is work underway on a food security strategy. So I might call my colleagues just to give a bit of an update on what work is happening on that.
Ms Bellenger: Can I just get the question again on food security, please?
Senator ROBERTS: What progress has been made in establishing a market garden to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for the islanders?
Ms Bellenger: Thank you for that.
Senator ROBERTS: I think there was a garden planned or established. I think it was underway.
Ms Bellenger: That’s correct. There’s a feasibility study underway on Mornington Island, so NIAA have funded people there to actually look at the viability in how that works. We provide $13 million for three community market gardens, who, after feasibility, are actually building the gardens in Doomadgee, Mornington and Yarrabah. Market gardens are notoriously difficult to set up and keep viable, but we are definitely working closely with our partners in those three regions.
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you. Is there any way of giving us a quick snapshot as to the stage you’re up to?
Ms Bellenger: I’m sorry. I’ll have to take that on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you. How many islanders are receiving treatment for alcohol related complications to their renal and liver health?
Mr Exell: I will take it on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: How many Mornington Islanders have diabetes?
Mr Exell: Again, we don’t have those details with us. Sorry.
Senator ROBERTS: That’s understandable. How many Mornington Islanders are requiring dialysis at other centres?
Mr Exell: Again—
Senator ROBERTS: Yes. Can you tell me something about the costs and the travel for those who are on dialysis?
Mr Exell: The cost for those who need to travel for dialysis?
Senator ROBERTS: Yes. The travel indicates to me some higher elevation of cost, as well as inconvenience to the people. What health programs are currently being offered for aged care of Mornington Islanders?
Ms Turner: We’ll have to take that on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you. What support or development programs are being offered to Mornington Islander youth?
Mr Exell: Again, from a Health perspective we will have to take it on notice. I’m just checking for an NIAA—
Ms Guivarra: Yes, we can also take that specific question on notice.
Senator ROBERTS: I don’t mind things being taken on notice if it means a better answer. That’s fine. I’ve got no problems with that. What mental health support is being offered to Mornington Islanders?
Ms Guivarra: Again, we’d have to take that on notice.
Senator Gallagher: How about we provide you a comprehensive brief of services, support and investments that are going into—
Senator ROBERTS: I would like the answers, though—
Senator Gallagher: Yes, as part of that.
Senator ROBERTS: And a brief, a personal briefing?
Senator Gallagher: I will certainly check with the minister’s office. It’s not up to me to give, but I will undertake to do that.
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you, Minister. According to a recent KPMG report, $326 million has been put into the Mornington Island community between 2017 and 2022 but with ‘no consistent improvements’ achieved in the areas of schooling, employment, chronic disease and child health. Where’s the money gone?
Mr Exell: That’s, again, across a range of sectors there, so we are happy as part of that report to pull that together and try to address—
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you. My next question is why no improvements, but that’s the same, so that’s fine. But we need answers to these questions. Australia is looking for answers. To the member of staff who went there, it seems money is wasted. He’s not saying there is not an issue or that it’s not deserving of a solution—it certainly is—but the attempted solutions over the past few years have not been successful. There is wasted money, too much talk and not enough action while islanders continue to live in squalor and die too early, and that’s a really serious concern. I would also like to know: can locals work? The previous witness talked about being involved in making the garden, which is wonderful.
Ms Broun: Again, we could include that in this comprehensive brief and it would go to some of the programs that we’ve been running.
Senator ROBERTS: Yes, alright. Chair, I would just like to put on the record that I am very pleased to see Senator Nampijinpa Price and Senator Kerrynne Liddle in here. I haven’t worked with Jana, so I don’t know her. I’m not going to make any comment. I’m not leaving her out by omission, but I want to make it very clear that I support what they’re doing and it’s a refreshing breath of fresh air.
Thanks for the report. Government inaction is shameful here and elsewhere. Where is accountabiliy? Where is responsible government? Just throwing millions of BORROWED money around won’t help anyone. I want to see bookeeping in all things, just like any other government department unless all that is out the window as well. We need accountable people on the ground, reporting everything. Why isn’t that done? I had better leave it right there.
My word, isn’t it comforting to know that we have such ignoramouses
in charge of our Aboriginal Health &/or services.
“Health in Austalia” does not exist.
What we have, is a ‘Sickness System’, we are serviced by pseudo Doctors,
who, probablt believe that they are doing good, but, in actual fact, they are
helping you to get on a gravy train for Big-pharma by presribing their body/brain
damaging drugs that cure nothing, in fact, every drug that your Dr prescribes does
damage to your body &/or brain.
What is needed, is, to get Big-pharma out of our Medical Schools & Universiries & teach
our Doctors how the body works & how to give the body the essentials it needs to maintain
good health.
Given the right ingredients, (good food, nutrition, exercise, & good sleep) the body will
maintain itself.
We have evolved over the past 3-4 million years, (Big-pharma have only been around
for about 100 years & have managed to introduce hundreds of new complaints/diseses
that were previously unknown), & the reason their drugs don’t cure anything is becaus
their drugs are synthetic, &, we have eviolved to only process things that are Natural,
& Big-pharma cannot patent anything that is Natural.
Senator Roberts, keep asking the hard questions! Most are afraid to do so. So much money has been wasted with little accountability both by Governments and Aboriginal organisations. It’s time there was accountability, no private business could operate in this way without going under. I would suggest though that surely people don’t need Government funding to set up a community garden. Anyone who wants better health for their children could do this with a little effort. People should not always expect Governments to fix all their problems!