“The taxpayers of South Australia should be extraordinarily concerned,” he said.
last year reported concerns from Yadu Health’s leaders that the 50-year-old building was a “ticking time-bomb” and an “accident waiting to happen”.
The not-for-profit Aboriginal community-controlled health service says between 30 to 40 per cent of the building from which it operates free of charge is deemed “unsafe” due to water damage, asbestos and mould.
But despite repeated pleas to the state and federal governments, the health organisation was unable to secure funding to upgrade its facilities.
South Australian Labor senator Marielle Smith was in Ceduna this morning to announce a $13.35 million pledge to upgrade the Yadu Health clinic if her party wins the upcoming federal election.
She said calls to upgrade the building had fallen on “deaf ears” and the staff, volunteers and patients at Yadu Health deserved a clinic that was safe and fit for purpose.
“The infrastructure problems at Yadu Health have been a political football for too long,” she said.
“This funding commitment shows that Labor takes seriously the need to deliver on Closing the Gap and for Aboriginal communities across South Australia.”
Inside the Yadu Health building last year before repairs. The service says it constantly has to fix mould and water damage in the buxjmtzywilding. Photo: Supplied
The Federal Government in August pledged to spend $254.4 million on Aboriginal health infrastructure upgrades as part of its Closing the Gap program, but it is yet to provide a slice of that funding to Yadu Health.
In response to questions from last month, a spokesperson from the federal Health Department said the government was “aware that many Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) across the country have deteriorating or limited health infrastructure”.
“This is why the Government is investing $254.4 million over four years, from 2021-22 to 2024-25, to strengthen the sector,” they said.
The department said Yadu Health was also eligible to seek funding under a new grant program which opened last month.
“The grant opportunity has been co-designed with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) on behalf of the ACCHS sector, consistent with the priority reforms under the Closing the Gap framework,” a spokesperson said.
“All applications will be assessed through a transparent, competitive process to identify where the funding is most needed.”
Cracked walls inside the Yadu Health building last year. Photo: Supplied
SA Health previously told that it supported Yadu Health’s quest to build a new clinic through Commonwealth Government funding.
It said a survey found that Yadu Health’s current building could be safely occupied and there was no serious health risks.
But SA Labor’s Aboriginal Affairs spokesperson Kyam Maher said the Yadu Health situation was “making Aboriginal people feel that their health is not valued”.
