A Private Members Statement delivered on 21 June, 2023, by the Member for Keira, the Hon. Ryan Park MP.
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) (16:42): I welcome those students and hope they enjoy their time in this place. An important local health service in the community that Minister Scully and I are lucky enough to call home is the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service [AMS]. It is an inspiring local organisation that provides much-needed health services to First Nations people across the entire Illawarra region. The service has been in place and providing quality primary health care for almost 40 years, working to ensure that First Nations people in the Illawarra have access to holistic health care informed by Indigenous perspectives.
The team acknowledge that health care goes well beyond just seeing a GP, and they provide a real community to support those using their services throughout the healthcare system. Starting out in a small residential house in Wollongong in the 1980s, when the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and I were just wee little boys, the service grew rapidly. Within a few years the team were working five days a week providing medical services for those who needed them most. Today the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service is a truly impressive outfit. Through the tireless work of the team, led by CEOs Kane Ellis and Jade Hansen, they have continued to match and exceed our community's expectations for primary health services.
In addition to their longstanding GP services, the organisation has continued to expand and now offers, very importantly, dentistry as well as other cultural and community support services. The Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service now also runs a women's group and art therapy and offers counselling for those who need it. One of the programs is the industry-leading Koori SMART program, run in coordination with the Department of Community and Justice, which I am looking forward to seeing in action very soon.
Recently I had the opportunity to visit the clinic and meet the amazing team of dedicated staff. As the Minister for Health, it gives me great pride that our region is well serviced by that fantastic local organisation. While there, I was impressed with the breadth and quality of services they provided and the trust they have built within their community. Organisations like that are vital to closing the gap in healthcare access and outcomes for First Nations people and set the standard for care, outreach and governance for similar organisations across the State. I also recently had the pleasure of visiting the Walgett AMS, which is doing fantastic things in rural and remote communities.
This year we will take part in an important and long-overdue journey towards recognition of and reconciliation with our First Nations people. In that process, it is vital that we work with organisations such as the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service to ensure that we walk with the community to understand the challenges and find the solutions we need, particularly in relation to health care. Health care for our First Nations brothers and sisters is far worse than for the general population, and it has been for significant periods of time. Closing the gap presents some real challenges for policymakers at both Federal and State level, and organisations like the AMS are truly doing the on-the-ground work that is needed to close that gap. I wholeheartedly thank the team for welcoming me to the clinic and look forward to working with them to build a healthier and brighter future in our region.
