Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Ministers statements: First Nations health services

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:47): I rise to update the house on the importance of putting Aboriginal health and wellbeing in Aboriginal hands. It is unacceptable that any group in our society has a life expectancy gap of more than 10 years, and it is unacceptable that 54 out of every 1000 Aboriginal people are hospitalised for potentially preventable causes, compared to 24 for non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal Victorians have the same rights to good health outcomes as any other Victorians, and that is why we are doing things differently here in the Department of Health in Victoria and why we steadfastly support treaty.

The Victorian Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Partnership Forum is co-chaired by me and Mick Graham of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service. The forum met last week in Ballarat to shape its next set of priorities. It was fantastic that the member for Geelong was there, that the Minister for Health Infrastructure attended and that the Minister for Mental Health in the other place was also there. The partnership forum is already delivering on the priorities set by the Aboriginal community, including a reformed budget process; stronger cultural safety in hospitals; better Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation infrastructure, including $13 million for a new clinic in Cranbourne and $7.4 million towards the brand new Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-op, which opened on Friday – and you were there, Speaker, you know how wonderful that is; a stronger ACCHO workforce; and urgent care pathways for Aboriginal people, which are making it easier for community to access care at ACCHOs ‍– trusted, respected, culturally safe health care.

We know that all families are better off when they have a say over the services and policies that impact them, and Aboriginal people are no different. Treaty makes sense because it gives Aboriginal people a say in the matters that are most important to them. I proudly support treaty.