Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN ( Stuart ) ( 15:10 ): My question is for the Minister for Health. Given that it’s three months today since Alinta announced its planned closure of the Leigh Creek coalmine and it’s very likely that that coalmine will be closed within another three months, will the minister advise the house what the government’s intentions are for health service delivery in Leigh Creek and the surrounding district?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING ( Playford Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (15:10): The final decision hasn’t been made, but my strong expectation is that we’ll continue providing the hospital there, certainly a health service, in any case, because of where it’s situated on the highway and because it provides a service to the surrounding districts. We’ll confirm it, but my very strong expectation is we will continue to have the hospital there.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN ( Stuart ) ( 15:11 ): Supplementary: just to confirm that the expectation is that it will be provided indefinitely, and when will the confirmation be provided, given that the mine will close probably in less than three months?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING ( Playford Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (15:11): I can guarantee we wouldn’t be closing it in three months. There is a body of work going on in the government not just with regard to the hospital but all government services that are provided at Leigh Creek. Once that body of work is done, then I will be in a position to confirm it; but, as I say, my initial advice is that where it’s situated on the highway and the fact that there are strong communities around there who rely on the hospital, it would be very, very unlikely that we would be closing it post the Alinta closure; but I’m happy to get back to the member for Stuart. There will be a time when the government will have a broader announcement to make about all the services with regard to Leigh Creek. That’s in the hands of the Hon. Kyam Maher who’s dealing with those issues.