Mr BONSON - 2004-11-30
Would you please inform the House what this government is doing to improve dental services for Territory school children?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a good follow-up to my colleague’s mention of teething problems.
In 1999, the Loan Report was commissioned by the CLP. I am sure the members for Brennan and Drysdale would know all about that. After all these years, we have had not only a good response to the Loan Report, but a very comprehensive response to the needs of our kids to get proper dental screening and treatment.
We are not simply contracting the service back to a smaller network, as the Loan Report indicated, but we are going to all of the 41 schools and giving a high-quality service to each one of them. Thirty-six of them are going to have their own fixed facilities on campus, and will be visited by dental therapists who will carry out the screening and initial treatment programs. In the case of three schools - Howard Springs, Alawa and Millner - a mobile unit will park in the grounds of the schools and offer the service, again, in a very high-quality environment. Marrara Christian School and St Paul’s will have access to free and safe services in Karama and Nightcliff Primary Schools respectively.
This is a really important example of where Health and Education, by working together, can obtain the best results for our kids. We all know the relationship between oral health and good health later in life. It is very important for both parents and kids to know that they are going to have this service properly provided for them during their schooling.
On 24 November, I had the great pleasure of going with my colleague, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, and launching this new and revitalised $1.7m service around our schools. This is in addition to the $1.6m of extra recurrent funding that is already committed in the 2003 budget to oral services, generally, in the Northern Territory.
Parents should rest assured that we, as a government - in contrast to the last one - looked at this issue with serious responsibility. We are now providing a high-quality service that our kids and parents expect.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a good follow-up to my colleague’s mention of teething problems.
In 1999, the Loan Report was commissioned by the CLP. I am sure the members for Brennan and Drysdale would know all about that. After all these years, we have had not only a good response to the Loan Report, but a very comprehensive response to the needs of our kids to get proper dental screening and treatment.
We are not simply contracting the service back to a smaller network, as the Loan Report indicated, but we are going to all of the 41 schools and giving a high-quality service to each one of them. Thirty-six of them are going to have their own fixed facilities on campus, and will be visited by dental therapists who will carry out the screening and initial treatment programs. In the case of three schools - Howard Springs, Alawa and Millner - a mobile unit will park in the grounds of the schools and offer the service, again, in a very high-quality environment. Marrara Christian School and St Paul’s will have access to free and safe services in Karama and Nightcliff Primary Schools respectively.
This is a really important example of where Health and Education, by working together, can obtain the best results for our kids. We all know the relationship between oral health and good health later in life. It is very important for both parents and kids to know that they are going to have this service properly provided for them during their schooling.
On 24 November, I had the great pleasure of going with my colleague, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, and launching this new and revitalised $1.7m service around our schools. This is in addition to the $1.6m of extra recurrent funding that is already committed in the 2003 budget to oral services, generally, in the Northern Territory.
Parents should rest assured that we, as a government - in contrast to the last one - looked at this issue with serious responsibility. We are now providing a high-quality service that our kids and parents expect.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016