The Liberal Opposition has announced it will deliver critical care closer to home for cancer patients in the Limestone Coast.


The former Federal Coalition Government allocated $4.3m in 2019 to fund radiation therapy equipment in the Limestone Coast.
Despite Federal funding for the proposal, plans to deliver radiation treatment to the region were halted when the State Government refused to support the proposal with ongoing funding to cover out of pocket costs for patients.
This prompted more than 16,000 people to sign a petition in May 2023 calling for the delivery of radiation treatment services in the Limestone Coast.


However a feasibility study released last month found that establishing a radiation therapy service was not currently a safe, sustainable or financially viable option.


This meant that 150 patients will continue to be required to access such treatment in either Warrnambool or Adelaide.
Visiting Mount Gambier yesterday, Liberal Leader Vincent Tarzia said the community’s calls had fallen “on deaf ears with the State Government once again failing to deliver for regional South Australians”.


Mr Tarzia joined with local MLC Ben Hood to announce the Liberals’ commitment and said cancer sufferers in the Limestone Coast were currently forced to drive up to a 10 hour round trip to undergo critical radiation treatment.


“This comes at a significant financial and emotional cost to patients, who are forced to be separated from their families and support network while undergoing radiation treatment,” he said.


“South Australia is the only state to not deliver radiotherapy services regionally. We will ensure equitable access to health care in our regions, starting with radiation therapy services for cancer suffers in the Limestone Coast.


“Your postcode should not determine your health outcomes. As the party for the regions, we want to reduce the barriers to health care for regional South Australians.”


Mr Hood acknowledged the crucial advocacy of the Radiation Treatment Limestone Coast Working Party that helped secure this outcome.


“I want to thank the tens of thousands of South Australians, and the hardworking grassroots working party, who have fought long and hard to get a commitment from government to establish radiotherapy services in the regions,” he said.


“We have seen similar service models provided interstate in Mildura, Griffith and Warrnambool. Yet the Malinauskas Labor Government is happy to leave cancer suffers in the Limestone Coast to travel interstate to seek critical treatment – at their own cost and far from their families and support network.


“I’m proud to stand side by side with my community today, and all those that fought hard, including those 16,000 people who signed the petition, to promise them that we will deliver the care they deserve, closer to home.”


Shadow Minister for Regional Health Services Penny Pratt said she knew “country patients face poorer health outcomes than their metropolitan counterparts”.


“Regional health is a key focus for the Opposition and we understand the tyranny of distance better than the city centric Labor Government,” she said.


“Labor is running a false economy when it comes to the health budget blow out, legislating the damaging GP Payroll Tax and sourcing anaesthetists for Mount Gambier. They have turned their backs on the Limestone Coast communities when it comes to delivering any compassionate radiotherapy service based in the regions.”


In a letter to the Minister for Health Chris Picton, the Radiation Oncology Access Coalition urged the government to meet with them to discuss why the Mount Gambier regional radiation treatment is viable and how the existing $4.3m of Commonwealth allocated funding can be best utilised.


In response to Tuesday’s announcement, Minister Picton scoffed at the Liberals’ pledge.


“Vincent Tarzia does not know the first thing about health care, the Limestone Coast or the contents of the feasibility study,” he said.


“His fly-in-fly-out announcement is not worth the paper it is written on.


“Vincent needs to outline how he will get the workforce despite the independent feasibility study raising this as the key risk.


“Vincent Tarzia and the Liberals are ignoring the deliberations of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) Governing Board – the same governing board established by the Liberals to make such decisions locally and not from Adelaide.


“How would Vincent Tarzia run a service that an independent feasibility study considers unviable?


“The Libs talk about supporting the regions, but the facts tell a different story.


“Capital works in regional health have increased 388% – or an additional $132m – under Labor in the 2024-25 State Budget compared to 2021-22 under the Libs, while the operating budgets of country LHNs have also increased 25% – or $260m – under Labor.”