Ms NEAL (11:49 AM) —I rise to conclude my remarks on the Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2009. Accordingly, the national partnership agreement on preventive health provided $872 million to reform how the Commonwealth and states work together on preventive health. This agreement represents the largest single investment in health promotion in Australia’s history. Prevention forms the foundation of the Rudd Labor government’s approach to health care. I am very heartened to know that the health professionals on the Central Coast have already endorsed the Rudd Labor government’s new approach to a coordinated national strategy for preventive health.

In September 2009, Dr Phil Godden, the Chair of the Central Coast Division of General Practice, said ‘increased efforts in preventive health will result in fewer chronic illnesses, less pressure on hospitals and a healthier community’. Dr Godden also said that Central Coast GPs work with their patients every day in matters of prevention of chronic illnesses, especially obesity, smoking and alcohol. These are the three areas that we are specifically targeting with the National Preventive Health Strategy. The division is already running a number of programs supporting GPs in their preventive health roles. These include a lifestyle modification program that is run in conjunction with accredited physiotherapists and that aims to proactively prevent type 2 diabetes through a GP-monitored exercise program.

The Rudd Labor government is in total agreement with Dr Godden when he states that ‘it is self-evident that prevention is better than cure’. Dr Godden concludes by urging the government ‘to act on the findings of the strategy and begin implementation of it as soon as possible, as the longer it takes to start, the worse the health outcomes will be for those Australians who are most in need’.

I can assure Dr Godden and the rest of the Central Coast GPs that this government is acting both decisively and quickly on a national strategy for preventive health. The establishment of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency represents a bold new initiative in public health in Australia. It will boost Australia’s capacity to combat preventable diseases and set the nation up for a healthier and more prosperous future. I commend the bill to the House.