Springborg And Langbroek Must Answer On Barrett Centre

Media Release 

Opposition Leader, Annastacia Palaszczuk, says the Newman Government has double crossed youth at risk and their families by refusing to clarify the future of the Barrett Adolescent Centre and school at Wacol.

“The Barrett Centre is a unique facility in Queensland offering a school and residential care for adolescents with serious mental health problems and the LNP government has callously refused to commit to keep it open in 2013,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“As the school year ends the Minister for Education and the Minister for Health must give certainty to students and parents. Will the Barrett Centre be open in 2013 or not?

“If not, what will happen to the students who come from throughout the state and what is the future of the staff?”

Ms Palaszczuk and Shadow Health Minister, Jo-Ann Miller, today met parents and other representatives of the Barrett Centre to discuss their concerns.

“The Barrett Centre is literally a lifeline for many young people with psychiatric disorders and the last thing they and their families need is to have their lives thrown into crisis by its closure,” Mrs Miller said.

“Closing it would be the equivalent of shutting a hospital’s intensive care unit. The centre is an intensive care unit for young people at risk and parents and staff have fears for the safety of some students if it shuts.”

Mrs Miller said at present there were up to 16 young people living at the centre and attending its school at any one time along with eight day students.

“The former government planned to relocate the Barrett Centre to a new site at the Redlands Hospital and although there had been some delays in the process, the former government was never going to shut the centre and school,” she said.

“By contrast, the dysfunctional LNP government has no qualms about abandoning the young people who need help and their families. Of all the callous cuts to frontline services made by the Newman Government this would have to be one of the very worst.

“There is no way the centre can be described as anything but a frontline education and health facility.

“It is no use Mr Springborg hiding behind the regional board, yet again. The boards are part of the LNP government and their decisions are government decisions.

“Yesterday we saw the announcement of 500 jobs going in our state’s health system in critical frontline areas including children’s health across the state, on Brisbane’s northside and in the rapidly growing Gold Coast region.

“In Townsville the LNP’s cuts mean it is almost a case of BYO bandages. These are all decisions that are the direct responsibility of Mr Springborg.”