Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [10.14 a.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House very serious concerns that I have expressed in representations I have made to the Minister for Education and Training. I have begun to wonder what the Department of Education and Training has been doing to get the message out about the Ambulance School Cover Scheme. I received an email from Ralph Taylor, the principal of Wyrallah Road Public School, in which he refers to his concerns about students who undertake school excursions interstate. When a problem arises and students have to be transported by ambulance, the ambulance transportation is the responsibility of the student. When students are interstate, they are not covered under the public education system when they require ambulance transportation. I made representations to the Minister for Health, Carmel Tebbutt, who stated in part:

the Ambulance School Cover Scheme (ASCS) [was withdrawn] with the withdrawal of South Australia in 1998 and Queensland in 2003 from these arrangements and advice from the ACT Ambulance Service that it did not recognise reciprocal arrangements in respect to the ASCA, the Ambulance Service of NSW has restricted the cover it offered.

I am also advised that insurance coverage can be obtained to cover ambulance services when travelling outside NSW.

The situation had to be highlighted by a school principal's inquiry, otherwise nobody would have known. I call on the Department of Education and Training to make that information available to parents and schools, especially those in areas near the Queensland-New South Wales border. Parents should be informed about the interstate ambulance service arrangements before they allow their children to undertake excursions so that they are in a position to ensure that their children are covered, should a problem arise.

In this context I made representations on behalf of Lehman Espley, who is 17 years of age. He participated in the North Coast soccer trials and represented Wollumbin High School, which he attends as a year 12 student. During the soccer game he damaged his right knee when he tackled another player. An ambulance was called and Lehman was taken to the Tweed Heads hospital. On Monday 15 March, he attended the King Street Medical Centre, Murwillumbah, and received a diagnosis of substantial ligament damage to the knee. Later a magnetic resonance image [MRI] showed that there was cruciate ligament damage. Reconstructive surgery on Lehman's knee is the only way for him to achieve full movement of his knee and leg and restore him to his active life.

Lehman's parents were advised that the surgery might be done in either the public or private hospital system. The waiting list for the private hospital is two to three weeks at a cost of $8,300 and the waiting list in the public hospital system is approximately 12 months. Lehman's mother approached Karen Connell, who is the highly respected principal of Wollumbin High School, regarding the cost of the surgery. Lehman's mother was informed that she was required to pay the expenses, and then write a letter to the school requesting payment, and the letter would be forwarded to the legal department of the Department of Education and Training in Sydney, which would consider the application. Lehman's mother states:

Although I work full time, as a single parent I am unable to afford the $8,300.00 necessary to have Lehman's operation The Principal [Karen Connell] suggested she understood my situation but nothing more could be done.

After discussions with my solicitor I contacted the Department of Education in Sydney who confirmed the information given to me by the Principal [was correct].

Lehman's mother was informed that she could make an approach, and if the Department of Education and Training was found to be at fault, the out-of-pocket expenses for Lehman's operation would be paid, but only if negligence was involved. This young bloke was representing his school in soccer trials when he was injured—I will not go over that again—but it was not until after he was injured that he found out that he had no insurance when representing his school. If there is no coverage then that should be made very clear to the students and their parents before students represent their schools in sporting activities. I am sure this problem is occurring right across the State. What is the Department of Education and Training doing about highlighting the shortcomings of students representing their schools in sporting activities? I call on the Department of Education and Training to inform parents of exactly what coverage their children are entitled to when they are representing their schools in sporting activities.