New healthcare spending is expected after the SA Liberals claimed victory in the state election.

Liberal leader Steven Marshall has declared a “new dawn” in the state, ending 16 years of Labor rule in South Australia.

The Liberals promised to invest $40 million in shortening elective surgery waiting lists, and at least $14 million on aged care facilities.

The new health investments are expected to be funded by an efficiency dividend of 0.75 per cent in current healthcare spending.

The party promised that frontline roles such as doctors and nurses would be “quarantined from the efficiency dividend”.

Mr Marshall said the Liberals would spend money on promoting ways to cut the rate of preventable disease.

“For every dollar invested in health promotion, it is estimated that we can save over five dollars in health spending,” he said in a statement.

“We will invest in prevention and work to rebalance health service funding.”

The party said it would establish a Healthy Communities Program which focuses on five goals:

  • Increasing physical activity by individuals and communities;
  • Decreasing rates of smoking;
  • Decreasing rates of problem alcohol consumption;
  • Increasing access to affordable healthy food; and
  • Improving the knowledge of all South Australians about what it takes to be healthy.

“We will establish the South Australian Health Towns Challenge by investing $1 million over four years to fund preventive health projects in regional areas,” Mr Marshall said.

“Each year, five towns will be provided with up to $50,000 for a project to have measurable and immediate benefits for health and wellbeing.”

The Liberals’ pre-election health pledges are accessible here.