8/5/07
A 'charity house' built by the State Government in partnership with the Beeliar Partnership Pty Ltd will help provide a life-saving facility for Western Australians.
Housing and Works Minister Michelle Roberts said the funds raised from the sale of the charity home auction at the Meve development in Beeliar would be used to develop WA's first cord blood bank, supported by Rotary WA.
"Cord blood is taken from the placenta and umbilical cord immediately after a child is born and stem cells contained in the cord blood can be used to treat patients suffering from leukaemia and other malignant and genetic blood diseases," Mrs Roberts said.
"The cord blood is only taken with the mother's full consent and unlike embryonic stem cells, there is no ethical controversy associated with it."
The Rotary WA Cord Blood Bank initiative has received support from both the Catholic and Anglican Archbishops of Perth.
Launching the 2007 Charity House Project, the Minister said the achievements of the Beeliar Joint Venture team in community development were outstanding.
"This project will build on the success of the team's first charity home, 'The Home Front Charity Home', which was built and auctioned in October 2005," Mrs Roberts said.
"A total of $120,000 from the sale was donated to the Fremantle Hospital Medical Research Foundation, which is dedicated to undertaking medical research into a variety of needy areas including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
"It is anticipated that the Cord Blood Charity Home will yield a similar donation."
The Rotary WA Cord Blood Bank project is intended to be housed at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service building in Wellington Street, Perth.
The State Government and the Beeliar Partnership Pty Ltd identified the project as an important public health initiative that would benefit Western Australians, as well as national and international patients, who had life threatening diseases.
There is currently no public cord blood facility in WA, which means that all tissue and cells required for transplants are sourced from interstate or overseas.
"A public cord blood bank in WA will be able to collect and store cord blood, which will represent the State's unique ethnic diversity and significantly increase the chance of finding a matching donor for Western Australians in need of transplants," Mrs Roberts said.
Minister's office - 9213 6600
