The Senate today voted in favour of a Greens motion calling on the Commonwealth Government to intervene to sort out the long lasting cross-border dialysis crisis in Central Australia.

Dialysis patients from South Australia's Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands have been unable to access ongoing treatment in nearby Alice Springs, and are being forced to travel thousands of kilometres to Adelaide for treatment because of a lack of agreement between the SA and NT Governments.

"It's totally unacceptable that this situation has been allowed to drag on for so many months," said Greens Health Spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert today.

"My motion called on the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon to urge the South Australian Government to commit to the establishment of an agreement as a matter of priority. I hope this happens without any further delay.

"I congratulate the WA Government on its recent commitment to work out an agreement with the NT to allow renal patients living east of Warburton access to dialysis services across the border in the Northern Territory. There's no reason that South Australia can't do the same.

"These patients can not wait any longer. It's time the Commonwealth Government played a more active role in the development of a properly-funded, long-term response to renal disease across Central Australia," Senator Siewert said.

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Motion moved stated that the Senate:

(a) congratulates the Western Australian Government on its commitment to negotiate an agreement with the Northern Territory Government so that renal patients living east of Warburton can, once again, access dialysis services in the Northern Territory;

(b) notes that the Northern Territory Government has expressed a willingness to establish a similar agreement with the South Australian Government so that people from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands with end-stage renal disease can access ongoing dialysis treatment in Alice Springs;

(c) expresses concern that, to date, the South Australian Government has been unable or unwilling to negotiate such an agreement;

(d) asks the South Australian Minister for Health, John Hill, to advise what impediments, if any, are preventing his Government from entering into such an agreement;

(e) calls on the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, to urge the South Australian Government to commit to the establishment of such an agreement as a matter of priority; and

(f) highlights the need for the Commonwealth Government to play a more active role in the development of a properly-funded, long-term response to renal disease across Central Australia.