Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to speak this evening about the important work that is being undertaken by GriefLine, which is an organisation operating from Bentleigh, right in my electorate of Hotham. GriefLine has been operating for 25 years now, and it offers a free grief counselling service. It is the only free grief counselling service anywhere in Australia. Organisations that work with people who might be grieving, like Lifeline, beyondblue and the Cancer Council, continually refer people to this important service. Its mission is to listen, care and support those experiencing grief at any stage of life. Last year—would you believe it?—GriefLine served 50,000 people who contacted that organisation through various means. It has expanded its work beyond simply receiving phone calls to online assistance, and it runs forums around different parts of Australia. A particular focus in recent times has been working with rural Australians.

I want to mention two important people who work at this organisation. Catherine Cini, who was the 2012 Bendigo Bank Community Humanitarian, who runs the organisation, is ably assisted by Kathy Wells, who was our 2014 Glen Eira Citizen of the Year. Together they run this organisation on a shoestring. They support 170 volunteers to do this important work. I am supporting them at the moment in working with local councils to find new premises, which is urgent, but that will not stand in the way of the important work that they continue to do.