House debates

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Matters of Public Importance

Health

3:54 pm

Photo of Andrew WallaceAndrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'll withdraw. I thought I saw her raise her eyes at the sky, but I'm happy to withdraw that.

EndED Butterfly House is building Australia's first residential eating disorder facility. Eating disorders are a scourge on our community, and, for the first time, the federal government is really stepping up to the plate and providing funding to address that scourge. The Sunshine Coast is becoming the epicentre for the treatment of eating disorders. A $3.2 million pilot for the treatment of eating disorders commenced there.

The federal government rolled out a program for treating eating disorders and listed it on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, giving it a benefit number. It's providing 20 psychotherapy sessions for less complex eating disorders and up to 50 psychotherapy sessions for people with anorexia nervosa or other complex eating disorders. This government will invest another $110 million to roll out these programs right across the country. So it's not just a matter of what's happening in my electorate; it's happening right across the country.

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