Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 12 August I was delighted to announce a location for the new Ipswich veterans and families hub in my electorate together with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence personnel. Operated by RSL Queensland, the new hub will be co-located with Mates4Mates at 260 Brisbane Street, West Ipswich. This follows Labor's commitment in the 2022 federal election to deliver a much-needed veterans and families hub in Ipswich. It has taken RSL Queensland a long time to decide upon and acquire a site, but they got there in the end. It's important because we have one of the biggest bases in the country—in fact, RAAF Base Amberley is the biggest air force base in the country. We've got more than 10,000 veterans and families living in Ipswich and the surrounding areas, and more than 5,000 ADF personnel posted to RAAF Base Amberley, including army units.

I'm very proud that the Albanese Labor government is delivering upon my commitment to establish this veterans hub—even more so because the federal Liberal and National Parties previously promised a veterans hub for Ipswich in the 2026 federal election, only to renege upon the commitment after having won the election. They went on to drop the commitment from their 2019 and 2022 election platforms. Then the Morrison government announced funding for a veterans wellbeing centre in South-East Queensland but still failed to deliver one in Ipswich. So it took Labor's commitment at the 2022 election to finally secure this funding and this facility for my community. It's wonderful to see the significant progress made with this project, with the permanent location now locked in and co-located at the Mates4Mates Ipswich Centre, in West Ipswich, and there's the expectation that GO2 Health will operate from this facility as well.

RSL Queensland and Mates4Mates have a proven track record when it comes to supporting the veterans community in South-East Queensland, so I am pleased that RSL Queensland was the successful applicant for the funding. They've got the runs on the board to make this happen. They've operated other centres around Brisbane, with Mates4Mates running several successful hubs across the country. This is why the Albanese Labor government awarded them a $5.4 million grant to lead the development of the hub in the first place, and it's why I'm confident they'll deliver an outstanding facility where veterans and defence personnel and their families will have access to a wide range of health and wellbeing services close to home when and where they need it.

Importantly, the Ipswich hub will provide tailored mental health services and wellbeing services, in keeping with our government's strong commitment in responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, something that Labor, from opposition, called upon the government to do. That's why having this hub close to where people live is so important. It's another sign that the Albanese Labor government is backing our veterans community in the Ipswich and Somerset regions. I'm looking forward to working with RSL Queensland and seeing this facility opened officially.

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