Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For too long it has been too difficult for Canberrans to find a bulk-billing GP. We've been listening to them, and I'm proud that our government has been able to deliver extra support to Canberra to ensure that we can boost bulk-billing GP access in our city. The Albanese Labor government is really delivering on bulk-billing, tripling the bulk-billing incentive around the nation, but rates in Canberra have still lagged behind the national average. We've been able to secure $24.3 million in a package to boost fully bulk-billed clinics to get up and running. Last Friday I joined Senator Katy Gallagher, Andrew Leigh and David Smith to announce the locations of the three new bulk-billing GP clinics in the ACT that this has enabled to be established. Those will be a clinic in Gungahlin run by Macquarie General Practice, a clinic in south Tuggeranong run by Next Practice Deakin, and one in Molonglo run by Ochre Health. All three clinics will be opened by 30 June this year.

I thank those doctors and practices who, through a very competitive process, have been granted the funds to get those clinics up and running. I thank all the doctors in Canberra who are bulk-billing, and all the doctors in Canberra for the incredible role that you play in our community. We have listened to you about how hard it can be, and that's why we're providing this extra support. This is a really great initiative and we're pleased to see that Canberrans will have better access to fully bulk-billed GP clinics around the ACT from 30 June.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the Old Narrabundah Community Council's annual community festival in Narrabundah. As always, it was a really well-attended and vibrant festival. There was great music there, including from the bands of Narrabundah College and Daramalan College, and lots of local producers providing great food. There were great performances and lots of people there enjoying a beautiful autumn morning in Canberra. These events don't happen by accident, and I thank the Old Narrabundah Community Council for everything they do. I congratulate them on what a successful event this always is. I particularly want to shout out to Andy Botham, and festival coordinators John Keeley and Tara Bucknall. I particularly enjoyed seeing the community garden, and it is really thriving—I congratulate Victoria Jewett and her team on the work that they've done there. They remediated a largely wasted area and made it into a thriving garden where community members can access a plot and grow their own vegetables. It was really great to hear people talk about what that meant to them and how they've been able to access this great fresh produce and a beautiful space to connect with nature.

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