I rise to support this motion and National Skin Cancer Action Week. In 2024, I had a skin cancer cut out of my nose. I decided then that I would use what was an uncomfortable—and very ugly to look at—experience to encourage other Australians to take skin cancer seriously, and, importantly, to remind people to get their skin checked. My own experience reinforced that none of us should assume it will not happen to us. That message matters especially in regional Australia because prevention and early detection only work when people can actually access care. The challenge is particularly acute in Mallee.

Research led by La Trobe University found melanoma rates across Loddon Mallee were 34 per cent above the Victorian average, with isolation and access to health care two of the barriers confronting patients. I want to acknowledge the Loddon Mallee Integrated Cancer Service, or LMICS, whose northern Mallee cancer representatives met with me in person and via video in my Mildura electorate office last week. I appreciated the opportunity, particularly as I'd been unable to join their annual forum at Bendigo Health in August, which examined inequity in regional cancer care.

LMICS's message in that meeting was a clear and sombre echo of my maiden speech in 2019: your postcode should not determine your health status. LMICS and its research partners are backing that principle with practical work through their project, RISE4SkinCancer, which is seeking to improve detection, treatment and referral pathways across Loddon Mallee by building the capacity of primary care. Their meeting with me illustrated how fragile and reliant on others regional cancer services can be.

LMICS reported that flight disruptions this year had caused radiation oncologists visiting Mildura to cancel clinics on at least five occasions and convert at least 10 clinics to telehealth. Patients themselves also depend on those unreliable flights to reach specialist appointments elsewhere. That is why bringing detection and expertise closer to home matters. I have strongly advocated for a VECTRA WB360 whole-body imaging system at Mildura Base Public Hospital.

VECTRA uses 46 stereo vision pods to produce a high-resolution, three-dimensional map of a patient's exposed skin. Individual lesions can be recorded against that body map and reviewed over time, allowing clinicians to identify and monitor changes which may warrant further investigation. Following my advocacy, a $3 million expansion through the Medical Research Future Fund established Mildura as the 16th site for the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis. The MRFF itself was established by the former, coalition government in 2015—an enduring coalition investment in Australian medical research and innovation.

Technology alone is not enough. We need GPs and nurse practitioners equipped to identify suspicious lesions, reliable referral pathways, specialists and a locally trained medical workforce. In my meeting with LMICS last week, it was clear that our cancer care networks are very fragile due to our dependence on fly-in fly-out specialists or flights to get patients down to Melbourne. Our long-term answer must include training and retaining more medical professionals in regional Australia.

My message during National Skin Cancer Action Week is straightforward and twofold. First, protect your skin, know your skin and get any suspicious changes checked early. Second, governments, both federal and state, must meet Australians halfway as they do their bit in prevention. Governments need to ensure early detection and treatment does not depend on your postcode.

I rise to support this motion and to recognise National Skin Cancer Action Week, which is being held from Sunday 15 to Sunday 22 November. Sadly, Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Two out of three people will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer during their lifetime, and more than 17,400 people in Australia are diagnosed with terrible melanoma each year.

To me as a nurse, as an Australian and as one of those two out of three people with a history of skin cancer, those statistics are stark. In Western Australia, my home, the risk is particularly familiar. We enjoy an outdoor lifestyle across our coastline and bush. We work outside, play sports, gather in parks and at our beaches. Because of that, so many of us spend significant time exposed to harmful UV radiation.

The good news is we can work against what we know is preventable, and prevention is definitely the best medicine. For many years, we have been taught the all-important messaging of 'slip, slop, slap, seek and slide'. Slip on protective clothing, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade and slide on the sunnies. Prevention, of course, must be supported with early detection, because knowing your skin, recognising changes and getting regular checks is all-important. I used to run skin checks with a dermatologist in remote areas. Often, it was the ones that you couldn't see that were the problematic ones, so please get your partner to check as well, or go and see a GP regularly.

Early detection gives the best possible chance of successfully treating skin cancers, and the Albanese government knows this. We have invested $15 million over two years to continue the national skin cancer prevention campaign, which is delivered in partnership with Cancer Council Australia. The campaign this year recognises specific age groups. The End The Trend campaign targets young Australians aged 18 to 30, and it has achieved 43 per cent of those reached overall taking action to protect themselves. The Save Your Skin campaign, aimed at men aged 40 and over, achieved awareness of 58 per cent, with 34 per cent taking some sort of protective action—but, guys, you can do better than that. I'm looking at you! These results show that targeted public health campaigns can do more than raise awareness. They can change our behaviour for the better, and when behaviour changes lives can be saved.

The government is also investing in the future of skin cancer detection. We provided $10.3 million to accelerate the development of the national, targeted melanoma screening program road map. Led by researchers at the Melanoma Institute Australia, their work is addressing evidence gaps and informing future considerations. Their recent breakthrough, having a targeted cancer vaccine for melanoma patients, is pretty much the equivalent of landing on the moon. It is incredible. They do great work, and we need that work in Australia. Cancer Council Australia also is leading with Cancer Connect, on 131 120. It's an information and support line where people can get cancer information and any other information that they need regarding cancer. So please use Cancer Connect on 131 120.

I really want to acknowledge the outstanding work of Australia's researchers, along with the many doctors, nurses, dermatologists, surgeons and health professionals working every day to support people affected by skin cancer. Their work is improving prevention, advancing detection and treatment and helping Australians through some of the most difficult periods of their life. National Skin Cancer Action Week is an opportunity for every Australian to take a simple step that could save a life. Check your skin, become familiar with it, book a skin check, speak to a health professional, speak with your family and friends, encourage your children to develop sun-smart habits, and remember that sun protection is every day, not just for holidays or the weekends. Rain, hail or shine, we should be using sunblock. The message is clear: prevention works. Early detection saves lives, and timely support helps people navigate diagnosis and treatment. I commend the motion to the House.