Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government has introduced the most significant reforms to the family law system in 30 years and family relationship centres are the cornerstone of these reforms. As of July 2007 the people of Upper Mount Gravatt and surrounding south side suburbs in Bonner will have direct access to one of these new centres.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because of your representations to the Attorney.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, honourable member for Fisher. The Upper Mount Gravatt Family Relationship Centre will be a welcome support for local families and I believe it will become a vital source of assistance to the community. Upper Mount Gravatt is a hub of activity. It is a central suburb on the south side of my electorate and an ideal location for the centre. The areas in and around the suburb are home to over 11,000 families and, in addition, many businesses and an already established government agency in Centrelink. Garden City Shopping Centre, one of the largest Westfield centres in Brisbane, draws families from throughout the wider south side community to Upper Mount Gravatt on a regular basis.

The family relationship centre will be another easily accessible service for residents and will be the first port of call when people need help to make their relationships stronger or when relationships end. South side families will have access to highly trained professional mediators at the centre who will use innovative, child focused dispute resolution techniques to encourage parents to put aside their own differences to agree on what is the best result for their children. This sort of mentoring and dedicated assistance service will address a grassroots need in the community. Since being elected, I have run several mobile offices on the south side of the electorate and in that time I have been approached by many separated parents, single parent families and even relatives affected by separation and individual family issues, all of whom are in desperate need of assistance and attention. Many are incapable of affording quality legal advice or counselling, and there is simply no local alternative.

On 3 October last year, after holding a round of mobile offices in August, I wrote to the Attorney-General, the Hon. Philip Ruddock, pleading with him to deliver one of the new 65 family relationship centres to the south side of Bonner. I lobbied for a centre in Mount Gravatt or in the neighbouring suburbs around it, and I assured the Attorney of the many benefits that it would bring to the local community and the wider community. I take this opportunity to commend my senior colleague and thank him for having listened and ensured that the doors of a family relationship centre will be opened in Upper Mount Gravatt as of July 2007. (Time expired)