Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a major funding contribution in my electorate of O'Connor. The Albany Community Care Respite Centre has been allocated $1.1 million in funds over three years under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services through the state and federal governments. This will allow the facility to operate on a full-time basis for the next three years and deliver an essential service to Albany and the Great Southern region. I had the privilege of announcing this funding alongside my Nationals WA colleagues when I visited Albany last week. To say the news was warmly received—

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This news was what the respite care staff, centre staff and many carers residing in the Great Southern had been waiting for for more than a year. This funding means the Albany Community Respite Centre will now be available to provide 1,460 bed-days each year of respite care for local and visiting patients. It is very positive news for carers and their families living in the Great Southern.

The Albany Community Care Respite Centre is a brand new facility, constructed in 2010 with a generous amount of community support. However, a lack of funds means it has been able to operate for just one week each month. The respite centre will now allow carers to take a much-needed break to recharge and refresh, knowing that their loved ones are in good hands. A service like this, in a major regional centre like Albany, is vitally important to ensuring that regional Australia is sustainable. Indeed, according to Carers Australia, a break for respite care, whether it be for a few hours or a few days, will significantly increase the duration that a carer will continue to provide care. I believe that many families will benefit from this service, and the availability of respite care in Albany will continue to keep families living in the Great Southern.

Over the past several months I have campaigned strongly to secure ongoing funding for this respite centre and I am very fortunate to have a strong supporter in the federal health minister, the Hon. Nicola Roxon. I thank Minister Roxon for dedicating time and resources towards addressing this issue and securing much-needed funding. I would also like to acknowledge the WA health minister, Kim Hames, for his assistance. I wish to thank the Albany Community Care Respite Centre manager, Colleen Tombleson, who took me on numerous tours of the facility and was always available if I had any questions. I also thank the Nationals WA for their continued support for the project, particularly the Hon. Colin Holt MLC, member for the South West Region, and the Hon. Terry Redman, member for Blackwood-Stirling and former state MP Matt Stephens. I would also like to sincerely thank my Albany staff.

Carers provide a valuable service to our country, taking on what can often be a thankless job. I commend the state and federal governments on their decision to fully fund this vital service— (Time expired)