Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the House that a headspace centre will soon be established in the Knox area in my electorate, which is a terrific outcome. It is a combination of a more than 12-month-long campaign which I have spearheaded along with many other people in the local community. We have organised a 10,000-strong petition, we raised over $10,000 from local organisations to contribute to the establishment of the centre and we have done numerous speeches and media in this parliament along the way.

I am absolutely delighted that this centre is coming to our area. It will be located in the old Centrelink building in the Knox Ozone precinct which, as members may not appreciate, is the hub of the Knox community and is where young people generally will go and hang out. The centre will involve counselling services, GP services, psychiatric care and some drug and alcohol care, as well as employment services—a full suite of services targeted at 12- to 25-year-olds. Our hope is that young people who are battling depression and severe anxiety may see this as an opportunity and as a place where they can walk into and get the care and assistance they need so that they can live full and fulfilling lives like everybody else.