Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I went to a great event in my electorate on 28 February. It was the opening of the Southern Carers Support Centre. This was a very special occasion. We know that there are so many carers out there, 2.6 million, who put others' needs before their own. Often carers could be a family member, friend, parent or child who are caring for someone with a disability, mental illness or other medical condition or someone who may be frail or aged.

As I go around my electorate I meet so many carers who, when I talk to them, always bring up the needs of the person they care for first before they ever bringing up their own needs. I think this shows just how special a group of people carers really are. We have to think about those who will care for the carers. It is really important that we have support for carers out there and that is why I was very pleased that the Southern Carers Support Centre was opened on Main South Road. In fact, it is now my neighbour because it is opposite my office.

This service will be very important for local carers in the region. It will provide a network for carers, information for carers and referrals for carers if they need specific supports. The building has been purpose fit so that there is a lounge room in which carers can have a cup of tea and share a story or two. It will also be organising and helping with respite for carers. These are all really critical things that carers in my local community do feel are so important.

As I talk to carers, one of the things they raise with me in my electorate, because it is an outer metropolitan electorate, is that they at times feel very isolated. They do feel a long way from services and they do feel it is hard to get support. So this will be a really important service. One particular young person I spoke to there was actually facilitating a young carers group for children who might be caring for parents, and that will be really important.

I would like to congratulate Peter Sparrow, the CEO of Carers Support Agency, for seeing the south as an important place to set up shop; all the carer support board directors as well as all the staff and volunteers, who will make this service so critically important. Carer support has been in the southern suburbs, but having a physical location will really help so many carers in the local area. I would like to congratulate everyone involved and encourage people to use the service.