Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 21 October we mark National headspace Day, and it's my pleasure to speak about the great work this organisation is doing in the electorate of Ryan and around the country. Headspace provides essential and targeted mental health support for young people because, we know, 75 per cent of mental health issues develop before the age of 25. With COVID-19 it has already been a tough year, particularly for young people and kids. We know that young people have felt the significant burden of job losses or family upheaval or lifestyle changes because of the pandemic. Young people can use the support measures and resources available through headspace to tackle the mental health challenges that this pandemic has caused. Those resources have provided invaluable assistance to the community.

The Morrison government has made mental health and suicide prevention a national priority with an unprecedented $5.7 billion to be spent on mental health in 2021. In particular, the government is investing more than $630 million in the national headspace network to expand services, decrease waiting times and address the increased demand from the pandemic.

I would like to thank in particular the tremendous team at headspace Taringa in the electorate of Ryan for the work they do and the support they provide to the community. Over the past five years headspace Taringa has supported over 3,400 young people in the electorate with over 21,000 service visits, well above the national average for headspace centres. It is okay not to be okay. To find resources or someone to talk to about mental health please visit headspace.org.au.