House debates

Thursday, 18 February 2021

Statements by Members

Goldstein Electorate: COVID-19

1:38 pm

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Key to Australia's successful COVID-19 response has been the responsibility taken by local communities to overcome testing challenges. Last fortnight, the Sandringham Ambulatory Care Centre, or SACC, delivered a rapid and comprehensive enlargement of their local testing capacity after a positive case was identified in our community. That has happened since the beginning of the year, led by CEO Amanda Murphy, operations manager Dave Osman, senior clinician Vanessa Thompson, senior project manager Ralph Markham and chief of services Sally Hoffmann. SACC swiftly re-established a drive-through testing site, extended its operating hours and organised a public awareness campaign. It was thanks to SACC's devoted work that state health authorities could reliably assess the risks of further outbreaks and deliver an appropriate response. Of course, the Morrison government is supporting efficient and adaptable local COVID-19 responses by providing $712 million to fund testing equipment, to make sure that communities can take responsibility and stop the spread.

Thank you to all of Goldstein's frontline healthcare workers for their dedication and sacrifice in defending our community from COVID-19. Thank you also to all of those people—all the residents—who got themselves tested even with the mildest of symptoms. What you've made sure of is that any outbreak in our community can stay there and stop.