Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The towns of Kiama and Gerringong on the New South Wales South Coast are simply stunning, with incredible beaches and surrounded by rolling farmland and pristine rainforest. Local families enjoy surfing, bushwalking and making the most of everything our spectacular region has to offer. The community is close-knit, with music festivals, cultural groups, very active surf lifesaving clubs, great schools and loads of sporting and community organisations. It's the kind of laid-back, fun-loving beachside community where you want to raise your kids.

So you can imagine the utter devastation in 2020 when a number of much-loved young people took their own lives in Gerringong and Kiama. People in the community were rocked to the core, but they wrapped their arms around the families, friends and students. It was then, in 2020, that I joined with our community to campaign to establish a headspace facility to support the young people in Kiama and surrounding villages. I spoke with kids, local schools and amazing community groups about what was needed and set about lobbying for a headspace service on their behalf. It wasn't easy, with a new centre opened at Shellharbour and an established headspace at Nowra, but I wasn't going to give up the fight until we won—and we did.

I was so thrilled when headspace Kiama officially opened its doors in October 2024, and I am delighted to say it's having a massive impact on the lives of our young people in Kiama, Gerringong and surrounding areas. Cutting the green ribbon alongside the young people of Kiama, who helped to shape this essential service, was a fabulous celebration. It also recognised the resilience of a community that has had to bear way too much loss. Headspace Kiama manager Charro and his fantastic team have embraced our youth, and they're providing mental health support as well as sexual health and drug and alcohol services and helping young people reach their work and study goals. Opening headspace Kiama is one of my proudest achievements as the federal member for Gilmore. The youth of Kiama, Nowra and Batemans Bay now have access to essential mental health support at three of the 89 headspace services helping people aged 12 to 24 across regional Australia thanks to the Albanese Labor government.

Many people in my region are still reeling from the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, from drought, from a string of floods and storms and of course from the challenges of the COVID pandemic, which is why I'm delighted to have opened the doors of two new adult mental health facilities in my electorate. People across the Eurobodalla now have access to free walk-in mental health support and care with the opening of a Medicare mental health centre at Moruya in December 2024. The centre provides on-the-spot support for people in distress and ongoing care for more complex mental health needs. It's staffed by a multidisciplinary care team, including social workers, nurses and peer support workers, who provide free wraparound support and care for people when they need it. The Moruya centre is a welcoming, friendly space that caters for the health needs of the local community and it will take pressure off the local hospital emergency departments.

I'm thrilled that the recently opened mental health hub in Nowra will also soon be expanded to a full Medicare mental health centre. This means Shoalhaven locals will also have access to free walk-in mental health support and care when they need it, including access to psychologists and psychiatrists. These centres will improve access to, and awareness of, mental health care, especially for people who haven't accessed mental health support before. These are such important and needed services for the South Coast region, and I hope that everyone who walks through the doors at Nowra or Moruya finds the support they need without worrying about the cost.

The two Medicare mental health centres in Gilmore are among 91 that will be operating across the country thanks to a $1 billion investment by the Albanese Labor government. And Gilmore's three headspace services will be bolstered by 58 new or expanded headspace services nationally, plus 20 youth specialist care centres for young people with complex needs. Whether people young or old need short-term help or ongoing care, we will ensure that a free mental health service backed by Medicare will be there for everyone.

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that mental health outcomes in the regions are different to those in the cities. That can come from different pressures and from different sorts of services. My region in particular has struggled under the weight of some mental health issues over the last few years as a result of natural disasters. What we found is quite interesting. From the initial damage or disaster, people got on with their lives as long as they had something to do: 'What is the next task? What is the next process? Do I have to clean up my house? Do I have to find the dog? Do I have to talk to my insurance company?' It wasn't until after the event—six months after the event on average—when the mental health issues really started to come to the forefront.

It's this sort of understanding, coming from these events, that the Anthony Albanese Labor government is really seeking to get a handle on. That is why, when the disaster funding was released, a portion of that was set aside to understand the human cost of these disasters. Ultimately, it's not just businesses, it's not just homes and it's not just roads. They can be rebuilt. The question is: what is the mental health toll going to be like? Many young people from Holloways Beach are still living in hotels, which is not a great outcome, particularly for teenagers as they're going through years 11 and 12. The entire town of Wujal Wujal was removed and then replaced, and we're still working with them. So I'm very proud of the work that the Anthony Albanese Labor government has put into the mental health space. Cairns is getting its headspace upgraded; we're getting our own Medicare mental health clinic to help assist with these things as they happen and to get a better understanding for our next lot of natural disasters.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to rise in support of this motion put forward by the fabulous member for Griffith. When it comes to mental health, we know there is no health without it. Every single one of us knows somebody—a friend, a colleague, a neighbour, a family member—who has struggled. For too long mental health has been treated as an afterthought, but under Labor that is changing. We know that access to affordable, timely mental health support can be life changing and lifesaving.

That's why the Albanese Labor government is making the biggest investment in mental health care that Newcastle has ever seen. At the election, our government made a historic $1.1 billion commitment to deliver new and expanded mental health services. For Novocastrians, we're delivering a brand new Medicare mental health centre in Charlestown. This will provide fully bulk-billed, walk-in mental healthcare services—no referral and no cost. It means people can get help when they need it without worrying about how to pay for it.

Importantly, Charlestown isn't the only one. This centre is part of a national network of 91 Medicare mental health centres, all providing free professional mental health care across the country. The centres are designed for people who need more than a GP but are not in crisis. They fill a critical gap in our system, ensuring help is there before people hit breaking point.

On top of that, we've announced the expansion of Newcastle's headspace into a headspace Plus, a service designed specifically for young people aged 12 to 25 who need extra support. We know how tough it has been for young people through COVID, with cost-of-living pressures and the day-to-day pressures of growing up. These investments are about breaking down barriers—barriers of cost, barriers of stigma and barriers of access—because mental health care should never depend on the size of your wallet or your postcode.

Labor are stepping up because we believe every Australian deserves the right to high-quality mental health care close to home. That's why we've also committed to opening a network of 20 youth specialist care centres for young people with complex needs. We've established the Medicare mental health phone line and website, helping Australians to find a free service that is right for them. We've established perinatal mental health centres to provide support for new parents. We've restored bulk-billed telehealth psychiatry Medicare rebates so that Australians living outside metropolitan areas get equal access to clinical mental health support. We've expanded the mental health workforce with more than 4,000 psychology scholarships, internships and training places.

From January next year, we're rolling out our new National Early Intervention Service, which will deliver free mental health phone and online support from trained professionals and is expected to support 150,000 people each year. These services will save lives, they will strengthen families and they will make our community a healthier and more compassionate place to live. Let's keep fighting for a future where help is simple, stigma free and affordable for everyone who needs it.

Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allocated for this debate has expired.