Anne Urquhart (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, along with Minister Emma McBride, we officially opened the Medicare mental health centre in Devonport, in the electorate of Braddon. This walk-in centre offers free mental health care for anyone aged 18 and over. It's open five days a week, with no appointment, no referral and no payment required. It's staffed with qualified mental health professionals, who can find the support that people need either on the phone, face to face or via the website. It's a warm, soothing environment, and as soon as you walk in the door you feel like it's giving you a warm hug.

These centres are a much-needed addition to my community. Following the soft opening the week prior to the official opening, the centre had 15 walk-ins. When I dropped in last week to say hello, they told me they'd had a further 10 walk-ins since the official opening. These are services which really matter in a community, particularly in regional communities like the one that I represent, and I look forward to a second Medicare mental health centre opening soon, in Burnie. This will provide services right across the two major centres within the electorate of Braddon.

The Albanese Labor government is getting on with the job of supporting our regional communities with these very important services. Again, they provide a walk-in service, with no referral and no payment required. We are getting on with the job of helping people in our regional communities.