Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) | Link to this | Hansard source

For 60 years, NBN has been part of daily life on the Central Coast, broadcasting into the homes of local families and helping bring our community together. Through natural disasters, global pandemics and the everyday stories that matter, dedicated journalists and camera crews have worked tirelessly to keep coasties informed.

Today I rise with deep concern—a concern shared right across the region—about WIN News's decision to significantly scale back the operations of NBN on the Central Coast. The decision is not just a so-called corporate adjustment; it has real consequences. It means the loss of local jobs, skilled journalists, producers and camera operators who understand our community and are part of it. It means a diminished ability to tell the stories of the Central Coast by the Central Coast for the Central Coast.

For decades, NBN has been a cornerstone of regional life, not only as an employer but as a trusted voice. Local journalism is essential. It matters. It keeps communities informed. It holds decision-makers to account. It means that regional voices are heard. When local newsrooms are scaled back, communities lose more than jobs; they lose representation. I urge WIN to reconsider this decision and to explore every possible option to maintain a strong local presence on the Central Coast because this is about more than a business model; it is about protecting jobs, preserving trusted regional journalism and making sure that our community continues to have a voice.

I rise today to speak about something close to my heart, something making a real practical difference to the people of Dobell. I'm talking about Labor's Medicare urgent care clinics delivered right across the country. I acknowledge health minister Mark Butler for seeing this through—all 137 clinics—and helping Australians get care when and where they need it.

Behind every clinic is a story. One of them is Graeme's. Graeme is a stroke survivor living with a lifelong disability and is also a passionate AC/DC fan. Last year, at a concert in Accor Stadium, he rocked a little too hard and badly gashed his shin. While paramedics treated him on the spot, his recovery meant weeks of follow-up care. In the past, that would have meant repeated hospital visits in busy emergency departments—something especially challenging for someone living with a disability. Instead, Graeme went to the Lake Haven Medicare urgent care clinic. He told me it was easier, more welcoming and far less stressful. The staff, he said, were fantastic and empathetic. He told me:

This is the best thing that a government has done for Lake Haven.

That says it all. This is about dignity, access and making sure people get care when they need it. When we invest in healthcare like this, we're easing pressure on hospitals and we're improving people's lives, and that's what a good government should do.