I rise today to celebrate an incredible milestone in Australian medical research and to pay tribute to a community in my electorate of Forrest that has quite literally changed the course of global public health. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the world renowned Busselton Health Study, which began in 1966 as the visionary idea of a local GP, the late Dr Kevin Cullen, and has grown into one of the longest running, most significant community health cohort studies in the world. Dr Cullen understood that, by studying a stable, representative regional population over time, we could unlock the secrets of chronic disease. Sixty years later, more than 25,000 citizens of Busselton have stepped forward, volunteering their time, their data and their own blood to build a resource to advance human health. Administered by the Busselton Population Medical Research Institute in partnership with UWA, this single study has produced more than 400 peer reviewed publications gracing the pages of the world's most prestigious scientific journals, including Nature, Science and the New England Journal of Medicine.

The diverse domains of medicine that have been transformed include cardiovascular disease, when, in the 1970s and eighties, Busselton's data systematically tracked risk factors like blood pressure and smoking, proving that community-wide lifestyle shifts accounted for a 67 per cent decline in male cardiovascular mortality; sleep disorders, when, in 1990, a pioneering in-home sleep study on a population-wide basis proved that moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea is a significant independent predictor of all-cause mortality; and genetic medicine, where the very first genetic markers associated with asthma were first discovered. Today, through the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study, researchers are tracking thousands of baby boomers to study how diabetes, hearing loss, cognitive decline and physical function interact as we age. They're also leading urgent research into the long-term metabolic and respiratory impacts of long COVID.

Busselton is not just a study; it is a vital research-enabling platform for our entire nation. Its deep database and decade-spanning biobank are registered internationally, allowing external researchers from across the globe to collaborate and benchmark health data. But beyond the data, the algorithms and the biobanks, the true heart of the Busselton Health Study is its people. This 60-year legacy is a testament to the community spirit, generosity and civic pride of those people of Busselton, where generations of families have participated, creating an unbroken chain of contribution to global human welfare. I want to formally congratulate the many project leads, the staff, the boards and every single resident who has ever participated in a survey, given blood or undertaken a clinical test, because for 60 years you've helped the world live longer, healthier and better lives. Your local contribution is a global triumph, and this parliament commends you.