Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Hansard source

This has been a difficult summer for all Australians, particularly the Jewish community and those who were at Bondi on 14 December. To those who were affected by the attack, I want to acknowledge the grief, the trauma and the distress that you are working through. Every Australian's heart is with you.

I also want to thank the mental health workers who have been supporting the people and the families who have been impacted by the attack. The work you do is often hard and always important, and I know that many of you have been managing your own grief while you are helping others.

As the Senate acknowledged yesterday in its condolence motion, the impact of the Bondi attack includes the trauma of the men, women and children who were injured physically and psychologically, including those who witnessed the horror. That is why our government is responding with formal mental health supports, responding promptly after that attack to deliver immediate assistance. The $42.6 million package is intended to help those most affected by this tragedy. It includes $14.2 million for targeted mental health supports for the Jewish community. This funding has been made available through organisations with established links to communities nationally, such as Jewish House and Jewish Care. A further $4.5 million has also been provided to primary health networks in the Sydney region and areas with significant Jewish communities. We've committed to establishing a Medicare mental health centre within the Bondi area. The centre will have a specific focus on trauma support and will provide free walk-in services. Work is well underway, and we expect operations to start next week.