Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to talk briefly about a walk which has occurred this morning in Strathalbyn in my electorate. Silent Ripples, a local group working with local bereavement organisations, organised a walk 'out of the shadows and into the light' to deal with the issue of suicide in the local community. All of us in this place know that suicide, particularly in regional areas, is a major issue, and it has been a substantial issue in the Strathalbyn area in recent times, and on the Fleurieu.

I congratulate the organising committee of Amy Chandler, Rhiannon Holdsworth, Donna Sell, Felicity Stanway and Laura Pelle for organising this walk. This morning 300 people attended, and they walked alongside Mayor Kym McHugh, a great local mayor, and the leader of the opposition and local member for Strathalbyn in the state parliament, Isabelle Redman, from the lawns of the visitor's centre to the soldier's memorial garden for a community breakfast.

There are a couple of points I would like to make about this walk. Firstly, the power of social media in engaging people in rural communities is starting to be something that smart young people, who care passionately about their communities, are using to engage with people across the board to raise local issues like this—community acting on behalf of the community, which we know is a most powerful way to address these issues, which very often remain hidden. Today, on World Suicide Prevention Day, it was an appropriate occasion to have this community based event to provide the opportunity for people to get out and show their support for the families that have been affected. It was also an opportunity for those who are suffering from mental illness in some way to see that there is a broader understanding in the community. There are people there in support. I pay tribute to the people organising these events—for their community spirit, for their love of their town, for their love of their area, for their love of their fellow citizens. It is an indication of the great community spirit that exists in so many rural and regional communities throughout our state and also throughout the country. I pay tribute to the people who organised it. It is a pity I could not be there. I am required to be in Canberra today. It was a terrific event, and well done to all involved.

See this speech in context