Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second that motion. I thank the member for Newcastle for bringing this motion to the chamber, as it is National Carers Week, a week in which we pay tribute to the valuable contribution our carers make to Australia. As a nation, we owe them so much, but their work so often goes without appropriate recognition. This week is a chance to give them the acknowledgement they so richly deserve.

In 2015, as the member for Newcastle noted, it is estimated that nearly 2.9 million Australians will provide informal and unpaid care. That is approximately one in eight Australians. Most Australians will know of at least one other person who cares for a family member or a friend. With advances in medical technology, Australians are living longer. This is a good thing, but, as we are living longer, more of us are living with the chronic diseases that can come with age. With the ageing of the Australian population, there will be an increasing need for more carers and for more support for existing carers.

Providing informal and unpaid care is providing a service to our nation. Carers Australia estimates the replacement value of informal care in Australia is a staggering $60.3 billion. That would be the cost to government if we had to pay for the quality and quantity of care provided by the informal care sector. That is the equivalent of 3.8 per cent of Australia's gross domestic product. Despite the value they provide to Australia, being a carer can be a thankless task. For many, being a carer is a 24-hour a day seven-day a week job, and a job that can last for years or even a lifetime. Caring for a loved one is often emotionally draining, and many carers are elderly and in need of care themselves.

Carers Australia has led the charge for recognition that sometimes carers need support to take a break. Taking a break is the key activity for National Carers Week 2015. A full events calendar is planned for cities and towns across Australia. In Brisbane, for example, the Queensland branch of Carers Australia hosted a movie screening last Saturday aimed at young carers. Tomorrow morning, the Brisbane Convention Exhibition Centre will host a Carers Queensland forum entitled 'Standing Beside You'. The forum promises a day of celebration, fun, recognition, information and connection. It is aimed at family and friends who provide support and care for someone living with mental health issues. In Ipswich tomorrow, Carers Queensland is running a National Carers Week 2015 festival with a sausage sizzle, morning tea, activities, prizes and giveaways.

Another great initiative of National Carers Week this year is the ability to make a pledge on their website to help build a carer-friendly Australia. No financial contribution is required, but this is a positive way for all Australians to show how much we value and support our carers. Organisers are aiming for 20,000 pledges by the end of the week. Thousands of pledges have been received already, including many from people in my electorate of Ryan, whose names are listed on the online pledge wall. I encourage everyone to go to the website and pledge their support. I also take this opportunity pay tribute to the many carers and carer organisations in my electorate—groups such as Jubilee Community Care in Indooroopilly, which provide a range of home care packages to assist residents with varying care needs to help them to stay at home and, importantly, to stay independent.

It is always comforting to know that in Australia we have so many who are willing to step forward in times of adversity and provide care for friends and loved ones. This week is all about them. If you know somebody who is a carer, take some time this week to thank them for the work they do. Go online and sign up to the carers pledge or, if you can, maybe offer to help them so that they can take a break and have some time to themselves. When it comes to caring for Australians in need, we are all in this together. I thank the member for Newcastle for moving this motion and I commend it to the House.

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