Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a very excellent organisation. The petition received over 3,400 signatures from the community in the space of only a month or so. On Thursday the health minister visited Canning to announce that it had been successful and that Mandurah would receive a headspace with the next 12 months. It was very encouraging. We had a great turnout, and I want to acknowledge that this was brought about not just through the federal government, but with the support of local state members and a host of leaders within the community.

Why is it important? This government cares about individuals, too. Last year a young man from the Peel Youth Medical Service got to meet the Prime Minister and share with him the story of his struggle with anxiety and depression. Last week, when the health minister arrived to announce the headspace, the same young man stood up and told the minister that briefing the Prime Minister about his struggle with anxiety was one of the greatest moments of his life. That is why we all do it: to see individual lives changed where we can.

I have moved round the electorate lately holding community meetings, and it is evident from my constituents' experiences that Canning needs better rail, road and telecommunications infrastructure. I think it was Bernard Salt in The Australian last year who said that Mandurah, which is at the centre of Canning, had a population growth since 2000 of something like 79 per cent. Canning has literally exploded in numbers. We have also added about 19,000 jobs in the same time span. There is a lot of growth, and telecommunications, roads and rail have struggled to keep up with that explosion of population growth. So one of my tasks is to go out and see where we can improve things. Last week I went up to Martin and visited constituents who were struggling to get a decent landline service from Telstra, struggling to get mobile phone coverage and are still waiting for the NBN. I have just received pictures of telephone lines held together by plastic bags in Martin. I have had calls about dangerously poor roads in Keysbrook, and I have met people in Byford and Lakelands who want to be able to catch a train to work. All these individual concerns are important, but together they tell a story about the people of Canning, what they care about and what they hope for for the future.

With their support and with the help of other constituents I am fighting for infrastructure that will help make a difference to the lives of people in Canning. I have gone on record recently that we want to see the train station in Byford funded from the $10 billion rail fund that was announced in the budget. We want to see the extension of the Tonkin Highway south to open up the interior to increase business opportunities for people. I want to see the Beacham Road freeway access off the Forrest Highway south into Austin Lakes. A lot of kids go to Austin Cove Baptist College, and it would reduce their travel time significantly if we could get a road direct into that development. It would also do a lot for the IGA there. I will be fighting for all these things over the next year.

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