Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It was a real honour to be invited to officially open the new Manjimup Wellness and Respite Community Centre last Friday. The centre will accommodate the shire's home and community care service as well as support agencies which are working in partnership to deliver services and programs and provide respite accommodation. The centre is the first of its kind in the region, providing purpose-built facilities to support ageing people. It will enable seniors, people with disabilities, those with dementia and their carers to continue to live independent and fulfilling lives in their homes. It was so rewarding to be able to secure a $1.6 million National Stronger Regions Fund grant towards building this much-needed facility.

I'd particularly like to acknowledge and thank the HACC manager, the amazing Liz Lockyear, for her amazing vision and for overseeing this project to fruition. The ageing population of the shire of Manjimup has significantly increased the demands on local aged-care services. It is so important that this kind of service is available for seniors, to encourage healthy ageing by improving the physical and mental health of older Australians in a way that respects their dignity and supports their independence. Throughout O'Connor there are 26,000 people over the age of 65, and I know that many of them want to remain active in their communities and live in their own home for as long as possible. As a government, it's important that we continue to build and support quality aged-care services in regional areas like the Manjimup wellness centre, and I'm very proud to be part of a team that's doing just that.

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