Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

World Suicide Prevention Day is a time to reflect on those lives we've lost to suicide and to share the responsibility that we as a community have to check in on our loved ones. It's also a time to restate the commitment the Morrison government has to progress the goal of zero deaths from suicide. I'm pleased to see the government's support for mental health and suicide prevention, delivering more than $60 million to the Gold Coast in the five-year period from 2016-17 to 2021-22 for various programs. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast endured a higher suicide rate than the national average of 12 lives per 100,000 people, losing 14 lives per 100,000 people between 2013 and 2017.

In Moncrieff, there are some very special community groups who provide invaluable services to our community to assist those with mental illness. Southport headspace are to be commended for the wonderful job they do to assist youth living with mental illness. Suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death for our young people, as we've heard from many members today. This is why the Morrison government is delivering over $1.1 million in the next year to headspace Southport for the services they provide to those in need of help in our community.

Just a few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending the headspace day, where a toolkit for a healthy headspace, with seven tips for a healthy headspace, was highlighted. The seven tips are: to get into life, to learn skills for the tough times, to create connections, to eat well, to stay active, to get enough sleep and, of course, to cut back on alcohol and other drugs. Myf and Steve and the rest of the team are doing a terrific job to raise awareness of issues such as bullying and alcohol and drug use. Headspace Southport is one of the busiest centres in the country, with 11,600 occasions of service in the last financial year, compared to the national average of 3,700.

The Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence is another organisation doing an incredible job of providing free counselling, advocacy, information and practical legal support for women who have experienced sexual violence. This centre was founded by Di Macleod and is the only one of its type on the Gold Coast. I commend her work and the work that she does at the coal face, which changes the lives of many Gold Coasters. It was incredibly moving to hear the brave survivors' stories as part of their candle-lighting ceremony recently.

Towards the latter years of our lives, there can also be a tendency to feel lonely or depressed. I want to acknowledge the great work men's sheds are doing in my electorate, helping our senior Aussies with their mental health and wellbeing by preventing social isolation and providing meaningful projects. On the central Gold Coast we have the Veterans Support Group Men's Shed, the Ashmore Men's Shed and the Nerang Men's Shed. I recently visited the Ashmore shed as part of national Men's Shed Week. The fellows there are currently putting the finishing touches on a mezzanine and a refreshments area, which is looking great. I was privileged to hear the stories of the president, Gil, and of Graeme, David, Mal and Don. Don summed up the importance of the men's shed quite perfectly when he explained that if it were not for his new mates at the men's shed he'd still be at the pub instead of enjoying two years of sobriety and a healthy social life.

The Vietnam Veterans Federation has just received additional funding from the Morrison government's BEST Program. The $135½ thousand will go to supporting their high-in-demand advocacy service, which assists ex-service personnel and their families with their entitlements. The service is important because it assists in reducing the waiting time when our veterans most need it. Next door to the advocacy service is a men's shed for male and female military veterans, which is an additional place for support. Congratulations to Peter and Peter, who have worked to get this project off the ground. Nerang's men's shed will be hosting an expo at Country Paradise Parklands this week—74 sheds have been invited to attend the event. Unfortunately, I will be unable to make it, but I congratulate them on holding this event, which is connecting men's sheds around Australia. There are so many great organisations that play an important role in reaching out to some of the most vulnerable in our community.

I take the opportunity to commend the government's commitment to work with local communities to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in Australia. I welcome the establishment in 2019 of the office of the National Suicide Prevention Adviser to support a whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention. This will ensure the coordination of suicide prevention activities to reach Australians in the right way at the right time. To close, a conversation can make a difference and it can save a life. Be sure to ask your loved ones the important question: R U OK?

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