John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of opening the third annual Oakey Health and Wellbeing Expo in a community on the Darling Downs which has, like regional Australia elsewhere, dealt with its own challenges—quite literally from flooding a few years ago to the grips of drought right now, uncertainty about jobs going forward given delays in approvals for the Acland New Hope Stage 3 mine proposal and, of course, uncertainty around the impacts of PFAS. This expo focused on individual health and community wellbeing. I really want to congratulate the organisers; Bonnie Teschner, who was master of ceremonies on the day; Bec Meacham from the Oakey Chamber of Commerce; friends of mine, including Dr Eric Donaldson; the Oakey Men's Shed; physical and mental health experts; spiritual health experts; chiropractors; nutritionists—you name it. There was Nathan from the Oakey Discount Pharmacy, previously my own local pharmacy, and Ruth Logan, a great friend of our family, who, having been touched by cancer in her own family, now focuses so much on the It's a Bloke Thing Foundation's work on prostate health in men. It was great to be there with the state member for Condamine, Pat Weir; our mayor, Paul Antonio; and councillors, including Joe Ramier—all supporting the beautiful Oakey township on the Darling Downs, which will be resilient into the future and will realise its future despite the challenges.

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