Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

Earlier this year my electorate of Lilley was impacted by the devastating Brisbane floods. Northside residents and businesses again proved their resilience through these traumatic events and are now trying their best to navigate through the long-term flood consequences. Our community has been working together to build back and advocate to ensure that beloved places like Toombul Shopping Centre are restored. The Nundah community has really been feeling the loss of Toombul Shopping Centre due to February's floods, and there have been flow-on consequences, such as even worse parking issues over at Westfield Chermside. As a result, there are particular accessibility issues for people who depend upon Toombul Shopping Centre because it has both bus and train stations, and that is unique to shopping centre opportunities on the north side. Many residents have told me how much it has saddened them to see the site abandoned after it has served our community since 1967, so I am pleased to advise the chamber that Mirvac have confirmed that Toombul will reopen with retail shops and improved flood resilience. I look forward to Mirvac, in the coming weeks, outlining their plans for substantial community consultation about how that area will be rebuilt so that we don't have to go through this kind of thing again.

I represent more than 155,000 people living in my electorate who are waiting for the first Labor budget to be handed down after nine long years of waiting. My community knows that I have been working hard for them to make sure that there will be projects for Lilley in our budget that will deliver new jobs and boost economic activity in our region. Like many places in Australia, my electorate of Lilley has felt the impacts of COVID and we need to see investment in our area, in new initiatives and in new projects that will help us rebuild.

The Zillmere Festival was cancelled not once but twice due to COVID. It is now back and will be held on Saturday 8 October 2022. It is a real highlight for our community in an area that celebrates some of the best of the Australian melting pot. It's something we all look forward to, so it's been a very long wait. Organised by Jabiru, the Zillmere Festival is an opportunity for families in our community to come together at O'Callaghan Park and enjoy local performers, multicultural food and market stalls.

Northsiders stick together in tough times, and another example of this is my friend Pat, whom I spoke about when passing our aged care bill earlier this year—the very first bill to pass both the House and the Senate in the new parliament. Unfortunately, this week Pat's neighbour, Patricia, called my office to let me know that Pat was in hospital after a fall. As I have been here in parliament, my valued staff member and absolute national treasure, Marian, visited Pat in hospital to ensure that she was going alright. Pat wanted me, and us, to know that she is doing better. The Prince Charles Hospital nurses, doctors and supporting staff are looking after her very well, of course, but, most of all, the food is great. Pat, we all wish you a very speedy recovery.

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