Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

One of the real privileges of being in this job—many of you, I'm sure, will agree—is going around to visit community organisations, particularly great ones like men's sheds. I had the real privilege to drop into a men's shed in my electorate where they are focusing on men's wellbeing. This is a new men's shed that has started up in my electorate. This has been some time coming. It's at South Arm in my electorate, on the eastern shore. Many men's sheds change lives and involve men in their community, particularly men who are lonely or who are finding it difficult after the loss of a loved one. The Harrow men's shed in my electorate was recently awarded $2,000 through the National Shed Development Program, to assist the shed to undertake first aid and defibrillator training.

The South Arm Peninsula Men's Shed has received grants from the former federal government and the current federal government. This was an idea that I think goes back to when they got their first grant, which must have been 2019. It was really terrific to see the shell. They've got the shed up and under construction. They had the wiring up when I dropped in a week or so ago. They're still cladding it, and they have the plasterer coming, but they expect their men's shed to be up and running in the next month or two.

In the meantime they have been having meetings and working in their community till they get this physical space up and running. It's been a very long time coming for that community. I met with Eric and Robin from the men's shed, and with Michael Seddon, down there recently, and I heard lots of heartwarming stories about the dozens of community members who have given their time and their skills to make sure that they could get this men's shed up with a very limited budget. They have people doing the actual construction work, and they're getting licenced electrical contractors to do some of the wiring. They have people doing gardening. They've had working bee days where they've all come and tidied up around this men's shed. It's been such an amazing community effort. They've also had a lot of supplies donated by local businesses. Local businesses are either donating goods or providing goods at lower cost to help make this men's shed happen so they have a physical location at South Arm.

I'm proud to be part of a government that is supporting the men's shed. I do acknowledge that they received some support from the former federal government but, importantly, this shows that it has support across the entire community. This is an area in my electorate that is some distance from Hobart. Mainlanders would probably laugh at that! But it is reasonably isolated for people. In terms of public transport, it's not terrific. But this is an example of how a community can get together, get something to happen and get support across the divide.

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