Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker, I believe this is the first time I've appeared before you in your new role. Congratulations on your elevation to the Speaker's panel!

Last week, I was delighted to host the Minister for Government Services, the Hon. Bill Shorten MP, in my electorate of Lyons. Together, we turned the first sod for the new Services Australia service centre in Sorell. At the 2022 election, I committed to a new service centre in Sorell, and it was a very proud moment for me, as the member for Lyons, to stand with the minister and start to fulfil another of the promises made at the election. Now that the all-important sod has been turned—I've got to say I'm not sure having two politicians with a spade is the most efficient way to get earthworks moving; I was very pleased to see Hitachi earth-moving equipment behind us—the construction of the new Sorell service centre can begin in earnest.

The team at Tasmanian company The Young Group will be cracking on with construction, supporting 27 jobs in the process. Once it's complete, the service centre will have six full-time staff. It is expected to be up and running by the end of this year. The new centre will provide face-to-face access to Centrelink and Medicare as well as to Service Tasmania, a similar group at the state level. This centre will pioneer a co-location approach to government services in Tasmania. This is a huge win for my constituents, giving them a one-stop shop for dealing with different levels of government, whether they need to renew a licence or make a Medicare claim.

Importantly, it also means residents from Sorell, from the Tasman Peninsula and from the east coast will no longer have to travel to Rosny or Hobart to access face-to-face services. Whether travelling up from Port Arthur or from Taranna or down the coast from Orford or Triabunna, this will save at least an hour in travel.

I'm looking forward to seeing more progress on Sorell's new Services Australia centre in the coming months and, indeed, on all the commitments that the Albanese Labor government is delivering across Lyons. For example, our $5 million investment into sporting facilities in New Norfolk is progressing well. Derwent Valley Council just last week approved plans for the construction of a pavilion and change rooms at Boyer Oval and new clubrooms and change rooms at Tynwald Park. We've already delivered on our $200,000 commitment to the Kentish Regional Clinic in Sheffield, supporting the service delivery of CORES, the committee network of suicide prevention training and awareness across Tasmania. I've just recently had an update that we are progressing well in our plans in Brighton and the $2.3 million commitment for upgrades there. We have other commitments that we are delivering on across Lyons. I am pleased to report as the local member that every single commitment we made at the 2022 election is being delivered by this government.

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