Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too support the member from McEwen's motion on supporting men's sheds. I would like to acknowledge the bipartisan support across all flavours of politics in support of the men's shed movement across Australia. Last week was Men's Shed Week, led by the Australian Men's Shed Association, with this year's theme being 'Send him down to the Shed'. The theme acknowledged that most men are introduced to men's sheds by somebody else, which reconnects men with community.

Men's sheds play a vital role in preventing social isolation and mental ill health. They offer thousands of men of all ages a safe and friendly environment where they can work on meaningful projects while building strong social connections. From Biggenden to Boyne-Tannum, Gayndah to Gracemere, Calliope to the Callide Valley and Moore Park Beach to Mount Morgan, there are men's sheds all over the Flynn electorate in Central Queensland that do a fantastic job in their local communities.

I've been very pleased to be able to support the men's sheds over the years with various federal government grants, including $2,850 for the Calliope River Men's Shed for a log splitter, $5,000 for the Gracemere Men's Shed for a spindle moulder and dust extractor, $4,300 to the Taroom Men's Shed for a mobile evaporative cooler for the workshop and $12,500 for the Gladstone Men's Shed for two water tanks and new fencing.

The men's shed movement has become one of the most powerful tools in addressing health and wellbeing, helping men to once again become valued and productive members of our community. The Australian Men's Shed Association perfectly describe the critical role of men's sheds and their positive impact in the communities:

Most men have learned from our culture that they don't talk about feelings and emotions and many do not take an interest in their own health and wellbeing.

[Unlike women] most men are reluctant to talk about their emotions and that means that they usually don't ask for help …

Probably because of this, many men are less healthy than women. They drink more, they take more risks and they suffer more from isolation, loneliness and depression. Relationship breakdown, retrenchment or early retirement from a job, loss of children following a divorce, and physical or mental illness are just some of the problems that men may find difficult to deal with on their own.

Good health is based on many factors, including feeling good about yourself, being productive, contributing to your community, connecting with friends and maintaining an active body and mind. Becoming a member of a men's shed provides a safe and busy environment where men can find many of these things in an atmosphere of old-fashioned mateship and, importantly, there is no pressure. Men can just come and have a yarn or a cup of tea if that's all they want and all they're looking for. Members of men's sheds come from all walks of life. The bond that unites them is that they are men with time on their hands who would like to do something meaningful with that time.

A good men's shed has a management committee that has developed a safe and happy environment where men are welcome to work on community projects, specific men's sheds projects or a project of their own choice in their own time where the only must is to observe a safe working practice in all the spirit of mateship. The men's shed movement has now become one of the most powerful tools in addressing the wellbeing and helping of men to once again become valued and productive members of our community. That exactly captures what the men's shed movement is.

While I didn't agree with much in the recent budget, I strongly agree with, support and acknowledge the federal government's ongoing support for the Australian Men's Shed Association and the commitment in the 2024-25 budget to provide $6 million over two years to support the men's shed movement across Australia. This will provide funding for health and wellbeing events, shed improvements, tools, equipment and automated external defibrillators. I would also like to see this funding increased and be ongoing to support men's sheds and their growth.

I wish to conclude by saying that I'm proud to support men's sheds across this country. I thank them for the invaluable work that they do in their local communities across Australia. With over 1,300 men's sheds across Australia and over 50,000 Australians participating in men's sheds, this is a terrific achievement. I look forward to seeing these numbers grow into the future.

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