Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to record my appreciation and admiration for the Modra family, who shared their family’s story with us last night on Australian Story. Ellen and Mark Modra live in my electorate and, until the beginning of this year, so did their daughter, Hannah, who tragically took her own life. Ellen and Mark went onto Australian Story last night and courageously talked about their beautiful daughter, who seemed to have it all—she had been made a prefect and was an amazing kid by all accounts. The Modra family were well liked and respected in the community and were very well connected. They had built up a great rapport around them. They had a son with a disability and they seemed to be able cope with it all extremely well.

There had been no warning that Hannah was about to take her life. There had been no trigger. She was not involved in drugs or alcohol; she was just a terrific kid who seemed to have it all. What nobody knew was that Hannah was suffering from depression. There was no outward sign that Hannah was suffering from depression. There were no telltale signs that the family could see and do something about. It was not until after Hannah’s tragic death that they read through her diary and realised that Hannah had probably self-diagnosed herself as suffering from this dreaded disease. Hannah is no longer with us, but her family was terrific last night. Her mother said, ‘I will always be Hannah’s mother; I will always have had my terrific daughter.’ I thought it was incredibly brave of the family.

I want to express my appreciation to all at Mount Waverley Secondary College for the courageous way they also participated in the program and how they have dealt with this tragedy. It started at the beginning of the year 12 year, which is a fairly stressful period in kids’ lives anyway, and they have dealt with it really well. I also want to put on the record my appreciation of the Syndal Baptist Church, where the Modras are very involved, and of Pastor Bill Brown, who has been such a great support to everybody.

Australian Story last night was incredible. I hope that more people watch it and understand that depression is an illness. It is not something that is triggered by other factors such a drugs and alcohol. It was within Hannah and, sadly, she could not see a way out at the tender age of 17 or 18. Her family has moved on, although I do not suppose that anyone ever gets over the death of a child. I very much appreciate the Modras appearing on Australian Story last night. It will give great insight to other families in dealing with teenagers. We must ensure that communication is always open and ongoing. I pass on to the Modras my appreciation and admiration for them for doing that. I offer my condolences for the sad loss of their wonderful daughter.

In the time remaining I will talk about a large issue in my electorate that is giving my email inbox a pounding. I refer to Faster Better Sooner: pt4me2. The students at Monash and surrounds are on the airwaves, on the email and on Facebook with pt4me2—public transport for me too—demanding that we extend the railway line from Huntingdale to the Monash University (Clayton) campus out to Rowville. This is an innovative program to us as powerbrokers. A joint statement put out by Monash University states:

Monash University, together with Knox City Council, is using the latest technology and social networking trends to help lobby for a rail connection to the university’s Clayton campus and surrounding suburbs.

Knox Mayor … and Monash University’s Vice-President … today launched a new on-line petition via a new Facebook group called pt4me2.

Staff and students are able to log-in and call for a State Government commissioned feasibility study into public transport in the area.

To date, 618 people have logged onto the Facebook site and all of them have then dutifully sent their email to me. I thank them all sincerely for that, and I will eventually get around to responding to all 618 of them. It is very important to link the CBD and Monash University. The Stud Park rail link to Rowville has long been acknowledged as the missing link of Melbourne’s train network. It is now time to commit to its expansion and provide for the removal of 2,400 vehicles an hour off local roads. The Rowville rail line would service Monash University, which has more than 23,000 students at the Clayton campus and the scientific precinct, which houses Australia’s first synchrotron. The city of Monash alone accounts for six per cent of all metropolitan jobs. We should extend the rail line, which currently ends at Huntingdale, because the need is great. (Time expired)