Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to update the House on my local campaign to see a medical centre open on Abernethy Road in my electorate of Swan. Belmont residents, formerly serviced by the Healthpoint Belmont Medical Centre, were left in the lurch after the centre suddenly closed its doors due to commercial difficulties earlier this year. Once alerted, I immediately launched a local campaign with the support of the doctors and Councillor Glenys Godfrey to see a medical centre opened in the area.

I am pleased to inform the House that, thanks to the hundreds of community members who put their support behind the campaign, the hard work of the doctors and the tireless efforts of Councillor Godfrey, the campaign has been a success. The Belmont council approved plans for a new centre on 26 June and the new Belmont City Medical Centre is currently registering patients, ready for the centre's opening in the next three weeks.

I often champion local issues in my role as the federal member for Swan, and I particularly enjoyed working on this campaign in my dual role as local member and deputy chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing. This is a great example of a community working together to achieve a common goal. The community lobbied the council and all their local members and, dare I say, they did not get any response from their local state member for Belmont, but the community and the council all came to an agreement and the council approved the work. It was a great success for the community.