Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about a very important morning tea that will be held on Wednesday in my electorate. It is being held to celebrate one year since the Wedgetail Retreat at Dulguigan was opened. The retreat is situated just near the town of Murwillumbah.

The Wedgetail Retreat is a unique place. It is the state's only adult end-of-life hospice. It is going to have a gathering to celebrate its first birthday. The anniversary will be marked by a fundraising morning tea that will be hosted by Tweed Palliative Support.

Tweed Palliative Support and the op shop it runs has gathered much community support over the past 18 years for its in-home volunteers, its palliative care equipment and the hospital beds it provides. Its president, Meredith Dennis, has done an outstanding job in her role in providing such remarkable support: 200 in-home volunteers, 20 hospital beds, 40 wheelchairs, free transfers for radiotherapy patients, and it reaches approximately 1,200 people a year. I would like to pay credit to all its volunteers, who make a difference in the lives of so many people whilst they are receiving palliative care and also those at the Wedgetail Retreat. It is truly a unique establishment run by very caring people. The hospice was opened a year ago with great support from the community. It does not receive any government funding, so I encourage people to be involved with this very important fundraising morning tea on Wednesday.