Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is National headspace Day, a national day of awareness for youth mental health. More than a quarter of young Australians, every year, will experience mental health issues. With the challenges they have faced this year, from the bushfires to coronavirus, it is more important than ever for our young people to look after their mental health. Locally, headspace supported 964 people aged between 12 and 25 in my electorate of Lindsay to receive mental health and wellbeing support last year.

I'm passionate about making our community a healthier and more active place, and looking after mental health plays such an important role in that. That's why I started the Lindsay Healthy Active Living Network—to investigate solutions to our community's biggest health problems, including mental health issues amongst our young people. This year our year 12 students, who started their HSC exams just this week, have faced challenges like no other year 12s have before. It's been an incredibly challenging time and an incredibly important time in their lives. During times like this, taking time to focus on everyday things, like young people's wellbeing, is really important. On this National headspace Day, I think it's such an important time to take note of what our year 12s have gone through, to congratulate them on their achievements and to wish them all the very best for their future ahead. Their futures are so bright, and I'm encouraging the young people in our community to continue doing the things they love. (Time expired)