Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is National headspace Day, and this year's theme is the small steps we can all take to better our own mental health. Improving the mental health outcomes of young people in Wide Bay has always been a passion of mine. It was when I was a country copper and it is now when I serve in this place, and I'm really proud to have secured mental health funding for my area, particularly headspaces for Gympie and Maryborough. While it took a bit of time to get the premises for headspace in Maryborough, we have a great location in Lennox Street, and it will be opening soon. In Gympie there is an increased demand for headspace services, and I am working with Minister Hunt and the PHN to gain further funding for more consultations.

People under 24 were the first to lose their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for nearly half of all job losses nationally, and headspace provides a range of extremely valuable services for them. This year's headspace Day is about small steps, but the Morrison government has also taken some big steps to help people of all ages, budgeting to double individual psychology sessions under the MBS to 20. When it comes to our nation's mental health, all steps in the right direction are good steps, and I'm very encouraged by the Morrison government's funding for this program.