David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was very honoured and pleased to join the residents of Gloucester for the opening of the new purpose-built, state-of-the-art nursing home Mirrabooka Place. It's a 50-bed facility with specialist dementia care units, and the absolute beauty of the design, looking out over the Bucketts mountains, is really pleasing. A total of $8½ million of federal funds went into the project, out of Building Better Regions Fund. Five years ago we secured these funds, without which this development wouldn't have happened. Twenty-eight per cent of the population of Gloucester are in the seniors category, as opposed to 15 per cent across New South Wales, so a nursing home is critical for the adequate care of these people.

I'd like to congratulate Ken Everleigh for his Worimi welcome to country. I'd like to congratulate Anglican Care, the bishop and all the clergy in the Diocese of Newcastle, and I'd like to thank Colin Osborne, the former CEO, who guided this project through to fruition. I'm really proud to have delivered this for the people of Gloucester. There are plenty of things to see and do in Gloucester. If anyone has a spare weekend, drive up Bucketts Way and you'll see all the road improvements, courtesy of Roads of Strategic Importance and the Black Spot Program funding as well as dedicated funding for that artery of commerce heading up into the New England area. It's a beautiful part of New South Wales, so come on down. (Time expired)