Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to talk about the important work being done in my electorate, particularly by Bosom Buddies NT. Formed in 2001, this Alice Springs based cancer support group has worked tirelessly across my electorate of Lingiari to promote breast cancer awareness and to improve access to breast-screening services, particularly for Aboriginal women living in the Northern Territory's regional, remote and very remote communities.

Research shows that regular screening is the most effective way to detect breast cancer and to improve survival rates for women aged 50 to 70 years. While survival rates continue to improve in Australia, the harsh reality is that breast cancer remains the most common cancer experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. It is the second-largest cause of death, after lung cancer. Access to mammography-screening services in my electorate is limited due to the vast distances many women must travel. Women in my electorate living in remote communities shouldn't be deprived of quality health care because of where they live. In 2011, Bosom Buddies NT worked with my predecessor Warren Snowdon to secure much-needed funds to purchase and fit out a mobile mammography-screening unit. The screening technology used in this unit was upgraded in 2020 with new digital radiography equipment, to ensure that high-quality screening services continue to be available to the most vulnerable members of my electorate. My office is now helping Bosom Buddies NT to secure funds to replace the truck and its accessories, which have come to the end of their asset life after 10 years of service. I have to acknowledge the Minister for Health, Mark Butler, and his office in terms of the productive conversations that we've been having on that. Since commencing operations, this unit has screened over 9,600 women Territory-wide through the communities of Belyuen, Warruwi, Maningrida, Galiwinku, Nhulunbuy, Groote Eylandt, Jabiru, Katherine, Mataranka, Elliott, Tennant Creek and Wadeye. Accessing this vital service would have been so much more difficult had this state-of-the-art mobile unit not been in place.

I commend to the House the important work of Bosom Buddies NT, and place on the record my deep appreciation for the critical support this group provides to Central Australian residents, particularly those affected by a diagnosis of breast cancer, through health education health education and cancer prevention.

There's another organisation doing so much in my electorate. Often, we can stand in this chamber and there's a lot of doom and gloom, but I want to quickly touch on an organisation in Katherine, Kalano Community Association. Kalano is an Aboriginal owned organisation doing fantastic work and providing many great services.

Recently, I visited them with Minister Linda Burney and my colleague Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. It was a pleasure to visit Kalano. It does a wide range of work in the community, including case management, supporting young people needing help with health, legal, family, employment, finance or accommodation issues. They're also supporting people to tackle alcohol and drug use issues, and those managing depression and anger to do so in healthy ways. They're teaching young people to cope with the daily stresses of everyday life, to begin a new journey and to prepare for re-entering society and returning home.

I certainly want to acknowledge the CEO, Alan Mole, and all the staff. They are providing an amazing array of services. When I went with Minister Linda Burney we saw young kids making swags who were going through a police diversion program. They were starting to re-engage and to have productive lives. What we need to do with a lot of our young people in some of our regions is to try and divert these young men and women to employment activities to be able to lead productive lives and to earn a living. That's part of what is happening in Kalano with the Real Jobs program that Minister Burney is rolling out, and I think it's offering hope to young people, particularly in communities like Katherine. They're just two examples of organisations that are doing a fantastic job in my electorate.