Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mental health support is something that I am passionate about, because I know how crucial it is to communities in regional and rural areas like my electorate of Gilmore. Providing free, accessible mental health support close to home is particularly important for our young people, which is why I was so pleased last Friday to cut the bright, green ribbon and open the long-awaited headspace service in Kiama. Over the last few years, bushfires, floods and the pandemic have really taken their toll on people's mental health, particularly that of our young people. This was acute around Kiama following the tragic loss of young lives to suicide.

I fought hard on behalf of this devastated community to establish a dedicated headspace service, which will also support young people living in Gerringong, Jamberoo and surrounding villages. Youth in the Kiama region previously had to travel to Nowra or Wollongong to access headspace services, but the Albanese government's investment of $839,000 this financial year for the commissioning and operation of the centre will help alleviate these barriers. This close-knit coastal community has had to bear a burden that no-one ever wants to experience, and there has been no greater need for a headspace service than in Kiama, which is why I fought so hard for it. I've seen what a difference headspace can make to the lives of local young people, having delivered the centre I promised in Batemans Bay and seeing the amazing work of headspace Nowra over many years. I am proud to have delivered this critically important mental health service for young people in Kiama.

This month I was also thrilled to cut the ribbon on another important major road project, the Far North Collector Road at Bangalee, near Nowra. Fully funded by the Australian government, the $35 million road will take traffic off the Princes Highway while reducing travel times for residents who travel between North Nowra, Bomaderry and Cambewarra. After consultation with local experts in local Dharawal language, the new road has been named Bannada Way, which is southern Dharawal for Bomaderry Creek, or 'running water'.

Building the Far North Collector Road Network included the construction of four new bridges, including the 108-metre-long bridge over Bomaderry Creek and flood plain, and three new roundabouts. The project involved 60,000 tonnes of bridging and drainage materials, 6,000 tonnes of asphalt and more than 10,000 tonnes of concrete. The project supported 250 jobs during construction. This critical piece of infrastructure will benefit the Shoalhaven for decades to come and is yet another example of this government delivering road safety projects that will transform the lives of people living in regional communities.