STATEMENTS BY SENATORS
Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania) (13:11): I was pleased to visit headspace Hobart recently to announce over $412,000 in funding from the Albanese Labor government to expand services, employ additional clinicians and reduce waiting times for young people seeking mental health care. This investment is part of our $1.1 billion mental health commitment, the largest in the nation's history, to ensure every young Australian can get help when they need it.
Headspace centres are trusted, welcoming places for young people aged 12 to 25. Whether it is about school stress, family pressure or finding work, having someone to talk to can make all the difference. Across the country, demand for youth mental health services continues to grow.
In Tasmania, around one in five people per year experience a mental health problem, a rate higher than the national average, and nearly half of all young Tasmanians report high or very high psychological distress. That is why this funding is so important. It will mean shorter waiting times for support and more hours of service so young people are not left waiting months.
At headspace Hobart, the team will now be able to expand opening hours and bring on more clinicians. This means that more young Tasmanians can get the right support close to home when they need it most. The Albanese Labor government is expanding the headspace network across the country through the headspace Demand Management and Enhancement Program.
This program targets key priorities, reducing wait times, building cultural capability and improving infrastructure. It supports headspace centres to grow sustainably and continue delivering safe, inclusive care for young people from every background. This investment strengthens care in our local communities, ensuring young people can access the right support free from stigma and unnecessary barriers.
And it's not just happening in Hobart. Young people on Hobart's eastern shore, in Minister Julie Collins's electorate of Franklin, will soon have access to a brand new headspace service in Bellerive. This new service, championed by Minister Collins, will help meet growing demand on the eastern shore and provide another safe and welcoming space for care closer to home.
Right across Tasmania, our government is supporting upgrades to headspace. In Launceston, in the electorate of Bass, the wonderful member, Ms Jess Teesdale, is also championing, announcing and delivering new headspace upgrades there. We are also delivering a new headspace Plus model in Burnie in the electorate of Braddon, championed by the wonderful member for Braddon, Anne Urquhart.
Together these investments form part of a national network of 172 headspace centres supported by more than $290 million in operational funding this financial year. More services are on the way, with commitments to grow the network even further. When I visited headspace Hobart on Liverpool Street, I met with a dedicated team led by CEO Rory Wilson.
Rory told me that this funding will help reduce waitlists and ensure young people have access to enhanced support six days a week, and, as he put it, it will allow more young people to walk through the door and receive the support they need when they need it. It is a reminder that mental health support is, at its heart, about helping people, about the young Tasmanians who finally feel confident enough to reach out, about the clinicians who now have the time and resources to be there when it counts and about local partnerships with schools, sporting clubs and youth organisations that help create supportive environments long before a crisis point.
When I visit centres like headspace in Hobart, I am always struck by how they change lives. For many young people, that first conversation can be life changing or even life saving. It shows that we are breaking down the stigma around mental health.
More young Tasmanians are reaching out for support, and that is a good thing. It means we are creating a culture where asking for help is seen as a strength, not a weakness. The Albanese Labor government is deeply committed to improving mental health and wellbeing for every Australian.
Through record investments in Medicare mental health centres, headspace and digital services, we are building a system that is fairer, stronger and easier to access no matter where you live.