PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Dr GARLAND (Chisholm) (10:56): I thank the member for Bonner for bringing this really important issue before the House today. It's really good to hear everyone in this parliament speak so passionately about the importance of being able to access mental health support when and where people need it, because that's something the government believes in, and I think that's something all Australians expect to see from their government.
We've made an investment of more than $1.1 billion to expand Medicare backed mental health services and grow the mental health workforce, ensuring people can access free support right across the country. We're rolling out a national network of 92 Medicare mental health centres, where people can walk in and access free and confidential mental health care without a referral or appointment.
This is a real game changer for people. We already have 57 centres operating across Australia, and so far they've delivered more than 500,000 free walk-in appointments, providing tailored support through multidisciplinary teams of mental health clinicians, peer workers and other specialist staff. I'm really pleased that we've received a commitment for a Medicare mental health centre in my community, and I look forward to continuing to work to deliver this for the people of Chisholm.
We're also establishing 30 new headspace Plus centres to meet the growing needs of young people aged 12 to 25, alongside a new network of 20 youth specialist care centres for those requiring more intensive wraparound support. For children living in rural areas, the Albanese government has just announced a network of 20 headspace outreach centres, making sure that no matter where someone lives they can access support.
In addition, we're delivering perinatal mental health centres for new and expectant parents, and kids hubs for children and their families, and we're expanding the headspace network to more than 200 services nationwide. Together, these reforms will help ensure all Australians can access the right mental health support at every age and stage of life. That is building on our broader $8.2 billion investment in mental health over 2026-27, supporting a simpler, fairer and more responsive system.
That includes Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme services, hospital based care, and community initiatives such as men's sheds and Movember's Ahead of the Game. We've also just launched the Medicare Mental Health Check In, a free digital service available online and over the phone for anyone in Australia aged 16 years and over. I encourage everyone to have a look at the services provided via the Medicare Mental Health Check In.
It's available without a referral diagnosis, providing another easy pathway to support people experiencing mental health challenges. I'm really grateful that in my own electorate of Chisholm we have a headspace located just down the road from my office, headspace Syndal. It offers young people aged 12 to 25 access to mental health and wellbeing support in a welcoming and friendly environment with an onsite youth-friendly GP for health needs, an alcohol-and-other-drugs counsellor, and work and study support.
It's a really great service. This is a service that I know the community values, and they've delivered almost 7,000 free walk-in appointments. Previously, my electorate was the suburb of Box Hill, and I fought really hard for a headspace located there.
That was largely in response to the calls from young people in my community for more services. I'm really honoured to have helped deliver that vital service. I know it is one that is being well utilised by the community.
It's been a privilege to host both the health minister and the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at headspace locations right across my electorate. We've met with staff and members of the community, including youth advisory representatives, to learn and discuss the essential work that organisations like headspace undertake each and every day.
It is really important in October each year that we mark Mental Health Month but that we also make sure, for all the other months of the year, we are doing all we can to raise awareness of mental health issues and providing people with the opportunity to get support whilst reducing stigma. The importance of mental health is all about the wellbeing of our communities, and I want to thank everyone who works in this space for everything that they do and encourage everyone in the community to check in with one another this Mental Health Month.