CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr PASIN (Barker) (10:16): This week is national Men's Shed Week, and the theme this year is 'Built on purpose'. I'd like to reflect on the massive contribution men's Sheds make to supporting men's health and wellbeing, including in my electorate of Barker. Men's sheds are more than just a shed; they're an important part of many communities across the country, particularly in rural, regional and remote Australia.

Belonging to a social group is vitally important for emotional and mental health. Now more than ever, the local men's shed is an important place for men to meet up and participate in meaningful projects or just to tinker and talk. The Men's Shed movement is now becoming one of the most powerful tools addressing physical and mental health and wellbeing in Aussie men.

They provide a sense of community, a safe and friendly environment where men can work on projects at their own pace, in their own time, in the company of others. Men's sheds contribute to preventing social isolation and addressing preventable health conditions. Recent research undertaken by the Australian Men's Sheds Association found 84.5 per cent of participants surveyed said their quality of life had improved after joining their local shed.

Now, I'm proudly a member of every men's shed in my electorate—all 36 of them—and I try to attend the various sheds as often as I can. From Keith to Kapunda, from Berri to Karoonda, from Swan Reach to Murray Bridge, from Barossa to Mount Pleasant, from Millicent to Mount Gambier, men's sheds are a positive reminder of how members of our community can come together and make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of individuals, which makes happier and healthier communities.

I've admired the many projects that men's sheds have worked on over the years, including making wooden toys for donations to charity, contributing to Christmas parades, creating and filling orders for souvenirs for large community events, expertly restoring historical vehicles and artefacts and developing mentoring programs to impart their skills and knowledge to the next generation of Australians.

I've joined with the members of the sheds as they have celebrated milestones, as they've planned and implemented expansions and, indeed, as they've farewelled much loved fellow shedders. Men's sheds deliver activities that foster community spirit, cultivate social connectedness and contribute to building a more inclusive Australia. So this week let's pause and celebrate the men's shed movement and the work of the volunteers who run them.

Thank you to all shedders across Barker for making Barker an even better place to live. (Time expired)