EMMA MCBRIDE MP

ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION

ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR RURAL AND REGINAL HEALTH

MEMBER FOR DOBELL

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP

SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR MACQUARIE
  

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
VIDEO INTERVIEW

WINDSOR, NSW
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 2022
 
SUBJECT: MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING BOOST FOR THE HAWKESBURY.

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MACQUARIE: I'm here in Windsor, and I'm absolutely delighted to have our mental health Minister, Emma McBride, with me, and I've asked Emma to come here to meet with some members of the community who've been flood affected. When a flood comes, and then it goes, it isn't actually over. That's when a lot of the really hard stuff for a community starts, and particularly when we've had so many floods. We know the cumulative effects that that that's been having. And that's why I've urged for improved mental health services for our community to make sure our kids can bounce back and be resilient, flood after flood, natural disaster after natural disaster. It's great to have Gemma here with us. But Emma, thank you for coming out. And we've been able to make some important decisions, haven't we, about how to support this community.

EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION: We have Susan and I just want to recognise your advocacy, I know that this is something that is so close to your heart, and you have stood up for your community for years to be able to have proper youth mental health services. And because of your advocacy today, we can announce $1.1 million to fast track headspace Hawkesbury, so that, you know, someone like Gemma can confidently know that there is a place that she can go to or that a friend can go to if they need someone to talk to. And some of the floods here have been the worst in 44 years. And as you said, this is this is two or three floods on the on the back of bushfires and COVID. We know that the cumulative trauma of natural disasters has a significant impact on people, particularly young people. So I want to congratulate you on your advocacy, and I'm so pleased that the Federal Government is able to bring forward money to fast track headspace Hawkesbury, and we also have an important announcement for adults as well. There's a pop up centre, a Head to Health centre, and there's going to be $4 million to make that permanent so that people who need help in communities like this can get it when they need it close to home. So congratulations, Susan.

TEMPLEMAN: Look, thank you, Emma. And I think the really important thing is to say that this means there's free services that will be available as a result of this, because we all know the long delays and the high out of pocket costs that people face accessing services, and so it's crucial. And I want to thank you because you have backed me all the way on this from when we first entered parliament and sat on the same benches, bench buddies, in our first term. So, Gemma, you and I have had lots of conversations about your friends and mental health and staying strong, and in fact, that's kind of how we got to know each other. How does it feel knowing that hopefully before too long, there'll actually be a place that if someone's struggling, you can say, mate, come on, let's go to this place and see if they can help.

GEMMA, HAWKESBURY YOUNG PERSON: Yeah no, it'll be really good to be able to confirm, we like say, oh, yeah, you can go over to hawkesbury headspace, and you can get the help you need if you need it. And just a good place for if people feel like they can't talk to people in their families, or if they don't have friends, that they can talk to they can go to a place where they know they can get help.

TEMPLEMAN: One of the things, Gemma, I know about headspaces is that we need those sorts of voices involved in the design of them and putting them together. Do you reckon that's something that your friends would be willing to share their views about, how it could look and how it could feel and the sorts of things that might be helpful?

GEMMA: Yeah, we could get some ideas. Yeah.

TEMPLEMAN: I reckon there's no shortage of ideas there.

MCBRIDE: It's so important, as you say, to have young people to have their say, so that they know that headspace Hawkesbury will be something that where they feel safe to go to where they will be able to encourage their friends to go to, and it'll be a place that will be really at the heart of the community. So thank you, Gemma, for your advocacy. Congratulations, Susan. And we're going to make this happen.

TEMPLEMAN: Yeah, we absolutely will. And I just want to thank everybody in the Hawkesbury, who has fought alongside me for better youth mental health services and better adult mental health services. You know, it isn't, it shouldn't be a one or the other. We need both. And I think Emma and I both know, this is the start of improving services. We think there's a lot more over the years that needs to happen, and I'm very proud that we can make a significant difference with money that will be put to good use really fa