Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (17:16):  The towns of Kiama and Gerringong on the New South Wales South Coast are simply stunning, with incredible beaches and surrounded by rolling farmland and pristine rainforest. Local families enjoy surfing, bushwalking and making the most of everything our spectacular region has to offer.

The community is close-knit, with music festivals, cultural groups, very active surf lifesaving clubs, great schools and loads of sporting and community organisations. It's the kind of laid-back, fun-loving beachside community where you want to raise your kids.

So you can imagine the utter devastation in 2020 when a number of much-loved young people took their own lives in Gerringong and Kiama. People in the community were rocked to the core, but they wrapped their arms around the families, friends and students. It was then, in 2020, that I joined with our community to campaign to establish a headspace facility to support the young people in Kiama and surrounding villages.

I spoke with kids, local schools and amazing community groups about what was needed and set about lobbying for a headspace service on their behalf. It wasn't easy, with a new centre opened at Shellharbour and an established headspace at Nowra, but I wasn't going to give up the fight until we won—and we did.

I was so thrilled when headspace Kiama officially opened its doors in October 2024, and I am delighted to say it's having a massive impact on the lives of our young people in Kiama, Gerringong and surrounding areas. Cutting the green ribbon alongside the young people of Kiama, who helped to shape this essential service, was a fabulous celebration.

It also recognised the resilience of a community that has had to bear way too much loss. Headspace Kiama manager Charro and his fantastic team have embraced our youth, and they're providing mental health support as well as sexual health and drug and alcohol services and helping young people reach their work and study goals.

Opening headspace Kiama is one of my proudest achievements as the federal member for Gilmore. The youth of Kiama, Nowra and Batemans Bay now have access to essential mental health support at three of the 89 headspace services helping people aged 12 to 24 across regional Australia thanks to the Albanese Labor government.

Many people in my region are still reeling from the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, from drought, from a string of floods and storms and of course from the challenges of the COVID pandemic, which is why I'm delighted to have opened the doors of two new adult mental health facilities in my electorate.

People across the Eurobodalla now have access to free walk-in mental health support and care with the opening of a Medicare mental health centre at Moruya in December 2024. The centre provides on-the-spot support for people in distress and ongoing care for more complex mental health needs.

It's staffed by a multidisciplinary care team, including social workers, nurses and peer support workers, who provide free wraparound support and care for people when they need it. The Moruya centre is a welcoming, friendly space that caters for the health needs of the local community and it will take pressure off the local hospital emergency departments.

I'm thrilled that the recently opened mental health hub in Nowra will also soon be expanded to a full Medicare mental health centre. This means Shoalhaven locals will also have access to free walk-in mental health support and care when they need it, including access to psychologists and psychiatrists.

These centres will improve access to, and awareness of, mental health care, especially for people who haven't accessed mental health support before. These are such important and needed services for the South Coast region, and I hope that everyone who walks through the doors at Nowra or Moruya finds the support they need without worrying about the cost.

The two Medicare mental health centres in Gilmore are among 91 that will be operating across the country thanks to a $1 billion investment by the Albanese Labor government.

And Gilmore's three headspace services will be bolstered by 58 new or expanded headspace services nationally, plus 20 youth specialist care centres for young people with complex needs.

Whether people young or old need short-term help or ongoing care, we will ensure that a free mental health service backed by Medicare will be there for everyone.