Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (16:44): I will always fight for access to quality, affordable health care for people living in my electorate of Gilmore, which is why I campaigned for and delivered the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic. It's why I am lobbying for a second urgent care clinic for the New South Wales South Coast. Since the Batemans Bay urgent care clinic opened in December 2023, more than 11,000 people have presented for the treatment of urgent but non-life-threatening conditions. The Batemans Bay clinic has been embraced by the community. It has been such a success, particularly over the busy summer holidays, that I am seeking extended hours and a higher level of care for the Eurobodalla community.
It's funny how good ideas just explode, because, since launching the Batemans Bay campaign, I've been contacted by people from right across the Gilmore electorate asking for a Medicare urgent care clinic in their town. They have seen how well the Batemans Bay clinic is working and they want one as well. I would love to see a second free, bulk-billed clinic open for the people of the South Coast, and I'm seeking feedback from people about that and the best possible location. With many retirees, young families and a population that swells during the holiday periods, it would be great to have in the region another urgent care clinic where patients can just walk in and all services are bulk-billed.
As part of its plan to improve health services, the Albanese Labor government is continuing to establish Medicare urgent care clinics right across the country. These clinics are fantastic—especially in regional areas, where they take pressure off our emergency departments by providing treatment for a range of non-life-threatening conditions, like cuts, sprains, stings and viral infections.
Forty years ago the Labor government created Medicare because they understood—and we still understand—the importance of making health care available and affordable for all Australians. It's fantastic to see the Albanese government's record investment to strengthen Medicare has revived bulk-billing across my Gilmore electorate. Our tripling of the GP incentive to bulk-bill pensioners, Commonwealth concession card holders and students has made a real difference in my community. We have a lot of older people in Gilmore and families struggling with the cost of living, so more people seeing a bulk-billed GP relieves a bit of that pressure. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners called our investment in Medicare 'a game changer', and it has given GPs the confidence to increase bulk-billing after a decade of cuts to and neglect of Medicare.
Health care is incredibly important in my community, and I will always advocate for improved health services to assist people in Gilmore. In the past 12 months I'm proud to have officially opened the doors of two free walk-in mental health centres at Nowra and Moruya, which provide a safe space where adults in distress can seek immediate support. In response to community need, I've lobbied hard to get these services up and running, to ensure that Eurobodalla and Shoalhaven residents can get the mental health care they need.
Access to mental health support is absolutely crucial for young people living in regional areas. That's why, following the tragic loss of a number of teenagers to suicide in my community, I also worked alongside my local community to secure federal funding to establish the much-needed headspace for Kiama, which is now open.
Since September 2023, women in my electorate have been able to access multidisciplinary care at the South-Eastern Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic in Milton. With one in nine women living with endometriosis, it's really essential that they receive good support and a timely diagnosis, and it's just fantastic that women in Gilmore can access help from a local team close to home.
It's also great news that, thanks to this government, women can now receive specialist gynaecological care without worrying about the cost. The addition of endometriosis medicines, some contraceptive pills and menopausal hormone therapies to the PBS will be life-changing for women.
As a woman and a mum, I join with women of all ages from right across the nation in celebrating Labor's $573 million investment to provide more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. I welcome the Albanese government's delivery of more doctors, more health workers and more accessible, affordable health care for people in Gilmore.
