EMMA COMER, MEMBER FOR PETRIE: G’day, I’m Emma Comer. So last week, I got to join the incredible Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Emma McBride, in opening the first-of-its-kind Staying Deadly headspace. So this is a headspace that’s designed for Indigenous people, but it’s designed by Indigenous people for Indigenous people. There was a groundswell of support from the community. We had a couple hundred people out there standing in the sun for the Welcome to Country, the dancers. The community got behind it, and it’s just well needed and well deserved for the community.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: I want to congratulate Emma on her advocacy as the local member, and to see this first-of-its-kind First Nations-led headspace Staying Deadly, in Deception Bay, will make such a difference to First Nations young people. This is part of our more than $1 billion investment in the mental health and wellbeing of Australians, the majority of that going towards young Australians who are experiencing the most distress of all Australians at the moment. Expanding our headspace network, including staying Deadly in Deception Bay, to 203 across the country, uplifting headspace to headspace Plus, a new design for the more severe mental health challenges that young people are experiencing, and for the first time, introducing youth specialist care centres providing specialist care for young people experiencing major mental health challenges in the community.
JOURNALIST: You speak specifically about Indigenous health there. We’re also seeing the Closing the Gap report making next to no improvement as well. Is this part of that, and do we need to run more inroads?
MCBRIDE: It is part of this big investment that our government has in Closing the Gap. And many First Nations people live in the cities and the suburbs, and this investment in Staying Deadly headspace in Deception Bay will make a real difference to that. Of Course, the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, especially First Nations young people, remains a priority for our government.