Canning MP Andrew Hastie’s announcement of federal funding for Peel Youth Medical Service’s Youth Health Hub was welcomed by local youth mental health non-profits on Monday.
GP down south’s Eleanor Britton said the $2 million commitment would give the project the momentum it needed to attract the remainder of the funding.
“Well it’s certainly a good start; it’s a third of what we need, but it’s given the project a sense of reality now,” she said.
“We’ll be working out the best way forward.
“It’ll give us great leverage now as we seek funding for the rest of the project.”
The $6 million health hub would be a central location for non-profits delivering health services to young people in the Peel region.
Mr Hastie said the project was the first priority for the Canning Ice Action Taskforce, which he established after winning the Canning byelection in 2015.
“I’m very pleased, it just goes to show what we can achieve as a community when we get behind an idea,” he said.
“We formed the Canning Ice Action Taskforce, and we realised the problems just weren’t about ice, but there were a range of issues.
“We lobbied ministers and the federal government and I texted the PM quite a bit.”
Mr Hastie said the turning point for the project was when a delegation of local leaders briefed the Prime Minister directly about youth mental health issues in Canning.
“It showed him that the community was locked in behind the PYMS Health Hub,” Mr Hastie said.
“It’s a credit to David Templeman, Kim Hames and Marina Vergone that we could all come together to support this idea.
“It feels like reality now.”
Last week, Labor candidate Barry Winmar announced the opposition would provide a three-year plan for mental health services in the region.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
