Fiona Phillips
Gilmore · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“For the past 26 years, Pig has been involved in charity car rallies, and in 1992 he hosted the first Nowra truck show, which raised $15,000 for the family of a fellow truckie who was tragically killed in a truck accident in Cobargo.”
“Today, I want to give a massive shout-out to a Shoalhaven legend, Ian Usher—better known locally as 'Pig'—who has raised more than $2 million for charities.”
“The team took on bush roads while raising funds to support men with mental health issues throughout Australia, as well as in our own community. Pig is proud and humble and isn't too keen on fanfare, but he really is a legend in our community.”
“At the other end of the scale, we have many young families that are encouraged to walk with prams or venture out with young kids on scooters or bikes to safely walk or ride to the local park, school or sporting fields.”
“Recently I joined with the Bawley Point and Kioloa communities to celebrate the completion of the pathway that connects the two coastal villages. It's a project that has taken decades and has been completed in stages, but the community pushed on because they knew how much it was needed.”
“Covering three local government areas of Kiama, Shoalhaven and the Eurobodalla, I know that new or improved footpaths and cycleways are at the top of the wish list for many communities, but council funding is limited.”
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“You don't need to be nasty, to lie outright, to backflip on your views for a vote or to be misogynistic to succeed. And, just because some of the nastiest people might be the loudest, they are, in fact, not the normal. It really is a victory for kindness, for what is right and, ultimately, for what will help people best into the future. I have been strengthened by what I have learnt over the last three years and before that as well. I have tested my own inner strength to the absolute max and beyond what I could imagine, but I've done this because I want the best for our community. I want to take the next moments to highlight some of the positive measures coming to Gilmore. Health is always No. 1 in Gilmore. With one of the highest numbers of age pensioners in Australia, access to health services is key.”
“There are some people who wrote Gilmore off, but luckily I have never been a person to listen to idle chatter and sometimes even threats. I thought I had seen it all through many elections, but this one really surprised me. I was simply stunned by the scale and ferocity of personal threats. I never knew that we even had woke-culture wars in my own little village of Callala Beach and Callala Bay. This was not the place I knew and loved; it's like someone had invaded it. I remember driving around thinking, 'I just really hope people see through all of that over-the-top, horrible and self-indulgent signage.' I'm pleased to say they did. There are many great outcomes of this election, but, apart from all the terrific things I'll be able to continue to deliver for my communities, for me, it was knowing that good had prevailed.”
“I stand with all people in Gilmore as we face many hurdles moving forward, whether it's helping ease cost-of-living pressures, providing better access to health and mental health services, providing more access to affordable and social rental housing or helping more people into homeownership.We are moving forward and delivering on major road projects, such as the Jervis Bay flyover, the Princes Highway duplication to Tomerong, the Milton-Ulladulla bypass and the Nowra bypass, and we are supporting many community infrastructure projects, which, in turn, support people and families. This election was an excruciatingly tough one, but it was a critical election in Gilmore and returned the Albanese Labor government to continue with the job of providing important cost-of-living relief.”
“From the significant drought in 2019 to the Black Summer bushfires, floods, COVID and natural disaster after natural disaster, people in my communities have gone through so much. They have given so much. Every day we see the selfless sacrifice of volunteers, essential workers, emergency service volunteers and workers, and people in our communities working so hard together to help make our communities even better. Those are communities that I'm proud to be a part of.”
“It's where I was born, where I was married and where I've raised my four now young-adult children, who also live locally. It's where I want all children to be able to grow up, have access to a good education, go to TAFE or university, and work and live locally so they can enjoy this most beautiful part of the world. When I embarked on this journey some years ago now, to be perfectly honest I didn't know what really lay ahead. But I knew I had, and still have, a yearning thirst and undeniable determination to make sure people in my communities get the best possible support. It was my way of giving back to my community, which I eternally loved and which had provided me with so much. But nothing could prepare me for those first years.”
“As the re-elected member for Gilmore, I am honoured to give this address-in-reply to the Governor-General's speech to start the 48th Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. I want to start by thanking the people of Gilmore, on the South Coast of New South Wales, for re-electing me as your representative in the Australian parliament and for the privilege of fighting for you every single day. I am so thankful to have been first elected in 2019, then in 2022 and now in 2025. It is not something that I take for granted any single day. I have relished the opportunity to stand up for people and fight for more services, roads and community infrastructure. From Moruya and Batemans Bay in the Eurobodalla to the Shoalhaven and Kiama regions, this is a place I am so proud to call home.”
“I'm really proud to see this clinic helping women in our community, and it's paving the way for an additional 32 clinics opening across the country that will provide specialist support for conditions like endometriosis, IBS, prolapse and heavy or painful periods. In other exciting news, construction is underway on Australia's first Aboriginal owned birthing-on-country facility, which will provide a culturally safe midwifery service on the South Coast. As the member for Gilmore I am certainly proud to have delivered many health services for my region, because health care is something that I've always been passionate about and will continue to fight for.”
“We've opened a free walk-in Medicare mental health centre at Moruya, and we're elevating the Nowra mental health hub to a full Medicare mental health centre which will provide locals in the Shoalhaven with the free mental health care they and their family need. It's so important that we have headspace at Nowra, Batemans Bay and, most recently, Kiama to support our young people. As a woman and a mum, I was so pleased to secure funding for the new South-Eastern NSW Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic at Milton, which is really helping women from right around the South Coast access the care they need with just their Medicare card.”
“That's why I've been working really hard to improve our local health services as part of our wider commitment to strengthening Medicare. I'm proud to have lobbied for and opened the doors of the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, which has provided more than 17,000 patients with free urgent but non-life-threatening care over the past 20 months. We're extending the hours of the Batemans Bay clinic. This afternoon—I think it's just gone out—tenders are being called for the operation of a new federally funded Medicare urgent care clinic in Nowra. It's so important to provide free access to health care for people with just their Medicare card. The urgent care clinics take so much pressure off our busy hospital emergency departments and local GPs.”
“This is a more than 20 per cent cut in the maximum cost of PBS medicines, which will save Australians more than $200 million each year. Four out of five PBS medicines will become cheaper because of our government's $689 million investment. Pensioners and concession card holders will continue to benefit from the freeze on the cost of their PBS medicines, with the cost frozen at $7.70 until 2030. The Albanese Labor government has committed to keeping medicines cheaper for Australians, helping to ease the cost-of-living burden on households and helping people live healthier lives for longer. I support this bill because there's no doubt that, for many years, meeting the needs of people in my electorate of Gilmore has been a real challenge. I know that.”
“Symptoms can often be confused with other health conditions, so many women are diagnosed with advanced disease when the cancer has spread and can be difficult to treat. The listing of Lynparza on the PBS has provided an additional treatment option for around 200 women a year. Without subsidy, niraparib would cost patients around $130,000 per course of treatment. These listings build on Labor's record $573 million investment in women's health and will improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Australian women. Adding these medicines to the PBS will provide doctors with more options to care for their patients and ensure Australians can access the latest treatments. Reducing the general patient co-payment from $31.60 to $25 will benefit Australians now and into the future.”
“Last year, more than 3,000 Australians died from breast cancer. That's nine people every day. It's really great news that Australians diagnosed with a type of metastatic breast cancer now have access to a life-prolonging treatment under the PBS. Enhertu provides a new treatment option for patients who have this advanced stage cancer that cannot be removed surgically or has spread to other parts of the body. Around 1,700 Australians who, without subsidy, might pay more than $160,000 for a course of treatment are expected to benefit from this listing each year. Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cause of death from cancer among women in Australia and, tragically, only half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years after diagnosis.”
“We know about one in seven Australian women suffer from endometriosis, and it is just fantastic that they now have access to Ryeqo, a new treatment option for patients who cannot get adequate relief from other hormonal treatments and painkillers. Without the subsidy, women could pay more than $2,700 for a year of treatment. For some women, one of their greatest dreams is to become a mother, and facing the double burden of fertility issues and financial barriers to IVF can be heartbreaking. We are changing that. Australian women undergoing IVF now have access to earlier and more affordable fertility treatment, with the Albanese Labor government funding the use of Pergoveris from the earliest stage of their IVF journey. Sadly, one in seven Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.”
“Yaz and Yasmin are some of the most commonly used contraceptive pills. From 1 March, one in three Australian women aged 18 to 39 who use the combined oral contraceptive pill will save hundreds of dollars each year. On 1 May, Slinda, a progesterone-only pill that can be used by women who cannot take contraceptives with estrogens, was listed on the PBS for the first time as a new contraceptive option. More than 100,000 Australian women who, without subsidy, might pay more than $250 for a year of treatment will benefit from this listing each year. After more than 20 years, three new menopausal hormone therapies will be listed on the PBS, which will benefit about 150,000 women who otherwise might pay between $400 and $670 a year.”
“I'm so delighted to be part of the first federal government with a majority of women in Australia's history and proud we are delivering more choice, lower costs and better health care for women with new and amended PBS listings for women's cancer medicines, contraception, endometriosis, menopause and IVF treatments. For too long, women have struggled to get support in health systems that were not built for them. The Albanese Labor government is changing that. Women have asked our government to take their health care seriously, and we have listened. We know that women often have complex and expensive health needs across different stages of their lives. These conditions impact on their ability to work, raise a family and even stay in relationships. A new contraceptive pill hasn't been listed on the PBS in more than 30 years.”
“Around 1,900 patients accessed a comparable treatment for this condition in 2024, and, before the PBS subsidy, they paid around $70,000 per year of treatment. After losing my dad to coronary heart disease when I was just 21 years old, I know it is vitally important that Australians have ready and affordable access to the latest treatments. Sadly, heart disease is Australia's No. 1 killer, with one life claimed every 12 minutes. Cardiomyopathy covers a number of diseases that affect the heart's ability to pump blood around the body which, if left undiagnosed and untreated, can lead to heart failure. That's why I'm so pleased that we've added two new treatments, Camzyos and Vyndamax, to the PBS, which will benefit around 5,000 people each year. These life-changing medicines are now more affordable thanks to the Albanese Labor government.”
“Osteoporosis is chronic disease which make s bones more likely to break, and the addition to the PBS of Evenity as a first-line treatment for severe osteoporosis will benefit around 9,000 patients each year. Without the subsidy, patients might pay around $4,800 per course of treatment. Now, eligible patients will pay a maximum of $31.60 per script or just $7.70 with a concession card. From 1 January, they’ll pay no more than $25 per script. OMJJARA, a cancer drug discovered by Melbourne scientists, is one of only a handful of Australian drug discoveries to be approved for use in the United States and Australia and is now PBS funded. It is now available on the PBS for the first time to treat myelofibrosis, a rare and debilitating bone marrow cancer in patients.”
“Since 1 March, Australians with Cushing's syndrome or with leukaemia and women needing contraception or menopause support have also had access to new and expanded cheaper medicines under the PBS. Previously, there was no PBS alternative for the treatment of Cushing's syndrome. The listing is expected to benefit around 75 patients each year. Without this subsidy, they might have had to pay around $119,000 per year of treatment. The listing of Blinctyo will be expanded to treat more patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer. Without a subsidy, patients might pay around $229,000 per course of treatment.”
“Symptoms can include seizures, headaches, vision changes, memory loss, poor balance and difficulty walking. Around 130 Australian children each year are expected to benefit from the listing of Tafinlar and Mekinist, which work together to slow down or stop cancer cells from growing. Without the PBS subsidy, these families could be burdened with paying more than $178,000 for just one year of treatment. Imagine the devastation of having your child diagnosed with brain cancer, having to quit your job, pay medical costs and also pay for travel and accommodation if you live in a regional area like mine, then having to find tens of thousands of dollars for medicines to save your child's life. What an absolutely massive help these PBS listings are for parents dealing with the trauma of caring for a child undergoing brain cancer treatment.”
“Our 60-day scripts have been a huge success, with more than 2.3 million scripts dispensed in Gilmore. People in my electorate and right across the country who are living with conditions like high cholesterol, osteoporosis, diabetes, epilepsy, glaucoma and Parkinson's disease are saving money and saving time. And fewer trips to their doctor and pharmacist means freeing up more GP appointments. We know how busy our health workers are, especially in rural regional areas like mine. Aussie families, including children, are benefitting from our cheaper medicines. Since 1 April, children with brain cancer have had access to affordable treatment options under the PBS. Glioma occurs in the brain and spinal cord and is the most common cancer of the central nervous system in children.”
“I'm proud to be part of a government that has introduced 60-day prescriptions, saving time and money for millions of Australians with an ongoing health condition. I'm so proud that this government has frozen the cost of PBS medicines—through co-payments not rising with inflation—for all Australians for the first time in 25 years. This means pensioners and concession card holders in my electorate of Gilmore, which has one of the highest numbers of age pensioners of any electorate in the country, will continue to benefit, with their PBS medicines to cost $7.70 until 2030. Residents on the New South Wales South Coast have already benefited from Labor's cheaper medicines, saving $12.5 million on the cost of their scripts during our time in government.”
“Cheaper medicines are literally saving lives. Cheaper medicines mean Australians doing it tough don't have to choose between filling their shopping cart, filling up their petrol tank and filling a script. The plan to make cheaper medicines even cheaper is a tangible cost-of-living measure being delivered by the Albanese Labor government. We are delivering cheaper medicines for all Australians because the size of your bank balance shouldn't determine the quality of your health care. I'm delighted to be part of a government that is delivering the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We're winding the clock back 20 years, because, from 1 January next year, PBS prescriptions will cost Australians no more than $25, which was the cost of a script in 2004.”
“The innovative boutique brewery Dangerous Ales has set up new digital tank-monitoring technology which will help reduce their energy costs by monitoring their glycol brewing system remotely using an app. I'm extremely proud to be part of a government whose No. 1 priority is helping families, businesses, community organisations and all Australians with the cost of living, and that's what we're delivering.”
“Caterina in Kangaroo Valley, Cupitt's Estate in Ulladulla and Dangerous Ales brewery in the iconic Milton Hotel are among 15 local businesses across Gilmore that have slashed energy costs and reduced their carbon footprint thanks to Commonwealth energy efficiency grants for small and medium-sized enterprises. After being hit hard in the Black Summer bushfires, the grant has enabled Caterina catering to replace their old and second-hand kitchen equipment with new, energy efficient appliances. I was pleased to deliver a grant to Cupitt's Estate, a champion for regional tourism and producers and a large local employer, for a new hot water system and an energy efficient beer chiller for their craft brewery.”
“Building on that, we're switching on community batteries to drive down power bills and boost energy reliability for households in places like Maloneys Beach in my electorate. Community batteries absorb excess rooftop solar during the day and feed it back to local homes during peak times. They can also avoid costly upgrades to the electricity networks, poles and wires, benefiting all consumers through reduced network tariffs. The Maloneys Beach Residents Association wanted a community battery, and I'm so pleased to have delivered it. It will help reduce power bills and, importantly, store clean, renewable energy from the sun for when it's needed most. This government continues to help businesses cut their power costs by becoming more energy efficient.”
“We're not forgetting social housing tenants, with 100,000 properties being upgraded with thermal shell improvements, efficient electric appliances, solar and batteries to reduce power costs. And we're making solar more accessible to apartments and renters through our solar bank scheme. In Gilmore and across New South Wales, eligible owners, corporations and strata managers can install shared rooftop solar systems thanks to our partnership with the Minns state Labor government. Whether people live in a house or an apartment, everyone should be able to take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to bust their bills. I'm really proud of the way Gilmore residents and businesses have embraced solar. I know families and businesses are doing it tough. That's why from 1 July we've started rolling out another $150 in electricity bill relief.”
“By installing a battery under our Cheaper Home Batteries Program, households with existing rooftop solar will save an extra $1,100 off their power bill every year, and those installing a new system could save $2,300 a year, which is around 90 per cent of their family electricity bill. Switched-on Australians like the people in Gilmore are taking control of their own power bills while reducing their reliance on the grid. As more people install solar batteries, it's also helping to drive down power prices for everyone and slashing bills for good. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is part of our plan to create a fairer, cleaner and more reliable energy system.”
“A former banana farmer, Michael recently retired to the South Coast, bought a cute beach cottage and has just installed 40 solar panels and a solar battery. Michael said he was thrilled to have saved 30 per cent as part of the Albanese Labor government's new Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which kicked in on 1 July, and he is about to buy an electric vehicle which he will also charge using his home battery. I am thrilled that, across Gilmore, there have been more than 33,000 rooftop solar panel installations, and I'm so proud to shout out that Gilmore is charging ahead and boasts the highest number of home solar battery installations in the state. How good is that? We are giving all Australians a leg-up, saving them 30 per cent, or around $4,000, off the cost of a typical home battery.”
“by leave—On behalf of the member for Chisholm, I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the Government's number one priority is helping Australians with the cost of living; (2) notes that on 1 July 2025, the following measures started rolling out: (a) more energy bill relief for every household with $150 off energy bills; and (b) a 30 per cent discount to home batteries to permanently cut power bills; and (3) welcomes the Government delivering the better future Australians voted for. When it comes to cutting their power bills and helping the environment, the people in my electorate on the New South Wales South Coast are really switched on—people like Michael at Dolphin Point, who I visited on Friday with the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of reducing emissions and acting on climate change? Are there any proposals the government is being asked to consider that would take Australia backwards?”
“Finally, the government's decision to increase the funding for the Black Spot Program to $150 million per year and to progressively double Roads to Recovery funding means our local councils can fix even more local roads to ensure we all get home safely.”
“In the Kiama council area, a string of natural disasters has led to devastating landslips around Jamberoo, and I'm proud to say Jamberoo Mountain Road is now open to traffic following the completion of repair works helped along by federal and state disaster recovery funding. I'm really looking forward to the completion of additional repair work on Wallaby Hill Road, Foxground Road and another section of Jamberoo Mountain Road thanks to over $4 million in funding through the Albanese and Minns Labor governments' Infrastructure Betterment Fund. I'm deeply committed to addressing longstanding problems on local roads caused by extreme weather events and to futureproofing the local road network for expected population growth in the region.”
“I've delivered $40 million for the Shoalhaven local roads package, and, on top of that, this government is providing an additional $8.1 million to improve the Shoalhaven road network. Preparatory works have begun on six roads earmarked for upgrades, including Forest Road, Callala Beach Road, Callala Bay Road, Culburra Road, the intersection of Worrigee and Greenwell Point roads and the Callala Bay Road and Forest Road intersection. Further south, in the Eurobodalla, work is underway on a new roundabout at the intersection of George Bass Drive and Broulee Road at Broulee with the help $2 million from the black-spot program. A new $4 million roundabout on the Princes Highway at south Moruya will provide safe access to the Moruya TAFE campus, the new Eurobodalla Emergency Services Precinct and future housing developments.”
“To the south of the Jervis Bay turn-off, the wheels are turning on the upgrade of the six kilometre stretch of the Princes Highway to Hawken Road, which will become dual carriageway with a safer interchange. This crucial road project is finally underway thanks to a $400 million injection of funding from this government. I'm delighted to see the Nowra bypass moving forward with $97 million in federal funding. The Milton-Ulladulla bypass is moving forward with $752 million in federal funding, with a contract awarded for the next phase. These are some of Gilmore's big ticket items, but just as important are the smaller road projects that are happening across my electorate thanks to an injection of federal funds.”
“Now six years later, when I drive around Gilmore, I'm immensely proud to see roadworks, completed or underway, that I have championed, such as major infrastructure projects like the Far North Collector Road at Bangalee, near Nowra, and the Jervis Bay flyover, and many smaller but just as important roads that connect our smaller villages and towns. Just last month I took a tour of the Jervis Bay intersection worksite and was amazed to see how fast it is progressing. Work is now underway on the massive overpass and two roundabouts that will make this important intersection smoother and, importantly, safer for local residents and visitors.”
“Road safety is a top priority for people in my electorate, and that's why I have fought so hard to deliver more than a billion dollars to get important road projects off the ground. In this term, I will continue to fight for better roads in my region. Even before I was elected as the federal member for Gilmore in 2019, I pounded the pavement collecting signatures, attended rallies and meetings, and shouted from the rooftops, calling for improvements to the Princes Highway and, of course, to our local roads in the Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Kiama areas.”
“The Gilmore electorate takes in a 200 kilometre stretch of the New South Wales South Coast, with 180-odd towns and villages across the three local council areas of Kiama, Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla. Gilmore has a lot of roads, a lot of bridges, a lot of pathways, so many roundabouts, thousands of potholes, dozens of landslips and, unfortunately, far too many lives lost. I drive these roads every day, so I know firsthand how our local roads are impacted by natural disasters. I get caught in traffic when an accident has occurred and the Princes Highway is closed again. I talk with families that have lost loved ones and people in communities that have been impacted again and again by road trauma.”
“After years of neglect, I'm proud to say the Albanese Labor government is helping local families, building local communities and supporting local jobs in Gilmore.”
“Living on the coast, of course I really love the outdoors, and I'm thrilled to have delivered funds to complete the Mogo mountain bike trails, the Huskisson mangrove boardwalk and the Observation Point upgrade at Batemans Bay. And I've worked really hard for many years to secure a federal grant for the Shoalhaven riverfront precinct—which was announced when the Prime Minister visited Nowra in February. Ongoing support from this government means we have new fire stations at Lake Conjola and Manyana, and work is under way on the Eurobodalla regional co-located emergency services precinct. Federal funds continue to flow to defence facilities at HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell , and to the defence industry, including a $313 million contract with Sikorsky Australia to maintain the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter fleet.”
“I've delivered more than $1 billion in federal funding for Shoalhaven roads, which will improve safety and livability for local residents. I have worked with communities to deliver really important services such as headspace Kiama; the magnificent Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club; the Malua Bay Beach reserve; and Jindelara Cottage, which provides disability accommodation at Ulladulla. I've secured funds for the nation's first birthing-on-country facility at Nowra, delivered the spectacular new Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council building and provided grants for local Indigenous rangers and our many wonderful Waminda women's programs.”
“We're injecting $529 million to establish new childcare services and increase the capacity of existing services in regional areas—and I'm already starting to see new services popping up across my electorate. Importantly, families on the South Coast will have greater access to early childhood education and care with the introduction of the three-day guarantee from January 2026. Commonwealth prac payments for nurses, teachers and social workers mean students in my electorate will have more money in their pockets while they learn. I am immensely proud of the road projects that are progressing in Gilmore, including the Jervis Bay flyover, the Milton Ulladulla bypass, the Nowra bypass and the duplication of the Princes Highway from Jervis Bay Road to Hawken Road.”
“The Albanese Labor government is investing in health, education and housing and creating more regional jobs through the Future Made in Australia plan. This is really great for young people and families in Gilmore because we're making it easier to buy or rent a home; training more tradies with free TAFE; and investing in every stage of education, including putting all public schools in New South Wales on a path to full and fair funding. As a mum of four young adults, all of whom attended local public schools, I know how important it is to get a good education right from the start, which is why we're supporting our young people from early child care right through to university.”
“That's why I'm so pleased that this government is taking unprecedented steps to help ease cost-of-living pressures—more than 64,000 taxpayers in Gilmore receiving another tax cut. Almost 14,000 people in Gilmore will have their student debt slashed by 20 per cent. I'm really proud to have delivered the Batemans Bay Medicare urgent-care clinic, which has already seen around 17,000 patients. Affordable, accessible health care is top of mind for people in Gilmore, which is why I fought so hard for a second Medicare urgent-care clinic in Nowra that will take pressure off the busy Shoalhaven Hospital emergency department. And it's the reason we're extending the opening hours at the Batemans Bay urgent-care clinic from 6 am to midnight.”
“I'm so proud to be representing my community in federal parliament for this third term, and I'm extremely proud of what the Albanese Labor government has delivered for my electorate of Gilmore since coming to government. On the south coast of New South Wales we've had some really tough times, with bushfires, floods and the COVID lockdowns, but I've always stood by my community to ensure that people receive the support needed to recover and to be more prepared for future disasters. Born and bred on a dairy farm near Nowra, I understand the needs of regional, rural and coastal communities, from Kiama to Moruya. I'm always out and about talking with people across my diverse electorate, so I get it. I understand that people are doing it tough.”
“With one in nine women living with endometriosis, it's essential that they receive good support and a timely diagnosis; it's even better that they can access help close to home. I have spoken to many local women and mums who have welcomed Labor's $790 million women's health package, which will bring more choice, lower costs and better health care for women of all ages right around the country. We promised we would get on with strengthening Medicare, with more bulk-billing, training more doctors and nurses, opening urgent care clinics and, of course, making medicines even cheaper—and that's what we are doing.”
“There has been a massive need for additional adult mental health support around Nowra. I'm so proud to be delivering that service to my community. The expanded Nowra Medicare mental health centre is in addition to the walk-in adult Medicare mental health service that opened in Moruya last year, which is providing a vital service for people in the south of the electorate. Our young people have not been forgotten, with the Albanese Labor government opening Kiama headspace, providing life-changing support to local families. I'm really pleased that this government is helping so many women, way beyond the boundaries of Gilmore, thanks to the hugely successful South-Eastern Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic in Milton.”
“The new Medicare urgent care clinic in Nowra will service a huge area, including Berry, Bomaderry and Shoalhaven Heads to the north and Jervis Bay, St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet to the south. When the doors open, people will be able to walk in and receive health care with just—you guessed it—their Medicare card. This government's commitment to strengthening Medicare will have a profound impact on the lives of people living in and visiting my electorate. Not only will we have expanded hours at the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic and a brand new Medicare urgent care clinic in Nowra; this government will also expand mental health services. The recently opened Nowra Mental Health Hub will be upgraded to a full Medicare mental health centre to provide free access to psychiatrists and psychologists onsite or on call.”
“Families with young children, injured sports people and many of our older residents have walked in, received care and gone home without waiting hours at local hospitals and clogging up the ED. It has been life-changing. In fact, people right across my electorate of Gilmore on the New South Wales South Coast, having seen how great the Batemans Bay UCC is, have been calling for a second clinic in the north of the electorate, and I'm so thrilled that, after launching a community petition, Gilmore will, in fact, be getting a second Medicare urgent care clinic. Shoalhaven residents have been crying out for a clinic to take pressure off the busy Shoalhaven hospital, where, people have told me, waiting times at the ED can be from four to six hours for non-life-threatening care.”
“Batemans Bay is a growing region and the population swells during the summer months as visitors flock to the seaside retreat, which is why I'm so thrilled that the Albanese Labor government will be extending the opening hours of the Batemans Bay urgent care clinic. Locals and visitors will be able to walk into the clinic from 6 am till midnight seven days a week and receive urgent but non-life-threatening care with just their Medicare card. I'm so proud that the Batemans Bay clinic will soon have the longest opening hours of any Medicare urgent care clinic in the country. The community response to the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has been nothing short of incredible. The clinic has taken pressure off the emergency department and local medical centres.”
“Almost 17,000 people have walked through the doors of the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic since the doors opened in December 2023—people like Nikita, who has taken her sick kids to the clinic many times, where they received care and went home without having to wait around for hours in the emergency department, and people like Sonja from Malua Bay, who said the clinic has provided convenient care for her family, including her three grandchildren, who live with her. Nikita, Sonja and thousands more like them, including local residents and many visitors to Batemans Bay, have walked into the Medicare urgent care clinic and have seen a doctor without having to get out their credit cards, just their Medicare cards.”