SHAYNE NEUMANN, MEMBER FOR BLAIR: I pay my respect to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge Matt Keogh the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel in Ipswich. Of course Paul from the RSL and of course Les and Buzz and all the people around and a whole bunch of people who I recognise, Vivian. A whole bunch of people around who have been involved in advocacy, irritating and annoying me so many years about this issue. And that’s what a federal politician does, you’ve got to keep on advocating. I want to thank Matt and I thank the Albanese Labor Government for their commitment last election, a $5 million for a veterans’ hub as part of a defence package that we’ve got that’ll make a big difference to veterans and local communities.
I’ve taken this to a couple of elections now and I think it’s important. We’ve got six and a half thousand people who work civilians and defence personnel working on the base at Amberley. We’ve got 10,000 veterans and families in the Blair electorate alone, let alone Oxley and the surrounds. And I think, Matt, when we were meeting with the Railway Sub Branch and had that forum, it was quite clear that people wanted a hub and spoke model. That they were very clear that they wanted people in the Lockyer Valley, the Scenic Rim, the Somerset and into western Brisbane and Springfield to have access to the same kind of services as they would get here in Ipswich central. So, I might hand it over to you and to make the announcement. I’m really happy – it’s a really happy day as far as I’m concerned and it’s a really happy day for veterans and families here in Ipswich.
MATT KEOGH, MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Thank you. Thanks, Shayne, and it’s great to be here with everyone again. Only a few months since we were here. I was here with you last time and as Shayne mentioned, the Albanese, then opposition, now Government, committed to a $5 million Veterans’ and Families’ Hub here in Ipswich. Shayne made that announcement and I’m very pleased to be here with him today to be delivering on the next stage of that, which is the $50,000 to RSL Queensland, working with Mates4Mates and GO2 Health to develop a business case for exactly how that hub is going to look, how it’s going to operate here in Ipswich.
And as Shayne mentioned, we did that forum a few months ago, and that was an important part of how we’ve been rolling out these Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country. Recognising that the needs of veteran and family communities around Australia and in each different location are different, and wanting to make sure that we met the needs as they were described to us from that community. So, having that forum, being able to get that feedback, picking up on the needs of the hinterland of Ipswich saying we want to have some sort of hub and spoke model, the opportunity for services to be delivered not just centrally here in Ipswich city, but also to be going out into that hinterland was important to the community here. The proposal that’s been put forward by RSL Queensland meets that need and that’s really important, to see that’s being reflected in what they’ve proposed. That’s why we’re very happy to be giving them the $50,000 grant at this stage to develop that business case on the way towards that Veterans’ and Families’ Hub.
And I want to underline that ‘and families’ part of the hubs. We know and we see around Australia that quite often, a family is a first responder to our veterans. They are very often the ones that get that veteran engagement service. It’s the family reaching out either to support for themselves as a family unit or for support for their veterans, getting them involved, taking them – opening those doors. So, having a hub that is available to support veterans and families is crucially important. The innovative model here of involving GO2 Health in that, probably really interesting to see how that develops and again reflects how we’re seeing differences in the models that are being rolled out by the various hub organisations across the country, meeting that need as it’s described by local veterans’ and families’ communities. Really look forward to seeing that develop over the next few months, so we can then move later this year to the next stage of this exciting process to support our veterans and families. I really want to thank Shayne for the advocacy that he’s had for many years now around having these hubs, about supporting his local community here, the veterans and families and service personnel, of course, on the doorstep of a massive base at Amberley and look forward to continuing to work with Shayne as he represents in our Parliament. So, thank you very much.
SHAYNE NEUMANN, MEMBER FOR BLAIR: Can I just say, when we opened the Mates4Mates Centre just over here at West Ipswich a few months ago. It was the veterans in the local area that were so, so delighted about that. So this builds on and complements that, of course. And so I’m really happy that RSL Queensland, Mates4Mates, along with the partner, GO2 Health veterans and defence health organisation, are partnering with RSL Queensland. I’m delighted that this is the biggest RSL branch that we’ve got here in the area and it’s the heart of the veterans’ community, although the Railway Sub Branch might say something different. The north and the south traditionally know that. If you want to say a few words I’ll get Teresa to say a couple of words as well.
LES NASH, STATE COUNCIL CHAIR RSL QUEENSLAND: We, RSL Queensland, we thank the Minister and Shayne for their background work and we look forward to developing the business plan to further this. RSL Queensland and Mates4Mates, which is created by RSL Queensland, basically, we’ve been working together for the wellbeing of veterans for quite some time and of course that’s what we’re all about. Looking forward to developing this business plan.
ADAM LAWSON, HEAD OF OPERATIONS MATES4MATES: Yeah, to reinforce what Les just said. So, thanks to the Labor Albanese Government. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity for the business case. We’ve had 10,000 individual veterans over the last ten years come through our centres across the country. Some of you may not know that we provide physical rehabilitation, mental health and wellbeing and social connection activities for families, veterans in their families and we are really excited to work with RSL Queensland to build a centre here that will be able to provide that. So, if we could just pick up the Darwin one and move it here that’d be the perfect model. So, we can’t wait man, same with GO2 Health. It’s going to be a great opportunity. Thanks very much.
TERESA HARDING, MAYOR IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Shayne. I mean this is something that you and I have talked across the divide for many years so I want to thank you very much for securing the funding. I really do appreciate that. I speak not just as the Mayor but I also speak as a veteran and the wife of a serving member who’s getting out next week but the mother of two veterans and a serving member. We are a garrison town. We have the largest Air Force base in Australia here, you know, with over 5,000 personnel there. We have the need here. We have incredibly active RSL sub branches here in Ipswich, Railways, Redbank Plains as you know, Greater Springfield and other areas. So, delighted that this will be the focus and then we’ll have that hub and spoke model so I just want to thank you very much Minister for that financial commitment and putting your money where your mouth is. We appreciate that, thank you. ;
