Thursday 16 February 2023

Chief of Mission and Head of Research, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and President, Union for International Cancer Control, Professor Jeff Dunn AO; Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Chairman, Adjunct Associate Professor Steve Callister and Director, Distinguished Emeritus Professor Judith Clements AC; Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Dorothy Keefe; Cancer Council Queensland Chair, Dr Anita Green and Head of Research Professor Joanne Aitken; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today.

Graeme and I warmly welcome you all to Government House. As Joint Patrons of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, we are delighted to be honouring a very special Queenslander, Professor Jeff Dunn AO, and celebrating his remarkable contributions to reducing the burden of cancer on people in this country, and throughout the world.

I know everyone in this room joins us in congratulating Jeff on his recent appointment to the role of President of the Union for International Cancer Control.

As the first Queenslander to ever be elected to this esteemed global leadership position, Jeff has been recognised both for his exceptional professional expertise, and for his personal commitment to driving life-enhancing, life-saving change—a determination only strengthened by his own lived experience with the disease.

Jeff’s approach comes from the understanding that cancer does not just affect the physical, nor do its impacts stop once treatment is complete.

His work over a 30-year-long career has extended our ability to prevent, detect, and improve cancer treatments, while, importantly, ensuring the focus remains on the individual and the significant challenges diagnosis and treatment can cause.

This latest achievement for Jeff follows three decades of close work with the Union for International Cancer Control in various capacities, alongside his continuing role as Chief of Mission and Head of Research with the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia, and his involvement with the University of Southern Queensland, and West Moreton Health.

During my term as Chief Health Officer, we worked together to implement reforms to improve cancer control in Queensland, and so I know that Jeff brings with him a deep belief that individuals can make a real and significant difference in this quest.

Cancer is a major health issue in our country, with the expectation that one in two Australians will be diagnosed with some form of the disease by the age of 85.  Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Queensland, with nearly 4,300 new cases identified each year.

Such confronting statistics make the work of community-based organisations such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation even more vital, and I am tremendously proud of their efforts—over the past 27 years—in promoting prostate cancer research, awareness and support in this State, and across the country.

The vision to see “a future where no man dies of prostate cancer” takes innovation and tenacity. It relies on the efforts of many, and it also requires courageous leadership.

So tonight, I applaud the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia for its unwavering dedication to building hope, and its team of volunteers and supporters for supporting the organisation with such passion.

Graeme and I would now like to take this opportunity to present the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia with a Certificate of Joint Vice-Regal Patronage, if I could please ask Adjunct Associate Professor Steve Callister and Professor Jeff Dunn AO to come forward and receive on the Foundation’s behalf.

State Member for Jordan, Ms Charis Mullen MP; representing Senator for Queensland Paul Scarr, Mr Matthew McEachan; Ipswich City Council Mayor, Councillor Theresa Harding and Councillors; Executive Director, Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs, Mr Wayne Briscoe; Multicultural Australia Board Chair, Mr Giri Sivaraman, Board Members and Chief Executive Officer, Ms Christine Castley; Brisbane Lions Deputy Chair of the Board, Ms Sarah Kelly; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you, Uncle Joe Kirk for welcoming us to Country this morning. I too, would like to begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the lands on which we gather, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

As proud Patron of Multicultural Australia, I was delighted to accept CEO, Ms Christine Castley’s kind invitation to officially open this new Community Space at the Brisbane Lions’ Brighton Homes Arena.

Thank you for your warm welcome to Springfield, and to this impressive, state-of-the-art training facility, which is not only a home for our beloved Brisbane Lions, but is a hub for sports and leisure activities in the South-East.

This morning marks the start of another exciting chapter in the story of one of Queensland’s most respected multicultural agencies—one that began 25 years ago. Since its beginnings, Multicultural Australia has been committed to helping new Queenslanders settle and thrive in our State, by offering practical assistance and advice delivered in a spirit of friendship and understanding.

Forming social links and supporting and fostering cultural diversity are crucial to ensuring people feel accepted and valued.

This new community space will help Multicultural Australia further its beneficial work in the Springfield area, by bringing individuals and groups together in a vibrant environment that is well equipped to host a range of educational, sporting and social activities, along with cultural events.

The people who come here will be able to take part in language classes and sporting programs, access important services that support their settlement, and build connections that will have a lasting impact on their lives.

This opportunity to share in a welcoming space will help strengthen the broader community, as the influence of different customs and traditions enrich all of our experiences, and promote greater understanding between us.

I therefore congratulate the respective Boards, Executive teams and staff of both Multicultural Australia and the Brisbane Lions for nurturing the long-standing partnership between the two organisations, which has encouraged people to interact in such a positive way.

This infrastructure is an exciting addition to the Springfield community, which has already been so successful at welcoming new cultures to the region, and which will be enhanced even more by the inclusion of this fantastic social space.

You should all be enormously proud of your efforts to see it serving the community so well.

It now gives me tremendous pleasure, as Governor of Queensland, to declare Multicultural Australia’s Community Space—here at the Brisbane Lions’ Brighton Homes Arena—officially open, and I am looking forward to the official tour!