Official Opening of the Peninsula Support Hub

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, the Honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP; Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, the Honourable Ann Leahy MP; Member for Redcliffe, Ms Kerri-Anne Dooley MP, Mayor, City of Moreton Bay, Councillor Peter Flannery; Councillors, Queensland Area Officer Salvation Army Major Neil Clanfield, Chairperson The Breakfast Club Ms Michelle Gilchrist, distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands on which we gather, the Jinibara, Kabi Kabi, and Turrbal peoples, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today.

I am delighted to be part of this morning’s very exciting opening of the Peninsula Support Hub, and from the outset, I congratulate everyone involved for seeing this incredible project come to life.

Just over a year ago, when the first sod was turned on the site of the old Pensioner Hall building, it marked a shared commitment to combat isolation and disadvantage, and to deliver hope to those in need.

And likewise, this bright, spacious new Hub we meet in today, does not just provide basic essentials such as a warm meal, bathroom and laundry facilities, and a conduit to specialist support services, but will deliver compassion, understanding, dignity and a deep sense of human connection to people from all walks of life who find themselves in difficulty.

As Joint Patrons of the Salvation Army Queensland, my husband Graeme and I are well aware of how the increasing challenge to access safe, secure and affordable housing is creating immense hardship for individuals and families, across our state and country.

The Salvation Army’s recent Social Justice Stocktake highlighted the fact that while homelessness is most prevalent amongst Indigenous people, those on low incomes, those fleeing domestic violence, and older women—it can affect anyone in our communities.

And the anxiety and stress that long-term homelessness and housing stress brings, can be immensely detrimental to physical and mental health and wellbeing.

This is why facilities such as this—embedded in the heart of the community—are so important and so appreciated, and I am deeply grateful to Mayor Flannery, and the Councillors of the City of Moreton Bay, and the Queensland State Government for supporting this much-needed venture—one that will directly benefit people in the Redcliffe region.

By having the expertise and capabilities of The Breakfast Club, and The Salvation Army on site, this Hub truly becomes a place where tangible help can be readily provided, which empowers people to seek referrals to other key services that, together, will drive positive improvements in health and circumstances for so many.

And on that note, I take this moment to also acknowledge the representatives here today from other not-for-profit organisations who are doing so much to build this powerful network of care.

The Peninsula Support Hub truly is a team effort—from those who saw its need, those who funded it, those who planned and created it, and those who will work within its walls—in a professional capacity or as volunteers.

It is incredibly heartening to see such collaboration in action, reflecting too, the compassion and sense of fellowship that is thriving within our communities.

Congratulations once again.