Mandurah Youth Suicides: PM keeps election promise and pledges $2m to youth health centre

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has kept the promise he made during the Federal Election to support youth health issues in Mandurah.

During the election, Mr Turnbull promised help and at the Bill Dower Youth Centre in Mandurah today that promise became reality when he pledged $2 million towards a site and design concepts for a new facility for Peel Youth Medical Services (PYMS) Health Hub.

Currently, Peel Youth Medical Services has one reception area and five small rooms at the centre from which to work.

The new facility will cater for youth aged between 12 and 24.

The funding is down in no small measure to Canning MHR Andrew Hastie, who earlier this year organised an emergency meeting in Perth with the Prime Minister, community leaders and the Health Minister to raise awareness about an increase in youth suicide in Mandurah.

Before today’s announcement, Mr Turnbull spent some time listening to the stories of young people in the Billy Dower Centre.

Mr Turnbull said the funding was a significant milestone and encouraged the State Government to provide support.

“We recognised the problems and now we act,’’ he said.

“Mandurah is a strong community in the way it pulled together in the wake of such tragic events.’’

The community has been advocating for PYMS since October and has already raised almost $100,000 to help with service delivery.

The PYMS Health Hub is a community led project and the proposal for a one-stop shop would provide services including a youth case manager, nurse practitioner, drug and alcohol counselling and support services, an adolescent physician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, family support services, eating disorder clinic, sexual assault counselling, homeless services, training facilities and vocational service.