Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Roads, and Minister for Regional Transport) (18:21): This week is National Palliative Care Week. First, I wish to promote the Friends of Palliative Care group in Maitland. Montana Duggan, the president, has recently written to me to let me know that the group is working hard behind the scenes to create a community awareness event. The event is in the final planning stages and will happen in Maitland on Thursday 19 June. It will provide insightful presentations on palliative care services that are available in our community, opportunities to meet local service providers, information stalls with valuable resources and guidance, a welcoming and safe space to ask questions and learn more, and refreshments throughout the day. It is a great initiative. That event has been funded by the New South Wales Government as part of the Local Small Commitments Allocation program. We are very proud to support that group getting that event up and running. It is just one of the events that the New South Wales Government is supporting to recognise National Palliative Care Week this week.

We thank the many volunteers and staff who provide essential care and support to patients and families during their most challenging time in life. The Government is committed to further enhancing palliative care services across the State and has introduced a range of measures to help support that. That includes a $93 million investment in capital works as part of the World Class End of Life Care program, which will deliver new or redeveloped palliative care facilities at five health facilities across the State, including at hospitals in Wyong—which is down the road from Maitland—Westmead, Tamworth, Nepean and Orange. It is great to see the Government really making that investment in regional New South Wales, where it is so desperately needed.

The Government is also committed to growing the State's specialist palliative care workforce. It is employing extra nurses, doctors and support staff, and estimates that there will be more than 570 additional full‑time equivalent positions by 2026‑27. Last month the Minns Labor Government also announced an additional $2.8 million in funding to support a range of initiatives to enhance paediatric palliative respite and end-of-life care across the State. In my community there have been some very strong advocates for that who have gone through the loss of a very young baby or even a newborn. That is just such a terrible time. I am proud and pleased to be part of a government that is delivering those services.

We have made a commitment to increase paediatric palliative care funding to approximately $80 million over four years through to 2026-27, and 12 local health districts and specialty health networks have received additional funding to strengthen specialist paediatric palliative care and improve the physical spaces where palliative and end-of-life care is provided. I thank the Government and the Minister for Health for that and for the commitment of $3 million in funding for the End of Life and Palliative Care Research Grant Program, which aims to improve health outcomes for patients, carers and families in New South Wales with end-of-life and palliative care needs.

I once again give a shout‑out to Friends of Palliative Care, which recently held its walkathon in Maitland. That great event brings the community together and gives people a chance to remember loved ones that they have lost. The group does so much fundraising, working in conjunction with Volunteers for Palliative Care in Maitland. They do a lot of respite care, taking people to appointments and getting them through their last days, weeks and sometimes months. It is an important part of our health commitment, and it is great to have such a strong volunteer base. I encourage everyone in Maitland to come along to Club Maitland City in Rutherford on 19 June. The fundraiser will really help people who are struggling with palliative care. It is also an opportunity for those who want to become a volunteer, help with fundraising or support any of the group's other activities to find out more about it, while enjoying one of our local community clubs at the same time.