Dinner in support of Health and Wellbeing Queensland

Mayor of Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council and Chair of Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance, Councillor Robbie Sands; Director-Generals; Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chair, Mr Steve Ryan and Chief Executive, Dr Robyn Littlewood; honoured guests. 

I acknowledge the original custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respect to Elders, past, present, and emerging.

I’m delighted you could join me for this lovely dinner prepared by our very talented chefs here at Government House. My husband Graeme had hoped to join us but sends his apologies as he has been unwell.

You will have seen from the menu that we’re having seared Noosa sea scallop, Warwick lamb with locally grown vegetables, wattle seed crème brulee with macadamia brittle and assorted Queensland cheeses… It reads like a Queensland version of the Mediterranean diet!

Joking aside, we are all here in acknowledgement of your efforts to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Queenslanders, and I commend you on the important work you are doing in your respective areas to address the huge challenges that obesity and health inequities present.

Rarely a day has passed since I left my previous role as Chief Health Officer that I haven’t thought about health and wellbeing. Be it my own, or that of my immediate family and friends, or the wider community of which we are all a part.

As most of you would know, both Graeme and I are strong advocates for preventative health, and we make sure we walk the talk – quite literally! We can regularly be found walking in and around the Fernberg Estate, and we’ve welcomed many groups of people to do the same.

Our regular community bushwalks, held here on the Estate in partnership with Health and Wellbeing Queensland, have been a great success, with our most recent walk attracting well over 100 people.

But of course, the wider challenge of promoting physical fitness and mental health throughout the whole Queensland remains.

It has been a year since I left active engagement as a health professional to take up the role as Governor of Queensland, but I am no less engaged on this issue.

 Promoting a healthy and active State – a pledge I made to the Queensland people at my swearing in a year ago today – remains among my top priorities.

I welcome the continued partnership with Health and Wellbeing Queensland, as your Patron and supporter-in-chief.

I am particularly excited about tomorrow’s Symposia and the opportunity it presents to create a generational health shift that will benefit us all.

Together, I’m confident we can shift the dial on obesity and achieve real and lasting change for the health and wellbeing of all Queenslanders.

Thank you. I hope you enjoy your evening.