Official Opening of the MS Queensland Neuro Wellness Hub

Member for Surfers Paradise, the Honourable John-Paul Langbroek MP; Member for Cooper, Ms Jonty Bush MP; MS Queensland Chair, Mr Shaun Treacy and   CEO, Mr David Curd;   MSQ Ambassador Ms Rachel Kerr; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I, too, acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past and present and to any First Nations people with us this afternoon.

Now two-and-a-half years into my appointment as Governor, my commitment to the health and wellbeing of all Queenslanders remains as strong as ever, so I was delighted to accept the invitation from MS Queensland to officially open our State’s very first Neuro Wellness Hub.

When the final network of purpose-built facilities is created throughout the State, it will deliver unprecedented benefits to Queenslanders living with neurological conditions, their families, supporters and staff, where they can gather and interact, and where important community connections can be forged and strengthened.

This development is not only visionary but critically important because worldwide today, there are over 2.8 million people who have been diagnosed with MS and the number is growing. Today, it includes more than 33,000 in Australia, almost 17 per cent of them customers of MS Queensland.

With at least one new case being diagnosed every day, the focus of MS Queensland continues to be on providing services, information, and compassionate care, as it has been for more than 65 years.

But today, the emphasis is increasingly on raising funds to support research and advocacy and the amount raised in this State each year is a measure of the level of passion and commitment shared by everyone associated with MS Queensland.

On behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank and congratulate the leaders, staff and volunteers on the ongoing success of events such as the Brissie to the Bay bike ride, the MS Moonlight Walk, Swimathons throughout the State, and the amazing Australia-wide MS Readathon.

MS Queensland proudly refers to this wonderful new centre as its ‘flagship’ – and it’s a very apt description because this is not only the first and finest ship in a planned fleet of hubs throughout the State, but it carries the commander and the senior officers of the Queensland fleet (your Chairman, your Board, and your leaders) as well as an enthusiastic and committed crew of staff and volunteers.

It now gives me great pride and pleasure as Governor and Patron to officially declare the MS Queensland Neuro Wellness Hub open.

Thank you.