R U Ok? Day Community Bushwalk

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Operating Officer, Mr Mark Tuohy; Queensland Walks Executive Officer, Ms Anna Campbell; volunteers, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, good morning.

I begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, and pay my respects Elders, past, present and emerging. I also extend my respects to any First Nations people here today.

Graeme and I are delighted you could join us this morning on RUOK? Day. We all know that exercise is so important to our physical health, but it significantly improves our mental health and emotional wellbeing also. So, we thought what better way to get those mood-boosting endorphins and serotonin flowing than with a community bushwalk?!

Along with building healthy habits, today is equally about bringing people together, to create opportunities for connection and to check-in with those around us and have those meaningful – potentially life-changing – conversations. To ask – “Are you okay?”, and to care enough to really listen.

I hope that this morning encourages you to chat to people outside your immediate circle, to connect with others, and to also focus on the importance of prioritising your own health and wellbeing. Because before you can look out for others, you need to look out for yourself.

I’d like to thank Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Queensland Walks and the Deadly Choices Ambassadors for their ongoing support of these walks. May I also acknowledge how wonderful it is to see so many representatives from our Vice-Regal patronage organisations here this morning from such a broad range of sectors, reminding us that wellbeing matters to everybody and every mind.

I’d now like invite Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Operating Officer, Mr Mark Tuohy, to say a few words before we get underway.