Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (Thursday, 5 August 2021) (09:35): I rise to acknowledge and thank the Northern Health staff, volunteers and everyone involved in vaccinating our community in the electorate of Mill Park. On 1 July 2021 Northern Health hit a significant milestone, having administered 50 000 vaccines since the rollout began. In fact as of 1 August Northern Health had administered more than 83 000 vaccines in the Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre vaccination clinic in the electorate. The Plenty Ranges centre is run by a wonderful team of healthcare professionals who rapidly set up the clinic as a max vaccination centre to support our community. To the dedicated nurses and healthcare workers who are in the centre each day, supporting people to get vaccinated: we are grateful for the work that you do and humbled by your commitment to the health and safety of our community and our state.

Since the vaccination clinic was established in South Morang, we have also seen the dedicated Northern Health volunteers, volunteer coordinators and Melbourne Polytechnic students who have been there helping, rain, hail or shine. Volunteers greet community members as they arrive to make them feel welcome, assist them with checking in, direct them to where they need to go and help answer any questions they may have. So on behalf of myself, the government and the wider community, thank you for your contribution to helping keep us safe.

I want to also express my deep appreciation to my constituents who have come forward to get vaccinated. We all know that this pandemic has been hard, and it is clear that the COVID vaccination is our best tool for beating this. So thank you for stepping up and making the choice to protect yourselves, your loved ones and our wider community.

Hansard link: Northern Health