Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:56) 

This government is making the biggest investment in Medicare since it was created more than 40 years ago. Here in the Hunter that means more doctors, more urgent care, cheaper medicines and stronger mental health services for local families. We're investing $8.5 billion to deliver 18 million more bulk-billed GP visits every single year.

By 2030, nine out of ten GP visits will be bulk billed, which is triple what we inherited from those opposite, who froze the rebate and sent bulk-billing off a cliff. Locals are already seeing the difference. Families in Cessnock, Singleton, Lake Macquarie and right through the valley are paying less and getting more. Right here in our backyard, urgent care clinics are up and running in Cessnock, Charlestown and Lake Haven, with Maitland to come very shortly. They are taking the pressure off Singleton, Cessnock, Maitland and the John Hunter hospitals, because people can walk in seven days a week, get free care and avoid hours in the ED. We are building Medicare mental health centres in Cessnock and Muswellbrook plus a bigger and improved headspace centre for Cessnock.

From January, the maximum price of a PBS script will fall to $25. That's the lowest it's been in over 20 years. New South Wales families have already saved more than half a billion dollars on cheaper medicines. Labor is strengthening Medicare, backing mental health, delivering cheaper medicines and giving the Hunter families real cost-of-living relief.