I met again with Minister for Mental Health Tanya Davies this week in Parliament, to continue my push on behalf of the community to build a better Banksia.

It is important that I continue to get into the Minister’s office to remind her of what we need for our region.

I want to see Banksia front and centre in the NSW Budget this year, and I am determined to see this mental health facility upgraded to the standard that we deserve.

We need out patients to have a warm, welcoming facility that will help them get back to good health as quickly as possible.

The dedicated team at Banksia face incredible challenges and we need to support them by providing the very best environment to assist the patients in their recovery.

I am proud to say we have the very best staff, now I want to see a facility to match.

With a petition of more than 13,200 signatures tabled in Parliament in early March, I know the community is right behind my push and will continue to support the cause for a better facility to service our region as it grows and the pressures on our health services increase.

Planning is the next step in this process to building a better Banksia and a really important part of that process is community consultation.

I want to bring the Tamworth Mental Health Carers Support Group along as part of this journey, and have our community and volunteers involved in that process.

I was delighted and warmed to see the roll-up of members of this group at my media call at Banksia House on Friday morning.

Thank you for your passion for this facility and for the support you give to this important matter.

Banksia remains an urgent and significant priority for our community and I will continue to work hard to ensure it is at the top of the list come Budget week.

I am working hard to continue to build our health services, our roads and our educational facilities.

I want this region to have the best services available and I’m committed to delivering on this pledge.

(The NSW Budget is due to be handed down on June 19)

Kevin Anderson is the Nationals State Member for Tamworth.