Thursday, 23 June 2022

 Ms TAYLOR (Southern Metropolitan) (10:18): I think there is probably not an Australian, let alone a Victorian, who has not in some way been touched by melanoma. We all know somebody, if not many people, and it is certainly uber present in our community. I think it is one of the five most common cancers in Victoria, and 3000 people get diagnosed every year. It follows that it was certainly my pleasure to accompany our Prime Minister—who has not wasted any time, let me tell you, getting out there and getting things done—the Premier, Minister Martin Foley, representation from the Alfred, Monash University and the Minderoo Foundation, and Lindsay and Paula Fox to see that construction is well underway for the Victorian melanoma and clinical trials centre. It is located on St Kilda Road, adjacent to the Alfred hospital. It is backed by $50 million from our state Labor government, $50 million from the federal government and also philanthropy, and I should note that Paula Fox has very much a personal connection. She has been able to surmount the melanoma that certainly threatened her life. Hence it is going to be known as the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre. It will involve the collocation of melanoma oncology clinical trials and research operations at the centre, and it will support ongoing trial hub initiatives, including clinical trials for melanoma. I must say this is well needed.