I set off from the Council Chambers in Hope Street, Warialda at 9am on Saturday, April 13 and will finish my walk at Parliament House, Canberra on or about May 29, where I will be presenting a petition asking for the development of a national rural mental health strategy, ensuring improved access to psychiatrists, psychologists and trained healthcare workers in rural communities; and residential accommodation in rural communities for patients while they receive support from these professionals.

In July 2017, my nephew, who drove heavy machinery in a coal mine in central NSW, was diagnosed with psychotic depression.

This came as a great shock to his family, none of whom had any idea of the battle that he had been fighting for a number of years.

In the following months, he was admitted on three occasions to two private medical establishments in Sydney which specialise in treating patients suffering from depression.

He spent a total of 12 weeks in these hospitals, where he received intensive treatment that included counselling and medication.

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There was no alternative for our family other than seeking treatment in expensive private establishments in Sydney.

Unfortunately, private hospitalisation is not an option for many families in rural areas.

After he was discharged in April 2018, he returned home because he missed his family.

He sought ongoing help from local medical and counselling practitioners in the nearest major town.

The health professionals who treated him were very caring and showed real concern for his wellbeing, but their resources were extremely limited.

Although specialist medical professionals visited the region on a monthly basis, this service was inadequate and still does not provide the ongoing treatment required by patients suffering serious mental health problems.

Sadly, my nephew was unable to overcome his illness and died in July 2018.

Since his death, we have realised that our family is not alone. We were only one of many families in these communities who have faced the challenges of seeking mental health support in rural and remote areas of Australia.

We also recognise that those attempting to provide mental health support in these areas are confronted with significant challenges on a daily basis.

While it is fine to ask people, "are you okay?", there is frequently little support outside major cities if the person is not okay.

This is why I am planning to walk 1000 kilometres from a small country town in north-western NSW to the steps of Parliament House.

My petition can be found at https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Petitions/House_of_Representatives_Petitions/Petitions_General/Sign_an_e-petition?id=EN0887

As a very concerned citizen of Australia, I wish to raise awareness of the inadequacy of mental health services in rural and remote areas of Australia.