When my daughter Evelyn was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive bone cancer at just seven months old, we were told proton therapy would give her the best chance of survival. But the treatment wasn’t available anywhere in Australia.

Like many families, we had no choice but to travel to the other side of the world, separating our family and taking on enormous financial, emotional and medical strain. The fact that Australia still doesn’t have proton therapy is an embarrassment. No family should ever have to leave the country to save their child’s life.

The Adelaide centre, once planned for a 2025 opening, has been delayed by contractual failures and a lack of political support. Families like ours have spent over a year writing to Federal and State leaders, but there has been no progress. Meanwhile, parents continue to shoulder devastating burdens for treatment that should exist here at home.

Proton therapy is not experimental. It has been used worldwide for decades and was approved by the FDA in 1988. More than 120 centres are operating in the Northern Hemisphere, and around 60 more are being built. Research continues to show the benefits for children, whose developing organs are more vulnerable to radiation. Australia claims to lead in modern medicine, but in proton therapy, we are years behind.

We simply need the fastest, safest and most effective option activated now, with priority for the children who need it most. Right now, the Bragg Centre in Adelaide is the most advanced facility in the country: the bunker is built, the clinical teams are preparing, and the only missing piece is installing the machine. This makes South Australia the quickest path to treating Australians, especially vulnerable children.

While the proposed Melbourne service is a welcome step, it does not solve the full national need. It may be suitable for some adult patients and some older paediatric patients, such as teenagers who can tolerate the required reclined position and be treated with a fixed beam. But it will not meet the needs of all children aged 0–17. Patients requiring treatment under general anaesthetic need a supine bed set-up, and many complex cases require a rotating gantry rather than a fixed beam. Without these capabilities, some of the most vulnerable children and other high-need patients may still be excluded.

We are calling on the Australian Government to:

• Confirm bipartisan commitment to proton therapy as core cancer infrastructure, prioritising paediatric and young adult patients.
• Deliver a facility that meets clinical needs, including at least two treatment rooms and one gantry-based supine room for young children under anaesthesia and complex cases.
• Support the Bragg Centre as the first operational site due to its advanced readiness.
• Progress the Melbourne service as a complementary oncology centre, while ensuring children with more complex treatment needs are not left behind.
• Continue interim financial support so no one is forced overseas for essential care.
• Publish clear national timelines with accountability for delivery.