Thursday, 7 April 2022

Mental health reform

Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (09:57): Mental ill health impacts every Victorian. It is an issue with very real consequences. If we ourselves do not live with mental ill health, someone we love does. I like thousands of Victorians live with anxiety and depression. I have experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating the mental health system and the need for reform, and that is exactly what the Andrews government is delivering. The landmark Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System has started a decade-long commitment to build a world-class public mental health system. It is a big task and an expensive task, but it is worth every single one of the $3.8 billion we are investing, and progress is already underway.

We are only 12 months into the journey, but work has commenced on 85 per cent of the royal commission’s recommendations—recommendations we accepted in full right from the outset. It is a tremendous effort and brings me immense hope to see the progress over the past year. We are getting on and building 60 walk-in mental health and wellbeing services across every corner of the state, including a dedicated service in Ringwood which will serve as a hub for all things mental health and wellbeing in the east. We are also making record investments to bolster acute services, including eight new and refurbished youth centres, four child and family centres, over 100 new mental health beds and a $350 million upgrade of the Thomas Embling Hospital. Reform is coming to every corner of our state, and we have only just begun. To all of those who live with mental ill health I say this: the Andrews government stands with you and is committed to a brighter tomorrow.