Tuesday, 20 June 2023

 Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples) (14:20): I rise today to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s commitment to providing specialist and urgent mental health care to Victorians in need. One in five Victorians will experience a mental health condition, and we know that people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug issues will require specialist support. We also know that emergency department environments can often compound distress, which is why dedicated mental health and alcohol and other drug ED supports are critical. That is why we are delivering new mental health and AOD emergency department hubs across the state.

To ensure residents in Melbourne’s south-east have better access to specialised care a new hub is now open at the Monash Medical Centre, which is well known and loved by many in this chamber. I recently visited the St Vincent’s hub, and in the short time it has been open it has provided support to more than 3600 Victorians – that is 3600 people who received the integrated treatment and support they needed in a fit-for-purpose environment instead of waiting in an ED. This is part of the Andrews government’s $32 million investment to ensure that Victorians across the state receive the care they need and deserve. Alongside the St Vincent’s hub, hubs are operating at Barwon Health’s University Hospital Geelong and Western Health’s Sunshine Hospital, and there will be additional hubs opening at the Royal Melbourne and at Frankston Hospital as well.

But that is not all. We are investing a further $10 million to improve access to support for regional Victorians as well. This includes a hub at Latrobe Regional Hospital and planning for hubs in Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton, which I know will be welcomed by those local members. With more than $6 billion – about $6.5 billion – invested in our mental health system since 2020, the Andrews Labor government is rebuilding our mental health and wellbeing system from the ground up to ensure that we have a system that provides treatment, care and support for all Victorians closer to home.