Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (14:43): (1601) My constituency question is for the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, how will the new Ballarat youth prevention and recovery care centre benefit young people in my electorate of Wendouree? I am pleased to see that work is well underway on the new 10-bed Ballarat YPARC, one of four new centres being delivered across regional Victoria as part of the Allan government’s mental health reform agenda. Importantly, YPARCs directly respond to key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and will provide voluntary 24/7 residential support for young people aged 16 to 25. Designed as a home away from home, the Ballarat YPARC will offer early intervention care that helps prevent the need for acute hospital admissions. Given the significant mental health needs of young people in Ballarat and the surrounding community, I look forward to developing my understanding of how our new YPARC will improve outcomes for young people across Ballarat.