Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Lifeline Loddon Mallee

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (16:18): (382) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Mental Health, and it concerns the critical funding shortages experienced by Lifeline across Victoria, in particular the Lifeline Loddon Mallee service based in my electorate. The action that I seek is for the minister to provide a funding commitment of $119,000 in additional emergency funding for Lifeline Loddon Mallee on top of their standard annual funding to allow the organisation to maintain vital services and support those in need.

Lifeline Loddon Mallee commenced operation in 1995 and provides vital short-term crisis support to a population of nearly 300,000 across 10 local government areas. The service currently employs 13 staff and has 75 volunteers who work in two call centres, one in Bendigo and the other in Irymple. As well as providing immediate crisis support, Lifeline Loddon Mallee deliver community training programs and a grief and loss counselling service and recently launched a pilot youth counselling service. Demand for crisis support from Lifeline Loddon Mallee has increased by 36 per cent since the start of COVID-19, and the need for the service grows exponentially each year. Sadly, 84 deaths by suicide were recorded in the Loddon Mallee region in 2022, and there has been a significant increase in hospitalisations for intentional self-harm in the region over the past year.

The standard funding received by Lifeline Loddon Mallee from the Andrews Labor government covers just 25 per cent of the service’s annual operating cost. The rest of the funding required is raised by the organisation, and because of the pandemic lockdowns implemented in Victoria this badly needed fundraising was impossible. Over the last couple of years the government has provided additional emergency funding to Lifeline Loddon Mallee of $119,000 each year to ensure it can continue to assist those in need. There is a growing concern within Lifeline Loddon Mallee that this additional funding will not be forthcoming from the government, greatly impacting the operation of the service at a time when the region it serves is still struggling to come to grips with the devastation caused by last October’s floods.

Without the additional funding Lifeline Loddon Mallee would have to cease their grief and loss counselling service that I mentioned earlier and three full-time equivalent jobs would be lost. Just as concerning, the funding shortfall would impact on the number of volunteers the service could recruit each year, dropping from the required 35 volunteers to just 15, thus decreasing the number of calls that could be answered. The work of Lifeline Loddon Mallee saves lives and I urge the minister to provide the $119,000 in additional funding to allow them to continue this vital work.