Wednesday, 1 May 2024

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:46): I rise to update the house on work underway to build and upgrade youth prevention and recovery care centres across the state. On Monday I joined the member for Ivanhoe, the Honourable Anthony Carbines, to visit the site of the new YPARC centre in Heidelberg to mark the recent start of construction works. Once complete, the Heidelberg YPARC will feature 10 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a communal kitchen, dining and living areas, breakout spaces and outdoor garden areas. It will also provide plenty of room for leisure recreation activities and visits from loved ones as well as space for group activities and tailored one-to-one support.

YPARC services provide 24/7 community-based clinical care for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 experiencing mental health challenges, giving more young people access to treatment and care close to their family and loved ones. This is part of a $141 million investment by the Labor government that will deliver on a key recommendation of the royal commission and more than double the capacity of Victoria’s current YPARC network. The project will deliver five new 10-bedroom YPARC centres in Ballarat, Geelong, Heidelberg, Shepparton and Traralgon and upgrades to three existing YPARC centres in Bendigo, Dandenong and Frankston.

I am pleased to inform the house that the first stages of the upgrades to the existing Frankston and Dandenong YPARC centres are now complete. Thank you to the Victorian Health Building Authority, Austin Health and SJ Higgins for showing us around the Heidelberg construction site on Monday and to the staff at the Frankston and Dandenong centres for all the high-quality services you continue to provide your community.