Thursday, 19 June 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:16): (960) My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. The Labor government’s decision to axe Latrobe Health Assembly’s funding has devastated volunteers and the broader community. The assembly has introduced and funded many mental health initiatives to address the disproportionately poor mental health outcomes experienced by Latrobe Valley residents, including the WES mental health service and the Youth Live4Life program. The Latrobe Valley already has the third-highest rate of prescriptions dispensed for mental health conditions in the state. Minister, what will you do to replace these critical mental health services that will be lost if the Latrobe Health Assembly is forced to shut?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:17): I thank Ms Bath for her question. I do need to indicate from the outset, before I go to the issues around mental health, that the Latrobe Health Assembly is actually a matter for the Minister for Health and falls under her portfolio responsibilities. However, what I can say is that the Victorian government remains committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of everybody in the Latrobe Valley community, and we are continuing to invest through the mental health portfolio in very important local and statewide services. The department is working with local partners to ensure that there is continued access to mental health and wellbeing supports for the community, and that includes of course via our flagship services, our mental health and wellbeing locals – and we do have one in Morwell – and Latrobe Regional Health. We have a number of important mental health services out of that health service and of course Latrobe Community Health Service. I do want to also indicate that residents can also access the Commonwealth-funded services, such as Headspace in Morwell for young Victorians, and my department will continue to monitor those local needs as they relate to mental health and wellbeing needs of the community. But again, I would just point out, Ms Bath, that that particular assembly, the Latrobe Health Assembly, is within the Minister for Health’s responsibilities.

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:19): I thank the minister for her response. Minister, one of the key initiatives listed in your government’s Victorian suicide prevention and response strategy is item 2.7, ‘Continue to invest in Youth Live4Life’, yet you are pulling funding from that very program by forcing the closure of the Latrobe Health Assembly. Minister, how does shutting the Latrobe Health Assembly and pulling the funding from the Youth Live4Life program align with your government’s own strategy?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:20): Thank you, Ms Bath, for that question. Youth Live4Life are an amazing organisation. I have had the opportunity to visit them at their offices. Up in the Macedon Ranges is where their offices are, but they have programs right across the state. They have received important funding through the 2025–26 budget. They are one of the key prevention organisations in the youth mental health space in Victoria, and I have got nothing but admiration and praise for the work that they do. As I have already indicated in my substantive answer, my department is working closely with the organisation and the community more broadly down in the Latrobe Valley to make sure that there are adequate and important services that continue, particularly, I must say, in relation to youth mental health supports.