Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (13:01): My question is to the Minister for Health. The Better Health Network community health service in Bentleigh will shut its doors next year, cutting access to vital services for some of the most vulnerable members of the community. The Better Health Network at Bentleigh offers a range of allied health, mental health services, drug and alcohol counselling and family violence support. The government has failed to provide adequate funding for community health, which has flow-on effects to the acute system. Reduced access to primary care leads to more people seeking help from overstretched emergency departments, where demand for mental health beds continues to rise. The imminent closure of Cohealth clinics in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington has been delayed for eight months, with the federal government stepping in to fund GP services following community backlash and bailing out the Allan Labor government for failing to undertake what they should have. So I ask: will the minister speak to her federal counterpart to seek additional funding to ensure ongoing support for the essential health services at Bentleigh Better Health Network?

The PRESIDENT: I want to acknowledge former member of this chamber – another one – Mr Cliff Hayes is in the gallery.