Tuesday, 25 August 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:08): (1430) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. Back in 2023 you said:

We’re implementing every recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, as we promised.

VACCHO, Victoria’s peak body for Aboriginal health and wellbeing, has been calling for funding of two healing centres to deliver culturally safe, evidence-based mental health support to Aboriginal people. This was a specific recommendation from the royal commission to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal Victorians and save lives. The design of the healing centres has been complete since 2024–25, and detailed modelling shows that these healing centres would save $38 million in avoided costs and $100.8 million in reduced costs over the next decade. Despite this, there have now been two consecutive budget cycles without funding to deliver these important healing centres. Minister, to support the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, will you fund these healing centres and fulfil this royal commission recommendation?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:09): I thank Dr Mansfield for her question. Of course at the outset I want to acknowledge the incredible work of not only VACCHO but all of our Aboriginal community controlled organisations across the state that are continuing to work incredibly hard to close the gap that is being experienced still by Aboriginal Victorians when it comes to not only health outcomes but mental health outcomes. We are certainly, as a government, absolutely committed to a future that is based on equity, on truth and on justice. We are proud that we have a treaty in our state, which is all about making sure that Aboriginal communities have the power and the resources to be able to deliver self-determined outcomes. In the mental health space, I have been proud to work with VACCHO. We have established, in partnership with VACCHO, the Balit Durn Durn Centre, which was a key recommendation of the royal commission. We have worked closely with them as they build their capacity right across Victoria, which includes social and emotional wellbeing teams that are assisting Aboriginal Victorians right across the state, and we are very proud of that work. This year’s budget of course does commit to one of the very important recommendations out of the royal commission, to establish the Nest, which is a family wellbeing service model, and I want to acknowledge the work of VACCHO and the Balit Durn Durn Centre in developing business cases for both the Nest and the healing centres.

There is no question that we need to continue the effort and there is more work to be done, because it is unacceptable that Victorian Aboriginal communities still have a disproportionate suicide level compared to the rest of the population. Can I say that there has been powerful evidence that has been heard at both the mental health royal commission in relation to these issues but also at the Yoorrook Justice Commission – the truth-telling commission. We will continue to work hard and closely with VACCHO and ACCHOs right across the state because we know that the best solutions to these issues rest with the community and with those specialist community-controlled organisations that are working hard on this. There is more to do. I acknowledge that the healing centres’ work is incredibly important, and I will continue to support those efforts and the advocacy that VACCHO continue to pursue in relation to strengthening the mental health supports for Aboriginal Victorians across the state.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:12): Thank you, Minister, for that response, although I note that you did not make any commitment to funding these healing centres. At least 121 Aboriginal people have, sadly, died by suicide in Victoria since the royal commission’s report was tabled 2000 days ago. VACCHO is outside Parliament today, as you know, calling on the government to urgently implement this royal commission recommendation and fund healing centres for Aboriginal Victorians. They have said:

If we are serious about preventing suicide, the government must invest in Aboriginal-led solutions that Aboriginal communities have been calling for over many years.

The healing centre model has been shaped through almost 3599 hours of community consultation and integrates cultural and clinical approaches to healing. It is a sensible, well-evidenced model that will make a big difference to the wellbeing of Aboriginal people in Victoria, and frankly, it is pocket change compared to some of the spending priorities and commitments this government has. Minister, can you explain why the government has delayed funding for this sensible, well-evidenced and Aboriginal-led model?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:13): Of course I was very proud to join VACCHO on the steps of Parliament this morning, and the issues that they are advocating for are incredibly important. I do not have any intention of doing anything other than advocating strongly for our Aboriginal community controlled organisations to continue to receive the resources they need to deliver those important services across Victoria. I think I did acknowledge in my substantive answer the incredible work that VACCHO and the Balit Durn Durn Centre have done in developing these proposals, and I will continue to work closely with them. They have held the pen on these budget bids. I will continue to support their efforts, and the budget processes will deal with those issues, I am sure.