Thursday, 10 September 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:15): (1479) My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Western Victoria is the only part of our state without a designated mental health and wellbeing local service for adults. Despite submitting repeated proposals for extra local capacity, Grampians Health chief executive Dale Fraser said regional priorities continue to be overlooked. He said:

I don’t think I should have to make the case. The Royal Commission already made that case for me.

On 29 May 2023 your predecessor Gabrielle Williams put out a statement to claim that planning work had started on a Ballarat facility. Minister, why more than three years later have you failed to deliver a dedicated mental health and wellbeing local service in Ballarat?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:16): I thank Mrs McArthur for her question, and I do want to acknowledge the great work that the health services down in the south-west are doing. I have had the opportunity to go and visit a number of their brand new mental health services that serve that growing and large footprint down in that part of the state, and they are doing an amazing job. I do want to just correct the record for you, Mrs McArthur, through the Chair, that there have been important investments made down in that part of the state, and in terms of the mental health and wellbeing hubs in that part of the state, those are continuing and are supported in the budget, including the Horsham mental health and wellbeing hub, which services Horsham, Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians and West Wimmera, and the Warrnambool mental health and wellbeing services hub, which services the Warrnambool, Moyne, Glenelg, South Grampians and Corangamite parts of the region. I have actually gone and met with those staff. They are amazing, and they are doing great work in that community.

In terms of our rollout of locals, I am very proud that we have already rolled out 22 locals across 24 locations, and we are in the planning stage for the next tranche of locals, which will be servicing other parts of the community. These services are free. They have already supported more than 40,000 Victorians, and they are taking pressure off the rest of the health system by ensuring people are seen early. I look forward to continuing to roll out these important programs in the parts of the state where commitments have been made for locals.

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:18): There is nothing in Ballarat. Minister, the only thing in Ballarat is a small mental health and wellbeing hub at Uniting. It provides support but no treatment. Grampians Health chief executive Dale Fraser said the lack of dedicated psychiatric supports forces emergency departments to frequently take patients experiencing severe crisis. He said:

We, on any given day, would have one to two people sitting in a bed at a hospital here, waiting for a bed somewhere else …

They’re in a bed, normally under the care of nursing teams and security … in a space designed for kids having their tonsils out.

Minister, this is clearly unacceptable. Your own health bureaucrats are now publicly saying this is a huge issue. Do you concede that the lack of government investment in mental health services is putting pressure on the Ballarat Base emergency department?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:19): Whilst I appreciate Mrs McArthur’s strong advocacy for her community, I need to just point out the misunderstanding that she has about the mental health system. What she is talking about are acute presentations, which are not the types of consumers who can be adequately supported through the locals, which are at the lower level of acuity. Our government has been proud to invest over $6 billion into the mental health system and has been pursuing with vigour all of the recommendations of the royal commission. I want to point out that those opposite actually opposed the levy that is enabling us to double the investment in mental health reforms in our state, more than any other state or territory.

Bev McArthur: On a point of order, President, the minister referred to a levy, but where is it going to? Nothing has been delivered in Ballarat.

Sonja Terpstra: Further to the point of order, President, again, it is not a point of order.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold your point of order that it is not a point of order. The minister has finished her answer.

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:21): I move:

That the minister’s answers be taken into consideration on the next day of sitting.

Motion agreed to.