Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell has called on the State Government to fund a proposed Seymour Community Wellbeing Hub, calling the project ‘a top priority’.
Ms Maxwell, an MP for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party, addressed Parliament last week, calling for Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and the government to commit funding for the hub, which is at the top of the Mitchell Shire Council’s election wish list.
Ms Maxwell said the hub, which the government would operate in partnership with council, Seymour Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Nexus Primary Health, would serve what had become one of the most disadvantaged communities in Victoria.
“[Seymour’s] economic and social challenges are entrenched and intergenerational,” she said.
“Family violence occurs at a level that is three times the state average, with an incident rate of 4018 per 100,000 people; one in three school leavers do not complete year 12; one in six young people are not participating in work or study; 20 per cent of homes in Seymour have no internet connection; almost eight per cent of dwellings are social housing; [and] seven per cent of people in Seymour require assistance with core life activities.
“Despite these troubling statistics it is not all doom and gloom in Seymour. This is a community that is doing it really tough, but it is also a community with vision, determination and committed stakeholders and community leaders—but they cannot do it alone.”
Ms Maxwell said there was a ‘strong concept’ for the hub.
“It wants to deliver integrated health and mental health support for people in Seymour and the surrounding areas, knowing that a no-wrong-door and multidisciplinary approach will help meet the needs of their community in an efficient and supportive way,” she said.
“The hub would be home to a range of services, such as community mental health, space for a veterans mental health and wellbeing service, a centre against sexual assault, health promotion, dental care, primary health services, a Youth Assist clinic and flexible consulting rooms.
“The location for the hub is really important, and the Seymour community has identified an ideal location that will connect to the library and link to other educational and creative spaces.”
Ms Maxwell said the project would benefit the broader Mitchell Shire as well as Seymour.
“Seymour is an area with profound need, yet the community has a massive struggle accessing health and social services,” she said.
“Many people in the Seymour region cannot afford private psychological or medical consultations. If the services are available, they often have to travel to other regions, sometimes hours away, to get the help they need.
“The Seymour revitalisation project conducted extensive community consultation, and this project was identified as a top priority.”
Council estimated the cost of the hub at $23 million, with a required State Government investment of $9 million.
