MINISTER for Youth Natalie Suleyman visited Seymour last week to talk to the community about how the October 2022 floods impacted young people in Mitchell Shire.
Ms Suleyman met with Mitchell Shire councillors, businesses, Mitchell Shire Youth Council and members of the Community Recovery Committee to discuss how the shire was rebuilding and supporting the needs of those impacted.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Fiona Stevens thanked Ms Suleyman and the State Government for their support to provide several youth-focused recovery events.
“We are very thankful to have had the minister in Seymour to see the recovery efforts underway and what is still needed,” she said.
“Council is standing with our community to build back better, and we need all the support we can get from the Victorian Government to do that.”
Ms Suleyman, also the Minister for Veterans, was updated on the need for the Seymour Community Wellbeing Hub.
The Hub will give up to 10,000 people access to integrated health and mental health support, together with other vital community services.
“A priority for supporting health of our community is funding for the Seymour Community Wellbeing Hub,” Cr Stevens said.
“This is a transformational project that will be an invaluable asset to people in Seymour and the wider shire.”
Council is calling on the state and federal governments to invest $23 million to ensure there is ‘no wrong door’ when accessing support and services in Seymour.
“We know there is a need for the support the hub can provide and we ask the state and federal governments to partner with us to make this important project a reality,” Cr Stevens said.
A Veterans Support Centre would provide specalised physical and mental health support for both retired from duty and active-duty defence personnel, including suicide prevention programs.
Council has already committed more than $3 million in land and project costs to make the hub a reality.
“We have demonstrated our commitment by buying the land, we just need help to finance the build,” Cr Stevens said.
for more information about the hub.
