The Morrison Government’s economic plan will provide more support for veterans, defence personnel and their families right around Australia with a commitment to establish 14 new Veteran Wellbeing Centres, connecting veterans to health and other support services.
$70 million will support the creation of 14 Wellbeing Centres, based in locations with a significant veteran population.
The centres provide a one-stop-shop, in partnership with ex-service and community organisations, to better help connect veterans to the extensive support and advocacy already available, with a strong focus on health and wellbeing.
They provide a place where communities can partner with and support veterans, Defence members and their families at the local level, while drawing on national integrated veterans support services.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was proud of every single veteran.
“We must look after our vets and their families and provide support for the men and women who have served in our Australian Defence Force and put their lives on the line for our nation, our values and our way of life,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
“This new commitment builds on almost $400 million of support provided in the Budget for our veterans and their families, in recognition of the service and sacrifice they’ve made to keep our nation safe and secure.”
Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the investment was just one way to recognise the service of veterans, ADF members and their families.
“Just as it is important to provide our ADF with the best equipment and facilities, we also know it is equally important to recognise the unique challenges our veterans can face,” Minister Dutton said.
“Investment in these new centres, and new models of operation, offers an opportunity for local communities to work together and tailor their support services to support veterans, serving ADF members and their families.”
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee said the Veteran Wellbeing Centres already delivered by the Government had been incredibly successful.
“Around Australia, I have seen firsthand the positive effects that our wellbeing centres have on our veterans, Defence personnel and their families,” Minister Gee said.
“They are welcoming places that build community connections and give those in need essential support and easy access to the services available.
“Whether it be mental or physical health support, help finding a job, assistance in lodging claims, or just providing a friendly place for a chat and a coffee, the organisations running these centres are working tirelessly to help our veterans and their families.
“Our servicemen and women, veterans and their families have given so much for our nation and, in return, it is our duty to provide them with the very best support we can.”
Up to $5 million will be available to ex-service and community organisations to establish Veteran Wellbeing Centres in the following 14 new locations with a significant veteran population:
New South Wales
- Greater Sydney
- Western Sydney at the Scheyville Veterans Centre in partnership with the Hunter Anzac Memorial
- Mid-north coast region
- Newcastle/Hunter region
- Wagga Wagga region
Queensland
- Mackay region
- Wide-Bay Burnett region
- Sunshine Coast region
- An additional centre in the South-East Queensland region
Western Australia
- Northern suburbs of Perth
Victoria
- Greater Melbourne and surrounds
- Geelong/Surf Coast region
- Mornington Peninsula
ACT
- Capital region
This will build on the success of our network of Veteran Wellbeing Centres in Townsville, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Wodonga and Nowra, established in partnership with ex-service organisations. The network is also being extended to include a hub-and-spoke model in Tasmania and we are also partnering with Lives Lived Well to establish a centre in the Moreton Bay area.
The Morrison Government has a strong track record when it comes to ensuring that our veterans and their families have access to health and wellbeing services when and where they need them.
An additional targeted investment of $2.6 million will establish a pilot program to provide early intervention specialist child and adolescent mental health support for children of current and former ADF members, focused on members with service in the Special Operations Command.
This will meet an evolving need to provide specialist military-aware support that is critical to their wellbeing, development and a positive ADF family dynamic, particularly given the unprecedented period of critical stressors in the special forces community.
This investment will be rolled out over two years in the three high-need locations of Sydney, Perth and Brisbane to cover Holsworthy, Campbell and Gallipoli Barracks. It is expected to benefit up to 43,800 children of current and former members of the ADF and their families.
A re-elected Coalition Government will also expand and diversify the help provided to veterans and their families with a $1.9 million investment in a new pilot of a Chaplaincy Support program for at-risk veterans transitioning from the ADF, focusing on spiritual health and wellbeing and treatment of emerging conditions such as moral injury.
This approach aligns with the recommendation by the Interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide in the Preliminary Interim Report to provide “a holistic and tailored approach that can adapt to the diverse needs of all veterans” and reflects the fact that chaplains have long been a feature of the Australian military, with around 15 per cent of regular serving ADF members accessing chaplaincy support.
Ex-service organisations play an important role in supporting the wellbeing of veterans and the Government will invest an additional $2 million to enable veteran-led mental health charity Swiss 8 to continue to offer its proactive health and wellbeing app free of charge to veterans. The app currently has around 5,500 veteran users and is designed to reduce anxiety and depression.
The Coalition recognises current and former ADF members are national assets and $38.1 million will be provided over the next three years to establish a National Veteran Volunteer Service program in partnership with Disaster Relief Australia (DRA).
This innovative program will increase the engagement of veterans and their families in disaster resilience, recovery and relief operations, and community service projects throughout Australia. In doing so, this will improve the health and wellbeing of veterans and their families and their long-term employment outcomes. It builds on our $3 million investment in DRA in 2019.
The transition from the ADF to a post-service life is a unique and challenging experience and a re-elected Coalition Government will invest a further $10 million to extend assistance to support ex-service and community organisations to deliver tailored, innovative support to help veterans find meaningful civilian employment once they’ve transitioned out of the ADF.
This investment will build on the $16.2 million in funding provided in 2019 for innovative veteran employment programs by Soldier On, the Returned and Services League and Disaster Relief Australia (formerly Team Rubicon).
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring the service and sacrifice of Australians and $10 million will be provided to expand the successful Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants program, so local communities can continue to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australians in war.
Following a successful pilot program that we established in 2019, an additional $3.7 million will be invested to establish an ongoing grant program to mark the private graves of First World War veterans who died after the war and are resting in civil cemeteries. Our pilot program saw the placement of 1,189 markers and this new investment will enable this important work to continue.
$400,000 will be provided to support the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in inner-west Sydney, a living memorial and commemoration site for Second World War veterans.
The Coalition Government has a strong track record of delivering services and support for our veterans and their families. Our Government invests more than $11.5 billion a year to support around 340,000 veterans and their families, widows and children.
Only the Coalition can be trusted to deliver for veterans and their families.