Mental health hub for Benalla

BENALLA, which has the highest rate of suicides per capita in Victoria, will be home to one of the state's six new mental health hubs. The hubs are being established in response to the ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing Services’ recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Suicide is consistently the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 44 in Victoria. The five other hubs are located in Brimbank, Frankston, Greater Geelong, Latrobe Valley and Whittlesea, all having high levels of very high psychological distress. The sites will enable mental health trained professionals to help Victorians access help in the community earlier, before they need to access a hospital or when they reach a crisis point. The government announced the six sites will be the first of up to 60 across Victoria. “Today we take the very first step to implement the ambitious agenda set out in the final report,” Minister for Mental Health James Merlino said. “It will take time, but these new localised mental health services will provide better coverage and easier access to services for Victorians, no matter where they live.” Wangaratta-based state MP Tania Maxwell (MLC, Northern Victoria) welcomed the new centre. “The report of the Royal Commission into Mental Health has confirmed what we already know are barriers for people getting appropriate help before their needs escalate to a crisis point, including long wait-lists and difficulties in the recruitment and retention of mental health professionals in regional areas,” she said. Matt Jones, Murray PHN chief executive officer, said Benalla and its surrounding area has historically a higher rate of suicides and suicide attempts. "Even if we can’t attribute it to a factor, we noticed also that Benalla has higher rates of poor incomes, higher rates of chronic disease, mental health, cancers, which is linked with a high rate of mental distress,” he said. "The stigma attached to people seeking help led them to internalise their struggles and not communicate until they reach the point of no return and take their own life." The six new mental health sites will have a targeted approach according to everyone knocking at their doors. “It’s good to see the commission’s focus on community-based services,” Mr Jones said. He said for people who live far from these sites, other help centres are at hand, such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue and Headspace. Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) said she had been working with the Benalla community for many years on important mental health issues. "Like so many in my home town my family has been left devastated by suicide,” she said. “I’m so proud of the Labor Government's commitment to fixing this broken system and it's great to see that the people of Benalla and across the region will get the mental health support they need closer to where they live,” she said.

Mental health hub for Benalla

Wangaratta Chronicle, Friday, 18 September, 2026

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