Australia to have its first purpose-built one-stop facility for veterans

VETERANS are in another desperate fight — this time calling upon the Federal Government to help fund the first one-stop facility in the country to deal with their physical and mental health issues.

EXCLUSIVE

AUSTRALIA will have its first “one stop shop” for veterans wounded in mind or body and their families — but it needs the public’s help to be finished after failing to get federal government funds.

Based on models in the US and the UK, the $35 million centre to be built in Concord in Sydney will include accommodation for families of veterans suffering physical and emotional trauma and take referrals from all over Australia.

Veterans support group Soldier On will manage the facility but spokesman John Bale said it was only two-thirds funded — thanks to the state government and an undisclosed philanthropist — and needs corporate and public donations to complete the mission.

Soldier On asked the federal government to make up the shortfall but has not received funding.

He said it was ironic the federal government was more than willing to spend money on memorials and museums in France to commemorate Anzacs from 100 years ago but not for helping today’s Diggers.

“It’s not that the care is not there, it’s that it is all over the place, this specialist and that specialist and not holistic. This would close the gap,” Mr Bale said.

Afghanistan veteran John Bale holds a photo of his fallen friend Lt. Michael Fussell at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Stefan Postles

Mr Bale described the centre as akin to Ronald McDonald House, which provides support for families of sick children.

It will run in concert with Concord Hospital’s new clinical centre for veterans to be opened in 2020.

The $35 million centre will be named after 4RAR commando Lieutenant Michael Fussell, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2008. It will include an accommodation block for 40 people and will also be available to veterans and their families from other national agencies such as Federal Police and intelligence services.

David Savage was an Australian Federal Police veteran of 20 years before he shifted to UN war crime investigations. He was working as a reconstruction adviser in Afghanistan in 2012 when a 12-year-old suicide bomber rushed him.

The now 55-year-old wheelchair-bound veteran has spent months in various hospitals with 20 surgeries but has had to move between various institutions.

His wife Sandra has had to give up her career to be his full-time carer and has had to move from hotel to hotel to be close to him.

Veteran David Savage and his wife Sandra. Picture Gary Ramage

“I don’t think there are enough specific services for veterans … a purpose-built facilities would be great, families could stay close and certainly the range of injuries you get from war you usually are in hospital for lengthy periods of time with physical and mental injuries and it would be great to have family around and (professional) people around them to support them too,” he said.

NSW Health Sydney Local Health District’s Director of Psychology Lil Vrklevski said: “By integrating care in a single location, the centre has the potential to provide both mental and physical rehabilitation to achieve the best health outcomes.”

A spokeswoman for Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester who met with Mr Bale over the issue said the government already offered funding support to many veterans’ programs.

“The Australian Government provides funding support for a number of ex-service organisations which provide advice and support services for veterans and their families,” a spokesman for the minister said. “Soldier On is committed to supporting veterans and their families and like all ex-service organisations they are encouraged to apply for Federal funding available.”