Two health and wellbeing hubs closed, rollout of another four scrapped due to budget issues
Victoria Police officers will no longer have access to critical mental health facilities “due to financial constraints” amid the state’s worsening crime crisis.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Traumatised frontline police will no longer have access to critical mental health facilities as the force battles an “extremely challenging fiscal environment” amid the worsening crime crisis and towering state debt.
Already stretched officers dealing with joy-riding baby criminals and machete wielding gangs will lose all new and upcoming ‘mental health and wellbeing hubs’ as the force comes under pressure to tighten its budget.
Victoria Police said it was forced to take an axe to the new facilities, which hosted mental health clinicians and injury management consultants, because it was facing an “extremely challenging fiscal environment”.
“Due to financial constraints, Victoria Police has made the difficult decision to close two health and wellbeing hubs in Knox and Geelong,” it read.
The rollout of a further four will also be scrapped.
It comes as state debt skyrockets towards $194bn by 2029 and after Victoria Police’s budget was cut from $4.55 billion forecast this year to $4.5 billion for 2025-26.
And after Premier Jacinta Allan had warned public service agencies to watch their budgets.
Police sources earlier this year had reported a pre-budget crackdown by the government over public service overspending, with Victoria Police flagging that due to financial constraints they were “reviewing the rollout of further hubs”.
In an email to members, obtained by the Herald Sun, police command acknowledged that the health hub shut down would be “disappointing news for many within our organisation”.
Victorian Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said traumatised officers “absolutely” needed these services, especially when they were at their most vulnerable.
“While the funding for this initiative may have ceased, the drivers that are leading to hundreds of police being injured and absent from work, remain,” he said.
“Victoria Police must grapple with the enormity of this challenge and move quickly to ensure injured police are able to return to work safely, and that preventive measures are in place to protect our next generation of police.”
A police spokesman said existing wellbeing resources based at the Victoria Police Centre would remain.
“This includes the Police Psychology Unit specialising in trauma exposure, a 24/7 staff crisis support line, access to free and unlimited evidence-based therapy sessions, and a suite of training packages educating staff on the mental health warning signs to look out for in themselves and their peers,” they said.
Opposition police spokerson David Southwick slammed the state government, noting nearly 1,000 injured officers were currently waiting for support to return to duty.
“Instead of helping them, Labor has pulled the rug out from under them,” he said.
“The Allan Labor Government either doesn’t understand or simply doesn’t care how traumatic and demanding the job of a police officer is. Police deserve real support, not budget cuts, and broken promises.”
The state government was contacted for comment.
Originally published as Two health and wellbeing hubs closed, rollout of another four scrapped due to budget issues
‘Risk losing more loved brands’: Why retailers are going bust and shutting up shop
Surging crime and global trade wars are adding to the financial pressures on Australian retail businesses, with a peak body pleading for more government support as “the hits keep coming”.
‘Failure is not an option’: Tim Wilson to lead super tax fight
Incoming Goldstein MP Tim Wilson is railing against Labor’s tax grab on unrealised capital gains and is looking to hire a campaign manager to help in his crusade.