The history of funding for Oasis Townsville’s Oonoonba hub
A vital support hub for veterans in North Queensland are holding onto hope that funding, outlined in a recommendation from a royal commission, will come to fruition. Here’s where the funding has come from so far.
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Oasis Townsville, a vital support hub for veterans in North Queensland, are holding onto hope that funding outlined in a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, will come to fruition.
Here is a look back at the history of Oasis and the funding it has received over the years:
November 9, 2017
The Townsville Bulletin reported that Oasis Townsville’s new 24/7 services hub for ex-Defence personnel and their families in Townsville should be opened in early 2018, with the State Government agreeing to a site in Oonoonba.
Lieutenant General (retired) John Caligari said the project was almost 10 years in the making and was the brainchild of Veterans Off The Streets Australia managing director Floss Foster and Townsville leaders of prominent ex-service organisations.
The building outlined to be used, which was owned by the state government and had formerly been used a biosecurity lab, had been dormant since 2012 and required about $1m in refurbishment, which Labor committed to providing.
November 16, 2017
More than 20 representatives from government departments, ex-service organisations and serving military gathered at the preferred site for The Oasis Townsville at Oonoonba, urging politicians to back the project in the lead up to the 2017 election.
Mr Caligari called the meeting to discuss progress with some of the founders of the original concept after Labor committed to offering the empty building for the veterans hub.
At the time Townsville RSL sub-branch committee member Floss Foster said securing the desired site for The Oasis Townsville had been 12 months in the making.
RAAF Association North Queensland Area vice president Ted Mildren said bipartisan support for the hub was crucial no matter who was elected at the state election.
May 2020
Woollam Constructions was granted the contract for the Oasis Townsville build.
July 2020
The Townsville Chiefs rugby league club helped raise $8000 for Oasis as they prepared for the move from their office in Walker Street to the Oonoonba location.
October 2020
The Oasis Townsville was singled out as the only veterans project in Queensland to receive dedicated funding in a $10m Labor election promise.
Then-Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited Townsville to present the $10m package to go towards Queensland’s veterans and services organisations.
The Oasis Townsville, a veterans support hub, was the only organisation in Queensland singled out with $1m in dedicated funding, which was to go towards operational costs and allow a small team of staff work to run the facility.
June 2021
Oasis Townsville opened in June 2021, as a hub for veteran support services. A grand launch took place on the first day of Veteran Health Week 2021, attracting 2000 visitors.
The facility was funded by both state and federal backing and was opened by Premier at the time, Ms Palaszczuk.
The land on which the facility sits is owned by the state government and was previously used as a biosecurity lab.
At the time Herbert MP Phillip Thompson, who is a veteran himself, said when he transitioned back to civilian life there was little help available for him, but said places like Oasis would help connect the community and be “lifesaving”.
Premier Palaszczuk said the government had supported the development of Oasis over the past five years, with $4.3m provided for early works from the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (DCDSS).
As part of a commitment at the previous 2017 election, an extra $1m was outlined by the government for the next four years to support the delivery of services at the centre.
The state government also provided a $30,000 grant to fund the development of the service model, to inform the delivery of services and referrals to external agencies.
The federal government gave $5m in funding for the capital works from 2019 to 2020.
This included the construction of the main facility and five smaller buildings, as part of a $40.7m investment into eight veteran wellbeing hubs across Australia.
April 2022
A promise of $4.5m was outlined by Labor in the lead up to the 2022 election.
The Oasis Townsville Veteran Wellbeing Centre will receive $4.5m to help bring all the services it offers together in a user-friendly online tool or smartphone app, called Operation Navigator,
The app was designed in collaboration with ADF commanders and the Department of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs, and will be trialled with service personnel who are preparing to leave the services to help with life planning.
March 24, 2023
The state government announcement of a free legal service will be run by Townsville Community Law at Oasis thanks to a cash injection of $600,000 to bankroll the program over a 24-month period.
Mr Caligari said at the time that Legal Aid has worked with Oasis but it was great to see a legal service locked in.
A trial of the legal service was held during 2022 and helped veterans with 160 legal matters.
July 16, 2024
Oasis teamed up with the Katter’s Australian Party to call on $9m of funding over four years.
Mr Caligari said the centre wants to continue its three main priorities including introducing services for first responders, enhancing their connections program and go the “next level” of getting more veterans and partners into meaningful work.
Hinchinbrook MP and KAP Deputy Leader Nick Dametto said there was a shared understanding between veterans and first responders around things such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the importance of keeping people in valued roles post their original service careers.
“KAP is committed to seeing The Oasis receive the funding necessary to continue on with their great work for veterans and also expand that service to first responders,” he said.
“The Oasis needs $9m of operational funding over four years to deliver this vital service and the evidence clearly demonstrates that in addition to the personal individual benefits, the economic benefit to our community as a whole is inarguable.”
December 2024
The Australian Government Response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was released and outlined 122 recommendations.
The 86th recommendation outlined the need to “develop a national funding agreement on veteran’s wellbeing’, which the federal government agreed to honour in principle, calls for national funding of veterans and families hubs across the country.
April 18, 2025
Oasis Townsville announced the closure of its Dirty Boots Cafe, saying “until we are able to secure further funding, we have had to make the decision to close Dirty Boots Cafe for the foreseeable future”, to the sadness of locals.
Other changes The Oasis implemented include reduced Homebase hours from 9am to 3pm, Tuesday to Friday, seven staff being made redundant, and the Navigation program being scaled down.
April 24, 2025
Oasis Townsville told the Townsville Bulletin it was hanging on by a thread after funding promises made in the wake of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was yet to materialise.
The organisations award-winning employment program was also been shut down as its State Government grant has finished.
The organisation won two national awards in the 2024 PM’s National Employment Awards and has applied to the State Government for another funding grant to continue the program.
Mr Thompson said it was “really disappointing”.
“To say that a grant has been given to the Oasis as well as a Labor election commitment in 2022, to now find that majority of that funding has not been provided and because of that we’ve seen veterans and veteran spouses lose their jobs on the eve of Anzac Day,” he said.
April 25, 2025
The Veteran Affairs Minister said the government would “work with veterans and families to access the services and supports they need”, but wouldn’t confirm if they will back the organisation financially.
Minister Matt Keogh would not tell the Townsville Bulletin if funding would be provided, as promised.
The Oasis Townsville’s award-winning employment program has also been shut down after a state government grant ended, which Premier David Crisafulli said ended too early.
Mr Crisafulli said with the Oasis chasing funds, he would “dearly love to see both sides of parliament commit” to funding for the organisation.
In terms of the state funding for the employee program, he said it was “pretty cruel that the program was finished so abruptly.”
“I think there should have been a great funding provision into future years.”
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Originally published as The history of funding for Oasis Townsville’s Oonoonba hub
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