The Oasis Townsville calls for government funding of $2.25 million over next four years for veteran support

A vital service helping North Queensland veterans with their mental health wants to expand to first responders, given their shared problems like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Chair of Oasis Townsville John Caligari, KAP Candidate for Mundingburra Michael Pugh, KAP Candidate for Townsville Margie Ryder and KAP Deputy Leader Nick Dametto.

A vital service helping North Queensland veterans with their mental health wants to expand to first responders, given their shared problems like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Serving as a base for the veteran community in Townsville, The Oasis community centre is calling for $9 million to help them continue their work for the next four years.

Run largely by volunteers and hosting over 100 different events a month, from board game nights, watercolour painting, music nights and scale model groups as well as employment information sessions, The Oasis in Oonoonba is looking to expand their services to assist first responders leaving the industry.

The veteran homebase has been running for three years, supporting Townsville’s large veteran community, with the Katter’s Australian Party committed to ensuring the centre receives $9 million in funding across the next four years.

Chairman of The Oasis Townsville John Caligari said the centre had three main priorities.

“Firstly, we want to bring first responders into our community, which we have been planning carefully for a few years,” Mr Caligari said.

“The second thing we want to do is significantly enhance our connections program to support the new Queensland Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and thirdly, we want to go to the next level of getting more veterans and partners into meaningful work.”

The Oasis Townsville chair Lieutenant General John Caligari (right) with Veterans Stuart Wyle and Steve Pitt. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Caligari explained many of the events at The Oasis were peer-run by keen locals.

“We have people who are passionate about certain topics and they run some of these groups,” he said.

“All we are doing here is providing them a facility to do it, and the opportunity to bring them together, it’s about connecting them in a physical sense. They are connected to each other which is a resilience thing for mental health.”

Katter’s Australian Party candidate for Mundingburra Michael Pugh said he has worked with The Oasis through his work with the Townsville Hike and Explore Group.

“I can see the benefit that these groups have on mental health and wellbeing, not only that but giving our families and children of our first responders and veteran communities option and things that they can do,” he said.

“The engagement and hearing John’s passion and listening to the positive effect this has made on so many people’s lives is reason in itself to ensure they get the funding they need.”

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 $9 million 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.”

Originally published as The Oasis Townsville calls for government funding of $2.25 million over next four years for veteran support