Veterans’ hub location, sustainability queried

VETERANS and veteran represenatives from across the Geelong region are keen to see the promised $5 million Veterans and Families Hub built somewhere in the Geelong region, but have identified the final location and the costs of operating it as key issues to be addressed.

Corangamite Labor federal member Libby Coker made the commitment ahead of last year’s federal election, and hosted an “engagement session” with federal Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh and state Minister for Veterans Natalie Suleyman at the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre on Tuesday this week.

The new hub, slated to open by 2025, will deliver integrated support to veterans and families and offer a one-stop shop for local veteran services, including wellbeing support, advocacy, employment and housing advice, social connection and physical and mental health services.

Mr Keogh said $50,000 of the $5 million would go towards funding a business case, with the rest to go towards capital works, whether that was constructing a new building or expanding/refurbishing an existing one.

“It’s not funding for ongoing operational costs, so the business case needs to be developed in a way that will provide sustainability of the hub in an ongoing way.”

There were several questions from the floor on this issue, with veterans noting organisations such as RSL clubs were volunteer-driven and were already hard-pressed to provide services.

Veterans made suggestions about where the hub should go, including Osborne House in North Geelong, Fort Queenscliff, and one of the vacant floors of Wurriki Nyal in central Geelong.

Craig Francis from the Department of Veterans Affairs said a coming meeting on March 10 would be focused on potential lead organisations to run the hub, with the application process to open after this and run for four weeks.

Following assessment by a panel, the appointed lead organisation will have up to three months to develop a formal business case.

In response to a question about the need for hubs to provide outreach services, Mr Keogh said there there was no requirement for the hub to do so, but the groups at some hubs were considering it.