Labor Drops Community Services, New Mental Health Plan
Claims by Labor and the unions regarding job losses or gaps in service provision are false and designed to strike fear among workers.
The current proposal to move Statewide Mental Health Services delivered at Tolosa Street to a purpose-built facility in Chigwell is a part of the Tasmanian Government’s strategy for a best-practice approach to building a contemporary, integrated model of mental health care to ensure Tasmanians can get more holistic support, in the right place, at the right time.
The proposed approach to move mental health beds to Richmond Futures will move away from institutional care settings to a model that provides individualised care and enhancing the consumer’s experience.
I am advised that feedback from the individuals involved, and their families or carers, that a clinically focussed setting is often not the best place for people recovering from mental ill health and being supported in community environments with pathways to independent living can lead to much better outcomes.
The facility is already built and operational, with a number of Government funded services already operational at the site.
There are currently 26 beds available at the purpose-built facility, with 16 of these currently funded by the State Government. This proposed change will see the Government fund the remaining 10 beds.
The current Tolosa Street building has 12 beds, with an average occupancy rate in the last five years between 8 to 9 beds.
Richmond Futures is a not-for-profit community sector provider, with almost 40 years’ experience in providing residential rehabilitation across Tasmania with individuals with serious mental illness.
They have a proven track record and deliver residential mental health services funded by the Tasmanian Government in the North and North-West of the State.
Tasmanian community sector organisations deliver mental health services right around the State and have provided those services for decades. Labor has never criticised those services before.
Labor’s scare campaign does not achieve better outcomes for Tasmanians. To date Labor has not argued against our mental health reforms, which ensures people are cared for in the community wherever possible.
Our Government has remained committed and consistent to mental health reforms and ensuring Tasmanians get the care they need, where it helps them most, which is why we are investing record amounts into mental health as part of our long-term plan to deliver a world-class mental health system.
The Government will continue to consult on the proposed model until May 23.
https://www.premier.tas.gov.au/latest-news/2025/april/best-practice-approach-to-mental-health,-as-labor-abandons-community-delivered-services