What Victoria’s $4.9m mental health expansion means for West Vic locals affected by fire

More mental health workers will be stationed in Colac Otway Shire for the first time since bushfires tore through 11,000 hectares of the region in January, as part of a government program extending free psychological services until June 2027.

What happened: The Victorian and Australian governments have allocated $4.9 million to provide more places to access mental health and wellbeing clinics, which are free regional services for people aged 26 and over.

• The Greater Geelong Queenscliffe mental health service expansion means more care will be available in the Colac Otway Shire.

• The initiative will see mental health workers like psychologists working in the region to offer both in-person and phone-based services.

Not a quick fix: Federal emergency management minister Kristy McBain said in a statement the long-term effects of disasters required ongoing support.

• “The mental health impacts from these sorts of events don’t go away overnight,” she said.

How it will work: Services will operate on weekdays, with face-to-face appointments available at least three days a week, running until June 2027 as part of the state’s broader $370 million disaster recovery package. 

• Phone services are available now - locals can call the statewide locals intake service, Partners in Wellbeing, on 1300 375 330. Support will be expanded to face-to-face appointments or by visiting staff in the community.

Why it matters: More than 11,000 hectares were burned during severe bushfires in the Otways, including around Gellibrand and Carlisle River, with locals losing fencing, livestock and a number of homes.

• Victoria’s 2024 Climate Science report notes significant trends in fire weather across Victoria have occurred since 1979, “with an increase of at least 30 percent due to climate change”.

• The heightened risk is mainly driven by rising temperatures, leading to more extreme heat.