Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Merriwa Grove

Tim McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (10:49): I recently became aware of the Victorian government’s decision to close down Merriwa Grove in Cobram. Merriwa Grove is an accommodation centre for men with varying mental health needs. Families of some of the 20 men who call Merriwa Grove home have begun to contact me. They are very anxious, and they are very concerned about the welfare and the future of their loved ones. The question that urgently needs answering is: what are the plans for the accommodation moving forward? My understanding is that the staff have been given termination letters from 27 June, just around the corner – so this is real; this is really happening – and clients have been told they have till 30 June to move on.

I met last week with a service provider who is prepared to take over the lease and prepared to manage Merriwa Grove for six months or longer to give an opportunity in an appropriate time frame to cater for the transition of these clients. This has been dumped on residents at very short notice, and I am extremely disappointed that the Victorian government has tried, under the cover of darkness, to close this much-needed accommodation down. These men need certainty in their lives, not the rug pulled out from under them, and I am concerned that the government for Melbourne talks the talk about supporting mental health, but they need to be up-front and talk to us about what their plans are to close this down – or rebuild or whatever they are going to do, but at least talk to us and communicate with the clients and their families rather than having closure by stealth. It is another example of the government saying one thing in Melbourne and doing the complete opposite in the regions. We want some answers now.