Constituency questions
Northern Victoria Region
Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:41): (24) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health. Rochester was heavily impacted by last October’s devastating flood, the impact of which continues today. The number one issue the community is currently facing is a deterioration of residents’ mental health, and far too many people are being left to suffer due to a lack of qualified mental health practitioners in the region. I have been advised that currently those in need are having to be referred to a waiting list just to attend an initial consult with a mental health practitioner. The Rochester flood event was described to me as having impacted 90 per cent of Rochester homes and 100 per cent of Rochester’s people. The mental health of the collective community is on a knife edge. Will the minister ensure additional mental health professionals are immediately provided to the Rochester community to provide the mental health services the residents of this community so desperately need?