Press conference, Nowra Wellbeing Centre opening

E&OE transcript
Press conference
Nowra, New South Wales

Matt Keogh: So projects like this Nowra Veterans’ Hub are incredibly important and we are funding another ten more of these around the country, which was part of our commitment going into the election earlier this year and was funded as part of the October Budget. A further ten veterans and families hubs to be rolled out across the country, pulling in together different services like just here in Nowra, where here we have the veterans’ wellbeing hub being run by RSL LifeCare, but pulling in different services from different providers like coordinating with the TAFE, coordinating with other education opportunities, with the Defence Member and Family Service on base, as well as Open Arms run through the Department of Veterans' Affairs and making sure that we're meeting the different service requirements, not just for veterans themselves, but also for their families. Because one of the things we found is that by getting the families engaged with the hubs, that then gets the veterans themselves engaged and able to access the services that are provided.

Journalist: Which other locations are on the radar for veteran wellbeing centres?

Matt Keogh: So we've identified ten locations around the country which will be in Queensland, close to here will be in Queanbeyan. Also in the south of Perth, in Western Australia, North Adelaide and a number of other locations. So there's ten. And we've identified those based around where we've got high populations of veterans and defence personnel and their families making sure that we're delivering these hubs to where they're most needed across the country.

Journalist: Yeah, lovely. And you must be excited to see the opening of a facility like this today.

Matt Keogh: It's a very exciting day and a huge honour to here for the opening of the Nowra Veterans Wellbeing Centre, part of our Veterans and Families hub network that we're building out across Australia.

Journalist: And after touring the facility, can you talk me through any thoughts or any kind of insights, I guess, on the holistic approach that a facility like this takes?

Matt Keogh: Well, RSL LifeCare has already been running this service for just over a year, but it's great to be here as part of opening officially the new building they're moving into in providing these services to veterans, their families and also to serving personnel. It's really exciting to see the different services coming together through Open Arms, part of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Defence Member and Family Services, New South Wales TAFE, RSL LifeCare Services. I've just been talking to Microsoft downstairs as well, looking at different education opportunities for our veterans, an opportunity for them to access something different as they transition into civilian life and make sure that they have a successful civilian life as well.

Journalist: And feel free to stop me if I'm wrong on this one, but I believe this is the first federally funded facility of this kind?

Speaker: First in New South Wales.

Journalist: First in New South Wales. Can you tell me a little about that?

Matt Keogh: So the Veterans and Families Hub Network is incredibly important and this is the first of its kind in New South Wales. The Federal Government has partnered with RSL LifeCare to establish this centre. But it's not just about services that they provide, it's about coordinating other services that are of benefit to veterans as well, whether they're provided here as services or coordinating them out into other parts of the community as well.

Journalist: And what do you hope to see in the future from facility and facilities like this?

Matt Keogh: What I'm looking forward to as the Minister for Veterans Affairs is the rollout of our ten new veterans and families hubs around the country, joining hubs just like this one and a few others that already exist as part of a network. Because what's really important is we don't just have these hubs dotted around the country operating autonomously, but that we can learn from what is working well and distribute that across the country, whilst also making sure that each hub operates in a way that best suits the community of veterans that it serves in. Because each community of veterans is different and some of them need different mixes of services and different engagement with the veteran community and with their families. But seeing this one get up and running now in its new permanent home, I'm really looking forward to seeing the success that it brings and the great support that it will provide for veterans and families.

Journalist: Lovely. Thank you so much.

[End]

Authorised by The Hon Matt Keogh MP

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or the Open Arms website. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072. Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or the Defence Health Portal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608