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MAKEA DIFFERENCE

THIS CHRISTMAS

Again, this year The Express will be providing a Christmas Tree for placement of gifts for children less fortunate in our local communities.

Feel the warmth as you give the gift of GIVING and place a gift under the tree to do your part in putting a smile on someone's face this Christmas. All gifts will be passed onto the Morwell Office of Anglicare Victoria, for distribution at their discretion on Monday 12 December, 2022 at 3pm. Gifts should be labelled as boy or girl with the appropriate age group and received r received no no later later than than 2pm 2pm Monday Monday 12 12 December, 2022.December, 2022.

Feel F Feel the the warmth warmth and and visit visit us us at: at: Latrobe L Latrobe ValleyValley Express Express 21 21 George George Street, Street, , Morwell Morwell

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Helping and healthy

By MICHELLE SLATER

LOCALS looking to share their extra garden produce – or people needing a healthy feed - can jump on a new fresh food share scheme. Food Share Latrobe is a collaborative project in which participants can sign up to pick up an orange box, fill it with fresh vegetables and then put the word out when others can come and help themselves. The project was launched at the Latrobe Youth Space last week, which will be sharing extra produce grown from its veggie gardens. Youth space board member, Elly Brown, said the food share project aimed to tackle food waste, food security and encourage healthy eating, which tiedin with the youth space kitchen garden programs. Ms Brown said the youth space was also reducing plastic waste with a snack bar stacked with healthy organic treats that were bought in bulk, encouraging kids to lay off the chips and sugar. “This is about growing and sharing food and swapping with healthier alternatives, while reducing plastic waste and landfill,” Ms Brown said. “These food share boxes are a great help for those who can’t afford to purchase nutritious veggies. A lot of our young people would take home left overs as many don’t have a cooked meal at night.” Locals can sign up for the program by dropping into the Latrobe Youth Space where they can pick up an orange box with a set of instructions. The project is being run in conjunction with the Latrobe Youth Space, Food for All Latrobe Valley, Latrobe City Council and the Latrobe Community Food for all: Latrobe Youth Space participants Sam Moore and Mackenzie Bartholomew show off the new food swap veggie boxes with Latrobe City mayor Kellie O’Callaghan (centre).

photograph michelle slater

Lifeline Gippsland may win $1M, depending on election

THE Liberals and Nationals have made a $1 million commitment to Lifeline Gippsland, an additional $250,000 a year for four years on top of its existing state government funding arrangement, following concerns after visiting the facility earlier this year from Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Emma Kealy. The announcement, made Tuesday, comes after two Latrobe Valley mental health providers were forced to close their doors in July, and Lifeline Gippsland reported a deficit after the demand for support continued to outweigh funding. Lifeline Gippsland receives $150,000 annually from the state government and, on average, triages 11,000 calls a year, costing $430,000. Lifeline Gippsland experienced a 45 per cent increase in calls to its 24-hour crisis line during the pandemic, which hasn’t eased off, with no increase in funding. In its final report published in February 2021, the Mental Health Royal Commission stated, “Victoria’s mental health system has not kept pace. “It has drifted away from its earlier aspirations of a community-based system and now relies too heavily on hospital-based services and emergency departments”. Ms Kealy said the visit to Lifeline Gippsland highlighted the toll the pandemic has taken on grassroots mental health support system. “Crisis support lines like Lifeline Gippsland did the bulk of heavy lifting to support individuals during lockdowns, yet their ability to fundraise was taken away,” Ms Kealy said. “There is a lack of critical community-based mental health support in Gippsland, and organisations like Lifeline are forced to operate on inadequate budgets. “Lifeline Gippsland has done an amazing job to provide support for Victorians in distress who can’t get a mental health appointment, often for months on end. “Labor has turned its back on Lifeline Gippsland at their time of need. The Liberals and Nationals understand Lifeline Gippsland needs our support and I’m proud that in government, we will give them financial security to keep their phone lines open to everyone who needs support.” Nationals candidate for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said locals needed improved communitybased mental health support to break the cycle of individuals presenting at hospital emergency departments in crisis. “Speaking with Lifeline Gippsland chief executive, Michelle Possingham, it’s clear the need for mental health crisis intervention services has not disappeared, I am delighted we can pledge $1 million to boost mental health support,” Mr Cameron said. “With a commitment for a funding increase, Lifeline Gippsland can look at delivering more intervention support services and programs, so people can be supported on their bad days, instead of their worst.” Liberal candidate for Morwell, Dale Harriman, said the Liberal and Nationals aim to deliver improved access to mental health care at the community level. “Cutting mental health funding and restricting access to support services just shifts the problem to hospital Emergency Departments - it’s no way to support Victorians,” Mr Harriman said. “Labor has been in government 20 out of the past 24 years - only the Liberals and Nationals will fix Victoria’s mental health crisis and build the mental health workforce.”

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