iscover
Veterans and their families in the Ipswich area will have access to tailored support closer to home, with a location selected for a new Veterans’ and Families’ Hub.
Operated by RSL Queensland, the new hub will be co-located with Mates4Mates at 260 Brisbane Street, West Ipswich. The hub will be co-designed with veterans and their families to ensure it provides support and social connection that lines up with the needs of the local veteran community.
More than 10,000 veterans and families live in the Ipswich and surrounding area, in addition to 5,000 ADF personnel stationed at RAAF Base Amberley.
The site is already well-known to the local veteran community and is easy to access with onsite parking and nearby bus and train routes, making it the ideal location.
“The need for a hub is huge, with Ipswich home to one of the biggest veteran communities in the country, not to mention the Amberley RAAF base,” Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh said.
“It’s exciting the Albanese government will soon deliver a facility providing Ipswich veterans, both current and former serving, and their families the support they deserve.
“The hub means they’ll get the right support, closer to home, when they need it delivered in a way that works with the local community.
“That could mean social connectivity, wellbeing support, physical rehabilitation or a combination of all three, all under one roof.”
RSL Queensland purchased the Brisbane Street site after the Australian government awarded it a $5.4 million grant to lead the development of the hub.
RSL Queensland, in partnership with Mates4Mates, will deliver a multidisciplinary, holistic facility offering a “no wrong door” approach to support veterans and families get access to the right care at the right time.
“I’m proud that the Albanese Labor government is backing our local veteran community in Ipswich and the western corridor and delivering on my commitment to establish a much-needed Ipswich Veterans’ and Families’ Hub,” member for Blair Shayne Neumann said.
“It’s terrific to see this significant progress, with a permanent location selected for the new hub. This is great news for our region.
“I’m especially glad to see the hub will be co-designed with local veterans and families. This will ensure the hub is fit for purpose and popular as not only a place to access support but also social connection.
“RSL Queensland and Mates4Mates have a strong track record, so I’m confident they will deliver an outstanding facility where veterans and defence personnel and their families can access a range of health and wellbeing services.”
The Ipswich hub will provide tailored mental health and wellbeing services in keeping with the Albanese government’s urgent focus on responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
It is envisaged the hub will also offer expanded physical rehabilitation support, including exercise physiology and physiotherapy, as well as programs fostering social connection, building on existing Mates4Mates services.
The Ipswich Hub is part of the Australian government’s $46.7 million commitment to establish eight new Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country to ensure even more veterans and families can access support closer to home.
