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Gippslanders should hold Dan Andrews to his promise to stop Labor's destructive policy of sudden, statewide lockdowns

Andrews government still not giving a plan to end the uncertainty of lockdown.

By news@gippsland - 8th September 2021 - Back to News

Regional Victorians will hold the Premier to his promise today to finally walk back Labor's destructive policy of sudden, statewide lockdowns. The Andrews Labor Government is being urged to support simple reforms that will immediately deliver hundreds of extra workers for Victoria's under-resourced mental health workforce.

Lockdowns should only be the last resort because more lockdowns would mean loss of income for the vulnerable Victorians that would also be a risk factor for the mental health of all Victorians

Mental health act that covers the workers

As Labor's six lockdowns continue to weigh on the youngest Victorians, now more than ever we need to look for ways to deliver an immediate boost to the mental health workforce in our schools.

An anomaly in the current legislation prevents people who are qualified as counsellors from offering guidance counselling services at Victorian schools. The Liberal Nationals will introduce a Private Member's Bill in State Parliament today to correct the definition of a 'mental health practitioner' under the Mental Health Act. Registered psychologists, registered nurses, social workers and registered occupational therapists are already covered by the Act.

Supporting students across the state

The Liberal Nationals propose to expand this definition to include registered counsellors, unlocking over 2,000 additional mental health workers to support students right across the state. Backed by the Australian Counselling Association, this is a small change that will make a world of difference to young Victorians by ensuring the right support is available, when they need it.

The proposal further builds on the Liberal Nationals' plan to restore hope and to plan for better mental health for all Victorians, including by deploying dedicated mental health specialists to all Victorian schools.

Getting through lockdowns

Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy said, "Our kids can't afford to wait any longer for more specialist support to help them and get through the isolation of lockdown."

"The mental health workforce is under intense pressure and in desperate need of more resources. This common-sense reform will unlock more mental health workers to provide the surge demand we need to deal with Victoria's shadow pandemic, which makes a world of difference to our youngest Victorians," Ms Kealy said.

Pictures from The Nationals for Regional Victoria Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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• Victorians chance to win Lotto reduces from one in 47M to 1 in 63M thanks to Andrews Labor government
  The state Labor government has made a stingy and desperate grab for cash by making the lotto harder to win.
• Refusal to support immediate reforms on mental health and wellbeing boost for young Victorians by Andrews Labor government
  A plan to boost youth mental health services by 2026 is years too late for children who are suffering right now and could benefit from other immediate reforms that the Andrews Labor government has refused to support.
• Measures to stop repeat of fireweed disturbance at Clifton Creek in Wellington Shire
  Additional measures are being put in place to prevent a repeat occurrence of possible fireweed disturbance in the Clifton Creek area.
• Almost 20,000 young Victorians suffer cruel access delays to recovery programs from Andrews Labor government
  The nation's largest mental health worker recruitment drive is needed to arrest "heightened levels of anxiety and mood distress" in young Victorians, as data today reveals an alarming spike in students diagnosed with learning disabilities.
• Gippsland hospitality businesses will stay shut on Friday from unworkable rules imposed by Andrews Labor government
  Ease of restriction given to Victoria is not enough to keep businesses to stay open and recover.
• Issues unresolved on how to stop enormous damage and distress from Traralgon Creek major flooding
  Member for Morwell, Russell Northe has raised in Parliament this week ongoing concerns from the local community with respect to the impact of the June 2021 floods.
• Impact from archaic seclusion and restraint approach on complex mental patients ignored by Andrews Labor government
  VMIAC found Victoria's mental health services were using physical restraints and seclusion more often in 2021 than the previous year, with 56 percent of all services reporting an increase.
• Chronic shortage of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for coronavirus in Victoria responsibility of Andrews Labor government
  Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are having a shortage while the government is trying to play the blame game.
• Lorraine Warford hangs up her stop sign as school crossing supervisor after 25 years service in Bairnsdale
  Bairnsdale 754 Primary School is about to say farewell to its much-loved school crossing supervisor, Lorraine Warford, who is hanging up her stop sign on Friday after 25 years of looking after young students.
• Concern over delays to rollout of Murray Basin Rail Project East expresses by Gippsland Shire Council to Andrews Labor government
  Council backed a request from the Rail Freight Alliance (RFA), of which Council is a member, to join a statewide call to get the project back on track ahead of the Victorian State Election.
• Heavy cuts for regional Victoria in 2022/23 budget due to record debts and costs blowouts from major projects by Andrews Labor government
  Regional Victorians are set to cop further cuts to services and find it even harder to buy a home with today's State Budget no more than a PR repair plan for Daniel Andrews.
• Remove lockdowns and get back to normal as 93 percent of Victorians fully-vaccinated and COVID hospitalisations decline calls Peter Walsh
  Further density limit rules should be removed for hospitality and entertainment so they can welcome back more Victorians.
• More than a hundred jobs to be cut from Agriculture Victoria reducing services to food and fibre industry by Andrews Labor government
  As all Victorians continue to be impacted by food shortages and major disruptions to the food supply chain, Labor will axe 109 jobs from Agriculture Victoria this year.
• New mothers and families missing out on crucial support stem from failure to act on health workforce shortages by Andrews Labor government
  New mothers risk missing crucial milestones to detect developmental delays in babies and post-natal depression with the shortage of maternal and child health (MCH) nurses that's facing Victoria's health system.
• Mental health cut $60M from Beyond Blue, Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, Lifeline and Kids Helpline by Andrews Labor government
  Mental Health Minister James Merlino has confirmed almost $60 million of cruel cuts to mental health programs that were designed to help struggling Victorians recover from the pandemic.
• Urgent funding needed to better support Victorian suicide prevention framework 2016-2025 to meet its objective required from Andrews Labor government
  Victorian suicide prevention framework 2016 - 2025' will not be met including the most important objective and that was to halve the suicide rate in Victoria by 2025.
• Victorian Nationals announce new policy to bring down energy bills and invest in clean hydrogen technologies
  Rising household energy bills are just one of the painful financial impacts of the skyrocketing cost-of-living for regional Victorians.
• Victorian National party is committed to spending more in the country as part of coalition government says Tim Bull, East Gippsland MP
  Victorians have been denied a fair share of state government funding under Daniel Andrews, on the weekend the Nationals committed to rectifying this, with a commitment to spend 25 percent of all state capital investment in regional areas.
• Andrew's Labor government wastes big advertising dollars ahead of looming City Loop shutdown and union strikes
  Andrews government's misuse of taxpayers money, spending it to campaigns to make him look good instead of spending it on important infrastructures.
• Lockdowns causing catastrophic mental health toll on the youngest Victorians
  Victorians deserve the truth surrounding the catastrophic mental health toll lockdowns are having on the youngest people in our community.
• Regional kids including Gippsland still locked out of the classroom, but the Andrew's Labor state government won't tell us why
  Andrews Labor Government's decision to force students in regional communities into remote learning.
• Lockdowns have pushed mental health of Victorians to the brink
  New data has revealed the worsening mental health toll of indefinite lockdown and isolation from friends and family.
• Draft statement of planning policy submitted by Bass Coast Shire Council for Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Program from Victorian government
  Bass Coast Shire Council will lodge a submission with the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning (DELWP) on the draft Statement of Planning Policy, outlining its concerns.
• Restrictions still apply in Bass Coast Shire Council's Local Law - Neighbourhood Amenity burning off guidelines outside of the Fire Danger Period
  The CFA's Fire Danger Period has now ended in Bass Coast, however some restrictions still apply to burning off under Bass Coast Shire Council's Local Law - Neighbourhood Amenity 2012.
• Pakenham railway line to have boom gate removed by 2025
  The Andrews Labor Government will make Melbourne's longest train line level crossing-free, with the last five dangerous and congested level crossings on the Pakenham line to be gone for good by 2025.
• Limited lockdowns a win for regional communities like Gippsland
  A move to use limited lockdowns, by LGA, gives some long overdue relief and certainty to regional Victorian families, businesses and communities.
• Rising roads tolls contrast poorly to Andrew Labor government claims of 'over and above targets' on maintenance
  The Andrews Labor Government's claims yesterday that it's gone 'over and above its original target' for road maintenance in regional Victoria are little more than a PR offensive that won't wash with country drivers.
• Coal mine rehabilitation made a priority for Latrobe Valley from Victorian government amendment to Mineral Resources Act
  The Andrews Labor government is improving the management of coal mine land in the Latrobe Valley once production ceases.
• Latrobe Valley has four times higher drug crimes than Ballarat where a Drug Court is located but has not Drug Court itself says Russell Northe
  Member for Morwell Russell Northe has this week in Parliament questioned Premier Daniel Andrews on when a Magistrates Drug Court might be established in the Latrobe Valley.