Wimmera Residents Demand 24/7 Horsham Mental Health Facility

Since 2022, Stacey Kelly has regularly endured a five-hour round trip on public transport to access mental health treatment in Ballarat. The Horsham mother of three lives with depression, anxiety, and depressive psychosis. Because those specialized treatments do not exist in her home region, she makes the grueling journey. “I travel to Ballarat because I wish to be alive,” Ms Kelly said. She noted that while the trip is an inconvenience that consumes an entire day, being forced to leave her support network during a seven-week stint away early in her treatment had a severe emotional, financial, and stability-wise impact.

The Demand for 24/7 Local Care in Horsham

Horsham Rural City Council is actively campaigning for a 24-hour mental health facility to bridge the regional gap. According to Mayor Brian Klowss, about 400 people from the Wimmera are admitted or transported to Ballarat Hospital annually for mental health-related issues. “It’s actually a real concern that we haven’t got anything here in Horsham that’s 24-hour care close to home for the people that need it,” Cr Klowss said. Despite Horsham acting as the region’s largest population centre and referral hub, the community lacks a local inpatient unit.

Stark Regional Health Data Highlights Disparities

Data underscores a profound disparity in regional health outcomes. Mental Health Victoria chief executive Phillipa Thomas pointed out that areas across the Wimmera display stark rates of mental health distress that sit disproportionately higher than the rest of the state. Figures from a Western Victorian Primary Health Network report show emergency department presentations for mental health and behavioural disorders in Horsham hit 2.15 times the Victorian average. Furthermore, avoidable deaths from suicide and self-inflicted injuries across the Wimmera over the five-year period to 2021 significantly outpaced state benchmarks.

“If you look at the distribution of mental health services across Victoria, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the needs of that community are not served in the same way as other parts of the state,” Ms Thomas said. Member for Lowan and shadow minister for mental health Emma Kealy echoed those concerns, describing a “huge gap” in mental health services in the Grampians and Wimmera region and arguing that “It’s simply not viable just to have the proverbial ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.”

Alternative Providers and Official Responses

While advocates push for institutional reform, alternative providers are attempting to bridge gaps in the interim. Ararat Wellness operates as a registered NDIS provider offering mobile counselling, behaviour support plans, and secure telehealth options across Horsham, Natimuk, Dimboola, Nhill, Stawell, and Rupanyup to combat long wait times and severe geographic isolation. Uniting Vic.Tas Head of mental health Linsie Davies emphasized that delays frequently cause community members to lose housing, jobs, and relationships. “We regularly see and hear stories about people losing their homes, relationships, jobs and sadly lives as people fall through the cracks,” Ms Davies said.

Despite mounting pressure from local government and health advocates, systemic roadblocks remain. A spokesperson for Grampians Health confirmed that there are currently no plans to establish a 24/7 inpatient mental health facility in Horsham. Meanwhile, a Victorian government spokesperson stated that residents can utilize crisis assessment and treatment supports through the existing Grampians Mental Health and Wellbeing service.

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