Minister defends axed Communities program as ‘underutilised’ in Margaret River

Community Services Minister Simone McGurk says the service provided by the lapsed Local Communities Co-ordinator trial was simply “not core business” for the department. She told Parliament last week the Communities office in Margaret River mostly served to help Busselton staff meet local contacts and the demand for its service wasn’t great enough to justify the cost. “Over the 15 months that the Margaret River local community co-ordination trial was active for, 46 short-term contacts were made and 24 medium-term contacts were managed, but the trial fell short of initial expectations of the number of contacts that LCC co-ordinators could work with,” she said. “They struggled in particular to engage with some Aboriginal families and communities, although it is acknowledged that this improved as the trial went on.” Ms McGurk received a review of the two-year trial earlier this year, though the Department of Communities has repeatedly declined to share the findings with the Times, describing the report as an internal document. Ms McGurk said the review showed the LCC trial replicated other services and lacked clarity around officer roles. “The service, while valuable, was underutilised given the availability of other existing community-based services,” she said. “The Margaret River trial concluded when the co-ordinator took long-term leave. “The core functions of Communities involve child protection, housing and homelessness, family and domestic violence, and all those services remain in place in Margaret River and the South West.” In reporting on the office closure in 2020, Mindful Margaret River chairman Stuart Hicks described the closure as a “slap in the face”. “It provides a unique type of triage, helping individuals and families navigate the mind-boggling mental health world they find themselves in,” he said. The officer also co-ordinated outside agencies in local relief efforts during times of emergencies. In Parliament last week, Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said the Margaret River region had experienced a spate of youth suicides and community-wide trauma from tragedies such as the 2018 Osmington murder-suicide, which occurred in the year before the Communities office was established. “The service was often used by residents who did not necessarily fit the box of one particular service and was created as a way of ensuring that the missing middle did not fall through the cracks,” Ms Mettam said. “It connected clients with a range of services, from housing and domestic violence to sporting groups, and linked Elders with at-risk youths.” Ms McGurk said the department’s “empowering communities program, Target 120, Thrive and regional intensive family support services” remained available. The Times has previously reported a lack of clear links to crisis services for residents experiencing severe hardship, particularly direct-action services post-suicide. A WA Police mental health co-response program was scheduled to start in the South West later this year. Lifeline 13 11 14