Melbourne mental health services have expanded with Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals opening in seven new locations to provide free community-based care.
Services launched in Cardinia, Darebin, Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Wyndham and Mount Alexander, bringing the total number of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals to 22 across 24 locations statewide. Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt announced the openings on 26 November, with phone and telehealth support now available and in-person services scaling up over coming months.
Services launched in Cardinia, Darebin, Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Wyndham and Mount Alexander, bringing the total number of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals to 22 across 24 locations statewide. Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt announced the openings on 26 November, with phone and telehealth support now available and in-person services scaling up over coming months as Melbourne mental health infrastructure continues to grow.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals
- New locations: Cardinia, Darebin, Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Wyndham, Mount Alexander
- Opened: 26 November
- Access: Phone and telehealth now available, in-person services rolling out
- Cost: Free
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Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals represent a flagship reform following the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Since launch, the services have supported over 29,000 Victorians to access free community-based care, with growing uptake reflecting increased accessibility across the state.
Victorian Budget 2025/26 invested $34.4 million to support existing Local locations, establish the seven new sites and continue essential community-based mental health services across Victoria. This adds to $6 billion invested in the mental health system since 2021, growing the mental health workforce by 25 per cent.
Services currently operate via phone or telehealth while locations prepare for in-person appointments. Scaling up to face-to-face support will happen progressively over the coming months, allowing staff to establish operations and prepare spaces for client visits.
Darebin, Maribyrnong and Port Phillip bring Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals to inner Melbourne suburbs, while Cardinia and Wyndham extend coverage to outer metropolitan areas. Mount Alexander marks the first Local in that regional area, approximately 120 kilometres northwest of Melbourne’s CBD.
Free access without Medicare cards or GP referrals aims to reduce administrative barriers preventing people from seeking help. Walk-in mental health support remains relatively new in Victoria’s health landscape, with the Local model designed to catch people before situations escalate to crisis point.
More than two years since the first Locals opened, the expanded network provides broader geographic coverage for Victorians seeking mental health support. Phone numbers and additional information are available at betterhealth.vic.gov.au/mental-health-wellbeing-locals.
For more information, head here.
