LNP Promises $400,000 For Clubhouse

20150129 Deb Frecklington — FLASHBACK: In 2015 Tim Saal, from Rural and Remote Mental Health; Toowoomba Clubhouse executive director Luke Terry, then-Agriculture Minister John McVeigh, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, then-Centacare South Burnett co-ordinator Louise Judge and SB Care CEO Cheryl Dalton gathered to announce the plan for a South Burnett Clubhouse … unfortunately there was no funding available after the State Election

November 16, 2017

A key LNP election promise from the last State Election campaign – to help support South Burnett people with a mental illness reconnect with the community – has been revived for this campaign, with a more generous proposal for funding.

In 2015, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington threw her weight behind a proposal to provide $250,000 “seed funding” for a South Burnett Clubhouse in Kingaroy.

There has been a Clubhouse operating in Toowoomba since 1996 which provides activities to help its members rebuild their self-confidence, work and social skills. It works on prevention, early intervention and social inclusion.

However, the 2015 campaign failed when the Palaszczuk Government was elected; the funding was not approved and the proposal was shelved.

Mrs Frecklington said on Thursday that a future LNP Government would commit $400,000 to establish the Clubhouse.

She said it has been one of her major goals to secure better mental health services for people in regional areas.

“It has been a passion of mine to bring better support to regional and rural areas for people who suffer mental illness,” Mrs Frecklington said.

“The proposed South Burnett Clubhouse offers a model of care which has a proven track record, providing intervention services that assists people who experience mental health problems.

“This project will be similar to the current, and very successful, Toowoomba Clubhouse which provides people with mental illness vocational training and work experiences, helping them connect with treatment, rehabilitation and re-establishment in the working community.

“This is a project I wanted to deliver at the last election, however, the project wasn’t supported by the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

“If the LNP is elected to Government, I will be proud to deliver this much needed model of mental health care for the people of the South Burnett.

“We’ve seen a decade of floods and drought and this has certainly tested the resolve of our primary producers. The South Burnett Clubhouse will provide an invaluable service to help people who need that extra bit of support to help get them through the hard times.”