Baw Baw Shire's youth mental health program to continue despite resident's concerns

Despite pushback from a local resident, Baw Baw Shire councillors voted unanimously last week to continue the Live4Life program.

Community member Jackie Shearer raised concerns about the operational costs of the youth mental health service. She said the program was an indicator of “cost creep” and the “council drifting into areas that isn’t really their job”.

“You’re making small decisions, approving a role here, a project there that slowly pulls us away from what council is meant to do,” Shearer said.

She said mental health programs were critically important to the area, “but that doesn’t mean council should step in and run mental health youth programs. That’s the job of the state government and its health system”.

She added: “While we’re stepping into health programs, we’re still not fixing basic issues like potholes on South Road.”

What did the council say?

Baw Baw Shire Councillor Suzanne Allen spoke in favour of the motion to continue supporting Live4Life, saying “mental health challenges are now the leading cause of disease burden for young Australians aged 15 to 24”.

“Live4Life has been making a meaningful impact in Baw Baw Shire since 2020, providing a pro-active community based approach to mental health for young people,” Allen said.

In 2023 council took over as the lead agency for Live4Life. This meant it oversaw the program coordination and youth crew recruitment.

Allen said Live4Life “is fully funded externally, with $155,000 already secured for 2025. So there is no direct cost to the council”.

The current lead agency contract expires in June 2025 and without a lead agency the program can’t continue.

Allen said “renewing council’s commitment ensures the service’s continuity and the training of 45 new youth crew members in 2025”.

According to data from Gippsland Primary Health Network, between 2011 and 2020 there were 15.4 suicides in Gippsland per 100,000 people. The Victorian average is 10.5.

Suicide accounts for 1.5 percent of all deaths and 2.4 percent of male deaths in Gippsland.

Allen acknowledged there were other mental health services operating such as Headspace, Quantum and the Gippsland Primary Health Network. 

She said “these services focus on clinical intervention and providing support when a young person is already experiencing mental health challenges”, and described Live4Life as “a community based model focused on early intervention and mental health education, helping young people and the broader community understand, talk about and respond to mental health issues before they escalate”.

Live4Life in Baw Baw reaches eight secondary schools and around 1,000 year eight students annually.

Councillor Kate Wilson also spoke in favour of the program saying “it’s not costing us anything and we’re still getting an excellent outcome for the youth in the shire”.

She said if there was a more suitable lead agency when the next contract was negotiated the council could consider relinquishing oversight.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health then you can call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 for 24 hour support.

You can also contact Beyond Blue to speak to someone about anxiety or depression for yourself, a friend or family member. Call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or go online here to chat to a counsellor.