The Guardian 6 April, 2005
Rally calls for
greater spending on mental health
Unions and community groups have called on Victoria's state government for more
resources for mental health at a rally on the steps of Parliament House on March
31.
The rally, coordinated by the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC), comes on the
back of a focussed campaign by the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) to promote
mental health resources as a significant health and social issue.
Lloyd Williams, HACSU state secretary, spoke at the rally along with other carer and community
representatives. He told the 500-strong crowd that mental health resourcing needs stronger
backing from the government.
One in five people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Mental illness represents 20
percent of the illness burden in the community and yet mental health receives less than 10
percent of the health budget.
HACSU has put a detailed budget submission to government (details available on their website
http://www.hacsu.asn.au) calling for an additional $80 million over two years for mental
health.
The ongoing HACSU Peace of Mind Community Campaign and the 2004 HACSU Mental Health
First Campaign aim to make the government understand that it cannot lose focus on one the
most significant contemporary social issues facing the community.