Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan joined excited members of the Coffs Coast Veterans’ Wellbeing Centre team to celebrate the official opening of the new and improved facility this week. Located on the ground floor of the CODA Building in Vernon Street, the Centre aims to promote wellbeing, resilience and self-sufficiency for veterans, first responders and their families.
“This important project has been a long time coming for the Coffs Coast community and an absolute labour of love for this dedicated team. And they’ve had a bumpy ride to get here,” Mr Conaghan said.
“The Mid North Coast Veteran Wellbeing Network first started providing advocacy services in 2008, at that time just to the Coffs Harbour region. Since then, eleven different ex-service organisations joined forces to create a more wholistic approach for the broader Mid North Coast, a region that has one of the largest cohorts of returned servicemen in the country.
“In recognition of the data and the real need for appropriate services and supports, the team devised an impressive proposal for the most cost effective and practical solution for the region as a whole, at that time being a ‘hub and spoke’ model of care that would create multiple centres and linked resources, reducing travel times and distances for Veterans and their families in need of help.
“I was presented with the original plans in my first term as the MP for Cowper. They were carefully considered and answered the specific needs of the veteran community and provided the best value to the taxpayer. That’s why my National Party colleagues and I secured the original $5 million back in 2022 that was unfortunately rescinded with the change of Government; a great source of disappointment to all involved at the time.
“Since then, funding has been gradually clawed back via a multitude of channels and individual locations have begun to secure some of the money required to provide adequate localised centres. In this case, thanks to combined contributions from the Federal Government, C.ex Coffs, Coffs Harbour RSL Sub-Branch and ongoing support from Coffs Coast Legacy. An absolute testament to the dedication of our local network advocates. It might not have rolled out as smoothly as the original plan, but each centre has been a hard fought and hard-won battle for the team and it’s fantastic to see Coffs Coast Veteran community finally receive the facility they deserve.”
Mr. Conaghan recognised the significant contribution of retiring Mid North Coast Veterans’ Network Founder Richard Kelloway, who steps down from his duties with the organisation he created this week.
“These centres have been Richard’s passion for the better part of two decades now and would not have come to fruition without his sustained advocacy. I would like to thank him for his vision, his dedication and his service both to our community and to our country. I couldn’t think of a more fitting final week in the role than the opening of this impressive facility.”
