At the Scheyville National Park on Wednesday 13 April 2022 at 2pm, Minister Alexander Hawke, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs announced that the former Scheyville Army Camp will be future home of the Veterans Wellbeing Centre in the Hawkesbury Region in Sydney’s west.
In a Press Release, Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women and the Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, said: “The Morrison Government will invest $5 million to transform a former Australian Army training camp in the Hawkesbury into a welcoming hub for veterans and their families. Previously used as the Officer Training Unit during the Vietnam War, a Veteran Wellbeing Centre will be established at Scheyville, providing veterans and their families with greater access to wellbeing services, including support for transition, employment, health and social connection, and advocacy.”
Senator Payne said the new Hawkesbury site was part of an expanding network of Veteran Wellbeing Centres across Australia. “Since the establishment of this program in 2019, six centres have been established under the Morrison Government,” Senator Payne said. “These centres are delivered at the grassroots level to help ensure that veterans and their families are able to receive services from local people who know the local environment and service availability.
“The daughter of a veteran, the Liberal Candidate for Macquarie, Sarah Richards, has advocated strongly to bring this service into Macquarie because she knows the positive difference this service will make.”
Richards added: “Looking after our veterans was one of my priorities. We have a large, active and proud veteran community here in Western Sydney, and the Morrison Government will continue to work closely with them as we bring the centre online.”
“After the sacrifice veterans have given to the defence and security of our nation, their ongoing care and needs should always be met, well after they leave the service. Growing up in a military family, I am the daughter of a veteran who served in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor. I have lived my life on multiple RAAF Bases, including right here in Richmond. I have seen what war can do to someone. I have watched my dad suffer PTSD and I have vowed to fight to do all we can to help our veterans.
“Be it RAAF, Army or Navy, we owe a great debt to our men and women in uniform, which is why I am so pleased to be here today for the announcement of $5 million to build a Veterans Wellbeing Centre right here in the Hawkesbury. The Scheyville precinct is also the perfect location, as it once was the training facility for the Nashos (National Servicemen).”
This investment is funded in the Morrison Government’s 2022-23 Budget, which delivered new funding for the establishment of a further ten Veteran Wellbeing Centres in Australia, and continues to build on support for veterans, their families and ex-service organisations.
Further information is available at: www.dva.gov.au/health-and-treatment/work-and-social-life-programs/work-and-social-support/veteran-wellbeing.
The Hunter ANZAC Memorial Limited (HAML), in conjunction with the Australian Armoured Vehicles Association, has worked for almost three years to secure the funding.
Brett Wild, Chairman of HAML, stated that some of the funding will go towards staffing of the centre for the next three years, but mostly to the refurbishment of the site so that further loss of the military history of the site does not occur. HAML’s initial priorities will be the preservation of the gymnasium and restoration of the former Cadet’s Mess Beer Garden as a memorial to the eight Scheyvillians who died in Vietnam. A museum, based on the history of Scheyville, but with its centre piece being the Officer Training Unit, will be set up in the gymnasium. Some of this work could be completed by the time of the association’s visit to Scheyville during the National Reunion in October.