The Victorian Greens have secured an urgent motion demanding millions in emergency funding to save community health services for more than 12,500 vulnerable residents.
The Victorian Parliament has passed a motion calling on the Labor government to deliver an emergency funding package to rescue community health provider Cohealth, following years of warnings about underfunding and service cuts.
The resolution, led by the Victorian Greens, urged Labor to commit at least $4 million to save GP and counselling services in Collingwood, Fitzroy, and Kensington, and a minimum of $25 million to upgrade and retain Cohealth’s Collingwood health centre.
The motion also calls for negotiations with the federal government to secure a long-term, sustainable funding model for community health.
The passing of the motion increases pressure on the Allan Labor government to act before the end of November, after Cohealth announced just over two weeks ago that it would end its GP and counselling services in the three inner-city suburbs by December and close the Collingwood clinic permanently in 2026.
The decision is expected to leave more than 12,500 people without access to affordable, wrap-around healthcare, further straining Victoria’s already overburdened hospital system.
The motion, introduced in the upper house by Greens MP Dr Sarah Mansfield, passed with support from crossbench members. Ms Mansfield’s motion highlighted the growing disparity between the government’s health infrastructure spending and the needs of community health providers.
She said Cohealth’s closure would be “disastrous” for local communities, worsening health inequality and overloading hospitals.
“Community health centres play a critical role in our healthcare system, despite receiving only 0.3% of Victoria’s health infrastructure spend,” her motion said.
“Cohealth’s closure and reduction in services will be disastrous and will result in increased poverty, disadvantage, poor health and hospital overloading.
“Since 2019 Cohealth has requested support from the Victorian government to rebuild their Collingwood health centre, alongside a fully funded build of 50 co-located community homes. The community health sector has been saying for years that the Medicare model for funding bulk billing is not appropriate for the complex services their centres provide.”
Her motion also noted that Infrastructure Victoria had recommended that the Victorian government increase community health funding to 3% of its health infrastructure budget, and that operational funding for primary and community health funding was “a shared responsibility between federal and state governments”.
“Patients who attend Cohealth’s GP clinics are among the most vulnerable in the community, and there are simply no other options for them to access essential care from GPs,” said Dr Mansfield.
“While state and federal governments buck-pass and try to absolve themselves of their role in this situation by hiding in the complexity of community health funding, the reality is they do play a key role.
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“Community health funding – both infrastructure and operational funding – is heavily reliant on state government, and Victorian Labor are well aware of this.
“While Medicare, a federal funding system, supports GP services, fee-for-service Medicare billing does not suit the kind of work that these community health centres deliver, and this is something the federal Labor government are also all too aware of.”
With Parliament now formally backing the call for emergency intervention, attention turns to the Allan government to determine whether it will honour the resolution and deliver the funding required to keep Cohealth’s essential services running.
Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell called on the government to follow through.
“Over 12,000 people are about to lose their doctor because state and federal Labor have so far refused to stump up the money to save Cohealth,” she said.
“This will push more people into our already over-run hospitals – which is more expensive for the state government in the long-run.
“It makes no sense. Labor must now respect the will of the Parliament and commit to funding an emergency package to save these vital health services for our communities.”
Victorian Greens Richmond MP Gabrielle de Vietri welcomed the motion’s passing but warned the pressure would remain on the government.
“Labor knows the community is watching and that they expect them to deliver. I welcome this outcome, but cautiously,” she said.
“Now Labor must follow through for our community and fund the emergency package. We won’t let up until they do – Labor has promised Cohealth funding before and went back on its word.
“Cohealth has been sounding the alarm for years: underfunded services, crumbling buildings. The obligation to support community health is squarely on the state and federal Labor Governments – but for too long they’ve both shirked responsibility.
“If Labor still fails to cough up this will be a turning point – and Labor will bear the shame of creating more poverty, poor health, homelessness, and hospital overcrowding in our communities. We simply cannot afford to lose Cohealth.”
