Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has expressed concern over the closure of crucial Government department offices in Benalla, saying residents in need of the most help are being ignored.
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) office on Church Street remains closed with outdated COVID closure signs and a disconnected phone line, despite the office still being advertised as open on the department website. This follows the closure of Benalla’s Centrelink office in 2021.
Ms Cleeland said the DFFH covered issues that were prevalent in the local area, including child protection cases, family violence, housing, and homelessness.
“Unfortunately, Benalla is one of the state’s most socially disadvantaged towns with family violence incidents nearly double the statewide average, low family income, and a large public housing population,” Ms Cleeland said.
“My office is regularly contacted by members of the community that are in desperate need of assistance, with a large proportion of these cases raising concerns about an inability to get in contact with the necessary departments.
“Seeing the closure of departments like the DFFH in Benalla has left these disadvantaged residents with little to no recourse for addressing their concerns.”
Ms Cleeland said she will be raising the issue in Parliament when it resumes next week.
“I am hoping to find out why this Labor Government has chosen to give up on the Benalla community,” Ms Cleeland said.
“I will be doing what I can to ensure our local residents have access to the essential services they deserve and need.”
