05 January 2026
The Nationals, Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland MP, has condemned the Allan Labor Government for continuing to ignore regional Victorians, with no Orange Door service operating anywhere across the 12,500 square kilometres of the Euroa electorate following the closure of the Benalla service in 2024.
Ms Cleeland said the loss of the Benalla Orange Door has left families, women and children experiencing family violence, and people needing mental health and wellbeing support with nowhere local to turn.
“It is completely unacceptable that more than a year after the Benalla Orange Door closed, there is still no replacement service anywhere in this vast electorate,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Regional Victorians are being treated as second-class citizens. People in crisis are being told to travel hours, navigate phone lines, or rely on overstretched local services while the government pats itself on the back for a system that simply does not exist here.”
The Orange Door is designed to be a visible, accessible front door to family violence services and wellbeing support. Ms Cleeland said its absence is being felt deeply across communities already under pressure.
“This government talks endlessly about mental health and family violence reform, but those words mean nothing if people cannot physically access help,” Ms Cleeland said.
“You cannot deliver support by press release alone; you need services on the ground.”
Ms Cleeland said the closure has placed additional strain on local health services, police, schools and community organisations, who are doing their best but were never meant to replace a dedicated, properly funded Orange Door service.
“Local services are stepping up because they care about their communities, but they are stretched thin,” Ms Cleeland said.
“The government has effectively walked away from regional families at a time when demand for support is growing, not shrinking.”
Ms Cleeland called on the government to immediately commit to reinstating an Orange Door service within the Euroa electorate and to stop overlooking regional Victorians when it comes to essential support networks.
“People in regional Victoria deserve the same access to safety, mental health support and family violence services as those in Melbourne,” Ms Cleeland said.
“I will continue to fight for our communities until this government listens and delivers the services our region deserves.”