It looks like the 29 Nov Market Collective will be a very big all-in event and potentially the last for The Oasis Townsville. Homebase has been as busy as ever this last month, and we are working with groups to investigate repositioning their activities after we close on 12 Dec, probably for good, without Recommendation 86 funding coming from the Government. We are also proud to have Phil Thomson, OAM, MP, officially open our Remembrance Path. We have been working with Julie-Ann Finney on the details for a photo display of the veterans who have taken their own lives, at Homebase on Remembrance Day, which will be very sobering. Efforts to ensure veterans and partners on our books are looked after are well underway, with some great support from our network. Our online partnership with the Skilliphy platform for veterans and partners (no longer AUKUS) is proving successful, but we have paused signing the Queensland Government's $1.2mil grant for Employment due to our uncertain funding future. The last VBA O-GROUP for the year, and possibly ever, is on 21 November. Morning Magpies at Dirty Boots Cafe has been a big hit. Veterans’ Health Week is at Homebase on 22 Nov in collaboration with Invictus Australia. Our efforts on Operation COMPASS continue to progress strongly. The Queensland Government is seeking input on the Veteran Strategy Survey.

The Oasis Townsville will close on 12 Dec this year without the operational funding recommended by the Royal Commission. We are deeply proud to have helped shape the national Veterans’ & Families’ Hubs network. Most importantly, we will work very hard to ensure those who depended on us are supported as best as can be arranged for after we have closed. We hope government funding will one day restore a hub in the most densely populated veteran community in Australia.

We sincerely appreciate the ongoing interest and support shown by our ONtarget community, which has grown to 2,500 subscribers. Your engagement has been vital to our work and our ability to support veterans and families in Townsville.

While we stand proud of what we have accomplished and remain resolute in our commitment, we must also be realistic about our future. Without the operational funding recommended by the Royal Commission, The Oasis Townsville cannot continue to operate as it has. The absence of this support means that the veteran community in Townsville stands to lose a vital, proven, and place-based support hub that has made a demonstrable difference in so many lives.

We remain hopeful that this closure is only temporary and that, within a few years, the Government will provide the funding outlined in Recommendation 86 to enable a Veterans’ and Families Hub in Townsville.

Click More for the link to today's Media Release.

Our cafe's reopening has received a tremendous response from our community. So much is going on at Homebase, from connection activities to navigation sessions. Banjos goes from strength to strength and has become a staple in many veterans' lives, which is so rewarding to see. We’ve got Invictus Australia commencing an indoor rowing program on 14 October. The next Veterans Business Alliance Career Networking Night is again on the third Friday. The following month, Phil Thompson OAM, MP, will officially open the Path of Remembrance. We have had a fantastic response from stallholders of all kinds at our Oasis Market Collective on Saturday, 29 November. We’ve broadened the scope of the markets and will have literally something for everyone. We’ve supported several encouraging initiatives as part of Operation COMPASS that enhance support for Townsville. We all need to get in and help the Queensland Government write a Veterans Strategy. We are less impressed with the progress on the Royal Commission recommendations, but encouraged by community-minded organisations seeking to help us raise money to sustain our efforts by renting space to raise funds not yet available from the Royal Commission. It's great to see Wounded Heroes arrive in town.

The good news is our Cafe will reopen as The Morning Magpie at Dirty Boots Cafe on 12 September. Last month's activity was the backbone of operations at Homebase as usual. Next month, key activities will continue, and we’ll also focus on addressing the needs of the veteran community for financial security and employment. AUKUS (soon to be rebranded as Skilliphy) is taking off, saving employers and veterans time and effort to find a great match more quickly. We have a new tenant arriving this month who is highly regarded by the veteran community. There is also movement in Queensland and the DVA, further to improve the lives of veterans and their families, and they seek your involvement.

We've launched a new collaboration to optimise the availability of and use of our world-class huts and rooms, making booking so easy, and raising much-needed funds. Employment enquiries are ramping up after the announcement by the Queensland Government of financial support for our award-winning Employment and Education Program however we are yet to receive confirmation of a start date. Activity at Homebase has not abated despite Talisman Sabre 25; in fact, there has been an uptick with greater ex-serving and family involvement. Banjos every off-ADF-pay Friday goes from strength to strength with increasing demand from community groups volunteering to run them. August looks busy too, especially the diverse range of yoga participants. Operation COMPASS has also kept us busy this last month. We welcome the appointment by DVA of Reverend Andrew Nixon as the inaugural Archdeacon to Veterans, and we are confident he'll be an excellent support for our padre David Kelly. We're also pleased to see Annabelle Wilson appointed as Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner following on from the great work of Gwen Cherne.

The big news is we are very proud to say we have the backing of the Queensland Government for the recommencement of our award-winning Employment Program. We are grateful to the member businesses of the Veterans Business Alliance that have remained strong during this period of volatility in grants and sponsorships. We are seeing an increase in connection activities and participation in the evenings (60% of activity is out of core hours) at Homebase, often with more than 1,000 people attending each month, which has led us to recognise that we can earn a dollar from room hire. We make this space available to like-minded community groups and businesses to hire during the day. Some of the most popular connection activities will continue into the rest of the year as well. Banjos is going gangbusters, averaging over 100 veterans, with an increase in mini get-togethers for those connected by wars, corps, or units. The role of Operation COMPASS as the foundation of The Oasis Townsville is gaining prominence, with our lived expertise being sought by government and professional bodies. Sales of our EKO Coffee Beans are picking up and are available for purchase from the Main Building.

Most importantly, we are open for business, and operations have not stopped. Our own sustainability implementation plan will be complete by the end of June, which will see us operating at a reduced level from the last 4 years, but at a similar level to all other 16 Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs. Connections activities have not missed a beat, and the place is still buzzing, especially after hours. There are so many more activities in the wind for June and July. The Employment Program is set to continue with the strong support of the Veterans Business Alliance (VBA). There is movement on the establishment of a Veteran Family Agency, which several of us from The Oasis Townsville have been proud to participate in. Despite the pain we went through, especially having to farewell 13 employees over the last few months, we remain the central veteran community coordination location we’ve been for four years and look forward to being the focal point for the efforts of the eventual Agency focussed on the wellbeing of the entire veteran community in Townsville.

Thank you to all our fans for the overwhelming support and encouragement we have received to help us rebalance for long-term sustainability. Last month was busy, even with the holidays, and next month is not slowing down. We have found opportunities to improve our services to the veteran community in the review process. Our review has highlighted opportunities for greater civil community involvement in our operations by making space available for them to work with us to benefit the veteran community. Our first Key Townsville ESO Leaders’ Meeting reported some progress on several of our ongoing issues for support in the region. Our Veterans Business Alliance now has over 50 members, and they have committed to remaining supportive until we can restart our award-winning employment program.

Despite floods, a cyclone and an earthquake, the activity level at Homebase has continued strongly. Queensland State Library's Digital Skills program was well received, along with everything from cooking to 4WDing. We look forward in the weeks ahead to the financial info sessions, which have proven popular and kids' art workshops happening now. We had a few important visits last month. The professionally conducted workshops on the new agency to be responsible for the entire veteran community have recently been conducted at Homebase, and proceedings will be briefed at the Key Townsville ESO Leadership Forum on 10 April at Homebase. As is a common experience for charities, Homebase is adjusting to fluctuations in grant and donor support, as changes occur, we are reviewing and adapting our operations to align with these changes. We will provide regular updates, including the ending of our award-winning Employment Program. The Strand Markets have shifted dates onto our Twilight Markets date, so we had to cancel ours so as not to crowd the space with markets.

Despite the flooding, February has been very busy at Homebase, even with a few events postponed. But our fortnightly Banjo Breakfast and the Career Connections Showcase were huge. The Defence Welcome Expo was also delayed but was well attended last weekend. The program of upcoming events is full with monthly money management sessions introduced, a 4WD course, several art programs, cooking, digital skills classes especially for content creation for social media, and so much more. The first Oasis Twighlight Market for 2025 is in preparation. We are also preparing for our 4th Anniversary Open Day, with EOIs open now to include the hugely demanded inclusion of ESOs with services to offer being showcased. We’ve briefed our new Patron, Brigadier Ben McLennan CSC and Bar and commenced briefings for Army and RAAF command teams in the Townsville region. There is significant activity in the mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention strategy areas and we have contributed strongly to all associated endeavours by Defence and DVA as part of our Operation COMPASS (ongoing from the National Suicide Prevention for Veterans and Families (2017-2022). With ANZAC Day and Easter so close we have ensured appropriate support is available throughout if needed – we are the knowledge centre for support in our region for veterans and their families.

Welcome to 2025, which has unfortunately begun with a severe weather event impacting North Queensland. Our thoughts are with everyone affected as we move forward in recovery. During times like these, we are reminded of the resilience of our communities and the strength that comes from coming together to support one another. In this spirit of community, we also extend a warm welcome to the new families of serving veterans who arrived in Townsville last month and hope they feel supported as they settle in. We also had a change in Patron. Brigadier Ben McLennan, as the new Commander of 3rd Brigade, is our new Patron. He has been in Townsville for the last four years and is very familiar with our operations. He is a very strong supporter, and we look forward to working closely with him and his staff.

The Remembrance Path is laid; come for a look. The PM has recognised our employment successes. The Federal Government has accepted the Royal Commission recommendations relating to hub operations funding. The big February event is the next Career Connections Showcase. Banjos will be back. A $200 furniture voucher for new families from Betta Electrical in partnership with the Oasis Townsville and Operation NAVIGATOR to commence Phase 2. Even bigger markets are coming soon, and so much more.

Winning two awards at PM’s National Veteran Employment Awards is a great way to end a very successful year. November was a big month. Phil Thompson, OAM, MP has laid the first paver in our Path of Remembrance. Our “All Things Housing Expo” was a massive success. Our final Townsville ESO Leadership Forum was very productive. Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC) held another successful series of information sessions at Homebase. The last Banjos for 2024 was a ripper with over 100 attending. Next year is looking busy already. Check out the website What’s ON. We’ve got the popular cooking sessions starting early in January. There is considerable excitement building over the Digital Skills Courses commencing in Feb. Get the word out about the next Career Connections Showcase on 26 Feb. Our operating hours for the festive season are up on the website - closed from 17 Dec – 5 Jan. Have a great Christmas shutdown, and travel safely.