A Model That Works

The Oasis Townsville pioneered a single point of entry into the complex web of veteran services, ensuring that no one was left to navigate alone. Its approach was distinguished by:

💠Holistic family inclusion and unrestricted access, addressing the reality that partners and families are often unable to access support available only on bases.
💠A permanent workforce that guarantees continuity: veterans tell their story once, build trust with providers, and benefit from consistent data collection that drives service quality improvement.
💠Integration of the veteran community into the Townsville community through involvement in activities that connect and bind them with each other.
💠Foundations in mental health and suicide prevention, rooted in Operation COMPASS—the National Suicide Prevention Trial for Veterans and Families.

This model has proven that when services are integrated, stigma is removed, and families are included, outcomes improve dramatically.

Tangible Achievements

The Oasis Townsville has delivered results that speak for themselves:

Easier access than on-base facilities, free from the intimidation of military security and the embarrassment of chain-of-command and peer oversight.
💠A welcoming soft entry point by *Dirty Boots Café.*
💠Hundreds of veterans and partners placed into education, employment services, and jobs.
💠Recognition through two Prime Minister’s Veterans Employment Awards.
💠Establishment of the Veterans’ Business Alliance, uniting employers, government, and institutions to create soft landings into the workforce.
💠Complementary support to ADF Transition Centres, ensuring continuity of support long after Defence’s two-year limit of care ends.
💠 Consistently reported gratitude for client follow-up, so rare from many service providers
💠An army of volunteers supporting all manner of activity conducted at Homebase to allow employees to do what only they can do best.
💠Hundreds of connections activities each month, attended by thousands where veterans and families can connect socially, including with the local Townsville community, without pressure.

Catalyst for National Change

The Oasis Townsville has been more than a local hub; it has been the catalyst for a national network.

💠Its success inspired bipartisan support for the expansion of Veterans & Families Hubs—from six established after the 2019 election to 11 more promised in 2022.
💠It was recognised as the model by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
💠It has demonstrated the urgent need for recurrent funding to sustain and expand this network.

The hubs must now become a network. That is the real step change in capability. However, without funding from the Government to operate as hubs in a network, the hubs will continue to operate on different models, based on their parent organisation, and cooperate as best they can.

The "Missed Opportunity"

Despite its proven success, the Royal Commission’s Final Report noted a “missed opportunity”: the absence of recurrent funding for hubs like The Oasis Townsville. Without sustained investment, the network cannot reach its full potential—and lives will be lost as a result.

A Call to Action

The Oasis Townsville has shown what is possible: a model that integrates services, removes barriers, and restores dignity to veterans and their families. It has proven its worth through outcomes, recognition, and national influence.

Now, the responsibility lies with DVA and the Government to act. Recurrent funding for the Veterans & Families Hubs Network is not just an administrative decision—it is a moral imperative. By investing in this proven model, we can save lives, strengthen families, and honour the service of those who have given so much.

The Oasis Townsville has lit the path. For the sake of our veterans, those responsible for the wellbeing of the veteran community must ensure the light does not fade.