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.

As a result of our funding predicament of recent months, we developed a plan to remain sustainable until the Royal Commission recommendation regarding funding of the 17 veterans’ and families’ hubs is implemented. Providing some funding commitments come to fruition, that plan will be completed by the end of June, and we will be operating at a sustainable tempo not dissimilar to the operations of most of the other hubs until DVA works out how hubs fit with the new Agency.

A big thank you to Disaster Relief Australia for joining our first Community Collaboration Banjos! With a full house (almost 100) at Homebase, we welcomed familiar faces and new friends, all enjoying a beautiful Friday morning. The Australian Military Wives Choir and 1RAR Band brought incredible energy to the event. Among the 100 activities a month at Homebase, our art workshops are particularly thriving! Join Tuesday evenings for mixed media collaging or Thursday mornings to explore Australia’s native animals through drawing. Each artwork will be showcased in our end-of-year exhibition. Another successful off-roading session in May! Designed for recreational drivers, this course enhances confidence, safety, and recovery skills. The next free session is on 26 July—don’t miss it!

Our final podcast episode in this season features Lachlan Faulks, discussing life after the Navy and mentoring young drivers. Listen out for the next season. Join REAMUS in the Cobra Project, restoring a 1980s Cobra Buggy for youth racing! Whether you’re a beginner or a mechanic, learn new skills in a social environment. Blacksmithing is back from 30 June to 7 July. Reconnect with traditional craftsmanship at The Oasis Townsville. Defence family duos only—first come, first served! As part of our ongoing Operation COMPASS, which is the foundation of our operations, we are very grateful to collaborate with the Queensland Mental Health Commission to contribute the veteran family experience of Lived Experience of Suicide. Let’s Stay connected, get involved, and keep building this incredible community together!

Although the Queensland Government grant for our award-winning employment program ended on 30 April, we have had strong support from the Minister for Veterans (Premier David Crisafulli) and our local state member, Janelle Poole (also Assistant Minister for Veterans), to recommence the program. We are hopeful there will be funding allocated in the mid-year Queensland State Budget. The members of the VBA have been amazingly supportive. The vast majority have indicated they will remain members into FY2025-26 and have taken the challenge of trialling a new approach to employment utilising a database of candidates for employers to search rather than leaving it to the veteran to find the advertised jobs.

The Discovery Workshops conducted around Australia, and several at our Homebase here in Townsville, culminated in a Veterans Assembly in Canberra in late May. The Oasis Townsville was well represented. While the main topic was the new Agency, which is to focus on veteran wellbeing, there was significant discussion around the need for trust, face-to-face engagement in the local areas where the veteran family lives. The understanding about what the hubs are and could become was not discussed, but widely recognised as the local arms of the Agency.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced in recent months at the hands of Defence, we remain the trusted hub we have been for the past four years. We have become the go-to hub in Townsville for providers and government agencies that want to ensure all efforts contribute to the most effective support for the veteran community. The knowledge we have accumulated regarding all manner of services and support in Townsville and surrounding districts means we have also retained the expertise to support veterans (both serving and ex-serving) and their families in finding whatever they need. That will only get better when the network of hubs is established in conjunction with the soon-to-be-developed Agency.