FOLLOWING the announcement that the Federal Government will establish a new headspace hub in Hamilton, Western Victoria Primary Health Network (PHN) chief executive, Rowena Clift said it was sure to be an asset for the area.

"Western Victoria PHN welcomes (Friday’s) announcement by the Hon. Dan Tehan, Member for Wannon, on the funding of a new headspace service in Hamilton which will be a significant boost to mental health support for young people in the region,” she said.

“We will be working closely with local schools, the community, young people and headspace National to ensure this service meets the needs of our youth, particularly those age between 12 and 25 years.

“It is critical that we provide extra support for young people as research has shown us that the last two COVID years have been particularly hard for our youth.

“Western Victoria PHN currently funds and supports headspace services in Warrnambool and Portland as well as a number of other headspace services across western Victoria.”

The Western Victoria PHN will receive ongoing funding of more than $1 million per year from 2022-23 for the centre.

It is estimated that one in four people aged 16-24 experiences some form of mental illness every year and that 75 per cent of mental health issues developed before the age of 25.

Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health (headtohealth.gov.au).