Federal veterans support expansion to bring new DVA services to Ballarat

The federal Department of Veterans' Affairs will open a new service centre in Ballarat's CBD in the next quarter, bringing in-person DVA services to the western Victorian city for the first time and reducing the burden on the estimated 8,400 veterans and war widows in the Grampians region who currently must travel to Melbourne or rely on telephone services for complex matters.

Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the Ballarat centre was part of a broader network expansion that recognised the geographic concentration of veterans in regional Australia and the barriers many of them faced in accessing services. "Veterans who served this country in difficult circumstances should not have to drive three hours to get the help they've earned," he said.

The new centre will provide assistance with claims processing, access to the Defence Service Homes insurance program, referral to mental health services through the Open Arms program, and connection to community veterans' groups. A dedicated Indigenous veterans' liaison officer will be based at the centre, reflecting the significant number of Aboriginal veterans in the Grampians catchment.

RSL Victoria welcomed the announcement, with the organisation's state president Rob Webster saying the Ballarat DVA centre would complement the work of the local RSL sub-branches and veterans' organisations that had been bridging the service gap for years. "Our volunteers cannot provide what trained DVA staff can. Having the real thing in Ballarat changes the standard of care we can offer our veterans," he said.

The centre will operate five days per week and host visiting specialists — including rehabilitation engineers and medical assessment officers — on a rotating schedule.

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