PRESS RELEASE: Catalyst for a National Movement—Now Faces Closure

The Oasis Townsville, the founding model for what is now the DVA Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs Network, has announced it will close at the end of this year unless urgent operational funding is secured. Demand continues to grow rapidly, but resources can no longer keep pace. Established from the insights of Operation COMPASS (Department of Health National Suicide Prevention Trial for Veterans and Families) and validated by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, The Oasis Townsville has supported thousands of veterans and families to “find a friend, find a job, and find their future.” It has become a trusted, community-based gateway for navigating the complex transition from military to civilian life—and for the many years that follow. It has done this in the most veteran-dense civil population in Australia.

All who have contributed to The Oasis are proud to have helped spark a national network of 17 hubs—endorsed by Government, shaped by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and embraced by the veteran community. Most hubs are backed by large institutions. The Oasis Townsville is not. It remains the only Veterans’ & Families’ Hub without a parent organisation to underwrite its sustainability.

More than a year after the Royal Commission’s Final Report, Recommendation 86—calling for recurrent operational funding for all the hubs—remains unimplemented. Government has agreed to it in principle. But with no funding in sight, The Oasis will not survive long enough on current resources to see it realised.

“We are proud of what we’ve built—not just a service, but a standard,” said Lieutenant General (Retired) John Caligari AO, DSC, Chair of The Oasis Townsville. “But we cannot continue based on goodwill alone. If we can no longer serve as a connector to the best supports and an enabler through complex processes for the veteran community in Townsville, we will step aside with dignity. What is needed is a hub—not another redundant or duplicate service further complicating the veteran support landscape.”

The Oasis has formally written to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and is appealing to all levels of government. It is also seeking support from the Townsville philanthropic community, though the scale of funding required—$1 million annually—is acknowledged to be difficult to achieve locally. This awkwardness is compounded by bewilderment in the community, given that the hubs’ effectiveness has been recognised by both the Royal Commission and Government over a year ago, with an expectation that funding should have arrived by now.

This is not just about one organisation. It is about a government-endorsed model being allowed to fail in the very community that created it. It is about the cost of delay, the erosion of trust, and the risk of losing a space that has become both a lifeline for many and a blueprint for Australia.

If funding is not secured, The Oasis will begin a professional wind-up from early January, ensuring continuity of care for current clients and a respectful transition.

“Townsville led the way. We showed what’s possible. We are proud of the legacy. But without action, the very community that built the model will be the first to lose it.”