Thousands of veterans at risk as support hub The Oasis Townsville facing closure from lack of federal funding

A veteran support hub in one of Australia’s largest defence cities could close within months if it loses a vital support lifeline by Christmas – putting thousands of veterans at risk. Townsville’s flagship veteran hub The Oasis Townsville, located in North Queensland, supports thousands of current and former Australian Defence personnel and their families in the Garrison City. But the hub could close by December if an essential federal government funding pipeline is not secured. Of Australia’s 17 veterans’ hubs, Oasis Townsville is the only without a guaranteed long-term funding partner. The federal government has not outlined any funding plans for the organisation – despite the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans’ Suicide validating Oasis Townsville’s value. Army veteran Angela Harper – a former Queensland senate candidate for the Jacqui Lambie Network – said Oasis was one of the first veterans’ hubs set up in Australia and was already struggling with the growing demand for resources. She said doors risked closing in a month without the funding guarantee. “The closure would leave thousands without an accessible, frontline support hub in a region widely recognised as a beating heart of Australia’s military community,” Ms Harper said. “Oasis Townsville has become a trusted, community-based gateway for navigating the complex transition from military to civilian life — and for the many years that follow. “The support helps them find a job, find a friend and find their future.” Townsville is home to about 10,000 veterans and 5,500 serving personnel. In the city, Oasis currently has about 500 active clients and more than 50 seeking support each month. Another 1000 veterans also use Oasis for social connections. The usefulness of veterans’ hubs has been recognised by the Royal Commission, with recommendation 86 emphasising the need for ongoing operational funding for such outlets. The federal government has agreed in-principle to this recommendation. NewsWire has contacted the Federal Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh, for further comment. Mr Keogh had earlier spruiked the benefits of the hub during a visit in 2022 – meeting the team that same year as he asked staff about their employment services and referral pathways. A state LNP government spokesman told The Townsville Bulletin they would continue to support Oasis Townsville through budget commitments made in June. “We have entered into an agreement with Oasis, which sees the Crisafulli Government provide $1.2 million over four years,” a spokesman told the paper. The Oasis Townsville occupies the historically significant site of the 13th Australian Personnel Staging Camp from WWII, linking contemporary veteran care to the city’s military heritage. It was founded in 2018 following state and federal funding contributions. Over the following years, The Oasis Townsville evolved from a trial site into a sustained community gateway combining case management, care navigation and locally-embedded community connections.