That was the message Benalla Mayor Bernie Hearn wants Federal Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten to hear.
And it appears he is willing to listen.
The community campaign to address the closure of Benalla’s Centrelink office had some good news this week with Mr Shorten telling Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines he is willing to hear a case for its reopening.
Dr Haines was joined by Cr Hearn, and members of the community group which has been formed to lobby for the reopening of Centrelink, in Benalla on Wednesday, August 10.
That group, led by Hamish McPherson, has gained more than 1800 signatures on a petition demanding it is reopened, and Dr Haines is willing to take that to Federal Parliamant.
“The person-to-person Centrelink office in Benalla was closed under the cover of darkness," Dr Haines said to the gathered crowd.
“I tried (to address this) with the previous minister. I wrote to the minister and I went and saw the minister to make the case.”
At the time that effort seemed to be in vain. However with a new government formed, Dr Haines took the issue back to the new minister — Mr Shorten.
“I met with Minister Shorten a few days ago and had a really constructive meeting,” Dr Haines said.
“He knows this town because he’s been here, and he said to me ‘Helen I understand what you are saying’.
“He said to me if (I) can make a case, (He’s) prepared to listen. That’s a significant improvement on what I got before.”
Dr Haines told the crowd that thus far she had been unable to see the data and reports that Services Australia used to justify closing Benalla’s Centrelink.
“I was told in the past that they’ve done some analysis of Benalla and that the stats don’t stack up, and an agency service is sufficient,” she said.
"I’ve asked to see those reports and they’ve never been shared with me.
“What Minister Shorten has said is he will find those reports and give them to me.
“But we’ve got some work to do.”
Dr Haines said her office would review those reports when they were made available and she will share them with members of the lobby group.
"Then we might need to do some research ourselves,” she told the group.
“And if you’re up for it I’m up for it. I think that we can put a lot of pressure on, and we should put a lot of pressure on.”
Cr Hearn said the Benalla community needed access to Centrelink.
“With our low level of digital literacy, high rates of disadvantage, and the age of many in the community, it is important that we have someone who can help.
“Help people navigate the difficult forms and paperwork that has to be submitted to Centrelink and NDIS, for funding to continue and allow them to live.
“They can’t just have that money stop. And many in the community can’t afford to travel 60km to complete claims or deal with issues.
“We all know that taxis are expensive and there’s no reliable public transport links.”
Mr McPherson said it’s really clear that this is an essential service that the people in Benalla need.
“It makes a real difference for people to be able to get the support of government when times are tough,” Mr McPherson said.
“It also makes a real difference when that support is not available. It just makes a difficult situation mush worse.
“This is an essential service that needs to be reopened. And now we have the community, the local council and the local Federal Member all working together to get the right outcome for Benalla and the region.”
Mr McPherson said this was a test for the new government.
“People have voted for a change of government, I think in the expectation that an incoming government will positively address some of the social issues that people face.
“I think this is an opportunity for Mr Shorten and the Albanese government to show that their policies can deliver for regional communities like Benalla.”
If you have had experience with the Centrelink Agency Model, good or bad, and want to tell your story, you can email editor@benallaensign.com.au
28°C