We welcomed The Hon Emma McBride MP and Rowan Holzberger MP to headspace Upper Coomera for an exciting funding and service announcement for the Gold Coast. The visit highlights a significant boost for youth mental health on the Gold Coast and a major expansion of free, accessible care for the whole community.

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Hon Emma McBride MP underlined the government’s commitment to placing mental health “at the heart of Medicare.” As she said at the press conference, “headspace is Australia’s national and trusted place for young people to seek mental health and support.” In practical terms, that investment means headspace Southport is joining the new headspace Plus model, designed to meet more complex, clinical and social needs, while headspace Upper Coomera has been awarded over $462,000 in demand management funding to support staffing, reduce waiting times and improve cultural responsiveness.

Those earlier investments have already supported local innovations at Upper Coomera. Staff described how demand funding has been used to recruit a new mental health worker and a cultural coordinator, and to trial a single-session approach that helps young people get immediate, focused help on their first visit. The result: faster access to support and fewer barriers for young people seeking help close to home.

Perhaps the biggest announcement was the confirmation that a Medicare Mental Health Centre will be established on the northern Gold Coast, due to be operational by mid-next year. Minister McBride explained this new model will deliver free walk-in mental health support without the need for a referral or a Mental Health Treatment Plan, and will be linked to a national virtual network of psychologists and psychiatrists.

Rowan Holzberger, Federal Member for Forde, spoke from personal experience about the life-saving role headspace played for his son and praised the accessibility of local services “headspace saved my son’s life… having it there so close that he could actually walk there and find it is why he is here today.”

After the announcements, the delegation was shown around headspace Upper Coomera by a member of the Youth Advisory Council and the community engagement teams from both Upper Coomera and Southport. It was a valuable chance to showcase how the centres operate day-to-day and how this new funding will strengthen local supports.

These announcements position the Gold Coast to better meet growing mental health demand — particularly for young people — by improving immediacy, cultural safety and pathways into ongoing care. For more information about mental health services we provide in the region, visit liveslivedwell.org.au/our-services/mental-health

At Lives Lived Well, we acknowledge that recent changes to gender-affirming healthcare access in Qld may be causing distress for many in our community – clients, staff, and their loved ones.

As an organisation dedicated to mental health, alcohol and other drug support, and harm reduction, we reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all individuals.

Mitchell Giles, CEO of Lives Lived Well, said the organisation stands in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community.

“At Lives Lived Well, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe, supported, and respected. We remain committed to creating inclusive spaces where individuals can access the care and support they need without judgement”

If you or someone you know is affected and needs support, we encourage you to reach out to us or one of the many services dedicated to LGBTQI+ wellbeing.

For more information about our services, visit www.liveslivedwell.org.au or call 1300 727 957.

Lives Lived Well’s (LLW) Miinggi Gilinggal service was proud to be a community partner for the Goanna Academy event held in Coffs Harbour on Wednesday 2 April, led by rugby league legend Greg Inglis. 

The event saw an impressive turnout, with 260 young people in attendance. Among the attendees were Minister Rose Jackson, the Strong Community Aboriginal Resilient Kids team from Lismore, and Chad, a representative from The Glen. Their presence highlighted the importance of collaboration in supporting youth mental health and wellbeing. The success of this event was made possible by the dedicated Miinggi Gilinggal team and partners, Harvey Norman, NRL, BESIX Watpac, and ASICS, whose support helped make it happen.

To learn more about Miinggi Gilinggal Lives Lived Well, visit https://www.liveslivedwell.org.au/our-services/live-in-recover/coffs-harbour-youth-residential/.

Media Coverage

• NBN News Greg Inglis brings Goanna Academy to Coffs

Lives Lived Well’s Head Office (Brisbane City) is relocating from Spring Hill to a new space in Bowen Hills.

From Monday 2 June 2025, you’ll find us at:
Lives Lived Well
East Tower, Level 3
25 Montpelier Road
Bowen Hills QLD 4006

To allow for the move, our current office at 55 Little Edward Street, Spring Hill, will close to visitors from Wednesday 14 May 2025. During the transition, our support services teams will work remotely to ensure continuity of support across all regions.

Our postal address will remain unchanged:
PO Box 332, Spring Hill QLD 4004

If you have any general enquiries or referrals, please continue to contact our Contact Team on 1300 727 957.

The move to our new office marks a positive step forward. The refreshed space has been designed to support staff wellbeing, encourage collaboration, and allow room for future growth. This relocation has been fully funded by Lives Lived Well, with no program or service delivery funds used.

To learn more about our service locations across Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia, visit https://www.liveslivedwell.org.au/our-locations/.

Lives Lived Well is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to create a commissioned artwork that will feature on the cover of our next Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

This artwork will reflect our values, our ongoing commitment to reconciliation, and the strength of the communities we work alongside. In addition to featuring on the RAP cover, the artwork will be used across a range of platforms — including our website and printed materials.

We welcome:

• EOIs from individual artists with a connection to Country where Lives Lived Well services currently operate (see our locations).
• Collaborative or joint applications—please provide details for each artist involved and their connection to Country.

We also encourage submissions from staff or past clients of Lives Lived Well who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and have a creative practice, as well as an ABN.

We are open to a combination of traditional painting and digital design. However, the final delivery must include:

• One high-resolution digital artwork
  • 300dpi, suitable for print up to 1200mm wide
  • Can be a fully digital piece or a high-quality digital version of a physical artwork
• A set of small symbolic icons or motifs
  • Visually connected to the main artwork
  • Suitable for use across web and print formats

The commissioned artist (or artist team) must also be comfortable with their name and a short written statement about the artwork being displayed:

• on our website and digital platforms
• within printed materials and reports
• as part of signage and plaques displayed in Lives Lived Well offices.

Interested? To learn more about the themes and key messages to inspire the artwork, deliverables, timeline, and budget available — please read the full EOI artwork brief here.

EOIs are due by Friday 9 May 2025. For more information or to submit an application, email [email protected].

We’re excited to commission a meaningful and enduring piece that reflects our story — past, present and future.