People in Kyneton can now access free, face-to-face mental health support closer to home with the opening of the Mount Alexander Mental Health and Wellbeing Local’s new satellite site.
Located at 47 High Street, Kyneton, the new site was officially opened by State Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas on Friday 17 July. A satellite site is already operating in Castlemaine, with another set to open soon in Maryborough.
“This service is delivering important care without making people jump through hoops like getting a GP referral. We’re making it easier for people across the Macedon Ranges to get free, community-based mental health care close to home,” Ms Thomas said.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals support Victorians aged 26 years and over to access free mental health and wellbeing care. No referral, identification or Medicare card is required, and all supports are voluntary and easy to access.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander is delivered by Mind in partnership with Bendigo Health and Thorne Harbour Health. Together, we provide psychosocial and clinical support that helps people experiencing distress manage everyday life, rebuild and maintain connections, engage with education and employment, and participate fully in the community.
The service has been providing telephone and telehealth support since February 2026. With the opening of the Kyneton satellite site, community members can now access the full range of supports available through the Mount Alexander Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, including face-to-face appointments and outreach services.
Mind Executive Director of Operations in Victoria, Belinda McCullough, said the new site would make it easier for people across Mount Alexander, Central Goldfields and Macedon Ranges to access support closer to home.
“We know how important it is for rural and regional communities to be able to access to mental health and wellbeing support where they live. With satellite sites in Castlemaine and now here in Kyneton, the Mount Alexander Mental Health and Wellbeing Local is making it easier for more people to connect with the care and support they need, without having to travel to a metropolitan centre,” Ms McCullough said.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals have a ‘how can we help’ approach, making it easier for more people to access support in ways that work for them – particularly those who may previously have faced barriers to finding the right care.
At the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander, community members can access a multi-disciplinary team that includes a Lived Experience Team Leader, Peer Practitioners, Community Mental Health Practitioners, Social Workers, Clinicians and specialist LGBTIQA+ staff from Thorne Harbour Health. Peer Practitioners are specially trained to draw on their experiences of distress and mental health challenges to support others.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander is connected to the Greater Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, operating through a hub-and-spoke model that expands the range of support options available to community members.
This means people in Mount Alexander, Central Goldfields and Macedon Ranges can also access group programs, allied health services and specialist staff.
Mind is proud to be the lead provider for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals in Melton, Dandenong, Greater Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe, and Cardinia.
To find your nearest Mental Health and Wellbeing Local call 1800 332 501 or visit the Better Health MHW Locals page.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals are not crisis services. In an emergency which is life-threatening or where there is immediate risk of harm to anyone, call Triple Zero (000). For 24-hour crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders can also call 13 YARN on 13 92 76. 13 YARN is a 24/7 national crisis telephone service staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.