Victoria mental health reform implementation

Efforts to implement mental health reforms in Victoria, Australia, following the 2018 Royal Commission, have faced criticism regarding both political momentum and oversight integrity.

Professor Patrick McGorry, a psychiatrist and former chair of the Royal Commission’s expert advisory committee, has warned that reform momentum has evaporated. He attributes this stagnation to a revolving door of ministers and the marginalization of the issue, despite initial progress such as the creation of regional mental health boards and an independent Mental Health Commission.

Further scrutiny has been directed at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission itself. Leaked drafts suggest that the commission’s final report was reworked during a six-month delay between its presentation to the government in December 2025 and its release in June 2026. While an original assessment indicated only 54 of 270 promised reforms were complete, the published version credited the government with doubling its progress.

Critics, including former Commissioner Annabel Brebner, have questioned the report’s credibility, stating, “In my view, the difference in methodology raises questions about the overall reliability and validity of the assessments made.” The revisions reportedly removed critical findings regarding budget cuts and stakeholder resistance to the Department of Health.