Maryborough's The Nest parental program to close as Go Goldfields funding dries upBy Anna McGuinness and Shannon SchubertABC Central VictoriaTopic:Regional Communities4h ago4 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 8:13pmParents are devastated by the closure of a much-loved community space. (Supplied: Central Goldfields Shire Council)In short:An award-winning program for new parents in Maryborough has closed after being unable to secure the requisite funding.The program is run by a group of community leaders focused on reducing disadvantage in the town. What's next? A Victorian government spokesperson says it will work with the local council to explore sustainable funding for future programs.abc.net.au/news/maryborough-nest-closure-go-goldfields-funding-exhausted/105257626Link copiedShareShare articleA successful program helping new parents in one of Victoria's most disadvantaged communities has closed due to a lack of funding.Maryborough, a town of about 8,000 people two hours north-west of Melbourne, has long struggled with socio-economic challenges.Downturns in manufacturing, rail and farming have seen the town consistently fall on hard times.Go Goldfields, a partnership featuring community, council and government leaders, has been working to break the cycle of disadvantage for children and families in the region since 2010.Its premier program was a drop-in space for new parents called The Nest, which offered support and provided referrals to relevant health services and parenting programs.The Nest is part of a program that has helped raise kinder participation, prep attendance and engagement in first-time parent programs. (Supplied: Central Goldfields Shire Council)It was deemed an immediate success in the community and was granted two early years awards by the Victorian government last year.However last month, it was forced to close after Go Goldfields exhausted the $1.225 million in Victorian government funding it had received since 2021.The funding was not renewed.A blow to the communityThe closure has left local parents devastated, including Kallie Swann.Ms Swann became a first-time mum in 2023, giving birth to her son Greyson.She said it was "terrifying" to think of The Nest not being there."It would've taken me to a really dark place, not having that support and being so lonely in this town," Ms Swann said.Kallie Swann is devastated by the closure of The Nest. (Supplied: Kallie Swann)Ms Swann had moved to Maryborough two years earlier and was yet to find her social network.Through The Nest she joined a local playgroup, received breastfeeding and mental health support, and learned about the services available to her son, such as free dental at the local hospital.By the time The Nest closed, the facilitators felt like friends.Ms Swann said she was worried about what would happen to other new parents."We're going to see people stuck in situations they can't get out of and not know there's help available," Ms Swann said.Funding falls shortMore than 2,200 families have dropped into The Nest since July 2022, resulting in 1,300 referrals to health and family support services.Go Goldfields narrowed its focus to early childhood in 2020, including offering parenting programs and collaborating with kindergartens and schools to help children transition into education.It has seen a drastic rise in participation in 15 hours of kindergarten from 33 per cent in 2019 to 85 per cent in 2024.Maryborough has persistently been identified as one of the most disadvantaged communities in Victoria. (ABC News: Bridget Rollason)Central Goldfields Shire Council interim chief executive, Sally Jones, said funding originally came from Regional Development Victoria, but she had been told it was no longer available.Ms Jones said approaches to the state and federal governments had so far been unsuccessful.She said the holistic program crossed multiple government portfolios and she believed that had worked against it."We're not here to find a comfortable portfolio for a program that works," she said."We are trying to get ministers to support this regardless and to look at what this has been achieving in a very small, disadvantaged area."If you've got 2,200 people using the service over two years, it does show you that the need is absolutely there."A Victorian government spokesperson said it funded a "wide range of services in Central Goldfields Shire" but did not explain why Go Goldfields had missed out."We will continue to work with Central Goldfields Shire Council to explore sustainable funding for future programs," the spokesperson said.Long-term solutions to break cycleJesuit Social Services has been researching locational disadvantage for 25 years.It has consistently ranked Maryborough among the most disadvantaged communities in Victoria, in its 2007, 2015 and 2021 Dropping Off The Edge reports.The 2007 report was the trigger for the establishment of the Go Goldfields program in 2010.Jesuit Social Services chief executive Julie Edwards said the long-term nature of the research had shown how hard it could be to shift entrenched disadvantage.Back of breastfeeding support for rural and regional mothersPhoto shows Two women with heads close together with woman on right holding a newborn babySome women who desperately want to breastfeed their babies are giving up because of a lack of support in regional and rural Australia. She described a "web" people got caught in, requiring solutions with 20 to 30-year horizons."Because there's such a constellation of disadvantage, you don't turn that around in an electoral cycle," she said.Speaking generally, Ms Edwards said having physical places such as neighbourhood houses or community hubs was vital."Otherwise, we're hollowing out community and making it a series of services that often aren't coordinated," she said."We've got an epidemic of loneliness and isolation so these places of belonging and respect are really important."Ms Jones said it was not too late to continue the work of Go Goldfields."The space is there. If the funding advocacy was successful we would absolutely open it as a drop-in because that is what makes it work," she said.ABC Central Vic —local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each TuesdayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 4h ago4 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 8:13pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVLIVEPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows Federal shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Price standing and speaking outside a voting centre.An energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows Man wearing baseball cap and khaki green t-shirt standing next to household Tesla batteryFirst Trump tariff deal boosts US shares but ASX set for flat startLIVEPhoto shows Keir Starmer and Donald Trump shake hands and make eye contact Meeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismPhoto shows image of convicted terrorist Abdul BenbrikaRelated storiesElection pledge renews hope for country pool after three-year closureTopic:Community OrganisationsPhoto shows An empty outdoor lap poolMore midwives, more babies — how this Victorian hospital turned its maternity services into a good health storyTopic:HealthPhoto shows Two women look down at a baby being held by one Welcome to 'Scaryborough' — this town's low self-esteem has been decades in the makingTopic:Mental HealthPhoto shows The main Street of Maryborough, in Victoria.Related topicsChildrenMaryboroughParentingRegional CommunitiesTop StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipAn energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryFirst Trump tariff deal boosts US shares but ASX set for flat startTopic:Stock MarketMeeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismJust InAustralia's political conclave theatrics feel blokey, but the future is femaleAAnalysis by Annabel Crabb11m ago11 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:19amShould Netflix's Adolescence be a teaching tool in schools?Topic:Parenting Teenagers19m ago19 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:12amRenting labelled the Pilbara's 'Achilles heel' with no clear solutionTopic:Rental Housing36m ago36 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:55pmIn 10 minutes, Pope Leo XIV told us a lot about himself, and his agendaTopic:Religious Leaders20m ago20 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:10amMore Just InBack to top