Save Community Health

We are a group of people who:
˖ use cohealth services
˖ live locally
˖ care about what the future of community health services
˖ want to keep our community health services open, and
˖ have no funding and we do not represent any political party.

How our campaign started

In October 2025 cohealth announced it would close services in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington before Christmas. cohealth is a community health provider with services in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Kensington, Footscray, Braybrook, Laverton, Niddrie, Melbourne CBD, and Tasmania.

We were shocked.

Our group started after the first public meeting on 23 October 2025 organised by City of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly and Deputy Mayor Sarah McKenzie. The Fitzroy Town Hall was overflowing and everyone wanted to keep our community health services open. You can read the resolutions passed at the meeting in a report from the City of Yarra Mayor who chaired the meeting.

Are the services closing?

On 20 November 2025, the Federal Minister for Health announced that Kensington, Fitzroy and Collingwood community health centres would stay open until 30 June 2026. The Minister also announced an independent review about cohealth general practice and related services.

However, the pharmacy and counselling services were not saved by that funding announcement. General counselling services at cohealth Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington ceased on 19 December 2025. The pharmacy is currently still open, but the future remains in doubt.

What next?

We will keep campaigning to save our community health services. We want community health services to stay open at Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington.

We need the review to lead to action and funding that keeps community health centres open for future generations. We need our community health services to meet our needs holistically and work with us.

Find out more about the Independent review.

About our community health centres

The three sites, currently run by cohealth, at 365 Hoddle St, Collingwood, 12 Gower Street, Kensington and 75 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy have provided much needed comprehensive health care services for decades. They used to be separate community run member organisations. In 2014, cohealth was formed when North Yarra Community Health, Doutta Galla Community Health and Western Region Health Centre merged.

Community health services are fundamental for our health and help limit unnecessary visits to the Emergency Department.

Community health services provide coordinated, affordable support services for: First Nations people, older people, people experiencing homelessness, refugees and asylum seekers, people experiencing family violence, women, children and families. The services include allied health, mental health, dental, alcohol and other drug services, physical activity, social connection and community support.

Our community health services timeline

1869  Dr John Singleton opened a medical dispensary and mission at 162 Wellington St Collingwood (this was the dispensary in the Colony of Victoria)

1887 Singleton’s Dispensary rebuilt

1930s Singletons became the responsibility of the Victorian Charities Board

1964 Western Region Community Health established by the Australian Meat IndustryEmployees Union

1972-75 The Whitlam Government provided the funds to purchase a site at 365 Hoddle Street Collingwood in the early 1970’s, with the centre opening in 1977. "The intent of that funding was clearly to ensure a community health service at that location - for the community. As such it should remain in public hands." Jane Stanley.

1974 Kensington Community Health established

1977 Flemington Community Health established

1977 Singletons relocated to 365 Hoddle Street as Collingwood Community Health Centre

1979 Carlton Community Health established

1982 Fitzroy Community Health Association established when Depaul Community Health Centre separated from St Vincent’s Hospital

1987 Fitzroy Community Health Centre opened in new building at 75 Brunswick St Fitzroy

1994 Fitzroy Community Health merged with Carlton Community Health and Collingwood Community Health to become North Yarra Community Health

2014 Cohealth began with the merging of North Yarra Community Health with Doutta Galla Community Health and Western Region Community Health

2018 Carlton Community Health Centre closed

2023 cohealth commences services in Tasmania

2024 cohealth begins delivering Parkville Youth Justice Precinct Primary Health Care

2025 Cohealth announces closure of 3 of its 21 sites: Collingwood, Fitzroy and Kensington (0ctober 2025).

2025 Yarra Council holds community meetings including an overflow meeting at the Fitzroy Town Hall (October 2025). The federal and state governments are quick to act and establish a federal inquiry into cohealth’s decision (November 2025).

2026 Yarra Council sets up a Campaign Committee – Community Health Services to assist locals working to save their life-saving health centres (January 2026).

For more detail about the history of the Fitzroy / Collingwood clinics see Missionaries Radicals Feminists A History of North Yarra Community Health. Hamish Townshend. Croakey Health Media. First published in 2012 by North Yarra Community Health  
(PDF - downloadable).