"Beyond that, we're all paying the price – some very personally in terms of tragedy in the family, but all of us as taxpayers. "Fourteen point two billion dollars in costs, hundreds of millions of dollars every day – that's the cost of failure. And of course, the cost you can't put a price on – and that's the lives lost to suicide, and the lives forever changed by a system that simply doesn't work." Mr Andrews conceded implementing all of the recommendations would be costly, but that the "cost of inaction is far, far greater". The introduction of a special levy or tax to fund mental health services is thought to be unprecedented, and is expected to raise "hundreds of millions of dollars". The government will spend the next few months looking at different options for the levy and how it can be introduced. Mr Andrews did not say how much extra money would be needed, but he committed to continuing to fund the mental health system through the budget.

Options that include not needing parliamentary approval will also be canvassed, as the opposition indicated it would not support funding the recommendations through a levy. Loading "The royal commission is very clear on the need to set aside some additional money – more of the same is not going to get this done," Mr Andrews said. "We need more money, we need to set it aside and we need to set ourselves up for the long journey of building a much better system." Commission chair Penny Armytage said the state invested $1.7 billion annually in the mental health sector, with the interim report noting that was “grossly disproportionate” compared with investment into physical health.

“We have failed as a society to demand a level of investment that is comparable to other forms of healthcare,” said Ms Armytage. “We do not believe that the standard budget processes will prioritise mental health in the way that it needs to. Premier Daniel Andrews says the cost of inaction is "far, far greater" than investing more money in the mental health system. Credit:AAP “Given the significance of this issue to our Victorian community and the crisis that we believe our services are in … there needs to be a dedicated funding stream, which will ensure ongoing growth in capacity within the system.” The report recommended a Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, similar to the Peter McCallum cancer centre, be built immediately, along with 170 new acute mental health beds in Melbourne’s north and west, and in Geelong.

Better support for Aboriginal people was also part of the interim report’s recommendations. It called for social and wellbeing officers in Aboriginal community and health centres. Loading “The incidence of mental illness within our Aboriginal community are even greater than in the broader population,” Ms Armytage said. “The suicide rate within our Indigenous community is something of great concern to us.” The state government has already committed to implementing all of the recommendations, but the commission also called for a Mental Health Implementation Office over the next two years to ensure the recommendations are delivered.

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said Victoria's mental health system was in crisis and that it had failed too many people. "It's an issue that's going to preoccupy us for many years to come," he said. "We haven't got into this position overnight, and it will take some time to rectify the system. "But the sooner we start, the sooner we make changes that communities, families and individuals need to make sure that they've got the best possible system of support and care when they need it." Emma King, the head of the Victorian Council of Social Service, said rebuilding the broken system would cost money, and a levy could be part of the solution.

“The cost of inaction is much greater than the cost of action," she said. "What price a life?” “The key thing will be ensuring new investments flow directly to the low-income Victorians who need them most, and who are currently missing out.” Julie Rickard, Lisa Boyce and Joe Meggetto spoke of their experiences with Victoria's mental health system. Credit:Wayne Taylor Gippsland dairy farmer Joe Megetto urged people living with a mental illness to take the first step on the path to recovery and reach out to their GPs. He said he wanted to represent "the male country guy" and break down the stigma.

"You know, an 18 or 25-year-old outback country person or cattleman or something, or you know, a young father with two young kids, that's struggling out there mentally, physically – what price do you put on that person to save that person," Mr Megetto said. Loading Erica Williams, 22, appeared before the commission to give evidence about her experience with acute mental illness and the poor treatment she received in hospital, including being discharged too early. She welcomed the interim report’s call to expand follow-up care and support after a person had tried to kill themselves, including outreach services and help outside standard business hours. Ms Williams said she once presented to an emergency department with suicidal thoughts, was discharged by a nurse the following morning without any consultation with doctors and had to get a tram home.

“There’s not enough acute beds, so people can’t stay for as long as they need to be there,” she said. Ms Williams also said a residential service designed by people who had experienced mental illness could help bridge the “missing middle” - those whose mental illness is too complex to be treated by a general practitioner but not sick enough to seek emergency help. “After you have come out of an acute setting, having a stepped-down option that isn’t straight into your house is really important.” Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council adviser Indigo Daya lauded the recommendation for the first residential mental health service to be designed and delivered by people who had lived with mental health. "For many people who use existing mental health services we find them not only unhelpful, but often harmful," Ms Daya said.

"I hope that this service will be the beginning of a radical shift in how we think about mental health services." Loading Ms Daya, who spent a decade in and out of psychiatric wards, said her care did her more harm than good. "I think it's critical for every person in distress to be offered a peer support worker with lived experience," she said. "Too often distress is treated like a medical condition. To have somebody there supporting and hearing a person's story and why they're distressed, in the context of their life, can really help people to start to heal."

Ms Daya said she hoped the commission's final report would delve into the effects of trauma. "At the moment, I don't think the current mental health system understands or addresses trauma," she said. Loading Health and Community Services Union state secretary Paul Healey said he was pleased the union's push for a minimum of 180 new positions each year in mental health nursing and other allied health professions was accepted by the commission. “The interim report represents a critical beacon of hope for the consumers, families, carers and workers at the heart of Victoria’s mental health system, together with a pragmatic roadmap for the funding of these vital reforms," he said. Not everyone was pleased with the interim recommendations. Launch Housing chief executive Bevan Warner said it was disappointing to see no mention of housing or homelessness in the recommendations.