Residents are urging the Victorian Government to establish a local and permanent blood donation centre in the wake of the terror attack in Sydney.
The call comes after the Bondi Beach massacre, which killed 16 people and left more than 40 injured on December 14.
Lifeblood Australia issued a desperate plea for blood donations, after receiving multiple life-threatening orders to treat patients across the city.
“Our thoughts are with the injured, their families and those who have lost loved ones,” a Lifeblood spokesperson said.
“Please make an appointment for the coming days and weeks if you can…In particular we need O type donors to donate now”
At Cardinia Shire Council’s December 15 meeting, Cr Jack Kowarzik encouraged residents to help where possible, saying the Bondi tragedy is a reminder that there are practical actions locals can take.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with Lifeblood confirming blood supplies were transferred from multiple states to support Sydney hospitals.
However, the surge in donations has also exposed ongoing challenges for southeast donors.
The nearest permanent Lifeblood centres are in Mount Waverley and Frankston, while mobile services visit Pakenham and Narre Warren only intermittently and offer limited donation options.
Distance and travel continue to make regular donations challenging. Peak-hour traffic, fuel costs, and freeway incidents can delay or cancel appointments, sometimes preventing life-saving platelet donations.
High demand has also left nearby centres fully booked until January.
On top of this, Lifeblood Australia said its website is experiencing outages due to heavy traffic, leaving residents feeling even more helpless.
For Berwick resident Ian George, a long-time Lifeblood plasma donor, the tragedy has renewed frustration over warnings he raised with Gazette last year.
During that time he confronted local and federal ministers at a volunteer function in Berwick about the need for a permanent Lifeblood facility in Casey.
“They said it was a good idea, but I never heard back and not one of them has done anything,” George said.
“We still don’t have a permanent centre here. It’s time to put one in. There is a chance to save a life. People want to help. We just need the infrastructure to let them.
“If blood donations are helping the injured in Sydney, that’s a huge bonus. If I could donate double, I would.”
The Bondi attack is not the first time his contributions have been urgently needed: on a previous occasion, the Mount Waverley centre contacted him for a specific platelet match, but the distance meant he could not donate immediately.
Even Lifeblood staff have acknowledged the need for a local centre.
A nurse from the Mount Waverley donor centre previously told Mr George she would be willing to relocate if a facility opened in Narre Warren or Berwick.
“She said there’s a lot of people coming from these areas to donate so if the government increases the number of donation centres it would work out really well,” he said.
“So we could be doubling up blood donations and encouraging more blood donors in the area.”
