Australian Minister for Human Services Senator the Hon Marise Payne visits one of two Mobile Services Centres last week as the team kicks off their first trip of 2014.

The Mobile Service Centres, known as ‘Desert Pea’ and ‘Kangeroo Paw’, travel through rural and regional Australia to provide remote communities with government services.

Each centre is equipped with the same technology available in any Centrelink or Medicare service centre.

“Over the next three months, the centres will visit regional and rural communities in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia,” said Payne.

Since 2009, the purpose-built centres have assisted over 50,000 people by providing essential Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support and Australian Hearing information, payments and services.

They have covered a combined total of 300,000 kilometres across Australia and visited over 1400 communities.

In times of crisis, the centres have responded quickly to provide on-the-ground support for disaster recovery efforts.

Payne cited the Blue Mountains bushfires last October, when the centre was diverted to affected communities within 12 hours of the activation of emergency assistance. The mobile centre helped people to access disaster assistance payments.