Mental health and eating disorder support
Brief ministerial statement
Mr John Carey (Perth—Minister for Health Infrastructure) (1:05 pm): I rise to update the house on the commencement of construction of the new $18.1-million facility for the Peel Community Mental Health Service and Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service in Greenfields near Mandurah as part of the Peel Health Campus redevelopment. Yesterday, it was great to see the work's progress, alongside local members Mrs Lisa Munday, member for Dawesville; Mr Rhys Williams, member for Mandurah; and Ms Ellie Whiteaker, federal senator for Western Australia.
The project marks a major step forward in improving access to mental health and eating disorder support in Western Australia. It will provide outpatient, day and community-based treatment in a purpose-built facility. In a first for the Peel region, a community facility that offers these services will be embedded in the community rather than linked to a hospital. The facility will deliver adult and older-adult mental health services, as well as outreach services for eating disorders.
Funded through the Commonwealth's Community Health and Hospitals Program, the new clinic will bring together clinicians and support teams in a contemporary research-backed environment that is designed to support recovery.
SHAPE Australia has been appointed to complete the design and construct the fit-out. Site works, including internal concreting and structural preparations to the existing building, have commenced. The next phase will see the internal structural ceiling, wall concreting and primitive framing begin to define the clinic's internal footprint.
The Kara Maar clinic will have a dedicated entrance, private consultation and treatment rooms, and spaces designed to support recovery in a safe, welcoming environment. The name Kara Maar means "sustaining hands" and was developed in consultation with Noongar elders and community members to symbolise nourishment, support and healing.
Eating disorders are complex, and recovery requires more than just clinical care. This new clinic has been designed with research in mind, which shows that healing spaces are just as important as the treatment itself. Every Western Australian deserves access to care that is close to home, compassionate and tailored to their needs. This new clinic is one step closer to helping people get the help they need in one coordinated, supportive space.
This project is part of the Cook government's broader commitment to investing in health infrastructure that meets the needs of communities now and into the future.
