The ACT Residential Centre for eating disorders will be built in Coombs, announced Emma Davidson, Minister for Mental Health.
A tender for the construction of the Centre will be released in the coming weeks, and the Centre is on track for completion in 2023-24. The location is Block 3, Section 17 in Coombs.
Draft designs were unveiled in August. Collard Clarke Jackson Canberra was awarded the contract in February.
Last year, eating disorder advocate Kate Steen launched an e-petition calling on the ACT Government to deliver the facility.
- Draft designs of ACT eating disorder centre released (27 August)
- ACT residential eating disorder facility design tender awarded (20 February)
- Tender opens for eating disorders facility (18 November 2021)
- Eating disorder petition will be tabled this week (30 September 2021)
- Petition calls for improved eating disorder services in the ACT (14 September 2021)
Ms Davidson says the Centre forms part of the ACT Government’s stepped care model of care for eating disorders, which links services together so that everyone can access the right support at the right time.
“The location in Coombs is close to nature, overlooks green spaces and a pond, and is in a residential setting,” Ms Davidson said. “These elements support a home-like environment to help people on their recovery journey and live well in the community.
“People with lived experience, clinicians, and non-government organisations have been clear that this centre will fill a significant gap – providing a calming home-like environment with specialised therapeutic support for people with eating disorders who sit between care delivered in the community and acute clinical care in hospital.
“It is a critical addition to Canberra’s eating disorder services, which has been scarce and led to many not being able to receive the right support in the ACT.”
More than 17,000 Canberrans might suffer from an eating disorder – but those seeking help might wait almost a year to see a specialist, and there are no inpatient facilities in the ACT. People with eating disorders were six times more likely to die prematurely than the wider population; people with anorexia nervosa had the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions; and eating disorders had increased in the ACT.
“Over the past years, significant work has been undertaken to expand services and better coordinate them with existing support,” Ms Davidson said.
For instance, the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub, which launched in January, reduced patient waiting times from an average 644 days in December 2021 to 56 days in October.
- New central hub in ACT for eating disorders (25 January)
- ACT Government’s eating disorder update ‘a significant milestone’ (23 March)
An early design on the Coombs site has been completed, and the Preliminary Sketch Plan Phase is now underway. The government aims to lodge a Development Application (DA) before the end of 2022. The draft designs for the Centre continue to undergo consultation throughout the DA process, which will run until construction commences in 2023.
The Commonwealth Government has agreed to fund $13.5 million over three years starting in 2021-22 for the development of the Centre.
The Clinical Hub better coordinates resources, services, and clinical expertise to ensure people with eating disorders are quickly connected with health and community services that best support their individual needs, Ms Davidson said.
If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing an eating disorder or body image concerns, contact the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (ED HOPE) or visit butterfly.org.au
