Residential Treatment Centre for eating disorders

In partnership with the Commonwealth Government, ACT Health is establishing a Residential Treatment Centre for eating disorders.

About the centre

The 24/7 specialist residential centre is a new service for the ACT.  The centre will complement other eating disorder services in the Canberra region, including the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub.

The centre will offer a home-like environment for people with eating disorders to live while they receive the support they need to recover. It will offer a therapeutic service that includes specialist, intensive nutritional, and psychological treatment.

The centre will be part of the Territory-wide Model of Care for Eating Disorders.

Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2023 and will take around a year to complete.

The establishment of the centre is supported by a Commonwealth Government commitment of $13.5 million over three years. The first funding instalment for this was provided to the ACT in the 2021–22 financial year.

Location

The centre will be built at Madgwick Street, Coombs in the Molonglo Valley. It will be located on Block 3, Section 17.

The centre will be built on the eastern part of the block. The location benefits from being close to nature reserves, with an outlook over green space and a pond.

The centre will offer an environment for clients that is as calming and as home-like as possible.

In early 2023, the Suburban Land Agency consulted with the community regarding the remainder of Block 3, Section 17 before it was released for sale to market.  More information is available at YourSay.

Project progress

Collard Clarke Jackson Canberra Pty Ltd was appointed to deliver the early concept design in February 2022.

You can find the proof of concept and indicative imagery for the centre below:

• eating disorder facility concept exterior
• external materials imagery
• perspectives
• site massing
• 3D view exterior (front)
• 3D view exterior (east)
• kitchen

A Development Application for the centre was lodged on 7 December 2022 and closed on 24 January 2023.

An approach to market to procure a head contractor to develop a final sketch plan and to design and construct the centre closed in December 2022.

A contract was awarded to IQon Pty Ltd as the successful tenderer in February 2023.

Next steps

ACT Health will work closely with IQon to develop the final sketch plan of the centre and continue engagement with a range of stakeholders on the design. This engagement will be undertaken with clinicians, non-government organisations, people with lived experience of eating disorders and the wider Canberra community.

Getting help for eating disorders

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 or find support services at Butterfly.

You can also refer yourself, or someone else to the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub for support and assessment.