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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-26 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: Community Drug and Rehabilitation Beds

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (11:32): I move:

That the 143rd report of the committee, entitled Community Drug and Rehabilitation Beds Project, be noted.

As part of the 2022 state election, the state government committed funding to establish new community drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds across the state, including the delivery and operation of 12 drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds in metropolitan Adelaide. Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) is a statewide health service that offers a range of prevention, treatment and information services for people with alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues. Rehabilitation is a highly structured program that includes treatments, group and peer therapy and structured activities that teach living and coping skills.

The proposed facility will provide treatment in a residential live-in setting that includes accommodation, meals and recreational spaces. These services will cater for stays that may range from three to six months, depending on the needs of the client. The project brief has been prepared by the Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) and supplied to DIT, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, which will commence procurement processes. In the interim, DASSA has implemented temporary services at a metropolitan Adelaide location.

Following a detailed investigation process in consultation with DASSA and Renewal SA, SA Health has identified a suitable portion of land at John Rice Avenue, Elizabeth South. The site was selected due to its proximity to the Lyell McEwin Hospital and the associated health precinct, providing clients easy access to medical and emergency facilities. The location also benefits from easy access to public transport and is in proximity to local amenities. The site is part of a larger parcel of land which has been approved for subdivision and SA Health is currently undertaking a compulsory acquisition process.

The new facility will be located in a community setting and will provide 24-hour care for people who have experienced withdrawal or require stabilisation and need to continue their treatment via residential rehabilitation. This service also aims to help reduce reliance on emergency departments as admission pathways into mental health services.

Accommodation and support will cater to clients who arrive voluntarily who are already detoxed and who are seeking assistance reintegrating into the community. The facility will be staffed and all clients supervised 24 hours a day. The facility will be owned by DASSA who will undertake an invitation to supply to select a non-government organisation who will manage and provide the rehabilitation services.

The project will create a building that is structured, safe and flexible enough to cater for varying clientele. Due to the long lengths of client stays, the project will include outdoor spaces which are an essential component for better mental health outcomes. The outdoor spaces are also critical for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultural safety and suitability. Australasian Health Facility Guidelines have informed the schedule of accommodation, clinical adjacencies and equipment requirements for the facility, and a project reference group was consulted regarding the functional design and care requirements.

The project will build a single storey, U-shaped, that is structured into four pods, creating private living areas that connect to a larger shared space. Patient areas will include:

four individual living pods, each consisting of three bedrooms, one shared accessible bathroom and one shared kitchen/lounge area;

a large central shared kitchen/dining/lounge area;

an activity room and gym space;

a secluded quiet room;

a domestic laundry and storeroom; and

landscaped areas, a lawn area, a basketball hoop, raised productive garden beds and a wellness garden.

The clinical area will include two patient consult rooms as well as office space for staff. The facility will also include:

a staff hub, including two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a recreational space;

a staff courtyard garden;

separated storage and service areas to manage waste and maintenance; and

onsite car parking.

The project will cost $9 million, and construction is anticipated to commence this August, with the expectation to be complete in June next year.

The professional service contractors have been engaged by DIT, and specialty professional contractors will be engaged as required. DIT is engaging the construction contractor using established procurement, evaluation and contracting processes. The project will be monitored by an integrated management team, established with executive level membership across SA Health, DASSA, DIT and the rehabilitation beds project. The delivery of the project will follow best practice principles for project procurement and management as advocated by the state government and construction industry authorities.

The project team has established formal processes to ensure that sustainability initiatives are comprehensively and systematically incorporated within the project. Initiatives include:

engagement of an independent sustainability consultant;

futureproofing and adaptability, including provision for potential electric vehicle charging stations, as well as accessible and flexible engineering spaces;

management of performance, including building tuning and an environmental management plan;

selection of insulating building materials;

energy efficiency, including LED lighting and a photovoltaic energy system;

water efficiency, including rainwater collection; and

selection of materials that are durable and ethically sourced.

The department states that a search of the central archive identified no record of Aboriginal sites at the proposed works location and that there are no state or local heritage sites within the construction footprint.

Throughout the project development, the department has taken care to consult with clinicians and non-clinical staff, consumer reference groups and industrial bodies. Consultation will continue throughout the final stages of the design, and key stakeholders will remain informed of the works as they progress through construction into service readiness. The project has also consulted various government agencies and units within SA Health and DASSA. The department's Media and Communications Unit will manage required external communication, media inquiries and press releases.

The committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to the Community Drug and Rehabilitation Beds Project. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were Melissa Nozza, Director, Capital Projects, Department for Health and Wellbeing; Lochlan Pellew, Principal, Brown Falconer Architects; John Jenner, Portfolio Manager Health, Department for Infrastructure and. Transport; and Victoria Cox, Statewide Clinical Director, Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. I thank the witnesses for their time.

Based on the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public work.

Motion carried.

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