WA Government still weighing up sites for State’s first dedicated eating disorder centre

The clock is ticking for WA to build the State’s first dedicated eating disorder centre to address the increasing number of patients seeking help and to ease pressure on public and private hospitals.

The Coalition committed $4 million more than three years ago to construct the facility in the Peel region but the State Government is still “scoping potential sites”, despite having the funds in a bank account.

Four West Australians a day have been hospitalised or turned to mental health services for help with an eating disorder in the past year — with WA Health recording nearly a 20 per cent increase year-on-year.

Every other jurisdiction in the country has plans drawn up and locations chosen for their community-based residential treatment centres.

The WA Government told The West Australian it was looking at sites. The same was said in March and December last year.

The Albanese Government confirmed the project needed to be completed by June 30, 2025.

A spokesman for Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the Commonwealth was working with the WA Government “to ensure this project is completed as quickly as possible, while ensuring appropriate community consultation on the design”.

However a spokeswoman for WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the centre was a Coalition election commitment in 2019 that “fails to meet the needs of West Australians”.

“The State Government was not consulted prior to this commitment being made and we continue to work with the Federal Government to deliver a centre that more appropriately meets the needs of the community,” the spokeswoman said.

“The McGowan Government is investing $31.7 million to expand State-wide eating disorder treatment programs, including in regional communities.”

South Metropolitan Health Service opened an intensive outpatient service for eating disorders in October last year with another to open at the North Metropolitan Health Service in “the coming months” to fill the missing step for now.

It comes as more than one million Australians in any given year experience an eating disorder, which has one of the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses in the country.

Shockingly, an estimated 70 per cent of people will not receive treatment. Many are falling through the cracks because they are having to wait up to 18 months to get help.

The Butterfly Foundation opened Australia’s first eating disorder centre on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in 2021.

Its chief executive Kevin Barrow told The West Australian if WA “gets cracking” they will be able to meet the 2025 project deadline.

“It took over a year to build our centre. Usually state governments have additional processes to go through in terms of their procurement processes, and the site selection and so on,” Mr Barrow said.

“The other thing that needs to be worked through is the consultation process with those with lived experience in terms of the design of the facility, making sure that it’s fit for purpose and also developing what model of care might be required.”

Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36