A first glimpse of what a 25-bed secure mental health unit at Symonston might look like has been released, as the ACT government prepares to introduce new laws into the Parliament on Thursday so the project can be built without delay.
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An artist's impressions reveal patient rooms will be private and feature an en suite bathroom and desks.
The pictures and a preliminary sketch plan give the public a first glimpse inside the proposed facility that the government plans to built on the site of the former Quamby Youth Detention Centre. The images also reveal what the secure mental health unit might look like from the outside.
Legislation paving the way for the facility to be built without delay is set to be introduced into the Legislative Assembly by the government on Thursday.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said the secure mental health facility was a top priority and the legislation aimed to ensure the project's "clear passage through the planning process" so the facility could be delivered in a timely way.
Construction is expected to get under way in the first half of next year.
"The ACT performs well in the provision of mental health services to the Canberra community but the secure mental health unit is the remaining piece of the puzzle," Ms Gallagher said in a statement.
She said the facility was a positive step forward for the territory's health system.
A public information and question and answer session will be held at the Hellenic Club in Woden next Wednesday.
The government has released a preliminary sketch plan and an artist's impressions of the facility that can be viewed on the Time to Talk website.
Ms Gallagher said the government would continue with public consultation, enabling residents to have their say on design and construction details. She urged interested parties to have their say.
She said new jobs would be created by construction on the project.
Opposition planning spokesman Alistair Coe said the opposition supported plans for a secure mental health unit.
"The government has had plenty of time to finalise the design and arrange a location, but they've been dragging the chain on the project and now there seems to be a great urgency to get it done when there hasn't been such an urgency for several years," Mr Coe said.
"We've heard the government is planning on introducing a bill. We'll wait to see the legislation.
''We do know what they flagged a couple of months ago in the project facilitation bill, and that was in effect to fast-track this project outside of the usual planning processes.
''The government spends many millions of dollars every year constructing projects all over Canberra and they don't require special pieces of legislation. Why does this particular project require its own act of parliament?
"It seems to me that the government is using the secure mental health facility to try and justify their controversial fast-track planning proposals."
