But the Chief Minister has defended the government's decision to purchase custom-made furniture for Canberra's adult mental health unit.

ACT Health spent nearly $93,000 on three specially designed tables for the unit.

The opposition has attacked the purchase, saying ACT taxpayer funds could have been better spent on other much-needed resources for mental health.

The tables cost $30,900 each. They have a heavy top and solid spotted gum legs.

Ms Gallagher said on Thursday there had been an open tender process for the furniture, and two companies sought the contract.

The Health Minister said she supported the health directorate's purchase of items that lifted living standards for patients at the mental health unit while also protecting staff safety. ''I'm not a furniture expert, I can stand here and say that,'' Ms Gallagher said.

''I think what is reasonable is that the health directorate fitted out that facility with furniture that was appropriate in terms of lifting the standard … in terms of amenity for people who are staying there.''

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said this week that ''given the recent issues surrounding the adult mental health unit this is an extraordinary amount of money to spend on a piece of furniture''.

Ms Gallagher said the specially designed tables were necessary for safety reasons to ensure the furniture was too heavy to be lifted or moved.

She said the project was publicly advertised, quotes were received and ''measured against the budget and appropriate fitout''.

''It seems like a very expensive table, but I have also walked through that facility, I also get briefs on a daily basis about people who are in that facility and the complexity of their care,'' she said.

''We did set ourselves a standard that we wanted a very nice facility for people to be treated in.''