Mental health facilities on hold

Mental health facilities on hold
Image: NSW Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard

Staff from the Callan Park Wellness Centre staged a protest at the State Government’s decision to allow other entities to move into buildings earmarked for mental health services.

20 staff members inhabited buildings to be used by the NSW Ambulance Service from Sunday to Monday at Callan Park. The protest continued until police arrived.

NSW Ambulance has announced plans to take over buildings 220, 221 and 222 at Callan Park, with the organisation hoping to lease the buildings for a minimum of five years.

Coordinator of the Callan Park Wellness Centre, Brett Collins said he was “appalled” the State Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard allowed NSW Ambulance to use the location in lieu of the wellness centre.

The move has attracted widespread criticism with an anonymous former employee of NSW Ambulance substantiating claims the destination is larger than the needs of the ambulance service.

“The accommodation block at ASNSW is rarely full,” the former employee said. “The majority of the time there are rooms available for all the students who meet the criteria; in fact some who don’t meet the criteria are able to stay for various reasons.”

A lease has been granted to a film hire company ‘Callan 201’ to occupy the former Linen Services building in the heart of the site. The space is earmarked for mental health services under the Callan Park Master Plan.

President of Friends of Callan Park, Hall Greenland said the move was illegal under the commercial operation of the master plan’s provisions act.

“The Callan Park [Special Provisions] Act 2002 bans use of Callan Park by for-profit commercial businesses. This makes the lease illegal,” he said.

Leichhardt Greens Councillor Daniel Kogoy was similarly outraged by Mr Hazzard’s decision. “NSW Ambulance are using the buildings for accommodation for when they have conferences or seminars,” he said.

“There’s an irony there because their core role is to be looking after increasing numbers of mental health sufferers who are living on the streets and are committing suicide … Here they are killing off mental health aspects that are much needed in Callan Park.”

Mr Kogoy was angered by Mayor Darcy Byrne’s decision to push against mental health centres when he met with Mr Hazzard, instead choosing to focus on fast-tracking the development of sporting fields.

Mr Byrne disputes Mr Kogoy’s claims. “That’s not true. I restated to the minister Council’s commitment to the Callan Park Master Plan and urged him to act urgently to bring forward the government’s response to the master plan because it’s been too long,” he said.

Member of the Friends of Callan Park Executive, Susan Steedman is a former manager of a homeless support centre in Enmore and lamented the lack of a current coordinated community response to mental health.

“There is a lot of agreement that Callan Park provides a unique and singular opportunity to provide a coordinated and integrated mental health precinct,” she said.

“The governments need to commit to the idea of the betterment of mental health services in the community and it seems to us that it is counter-intuitive they would preference other interest groups over the interests of the mentally ill.”

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