The Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section is pleased to announce the official opening of the newly renovated Wellbeing Place in Broken Hill on Monday, 24 November 2025, delivering expanded mental health, wellbeing, and alcohol and other drug support to one of Australia's most remote and underserved regions.
Communities in remote and very remote areas experience significantly higher rates of mental health crisis, with geographic isolation creating substantial barriers to accessing timely specialist support.
Since opening in 2020, the Broken Hill Wellbeing Place has served as a physical hub for communities in the Far West to be able to access the same standard of mental health care available in metropolitan areas.
Unlike temporary or visiting services, the permanent physical infrastructure enables the recruitment and retention of qualified mental health professionals and enables service continuity for the region's residents.
The renovation project is an investment in enhancing mental health services for one of Australia’s most geographically isolated regions and addresses previous service delivery constraints that limited the facility’s capacity to meet growing community need. Key improvements include:
- Expanded clinical capacity and enhanced privacy: New consultation rooms with enhanced privacy enable more concurrent appointments, addressing previous limitations on the number of clients who could be seen at any one time. In small communities where confidentiality concerns can prevent people from seeking help, appropriate clinical spaces directly impact service uptake.
- Purposefully designed therapeutic environment: The renovated public areas, waiting spaces, and consultation rooms feature carefully selected design elements, colour schemes, furnishings, and artwork to promote warmth and calm. Health promotion resources are readily accessible, while the native edible and medicinal wellbeing garden, wellness and arts programs, and drop-in support create a welcoming space that serves both clinical and preventative functions.
- Workforce support and sustainability: Dedicated break-out spaces for clinical staff, separate from community areas to support service quality, staff retention and staff development.
- Climate control to support year-round service reliability: New climate control systems ensure consistent service delivery and the maintenance of therapeutic spaces during periods of extreme temperatures.
This renovation was made possible thanks to the extraordinary generosity of John B Fairfax AO, The G&A Kent Charitable Trust, and The RFDS Broken Hill Women's Auxiliary. Their combined investment and unwavering commitment ensures that vital mental health and alcohol and other drug support services remain accessible to Far West communities. The enhanced facility made possible by these donors ensures The Wellbeing Place can sustain and expand services addressing mental health, wellbeing, and alcohol and other drug support needs across the Far West region, creating lasting impact for years to come.
For more information about services or to access support, visit The Wellbeing Place at 343 Blende Street in Broken Hill, or contact (08) 8080 3700
