Fulton Trotter Architects has designed the Centre. The schematic design has been developed in line with relevant guidelines for a facility of this type, project-specific design principles and NSW Health’s design principles, incorporating feedback received from stakeholders and the community.

This level of the design process outlines the layout of spaces within the Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre and provides artist impressions of how the facility may look once construction is complete.

Key elements which have underpinned the design of the Centre include:

Designing with Country Principles: An extensive Connecting with Country process was undertaken in consultation with key Aboriginal organisations, stakeholders and community to establish key cultural principles for consideration within the design. These include the orientation of the building, materiality, river concepts, outdoor spaces like yarning circles, landscaping, and plant selection including native and significant species.

Building Positioning: The building is proposed to be constructed centrally on the site to optimise setbacks from all boundaries, while also enabling access from Spears Drive. Initial plans outlined the Centre being located to the south of the site, however based on feedback received during consultation it was relocated further north. There is a potential future opportunity, in line with the North West Release Area development plans, to redirect primary access to the facility to the western side of the site.

Building and Design Form: The building is single storey and consists of multiple residential areas including bedrooms, living areas and support spaces like the group room, consultation rooms, meeting spaces and outdoor spaces where therapeutic activities will take place.

Passive design principles have been integrated with the look, feel, materiality and façade of the building reflecting the scale and character of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Landscaping: The Centre’s landscaping plans reflect the scale and character of the surrounding neighbourhood while integrating important Connecting with Country principles including plant selection, which also focuses on low maintenance and native species. Landscaping has been designed with a focus on ensuring privacy for future residents and neighbours, while also supporting the therapeutic approach to rehabilitation.

The Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre is a permissible development with consent on the site under the Transport and Infrastructure State Environmental Planning Policy 2021. It is defined as a Crown development under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The Western NSW LHD is the Applicant for the Development Application, which has now been lodged on the NSW Planning Portal. The DA will be assessed by Dubbo Regional Council and prepared for the Western Region Planning Panel, which is the consent authority for this type of development.

The Western NSW LHD proposes to construct the Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre in stages. The initial stage of construction will comprise of a 16-bed facility which has been seen in the plans and designs throughout consultation. The DA only seeks consent for construction of the 16-bed facility.

The DA also includes a Concept Plan which sets out the full extent of the work required to expand the Centre to 24 beds. Any expansion and future construction will require separate consent.

The DA includes architectural plans and designs, along with a series of specialist reports including an Environmental Sustainability Report, Aboriginal Cultural Assessment Report and Social Impact Assessment, among many others.

Anyone can make a formal submission on the DA during the public exhibition phase. Submissions must be in writing to Dubbo Regional Council before the closing date of the exhibition and can either support a project, or raise a concern.

Neighbouring property owners can expect to receive a notification from Dubbo Regional Council when the public exhibition process begins and an invitation to make a submission. Western NSW LHD also notify the community when the DA reaches this stage.

During DA assessment, Dubbo Regional Council follows the 2023-2027 Community Engagement Strategy it adopted in February 2024.

Through the UrbanTalk Listing we have already received questions from neighbours and the broader community about the Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre. The Western NSW Health District have answered some of the more frequently asked questions.

Residential rehabilitation provides a safe and supportive environment for people to develop skills to cope with and address underlying issues leading to their alcohol and other drug use in a structured residential setting. Residential rehabilitation services in use a mix of therapeutic models, treatment intensity and length of stay.

Alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation units are typically located in a community residential setting and provide 24 hour care and support for people who have been through withdrawal or stabilisation and need to continue their treatment via residential rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation is a highly structured program including treatment (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement and relapse prevention), group and peer therapy and structured activities that teach living and coping skills. In residential settings it is a live-in environment that includes accommodation, meals and recreational space.

A Management Operating Plan will guide how the Centre will operate. This Plan will form part of the DA documentation lodged with Dubbo Regional Council.

The Western NSW Local Health District is committed to working with neighbours and the local community to ensure that the development of this site is responsive to local needs.

An information newsletter will be distributed to coincide with the submission of the Development Application for this project.

Between 24 and 27 March 2024, seven face-to-face and online webinar consultation sessions were held to identify the key steps in the design and development process, and promote a better understanding of residential rehabilitation. An additional face-to-face session was held for the Aboriginal community.

The sessions featured presentations by WNSWLHD Chief Executive Mark Spittal and Director of Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Helen McFarlane. Mr Spittal and Ms McFarlane were joined by guest presenters Norm Henderson, Senior Alcohol and Other Drug Worker, and David Kelly, Executive Director of Programs Odyssey House NSW.

During consultation sessions a range of feedback was received, across a number of key themes. You can view these by downloading the Consultation Outcomes Report here:

Thank you to all those who participated in Phase 1 of the consultation. If you were unable to attend any of these sessions, a recording from our webinar session can be viewed below:

A pop-up design exhibition at Dubbo Square Shopping Centre and a series of guided community site walks took place on Thursday 20 June and Friday 21 June 2024. These events featured computer-generated images and architectural plans of the proposed Residential Rehabilitation Centre. Fulton Trotter Architects and Western NSW LHD representatives explained the architectural plans and community members had the opportunity to ask questions.

If you were unable to attend any of these sessions or would like a refresher, a presentation-style walkthrough of the images with the architect has been recorded:

We understand the sensitivity of this Project and are committed to delivering a positive and beneficial outcome for residents of North West Dubbo, the broader community, stakeholders and future clients.