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I ? ? --
'Hindsight' view on
psychiatric site
Although he was con
fident that the siting of
the Narrabundah psychi
atric complex next to
Marymead would not
create any problems,
"with hindsight one
would have done it dif
ferently", the acting first
assistant director-general
of the Health Services
Division of the Depart
ment of Health, Dr
Brian Henncssy, said
yesterday.
Dr Hennessy was speaking
during a public hearing be
fore (lie ACT Legislative
Assembly's select committee
on the Narrabundah psy
chiatric complex, chaired by
Dr Peter Hughes (Lib).
Dr Hennessy said that at
the time the site had been in
vestigated he had been direc
tor of Mental Health Ser
vices. It had been the only
serviced site available that
met (he required specifica
tions.
He had been troubled by a
few complaints from resi
dents near the site but had
been assured by the NCDC
that the site had always been
intended for an institution,
and planning had proceeded.
During the planning of the
complex no consideration
had been given to its prox
imity to Marymead, as it had
been considered unnecessary
in view of the type of patient
to be accommodatcd there.
. Although he had at no
stage doubted the com
patibility of the two in
stitutions, things might have
been done differently if the
extent of future public reac
tion had been forecast. He
was sorry that it had not be
come obvious earlier.
The complex _ had been
planned to provide facilities,
for the rehabilitation of se
lected patients at a location
close to family and friends. It
was a move_ away from the
isolated institutions of the
past. No violent patients
would be accommodated
there.
Patients mainly would be
withdrawn, lonely and de
pressed people who pre
viously would have been
forced to seek treatment in a
small number of hospital
beds available in the ACT, to
attend a large institution
such as Kenmore, or to stay
at home.
The Narrabundah site had
been selected because of its
proximity to public transport
and employment centres, par
ticularly Fyshwick, which
would enable patients to re
enter the workforce. It was in
a suburban area and near
families and single people.
A large sign had been
placed on the site in Decem
ber, 1972, indicating the pur
pose to which the land would
be As many details as
possible about the use of the
site had been issued to the
Press in October, 1973, and
at the beginning of this year
full desigivand-siting approv
al of working drawings had
been given.
A statement issued by the
NCDC and tabled at the
hearing said the commission
considered the site to have
been selected on a rational
basis with proper regard to
the interests of the client,
local residents and the
community.
The hearing will continue
this evening.
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