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The Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, will be running a tender for a non-government organisation to establish and operate a new alcohol and other drug residential treatment service in Dubbo. A service provider tender will occur when the site development is approved.
This webpage will provide community stakeholders and prospective tenderers with information about project progress, particularly site selection and building progress, as well as responses to requests for information.
If you cannot find the information you require on this webpage, please send questions to MOH-DubboAODcentre@health.nsw.gov.au. Responses to questions that are relevant to stakeholders and tenderers will be made publicly available on this page.
The Dubbo community has been active in achieving support for establishing a Dubbo residential treatment service which includes people impacted by alcohol and other drug use as well as representatives from Aboriginal communities and non-government organisations.
The community remains a key partner with government in ongoing development considerations.
Community advice has been sought in consultations and through surveys, with the advice forming the basis of the service development.
The community will continue to be consulted on key stages of the project including invitation of a community member representative to be on the tender selection group.
Tenderers will be required to demonstrate their plan for including the local community in development of the service treatment model and ongoing service improvement activities.
NSW and the Australian Governments and the Dubbo Regional Council are partnering to support establishment of the residential alcohol and other drug treatment centre in Dubbo.
The NSW Government is investing $7.5 million to support development and operation of the centre, while the Commonwealth Government has invested $3 million towards development of the centre.
Dubbo Regional Council has supported development of a business case for the project and finding a suitable site for the centre. Western NSW Local Health District is the project lead who have recently taken over responsibility for finding a site and will oversee development of the site.
The LHD will also be an ongoing partner in operation of the service, supporting the successful non-government operator around clinical aspects of the service.
A purpose-built facility is planned for this service and consultation on development is underway. The service will have alcohol and other drug rehabilitation beds as well as withdrawal beds.
Western NSW LHD have announced a preferred site at Spears Drive, Dubbo, with consultation with local residents and key stakeholders underway. The location meets requirements for the Service to be located in close proximity to Dubbo public hospital for withdrawal management services to be offered safely.
Due to residential property development plans in Dubbo, finding a suitable site for this service has been complex. Privately owned land, as well as public land sites, have been investigated in consultation with Dubbo Aboriginal Land Council and Dubbo Regional Council.
COVID-19 service disruptions, administration issues, and the difficulty of locating a suitable site have impacted progress. Consultation on building development of the preferred site is underway.
A tender will progress, while the site development progresses, to give the successful tenderer as much service planning time as possible.
The tender will be posted online on the NSW Government e-Tendering website and a tender information session with be held with interested tenderers.
For general information on NSW Government tenders and to sign up for notifications please go to:
NSW Health has minimum requirements for service providers around service safety and quality as well as performance reporting requirements. More information can be found here:
A service framework is in development, based on community and AOD clinician consultation, which will inform the development of the model of care.
The model of care is to be developed by the successful tenderer in partnership with the local community, service providers, and NSW Health.
Tenderers will be asked to demonstrate how they plan to work with local community and services, particularly the local Aboriginal community and health services, to ensure local community needs are embedded into service operations.
