It is great to stand in this House after years of sitting on the other side of the Chamber in opposition and seeing wasted opportunities and half-hearted efforts by the previous Liberal governments for the people of the Blacktown electorate. We now have a Minns Labor Government that cares and is trying to deliver the services and infrastructure to where it is needed. Recently, the Minister for Mental Health and Minister for Housing, the Hon. Rose Jackson from the other place, announced the implementation of a new policy for housing for mental health recovery. This initiative, the first of its kind for New South Wales, is delivering purpose-built homes for people with complex, long-term needs.
For far too long, people with serious mental health challenges have been stuck in a cycle of hospital admissions. Some patients have spent years of their lives in hospital. We all know that that is not the best way to live a dignified life. The Pathways to Community Living Initiative breaks this never-ending cycle of hospital stays without a viable solution. New homes will be built to provide a clear, supported pathway into stable, community-based living. This will be a holistic pathway to rebuild their lives in a real home environment with the support they deserve.
What makes this initiative different from what is currently available? This program is a combination of housing and around-the-clock specialist care, with 24/7 clinical and psychosocial support on site. The existing Habilis model has demonstrated significant social and economic benefits by helping residents to access regular medical support, resulting in fewer hospital visits due to improved treatment and a focus on physical health programs. The Minns Labor Government, under the stewardship of Minister Jackson and the wonderful caring staff of the department, has developed a more intensive program than the Habilis model. The Pathways to Community Living Initiative is as close to hospital care as you can get outside the hospital. This ensures people do not fall through the cracks as they transition out of long-term or repeated hospital stays.
Construction is expected to begin next year, with the first residents moving in from 2028. Ultimately, this is about moving away from institutional care and toward community-based mental health supports. It is part of a broader effort to shift New South Wales toward a more modern, community-focused mental health system.
This is the Labor way. Neville Wran, one of the greatest premiers of New South Wales, responded to the Richmond report in 1983, which recommended closure of the large psychiatric institutions and proposed to transfer 2,500 patients into small, community-based centres. At the time, it was controversial and unheard of to treat people with mental health issues in a community-based model. The scale and scope of the program were large and it was undertaken at a time when the Government was under financial pressure, with the recession that the country was in. Today's initiative has all the hallmarks of the Labor way of treating vulnerable people in our society in a caring and uplifting manner, but the Minns Labor Government has injected substantial funding into this program.
This Pathways to Community Living Initiative is backed by significant investment, forming part of a record $3.1 billion commitment to mental health, and linked to broader housing and infrastructure programs that represent the largest push to improve support systems in the State's history.
The Minns Labor Government is delivering purpose-built homes for people with complex, long-term mental health needs. There will be 60 supported places across Sydney and the Hunter, and I am pleased with the announcement that two of these centres will be in Blacktown and Lalor Park, each having 10 places—20 out of the total 60 in the program. The residences are designed with private spaces, shared areas, outdoor environments to support recovery and 24/7 onsite clinical and psychosocial support.
The initiative helps people transition out of long-term stays or repeated hospital admissions into supported housing. The goal is to support people to live more independently in the community while receiving appropriate care. This mental health initiative shows that Labor is focusing on delivering the services to where they are needed.
