A clarification on the Broome Sober-Up Centre - by Harold Tracey

Published on 08 November 2021

The Shire of Broome would like to clarify the situation surrounding the Broome Sober-Up Centre, in particular the misinformation being spread by Yaron Fisher of West Kimberley Futures, published by the Broome Advertiser.

While the Shire recognises the importance of the facility and is frustrated by its closure, it is not the core function of a local government to provide health services – this is a State Government responsibility.

The Shire is eager to play a role in getting the Sober-Up Centre back operational and is keen to assist where it can, but can only offer assistance from a planning and land perspective, given the role of a local government. The obligation here is with State Government agencies, such as the Mental Health Commission, to lead the journey to find a solution.

As such, it is disappointing that Mr Fisher has opted to spread misinformation and tarnish the Shire, given the fact that we have tried to be part of the solution – something he has not.

The facts are:

• Claims of lack of leadership from the Shire are levelled because of the opinion that the Shire should have invested in renovating or building a new facility. These claims are unfounded.
• The Shire is not funded to deliver the service, it is the responsibility of the Mental Health Commission.
• The land where the service was delivered from is privately owned and the use of ratepayer funds on privately owned buildings is not a practice that the Shire engages in. As the tenant of the building, the Mental Health Commission is responsible for negotiating any renovations with the landowner.
• The Shire was first made aware of the potential issues with the building in late May 2020. At this time the Shire was advised that although the structural engineer findings did not indicate the building was unsafe, the amount of work required to rectify some issues was significant and the Mental Health Commission had concerns regarding its viability in the longer term.
• The Shire responded to this advice in early June 2020 with potential sites that could be investigated for the service and options that could be investigated for a temporary building solution being installed on the current site.
• Following this, the Shire made contact with the Mental Health Commission to follow up on whether any further assistance was required. It was advised that the Mental Health Commission was investigating options and would get back to the Shire.
• Over the subsequent 15 months, the Shire was not requested to provide assistance until two weeks out from the closure of the facility, where it was communicated that there were immediate issues with the centre that needed to be discussed as soon as possible.  
• The Shire will continue to work with the Mental Health Commission to secure immediate and longer-term locations for the delivery of the service, however, it is not the Shire’s role to fund and deliver this service.

I have never met Mr Fisher, but I’d be delighted to personally educate him on how a regional town like Broome operates – something his recent comments indicate he clearly does not understand.

Harold Tracey

Shire of Broome president