Safe Haven Belconnen is a warm, welcoming, non-clinical, safe space that people can freely go to if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, isolation or loneliness and are seeking connection and support.
Safe Haven Belconnen is a warm, welcoming, non-clinical, safe space that people can freely go to if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, isolation or loneliness and are seeking connection and support.
Safe Haven Belconnen is expanding its operating hours to strengthen support for people experiencing emotional distress in the ACT community. From Monday, 23 February 2026, the service will operate six days a week, Monday to Saturday, from 2 pm to 10 pm, opening an hour earlier each day and introducing Monday services for the first time.
“The outstanding work happening at Safe Haven Belconnen is a direct reflection of the dedication and care shown by our staff every day. We are pleased to see the expansion of the hours of our service, so that more people in our community have access to safe, compassionate support when it matters most”
Recent data from ACT shows that 25% of adults in the community experienced mental illness in the past year, and 45.7% have experienced mental illness at some point in their lifetime1. This underscores the critical local role of local services like Safe Haven Belconnen who provide a welcoming, non-clinical space for people aged 16 and over, seeking support.
Safe, non-clinical peer-led services meet immediate crisis needs and provide preventative support, filling gaps in traditional health systems. Both staff with lived experience and service users report these spaces as highly responsive and relevant2. Services like this also help overcome a major barrier to care: around 50% of people delay or avoid seeking help due to cost, up from 39% in 2022 to 46% in 20253.
For those seeking support, Safe Haven Belconnen is open Monday to Friday from 2pm-10pm. A non-clinical, safe space that people can freely go to if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, isolation or loneliness and are seeking connection and support. Walk in, no referral needed.
For more information, you can contact the team here.
Media release published Monday, 23rd February 2026.
[1] 2025-2030 ACT Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Regional Plan
People living in the Burnie area now have access to free walk-in mental health support in the form of a new Medicare Mental Health Centre. An interim centre has opened at 52-56 Bass Highway in Cooee, alongside the Burnie GP Super Clinic.
“This will be a temporary home for the centre, allowing services to start while we finalise arrangements for the permanent location”.
The Australian Government is funding the establishment of Medicare Mental Health Centres across Australia through local Primary Health Networks (PHNs). Primary Health Tasmania is the Tasmanian PHN. Mrs O’Neill also added “The centres provide a safe and welcoming place to access immediate mental health care and be connected to other services for ongoing care. Centre staff can also help family and friends with information and advice. There is no charge, and appointments and referrals aren’t needed.”
Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned Stride to establish and deliver services from Medicare Mental Health Centres in Launceston (open since 2021), Devonport (open since September 2025), Burnie (now open at an interim site), and outer Hobart.
Stride team members are based at the interim Burnie centre to ensure the community has immediate access to support.
The Burnie centre will be staffed by an experienced core team including a peer worker, an intake clinician, and a brief intervention clinician. They will be supported by a receptionist and a community engagement worker. Some of these staff are already in place, with others being recruited. The Burnie team is supported by Stride’s broader Tasmanian workforce at Medicare Mental Health Centres in Devonport and Launceston.
“Our community engagement worker has already been out in the region, connecting with local services and sharing what Stride can offer.”
Terri also adding “The centre team will continue strengthening these local relationships so people know who they are, how they can help, and that they are there to walk alongside people who need support.”
For those seeking support, the Burnie Medicare Mental Health Centre is open Monday to Friday from 10am-6pm. Offering a safe and supportive environment where adults aged 18 and over can access free, professional mental health support, with no need for a referral or appointment.
For more information you can contact the team here.
Luke brings more than 25 years of executive and clinical leadership across Australia’s mental health, suicide prevention, community services and healthcare sectors. He has a broad range of strategic expertise and leadership experience, having previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Direct and General Manager at UnitingCare Queensland. Luke is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds advanced degrees in mental health and clinical psychiatry. He also serves on various Boards as a Non-Executive Director and is an appointed Expert Clinical Advisor to both the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
“Stride Mental Health has a long and proud history of supporting Australians through some of life’s most complex challenges. I am honoured to lead an organisation so deeply committed to recovery, inclusion and hope. I look forward to working with our extraordinary staff, consumers and partners to continue advancing mental health services that are compassionate, high quality and shaped by lived experience”.
Stride’s Chair, Peter Emery shared that “towards the end of last year, the Board commenced a comprehensive search for a new CEO. Although a Director of the Stride Board at that time, Luke was subject to the same rigorous recruitment process as other candidates. He was successful based on merit following a competitive and comprehensive assessment”.
“On behalf of the Board, we are excited to see Luke step into the CEO role. We are confident that with his extensive background in mental health, as a practitioner, an academic and an executive leader he has the experience, insight and passion to lead Stride’s future growth and impact”.
Rocky Naickar will continue in the role of interim CEO until Luke commences on April 14.
With Blacktown experiencing significant and rapid population growth, outpacing both NSW and Greater Sydney, the local community needs services that can adequately support them. The move is designed to bring the service close to Blacktown Hospital, public transport and other health services, while providing easier access and plenty of parking for guests and their supporters.
Local State Member for Blacktown, Stephen Bali MP, welcomed the move and encouraged residents to use the service when they need support.
“Safe Space Blacktown is exactly the kind of practical, compassionate support our community needs when people are doing it tough.”
He added “Having this service in a central, easy-to-reach location close to Blacktown Hospital and public transport means locals can get help early, in a calm and welcoming space, instead of feeling like the emergency department is their only option.”
Safe Space Blacktown is available to all people aged 16 and over who can freely visit if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, isolation or loneliness and are seeking connection and support. It’s a free, walk-in alternative to presenting at the hospital emergency department, with no referral and no appointment needed.
“We understand how daunting it can be to reach out for help, especially when you’re in distress.”
Renae added, “We also recognise that an emergency room may not always feel like the right place to find comfort and understanding. Sometimes, what we truly need is someone who listens, an understanding presence to help us work through our thoughts and feelings, someone who truly gets it. Our dedicated team is here to support you through this journey. Even with our move to Grafton Street, we remain a peaceful, welcoming and home like space with the same incredible peer workers you can chat with, and now with the added convenience of on-site parking. We’re here for you, every step of the way.”
The new site will continue to support people in distress as well as family members, friends and carers seeking information and advice. The space and supports have been designed in partnership with people who have lived through tough times themselves and understand what does and doesn’t work when things feel overwhelming.
At the new Grafton Street location, Safe Space Blacktown will continue to offer:
Safe Space Blacktown is operated by Stride, one of Australia’s longest-established mental health charities and is proudly funded by WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network.
To help the community get to know the new space, Stride and WentWest will host a Community Open Day at Safe Space Blacktown on Tuesday, 10 February 2026 from 11am-1pm. Local residents, community organisations and health services are invited to visit the new site, meet the team, and learn more about the support available.
For those seeking support, Safe Space Blacktown is open Wednesday to Saturday from 3-9pm, with no referral or appointment needed. People can walk in during opening hours or call ahead if they prefer to speak to someone first (Call: 02 9129 8785). For more information you can contact the team here.
If someone needs urgent help outside of Safe Space Blacktown’s opening hours or is in immediate danger, they should call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
