A new mental health facility in Malabar is now treating some of the state’s most complex and high-risk patients, offering intensive support within the secure grounds of Sydney’s Forensic Hospital.
Purpose-Built for High-Risk Mental Health Needs
Opened in May 2025, the Freshwater Unit in Malabar is part of the NSW Government’s $700 million Mental Health Infrastructure Program. It supports people with severe mental illness who are involved with, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system.
Run by Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, the unit offers secure, specialised care for patients too complex for standard mental health settings. It provides 24-hour supervision to reduce harm and support long-term recovery.
Justice Health NSW says the unit supports their goal of delivering effective, safe, and recovery-focused care for people in forensic settings. While the facility is high-security, it also takes a clinical approach aimed at stability and rehabilitation rather than punishment.
Design That Supports Healing and Safety
The Freshwater Unit was designed by architecture firm NBRS to create a calm, private setting that reduces stress and agitation. It includes natural light, secure green courtyards and quiet rooms with soft colours, features that support recovery in high-risk mental health settings.
Using trauma-informed design, the space feels therapeutic rather than institutional, with layouts that allow discreet patient observation for safety.
Delivered with a Focus on Infrastructure and Function
Project management firm DCWC, working with Health Infrastructure NSW, delivered the Freshwater Unit as part of a 140-bed hospital made up of seven specialised units.
Built for intensive mental health care in a secure setting, the unit meets strict clinical standards and includes spaces for therapy, crisis support and individual treatment, while supporting staff to work safely and efficiently.
Supporting the Community Through Mental Health Care
Placing the Freshwater Unit in Malabar supports a broader plan to deliver specialist mental health care where it’s most needed, keeping people in treatment rather than custody.
The Malabar-based Freshwater Unit improves how the state handles forensic mental health, helping people stabilise with dignity while easing pressure on prisons and hospitals.
Published 7-May-2025