About Sobering Up Centres
Sobering Up Centres (SUCs) were established in Western Australia (WA) in 1991, as one of the key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
The primary purpose of a SUC is to provide a safe, care-oriented environment in which intoxicated people may sober up, diverting them from police lockups or the local emergency department. This also reduces the likelihood of causing further harm to themselves or others in the community.
The SUCs provide safe, supervised overnight care with access to showers, laundry facilities and a simple meal. Where appropriate and with client consent, clients may also be linked into other health, welfare and/or alcohol and drug treatment services.
People may refer themselves to a centre or be brought in by a local patrol, health/welfare agencies, police or other means. Attendance at a centre is voluntary.
The Mental Health Commission (Commission) contracts nine service providers to operate SUCs in Broome, Kununurra, Derby, Wyndham Port Hedland, Carnarvon, Kalgoorlie, Roebourne and Perth. A list of the SUCs including total beds, operating hours and contact details is provided in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Commission Funded Sobering Up Centres in Western Australia
| Location | Provider | Address | No of beds | Operating Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broome | Milliya Rumurra Aboriginal Corporation | 78 Great Northern Highway Broome | Interim 12 bed facility (New 26 bed facility proposed) | 3.30pm to 7.30am (Mon-Fri and Sun)* *To note: unless presented by the Police, this SUC accepts presentations to midnight. |
| Kununurra | Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation | 32 Speargrass Road Kununurra | 28 | 4.00pm to 8.00am (Mon-Fri) |
| Derby | Garl Garl Walbu Aboriginal Corporation | 23 Stanley Street Derby | 28 | 4.00pm to 7.45am (Mon-Fri) |
| Wyndham | Ngnowar-Aerwah Aboriginal Corporation | 60 Great Northern Highway Wyndham | 17 | 4.00pm to 8.00am (Mon-Fri) |
| Port Hedland | Bloodwood Tree Association | 19 Hamilton Road South Hedland | 16 | 4.00pm to 8.00am (Mon-Fri) |
| Carnarvon | Carnarvon Family Support Services | 51-53 Olivia Terrace Carnarvon | 10 | 4.00pm to 8.00am (Wed-Sat) |
| Kalgoorlie | Bega Garnbirringu Health Service | 16-18 MacDonald Street Kalgoorlie | 19 | 5.00pm to 8.30am (Mon-Fri) |
| Roebourne | Yaandina Community Services | 9 Queen St Roebourne | 14 | 4.00pm to 8.00am (7 days a week) |
| Perth | Salvation Army (Bridge House) | Unit 11/15 Wright St Highgate | 14 | 24 hours, 7 days a week |
2019 Independent Review of Sobering-Up Centres in Western Australia
In 2019, the Commission engaged Nous Group (Nous) to undertake an independent review of SUCs in Western Australia (WA) to review the current service model and operation of the nine SUCs. A copy of the report can be found here. This was the first substantive external review of the SUCs in WA since their inception. The intention of the review was to assess:
- the extent the SUCs met the needs of the local community;
- opportunities for service enhancement and integration of the SUC model with other alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health services across WA;
- the extent of SUCs representing value for money and opportunities to use the funding provided to each SUC more effectively.
The 2019 Review concluded that while SUCs remain critical harm-reduction services for vulnerable, intoxicated people, there are several opportunities to enhance the impact of the service for individuals and local communities and to improve value for money for government.
The 2019 Review identified 15 recommendations, with all 15 being accepted by the Commission.
Findings highlighted the importance of strong partnerships and cooperation between the Department of Communities (Communities) funded Aboriginal Community Connectors Program (ACCP) and the Commission funded SUC services to achieve positive impact in the community.
2024 Sobering Up Centre Review
In 2024, as part of its ongoing commitment to providing high quality community support services, an independent First Nations consultant (Yamagigu Consulting Pty Ltd) was engaged to conduct a Sobering Up Centre Service Model Review (2024 Review) and consult with service providers, stakeholders, Aboriginal Elders, members of the public and local communities.
The intention of this consultation process is to build on findings from the 2019 Independent Review of Sobering-Up Centres in Western Australia Review (2019 Review) and provide specific recommendations on new service requirements for each specific SUC as part of the SUC Preferred Service Provider (PSP) procurement process which will be undertaken in 2025/26 (with new service agreements awarded by the 1 July 2026).
As part of the 2024 Review, specific consultation will also occur in Broome regarding the proposed new SUC location at 18 Napier Terrace, Broome and service model. The consultations will commence in Broome in October 2024 and will continue in the remaining SUC regions until December. To find out more about the 2024 Review and how to engage, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.