NSW Health facility planning is a collaborative process involving consultation with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. 

Health Infrastructure and Hunter New England Local Health District will work closely with a range of stakeholders to plan, design and deliver the Maitland Mental Health project, including mental health services and hospital staff, clinicians, consumers and their families, carers, people with lived experience of mental health, Aboriginal stakeholders, government agencies and the community. 

Co-design is at the core of the planning and design of new mental health facilities in NSW. The Maitland Mental Health facility will be co-designed with consumers, carers and staff to ensure the facility meets the health and wellbeing needs of consumers, as well as delivers welcoming, safe and therapeutic environments that meet the needs of the people who use them.

Key consultation activities will include:

• Early information sharing and consultation with staff, including staff currently working at the Morisset Hospital campus
• Project User Groups (PUGs) and project working groups involving staff representatives 
• Co-design involving people with lived experience of mental health, consumers, their families and carers 
• Consultation with local Wonnarua Elders and community through the Connecting with Country Working Group 
• Consultation with Maitland City Council, key NSW Government agencies and utility providers 
• Broader consultation with local residents, businesses, community groups and the general public through community consultation.