Women's only rehab centre to be built at Brewarrina's Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre

"For me, it's unreal," Tracy Gordon, acting chief executive of Orana Haven Aboriginal Corporation in Gongolgon, told Daily Liberal.

"It would be more of a cultural service. Helping women that are lost, finding their identity, identifying their needs and working on new lifestyles, new lives for themselves."

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Considering culturally appropriate services and placements are limited for people in remote and rural areas, Ms Gordon was excited about the 18-bed facility which would cater to communities around Brewarrina, Bourke, Walgett and Coonamble.

At the moment, the closest culturally appropriate rehab services for women are at the Weigelli Centre in Cowra and the Maayu Mali Centre in Moree. Both centres have four beds each available for women, but are hundreds of kilometres away.

"A lot of the community talked about the need for a service close to home where our community members can go rather than having to travel long distances for help and for recovery," Ms Gordon said.

She receives calls every week from women looking to go into rehab on Country.

"The sad thing is I have to say we're not up and running as yet, but we are working on it," Ms Gordon said.

Orana Haven plans to seek funding from Commonwealth and State governments, to turn the Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre, a former prison site, into a women's rehab facility. It is estimated to cost between $1.2 and $2 million. The facility will also require recurring annual funding to facilitate staff and supplies.

Women aged 18 and older will be able to access the facility. It will follow a three-month residential program similar to Orana Haven's men's rehab program which has been changing lives for the last 30 years.

Ms Gordon said they would also like to introduce plans that include children in their mothers' rehab journeys.

"Just to help mothers build on their family relationships and connections with their children," she said.

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