New Mason Clinic Facility Opens, Transforming Forensic Mental Health Care

Mr Doocey said the new facility has been designed with recovery, safety and community confidence at its core.

A major new forensic mental health facility has officially opened at Auckland’s Mason Clinic, marking a significant milestone in the modernisation of specialist mental health services in New Zealand, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey say.

The new three-storey facility, named E Tū Wairua Hinengaro, represents the next chapter for the country’s largest forensic psychiatric service, which supports close to two million people across Auckland and Northland. At nearly 10,000 square metres, the building is almost double the size of the facilities it replaces and has been purpose-built to deliver safer, more effective and dignified care.

Mr Brown said the opening strengthens the long-term foundations of forensic mental health services by providing modern infrastructure that supports both patient recovery and workforce safety.

He said fit-for-purpose facilities are critical to achieving good health outcomes, improving safety and enabling staff to deliver high-quality care in complex clinical environments. The new building replaces four outdated units and includes 60 inpatient beds, significantly lifting the standard of care while maintaining strong safeguards for patients, staff and the wider community.

The $200 million development is one of the largest specialist mental health infrastructure projects in New Zealand and forms part of nearly $1 billion in national investment to modernise hospitals and specialist health facilities.

Mr Doocey said the new facility has been designed with recovery, safety and community confidence at its core.

He said people enter mental health services at vulnerable moments in their lives, and families need assurance that their loved ones are being cared for in secure environments with the right clinical and therapeutic support. Investing in modern facilities ensures people receive the care they need to recover, while also protecting public safety.

The opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro builds on broader work underway to strengthen forensic and acute mental health capacity nationwide. This includes a $51 million investment in Budget 2025 to deliver 10 new acute inpatient beds and eight new step-down beds through non-government organisations in the Midland region.

The Government says continued investment in specialist mental health infrastructure is central to improving access, strengthening services and delivering better outcomes for patients now and into the future.