Georgie Burgess
10 October 2025: Mapping where mental health resources are located, MChart, is now ready to expand beyond the borders of the ACT, following a successful two-year trial led by the University of Canberra (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø).
“It provides the big picture of where services are and where they need to be, it helps navigators understand things like what is open and who is working in them,” said Associate Professor Sebastian Rosenberg from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s Health Research Institute .
“This gives navigators the best chance to make the most of the precious resources that are available in mental health services right now and makes it more likely that people can find the right service at the right time.”
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President, the Honourable Bill Shorten acknowledged the strength that comes from collaborative research.
“It’s a triumph of interdisciplinary collaboration, it’s a triumph for data accuracy, and it is a triumph for anyone who cares about mental health in this country,” said Mr Shorten.
Five universities and more than 50 researchers and partners, including ACT Health and lived experience advocates, collaborated in shaping MChart into the platform that is ready for roll-out nationally and internationally.
Mr Shorten reflected on the impact MChart would have had in building the National Disability Services Scheme, and later in his role as Minister for the NDIS.
“I know the power this tool can have, because I know that departments and planners need to understand how to best allocate scarce resources and how to identify where needs are, as well as what changes have happened over time,” he said.
“Disadvantage and challenges such as mental health are not easily defined by the simplistic systems of a postcode – so what I see MChart doing is taking out the post code lottery of the provision of services where who you know and how much you have determines the quality of services you get.”
Trialled on mental health services in Canberra since December 2022 – yesterday’s launch opens the door for the online tool to be used more broadly across other areas of human services.
“We think that there’s a great deal of scope for it to be used in spaces like disability services and education, these are areas where it can be used to best plan how to deliver better and more efficient services to Australians,” Professor Rosenberg said.
ACT Minister for Mental Health, Ms Rachel Stephen-Smith said that the online tool provides, for the first time in the ACT, a level of visibility into the mental health landscape that hasn’t been seen before.
“I have absolutely no doubt this is going to help us to plan services to reduce fragmentation and improve connections, ultimately helping us deliver more integrated care,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Consumer advocates welcomed the next stages of the MChart roll out and the differences it will make to the one in five Australians (Source: ) who have experienced a mental illness in their lives.
“The cry from the community is that we want to know that we are safe, we want to know that there is quality and safety in the provision of services,” said Ms Eileen McDonald.
“So, I’m excited about this tool. I see it having a longevity and the flexibility to serve all of Australia and to be an example for the rest of the world.”
Find out more about MChart in the video below.