Australia's Northern Territory (NT) Government has announced that foundational construction works on the Royal Darwin Hospital's new mental health ward are almost complete.

The A$57m ($37.3m) project is on schedule to be completed by next year and will add 24 beds to the hospital.

It will have 18 mental health inpatient beds, a six-bed Stabilisation Assessment and Referral Area (SARA), and other support services across three storeys.

Significant progress has reportedly been made in the construction, with 90% of the main building's pad, pier footings and retaining walls for the ground slab now complete.

The SARA is designed for short-term care in a therapeutic setting for mental health clients from the emergency department.

An elevated, enclosed walkway will connect the unit to the emergency department across Nightingale Road, along with additional clinical spaces.

The construction phase is creating nearly 350 local jobs, including positions for contractors, Aboriginal workers and apprentices.

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo said: “This new ward is part of our commitment to improving and expanding acute mental health service capacity in the Top End.

“The SARA supports emergency department service delivery so Territorians needing mental health care can be assessed and cared for in the new ward.”

The mental health unit is being developed as part of the NT government's commitment to improving healthcare for its residents, focusing on expanding the capacity of acute mental health services in the Top End.

It is part of a series of health infrastructure projects undertaken by the government, which includes the Palmerston Regional Hospital and free multi-storey car park at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2018, as well as a 32-bed multipurpose ward currently under construction.

More than A$107m has been allocated for infrastructure upgrades at Royal Darwin Hospital through the 2024 Budget, including A$22.6m for upgrading the hospital's forensic mortuary, pathology and bereavement facility.