Tom Price Kidney Dialysis Unit
Acknowledgment of Country
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders of this country and recognise the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values, and beliefs, which contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community.
The Tom Price Kidney Dialysis Unit is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme – Better Renal Services for First Nations Peoples.
Bringing the Tom Price Community Dialysis Unit to life means working together with some incredible people and organisations. From health leaders to cultural advisors, everyone is here for one reason: to make sure our mob can access dialysis care right here on Country.
The TPKDU Project
The Tom Price Kidney Dialysis Unit is more than just a health initiative – it’s a long-awaited answer to a challenge that’s affected families across our region for years. Too many people have had to leave home, Country, and loved ones just to access life-saving dialysis treatment. The strain of travel, the cost, and the emotional toll of being disconnected from community have all had a deep impact.
This project is about bringing people home.
Led by strong community voices, and guided by the Tom Price Renal Dialysis Aboriginal Reference Council, this clinic is being built with cultural safety, community need, and long-term care at the centre. Every step – from where it’s located, to how the space is designed – has been shaped with input from those who live here and understand what matters most.
With support from Purple House, the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance, and the Australian Government through the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme, this is a project grounded in collaboration. It reflects the power of listening to lived experience and responding with meaningful, practical action.
Once open, the clinic will allow patients to stay connected to family and Country while receiving treatment in a space that feels safe and familiar. It’s a significant step forward for health care access in the Pilbara – and a reflection of what’s possible when community leads the way.
Tom Price Kidney Dialysis Unit
Stakeholder Map
We’re proud to say this project is truly a team effort – and what a team it is!
- Our Aboriginal Reference Council – keeping culture and community at the heart of every decision.
- Purple House – who know dialysis and know how to do it right in remote communities.
- PAHA (Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance) – leading coordination across all the moving parts.
- The Commonwealth Government – backing the build with funding.
- KPMG (NIPF team) – project managing the big picture.
- Architects, builders and consultants – who are designing and delivering a clinic that feels right for us.
- Shire of Ashburton– helping secure the land we need to build on.
3D Visualisations
Purple House
Purple House are an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation led by the Pintupi Luritja people from the Western Desert in Central Australia. Purple House believe everyone deserves to stay connected to their family, culture and Country, even while receiving dialysis treatment. For over 20 years, Purple House has been helping people with kidney disease get back home to remote communities across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.
They started small – with one dialysis machine and a small purple-painted house in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Now Purple House get 200-300 patients home on dialysis annually thanks to 20 remote dialysis clinics across the NT, WA and SA and a mobile dialysis unit known as the Purple Truck.
Learn more about Purple House here: www.purplehouse.org.au
Stay in the Loop
This private group is an information hub for the Tom Price Kidney Dialysis Unit project.
It has been created to keep local community members, stakeholders, and interested supporters up to date on the progress of the clinic – from planning and construction through to opening and beyond.
