Premier Colin Barnett has today opened the new A$27 million Ronald McDonald House Perth on the QEII medical site adjacent to the new Perth Children’s Hospital in Nedlands.

After 25 years in Subiaco, the Ronald McDonald House Perth will be relocated to a state-of-the-art House with capacity to accommodate nearly three times as many seriously ill regional children and their families.

The new Ronald McDonald House Perth now hosts 47 family rooms which can accommodate up to 220 people each night, and assist over 800 families each year.

With this significantly upgraded capacity, less families risk being turned away in their time of most need and are able to call the House their home-away-from-home.

The ‘Stronger Together’ Capital Campaign was instrumental in fundraising for the new House with over A$27 million raised since it launched in 2013. Funds needed to commence building were raised within 15 months of the launch of ‘Stronger Together’.

The WA State Government recognised the significance of RMH Perth and the services it will continue to deliver to regional families with a A$13 million contribution towards the project – a Lotterywest grant of A$8 million and Royalties for Regions contributing A$5 million.

Western Australia’s business community has dug deep to put the needs of seriously ill children first: BHP Billiton is the largest corporate donor with a A$5 million contribution; Fortescue Metals Group raised A$3 million from directors, employees and staff fundraising; and Mission Partner McDonald’s WA licensees and its corporate community have come together to donate A$1 million.

"BHP Billiton has proudly supported the Ronald McDonald House in Western Australia for over a decade. Through our involvement, we understand the value in supporting families, throughout the state, who are caring for seriously ill children,” Jimmy Wilson, President BHP Billiton Iron Ore, said.

“We believe this new house, to which we have contributed A$5 million, will provide peace-of-mind to many families, and is an initiative we are very proud to be a part of," Mr Wilson said.

“Fortescue’s relationship with Ronald McDonald House aligns with our values of family and has strengthened our culture of teamwork,” Peter Meurs, Director Development, Fortescue Metals Group, said.

“I’m proud of the entire Fortescue family who worked together to achieve the ambitious fundraising target for the ‘Stronger Together’ campaign and to contribute to this important, caring service for Western Australian families facing their biggest challenge,” Mr Meurs said.

Ronald McDonald House Perth Executive Officer Peter King said he was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Western Australian community, who made dream of building the new House a reality, by raising all the funds in just 15 months.

“We are an independent charity and rely on donations from the Western Australian community, so we cannot wait to show everyone what their support has really done,” Mr King said.

“The Subiaco House has assisted 3,500 families since it opened and our new House is all about providing that extra security and support and meeting the demand for many years to come.”

The new House is an energy standard LEED rated building and offers two fully self-contained isolation units, a commercial kitchen and laundry, gym and conference facilities, a rooftop garden, teen den and a recreation rooms. Rooms are fitted with wall mounted foldaway bunk beds, bathrooms and even bacteria neutralising wall tiles to keep the environment healthy within the House.

Staying at RMH Perth is also an opportunity to offer a strong support network by creating a sense of community though interaction between families and patients, allowing them to relate to each other's situations.
All families will migrate from the old House to the new House on Wednesday 9 December. A Community Open Day will be held at the new Ronald McDonald House on Saturday, 5 December 2015 from 10am to 2pm for the local public to come have a sneak peek at their new House.