$11.6 million for drug rehab facilities in the north

JUNE 14, 2016: Mackay, Townsville and North Queensland will receive $11.6 million for local drug and alcohol rehabilitation services as part of the Government’s plan to combat the scourge of ice in communities across the country. The funding will help to reduce demand for ice and reduce addict-based crime by supporting local rehabilitation services to help get addicts off ice and out of the drug market.The clear feedback from families dealing with ice addiction is that more rehabilitation facilities are needed.  At the two Ice Forums conducted in my electorate last year, family members were certainly crying out for more treatment and rehab facilities and today’s announcement of $11.6 million for such services is welcome news.I joined the Federal Minister for Border Protection Peter Dutton and the Federal Member for Herbert Ewen Jones for the announcement in Townsville today.While treatment delivery is traditionally the responsibility of state governments, the Federal Coalition Government has recognised the urgency of this situation and acted.The funding for local services is part of the Coalition Government’s response to the National Ice Taskforce report, which was handed down in December last year.The North Queensland Primary Healthcare Network will be responsible for commissioning services with the funding, which will flow from July 1. Minister for Rural Health Fiona Nash said it was clear that we cannot simply “arrest our way out of this problem”."Police everywhere are doing a great job and making record numbers of busts," Minister Nash said."Police and the National Ice Taskforce have recommended we also focus on reducing demand.“If we want to break the drug dealer’s business model, we have to smash the demand for their terrible product and this funding will help to do just that.”The Minister for Border Protection Peter Dutton said the Australian Border Force was working with other law enforcement to reduce the supply of ice within Australia.  “Ice and other amphetamines make up more than half, by weight, of all major drugs seized at the border, in the last financial year that amounted to more than 3.4 tonnes,” Mr Dutton said.“This is why we are continuing to develop our capability to detect illegal substances at the border, but importantly in co-operation with other countries to disrupt organised criminal activity before it reaches Australia.”In addition to funding for rehabilitation services, local volunteer groups will soon be able to access grants from the Federal Government to deliver local education and prevention programmes across the community.The Coalition is also providing support to more than 1,200 community sporting clubs to deliver prevention messages about ice with a focus on regional Australia. These programmes are part of the Coalition Government’s comprehensive $300m plan to tackle ice across Australia.