People at risk of harm from alcohol and drug use in NSW will have greater access to support and treatment with the Minns Labor Government funding 12 new alcohol and other drug hubs across the state.
Twelve not-for-profit organisations will receive a share of $33.9 million over four years to deliver new, wrap-around alcohol and other drug support services, as part of the NSW Government's response to the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice'.
The hubs are a new approach to service delivery, bringing together multiple agencies working in partnership to provide tailored treatment and care to help people address their substance use as well as broader health and social needs in a coordinated way targeted to priority populations.
Six organisations are funded to launch new AOD hubs to specifically meet the needs of priority populations in regional and rural NSW and include:
- Australian Community Support Organisation, Shellharbour
- Directions Health Services, Bega and Eden
- Orange Aboriginal Medical Service
- Social Futures, Singleton
- St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Armidale
- The Salvation Army, Wagga Wagga
A further six organisations are funded to add access to alcohol and other drug treatment and support to their existing community services. These include:
- The Buttery, Nimbin
- Grand Pacific Health, Queanbeyan
- Aboriginal Community Housing, Kempsey
- Gandangara Health Service Ltd, South Western Sydney
- Bill Crews Foundation, Ashfield
- Mission Australia, Sydney
Building on this commitment to better health outcomes for people impacted by drugs and alcohol, the NSW Government is also announcing the dates for its drug summit.
The multiday summit will comprise of two days of regional forums in October 2024 and two days of forums in Sydney on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 December.
The Drug Summit was an election commitment.
It will bring together medical experts, police, people with lived and living experience, drug user organisations, families, and other stakeholders to provide a range of perspectives and build consensus on the way NSW deals with drug use and harms.
The NSW Government will begin initial discussions with stakeholders in determining the terms of reference of the summit.
Quotes attributable to Premier Chris Minns:
"We made a commitment before the election to hold a drug summit."
"We know that drug use impacts individuals, families and communities in many different ways. The drug summit will bring people together to find new ways forward to tackle this incredibly complex and difficult problem."
Quotes attributable to Health Minister Ryan Park:
"These new alcohol and other drug hubs will boost access to much needed support services, particularly in regional and rural areas and for priority populations.
"They will provide welcoming, culturally safe environments and tailored treatment options to support people affected by alcohol and other drugs, and their families, to achieve enhanced quality of life.
"The drug summit will provide a range of viewpoints from those who interact with illicit drug use and addiction, from both health as well as non-health contexts.
"This is an important conversation for us to have and it will be the first of its kind in a quarter-century.
"A lot of work has gone into this so far, and more work will go into this in partnership with the community to ensure we get this right."
