Methamphetamine Harm Reduction

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:09): l seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Police.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The government released its report on crystal methamphetamine, and I understand the minister led the task force in relation to that. In relation to the increased treatment committed, where will the 15 new regional residential rehabilitation beds be located? Will they be at one site or more sites?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his question. He refers to the work the Ice Taskforce did that I referred to earlier, particularly on the demand side of the equation. It came through loud and clear as we got around in regional areas that there was a view within those communities—a genuinely held view that reflects the facts—that there is a shortage of treatment services in regional areas, particularly when it comes to residential-style rehabilitation. Of course, we have facilities along those lines in metropolitan Adelaide but, for whatever reason, there has not been the funding available to provide those services in regional South Australia.

I think it is a legitimate concern when you speak to affected users who are seeking such treatment services but, even more profoundly, speaking to loved ones of those people that they would like to see have access to those treatment services. They speak of the great difficulty that the tyranny of distance provides. What we know from evidence-based research but also by just engaging with people in the sector anecdotally is that the prospect of relapse or the prospect of treatment being successful is often informed by access to support networks—that, more often than not, is family.

There is a value in having these sorts of services located in places which are relatively closer to those support networks or where people reside. Hence the government's commitment to do this. It is part of our $3.6 million effort to improve treatment services generally. Part of that $3.6 million contributes to the 15 residential rehabilitation beds that the Hon. Mr Wade refers to but also speaks to the 50 per cent increase in outpatient services that we are providing in this area.

Regarding where those 15 beds are going, I am advised there are no specific locations that have been determined at this point, apart from committing to the fact that they will go into regional communities. As yet, it has not been determined that this many beds will go into the South-East or this many beds will go into the Upper Spencer Gulf, or wherever.

That decision is yet to be made, and I understand that it will be informed by the advice we get from clinicians on where the demand is, where the need is, and what the capability to actually deliver the service is. There is a range of factors that will inform that, but the commitment that the government has made is to do this into regional areas, and I think it is a good one. I think it speaks to our commitment to the regions. I think it speaks to our commitment to actually tackle this issue where it is occurring.

We know, as I said earlier, that this issue is not particularly oriented to one geographical location over another, which means that where it does occur in our regions we should be providing the services that we can to be able to assist those people to kick their addiction from this insidious drug.