Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (17:45): I move:

That this council—

1. Notes that a recent federal fund for drug and alcohol treatment services is not open to services in the South-East of South Australia;

2. Expresses its dismay that the South-East has been excluded from the opportunity to apply for this federal funding;

3. Calls on the South Australian health minister to stand up for the residents of Mount Gambier, Millicent, Naracoorte, Bordertown and the rest of the South-East and demand from his federal Liberal counterpart that the South-East not be abandoned; and

4. Calls on the South Australian health minister to demand that the federal Liberal government reverses its decision to disregard the South-East and opens the applications process to the South-East, including extending the deadline for applications beyond the current date of 20 December 2018, if necessary.

On 23 November, Mr Greg Hunt, the federal Minister for Health, announced a $20 million fund to boost drug and alcohol treatment services in South Australia, particularly in regional and rural areas. He states that this is so 'people struggling with alcohol and drug misuse can receive the right treatment in the right place at the right time'.

However, it seems that, if you are in the South-East of South Australia, you are not in the right place at the right time. Apparently, the South-East is not an area of need, despite well-documented issues with drugs and alcohol and, in particular, crystal methamphetamine, known as ice. Ice has become a particular focus because its severe impacts include psychosis and violent erratic behaviour. This is damaging for the person who is using ice, but it is also devastating and often terrifying for those around them—their families, friends and neighbourhoods.

It is important to note that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to these serious problems. The most effective approaches are tailored for the particular needs of the individuals concerned. Some people certainly benefit from residential rehabilitation services and one of the outcomes of the former state Labor government's Ice Taskforce and Stop the Hurt strategy included residential rehabilitation services in regional areas, including in Mount Gambier. For other people, counselling is effective and sufficient. Other options include non-residential rehabilitation, inpatient withdrawal management and psychosocial counselling interventions.

It is important to note that ice is not the only issue in Mount Gambier, or elsewhere. Alcohol, cannabis and opiates are also prominent problems. The federal fund is for drug and alcohol treatment services, which are important and to be commended, but we are told that the South-East is not an area of sufficient need to justify being included in this fund. Local substance abuse services have queried how that determination was made. They asked whether wastewater testing was a large determinant because their understanding is that alcohol and cannabis are not part of the wastewater testing regime.

The people trying to provide services to address the serious issues of substance abuse, the people working with affected people every day, know there is a very high need in our area of the South-East. There will be those who try to politicise this issue and play the blame game and I think that is unfortunate. This is a community issue and we can only address it by working together.

I believe I can acknowledge the many good initiatives the former Labor government achieved yet still be more than willing to acknowledge that there is much that still needs to be done. For example, information provided to me is that South-East drug and alcohol workers have an average of 35 clients in their case loads at present, with waiting lists. I am told there are only five spots left for the whole Limestone Coast until mid-January and that there are not enough staff to do mandatory intervention drug and alcohol assessment reports for DCP clients, but because these are mandated and must be seen, other people miss out.

Workers tell me that seeing seven people per day on average does not leave time for preparing for clients, writing reports and forwarding referrals or letters to doctors and lawyers, and so on. There are three to five new referrals a week from the community, not including mandated or hospital referrals. They report that hospital rounds are not happening and that drug and alcohol clients in hospital are not getting their service. I am told there are only two GPs in the Limestone Coast who prescribe opioid or heroin substitution and that there is a waiting list to get onto the methadone program.

Given this information, local residents of Mount Gambier, Millicent, Naracoorte, Bordertown and elsewhere in the South-East would hope that the federal member for Barker, Mr Tony Pasin, would stand up for them and demand funding for our area, but they have been sorely disappointed. Instead of advocating for better services, he has launched a political tirade. No-one gains by such political games, and it is deeply saddening that he prioritises game playing over serious health issues such as substance abuse. Indeed, his wriggling became quite ludicrous, if he was correctly quoted in today's Border Watch newspaper, which stated:

…Mr Pasin noted the funding opportunity did not exclude Mount Gambier-based organisations from applying, proving their proposal delivered increased services to an 'area of need'.

What this doublespeak means is that South-East-based service providers can apply for funding as long as it is not to deliver services in the South-East. This is not much use to people in the South-East affected by substance abuse. This type of community issue should be one that we work on together. That is why, in this motion, I am calling on the South Australian health minister to demand that his federal Liberal counterparts reverse the decision to exclude the South-East from this funding. We in the South-East know it is an area of need, and our communities need the support this funding could provide. I commend the motion to the chamber.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. D.W. Ridgway.