The Palaszczuk Government is extending action and public input on its response to the scourge of ice, with further roundtables to be convened and more time for consultation on its draft action plan.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said input from the Ice Regional Community Engagement Summit in Rockhampton last month (27 April) and the roundtable in Townsville last week (17 May) highlighted the importance of working together to tackle ice and reduce its impact on Queensland families and communities.
“These discussions identified how existing actions can be better implemented in regional and rural areas of the State, explored potential gaps in service delivery and recommended how those gaps can be addressed,” she said.
“In response from requests across the state, more roundtables will be held in the coming months to ensure we hear from experts, service providers and local community members on the 65 actions outlined in the Government’s draft action plan to tackle ice, Action on Ice.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the Government had made an unprecedented commitment to tackling ice including the allocation of an extra $43 million over the next five years to increase access to specialist clinics and other support services by the non-government sector.
“These additional funds will be invested across the full spectrum of responses, including community-based counselling, non-residential rehabilitation, pre-and post-treatment support such as withdrawal management in residential rehabilitation, specialist peer support for families and flexible modes for counselling,” she said.
“My Government is determined to work with all levels of government, service providers and the community to break the hold that this drug has over individuals, families and communities.”
Public comment on the Government’s draft action plan has been extended to 31 October.
Link to consultation and the “Action on ice: The Queensland Government’s draft plan to address use and harm caused by crystal methamphetamine”.https://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/gi/consultation/3602/view.html