The ACT Government will grow its nation-leading treatment services for alcohol and other drug dependence with additional investment in rehabilitation, family and carer support and specialised treatments.
Building on the significant investments made over the past three years, the 2022-23 Budget includes more than $13 million in additional support.
The ACT already provides some of the best access to alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia.
This will be enhanced with over $6.4 million to:
- Support the delivery of residential rehabilitation services
- Deliver more targeted treatments for methamphetamine addiction
- Establish a new support service for families and carers of people who use drugs.
These investments support our service sector and complement the ACT Government’s harm minimisation approach.
This significant boost to alcohol and drug treatment services will be supported by the continuation of the Watson Health Precinct redevelopment, which will deliver new facilities for Ted Noffs and CatholicCare and a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation service.
The Government is investing $3 million in this dedicated residential rehabilitation service to facilitate site preparation, detailed design and commissioning work in partnership with Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, as well as alcohol and other drugs training for staff.
Support is also being provided for the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm to transition to a residential program. Funding will facilitate a therapeutic community approach, traditional healing concepts, cultural programs and life skills training to tackle underlying social and emotional issues.
The Government will also continue to focus on harm reduction by improving Canberra Script, the local real-time prescription monitoring service that reduces the risk of harm being caused by the misuse of prescription medications.
This investment builds on the almost $20 million in additional funding invested since 2019-20 in alcohol and other drugs programs to support Canberrans and reduce harm in the community.
Attributable to Chief Minister Andrew Barr:
The ACT Government regards drug dependency as a health issue not a justice issue. Additional funding into services like these is an important part of our health based approach to supporting people with drug addiction.
Attributable to Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith:
This substantial investment will further boost support for Canberrans with alcohol and other drug dependence, including specifically for people who experience methamphetamine addiction.
Improving access to family and carer support responds to calls from the community and builds on the ACT’s nation-leading approach to harm minimisation.
The ACT Government’s investment provides improved options for Canberrans across our community to get the support they need.
