Mr HIGGINS - 2014-05-07
Can you inform the Assembly about the expansion of alcohol mandatory rehabilitation in Katherine and Tennant Creek and how the program is working to curb alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question and interest in this very important program - the roll-out of alcohol mandatory treatment services across the Northern Territory. This year we are concentrating on Tennant Creek and Katherine, as the member for Daly just outlined.
In Tennant Creek there have been no community or mandatory treatment orders because we have not had an available facility, so we are working on setting up a 12-bed unit as we speak. There was some controversy highlighted by the opposition around the fact we will be using the existing sobering up shelter for alcohol mandatory treatment services in Tennant Creek. The sobering up shelter was only being used 50% of the time and was only open a couple of nights per week. We have negotiated for BRADAAG, the local provider of alcohol treatment services, a non-government organisation, to move out of the facility, which will be ideal for alcohol mandatory treatment.
It will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 12 beds. It is ideally located and is a wonderful facility for those who have been there. The sobering up shelter will be relocated to another site and we are very excited about it.
Tennant Creek is a small town, but as we all know it has a significant alcohol problem. We think establishment of those 12 beds will take a lot of pressure off the sobering-up shelter. Tennant Creek has a population of around 3000. It services the Barkly, which has a population of around 10 000 people. We think 12 of the most chronically alcohol-affected people in the Barkly area undergoing alcohol mandatory treatment for 12 weeks will make a huge difference to the alcohol problem in Tennant Creek.
We had some good news from Katherine; we have decided on a site there for a purpose-built facility. We have been using the local knowledge of the member for Katherine to identify the best site available, which is in an industrial area. It is away from the residential area, but centrally located. We have commenced the planning and building of this new facility and we hope to get it up and running by the end of the year. It will be a 20-bed facility with the possibility of extending the service into the coming years. Like Tennant Creek, Katherine also has a significant alcohol problem and this treatment centre will make a huge difference to Katherine.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question and interest in this very important program - the roll-out of alcohol mandatory treatment services across the Northern Territory. This year we are concentrating on Tennant Creek and Katherine, as the member for Daly just outlined.
In Tennant Creek there have been no community or mandatory treatment orders because we have not had an available facility, so we are working on setting up a 12-bed unit as we speak. There was some controversy highlighted by the opposition around the fact we will be using the existing sobering up shelter for alcohol mandatory treatment services in Tennant Creek. The sobering up shelter was only being used 50% of the time and was only open a couple of nights per week. We have negotiated for BRADAAG, the local provider of alcohol treatment services, a non-government organisation, to move out of the facility, which will be ideal for alcohol mandatory treatment.
It will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 12 beds. It is ideally located and is a wonderful facility for those who have been there. The sobering up shelter will be relocated to another site and we are very excited about it.
Tennant Creek is a small town, but as we all know it has a significant alcohol problem. We think establishment of those 12 beds will take a lot of pressure off the sobering-up shelter. Tennant Creek has a population of around 3000. It services the Barkly, which has a population of around 10 000 people. We think 12 of the most chronically alcohol-affected people in the Barkly area undergoing alcohol mandatory treatment for 12 weeks will make a huge difference to the alcohol problem in Tennant Creek.
We had some good news from Katherine; we have decided on a site there for a purpose-built facility. We have been using the local knowledge of the member for Katherine to identify the best site available, which is in an industrial area. It is away from the residential area, but centrally located. We have commenced the planning and building of this new facility and we hope to get it up and running by the end of the year. It will be a 20-bed facility with the possibility of extending the service into the coming years. Like Tennant Creek, Katherine also has a significant alcohol problem and this treatment centre will make a huge difference to Katherine.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016