Mrs FINOCCHIARO - 2014-10-30
Can you please update the Assembly on an important amendment that will be introduced soon to move on to the next phase of the alcohol mandatory treatment program?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. We will be making some significant amendments to the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act. It has only been 16 months since this new initiative was rolled out for the first time across the Territory and Australia. We have spent some time reflecting on how to improve alcohol mandatory treatment and have decided to make a few changes to the act.
One of the changes will be to remove the offence provision from the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act. When we first rolled out this initiative we were very concerned about people absconding. We wanted to keep them in treatment, as they were directed by the tribunal, and we felt having an offence provision in place to keep people there was necessary.
We allowed people, essentially, to abscond twice before the offence provision took effect. In reflection, this provision has not been useful. Absconding has not been a big issue. A number of people have absconded from a few of the facilities. Obviously, we have moved out of the medi-hotel to the Stringybark facility, and absconding is no longer an issue there. Absconding is a challenge for other facilities, but not to the extent we thought it would be when we first launched this initiative. We will remove that offence provision, which I am sure will be approved by those who have taken an interest in alcohol mandatory treatment.
The other amendments we will make to the act involve allowing people who face low-level alcohol-related offences to enter alcohol mandatory treatment. We will open the pathways of referral into alcohol mandatory treatment. At the moment, we have strict guidelines about who is or is not eligible for alcohol mandatory treatment. After being taken into protective custody three times people are then assessed by the tribunal as suitable or not. We want to broaden that and allow people who, for example, might face low-level alcohol offences; they may have stolen a bottle of alcohol or been taken into custody for drunk and disorderly behaviour, drink-driving or taking alcohol into an alcohol-restricted area.
These are very positive changes. We have had time to reflect on how effective our act is, and this will bring more people who require this very important service into treatment …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. We will be making some significant amendments to the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act. It has only been 16 months since this new initiative was rolled out for the first time across the Territory and Australia. We have spent some time reflecting on how to improve alcohol mandatory treatment and have decided to make a few changes to the act.
One of the changes will be to remove the offence provision from the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act. When we first rolled out this initiative we were very concerned about people absconding. We wanted to keep them in treatment, as they were directed by the tribunal, and we felt having an offence provision in place to keep people there was necessary.
We allowed people, essentially, to abscond twice before the offence provision took effect. In reflection, this provision has not been useful. Absconding has not been a big issue. A number of people have absconded from a few of the facilities. Obviously, we have moved out of the medi-hotel to the Stringybark facility, and absconding is no longer an issue there. Absconding is a challenge for other facilities, but not to the extent we thought it would be when we first launched this initiative. We will remove that offence provision, which I am sure will be approved by those who have taken an interest in alcohol mandatory treatment.
The other amendments we will make to the act involve allowing people who face low-level alcohol-related offences to enter alcohol mandatory treatment. We will open the pathways of referral into alcohol mandatory treatment. At the moment, we have strict guidelines about who is or is not eligible for alcohol mandatory treatment. After being taken into protective custody three times people are then assessed by the tribunal as suitable or not. We want to broaden that and allow people who, for example, might face low-level alcohol offences; they may have stolen a bottle of alcohol or been taken into custody for drunk and disorderly behaviour, drink-driving or taking alcohol into an alcohol-restricted area.
These are very positive changes. We have had time to reflect on how effective our act is, and this will bring more people who require this very important service into treatment …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016