Dr LIM - 1995-05-23
Last week, members opposite criticised the government's antisocial behaviour strategy by claiming that more funds were required for alcohol treatment and care programs, as well as community education awareness initiatives. What steps are being taken to extend components of the Living With Alcohol program across the Territory?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to provide the member for Greatorex with the information he has requested. As he indicated, last week, the Leader of the Opposition and other members opposite criticised a new initiative to deal with the difficulties that communities across the Northern Territory face as a result of antisocial behaviour. Those difficulties include littering and the injuries suffered by people who are caught in that cycle of antisocial behaviour, public drunkenness and binge drinking. I find it rather unfortunate that one has to provide this type of information to members opposite. They should be aware of it, and would be if they were in touch with what is happening in their electorates, but clearly they are not. They are not aware of the programs that are being funded, to the tune of $7m a year, under the Living With Alcohol program which this government introduced in 1992 to address a wide range of activities including community education grants and sponsorship, treatment and care programs, remote Aboriginal community programs, and research into and evaluation of those programs. The education component is very important. It is directed at influencing and modifying the behaviour of people experiencing difficulties from excessive alcohol abuse.
As I indicated in my statement to this House last week, great advances have been made in the Northern Territory in relation to the increased consumption of light beer over heavy beer, a reduction in road accidents and deaths and a reduction in the number of arrests for exceeding 0.08%. We have some innovative programs in place which are working, and we shall continue to look at new programs, such as the initiative announced last week.
In addition to last week's statement, I approved more than $470 000 in funding for remote area Aboriginal organisations, community education grants and sponsorship packages. Those funding approvals included $19 000, in a one-off payment, and $4000 in recurrent funding for the Angurugu Community Government Council to operate a community-based
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alcohol rehabilitation program. I am sure that the member for Arnhem would welcome that funding because he would be familiar with the difficulties that the people on Groote Eylandt face in regard to alcohol and substance abuse, and the need for us to do something about it. This funding will assist in that regard. The Wugularr (Beswick) Community Government Council received $36 000 for a vehicle, and $30 000 per annum in recurrent funding to purchase a vehicle and operate a night patrol scheme. Similarly, the Yugul Mangi (Ngukurr) Community Government Council received $36 000 for a vehicle, and $11 000 per annum recurrent funding to operate a night patrol program. Katherine's Kalano Community Association received $10 000 for capital costs to establish a community patrol program and $41 600 in recurrent funding for its activities.
In addition, under the education and sponsorship grants, the Drug and Alcohol Services Association received $49 700 in recurrent funding over 2 years to extend the Drinksense program to Alice Springs. Alice Springs Youth Accommodation and Sports Services received a $40 000 grant to fund a youth theatre project for disadvantaged young people in Alice Springs. I would like to think that the Leader of the Opposition sees the value of those types of programs. The member for Barkly may be pleased to hear that the Tennant Creek Raiders Association received $20 000 to establish a Juice Crew program in Tennant Creek. That will provide alternatives to alcoholic beverages for youth in Tennant Creek and to assist with establishing a new youth drop-in centre in the town. I hope that she will welcome that initiative. The Barunga Community Council received $15 000 in sponsorship funding to support the tenth year of the Barunga Sports and Cultural Festival. Thus, a very wide range of activities are being pursued under the Living With Alcohol program.
As I indicated in last week's statement, there is the new initiative to fund local government councils across the Northern Territory to address the problem of public drunkenness and the difficulties for the community that flow on from that. That is only one of a whole range of initiatives to address this very difficult social problem. We are at the forefront of it in Australia. The Territory's is the only government expending this level of funding to address the area of antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness, and the personal misery that all too often flows from the individuals caught in that cycle. Members opposite should take the opportunity to apprise themselves further of exactly what is being done and what is being achieved, not only by the Department of Health and Community Services, but by many of the community organisations to which I have just alluded. They are doing the job and they deserve recognition and appreciation of their efforts, not the continual criticism that is directed towards them by members opposite.
Page 573
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to provide the member for Greatorex with the information he has requested. As he indicated, last week, the Leader of the Opposition and other members opposite criticised a new initiative to deal with the difficulties that communities across the Northern Territory face as a result of antisocial behaviour. Those difficulties include littering and the injuries suffered by people who are caught in that cycle of antisocial behaviour, public drunkenness and binge drinking. I find it rather unfortunate that one has to provide this type of information to members opposite. They should be aware of it, and would be if they were in touch with what is happening in their electorates, but clearly they are not. They are not aware of the programs that are being funded, to the tune of $7m a year, under the Living With Alcohol program which this government introduced in 1992 to address a wide range of activities including community education grants and sponsorship, treatment and care programs, remote Aboriginal community programs, and research into and evaluation of those programs. The education component is very important. It is directed at influencing and modifying the behaviour of people experiencing difficulties from excessive alcohol abuse.
As I indicated in my statement to this House last week, great advances have been made in the Northern Territory in relation to the increased consumption of light beer over heavy beer, a reduction in road accidents and deaths and a reduction in the number of arrests for exceeding 0.08%. We have some innovative programs in place which are working, and we shall continue to look at new programs, such as the initiative announced last week.
In addition to last week's statement, I approved more than $470 000 in funding for remote area Aboriginal organisations, community education grants and sponsorship packages. Those funding approvals included $19 000, in a one-off payment, and $4000 in recurrent funding for the Angurugu Community Government Council to operate a community-based
Page 572
alcohol rehabilitation program. I am sure that the member for Arnhem would welcome that funding because he would be familiar with the difficulties that the people on Groote Eylandt face in regard to alcohol and substance abuse, and the need for us to do something about it. This funding will assist in that regard. The Wugularr (Beswick) Community Government Council received $36 000 for a vehicle, and $30 000 per annum in recurrent funding to purchase a vehicle and operate a night patrol scheme. Similarly, the Yugul Mangi (Ngukurr) Community Government Council received $36 000 for a vehicle, and $11 000 per annum recurrent funding to operate a night patrol program. Katherine's Kalano Community Association received $10 000 for capital costs to establish a community patrol program and $41 600 in recurrent funding for its activities.
In addition, under the education and sponsorship grants, the Drug and Alcohol Services Association received $49 700 in recurrent funding over 2 years to extend the Drinksense program to Alice Springs. Alice Springs Youth Accommodation and Sports Services received a $40 000 grant to fund a youth theatre project for disadvantaged young people in Alice Springs. I would like to think that the Leader of the Opposition sees the value of those types of programs. The member for Barkly may be pleased to hear that the Tennant Creek Raiders Association received $20 000 to establish a Juice Crew program in Tennant Creek. That will provide alternatives to alcoholic beverages for youth in Tennant Creek and to assist with establishing a new youth drop-in centre in the town. I hope that she will welcome that initiative. The Barunga Community Council received $15 000 in sponsorship funding to support the tenth year of the Barunga Sports and Cultural Festival. Thus, a very wide range of activities are being pursued under the Living With Alcohol program.
As I indicated in last week's statement, there is the new initiative to fund local government councils across the Northern Territory to address the problem of public drunkenness and the difficulties for the community that flow on from that. That is only one of a whole range of initiatives to address this very difficult social problem. We are at the forefront of it in Australia. The Territory's is the only government expending this level of funding to address the area of antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness, and the personal misery that all too often flows from the individuals caught in that cycle. Members opposite should take the opportunity to apprise themselves further of exactly what is being done and what is being achieved, not only by the Department of Health and Community Services, but by many of the community organisations to which I have just alluded. They are doing the job and they deserve recognition and appreciation of their efforts, not the continual criticism that is directed towards them by members opposite.
Page 573
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016