Media release

New money for local drug programs welcomed

Today the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of an additional $6.5 million for the Community Partnerships Initiative.

Chairman of the ANCD, Major Brian Watters, described the new funding as “very important in involving and supporting local groups to put in place local solutions for their community’s drug problems.”

Major Watters added “the ANCD is pleased to be advising the Federal Government on the allocation of these grants. The programs funded represent a very broad and inclusive range of approaches to preventing and reducing drug use in our communities. We need communities to be involved in preventing and responding to drug problems and they need support to do this, which is basically what this funding is all about.”

ANCD Member and Chairman of the Expert Advisory Group charged with the responsibility of reviewing the applications, Mr David Crosbie, CEO of Odyssey House Victoria, expressed his satisfaction at being involved in such an initiative.

“As someone working in the community sector, I am very pleased to see the continuation of this initiative. Over the last 6 years this initiative has provided much needed funding for over 300 different programs from a wide range of community organisations. If we are going to reduce drug problems, we need to involve as many different groups as possible including local community groups. This funding makes that involvement possible by providing support for local groups to tackle the drug problems they are most concerned about. The government deserves to be congratulated for its support of this initiative.”

Both Major Watters and Mr Crosbie noted that within the 89 programs funded through the CPI grants, there was a the high level of funding provided to diverse communities, including Vietnamese and other ethnic groups. There was also a wide range of approaches including intergenerational programs addressing issues such as support for grandparents looking after the children of drug users.

3 February 2004

The ANCD is the principal advisory body to Government on drug and alcohol issues.

For further information, please contact:

Major Brian Watters (Chairman)
0400 780 509

Mr David Crosbie (Advisory Group Chair)
0419 624 420

Mr Gino Vumbaca (Executive Officer)
0408 244 552

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