Mt Isa AOD Agency Forum report

Mt Isa AOD Agency Forum report

Background

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) has commenced a process whereby it holds a local agency forum, in conjunction with its meeting in each State and Territory. Given the Council only meets 4 times a year (usually in capital cities), a number of additional forums are now also being conducted around the country. These forums form part of the Council’s strategy to fulfil its role of representing the views of non-government and community-based organisations working in the drug and alcohol field.

It should be noted that all the issues raised at the Forums are not necessarily areas that the Council will be able to address directly. They do however provide Council members with an idea of the major issues particular communities are facing in relation to drugs and alcohol.

The Council also intends to prepare a report on the issues affecting the alcohol and other drug sector at the completion of its rural and regional consultation forums in December 2000.

Mt Isa – Alcohol and Other Drug Sector Agency Forum

Approximately 15 people from the Mt Isa area drug and alcohol field, including non-government sector and government representatives, attended a forum hosted by the Council on Tuesday 28 November 2000.

Ms Price (ANCD Project Officer) opened the Forum and introduced Major Brian Watters (ANCD Chairman) and Mr Dennis Young (ANCD Representative).

Ms Price opened the forum and thanked people for their attendance, particularly those who had travelled.

Major Watters outlined the role of the ANCD, it’s key activity areas and membership. Major Watters also stressed the importance of working in partnership across sectors and the unique position of the ANCD being at the highest level of policy making. Major Watters concluded by outlining the recently commissioned projects by the ANCD such as indigenous programs research, a paper on effective treatments, heroin overdose and policy achievements, as well as the Rural and Regional Study Grants initiative.

The floor was then opened for questions and comments, with discussion facilitated by Ms Price.The following themes were raised and discussed throughout the forum.12. There was acknowledgement of the very poor health status of indigenous people in the area. High levels if diabetes and other conditions and a much shorter than average life expectancy were highlighted as major causes for concern in this community.

There was concern expressed over the statistical representations of drug and alcohol related admissions into hospital. Whilst some clients go into hospital for an apparent health concern (eg: injury) which may be caused by the misuse of alcohol or other drugs, the primary reason they are being admitted (ie: drug/alcohol misuse) is not recorded as the reason for the admission. This distortion of the health impact of drugs and alcohol contributes to information that decisions (such as funding) are made upon.
There are enormous distances involved in servicing communities in this area. The government funded ATODS (alcohol, tobacco and other drug service) has an area of responsibility extending from Mornington Island, to Doomadgee, Normanton and surrounds. This burden of distance means that some clients are being seen once per month, with no support in between visits available in their communities. Workers visiting these clients expressed frustration at what they perceived as the futility of their efforts if their visits are not followed up with support in the local area.
Costs of travel (in relation to petrol prices and staff time) were discussed as a major financial impediment to servicing remote clients.
The initial attraction, and then retention, of health professionals to this area is difficult. Burn out rates are high given the enormous pressure of servicing these communities and the chronic lack of support. Infrastructure in small towns is diminishing and services are being reduced. These things are true of the drug and alcohol sector as well as the broader range of services in rural and regional communities.
The substances of most concern in and around the Mt Isa community are alcohol, cannabis, some speed and (currently small but increasingly) sniffing of paint. There is some evidence of an increasing amount of injecting drug use in the area, with an increase in the collection of discarded injecting equipment.
Police report a noticeable increase in crime (particularly property related offences such as break and enter) co-inciding with batches of illicit drugs arriving into the community.
Some participants noted some of the more positive community approaches such as community policing initiatives (eg "Kiddy Cops") and some community oriented TAFE courses. Participants recognised a need for more ‘grass-roots’ community-based initiatives (particularly in relation to drugs and alcohol) but were not confident about their abilities to write submissions to gain funding for these initiatives through the available programs (such as the National Drug Strategy’s Community Partnerships Initiative).

At the conclusion of the Forum, Major Watters, Mr Young and Ms Price visited local agencies including the Salvation Army’s Women’s Shelter, Arthur Petersen House and Kalkadoon Aboriginal Sobriety House.

28 November 2000

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