Bendigo AOD Agency Forum report

Bendigo 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.

Bendigo – Alcohol and Other Drug Sector Agency Forum

Approximately 35 people from the Bendigo area drug and alcohol field, including non-government sector and government representatives, attended a forum hosted by the Council on 6th December 2000.

Ms Price (ANCD Project Officer) welcomed participants to the forum and thanked people for their attendance, particularly those who had travelled from areas such as Warrnambool, Horsham, Keyneton, Portland and Echuca. Ms Price opened the Forum and introduced Major Brian Watters (ANCD Chairman) and Professor Margaret Hamilton (a member of the ANCD Executive who is based in Victoria).

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 deaths and Australian drug policy, approach and achievements, as well as the Rural and Regional Study Grants initiative.

Discussion then commenced and was facilitated by Ms Price.Forum participants provided the following background information on the alcohol and other drug scene in Bendigo and surrounding areas:

Alcohol and cannabis are the major substance concerns for the area.
Some evidence of an increasing level of opiate use exists, and the proximity to heroin markets of Melbourne is an issue for this region.

The following themes were raised and discussed during the forum:

The added cost of providing services due to distance is not thought to be adequately recognised in funding of rural and regional services. In most cases for services in the area, they are looking at a minimum of two hours car travel to see some clients. Increasing petrol costs means a reduced number of visits and decreased continuity of care.
Reduced capacity for smaller communities to respond to drug and alcohol issues is related to the diminishing infrastructure in rural communities overall.
Recruiting professional staff to work in rural and regional areas is difficult, and there is very limited money to train new staff. The demands on the drug and alcohol services are increasing and there is some new funding available, however there is a limited pool of experienced staff to draw from. These issues are unlikely to improve in the short term given the difficulty the sector has in attracting people to it.
Given the number of services in the surrounding area, participants noted that there were some very positive aspects to working in the AOD sector in country Victoria. Support and opportunities to collaborate between services was one such identified advantage.
Fewer than 5% of General Practitioners are Methadone prescribers in Victoria overall. This is especially apparent in rural areas. Doctors are reluctant to work with addicted people and there needs to be some further efforts to break down some of the discrimination and bias encountered by drug users in medical settings, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Some participants were frustrated that the vast majority of new funding is for treatment and that little extra money is available for prevention programs. The view is that more needs to be done for people before they develop a drug problem.
The existence of only one housing service means that if a person who may be grappling with an addiction problem is evicted from the housing service, it is more difficult for them to get back in. This exacerbates the issues associated with homelessness.
The issue of limited infrastructure of rural communities extends to schooling – where children who are expelled from school for a drug related issue have no alternative one to go to.
There is considerable frustration in dealing with young people needing services for police and youth workers. There is a youth outreach service that operates after hours but no other service available to link to after hours. Similarly, if police pick up a drug affected person after hours, there is no service available to take them to in order for them to detoxify / sober up.

Karen Price
ANCD Secretariat

6 December 2000

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