Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to highlight a really important initiative that has been launched thanks to the vision and hard work of representatives of my local community. Last month we held the first meeting of a tackling drugs and alcohol committee at Ettalong Diggers on the peninsula. This Friday the committee will meet again. Tackling the problem of drugs and alcohol is a critical issue and one that impacts families and communities right across the Central Coast. I would like to start by recognising Bill Jackson, the CEO of Ettalong Diggers, who came to me with the idea to start this committee. He began by asking the question: can we do more? The answer he determined as he spoke to me was yes. Out of this concern, out of this desire by Bill Jackson—a fantastic leader in our local community—out of his interest and his ability to see an opportunity to make a difference, this committee was created.

In talking with Bill and specialist representatives, and in fact our police and our health representatives, as well as with parents and local residents in my electorate, it became pretty clear to me that this is a community asking what we can do to help. It is a strong sign that people on the Central Coast want to make a real and demonstrable difference in tackling issues related to drugs and alcohol. At our first meeting we heard from a number of influential local leaders from our community, including government and non-government health representatives and club and pub licensees and managers, including Superintendent Daniel Sullivan from the Brisbane Water Local Area Command; Tina Davies, the regional liaison officer representing the New South Wales state government; Steve Childs, service manager from drugs and alcohol from the Central Coast Local Health District—and I would also like to acknowledge the CEO, Matt Hanrahan, who has been doing some important and fantastic work in this space; Andrew Tuck, CEO of Coast Community Connections; Julie Clark, project officer of Family Drug Support; Russell Cooper from the Gosford RSL; Ben Bradley, representing Davistown RSL Club; Daniel Brian from the Central Coast Leagues Club; Tim McGavin from Ettalong Bowling Club; and Zane Tredway from the Central Coast Hotel.

During the course of the morning's meetings there was some terrific discussion outlining some of the serious challenges facing our region and what might be the possible local opportunities to make a difference in our community. One of the proposals to emerge from this discussion was the idea that people suspected of being drug affected and potentially banned from one licensed venue could also potentially be stopped from entering all pubs and clubs in the Brisbane Water Local Area Command. This concept is actually based around the Brisbane Water Liquor Accord and, if agreed to and implemented, could see the 'banned from one, banned from all' policy extended if it is seen to be helping to lower alcohol- and drug-fuelled violence. As Superintendent Sullivan said, people have to know the consequences matter.

There was also discussion around applying for category 3 funding under the New South Wales ClubGRANTS scheme to run local awareness and educational campaigns. This idea, which has since seen some fantastic coverage in our local media, came from the pubs and clubs industry representatives who are looking to be able to direct some of the resources obtained through the ClubGRANTS scheme to programs that can make a real difference to us locally. In particular there was a very strong will to use these funds to tackle drug and alcohol problems in our region in a lasting and positive way.

We heard during the committee meeting that around eight out of 10 crimes involve alcohol and that there is a similar rate of alcohol abuse when it comes to domestic violence. Other people around the table raised other important issues, including around education and also the challenge that some young people on the Central Coast simply think that they want to be able to try it. Of course, this can have serious flow-on effects for families, who in turn need education and support in order to be able to get through some of the challenges that they face.

So it is clear from this committee and the feedback from people in the electorate how important community-led action is in this area. In recent months, a drug and alcohol treatment service on the peninsula was given funding certainty by this government for another year—Coast Community Connections at Woy Woy. This organisation offers long-term treatment and rehabilitation programs to help individuals and families affected by substance abuse. One of the programs, the Evolution Youth Service Alcohol and Other Drugs project, known as Evolution AOD, is a youth focus service that provides counselling to young people aged between 12 and 18 who experience problems due to the use and misuse of legal and illicit drugs. A counsellor works with young people in our community to develop and implement education and early intervention programs, facilitate therapeutic groups and provide assessment and brief interventions to young people. They are assisted by a youth support worker who engages young people, building and strengthening relationships with them and their families.

I will also speak briefly on the issue of ice. While I understand that the National Ice Taskforce has been working hard at considering potential next steps, on a community level we have also been actively discussing what can be done. There is a clear understanding—and we saw this in the discussions with our committee—that the fight against illegal drugs can be best effective when the community and our law enforcement agencies work together. Information from members of the public is an essential part of helping police and other agencies bust drug manufacturing and its distribution. To encourage the community fight against the ice epidemic, the government has invested $1 million to help establish a national Dob in a Dealer campaign. The campaign will ask community members to report people who are dealing in illegal drugs and engaging in activities that are associated with drug labs and distribution. Ice is ruining individuals, destroying families and hurting communities like ours on the Central Coast. While governments and police and even our stakeholder committee who met recently can make laws and undertake operational activities, the community is an essential partner in the fight against ice. A key point raised within the community was the response to advertising and awareness. Independent evaluation into a recent campaign found that 94 per cent of the youth who saw the ads said they had taken some action as a result, either by talking to their peers or their parents or by changing their thinking about ice. And 51 per cent of at-risk youth who had seen the ads said they would now avoid using ice.

I would also like to place on record how the coalition government is aware of the need to promote responsible alcohol consumption in our community as well. We are undertaking a range of activities, including funding of $19 million over four years to continue the successful Good Sports program as well as leading the development of the next national alcohol strategy in collaboration with states and territories. But there is still a lot of work to be done. So I look forward to Friday's meeting of our Tackling Drugs and Alcohol Committee to continue the important work done so far with our community on the Central Coast.

In the few remaining moments I have left, I want to talk about a fantastic small business out at Somersby that is exporting to the world. They have recently been awarded a grant as part of the coalition's Industry Skills Fund program. RR Taylor Manufacturing is a fantastic local business in my community. They have received a grant of more than $12,000 to enable and quip them to finalise the manufacturing of a very important new product called the MetaMizer 240 SSS. RR Taylor Manufacturing Solutions does exactly that. They provide manufacturing solutions that may include making machine components or the assembling, warehousing and distribution of a finished product. They employ 16 people at Somersby, and they have really grown since moving back to the Central Coast in 2003.

The MetaMizer 240 SSS is an innovative solution. In simple terms, the business development manager, Greg Trusler, told me that the machine sterilises and shreds medical waste. It then produces a granulated product that can be put into a waste stream. There has been significant interest in this product in South-East Asia over a number of years, particularly from Sri Lanka. In fact, I am advised that the business was one of a number of Australian companies exhibiting at the Arab Health medical exhibition held in Dubai earlier this year. The Industry Skills Fund grant will enable the business to accelerate the training required to export around 20 of these machines, in coming years, to Sri Lanka and beyond. They will be placed in hospitals across the country. This is really opening up the domestic and international markets to this great Australian business; it is a great Aussie business that has all started from the Central Coast. These sorts of stories of innovation are stories that I am proud to champion and proud to tell as our region grows, particularly at Somersby where this business is located.