John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sunrise Way is a drug and rehabilitation centre in Toowoomba, working with others on the scourge of drug addiction in our community. Led by Wendy Agar and her team, they are helping people with drug and alcohol dependencies, doing the type of work that we all as a community wish was not needed—but the hard, cold reality is that it is very much needed. Last Friday I had the opportunity to be there at Sunrise Way to announce $5.5 million in funding on behalf of the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, as part of the National Ice Action Strategy, committed to by the coalition government. On the Darling Downs, this will see Sunrise Way as well as Teen Challenge QLD and Carbal Medical Services all receive support for their important work, including a range of treatment options such as counselling, intervention, relapse prevention, withdrawal management and residential rehabilitation. Ice is a community problem that needs a community response, and Sunrise Way is one of the lead agencies in providing just that. Continuing to find funding for its ongoing activities is a challenge for us all, but I am working hard with them and the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network to do just that.