Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question and her very real interest in this area. I am pleased to inform the Senate that the government is announcing today that it will be providing $9.2 million to a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD, plan. Measures contained in the plan will allow the government to implement targeted approaches to better prevent and manage FASD.

As part of the investment, the action plan will provide practical support to women who are alcohol dependent that is aimed at reducing—with a view to ultimately ceasing—alcohol consumption. And $500,000 has been dedicated to the implementation of the FASD diagnostic tool, which is being developed by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. A further $100,000 will be allocated to a technical FASD group chaired by Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM. It will advise the government on implementing future FASD programs and promote national evidence based research in ways to manage the impact of FASD. It will also improve information exchange and continue to build on and promote the results of the NHMRC Targeted Call for Research on FASD.

The government will be providing up to $1.5 million to develop best-practice interventions for alcohol dependent women. These targeted grants will allow further research to be undertaken to develop best-practice intervention guidelines for specialists and GPs. The government will be providing a further $3.1 million in grants to drug and alcohol services to better support alcohol dependent women. An additional $4 million will be provided to the New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program.

I would like to acknowledge the work that the member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone MP, has done in this area. This announcement today identifies and reinforces the government's commitment to addressing the significant challenges associated with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.