WIMMERA Drug Action Taskforce has welcomed Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews' commitment to establishing a crystal methamphetamine taskforce but believes both sides of government are missing the mark when it comes to confronting Victoria's ice problem.
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Mr Andrews announced last week Labor would, if elected, commit $15 million for new drug and booze buses and $500,000 to set up grassroots community action groups across regional Victoria. It would also set up an ice action task force to deliver an ice action plan.
Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce co-ordinator and Grampians Community Health alcohol and other drugs counsellor Brendan Scale said Mr Andrews' recommendations had merit but lacked proper direction.
"I think Daniel Andrews is heading in the right direction, but it's still nowhere near adequate," he said.
"I know people would see those figures and think they're great, because they don't know any different."
Mr Scale said the State Government's announcement of $34 million to boost drug and alcohol support services, announced in May, was also lacking.
He said while it acknowledged significant growth in ice use in rural areas, it was too treatment-focused.
"What we need is recognition that ice is a whole state issue and we need a comprehensive and genuine response," he said.
"We are not concerned with who is in power.
"We're putting forward what we think should happen regardless of which party makes up the government."
Mr Scale called on the Liberal and Labor parties to base their policies on the National Drug Strategy model.
"The response needs to be holistic and balanced with due emphasis on supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction," he said.
"To do this, the government needs to develop an overarching, state-wide action plan developed and implemented by a multi-disciplined action plan group."
Mr Scale recommended the establishment of community drug action taskforces in each of the state's sub-regions.
"These community taskforces need to be funded for three years to get established," he said.
"They also need to fund a co-ordinator for each group three days a week as well as funding to create an action plan and to implement it."
Mr Scale said the Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach.
"Our taskforce grew out of the state-sponsored Local Drug Action Plan, 2003," he said.
"Similar models operate across NSW and Western Australia."
The Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce is an unfunded partnership of network agencies and community members, whose mission is to reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs through prevention and early intervention strategies.
It has drawn praise for its efforts to educate Wimmera residents about crystal methamphetamine and its wide-reaching effects through a range of community forums.
The forums have been well-supported by Victoria Police.
"The police need to continue to play a role in supply reduction," Mr Scale said.
"They need to be adequately resourced to identify and charge suppliers and producers of the drug.
"There also needs to be a program focused on community education and empowerment, where community members feel safe enough and confident enough to provide information about drugs to police."