I am pleased to announce that the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council of South Australia is to be provided with $40,000 to develop practical educational materials to convey the key messages of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines in a way which is meaningful and relevant to indigenous Australians.
The Commonwealth Government is jointly funding the project together with the independent Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation that was established by the Commonwealth in 2001.
In addition, I am delighted to announce that the Foundation will be establishing a $1 million national programme to provide small grants to assist community groups in promoting the educational materials amongst indigenous Australians.
The funding for the initial development of materials will allow the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council to engage a project officer to consult with a wide range of indigenous groups on the current Australian Alcohol Guidelines.
The funds will also provide for the commissioning of an indigenous artist to design the educational materials.
The aim is for the production of materials that provide advice and information, consistent with the established guidelines, to assist indigenous communities to gain a greater understanding of how the misuse of alcohol can be damaging to the health and well being of individuals, families and communities.
The development of indigenous resources follow the recent launch by the Hon Trish Worth, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, of education materials to support the National Health and Medical Research Council's Australian Alcohol Guidelines.
These educational resources are designed to provide information about the consequences of different levels of drinking, and to help people to make informed choices about drinking and their health.
I would like to commend Professor Ian Webster and the board of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation for supporting the new indigenous education initiatives.