I am pleased to announce over $41 million in grants under Tough on Drugs for community organisations to provide treatment, rehabilitation and support for those affected by illicit drugs.
Ninety eight treatment services will receive funding as part of this announcement for a range of treatment and support services to combat illicit drug use in Australia.
The Australian Government strongly supports the services provided by community based organisations because they have extensive practical experience helping people at the coal-face, and the evidence shows that their programmes are effective.
This national support includes grants of over $6.9 million for Queensland services, including:
Providing $517,000 for Drug Arm's Home Assessment and Response Team (HART), an outreach initiative that strives to improve people's quality of life through efforts such as therapy, relapse prevention and other support services. Over $315,000 for the Alcohol and Drug Foundation at Logan House in Logan City, south of Brisbane, to maintain and develop aftercare and assessment services in residential rehabilitation. More than $400,000 to St.Vincent's Hospital in Cairns for an integrated drug treatment facility targeting homeless people and providing a general health clinic, community residential detoxification and aftercare services. A further $215,000 for the Salvation Army Fairhaven facility in Townsville, which is a recovery service for women that provides interventions to improve the health and social situations of women with addictions.
This is in addition to over $6.1 million in grants under this programme for fifteen services that I announced on 28 August 2003 to help indigenous communities deal with problems of drug and substance abuse. Over $1.1 million of these grants will assist indigenous communities in Queensland.
Community organisations in every state and territory receive grants under today's announcement, confirming continuing government support for services first funded by the Australian Government in 1999. This funding will enable them to build on the valuable treatment and support services they are already providing to local communities.
Most importantly, the treatment and support projects announced today will continue to help individuals and families to recover from drug use and resume a normal healthy life.
This brings total funding allocated under this programme since it started in 1997 to $106 million. On 9 August 2003 the government called for applications for the remaining funds committed in the 2002-03 Budget for treatment grants to community organisations. An announcement regarding those applications is expected shortly.
This is one of many Australian government initiatives to combat drug use and the harm it causes. Late last year I announced that a further $215 million would be provided over four years to the Council of Australian Governments Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative for a range of projects aimed at diverting minor drug offenders away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and education services.
Since 1997 the Australian Government has committed over $1 billion through the Tough on Drugs Strategy to a range of programmes aimed at reducing the demand and supply of illicit drugs in Australia. Our success has been documented by the United Nations in its latest Global Illicit Drugs Trends Report, which describes the "heroin drought" produced across the South East Asia and Pacific region, largely by Australia's enforcement efforts.
Clearly, illicit drug use is a problem that is not confined to our borders. Countries throughout the Asia Pacific region are actively supporting the international effort to reduce supply and demand for illicit drugs. In light of our recent success, it is important that Australia explore ways new ways to work with our regional neighbours to combat drugs across the region.
Illicit drug use is an international problem and it is in Australia's national interest to reduce drug use and traffic in our region. Collaborative efforts are already under way with other countries in our region to control drug supply.
I am also announcing today that the Australian National Council on Drugs has been asked to increase its links throughout the Asia-Pacific region, specifically to promote drug use prevention, reduction and treatment. The Government will provide $400,000 from existing Tough on Drugs and related funds for this initiative. In undertaking this wider role, the ANCD will advise the Australian Government on the most appropriate ways to work with our regional neighbours to share the knowledge and understanding we have developed from our successful strategies to reduce demand for illicit drugs, particularly our work with the community sector, as well as to learn from their experiences.
I thank the Australian National Council on Drugs for their guidance and advice on the government's Tough on Drugs strategy and other substance abuse issues and for bringing community skills and local understanding to the fight against illicit drugs and substance abuse.