Page 4004 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 September 2017
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So what do we need the government to do? We need them to accept responsibility for failing to keep the original commitment made on 13 October 2007 by the then Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, to develop a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility. We need them to detail how they will deliver a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, committing to the construction and funding, as a matter of urgency, of an Indigenous drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, a facility which has been requested and is much needed by the ACT Indigenous community, a facility that will provide an appropriate clinical model of care, and a facility which is run by Indigenous organisations for the Indigenous people of the ACT.
MS FITZHARRIS (Yerrabi—Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Minister for Transport and City Services and Minister for Higher Education, Training and Research) (4.41): I thank Mr Milligan for the opportunity to speak again about this subject today and to correct the record on a number of issues that Mr Milligan has raised. Members will see that in the amendment that has been circulated. I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes:
(a) the ACT Government recently opened the $11.7 million Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm, a place of healing which aims to address the root causes of alcohol and drug use;
(b) the purpose of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm is to provide an additional service to support a person’s recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction and the program will initially include life skills training, cultural programs, physical health and wellbeing programs and other activities;
(c) the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm has opened using a staged approach and residential services will become available in future, with residential accommodation already built;
(d) the suite of services currently offered allows clients to develop life skills to tackle the root causes of dependency and the ACT Government has committed to evolving the program over time;
(e) the first program will operate for 10 weeks for up to 15 clients;
(f) clients can be referred by ACT Health services, GPs and other private and non-government service providers; and
(g) a Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm Advisory Board has guided the services available, and includes representation from the United Ngunnawal Elders Council, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community groups; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to:
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