Page 1912 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Coordination and partnerships across multiple government agencies and the non-government sector was of key importance to achieving the objectives and actions of the action plan. The Drug Strategy Action Plan Advisory Group was established in 2019 to guide prioritisation of activities, implementation and evaluation of the action plan, and to identify emerging issues over the life of the plan. It was co-chaired by the ACT Health Directorate and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, and included representatives from across ACT government, peak bodies, community organisations and consumer organisations.
The first progress report was published in August 2020. I am pleased to present the second and final progress report on the Drug Strategy Action Plan. The report covers the final 18 months of the action plan in 2020 and 2021, and highlights the constructive steps we have taken to implement the 43 actions contained in the plan. The report includes work carried out by government policymakers and services, as well as non-government organisations and services, and private sector providers such as pharmacies and general practitioners.
The government has made new investments of close to $20 million in drug and alcohol treatment and harm reduction during the life of the action plan. I will now outline the key achievements and investments.
The new Directions Health Services mobile primary care outreach clinic was established, with funding from both the ACT government and the Capital Health Network. The ACT drug and alcohol sentencing list was established. The ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction to remove criminal penalties for adult personal possession of cannabis. The ACT adopted the national real-time prescription monitoring system, known locally as Canberra Script. Canberra Health Services opened its new Northside Opioid Treatment Service—NOTS—in December 2020. Additional ongoing funding was provided to expand the reach of our nation-leading naloxone program, saving untold lives. The medically supervised injecting facility feasibility study was published, and additional funding was announced for further scoping work. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation model of care was finalised in partnership with Winnunga Nimmityjah. More than $1.5 million in additional funding was provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including ensuring that people have been able to access opioid treatment medications, even when in isolation.
The final progress report is accompanied by a policy review of the Drug Strategy Action Plan, fulfilling a commitment made under the action plan. The review was conducted with the primary purpose of informing the next drug strategy action plan. The review was collaboratively drafted by the ACT Health Directorate and members of the Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group, a subcommittee of the Drug Strategy Action Plan Advisory Group, including members of the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT and the Australian National University.
Co-drafting the review was successful thanks to the strong relationships between the ACT government, the community sector and academia, developed in part through engagement on the implementation of the action plan—relationships that I greatly
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video