More residential rehabilitation beds are desperately needed for people trying to overcome addiction issues in central and northern Victoria.
The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad has formally asked the Minister for Mental Health to increase the number of residential rehabilitation beds available in Bendigo, as the region faces a soaring drug problem.
Ms Broad said the recent opening of a new treatment centre in Bendigo was a move in the right direction but more help was desperately needed.
“I attended the opening of a new site for Bendigo Community Health Services providing alcohol and other drug programs in Bendigo, and I heard directly from the team about the valuable work that they do to help people overcome addictions,” Ms Broad told Parliament.
“While over $4 million was spent on the project, there has been no increase to the number of rehabilitation beds available at Nova House residential support services next door.
“Despite Bendigo being a regional city that services much of central and northern Victoria, the residential support facility only has five beds.
“Over many years, nearly 3000 patients have come through the unit, and I commend Sheenah and the team for their incredible ongoing work to help people through alcohol or drug withdrawal.
“However, without medical staff available after hours, residents at the facility are left to care for themselves overnight, and residents with more complex cases have to go to Melbourne for appropriate care.”
Ms Broad said in the last decade, Labor had failed to provide adequate residential rehabilitation beds, leaving thousands of people in Victoria on waiting lists.
“In the last four years under this government, Victoria’s waitlist for drug and alcohol services has grown by 40 per cent.
“Drugs are causing significant harm in our community, and Bendigo has become the state’s biggest hotspot for meth trafficking.
“Victoria Police have said that meth is a significant driver of crime across the state and that illicit drug use can act as a springboard to more serious criminal behaviour.
“The alcohol and other drug service at the Bendigo Salvation Army treated more than 650 clients in non-residential rehabilitation programs in the last year, and they have highlighted the significant shortage of health services in regional areas, including bulk-billing GPs and psychologists.”
Ms Broad said in 2022 the Liberals and Nationals put forward a comprehensive plan to deliver 180 new alcohol or other drug rehabilitation and withdrawal beds across the state along with support measures to assist dependent drug users to break the cycle of addiction.
“By contrast, the Victorian Labor government has a terrible track record on drug and alcohol support services – you only have to look at the botched injecting room next door to a primary school, the failure to meet demand for pharmacotherapy-based drug treatments and the lack of investment in additional drug rehabilitation and withdrawal beds in regional Victoria.
“Labor can’t manage money and regional Victorians battling addiction are seriously suffering as a result.”
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
