$36 MILLION INDIGENOUS ALCOHOL DIVERSION PROGRAM

Premier Peter Beattie today announced a new $36 million Indigenous Alcohol Diversion program aimed at rehabilitating people charged with minor offences and providing intensive support for parents with an alcohol problem.

As the Premier indicated during his visit to Palm Island yesterday, the new three-year pilot program will commence in July 2007.

“The new initiative will be piloted in three regions – Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton - and incorporate many existing services and facilities into the new program,” Mr Beattie said.

“Each pilot will involve outreach to an Indigenous community. The Cairns pilot will work with Yarrabah, Townsville with Palm Island and Rockhampton with Woorabinda.

“The government is providing an additional $11 million to supplement $25 million already committed under the Queensland Health Action Plan that will be used in northern and central Queensland for this initiative,” Mr Beattie said.

“As part of the program we will invest significant funding to provide an alcohol treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare program for Indigenous offenders who are assessed as being suitable for a treatment.

“The program will provide 40 treatment places in Rockhampton and Woorabinda; 50 treatment places in Townsville; and 40 treatment places in Cairns and Yarrabah.

“People will be treated in a variety of places including residential treatment centres, hospitals, supported accommodation and at home if that is appropriate. Funding for the program will cover staffing as well as infrastructure enhancement.

“We have also made provision to fund a diversion centre on Palm Island subject to agreement from the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council. The establishment of the diversion centre will be overseen by the Department of Communities in close consultation with the Palm Island community.

“We will provide $300,000 capital funding and $500,000 a year operating costs for three years for the centre which will complement the Indigenous Alcohol Diversion Program.

“The Government hopes this innovative new approach will help break the terrible cycle of crime and child protection problems that are so often associated with alcohol use and abuse in Indigenous communities,” Mr Beattie said.

“The 20 week treatment program will operate in two streams – a criminal justice stream for people charged with an offence where alcohol was a factor and a family intervention stream for Indigenous parents involved in the child protection system where alcohol is a problem.

“It is intended that participants will spend the first 12 weeks of their rehabilitation in residential care before progressively returning to their communities. All participants will be closely monitored throughout the program.

“A range of professionals will work with participants in the program. This includes Magistrates and court staff, Indigenous health services, Queensland Health caseworkers, private and legal aid solicitors and community-based organisations.,

“There has been extensive and ongoing consultation on this initiative which has been enthusiastically embraced by both government and non-government organisations and Indigenous communities.

“The Queensland Government is committed to reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous Queenslanders in the criminal justice and child protection systems. The program aims to improve Indigenous health by diverting willing and eligible people into treatment and case management.

“People charged with offences involving sexual violence and other significant violence will be excluded from the program.

“We hope this intensive intervention will provide a circuit – breaker in the lives of many Indigenous Queenslanders who have an alcohol problem, and give them the skills and confidence they need to improve their health and lead rewarding and productive lives.”

Mr Beattie said the latest initiative was based on world best practice.

“This program should lead to more appropriate sentencing of offenders based on detailed information about their situation acquired through their participation in the new program,” Mr Beattie said.

“We hope this will also lead to a reduction in the number of reoffenders.”

“We also hope the initiative will lead to improved family life with more stable relationships, enhanced parenting skills and the reunification of families as the result of successful rehabilitation through this program,” Mr Beattie said.

The Indigenous Alcohol Diversion program is a major whole-of-government initiative involving funding and support from six separate government departments and agencies. These are the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Department of Communities, Department of Housing, the Department of Health and the Department of Child Safety. The Queensland Police Service, Queensland Treasury, the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations and Queensland Corrective Services have also been involved in the development of the program.

Media inquiries: 3224 4500

21 December 2006