Member for Murray Plains and Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh has urged the Melbourne Labor Government to fund specific services into Echuca to combat the impact of ice amphetamine on our community.
The Andrews Government announced its Ice Action Plan of $45.5m on 4th March 2015 and Mr Walsh is asking that funding be provided to Echuca Regional Health to meet the ever increasing demands our community is facing.
“The impact of ice addiction on our young people and our communities cannot be overstated and it is insidious that treatment is harder to access in country areas “ Mr Walsh said.
The Riverine Herald Echuca reported on 16 March 2015 that ice has surpassed alcohol as the biggest drug concern in the Campaspe Shire with data revealing that almost half of all those who present at drug treatment providers in the Campaspe Shire are seeking help for ice addiction.
Mr Walsh is asking the Minister to provide funding directly into Echuca to better support our community to have a coordinated and targeted response to a drug that is ruining so many lives.
“Echuca Regional Health is a key service provider and its new state of the art hospital staff and facilities are well placed to provide specific services that with additional funding would be able to accept direct client self-referrals and provide counselling for family members”
“When rural families need help they need it now in their own communities not weeks or months later in a regional or metropolitan city “ he said.