Residential rehabilitation treatment services in the Goldfields, Pilbara and Mid-West will be expanded as part of the $14.9 million Western Australian Meth Strategy 2016.
Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Dave Grills MLC said an additional 32 beds would open in January 2017 to support methamphetamine treatment in regional Western Australia.
“People in regional areas sometimes lack access to the sort of drug treatment services taken for granted in the metropolitan area,” Mr Grills said.
“This investment will help narrow the services gap and allow users and their families to more effectively tackle the meth scourge.
“The extra beds in the Goldfields, Pilbara and Mid-West are an important part of the WA Meth Strategy 2016, which has already delivered more staff to community alcohol and other drug counselling centres, a dedicated Meth Helpline, a specialist meth outpatient clinic and frontline worker training.”
An additional ten beds will be available at Hope Community Services in the Mid-West. New beds will also be installed at Goldfields Rehabilitation Services Inc in Kalgoorlie-Boulder (four) and the Yaandina Family Centre in the Pilbara (two).
Mr Grills said the service providers were selected through a competitive tender process that provides the best value and highest quality service for taxpayer dollars.
Nationals WA Candidate for Kalgoorlie Tony Crook said the extra beds at the Goldfields Rehabilitation Service would complement a recent $2.7 million Royalties for Regions investment in the facility through the Goldfields-Esperance Revitalisation Fund.
“The Goldfields Rehabilitation Service recently secured Royalties for Regions funding for a drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation program, the refurbishment of the existing facility and the construction of a new building in Kalgoorlie-Boulder,” Mr Crook said.
“The announced extra beds will provide a welcome boost to local services and mean that more people who need help with meth, and their families, will be able to access treatment and support nearer to where they live.
“While we still have work to do, it is great to see significant investment in local rehabilitation treatment services.”
