Nearly 9000 people have so far put their names to the petition, with just over 5000 of those being done online and about 3800 having been physically taken down by volunteers throughout the streets of Dubbo. 

Titled Premier Baird: End violent assaults from ICE - urgently fund this rehab centre to get it out of regional NSW!, the online petition has received several comments to go with the signatures in support of a drug rehabilitation centre in Dubbo.

The number of 10,000 signatures is significant as a petition which has been signed by 10,000 or more persons can be set down as an order of the day for discussion in NSW Parliament. 

Nguumambiny Indigenous Corporation CEO Lynn Field and volunteer Tahni Waters are two of the main drivers of the petition, and believe the continued support for the petition shows both the state and federal governments the people are fed up with not having the services they feel they need. 

“That is our big aim with this petition (debated in parliament),” Ms Field said. 

“We’ve been going around Dubbo hitting the pavement to get as many signatures and support as possible as we are prepared to fight for this. 

“We have found everyone to be very supportive of this. 

“We do get questioned about where the rehab centre would be as no one would want this in their backyard and the answer to that is we’d look at locations that are five or 10 kilometres out of town.”

Ms Field said an upcoming meeting with Dubbo MP and Deputy Premier Troy Grant would be a vitally important move in their bid to get a drug rehab centre in Dubbo. 

“We’ve got a drug and alcohol forum on December 7 at the Dubbo RSL,” she said. 

“And I’ve got an appointment with Troy Grant on December 8 and that is a really important step.

“He (Mr Grant) focuses a lot on the criminal side where I want to meet in the middle to factor in the social impact of drug addictions.

“If we don’t treat addicts now we will have another generation of drug addicts and that is not what anyone wants.”

For more information or to add your signature to the petition, visit change.org and search Tahni Waters.