ANTI-DRUG campaigner Lynn Field has welcomed a $1.4 million state government commitment to outreach services at Dubbo, but said she would not give up the fight for a local rehab centre.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This week the NSW government committed $1.4 million across four years to Lyndon Community to deliver outreach services to tackle ice in the region.
But advocates for a local drug rehabilitation centre are not giving up their fight, with four volunteers from Nguumambiny Indigenous Corporation now doorknocking to collect signatures in support of the campaign.
"For every one addict there's three other people affected. That's an awful lot of people affected by drugs," Ms Field, Nguumambiny's CEO manager, said.
"While I'm thrilled that Lyndon got the tender to supply these services, it's not enough.
"Part of the problem with addiction is isolation. It would be so awesome if we had a rehab - something that could provide the social inclusion, the dealing with the childhood trauma."
Nguumambiny needs 10,000 signatures to have the petition tabled in Parliament, and had collected about 6000 online before learning only physical signatures could be counted in the total.
"I can give Troy [Grant, Dubbo MP] what I've got and that's just a ministerial response but we have to table it in Parliament because the reality is we're not getting what we need," Ms Field said.
The volunteers have started gathering signatures in East Dubbo, working two or three days each week to get the additional 6000 names on paper.
Ms Field said so far, residents had been open to supporting the campaign.
"Probably 80 per cent of the people that we have caught at home have been very receptive," she said.
"You would be surprised how many doors we've knocked on and people have turned around and said 'yeah, my daughter is on it' or 'my niece is on it'.
"They don't want it right next door to them but they support the principle of a rehab in the area - somewhere out of town - and that's what we want."
The doorknocking Nguumambiny volunteers all carry identification.
For more information about the petition or the campaign contact Lynn Field on 0413 294 801.