NEARLY 6000 people as of Wednesday afternoon have put their names to a petition directed to NSW Premier Mike Baird and Dubbo MP Troy Grant to urgently fund a drug rehab centre at Dubbo to help in the fight against the drug ice.
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Of the signatures recorded, more than 1000 have been physically taken down by volunteers throughout the streets of Dubbo, while the remaining have been lodged online through the change.org website.
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.
Nguumambiny Indigenous Corporation volunteer Tahni Waters was one of the main drivers of the petition, and believes it shows both the state and federal governments the people are fed up with not having the services they feel they need.
"Everyone has got behind it from from high ranking officials, Order of Australian Medal recipients and those who are struggling, like homeless people," she said.
"Everyone knows the damage that ice has done and continues to do.
"It took us about a month to get the 1000 signatures but the 5000 online ones came in just over a few days.
"The services that are available in Dubbo for drug and alcohol users are not good enough and we need a specific drug rehab centre."
Ms Waters, who has done a lot of work alongside well known drug campaigner Lynn Field, believes not having the appropriate services in place is making it extremely difficult for drug addicts to come clean.
"I was using and it was only because my parents live 10 kilometres out of town that I was able to go out there and get off drugs," she said.
"Not having a centre in town makes it so difficult for anyone who wants to get off drugs as they don't have anywhere to go to get away from it.
"An hour a week is not enough, if you are seeing other people who are still using, chance are you'll start up again.
"It doesn't matter what else is introduced whether it be a drug court or what have you, without the drug rehab centre you are setting those people up for failure."
Ms Field called on Mr Baird and Mr Grant, who the petition was directed to, to act on what is a strong show of support from the community.
"Troy Grant said before the last election he'd get the rehab centre for the ice problem," she said.
"The rehab centre is key to it and it can't be in a year, two years or the next election, it needs to happen now."
Mr Grant was contacted for comment, but did not respond before printing deadlines.
For more information or to add your signature to the petition, visit change.org and search Tahni Waters.
