Greens Call for Talks on Drug Reform

Federal Greens Leader Richard Di Natale has hosted a roundtable discussion in Newcastle,with new ways to tackle the Ice epidemic on the table.

Di Natale will be calling on the Government to move drug addiction out of the criminal justice system and into the health network.

All types of drug use will be up for discussion, not just Ice.

He is also calling on funding for drug prevention be also diverted into the health system, to help with rehabilitation  and detox centres. 

Dr. Di Natale is hoping for "rational" conversations on drug control

"There are resources going towards police, to target individuals who have got drug addiction, rather than spending that money on treatment" said Dr. Di Natale.

A number of roundtables will be held across Australia in the weeks leading up to the national illicit drugs summit in March, with stops also expected in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

Newcastle was one of the chosen cities because of the "live issue" illicit drugs are in the region.

The roundtable will include representatives from the health and justice departments, academics and people who have experienced drug use first hand.

Despite the call to decriminalise the use of drugs, Di Natale is still calling on the drugs themselves to be illegal.

"Drugs should continue to be illegal, particularly drugs like is.  We should continue to prosecute drug dealers, but when we're talking about the individuals who use drugs, it's much better to offer them treatment."

However, Drug Free Australia Executive Director, Jo Baxter has lamented the decision by the Greens, saying the criminal system should receive increased funding for drug related crimes.

"We could put more resources into drug courts, which is a system where by they [drug addicts] aren't treated as criminals, they are diverted into rehabs."

"Anything that would take the deterrent away, that's not a good system."

Di Natale has used Portugal as an example of how decriminalising drug use has done good things.

"In Portugal, where criminal penalties for individual drug users were removed, and all that money spent on treatment; we didn't see any increase in drug use."

"What we saw was more people come forward for treatment and a much, much more efficient use of resources."

Ms. Baxter however has argued the decriminalisation will send the wrong message to kids.

"They need to think about the compassion of the kids that are coming up and haven't tried drugs yet."

"Don't send the wrong message, don't let it become normal."

The national summit will be held in Canberra on March 2, and is expect to play host to members of the Federal Cabinet.

There, Di Natale hopes to have rational discussions about drug control.

"We're just trying to change the national conversation" he said.

Image courtesy of Business Insider Australia (LINK).

McCormack has got Williamtown at the "top of the Priorities"

New Assistant Defence minister, Michael McCormack has given hope to Williamtown residents, as he aims to make the contamination at Williamtown RAAF base a top priority.

It comes as Defence minister, Marise Payne refuses to respond to the Senate inquiry into the base, which found conditions to be a crisis to the local community.

Minister Payne has also refused to announce when the Federal Government will respond to the report.

"Having face-to-face engagements with people who are living the reality of this contamination is vital" says Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon, who welcomed the announcement from minister McCromack.

McCormack first entered Parliament in 2010, representing the seat of Riverina, NSW

 It's been months since the initial announcement of contamination, which has seen local businesses hampered by loss of business, while fishing organisations have had little to no income since late last year.

Claydon has also advised minister McCormack to see the effects first hand, and not in Canberra.

"Have some discussion with the community group leadership ... to really find out what is the most appropriate means of communicating with as many residents and effected business as possible."

"It's not good enough to just lob up in Newcastle with a clear plan."

"He needs to hit the ground running."

McCormack was sworn in as Assistant Defence minister earlier today, along with a slew of Nationals MPs, including Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister, and Alan Tudge, who replaced Stuart Robert as Human Services minister.

Image courtesy of Alex Ellinghausen, via the Sydney Morning Herald (LINK).

Hunter Students get a Taste of Space

Regional Development Australia's ME Program has partnered with West Wallsend High School to increase children's excitement and involvement in STEM.

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, July 21, 1969

The Quberider Workshop teaches teachers electronic and programming skills, which give students a taste of what astronauts do.

Students are encouraged to learn skills such as coding and electronic design, to physics and maths, while simulating experiments also conducted on real space missions

"This program is very much about being real world and actually being involved in programs that NASA would be involved in" said RDA Hunter's ME Program Director, Dr. Scott Sleap.

The program is said to give students the tools they need to launch into a STEM career and be competitive in the global market.

"What we have is a workforce that is going to require STEM skills in the future, and actually, in the now" said Dr. Sleap.

"If students don't develop the type of skills we're talking about in STEM, then they're going to be locked out of the workforce."

The program has seen considerable success in the Hunter, with over 30 schools now signed up to and actively involved in STEM, with up to 70 across NSW.

"The Hunter regions actually becoming one of the leaders in STEM education in NSW and even possibly Australia" said Dr. Sleap.    

New Beds for Newcastle Private

The State Government and Department of Planning have approved an extra storey to be built on top of a new building at Newcastle Private Hospital.

It will allow for 15 new beds and an additional operating theatre, bringing the total up to 196 and 10 respectfully.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald praised the announcement, saying "these extra beds and additional health infrastructure will assist the health system to meet demand and provide timely treatment."

"The Hunter community is fortunate to have a mix of high quality private and public health providers."

The plan also included an elevated pedestrian link between the existing Kingston and Croudace Buildings.

The original plan, back in 2010 approved a six storey building on top of a three stroy parking lot, that total has now been increased to seven.

 

Rural Mental Health Services Recieves a Boost

The State Government has committed $19 million to the University of Newcastle's Center for Rural and remote Mental Health Centre.

Funding will be delivered over the next five years and spent on improving the services and supporting rural and regional residents when it comes to their mental health.

"We will be looking at how we work with Government health services and the primary health networks ... in order to create a much more relevant mental health service for people in remote regions" says the Center's Trevor Hazell.

In these remote regions, the local GP acts as the mental health practitioner as opposed to urban areas like Newcastle and the Hunter, where specialised care is available.

"You may not be able to access a clinical psychologist, and thier are barries ... because of  fear that everyone in the town would know" says Mr Hazell

"In a metropolitan area, you can access them anonymously."

Mr Hazell adds that weather plays a significant role in the mental health of farmers, with the fear of whether or not their will be rain before harvest.

"Their continuously looking towards a possible good future, but also a possible uncertain future.  And this effects not just those of produce the agriculture, it affects the workers."

Image courtesy of Matthias Ripp, via Flickr (LINK).

AGL Walks Away from Gloucester

After eight years of protests and poor results, energy supplier AGL has walked away from the coal-seam-gas industry in Gloucester.

AGL had high hopes that the Waukivory pilot would provide 15% of the State CSG needs by 2018 however, it has now decided that number is unobtainable.

Protests have been ongoing since the mine opened

"Unfortunately, the economic returns to support the investment of approximately $1 billion were not adequate" AGL said in a statement.

"Consequently, in the interest of our shareholders and customers, this is the most responsible course of action."

Groundswell Gloucester's Judy Lyford has been a strong advocate against the CSG industry and has welcomed this news.

"AGL were on a hiking to no where with the non-existent Gloucester gas fields because of all the inherit problems."

"We respect AGL's decision, now our focus is on the State Government and the collusion and culpability we fell has been happening for many years."

AGL's pull-out comes after Gloucester Council inquired to NSW Premier Mike Baird and asked to buy the CSG exploration license from the company back in November.

"Coal seam gas was a great concern to many people in our community, the lack of science and tech coming out from all over the world continuing unknown's was a real worry" said Gloucester Mayor John Rosenbaum.

"We need to move forward as a community."

"AGL, I'm hoping will be able to work with us and we're prepared to do that and I think the community will be at looking at the long term renewable energy source."

Ms Lyford says the focus now needs to shift to the conservation of the Gloucester environment.

"We to look at what's happening with the waste water, the holding ponds so there's a lot of work for AGL to do in that space."

"[Coal seam gas is] a shocking industry that has no guarantees of safety its been shown to be polluting."

"It's unacceptable and the State Government are really culpable for everything that's happened."

Meanwhile, Mr Rosenbaum is looking forward to getting on with the job.

"I'm looking forward to promote Gloucester (sic) without having this in the background."

"The beauty of Gloucester we have here, I can see the benefit is that now more people are assured that there's an industry [gone now] that they didn't want to live around, they can come and live here in this great environment we have."

"It needs to be protected for future generations."

Image courtesy of Ray Dawes, via ABC (LINK).

Lake Macquarie Council Promotes Awareness of Autism

Lake Macquarie families are encouraged to learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during free workshops held at Charlestown Library in both February and June.

Dr. Sturgeon will be a guest speaker at the February workshop.

It's part of Lake Macquarie Council's 'You're Kidding Me' program, which aims to provide families with free access to health, education and family services.

As part of the program, the workshops looks to guide families on how to recognise ASD, as well as support strategies both during and after diagnosis, and how parents can use visual cues to assist children.

Council's Manager of Community Planning, John Ferguson says the workshops aim to improve families understanding, where they will also "explore what ASD looks like, how it is identified in children."

Each workshop will focus on different topics, with the February one featuring special guest Dr. Lee Sturgeon.

"[Dr. Sturgeon] will present a workshop aimed at supporting families through an ASD diagnosis" said Mr. Ferguson.

"Then, on Tuesday 28 June, families can join the team from Early Start Speech Pathology as they explain how the use of visuals can assist children with ASD."

Bookings for both workshops are essential, interested families can book online HERE.

Image courtesy of The Newcastle Herald (LINK).