JOBLINK Plus has revived a youth drug forum in Tamworth with plans to keep it alive for at least five years.
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To be held on October 23 and now titled the ‘resilience and well-being’ forum, it’s a continuation of the event originally launched by Kevin Anderson’s defunct ice action group.
Initially a pilot program, believed to be the first of its kind in Australia, however it won’t be funded by the state government this time around.
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The community had raised concerns the event had been dumped for 2018.
The Tamworth MP said “we are continuing the war on drugs” as he welcomed Joblink’s relaunch of the event.
He said the Tamworth-based organisation would take-on the sponsorship of the event his office would continue its support.
Joblink CEO Christine Shewry said the not-for-profit was tackling the local drug issue at both ends, currently hiring clinically-qualified drug counsellors at each of its sites in the state and running the youth forum.
“There was no doubt it was very popular and successful with young people, they’ve got to like it, they did and we would like to take it elsewhere,” Ms Shewry said.
While the education program was brought back from the brink and the city has lost two programs aimed at recidivist offenders, Mr Anderson said there was still a number of programs to help with substance issues.
He said he was still looking at options for a residential rehab service for Tamworth.
“If there is an opportunity to build a detox and rehab centre, yeah, absolutely, I’m focused on that, we’ve started that process a little while ago,” he said.
Mr Anderson was appalled by Labor’s proposal to build regional rehabs and claimed the opposition were playing games with people’s lives.
Ms Shewry said it would be wonderful to establish a rehab in town, but it wouldn’t be a quick fix. “I wish we were in a position to fully finance it, we are not, if we ever are, we will,” she said.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
