Last week, Assistant Minister for Health, Senator The Hon Fiona Nash, visited Dubbo where she undertook a community consultation with local professionals and organisations involved with tackling drug and alcohol issues across Western New South Wales.   

 

The aim of the consultation was to gather grass roots information on local impacts, effective programs and current efforts to combat the use of ice.  The feedback provided at the consultation will be fed into National Ice Taskforce.  The Taskforce will be developing a National Ice Action Strategy.

 

I thank everyone who took the time to attend the consultation in Dubbo and for the valuable contributions made on the day. 

 

I acknowledge that there is no “one size fits all” solution to tackling the scourge of ice in our community.    

 

I am also aware that the growing use of ice is not the only issue facing Western New South Wales.  As well as developing a National Ice Action Strategy, the Commonwealth Government is also working towards developing an alcohol strategy. 

 

I often hear stories of drug and alcohol abuse going hand-in-hand and the devastating affects this combination has on people’s lives and the lives of those around them. 

 

I believe that by developing a National Ice Action Strategy, the Government will be able to go some way to address this devastation. 

 

I strongly encourage everyone in my electorate to visit the National Ice Taskforce website and make a submission to the Taskforce at australia.gov.au/drugs.

 

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I am very pleased to have received such positive feedback from the community about the Coalition Government’s 2015 Budget.

 

People from local businesses across the region have been contacting me and telling me they are experiencing an instant response to measures contained in the Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package. 

 

Local farmers and businesses are taking advantage of tax cuts and immediate deductions in order to stimulate not only their own business activity, but also the activity of other local businesses.

 

Small business and farmers are the backbone of our economy and I am very proud that my Government is going some way to provide support in these areas.