Welfare groups urge NSW government to be open to major reforms

ABC NEWS (Australia)

On the eve of a major drug summit, several prominent social welfare bodies are urging the NSW government to ensure that nothing is off the table so that the summit results in genuine reforms.

Transcript

00:00This is the third instalment of a NSW-wide drug summit that started in the regional parts

00:08of the state but has now come to Sydney for its biggest part of the conference yet.

00:14Already these social welfare groups are saying there needs to be a rethinking of how the

00:18state government makes laws and indeed responds to drug use, not just here where I am in inner

00:24city Sydney but around the state.

00:26We have to have the capacity for supervised injection in other places.

00:30We have to have the capacity to provide drug checking both at festivals and at fixed site.

00:36We have to have legislative reform to change the narrative and move away from the shame

00:41and the stigma that keeps people in the shadows.

00:43We have to look at things like prison reform when we're hemorrhaging money into a system

00:48and that the other systems like treatment are crying out desperately for help.

00:52Whether or not those reforms being called for including the testing of drugs as well

00:56as a decriminalisation broadly of drugs takes place remains to be seen.

01:01The NSW Premier Chris Mintz has often been coy or reluctant to commit to such matters

01:07but did while in opposition commit to this drug summit and that's where these organisations

01:13remain hopeful of potential change.

01:15They cite the 1999 state drug summit which led to the creation of a supervised injecting

01:20centre.

01:21At that point it seemed unlikely they say that state politicians would support such

01:25a move but had their minds changed after the accounts and testimony they heard when people

01:31spoke about the impact illegal drug use was having on the state and what might be the

01:36solutions to these problems.

01:38Already we have seen some commitments from the state government though they deal with

01:42funding for programs rather than legislative change.

01:46These are things like funding for diversionary programs for young people and children as

01:51well as reforms to the way in which treatment centres operate including more money for outpatient

01:57care as well as other rehabilitation centres not just in the greater Sydney area but also

02:02right across the region of NSW.

02:05This part of the summit will run for two days and is expected to hear from experts of a

02:09group of about 500 people.

02:12Chris Menz is expected to be in attendance for at least some of the summit.

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