Thursday, 6 September 2018

Latrobe Community Health Services Limited is one of 13 outstanding Victorian community organisations to be been awarded an Andrews Labor Government Community Ice Action Grant of $7996.00, which will help them develop locally focused and responsive action plans to reduce the impact of the drug.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing congratulated Latrobe Community Health Services Limited’s success in obtaining such an important community grant that will change the lives of many.

Each organisation will receive up to $10,000 to put towards initiatives to help prevent and reduce ice related harm. Applications were encouraged from groups with a focus on improving community safety, Aboriginal populations and young people who are at risk of entering the youth justice system.

Over the past four years, 52 community ice action grants have been awarded totalling more than $500,000.

The Labor Government has increased funding for alcohol and other drug services by 57 per cent over the last four Victorian Budgets, providing a record $259.9 million in this year’s alone.

This includes more than doubling the number of residential rehab beds in Victoria – from 208 beds in 2014–15 to more than 450 when all beds are fully operational.

Other Ice Action Grant recipients include:

• Australian Red Cross Society (West Grampians region)
• Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (Ballarat)
• Break The Ice Australia (Moonee Valley)
• Frankston Mornington Peninsula Primary Care Partnership (Frankston Mornington Peninsula)
• Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation (Wodonga)
• Sports Focus: Loddon Campaspe Sports Assembly (Central Goldfields Shire and Shire of Campaspe)
• Stepping Up Consortium through TaskForce Community Agency (Hastings)
• Sudanese Mothers Coalition in Victoria, Inc. (Melton, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Wyndham)
• TaskForce Community Agency (Cardinia Shire)
• Thorne Harbour Health (THH) Victorian AIS Council Inc (VAC)
• Wodonga Council (Wodonga)

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing

“Ice affects everyone, whether in the breakdown of families, increased admissions to hospitals or assaults on first responders. This grant will help Latrobe Community Health Service fight this drug that is exacting a terrible toll on our society.”

“We need to work together to fight the scourge of ice and other drugs which cause so much harm to individuals, families and our communities.”