The 2023-24 State Budget tabled today (25 May) was a mixed bag for the alcohol, tobacco and other drug sector with some wins, some omissions but also some uncertainty for essential services and priorities across the state, ATDC chief executive Alison Lai said.
Speaking to the positives in the budget, Ms Lai acknowledged the government’s commitment to continue funding for essential services, including 65 residential rehabilitation beds across the state, Holyoake’s Gottawanna counselling services and the Salvation Army Street Teams.
“We also welcome the Tasmanian Government’s decision to invest funding into the Mental Health Council of Tasmania’s training and development hub for lived experience peer workers which will also provide benefit to those with a lived experience working in the alcohol and other drug sector,” she said.
“We are aware of a number of service organisations that put in requests for additional funding that didn’t make it into the figures this year to respond to the rising demand for their services, and increasing operational costs, and we know that this is going to be felt by our members even with a small boost in indexation to be provided by government.”
Ms Lai welcomed the government’s commitment to fund the establishment of an alcohol and other drug lived experience service.
“But we will require additional information regarding the amount of funding committed, which is currently unclear,” she said.
“We look forward to having further discussions to ensure that this critical service can be established for the benefit of the tens of thousands of Tasmanians with a lived or living experience of alcohol and other drug use.”
Media contact:
Nicolas Turner: mobile 0418 538 865 or nicolas.turner@corcomms.com.au
