By Luke Voogt
A Liberal MP misled Geelong when she announced a new team to fight drug use in the city, according to a federal Labor counterpart.
Corio MP Richard Marles slammed Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson for claiming earlier this month that “another local drug action team (was) being established in Geelong”.
But the Alcohol and Drug Foundation revealed to the Indy this week that the team would work from Footscray, predominantly covering the Maribyrnong, Brimbank and Wyndham regions.
“Rebranding established teams from other parts of the country and saying they’re ‘another local drug action team being established in Geelong’ is misleading,” Mr Marles said.
The Labor MP called for Federal Government to instead introduce a drug action team dedicated to Geelong’s northern suburbs.
“It would be great to see a team solely dedicated to those most in need across Geelong,” he said.
“The government absolutely needs to be doing more on this. I’ve encouraged local organisations in Geelong to apply for government funding to help deal with drugs in our city.
“We need to see positive outcomes when it comes to tackling drugs in our city, we can do more.”
The new team will cover an area with a total population greater than Geelong, stretching from Melbourne’s west to Corio at its southernmost point.
Ms Henderson congratulated the South Sudanese Community Association in Victoria on receiving $10,000 in Federal funding to help develop a local community action plan.
“I’m pleased that people from Geelong are working together to tackle the devastating impact of alcohol and drugs including ice,” she said.
The team could apply for additional funding to help deliver targeted, local projects after completing the plan, Ms Henderson said.
The coalition was investing $298 million over four years to combat drug and alcohol misuse across Australia under the National Ice Action Strategy, she said.
An Alcohol and Drug Foundation spokesperson this week confirmed Melbourne community services provider MiCare would lead the team from Footscray.
The team was consulting members of Victoria’s South Sudanese community, including in Geelong, as part of the planning stage.
“The (team) is aiming to work with the South Sudanese community in Geelong,” the spokesperson said.
Geelong currently has one drug action team, the Geelong Drug Action Network, which operates out Barwon, Child, Youth and Family.
The network received an additional $20,000 in Federal funding last December on top of an initial $10,000.
