THE VICTORIAN ALCOHOL STATISTICS SERIES

REGIONAL SUMMARIES

GIPPSLAND REGION

ALCOHOL-RELATED HARMS & USE ACROSS VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS 1999/00 – 2006/07

Sharon Matthews, Monica J. Barratt, Belinda Lloyd

The Victorian Alcohol Statistics Series is derived from work conducted by the Population Health Research Program at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health. The work is commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The primary aim of this project is to establish key indicators of alcohol consumption and related harm within the Victorian community for the purpose of informing policy formulation, resource allocation, and service planning and monitoring. This Summary presents findings from the Alcohol Statistics Series for the Region.1 2

Key Findings

Alcohol-related hospital admission rates: Upward trend: the region, Baw Baw, , Latrobe and Wellington. Downward trend: South Gippsland.

Alcohol-related assaults: Upward trend: the region, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, East Gippsland and Latrobe. Downward trend: South Gippsland and Wellington.

Alcohol-related serious road injury: Upward trend: Baw Baw, East Gippsland, Latrobe and South Gippsland. Downward trend: Bass Coast.

Alcohol-related courses of treatment: Upward trend: the region, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Latrobe, South Gippsland and Wellington. Downward trend: East Gippsland.

Liquor licensing: Upward trend: the region, Bass Coast, Latrobe, South Gippsland and Wellington. Downward trend: East Gippsland.

1 Please notes, someAlcohol of the following-related rates hospital may be admission based on small rates: numbers and this can produce unstable results. For instance small numbers and small populations can produce largerUpward than trend:expected the results. region, For further Baw detailsBaw, see East the Gippsland,methods section Latrobe of the full and publication. Wellington. 2 Matthews, S, Barratt, M DownwardJ & Lloyd, B (2011), trend Victorian: South alcohol Gippsland. statistics: Alcohol-related harms and use across Victorian local government areas 1999– 2000 to 2006–07. Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre, Fitzroy

Alcohol-related assaults: 1 Upward trend: the region, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, East Gippsland and Latrobe. Downward trend: South Gippsland and Wellington.

Alcohol-related serious road injury: Upward trend: Baw Baw, East Gippsland, Latrobe and South Gippsland. Alcohol-related deaths demonstrated an overall downward trend. Alcohol-related hospital admissions Owing to small numbers across the years Figure 4 Alcohol-related assault rates (per only the and the Shire of 10,000 residents) by location of assault for East Gippsland, region and state are selected regional LGAs, Gippsland region & Figures 1 and 2 show rates of alcohol- , 1999-00 to 2006-07 related hospital admissions over an eight shown in Figure 3. This figure shows rates of alcohol-related deaths over an 40.0 year period for the LGAs of the Bass Coast eight year period for selected areas. The Gippsland region. These figures show 30.0 Baw Baw an upward trend for the state and patterns over the eight years have been relatively stable. The overall Victorian 20.0 East regional rates across the eight years. Gippsland and regional rates were very small, Gippsland Victorian rates have gradually increased 10.0 though there appeared to be a slight from 1999-00. The regional rate, Total State 0.0 of Victoria although increasing, has been variable. decrease over time. The regional rate was significantly lower The rate for the than the state for the majority of years on two occasions were significantly (Source: Victoria Police LEAP) shown. higher than the state. There were no Those Gippsland region LGAs that were significant differences for the other LGAs Figure 5 Alcohol-related assault rates (per significantly different from the state were in the region. 10,000 residents) by location of assault for selected regional LGAs, Gippsland region & lower for alcohol-related hospital Figure 3 Alcohol-related death rates (per 10,000 Victoria, 1999-00 to 2006-07 admissions. The residents) in the LGA, Gippsland region and Victoria, 1999 to 2006 40.0 demonstrated a slight upward trend, but LaTrobe 20.0 had rates significantly lower than the 30.0 South state for all eight years shown. East Gippsland Gippsland 20.0 Wellington Latrobe City also showed an upward LaTrobe 10.0 Gippsland

trend over the years shown, with the Gippsland Rate perRate10,000 majority of years being significantly lower Total State Total State of 0.0 of Victoria than the state. Victoria 0.0 The Shire of South Gippsland showed a downward trend and from 2003-04 was (Source: Victoria Police LEAP) the significantly different from the state. (Source: ABS) Figure 1 Alcohol-related hospital admission Alcohol-related serious road injury Alcohol-related assaults rates (per 10,000 residents) for residents in (SRI) selected regional LGAs, Gippsland region & Victoria, 1999-00 to 2006-07 Figures 4 and 5 show rates of alcohol- Figures 6 and 7 show rates of alcohol-

100.0 related assaults (for the location of related serous road injury (for the Bass Coast 80.0 assault) over an eight year period for the location of the injury) over an eight year Baw Baw LGAs of the Gippsland region. The period for the LGAs of the Gippsland 60.0 East overall Victorian and regional rate has region. The Victorian rate was relatively 40.0 Gippsland Gippsland steadily increased from 1999-00. The flat across the years shown. There has 20.0 Total State regional rate was significantly higher than been little rate change when comparing 0.0 of Victoria the Victorian rate for all eight years the extreme time points. The Gippsland shown. regional rates track the state rates relatively well. There were significant A commonality across the LGAs in terms (Source: DH VAED) differences between the state and of rate patterns is how much variability regional rates. Figure 2 Alcohol-related hospital admission there has been over time. The Shires of rates (per 10,000 residents) for residents in Bass Coast, East Gippsland, and the City Only the Shire of Bass Coast showed a selected LGAs, Gippsland region & Victoria, of Latrobe have shown the most dramatic downward trend. However, there were 1999-00 to 2006-07 increases in alcohol-related assaults very few significant differences between 100.0 across time. the rates for respective LGAs and the LaTrobe 80.0 state. South Since 1999-00, East Gippsland has 60.0 Gippsland increased from a rate of 19 to 31 alcohol- Wellington 40.0 related assaults per 10,000 residents in Gippsland 20.0 2006-07 All three LGAs have rates

Total State 0.0 significantly higher than the state for all of Victoria years shown. With the exception of 2006-07 the Shire (Source: DH VAED) of Baw Baw showed rates significantly higher than the state.

The Shires of South Gippsland and Wellington unlike the other LGAs have

2

Figure 6 Alcohol-related serious road injury significantly higher than the state across Figure 10 Liquor licences (outlet density) rates rates (per 10,000 residents) (SRI) all ages by all years shown. (per 10,000 aged 15 years and above) for the location of injury for selected regional LGAs, selected LGAs, Gippsland region & Victoria, Gippsland region and Victoria, 1999-00 to 2006- Figure 8 Alcohol-related courses of treatment 1999 – 2006. 07 (COT) rates per 10,000 residents, all ages, for selected LGAs, Gippsland region and Victoria, 140.0 Bass Coast 40.0 Bass Coast 120.0 1999-00 to 2006-07 Baw Baw 100.0 30.0 Baw Baw 180.0 80.0 Bass Coast East Gippsland 160.0 East 60.0 20.0 140.0 Gippsland Gippsland Baw Baw 40.0 Gippsland 120.0 10.0 100.0 20.0 East Total State of Total State of 80.0 Gippsland 0.0 Victoria Victoria 0.0 60.0 Gippsland 40.0 20.0 Total State 0.0 of Victoria (Source: Department of Justice Victoria) (Source: VicRoads)

Figure 11 Liquor licences (outlet density) rates Figure 7 Alcohol-related serious road injury (Source: DH ADIS) (per 10,000 aged 15 years and above) for the rates (per 10,000 residents) (SRI) all ages by selected LGAs, Gippsland region & Victoria, location of injury for selected regional LGAs, 1999 – 2006. Gippsland region and Victoria, 1999-00 to 2006- Figure 9 Alcohol-related courses of treatment 07 (COT) rates per 10,000 residents, all ages, for 140.0 LaTrobe selected LGAs, Gippsland region and Victoria, 120.0 South 40.0 LaTrobe 1999-00 to 2006-07 100.0 Gippsland 80.0 Wellington 30.0 South 180.0 Gippsland 160.0 LaTrobe 60.0 Gippsland 20.0 Wellington 140.0 40.0 South 120.0 20.0 Gippsland Gippsland Total State of 10.0 100.0 0.0 Victoria 80.0 Wellington Total State of 60.0 0.0 Victoria 40.0 Gippsland 20.0 (Source: Department of Justice Victoria) 0.0 Total State of Victoria (Source: VicRoads)

Alcohol-related treatment services (Source: DH ADIS) Figures 8 to 9 show rates for government funded drug treatment services where Liquor licences alcohol was identified as the primary Figures 10 and 11 show rates for liquor drug of concern over an eight year period licences over an eight year period for the for the LGAs of the Gippsland region. LGAs of the Gippsland region, as well as In the main these figures indicate that the regional and state trends. Gippsland region and the majority of These figures indicate patterns over the constituent LGAs had rates of alcohol eight years have remained quite stable treatment service utilisation significantly with small increases in rates for Victoria higher than the Victorian rate. The and the region. The regional rate was Victorian rate has steadily increased over significantly higher than the Victorian rate time. Although the regional rate has for all eight years shown. increased since 1999-00 the annual rates have fluctuated from year to year. There The outlet density for the region in 1999- has been an overall change from 62 00 was 33 outlets per 10,000 residents courses of treatment for alcohol in 1999- 15 years and over, by 2006-07 this had 00 to 70 courses of treatment per 10,000 slightly increased to a rate 35, while the residents in 2006-07 in the region. Victorian rate has increased from 23 to 27 per 10,000 residents aged 15 years The Shire of Baw Baw and the City of and over. Latrobe have approximated the regional rate pattern over the eight years with a Licences have increased by 31% over couple of exceptions. Two Shires do the eight year period in the Victoria, stand out, the Bass Coast and East compared with 18% in the Gippsland Gippsland. region. Bass Coast experienced a sharp rise The Shires of Bass Coast, East until 2003-04 for alcohol treatment Gippsland and Wellington had the service utilisation rates. In contrast East highest outlet densities across the eight Gippsland demonstrated a sharp decline years. in rates for alcohol treatment service utilisation, although in recent years it has stabilised. The majority of rates were

3