Grasping the Opportunity of Opal: Assessing the Impact of the Petrol Sniffing Strategy
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The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Grasping the opportunity of Opal: Assessing the impact of the Petrol Sniffing Strategy March 2009 © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-1-74229-072-0 Senate Community Affairs Committee Secretariat: Mr Elton Humphery (Secretary) Ms Toni Matulick (Secretary) Ms Lisa Fenn (Principal Research Officer) Ms Alice Crowley (Acting Senior Research Officer) Mr Owen Griffiths (Senior Research Officer) Ms Leonie Peake (Research Officer) Ms Ingrid Zappe (Executive Assistant) Ms Samantha Ferry (Executive Assistant) The Senate Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Phone: 02 6277 3515 Fax: 02 6277 5829 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca This document was produced by the Senate Community Affairs Committee Secretariat and printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra. iii MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE 42nd Parliament Members Senator Claire Moore, Chair ALP, Queensland Senator Rachel Siewert, Deputy Chair AG, Western Australia Senator Judith Adams LP, Western Australia Senator Catryna Bilyk ALP, Tasmania Senator Carol Brown ALP, Tasmania Senator Sue Boyce LP, Queensland Senator Mark Furner ALP, Queensland Senator Gary Humphries LP, Australian Capital Territory Substitute Members Senator Crossin to replace Senator Carol Brown for the inquiry Senator Bernardi to replace Senator Adams from 11 February 2009 until 12 May 2009 and Senator Fifield to replace Senator Bernardi in place of Senator Adams from 10 March to 12 May 2009 iv v TABLE OF CONTENTS MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE................................................................................ iii RECOMMENDATIONS..........................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 Terms of reference..................................................................................................1 Conduct of the inquiry............................................................................................1 Central Australian Petrol Sniffing Strategy Unit ................................................2 Background.............................................................................................................2 Beyond petrol sniffing report 2006 .....................................................................2 Eight Point Plan...................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2 ADDRESSING PETROL SNIFFING .......................................................................................7 Declines in petrol sniffing ......................................................................................7 The rollout of Opal fuel........................................................................................10 Health risks of Opal fuel ...................................................................................13 Opal fuel rollout in Alice Springs .....................................................................14 The success of Opal fuel.......................................................................................16 Opal is only part of the solution ........................................................................18 Northern Territory Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Act.............................19 Services available for young people.....................................................................20 Northern Territory Integrated Youth Service....................................................21 South Australian programs................................................................................24 Western Australian programs............................................................................27 School holiday programs...................................................................................27 Other non-government services.........................................................................28 Levels of policing.................................................................................................29 Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk ..................................................................29 Developments on the APY Lands .....................................................................30 Treatment and rehabilitation services...................................................................30 Substance Misuse Facility in Amata .................................................................31 Bushmob House in Alice Springs .....................................................................32 Adult rehabilitation facility in Alice Springs ....................................................33 Review of Indigenous Coordination Centres .......................................................33 National Inhalants Information Service................................................................34 Levels of other substance abuse ...........................................................................35 vi CHAPTER 3 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EIGHT POINT PLAN...............................................................39 Independent review of the strategy ...................................................................39 Effectiveness of the Eight Point Plan ...................................................................40 The role of CAPSSU .........................................................................................42 Consolidating the rollout of Opal fuel..................................................................44 Mandating Opal fuel..........................................................................................46 Contractors and the use of Opal fuel.................................................................51 Central Australian exclusion zone.....................................................................52 Opal fuel supply in northern Australia..............................................................53 Opal fuel in Yalata.............................................................................................56 Premium fuel .....................................................................................................59 Mintabie, South Australia..................................................................................61 Delivery of youth services....................................................................................62 Recruitment, retention and training of staff ......................................................65 Integrating early childhood services..................................................................66 Consistent legislation............................................................................................67 Policing levels ......................................................................................................68 Strengthening and supporting communities.........................................................71 Preventative drug education ..............................................................................71 Evaluation.............................................................................................................72 Restorative justice ................................................................................................73 CHAPTER 4 THE EFFECTIVENESS AND ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES...........................................75 Adequacy of resources .........................................................................................76 Youth services ...................................................................................................77 Rehabilitation services..........................................................................................81 Mt Theo Outstation............................................................................................82 Bushmob House.................................................................................................83 Ilpurla Outstation...............................................................................................83 Tendering processes .............................................................................................84 Funding cycles and administrative burden...........................................................85 Adult education services for ex-sniffers...............................................................90 Resources for early childhood services and nutrition ..........................................91 Continued monitoring...........................................................................................92 Conclusion............................................................................................................94 vii APPENDIX 1 LIST OF PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS, TABLED DOCUMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AUTHORISED FOR PUBLICATION BY THE COMMITTEE ..............95 APPENDIX 2 WITNESSES WHO APPEARED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AT PUBLIC HEARINGS ..............................................................................................................97 viii ix RECOMMENDATIONS Chapter 2 Recommendation 1 2.26 Given that the Department of Health and Ageing provides assistance with the supply of Opal fuel to any community that requests it, and