Rising illicit drug use in the region was a hot topic when Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett addressed State Parliament this week.
Mr Bennett told Parliament that the feedback he was receiving from the community was that they are concerned about increasing drug dependency in the region, contributing to a rise in crime.
“Insidious drugs like Ice is taking a grip on the nation and sadly our own hometown is not immune to the issue,” he said.
“Every week I hear stories of what this terrifying drug is doing to our young people – stories of families being torn apart, crime rates increasing and our police and hospital services struggling to cope.
“The LNP is listening to these concerns and took a comprehensive Ice strategy to the last election, but we don’t pretend to know it all.
“That’s why we hosted a series of regional forums across the state, including Bundaberg, to hear directly from addicts, their families, community experts and everyday Queenslanders about what they’ve been through and what they think needs to be done to stamp out Ice use.”
Mr Bennett said part of the LNP’s compensative $52.21 million action plan was to establish a dedicated multi-bed drug and alcohol treatment centre in the Wide Bay region to help people kick their drug and alcohol addiction and provide addicts with ongoing support.
“As the Shadow Child Safety Minister and Member for Burnett I will continue to fight against the scourge of Ice to protect our kids and our families,” he said.
Mr Bennett said at a time when frontline resources should be increased, the government was cutting resources from vital community-based crime fighting services including Neighbourhood Watch groups.
“Labor is gutting 85% of funding from this vital community-based crime fighting resource – slashing from $500,000 a year to just $75,000,” he said.
“We should be backing community-spirited volunteers who play a major role in crime prevention and detection – not stabbing them in the back!”
“The people of Bundaberg and Burnett are clearly being let down by a government which continues to mismanage critical frontline services.
“Rest assured, I will continue to fight for the vital frontline resources our community expects and deserves.”
ENDS.
Friday, May 4 2018