The Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA) and The Buttery have called for meaningful reform at the NSW Drug Summit Regional Forum in Lismore on Monday (4 November).

Following months of sustained advocacy, NADA CEO Dr Robert Stirling said this Regional Forum is an opportunity for the NSW Government to hear from Lismore and other regional service providers and understand the unique challenges facing the region.

“This Regional Forum is an opportunity to bring NSW drug policy into line with modern community expectations and address the stigma and discrimination toward people who use drugs and their families,” Dr Stirling said.

“We will have frontline service providers at the Forum, like The Buttery, who can provide on-the-ground insights to the NSW Government so we can create meaningful change.

“Some 45 per cent of NADA’s members provide services across regional and rural NSW, so it’s incredibly important that their voices are heard during this process.

“There are significant gaps in terms of geographical reach of services into remote communities, and that is a key issue we will raise at the Forum.

“We will also strongly advocate for increased, longer-term and more secure funding for our sector. Chronic underfunding has put our service providers on a knife edge and we cannot afford for these critical services to go under.

“The best health and wellbeing outcomes for all community members must be the priority, and we look forward to a productive and action-focused discussion that will lead to better outcomes for regional NSW.”

The Buttery, a provider of drug and alcohol services in Northern NSW for more than 50 years, welcomed the forum being held in Lismore.

The Buttery CEO Leone Crayden said: “Lismore and the Northern Rivers face a complex and unique set of challenges."

“We need a comprehensive response to drug, alcohol and mental health issues in our region, and that involves the NSW Government providing long-term and sustainable funding for frontline services like ours.

“If we don’t see an improvement to funding security, we won’t be able to shift the dial and deliver better health outcomes for those who need our services.”

NADA released a Position Paper on the upcoming Drug Summit, which included a set of recommendations for the NSW Government, How the upcoming NSW Drug Summit can deliver better outcomes for individuals, families and the community.

Uniting NSW.ACT has urged politicians from all divides to back life-saving and evidence-based drug law.

Emma Maiden, General Manager External Relations and Advocacy at Uniting NSW.ACT said, “This is a golden opportunity for the entire community to share what experts, people with lived experience and front-line services are telling us every day: our current drug laws are failing.

“Urgent reform is needed.

“NSW is at a critical juncture on drug reform. We must not miss this once-in-a-generation chance to shift from a punitive approach to one that prioritises health and support, based on the best evidence.