SA loses federal funding in fight against ice

A HIGH-level committee is urging the Turnbull Government to change the way it divides the national war chest to combat the scourge of ice because the worst-affected states are missing out.

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A HIGH-level committee is urging the Turnbull Government to change the way it divides the national war chest to combat the scourge of ice because the worst-affected states are missing out.

South Australia will get about $280,000 less than the state’s population share demands under the final year of funding for the National Ice Action Strategy, despite recording among the highest use of methylamphetamine.

Federal Parliament’s law enforcement committee wants the Government’s wastewater analysis, which reveals levels of drug use, to be used to split the $241.5 million for treatment services, rather than outdated 2011 Census data.

But a Health Department spokeswoman dismissed the recommendation and cast doubt over the reliability of the wastewater analysis.

The committee’s report revealed regional areas in Queensland and NSW were getting the biggest injection of funding but the wastewater analysis shows ice use there was almost half that recorded in Adelaide.

The Advertiser understands Rural Health Minister Bridget McKenzie would not take up the committee’s recommendation.

The Health Department spokeswoman said the wastewater results focused on specific communities and were not “necessarily indicative of drug use trends more broadly”.

The latest Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission wastewater report covered about 61 per cent of the population or 14.2 million Australians.

Nick Xenophon Team Senator Rex Patrick will write to Health Minister Greg Hunt to seek an intervention.

“It is clear from wastewater analysis that SA is confronting a surge in the use of ice,” he said. “There is no reasonable basis for this analysis to be ignored. Dismissing it and directing funding elsewhere will have a devastating effect on SA communities.”

Concerns raised with the committee over the current funding model prompted it to recommend the Health Department update how it distributes cash for 2019/20.

It suggested the 2016 Census data be used in conjunction with the wastewater analysis.

The committee’s report said wastewater analysis should help direct resources to high drug use areas.

The Health spokeswoman said if 2016 Census data was used, SA would get a smaller proportion of the funding.