Support plan for town camps

THE federal and NT governments will introduce intensive support services to combat alcohol abuse within the town camps of Alice Springs.

THE federal and Northern Territory governments are set to introduce intensive support services to combat alcohol abuse within the town camps of Alice Springs and provide early childhood intervention to Aboriginal families.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin will today announce a $5.4 million Safe and Sober alcohol rehabilitation program, targeted at reducing the number of assaults within town camps and the wider Alice Springs community.

Under the program, intensive therapy and rehabilitation will be provided to those abusing alcohol. The program will also expand alcohol rehabilitation to prison inmates in Alice Springs, who have very limited access to alcohol support services.

Additional to the Safe and Sober program, the Territory government has announced an $80,000 expansion to a residential facility for those in alcohol treatment programs.

The expansion of social services for camp dwellers comes after they agreed to sign up to long-term leases in exchange for improved infrastructure.

Ms Macklin said it was vital to address problems of alcohol abuse along with reducing overcrowding within town camps.

More than 65 per cent of assaults in Alice Springs in 2008 involved alcohol, she said.

"Acute overcrowding and sub-standard housing combined with alcohol abuse and hopelessness have led to despair and horrific violence in the town camps," Ms Macklin said.

The federal and Territory governments will also today announce that $3m will be provided to the charity Anglicare to manage an early childhood intervention program to combat disadvantage and child neglect.