The annual Budget is the ACT Government’s key policy statement and financial plan for the upcoming financial year and forward estimates period for the Territory and its agencies. To find out more about the Budget and its processes click on the list below.
The Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT publishes annual Budget Submissions related to ATOD priority areas and initiatives.
ATODA Submission to the ACT Budget 2022-23 Consultation Process – March 2022
The ACT Budget consultation process is one of the ways that Canberrans, community groups and local organisations can have a say on how and where the Government should invest to boost services and infrastructure. As the peak body for AOD treatment services in the ACT, ATODA made a submission to the 2022-23 Budget consultation process noting the ATOD sector’s important contribution to the wellbeing of the ACT community, particularly to those vulnerable to lower levels of wellbeing in relation to health outcomes and inclusion and belonging outcomes, as described in the ACT Wellbeing Framework.
The submission detailed the urgent need to meet the Government’s election commitments to AOD services in the 2022–23 Budget, and recommended an increase in investment in the ATOD sector, given findings from recent Drug and Alcohol Service Planning modelling (DASPM) specific to the ACT that indicate up to 4,750 more people need treatment than are currently being treated through exiting services, with an investment gap of approximately $24 million per annum. ATODA’s submission can be read on the ACT Budget Consultation website at this link.
ATODA recognises the current post-COVID funding environment is tight. There is also an urgent need to
meet the Government’s election commitments to Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services and fund a
reasonable portion of these in 2021-22. Early investment will position the sector to recruit new staff,
increase and diversify services to meet current and future demand, and audit existing infrastructure to plan for much needed upgrades. Funding the final request will go a long way to addressing the largest
modifiable contributor to ill health in the ACT population – tobacco consumption – and provide a saving of health and social costs conservatively estimated at $2.6 for every $1 invested in the first year.
Download ATODA’s full submission to the ACT Budget 2021-22 Consultation for further details inclusive of a summary of costed funding priorities proposed.
Or contact Dr Devin Bowles, Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT (ATODA), (02) 6249 6358 or info@atoda.org.au for further information .
Related documents:
Download the ATODA 2020 ACT Election Priorities Statement
This submission includes the following priority areas to prevent and reduce ATOD related harms in the ACT:
- Outpatient AOD Withdrawal Services
- Justice Reform
- Preventing chronic disease and death amongst disadvantaged people who smoke
- AOD Health Service Planning
- Preventing and reducing blood-borne virus transmission and infection
- Workforce Development
For more information: Download the ATODA ACT Budget Submission 2017-18
- Specialist drug treatment and support
- Preventing and reducing opioid related morbidity and mortality
- Early intervention for methamphetamine and other drug problems
- Preventing chronic disease and death amongst disadvantaged people who smoke
- Fully fund 2012 ACT Election Commitments
- Road Safety and impaired driving
- Justice reform and drug (including methamphetamine) and alcohol-related offending
- Reducing prisoner morbidity and mortality
All ACT Government Budget media releases for the 2016-17 Budget can be accessed from here.
- Addressing service gaps through reducing waiting times for drug treatment
- Developing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol, tobacco and other drug workforce
- ACT alcohol, tobacco and other drug service user census and satisfaction survey
- Alcohol, tobacco and other drug worker post-graduate scholarship scheme
- Stage 2: Implementing Expanded Naloxone Availability in the ACT
- Addressing services gaps by expanding needle and syringe program delivery modalities
- Workplace tobacco management in services that support disadvantaged people
- Subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for smokers from priority populations accessing health services
- Evidence-informed drug driving public education campaigns
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco control
- Outpatient services for drug and alcohol services
- Developing a comprehensive response to the increasing harms from crystalline methamphetamine use
- To improve outcomes for families and children by addressing parental alcohol and drug problems in the context of the Out of Home Care Strategy 2015 – 2020 and the Care and Protection system more broadly
For more information: Download the ATODA ACT Budget Submission 2015-16
- To develop, implement and evaluate a centralised, coordinated and subsidised childcare program for children whose parents are participating in ACT alcohol and other drug rehabilitation programs.
- To conduct a cross-sectoral readiness project to better support people with cooccurring disabilities and alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems to improve their access to the existing and already funded services (as part of the ACTʼs program to develop the service system for the new National Disability Insurance Scheme and in alignment with the legislated principles).
- To prioritise and strengthen existing specialist primary health care services that already work with disadvantaged populations through the ʻmobile primary health care clinicʼ initiative, as per the commitment in the Parliamentary Agreement for the 8th Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory.
- To fully fund the Outpatient Service for Drug and Alcohol Services as per the 2012 ACT Government election commitment.
- To fully fund the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smoking Cessation Program as per the 2012 ACT Government election commitment.
- To prevent chronic disease and promote healthy behaviours and workplaces, by supporting health and community services to develop and implement workplace tobacco management policies.
- To urgently implement evidence-based, alcohol and other drug specific non-custodial sentencing options adapted to the ACT, in response to the adult prison being over capacity.
- To undertake research into justice reinvestment in the ACT, in collaboration with key stakeholders, as per the 2012 ACT Government election policy statement for a Fair, Just and More Equitable Society: Justice and Law Reform.
For more information download the ATODA ACT Budget Submission 2014-15.
- Collaboratively develop an evidence informed ATOD outpatient services model for the ACT, which aligns with the ACT Labor Government’s election commitment with funding commencement in 2013/14, with the service to begin in 2014.
- Provide subsidised nicotine replacement therapy (not currently covered on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) to provide equity across non-government and government ATOD service consumers and to complement tobacco reduction andcessation interventions.
- In preparation for the opening of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm in 2014,commence the development and implementation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ATOD Workforce Development Strategy, including placements and traineeships.
- To reduce young peopleʼs involvement with the criminal justice system, promote their safety and that of the community, and to address problematic alcohol consumption through providing a health intervention by expanding sobering up services in the ACT to accommodate referrals for young people under 18 years of age.
- To prevent chronic disease and promote healthy behaviours and workplaces, by
- a) Including, as a requirement of ACT Government funding, health agencies develop and implement workplace tobacco management policies and programs particularly for those who work with disadvantaged groups who have high smoking rates.
- b) Supporting non-government health services funded by the ACT Government to develop and implement workplace tobacco management policies.
The priority areas identified with the sector included:
- To ensure that ACT residents can access ATOD treatment and support from evidence and needs based, effective and efficient quality services through increasing base funding.
- To ensure all ACT ATOD sector non-government organisations benefit from the outcomes from the Fair Work Australia Equal Remuneration Case decision.
- To prevent and reduce blood-borne virus transmission and infection and to meet current and projected need by increasing harm reduction services in the north Canberra region through implementing a full-time primary needle and syringe program.
- To improve road safety in the ACT through reducing drink driving recidivism, by increasing access to alcohol treatment and strengthening the partnerships between law enforcement and health services through conducting an evidence-based, evaluated pilot of an alcohol ignition interlock program targeted at high-range and repeat drink driving offenders.
- To reduce re-offending and poverty and to promote social inclusion by reforming the ACT infringement schemes, including offences related to ATOD.
- To expand and strengthen ATOD research and enhance ATOD policy and service delivery in the ACT and region, through establishing a structured collaboration, such as a Centre for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research, Policy and Practice in the ACT.
- To prevent chronic disease and promote healthy behaviours by implementing workplace tobacco management programs targeted at services that work with disadvantaged people who have high-smoking rates, including at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
- To improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing co-occuring mental health and ATOD issues (comorbidity) through enhancing the service systemʼs capacity by implementing three priority initiatives in the ACT Comorbidity Strategy 2010 -2014.
For more information download the ATODA ACT Budget Submission 2012-13.
The 2011-12 ACT Budget was released on Tuesday 3 May 2011 by Katy Gallagher MLA, Treasurer of the Australian Capital Territory.The annual Budget is the Government’s key policy statement and financial plan for the upcoming financial year and forward estimates period for the Territory and its agencies.
The priority areas identified with the sector included:
- Reducing and preventing opioid overdose-related harms through increasing access to naloxone;
- Preventing and reducing the transmission and infection of blood-born viruses (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and B) through conducting a needle and syringe program trial in the Alexander Maconochie Centre;
- Supporting a viable ATOD sector and workforce by implementing the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Bill 2010;
- Supporting quality improvement in healthcare through consumer participation;
- Reducing tobacco-related harms through promoting healthy workplaces; and
- Improving our support for people experiencing comorbid ATOD and mental health issues through implementing key actions within the ACT Comorbidity Strategy.
For more information: download the ATODA ACT Budget Submission 2011-12.
Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT
(02) 6249 6358
info@atoda.org.au