WYNDHAM’S already struggling health services are
being further stretched by a rise in alcohol-fuelled violence and harm.
This comes as Victoria’s Auditor-General has found alcohol abuse costs the state more than $4billion a year, despite the government throwing millions of dollars at the problem.
The Effectiveness of Justice Strategies in Preventing and Reducing Alcohol-Related Harm report, tabled in state parliament last week, slammed the state’s alcohol initiatives as “fragmented, superficial and reactive”. It detailed a series of shortcomings in tackling a tripling of alcohol-related ambulance callouts and a 49per cent spike in alcohol-related assaults in Melbourne.
The rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions rose steadily in Wyndham in the five years to 2008, peaking at more than 39 in every 10,000 residents, according to Health Department figures. Alcohol topped the list of ambulance callouts in 2011, with 142.
Since opening last year, Werribee-based Stepping Up consortium has added three extra counsellors to meet growing demand. “Ice has become a big trend in outer areas, but alcohol is still the primary concern,” general manager Shelley Cross said.
“The need for these services in a rapid growth community like Wyndham is huge. In any given hour, our counsellors are seeing about 15 people.”
Wyndham Inspector Cindy Millen said regional differences across Melbourne meant a “blanket approach” to tackling alcohol-related crime was not possible. While alcohol-fuelled violence in the region was rare, alcohol was regularly related to domestic violence incidents, she said.
