Drug Summit Recommends More Funding for Services

The PAYCE Foundation has welcomed the recommendations from the NSW Drug Summit report, which outlines a clear roadmap for expanding drug and alcohol services, particularly to meet the growing needs of regional communities.

The report was recently released following a series of meetings held in Sydney, Griffith, and Lismore last year. Read the full NSW Drug Summit Report here.

The Foundation has partnered with the drug and alcohol rehabilitation organisation Adele House for over 15 years. Together with the NSW Government, it co-funded a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre at Bucca, on the Mid-North Coast. The Foundation also supports the ongoing operation of Adele House, which is managed by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Among its key recommendations, the report calls for a significant increase in funding for alcohol and drug services. It also advocates for funding to be based on a population-based service planning model that includes a focus on equitable access across rural and remote NSW.

PAYCE Foundation director Dominic Sullivan said regional communities across NSW have been deeply affected by drug and alcohol issues and are in desperate need of more services.

“We need to provide services where they can deliver real results—rehabilitating people and helping them return to their families and society,” Mr Sullivan said.

“We also welcome the recommendation to provide five-year funding contracts that include cost escalation. That kind of certainty allows us to maintain service delivery and quality, scale up services, manage rising costs, and meet increasing demand.”

The PAYCE Foundation currently has a shovel-ready site with approved plans for a women’s and family facility just north of Coffs Harbour.

“We are pleased to see that the report specifically highlights the need to expand services for women and mothers,” Mr Sullivan added. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the NSW Government to implement these recommendations.”