Working Groups

Goals of each Working Group

• To prepare an assessment of the problems: an environmental scan;
• To address issues concerning:
• young people; 
• women;
• Aboriginal communities; 
• people from non-English speaking backgrounds; and
• rural and regional communities;
• To assess the current strategies and programs for strengths and weaknesses;
• To find areas in which there is a maximum of agreement and build consensus;
• To identify a way forward;
• To bring back recommendations for action to the plenary session for consideration - on the Thursday morning for information, and following revision, on the Wednesday evening for information and, following revision, on Thursday afternoon as Final Resolutions.
  

There will be ten key working groups:

1: Informing and Engaging the Community

Chair: The Hon John Della Bosca MLC, Special Minister of State, Minister for Commerce, Minister for Industrial Relations, Assistant Treasurer, and Minister for the Central Coast.

Lead agency: Premier’s Department.

Co-facilitators: Dr Col Gellatly, Director-General, Premier’s Department; and Ms Geraldine Doogue, Presenter, Life Matters, ABC Radio National.

• safe drinking levels and responsible consumption;
• the health, social and legal consequences of alcohol abuse;
• examining the role of social marketing campaigns;
• examining the role of the media;
• community action and local responses;
• the needs of particular community groups and individuals, such as sporting clubs, carers, unions, associations, etc.;
• where to get support and treatment assistance.

2: Preventing Abuse and Harm

Chair: The Hon Dr Andrew Refshauge MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Lead agency: Department of Education and Training.

Co-facilitators: Ms Jan McClelland, Director-General, Department of Education and Training; and Professor Tim Stockwell, National Drug Research Institute.

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• structural determinants of misuse – vis., social exclusion, access to employment, housing, education;
• school, university and TAFE policy and curriculum;
• alcohol as a rite of passage;
• relationship between alcohol and sport;
• secondary sales;
• work place approaches;
• role modelling behaviours;
• safe drinking environments.

3: Alcohol Dependence, Disease and Treatment 

Chair: The Hon Frank Sartor MP, Minister for Energy and Utilities, Minister for Science and Medical Research, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts.

Lead agency: NSW Health.

Co-facilitators: Dr Greg Stewart, Chief Health Officer; and Professor Richard Mattick, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• preventing alcohol-related diseases, including cancer;
• clinical treatment guidelines;
• improving the range, quality and accessibility of outpatient treatment for people with alcohol problems (including pharmacotherapy modalities);
• dual diagnosis;
• primary health care;
• biological science and addiction;
• maximising science and medical research;
• improving treatment options.

4. Effective Health Care Service Delivery

Chair: The Hon Morris Iemma MP, Minister for Health

Lead agency: NSW Health

Co-facilitators: Ms Robyn Kruk, Director-General, Department of Health; and Professor Ian Webster

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• providing timely and quality inpatient care;
• monitoring and case managing secondary and tertiary maladies;
• developing stronger links between outpatient and inpatient services and care;
• managing older people with specific needs for conditions such as dementia, gout, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer;
• the role of GPs and primary health care provision;
• case management approaches to ensure better coordination of services for people with multiple needs, such as housing, mental health services, employment and polydrug use requirements.

5: Alcohol Related Injury and Trauma

Chair: The Hon Carl Scully MP, Minister for Roads, and Minister for Housing.

Lead agency: Roads and Traffic Authority.

Co-facilitators: Mr Paul Forward, Chief Executive, Roads and Traffic Authority; Ms Kate McKenzie, Director-General, Department of Commerce; and Assoc Professor Soames Job, Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Health & Safety Psychology Research Unit, University of Sydney.

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• reducing work place injury and loss of productivity;
• responsibility of employers and employees;
• drinking environments;
• alcohol related accidents, falls, drowning, alcohol related road accidents and trauma, and presentations to Emergency Departments.

6: Family Health and Wellbeing

Chair: The Hon Carmel Tebbutt MLC, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Minister for Youth

Lead agency: Department of Community Services

Co-facilitators: Dr Neil Shepherd AM, Director-General, Department of Community Services; Ms Robyn Henderson, Director-General, Department for Women; and Professor Margaret Hamilton, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• the prevalence of drinking amongst pregnant women and women planning pregnancy;
• parental role modelling and sources of supply;
• family breakdown;
• homelessness;
• intergenerational issues.

7: Workforce Development and Infrastructure

Chair: The Hon Reba Meagher MP, Minister for Fair Trading, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce.

Lead agency: Department of Education and Training.

Co-facilitators: Dr Gary Willmott, Assistant Director General, Educational Services, Department of Education and Training; and Professor Anne Roche, Director, National Centre for Education and Training on Addictions.

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• education and training for specialists and those working to prevent harm;
• measuring the content, depth and breadth of training and education programs;
• examining the effectiveness of training and education programs;
• improving the expertise of health care professionals, general practitioners, non-professionals and volunteers, law enforcement and criminal justice professionals;
• educational institutions and industry groups.   

8: Alcohol-Related Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour

Chair: The Hon John Watkins MP, Minister for Police.

Lead agency: NSW Police.

Co-facilitators: Mr Ken Moroney, Commissioner of Police; and Dr Don Weatherburn, Director, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• reducing alcohol-related crime, including criminal assaults and public order offences;
• reducing the levels of domestic violence caused by harmful drinking;
• child abuse and violence against women;
• public safety;
• community safety and crime prevention partnerships;
• law and regulatory enforcement approaches.

9.  Alcohol and the Justice System

Chair: The Hon Bob Debus MP, Attorney General, and Minister for the Environment

Lead agency: Attorney General’s Department

Co-facilitators: Mr Laurie Glanfield, Director-General, Attorney General’s Department; and Professor Sandra Egger, Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, University of NSW

Issues addressed will include but not be restricted to:

• alcohol management plans for Aboriginal communities;
• reducing alcohol related recidivism and examine court related diversion options for offenders with alcohol abuse problems;
• coercive treatment for offenders with an alcohol addiction;
• alcohol related violence prevention initiatives;
• alcohol related legislation and options for reform.

10. Responsible Supply and Consumption

Chair: The Hon Grant McBride MP, Minister for Gaming and Racing.

Lead agency: Department of Gaming and Racing.

Co-facilitators: Mr Ken Brown, Director-General, Department of Gaming and Racing; and Dr Mike MacAvoy, Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.

Issues addressed will include, but not be restricted to:

• marketing;
• secondary sales;
• licensing;
• responsible service;
• drinking environments;
• liquor accords;
• operation of licensed venues.