"Ice Grannies current affair story"
Dear Daniel Andrews,
We in the Latrobe Valley have consistently recorded the highest level of psychological and social stress levels in the state. Yet since the demolition of the old Hobsons Park facility in Traralgon we have had only emergency-short stay psychiatric facilities.
The advent of social calamities like the privatisation of the SEC and now the world transition away from our traditional work forms in the region have left a community reeling. While we are resilient, we can only handle so much on our own, especially when govt departments are lured into putting disadvantaged persons into our now cheap housing.
Examples like the "Ice Grannies current affair story" shown on national television today are not the norm for our population but are becoming a more common sight on our streets.
Some will say this is a crime problem but in reality we all know the war on drugs approach failed long ago. It is now a health problem and requires a health response.
We thank you for our Health Innovation Zone, the only one in the country. The Health Innovation Zone came out of the recommendations of the Hazelwood inquiries, we ask only for the facilities to deal with the problems that face us.
We the undersigned people of the Latrobe Valley and surrounds call for the Andrews Government to fund and create a residential drug and mental health rehabilitation center in the Latrobe Valley.