Sunrise Way Therapeutic Community Re-Development Project Completion
27 March 2009
The Honourable Kerry Shine, MP, Member for Toowoomba North,
The Honourable Ian Macfarlane, MP, Federal Member for Groom,
Councillor Peter Taylor, Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council,
Councillor Paul Antonio, Deputy Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council,
Councillors of the Towoomba Regional Council,
President of the Sunrise Way Therapeutic Community's Board of Management and Chairman of the Building and Infrastructure Committee, Mr Doug Harland,
Members of the Sunrise Way Board,
Volunteers, donors and supporters of Sunrise Way,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the spirit of reconciliation and respect that we wish to see fully embedded in our communities and throughout our State, I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are gathered: the Giabul and Jarrowair peoples and their descendants.
Not quite two years ago - it was the 24th of April 2007 - the former Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery stood before a similar gathering of members of the Toowoomba Community to launch the Sunrise Way Project. He delivered an eloquent speech, in which he reflected on the problems of drug use and substance abuse in Australia; on the scope for pre-emptive actions and strategies and on the need, when such actions failed, for good treatment practices and facilities. He welcomed the Sunrise Way Project as "a new and exciting concept to help people who are drug dependent to receive long term treatment in a comfortable and caring environment"; and he thanked warmly and profusely everyone involved with the project; initiator, Councillor Di Thorley, the 190 local companies who had given support; the volunteers, committee members and others who had already worked, at that point, for 4 years on this vision to transform the former "Unara" - an abandoned, derelict property, devastated by a combination of time, neglect and vandals - into an attractive, warm and welcoming centre to support and rehabilitate members of our community in need of care. NOW - at the six-year point - the facility is complete. Although I expect for those who have laboured on its restoration for so long, that there will always be something yet to refine, polish, adjust or enhance. It has clearly absorbed hundreds of thousands of man (and woman) hours, judging by its appearance and finish and by the remarkable list of improvements drawn up by Doug Harland last November: a list which is not simply a checklist of tasks methodically completed, but a most remarkable testimony of effort and commitment, of attention to detail, of thoughtful evaluation of design features, and of great generosity, in kind and in spirit.
Together with the register of donations, it shows, more eloquently than any speech, the truly extraordinary amount of work that has gone into this project and the way the community has rallied to support it, to help create this place "of help and of healing" (to borrow Robert Ketton's words). In my role as Governor, as I travel around Queensland, I am daily impressed - and humbled - by the way so many people "step up" and are prepared to work - to commit time, effort and energy - to help others and to make our communities safer, healthier and happier. I wonder constantly what it is that motivates and inspires people; whether there is an innate goodness within certain individuals and if so, why in some and not others? Clearly, for some people, there are specific triggers - such as a family having a child or member affected by a disease, an illness, an accident, an addiction; others can have their conscience stirred or their enthusiasm stimulated by a person pursuing a goal; by persons lobbying, pushing, cajoling, door-knocking, fund-raising for a cause ... you know it well - you all know such people in our midst. It's in their DNA! Now, philanthropy, volunteerism, community engagement may not be in our national DNA - but it is clearly part of the fabric of Australian life and character. All of these elements have clearly been present in bringing us to today - standing before the reality of this state-of-the-art facility in its beautiful setting, poised and ready for the next phase of its life and place in the community. Of course, in this case, for a centre purpose-built to assist the rehabilitation of individuals committed to recovery from alcohol and other drug dependency, some, if not much of the motivation comes from the recognition of the critical importance of addressing this problem.
The cost to our community from alcohol and drug abuse is staggeringly high. According to a recent study by the University of Queensland, the social cost for Australia from drug abuse (which by the study's definition included tobacco, alcohol and other illicit substances) was calculated to be $55.2 billion in 2004-2005 - in one year alone.
In terms of assessing the seriousness of the problems we face as a society, the statistics, according to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare's "National Drug Strategy Household Survey," are shocking:
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One in five Australians (and one in four indigenous Australians) drink at levels that put them at risk of alcohol-related harm;
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One in seven Australians aged 14 years and older have used an illicit drug in the last 12 months;
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Half of all Australians who had used heroin were diagnosed or treated for mental illness; and
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One third of Australians in the past year had been assaulted or threatened by someone under the influence of illicit substances.
That was published in 2005 - 4 years ago - we cannot assume the situation is better today.
In addition to the immediate costs, drug and alcohol use have many negative secondary effects - those addicted to drugs find it difficult to study, to work, to maintain healthy relationships ... they can drift into crime and prostitution, into homelessness, they spiral down and become alienated from their families and the rest of the community. (The Australian film "Candy" - a very confronting film to watch, presents this reality and this downward spiral graphically). They become prone to illnesses like Hepatitis B and HIV-AIDS, as well as drug-induced psychosis and cirrhosis of the liver, imposing huge strains on our health system. And for every addict, as your counsellors would know, there is a partner, a child, a family that suffers and suffers enormously. It's a distressing picture and it is one which is not only a personal tragedy for those affected or involved, but one which has profound implications for society as a whole. That is why it is so good to see here at "Sunrise Way", the concept of community central to its creation / character and purpose. It has been delivered by an across-the-community response; its purpose is to find "sustainable community solutions to drug use", its ethos is to provide long-term solutions "within the community", to address the needs of "family" and "community". The word is repeated over and over again - and finds a wonderful expression in the design of the program - the idea of building a community within a community to achieve benefits for society at large.
You can see that I like the word ‘community', and am glad it is in the centre's name; but I also like the word "sunrise". I unearthed a quote that I think is very appropriate for today's event and relevant to the name chosen for the centre. Although not attributed to anyone, it says: "We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness". It's a cliché to talk about sunrises signifying the beginning of another day, a new start, a chance for renewal and to begin again, but as is so often the case with clichés, it involves a fundamental truth; one we should be glad to recognise and to embrace on this occasion, because, like the planting of the new tree we will do shortly, it is both a symbol and a reason to have hope and optimism for the future. The individuals who will choose to come here and abide by the community's rules, have lived through their own dark days and are ready for a new start, willing to try to break free from the cycle of dependency on illicit substances.
What they will need from their communities, as they make this difficult journey, is compassion and understanding that the process of rehabilitation is difficult and challenging, with many patients prone to relapse. And if they succeed, when they leave here, they will need further support and encouragement to be able to reintegrate into society, to find meaningful study or work, to heal their families and ultimately to give back to the community that has supported them.
I express my warmest congratulations on the successful completion of this phase of this important community project, and my thanks to everyone involved, on behalf of the many individuals and families that this community will help in the future. This building has a long and fascinating history - having served as a mayoral residence, as a hospital and as nurses' quarters, before experiencing a period of neglect and decay - its own period of "waiting in the darkness" - before its restoration to the wonderful bright building we now see before us. Let us hope that its journey, its emergence into the light today, will be mirrored in the lives of the young persons coming here seeking rehabilitation, so that they, too, may leave the dark behind and be restored to their families and to our community, able to face, to greet the future with optimism and with hope.