Lax coordination 'wasting' anti-petrol sniffing funds

An Aboriginal council in Alice Springs says governments are wasting money on uncoordinated programs dealing with petrol sniffing in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands in South Australia's far north.

South Australian coroner Wayne Chivell this week handed down his findings into several petrol sniffing deaths.

He recommended that the Commonwealth Government and state governments make it a high priority to work together in providing services.

He called for an organisation to be set up in the area to coordinate different government agencies, service providers and communities on an ongoing basis.

Blair McFarland, who works for a similar organisation for the Tangantyere Council in Alice Springs, supports the recommendation.

"If you spent the same amount of money but coordinated it all you would have a much better response but it's just not happening that way," he said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 16 March 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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