The opening of a specialist Drug Court in Dubbo in February was hailed as a step toward addressing "postcode injustice" when it became the state’s fourth court of this kind, joining existing services in Sydney CBD, Parramatta, and Toronto in the Hunter region.

An expansion of the program to Dubbo had been a recommendation made in numerous investigations, including the 2018 inquiry into drug rehabilitation services in regional, remote and rural areas, as well as the 2020 inquiry into the drug ice.

Drug Courts divert drug dependent offenders into supervised treatment plans, aiming to reduce or eliminate drug dependence. Treatment options include abstinence and pharmacotherapy programs, which can be provided in either a community or residential rehabilitation environment.

On opening, the Drug Court in Dubbo could host up to 80 drug-dependent adults facing imprisonment who have pleaded guilty to their charges and live in the Dubbo local government area.

At the time, Nationals Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the Drug Court will offer long-term solutions to keep the Western Plains safe.

“It’s no secret that there are significant drug issues in our communities. We have an opportunity to change lives for the better,” Mr Saunders said.

Stakeholders recently welcomed the news from the Law Society of NSW that the Sydney CBD's Downing Centre Drug Court will be increasing its operations from one day to full time in early 2024.

“Research has proven that the Drug Court program is more effective than a prison sentence when it comes to reducing the chances a defendant will reoffend. Diversionary programs, like the Drug Court, make more sense than locking people up with limited means of assisting them to tackle the issues that led to their offending," President of the Law Society of NSW Cassandra Banks said.

“As a regional legal practitioner, I’ve seen the damage drug dependency can cause to individuals and the community. Failure to address drug use as an underlying cause of offending can entrench health problems, harm family relationships and prevent those affected from finding or keeping a job. That’s why one of my priorities for this year is to advocate for greater access to diversion from the criminal justice system for vulnerable cohorts.”

Ms Banks encouraged the Government to consider closely similarly expanding the availability of Drug Courts in other parts of the state, including the facility at Dubbo.