Every year more than 100,00 Australians seek treatment for their drug dependency but it is estimated that only half will receive the treatment they need.

For women, and Indigenous women in particular, the situation is even more dire.

Now Orana Haven Aboriginal Corporation is looking to change the drug and alcohol rehabilitation landscape for regional Indigenous women and four local communities have now put their hands up to support their proposal to establish a new Indigenous women's rehabilitation centre at Gongolgon.

A series of four meetings over two days last week in Coonamble, Walgett, Brewarrina and Bourke were held to seek community input and the overwhelming response was 'we're with you - let's get on with it.'

Currently there are six dedicated Aboriginal alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation services operating in NSW and although all these services are in regional locations there is clear and persistent evidence of enormous unmet demand with individuals, families and communities struggling with the many consequences of drug and alcohol addiction.

The names of the services (with the traditional country on which it is located, and the years it’s been operating) are:

• Namatjira Haven (Bundjalung/Alstonville near Lismore, 26 years);
• The Glen Centre (Darkinjung/Chittaway Point, Central Coast, 26 years);
• Weigelli Centre (Wiradjuri/Woodstock near Orange, 21 years);
• Orana Haven Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre (Ngemba/Gongolgon near Brewarrina, 32 years);
• Oolong House (Dharrawal/Nowra, 40 years) and
• Maayu Mali (Kamilaroi/Moree, 2 years).

Only three of these facilities take women with only four beds available for women in one of the services.

Orana Haven's current facility is located at Gongolgon, 40km south of Brewarrina.

Their facility only houses men but can take both men and women for short-term detoxing. Their four detoxing beds are always full and once the detox is over, women are offered transport to another facility hundreds of kilometres away in Orange to begin their rehabilitation.

With only four female beds, Orana Haven is always having to turn people away.

Coonamble elder Ted Fernando with Orana Haven CEO Tracy Gordon, Coonamble LALC CEO and Belinda Roberts, Transport NSW at the Coonamble consultation meeting last week.

"In the first three months we had 58 go through the detox," said CEO Tracy Gordon. "We are getting ten or more calls from women each week."

In June this year, as soon as the site was transferred from the NSW Government, Orana Haven leased part of the former ‘Yetta Dhinnakkal’ Correctional Centre near Gongolon from the Brewarrina Shire for it to be transformed into women’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation service.

However the road to getting a women's service up and running is a long one, despite the urgent need.

On Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 July Tracy Gordon, along with Joe Coyte and Alex Lee from The Glen Centre, visited the communities of Coonamble, Brewarrina, Walgett and Bourke for consultation.

Joe Coyte addresses the meeting in Brewarrina. PHOTO Urayne Warraweena.

Ms Gordon said there was a great turn out for each community consultation, with positive and engaging input.

"With the support of The Glen Centre all the information gathered will now be taken and a business plan will be created," Ms Gordon said. "We are hoping the business plan will be back in community by September, where there will be an open day for all who have attended the meetings."

"Orana Haven is looking for the support from all these communities and service providers, not only for their input but to be a part of the process," she said.

A steering committee will be established for anyone who wants to have their input into how the rehab will commence and Ms Gordon says the response from the initial meetings was extraordinary.

“All those that were interested gave me their email addresses," she said. "Everyone who turned up to the meetings were interested saying 'count me in'.”

"The overall response from all communities is that this service is needed urgently as the impact of drugs and alcohol is too great."