Regional Service Committee Member Report to Northern Australia Service Area – November 2025

Regional Service Committee Member Report to Northern Australia Service Area

ARSC Details: 7-8 November 2025, Melbourne

RCM Name: Meredith C, Acting RCM

1. Introduction

Purpose: To share updates from the ARSC meeting and communicate relevant info to the Area, Groups and members.

2. Key RSC Updates

• Motions Tabled and Results:
  • Endorse one of two proposed bookmark designs for use to acknowledge and welcome members who serve NA as part of the ARSC – Indigenous design endorsed
  • Endorse the draft ARSC RCM Report to Area Template and arrange for it be included in the ARSC Report Template page on NA website – endorsed
  • RCM concurrent roles – policy wording to clarify that RCM cannot also hold an Admin role or chair sub-committee roles – endorsed
  • Transfer Online H&I accountability to ARSC H&I Workgroup – endorsed
  • Meta and Digital Engagement Strategy (for advertising spend and website optimisation, driving traffic to all NA online sites and increasing visibility of NA to potential and current members) – more discussion required.
  • Appointment of DKM Accounting & Taxation for 2025–2026 Financial Year Audit – endorsed
  • Send the current Alternate Delegate (AD) to the 2026 World Service Conference (WSC) as the primary delegate. Admin will select a previous delegate or world board member to attend as an Acting AD to assist and share their experience. That the current RD joins remotely as an Observer only – not endorsed.
  • Amendment to Travel policy to clarify advancement of payment for accommodation – endorsed.
  • Amendment to FSO Election policy clarify concurrent positions. (RCMs or admin committee members can be elected onto the FSO Pool, however, they should not be elected onto the FSO Management Committee until they either finish their term or step down from their position. ARSC Workgroup members and position-holders/members of Subcommittees are welcome to be elected onto the FSO Pool AND onto the FSO Management Committee whilst still holding those positions – endorsed.
• Elections Endorsed:
• Sarah R (Vic), Policy Sub-Committee
• Sumana L (NSW), FSO Management Committee
• Vacant Service Positions
  • ARSC Administration Committee Assistant Treasurer
  • Policy Vice Chair
  • NA Today Chair and Vice Chair
  • IT Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator
  • Fellowship Development/Outreach Vice Chair
  • FSO Pool

3. Highlights, Challenges and Ideas from other Areas

Shared issues and challenges

• Disruptive or predatory behaviour
• Sharing by members who are on opiate replacement therapy
• Resistance to fund flowing and the need for clearer understanding of how it works
• Group ownership issues around workshops can lead to disunity
• Ongoing need for service mentoring and guidance
• Difficulty attracting members into service roles

Workshops

Workshops at the Area level require strong Activity Subcommittees to manage topic selection and maintain unity.

• Requesting Workshops
  • Areas may approach the ARSC Admin Committee, which maintains a budget for workshops.
  • Areas may also request workshops through Fellowship Development (FD)/Outreach by submitting the enquiry form: Outreach Contact Form.
• Current FD Workshops
  • FD is presently delivering two workshops:
    • Group Service Representatives
    • Building Stronger Home Groups
  • Areas may request additional topics if required.
• Budget and Delivery
  • FD budget allocation covers face‑to‑face, virtual, and hybrid workshops.
  • Virtual workshops are facilitated via Zoom by FD Subcommittee members.
  • FD budget allows for up to six face‑to‑face workshops over a two‑year period, with an average cost of $1,000 per workshop (to cover facilitator travel and related expenses).
• Area Responsibilities
  • FD collaborates with the requesting Area to form a small team to assist with facilitation.
  • This team is responsible for announcements, venue arrangements, catering, and other logistics.
  • Typically, the Area RCM makes the initial contact with FD.
• Reference Framework
  • Workshop formats should align with the Guide to Local Services framework for Area activities.
• Suggested topics
  • Where does the 7^th go? Understanding how we Fund Flow
    • Refer to Cashless Workgroup (Peter B)
    • Refer to Treasurer ARSC AGM minutes that clearly identifies where money comes from and goes to.
  • Consensus-based decision-making
  • Service Mentoring (refer to ARSC Workshop notes to be uploaded into Resources)
    • Results of ARSC Mentoring workshop to be evaluated and next steps prioritised

Roving ARSC – Proposal for November 2026 ARSC meeting

• Other areas proposing to bid – Victoria, South Australia
• Bid recommendations
  • Refer to proposals from Victoria and Gold Coast
    • 2403 Gold Coast ARSC Host Proposal.pdf​
    • 2025 Victorian/Tas Host Proposal (on file)
  • Needs to show value for money
  • Include costs for accommodation, transfers, venue, flights
  • Include Speaker Jam
  • Check what other events are on for ARSC dates
  • Area members to assist facilitate workshops etc
• Process
  • Get area approval to go ahead with proposal
  • Admin Committee work with hosting ARSC venue
  • ARSC pays for accommodation and flights for Subcommittee Chairs, RCMs

4. Regional Subcommittee Highlights

H&I Workgroup

• Online H&I that sat within Fellowship Development/Outreach was integrated into the H&I Workgroup to promote inclusion, strengthen connection, and ensure a single point of accountability for service work.
• Budget approved to advertise NA in About Time, Australia’s national prison newspaper.
• Strategic Planning to facilitate a Workgroup planning session to develop a plan and framework.
• Indigenous Subcommittee interested in getting H&I into Indigenous rehabs.

PR

Newly convened Social Media and Digital Marketing PR Working Group, led by Gretel presented a Digital Engagement Strategy.

Strategy is designed to focus on helping addicts across Australia find NA meetings and recovery resources by creating a digital presence through Google, Meta, YouTube, SEO, and blog content.

Every platform will work together to strengthen awareness of the fellowship’s primary purpose.

Opportunity to:

• Launch Meta and Google Ads (via Google Ad Grants) to increase our reach to addicts actively searching for recovery help.
  • Google Ad Grants is a program that gives eligible nonprofits up to A$13,000 per month in free Google Search advertising.
• Create a centralised hub and track who is visiting our site.
• Increase our reach to an estimated 2500-3000 per day.

ARSC discussed if using an in‑kind advertising grant, essentially free ad space as provided by a Google Ad Grant contravenes tradition re outside contributions.

PR to liaise with NAWS and other regions on use of the grants to determine if contravenes tradition re outside contributions.

Policy

• RCM cannot also hold an Admin role or chair Subcommittee
• CBDM policy to be updated (need to refer to ARSC minutes for clarification)

Indigenous

• Small amount of committee members who are consistent but makes it hard to progress initiatives.

Strategic Planning

• ARSC agreed non-ARSC members would have access to Strategic Planning resources on the NA website. Decision to add new tab under Members Information/Other Resources

Fellowship Development/Outreach

• Challenge: Engaging isolated communities remains difficult
• Observation: Overall engagement from groups and Areas is low
• Sponsorship Program: Includes local and overseas support, but communication with isolated groups is challenging
• Request: Catherine has asked for an increased budget to support face‑to‑face and online delivery, as well as literature resources

Safety Committee

Established to address and support members affected by predatory behaviour. Refer to APF My Safey, Our Responsibility (In and Out of Meetings) pamphlet.

FSO

• FSO prices to increase 15% 1 January 2026, not all items will be affected.
• Basic Texts will cost approx. $22.50, FSO will take a loss on key-tags
• More details to come

AI Workgroup

• Established August 2025
• Create guidelines and objectives for responsible AI use
• Develop unified strategy for AI implementation across outreach, service, and PR activities, with oversight to ensure alignment with NA Traditions

5. Financial Info

Closing Balance: $58,916.07 (as at 7.11.2025)

6. Regional Delegate (RD) and Alternative Delegate (AD) Notes

• Subcommittee to review requirement for RD and AD to obtain Visa prior to gaining role.

Narcotics Anonymous World Service/ World Service Conference (WSC)/ Asia Pacific Updates:

• Members are requested to complete the following surveys (all due 1 April 2026)
  • WSC 2026 Literature, Service Material, and IDT Survey
  • Gender‑Neutral and Inclusive Language Survey
  • DRT/MAT Survey (drug replacement therapy/medication‑assisted treatment)
• Link for all three surveys NAWS Projects and Surveys – Narcotics Anonymous World Services

7. Personal Observations

Learning from others:

NASA RCM requested Region to provide support for PR and Fellowship Development/Outreach.

Area service positions for H&I and PR need to operate as workgroups to manage the workload effectively and deliver their full range of services.

Workshops

Implement series of workshops drawing on ARSC members knowledge and experience including:

• GSR Workshop (Fellowship Development can deliver this)
• Building Stronger Home Groups (Fellowship Development can deliver this)
• Consensus-based decision-making

Victorian/Tasmanian LSC Structure

• Simon and Sarah R offered to connect NASA with Vic/Tas LSC service system
• Replicate creation of a regional GSF (as per Vic/Tas)
• Developing strong connections with GSFs and utilising OCMs to support the service structure

Recommendations to Northern Australia LSB

• LSB to develop platform to raise awareness of available service positions across service levels (Online H&I Coordinator, Sponsorship program)

Unity is Key

The Logan fellowship was well‑represented at the ARSC, and although they are still awaiting seeding, they conducted themselves as a cohesive and supportive body. Their unity and participation was clearly appreciated by the ARSC delegates.

8. Other

Next ARSC 2026 March 14-15 in Sydney

• Workshop topic to discuss service burnout and overcommitment scheduled for Sydney ARSC. Will come up with tools to take back to area.
• PR Forum rescheduled for March ARSC

For any further information or questions please feel free to contact me. 

YiLS

Meredith C, Acting RCM