Northern Australia Service Area H&I Hub Report  – February 2026

Summary

There continues to be a steady increase in H&I service delivery requests from correctional facilities, rehabs, and from external stakeholders such as the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Court and Australia’s onshore immigration detention service provider. This growing demand highlights the need for the Hub to establish a workgroup so the responsibilities of liaising with facilities to deliver H&I presentations, distributing literature, coordinating with PR, training and mentoring volunteers, and volunteer recruitment can be shared more effectively.

(this information is included in table above)

Current Key Initiatives and Requests in Progress

Lives Lived Well opened a new rehab and detox facility in Raceview in December 2025. The H&I Hub supported the roster Coordinators to establish H&I presentations including providing literature, training and H&I resources.

·        Meetings started in January and run fortnightly

YSAS Cairns Residential Rehab requested H&I presentations

·        Cairns H&I presented to staff, literature and pamphlets provided

·        Waiting on Blue Cards for NA volunteers

Roster Pool: Trialing a WhatsApp group to help fill H&I roster shortfalls.

·        Roster volunteers from five Brisbane rehab and mental health facility rosters are available through the WhatsApp group to fill roster shortfalls.

Young Persons Program: A Brisbane rehabilitation service sought support to introduce an in‑house Young Persons Program for 18–25‑year‑olds.

·        Six suitable members from the ACT, NSW, and Queensland were identified.

About Time is a national prison newspaper distributed monthly to tens of thousands of readers across prisons in Victoria, NSW, SA, Tasmania, Queensland, WA, and the ACT.

·        In collaboration with the ARSC PR Subcommittee and H&I Workgroup ads designed to attract prisoners to connect with NA on release will appear in About Time for 12 months. The first ad will appear in the March edition and online from 14 March.

Queensland Drug and Alcohol Court is interested in discussing how best to educate staff and clients about NA.

·        Waiting on a meeting date.

Immigration Detention Centres service provider is looking to establish online NA meetings in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

·        Currently awaiting a decision from the Australian Border Force to move forward.

Correctional H&I

Correctional H&I is constrained by low numbers of roster volunteers. At present, only seven members are covering three correctional facilities in SEQ, with some members serving on two rosters. Approaches from Lockyer Valley, Maryborough, Darwin and Palmerston Correctional Centres are unable to progress due to lack of member engagement because of smaller fellowships and lack of connection with the broader service structure.

Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre since December 2025, the H&I Hub has been unable to continue monthly H&I presentations at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre. The roster has dropped to one remaining male volunteer, which is not sufficient to meet maintain a sustainable roster.

·        The H&I Hub is actively working to recruit 3–4 additional male volunteers so the roster can restart and operate reliably.

Lockyer Valley Correctional Centre: requested H&I presentations and literature.

·        Toowoomba fellowship assisting with roster volunteers

·        Pamphlets provided

·        Progressing request to donate NA books to prison library

Maryborough Correctional Centre: requested H&I presentations.

·        No local members currently available

·        Literature offered

Darwin Correctional Centre to receive literature and local contact person

·        Meeting request sent to discuss literature requirements.

Palmerston Community Corrections, Darwin requested information on NA as another resource other than AOD counselling

·        Offered online presentation to probation and parole officers, pamphlets and posters

Access to NA Literature on Correctional Tablets (NSW): The H&I Hub Coordinator is collaborating with the PR Subcommittee to explore permissions and pathways for making approved NA literature available on correctional tablets in NSW facilities.

Service Positions – Current Status and Changes

H&I Hub Coordinator
The H&I Hub Coordinator stepped down in August 2025. Since then, the ARSC H&I Workgroup Coordinator has been covering the role in an acting capacity, as no member has yet been willing to take on the position permanently.

H&I Online Coordinator
In November 2025, the ARSC endorsed shifting the Online H&I reporting line to the H&I Workgroup to better align the service with broader H&I structures and establish a single point of accountability.
The H&I Online service, which delivers online H&I presentations to rehabs and detoxes nationally, is at risk of not continuing because the Coordinator position vacated in February 2026 remains unfilled.

HADS Coordinator
The HADS Coordinator position previously held by Wayne M was filled in February 2026, with Dan M stepping into the role.

ARSC H&I Workgroup

The Region’s H&I Workgroup operates as an open forum for anyone involved in H&I, new or experienced, to come together, ask questions, share knowledge, and learn from each other’s experience. By working collaboratively, the Workgroup:

• Supports Subcommittees, Groups, Hubs, and their Coordinators and facilitators, with representation from every state and territory except the Northern Territory.
• Includes strong participation from Northern Australia, with 14 H&I representatives actively contributing to Workgroup discussions and activities.
• Holds online monthly meetings to discuss relevant topics, explore challenges, celebrate successes, and strengthen H&I service.