The Timaru Herald

Pitch to drive meth out

- Rachael Comer rachael.comer@stuff.co.nz

A respite care facility has been proposed for Timaru as a place of rest for those with mental health and addiction issues, or those supporting someone, in the community.

The plan was revealed at the Timaru Isn’t Meth All Rise Up symposium, on Saturday, where the community was challenged to drive the destructiv­e and highly addictive drug out of the district.

The sad and frightenin­g reality of meth use was highlighte­d at the event, attended by 40 people and organised by former meth addict Tauera Roberts.

During the symposium, former meth addicts, and those affected by addiction, also shared their stories.

Roberts said he was “genuinely happy’’ with how the symposium went.

“I had had fears about the numbers in the lead up, but I think it went fantastica­lly,’’ he said.

“Even afterwards people hung around to talk with one another.’’

A wide cross-section of the community had also attended, reflecting the impact of meth across all of society, he said.

Roberts hoped to have the respite facility operating by March/ April next year and has signed a lease for a plot of land where he envisaged placing cabins for people to “lay their head’’.

“I’m working with a group of people.

“It will be a place where people can come, even for a night or two, to come and have a break.’’

The facility would be manned, he said.

One of those keen to get involved was former addict Aiden Champion, 23, of Ō amaru, who first tried meth as a 16-year-old.

“I was working as a chef and getting really tired, and it made me feel as happy as s...,’’ he said.

“Then it became a substance I needed to have all the time.’’

At 16, his then partner announced she was pregnant and his world changed, he said.

“I didn’t know what to do, and then my beautiful daughter Violet was born, and she was everything to me.’’

Working as a chef in Cromwell, one day Champion pulled out his phone to see numerous missed calls from his partner.

His daughter had fallen down the stairs at the family’s twostorey home.

“My daughter died and I raged. I assaulted a cop.

“It was one of the most hardest things and it was biggest thing in my life then – to get clean.’’

Champion trained for a culinary chef diploma and said while it was “easy enough to get clean,

“It will be a place where people can come, even for a night or two, to come and have a break.’’ Tauera Roberts

Timaru Isn’t Meth All Rise Up symposium organiser

it was the surviving that was the hardest thing’’.

He had chosen to share his story, not for redemption, but to show others the reality of meth use.

‘‘It’s about taking that first step.’’ Fred Lewthwaite, of Ō amaru, also spoke of the impact of addiction on her family.

‘‘Our country is in crisis and there is not enough support.’’

Meanwhile, Emma Makatea, of Kā piti, spoke of the challenges of her childhood, which had inspired her to start an anti-meth group in her community, helping those addicted to, and affected by, the drug.

‘‘If we keep ignoring the issue in the community it is not going to go away,’’ she said.

‘‘We need to reach into people, even one person, and that one person is going to share that with other people.’’

Twenty-two years into recovery, Makatea ran away from home at 10, and became the youngest street kid in South Auckland and quickly discovered drugs.

Individual responsibi­lity

The idea of residents challengin­g those who they knew were acting unlawfully and ‘‘holding yourself responsibl­e for your little part of the community’’, was suggested at the Timaru Isn’t Meth All Rise Up symposium on Saturday.

The idea of a responsibi­lity contract for individual­s in the community was raised by speaker and former cop Kevin Boyle, who said crime, such as the dealing of meth, was ‘‘benefiting a few and disaffecti­ng a lot of people’’.

‘‘If you are offending, if you are committing crime, you are tapped on the shoulder, to stop. It is called interventi­on,’’ he said.

However, for this to happen the community needed to work together, he said. ‘‘We need a collaborat­ion of people. ‘‘We have to change and in Timaru we need to break the code of silence.’’

A code of silence ‘‘infiltrate­d everywhere’’, and he said the community needed to take responsibi­lity and start speaking up.

‘‘Do we want to save our town? Do we want to prevent what is happening because we are not going to prevent anything by continuing what we are doing?

‘‘Timaru has the opportunit­y to get together and drive this thing,’’ Boyle said.

Roberts said he supported the idea as it gave the individual responsibi­lity.

‘‘If you see someone doing something, step up and tell them.’’

A second symposium was proposed for early next year.

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