Injury Matters award for Alcohol and Other Drugs Action Plan

The City of Stirling’s efforts leading the development of a local alcohol and other drugs (AOD) action plan have been recognised at Injury Matters’ biennial Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Awards.

Injury Matters is a non-profit organisation helping people across Western Australia prevent and recover from injuries.

Injury Matters named the City winner of the 2025 Outstanding Achievement by a Local Government in Injury Prevention or Recovery Award for its Stirling Local Drug Action Team Alcohol and Other Drugs Action Plan Development Process.

The award recognised the Stirling Local Drug Action Team for establishing a Strategic Working Group and partnering with the North Metropolitan Health Service to develop a three-year plan in response to AOD issues within the City.

The initiative aims to address challenges within the City through primary prevention activities and harm minimisation strategies.

The Strategic Working Group engaged The Behaviour Change Collaborative to facilitate the engagement process to ensure the plan was relevant and supported by the local community.

The Stirling Local Drug Action Team held three community workshops in late 2024, which identified priority areas, defined objectives and developed strategies. More than 85 stakeholders participated in the workshops, including community members, health professionals, local and state government representatives, social service providers and those with lived AOD experience.

The process reinforced that a harm-minimisation approach to AOD issues is a shared responsibility across sectors, with diversity and inclusiveness the main guiding principles. The outcome of this process is the three-year Alcohol and Other Drugs Action Plan, which will serve as a practical and sustainable roadmap for a wide range of harm prevention initiatives across the City once finalised.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the multi-sector participation in the workshops demonstrated community interest in the process.

“Addressing alcohol and other drug harm is a complex task that requires a collaborative approach to be effective,” Mayor Irwin said.

“This award is much-deserved recognition of the incredible work the Stirling Local Drug Action Team has done bringing a broad range of stakeholders together to deliver this action plan.”

The action plan has already had an impact through the implementation of a youth diversionary outreach program funded by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation that aligns to the plan’s priorities and objectives.

Key elements of the finalised action plan will be integrated into the City’s Public Health Plan.