A day after Anthony Mundine's return to help Wellington "fight the good fight" against ice (or crystal methamphetamine), Deputy Premier Troy Grant and Assistant Minister for Health, Pru Goward, announced $4 million to fund non-government organisations in delivering local treatment services to tackle ice addiction.
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Ms Goward met local drug experts and police at both Dubbo and Wellington in what has been a momentous week for the town.
Wellington's battle against the drug is now being watched around the nation after last week's segment in the ABC's 7.30 Report, labelled it the "South Pole".
The ABC also mentioned a homegrown initiative that has enlisted the help of a boxing champion and could be the answer for other struggling towns.
This week Anthony Mundine returned to the shed where he first started boxing with Elder Colin Hill as a child spending time with family in the holidays, and told the media that drugs destroy people's dreams.
He was one of many people who joined forces with Wellington's Gungie Origin, a growing series of initiatives and events to tackle the drug, all centred around the principles of inclusion, crime reduction and community.
The Manly Sea Eagles also joined the initiative and these stars will all help the community with their dreams of building a boxing ring at the Wellington Information Neighbourhood Services Centre to help keep kids off the street.
At the meeting, Mundine said there was a greater need to educate children about making the right choices.
"Life's about choices," he said.
"It's just what choices and how you make them, [because] dreams are smashed and broken by drugs."
"When I was away last week and saw cousin Ed on the 7.30 Report, I was very proud of him," he said of local Ed Daley's fight against ice addiction.
"It can be done with willpower and belief. He has a couple of kids and he can share his experience and wisdom to make sure they don't make the wrong choices."
Ed Daley said that since winning his struggle against ice, he was doing things he had never even dreamt of.
"Things have kept happening for me," he said.
"I have got back into culture. I got painted up and danced in front of 20 000 Bulldogs fans. You don't do that stuff in addiction."
He said that his success was thanks to the support of the The Glen Centre, a Central Coast rehabilitation centre that had spokespeople available at the community meeting on the day.
Now, with government funding, more services like this might become available for residents of Wellington and Dubbo.
As different professionals and members of the community discussed their community initiatives at the Gungie Origin meeting, Inspector Scott Tanner said the program would provide support for users, but target dealers through the "dob in a dealer" program.
"We will do our job and we will pursue these dealers with a passion," he said.
The program is yet to be officially launched, but one arrest has already been made.
Leanne Stanley who has worked in the past as a drug and rehabilitation counsellor said the community's message to any dealers was clear, and that they would be dobbed in. "Enough is enough," she said.
"You can say no to drugs, you can succeed in life."
