A FRUSTRATED magistrate has declared an entire Central Queensland town should go to drug diversion, after dealing with a string of charges in one day.

Magistrate Cameron Press sat at the courthouse at Biloela, about 120km inland from Gladstone, on Wednesday, where, according Rockhampton’s The Morning Bulletin, a six page court list comprised mostly defendants up on drug offences.

Mr Press was apparently unimpressed by the apparently high level of illicit drug use in the town.

“I think the whole town needs to go to drug diversion,” the magistrate told the duty lawyer.

“The amount of drugs in this town is appalling.”

The mayor of Banana Shire Council, Nev Ferrier, admitted the town was battling a drug scourge.

He said unlike many other regional Queensland towns, which had suffered with the downturn in the resources sector, employment and wages remained high in Biloela.

Coal mines remain a major employer for the town, as does the nearby Callide Power Station.

Mr Farrer said people with disposable incomes were fuelling high rates of drug use.

“It seems to be the same as towns everywhere at the moment, buying ice seems to be pretty cheap,” he said.

“It’s a real good town. There’s not much unemployment, it’s clean and tidy and there’s not a real lot of crime but there is a lot of people with a high disposable income.

“I think it’s probably better here than most places honestly but it is a problem and it seems to be getting worse everywhere.”

Mr Farrer said he believed drug diversion programs, where most first time offenders end up, were not working.

The programs usually fine first-time offenders without conviction, to spare them a criminal record.

“We’re working with the government on something that we have been looking at for a few months but my biggest hope is it should be automatic jail for anyone selling drugs, instead slapping them on the wrist,” the mayor said.

It was something reflected by the magistrate, Mr Press, who told a lawyer who asked for a fine for his client that the system was apparently not acting as a deterrent.

“Too many people think that they can keep coming to the court and getting fines,” the magistrate said.

“It’s obviously not working.”