There is so much of the drug ice in the town of Wellington, in central NSW, that it has earned the unenviable nickname of “The South Pole”.

As the National Ice Taskforce hands down its interim report into the damage done by the drug, the ABC’s 7.30 program visited one of the places worst hit – the small town of 4500 people, just five hours’ drive west of Sydney.

Locals said the drug was wreaking havoc on their community and they were determined to take matters into their own hands, including launching community campaigns urging residents to “dob in a dealer”, even though that means pointing the finger at friends, family or neighbours.

• You can now buy human sperm on the internet
• How Bronwyn Bishop’s photo set Facebook alight
• Australian piracy rates far from slowing down

“I really believe that it’s crippling our town,” local land council chief executive officer Leanne Stanley said.

“I see huge effects on our people, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

“We all walk past drug dealers every day, we’re related to drug dealers, we have associations [with them].

Land council CEO Leanne Stanley says ice is crippling Wellington. Photo: ABC

“We love our people, we just don’t love what they do.

“They’re just so blinded by money, they’re blinded to the fact that they’re actually destroying people’s lives.”

Many of the dealers in town are local users who are paying for their own habit by supplying crystal methamphetamine.

The town’s senior policeman, Senior Sergeant Simon Madgwick, said he realised the “dob in a dealer” program would not solve the problem, but said it might buy the town’s users some time.

“Supply is the biggest issue,” Snr Sgt Madgwick said.

“If we can tackle the suppliers, hopefully, for those people using ice, if they can’t get ice, maybe they’ll seek help, get rehab, maybe seek the support of the community.”

Ice users can have ‘superhuman’ strength

The ABC’s cameras captured one incident that reflected the scale of the problem.

Police delayed a train in Wellington while they removed a man suspected of being under the influence of ice.

Senior Sergeant Simon Madgwick is hoping to disrupt the supply of ice in Wellington. Photo: ABC

The aggressive, agitated man argued with police while officers searched his partner’s bag.

They found a syringe and a small amount of the drug.

The woman had a serious eye injury and police allege she had been kicked in the head by her partner.

While police were distracted by the search, the man fled on foot and sparked a 24-hour manhunt involving police from two towns.

Subsequent checks revealed he was the subject of an apprehended violence order and police believe he had breached the conditions of that order.

He was eventually arrested in Dubbo and charged with assaulting his partner.

Sen Sgt Madgwick said the effects of ice were much worse than other drugs he had seen in the past.

“I’ve been a cop for 20 years, but when someone is under the influence of ice they can have a superhuman strength – so strong, so fast, so unpredictable, so aggressive,” he said.

“You need a number of police to bring them down, to take them down to the ground without resorting to OC [capsicum] spray.”

-ABC