Fed: Injecting room could be delayed, search for site continues

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-1999
Fed: Injecting room could be delayed, search for site continues

By Jane Wardell

SYDNEY, Dec 20 AAP - The trial of Australia's first heroin shooting gallery in Sydney
could be delayed by months as the Uniting Church struggles to find an appropriate site.

The church's New South Wales Synod Board for Social Responsibility executive director
Reverend Harry Herbert today said the original plan for the injecting room to throw open
its doors in April was unlikely to be met.

"I would think April is very optimistic," Mr Herbert said.

"I would think June or July is more realistic and a lot of it depends upon getting a property."

Mr Herbert met with NSW Police Commissioner Peter Ryan today to discuss the technicalities
of lodging a proposed location with the police.

Mr Ryan and the NSW Health Department director general must both give their final approval
to the site.

"This is a bit more complicated because the police are involved so it takes a little
bit of time," Mr Herbert said.

One proposed site - a former restaurant opposite the Wayside Chapel in Hughes Street,
Kings Cross - has already been scotched by Mr Ryan following concerns expressed by senior
police officers.

Mr Herbert said a former laundromat in nearby Orwell Street remained under consideration,
with a needle exchange in Darlinghurst Road the other site now topping the church's list.

While the caveat that the trial take place in Sydney's Kings Cross was restrictive,
it was also an essential element of the trial, he said.

Many in the Kings Cross community remain opposed to the trial going ahead on their doorstep.

Mr Herbert said residents were being continually kept informed on progress, with a
community consultative committee, which has resident representation, meeting on a regular
basis.

"There's no secrets from the residents," he said.

Mr Ryan said today's meeting was on administrative matters and coming up with a site
was completely up to the church.

"We are just continuing talks as to how the initiative can be progressed," he said.

"All we are interested in is enforcing the legislation and making sure that when premises
are properly identified that we continue to feel confident that they are suitable."

The state government has already swept aside federal government protests about the trial.

Prime Minister John Howard last week declared it could breach Australia's international
treaty obligations and demanded NSW Premier Bob Carr put the trial on hold - a suggestion
the state government has not taken up.

AAP jw/tsm/apm/de

KEYWORD: HEROIN (CARRIED EARLIER)

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