POLICE DRUG CRACKDOWN CLAIMS ICONS

NIMBIN'S Hemp Bar will close its doors on August 29 and the future
of the Nimbin Museum is unclear after police issued a letter to the
land owners of both buildings requesting they evict their tenants.

The letters were issued from the NSW Crown Solicitor's Office and
evoke powers under the NSW Restricted Premises Act, 1943.

"The application is based on Detective Sergeant Smith's reasonable
grounds to suspect that a drug is unlawfully sold or supplied on or
from the premises ... and is likely to be sold again," the letter said.

One letter was presented to Judy Hales who is a member of the Nimbin
Community School cooperative. The cooperative owns what is locally
known as the 'tomato sauce building' and is home to the HEMP Embassy
and the Hemp Bar.

Mrs Hales told The Northern Star a community school meeting was held
that was open to members of the public, and it was decided they
would act upon the letter.

"People were concerned about the fate of the building and didn't
like to be placed under that threat," she said.

"People were also concerned about what would happen to the community
sschool and its assets."

Mrs Hales said the people who ran the Hemp Bar agreed to vacate the
building, saying it was 'in the best interests of the community, not
just the community school'.

A similar letter is believed to have been served on the owner of the
Nimbin Museum building.

The building is owned by a company associated with Sydney man,
Richard Andary, who has never even been to Nimbin, according to
museum founder Michael Balderstone.

The Northern Star contacted Mr Andary who declined to comment beyond
saying the matter was with his solicitors.

At another meeting at Nimbin yesterday, Mr Balderstone said he would
step aside if there was a way the community could take
responsibility for the museum.

"I'm happy to leave if the museum can survive," he said. "I've had a
lot of criticism for not stopping it (the dealing in the museum). A
lot of people have said I'm too soft because I don't like seeing
young boys locked up in jail.

"Since the MardiGrass we have really worked our butts off, and in
the Hemp Bar I know for a fact there has been no dealing in there,
and still they've done this, which is very disappointing. What
happened to community policing?"

Nimbin resident Neil Pike said the museum was 'the heart of Nimbin'.

"It would be a tragedy if the museum didn't survive as a cultural
icon and centre," he said.

"There is a certain amount of illegal activity happening, there is
no doubt about it, but most of the crime in this town comes from alcohol."