COUNCILS THE KEY TO TACKLING THE DRUG PROBLEM

Metropolitan councils are set to play a key role in the Victorian
Government's drug policy with the final stage of the Drug Policy
Expert Committee report recommending local education, communication
and prevention programs.

Committee chairman David Penington and Health Minister John Thwaites
yesterday praised the work of the five municipalities called on to
develop drug action plans. "The local drug action plans have an
absolute wealth of information and ideas on how to tackle this issue,"
Mr Thwaites said.

Maribyrnong Mayor Gerard White yesterday said that he was not jaded
after six months of community debate over injecting facilities, and
that it was vital his council remain involved in addressing the drug
problem in Footscray. Cr White, whose council voted last month in
favor of a supervised injecting room trial as part of its drug
strategy, said the drugs debate had engaged the local community, not
divided it.

"It has been extremely healthy and important for us to be a part of
it," he said.

Port Philip Mayor Julian Hill said he was encouraged by the report's
recognition of local government and the particular needs of StKilda
and its street prostitutes."Local communities are an integral and
inseparable in finding solutions to these issues," he said.

Cr Hill said Port Phillip could play a role in education,
communication and linking agencies and services.

The report identified a direct link between drug use and street
prostitution, and the committee recommended a review of prostitution
laws, pointing to NSW as a possible model of decriminalisation to be
followed in Victoria.

City of Yarra Mayor John Phillips said he was hopeful that the
coalition parties would change their policy on injecting rooms and
heroin trials as a result of the grassroots support in his
municipality. "If they stop listening to their federal colleagues and
get organised instead of having a mental block, we can win them over,"
he said.

Maribyrnong councillor Tonya Stevens said the lack of bipartisan
support stood in the way of local communities making a response to the
drugs issue. "Members in Brighton and Bayswater are preventing a
community like Footscray from moving forward," she said.

Melbourne City Council's environment committee chairman David Risstrom
said he was confident the Victorian Government would give councils
resources to tackle the drug problem.

The council's drug action plan estimates that $1.5 million will be
required to implement the plan over three years.