COUNCIL REJECTS INJECTING TRIAL

Melbourne City Council last night rejected a trial of a supervised
injecting facility as part of its new drugs action plan.

Lord Mayor Peter Costigan said he favored a limited injecting facility
trial, but it should be off the agenda because it was unlikely to proceed
irrespective of what the council decided.

"I believe, for scientific and humane reasons, that we should try almost
anything," Cr Costigan said. "I will vote against this motion reluctantly."

Melbourne is the second council, after Greater Dandenong, to reject a trial
of injecting facilities. Yarra, Port Phillip and Maribyrnong supported the
move.

Health Minister John Thwaites last night said a trial of injecting
facilities became hypothetical when the Liberal Party said it would oppose
the legislation being debated in the Legislative Council.

He said the government would work closely with the council to implement its
local drugs plan.

The meeting was interrupted by interjections from the public gallery. City
residents supported calls by Cr Wellington Lee for a "zero tolerance"
approach to drug abuse.

He said terms such as harm minimisation and injecting rooms were not
recognised in US cities he had visited which had beaten the drug scourge.

"I know people laugh at zero tolerance, but it works," Cr Lee said.

Several councillors said the drugs issue was a matter for the state and
federal governments.

"We are being asked to address questions that are in the control of the
state and federal governments. We do not control hospitals, we do not
control policing," Cr Kevin Chamberlin said.

The council scrapped as part of its plan a proposal for a feasibility study
into the use of needle vending machines. It also abandoned a proposal for a
$50,000 memorial to victims of drug overdoses.

Deputy mayor Clem Newton-Brown said the money could be spent more
effectively in outreach programs.