NSW HEROIN INJECTION ROOM DELAYED

The New South Wales government's controversial heroin injecting room is
unlikely to become operational until early next year.

It was hoped the $1.8 million medically-supervised injecting room, plagued
by delays since it was first mooted in May last year, would open this month.

However, a spokesman said while it was now hoped the Kings Cross facility
would become operational at Christmas, this was also unlikely, with
renovation works yet to begin at the premises to be used for the centre.

The delay in the 18-month trial is a blow to Special Minister of State John
Della Bosca, who has been forced to revise the opening date three times.

However, it is understood it was the government's delay in issuing a
licence to the centre's operators, the Uniting Church, that has forced the
opening date to be revised.

Mr Della Bosca issued the licence in August.

A key supporter of the trial, drugs worker Tony Trimmingham, said he
believed the government had been overly cautious in getting the project off
the ground.

He blamed local resistance to an injecting room for the government's delay
in the approving the licence.

"The government has been cautious and it's disappointing that it's taking
so long," Mr Trimmingham said.

"Until the licence was issued, there was no release of funding - and so
renovations could not begin.

"But the longer it takes, the more people will die on the streets."

The church had to wait for the licence before it could allow the builder to
commence the renovation works and the fitout of the former pinball parlour
where the centre will operate.

It is understood the premises need to be completely remodelled.

A Uniting Church spokesman said the doors were unlikely to be opened until
early in the new year.

"We are hopeful of having it open at Christmas but it is more than likely
it won't be finished until January or February next year," he said.

"Refurbishment to make it a medical centre is to begin in about a week or so.

"This is the first time in Australia that a licence has been issued for a
medical room injecting centre ... so it is important to get it right."

Mr Della Bosca was unavailable for comment.

However, he had earlier denied claims the government had stalled in issuing
the licence to avoid potential adverse international publicity from media
in Sydney for the Olympics.

The shooting gallery trial was one of the key recommendations to come out
of the government's drug summit in May last year, and was to have opened in
February this year.

However, there has been a string of setbacks, including the withdrawal of
the Sisters of Charity Health Service, and then the University of New South
Wales, as potential operators.

The Uniting Church, which put its hand up last November, has been faced
with strong community opposition to its proposed site for the centre in
Sydney's Kings Cross.