INJECTING ROOM OVER LAST HURDLE

The final hurdle to the opening of a heroin shooting gallery in Sydney has
been cleared with the Uniting Church officially receiving its operating
licence.

The church had hoped to have the safe injecting room open by now but was
stalled as it waited for official approval.

``The next step is to give the signal to the builder to commence the
renovation of the property and the fit-out and also to really get stuck into
the issue of recruiting the staff,'' UnitingCare executive director Reverend
Harry Herbert said.

Announcing the licence yesterday, NSW Special Minister of State John Della
Bosca said he expected the 18-month trial to start in October.

Rev Herbert said that was optimistic, particularly with the Olympic Games
just around the corner.

The site, a former pinball parlour, needs to be completely remodelled.

Mr Della Bosca dismissed talk of a deliberate delay until after the Olympics
to avoid any adverse international publicity. The delay was caused by the
strict criteria required by the police commissioner and director general of
health.

The room's director Dr Ingrid van Beek said the trial would benefit the
community. Of 677 call-outs to drug overdoses in Kings Cross last year, more
than 90 per cent were within 300m of the trial site.