UNITING CHURCH GRANTED LICENCE FOR INJECTING ROOM

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

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

Announcing the licence today, New South Wales Special Minister of State John
Della Bosca said he expected the 18-month trial of the room in Sydney's
Kings Cross to start in October.

Mr Della Bosca said the Uniting Church had met the strict criteria required
by the police commissioner and the director general of health.

"We want the medically supervised injecting centre to be a gateway to
treatment and rehabilitation," Mr Della Bosca said in a statement.

"The medically supervised injecting centre is only a small part of the $176
million plan of action to tackle drug abuse, including the $93 million for
new drug and alcohol treatment services."

The room is one of 176 recommendations of the NSW 1999 drug summit