NO STALLING

THE article concerning the establishment of an injecting room in Kings Cross
(1/2), stated that the Uniting Church has begun recruiting staff in defiance
of a request by the UN Narcotics Control Board that "the project be stalled"
until it has assessed its implications.

At no time has the Uniting Church received any communication from the UN or
its Narcotics Control Board. We are proceeding with the clinical trial of a
medically supervised injecting centre under legislation passed last November
by the NSW Parliament. Relationship with the UN is a matter for state and
federal governments.

While the trial in Kings Cross may be a first for Australia, we are aware
that similar trials and facilities exist in Germany, Switzerland and The
Netherlands, all of which are signatories to the same international
covenants as Australia.

Rev. HARRY J. HERBERT
Executive Director, Board for Social Responsibility
Uniting Church in Australia, Sydney