UNITING CHURCH OFFICIALLY AGREES TO INJECTING ROOM TRIAL

The Uniting Church has officially accepted a New South Wales Government
offer to conduct an 18-month trial of a medically-supervised injecting room
in Sydney's Kings Cross.

The executive director of the Church's social responsibility board, the
Reverend Harry Herbert, says the church synod has endorsed the board's
decision to seek the trial licence.

Mr Herbert says the venture should not be allowed to lapse now that the
Sisters of Charity and the University of New South Wales have decided not
to proceed with bids to operate the trial.

"We stress that an injecting room at Kings Cross is not 'the' solution to
drug use in the community, it is a part of the solution," he said.

"Also, we hope that for some addicts it can be a pathway to rehabilitation
and a new life."