CLINIC WILL GO AHEAD: CHURCH

Wesley Central Mission is expected to announce details tomorrow of the
opening of a health centre for Melbourne heroin addicts, despite continuing
public condemnation of the plan from inner city residents.

The Wesley Central Mission superintendent, Mr Timothy Langley, said the
centre, supposed to be a safe injecting room, is to open in response to two
heroin deaths on church grounds this year.

"Wesley Mission wants to complement the Premier's initiative by opening its
own facility," Mr Langley said yesterday.

The State Government is likely to push through legislation supporting safe
injecting rooms as soon as Parliament resumes. The Premier, Mr Steve
Bracks, last week said local councils would be responsible for opening
facilities within their municipalities.

Resident and business owner Ms Denise Sullivan, who lives opposite the
clinic, said residents had been refused permission to view conversion plans
for the clinic at 117 Little Lonsdale Street. She said the purported
six-month consultation process with neighbors had been a sham.

The Health Minister, Mr John Thwaites, said that a heroin injecting clinic
run by the mission would not open without proper consultation.