CABRAMATTA SHUNS INJECTING ROOMS

The council with responsibility for one of Australia's highest-profile drug
centres - Cabramatta - has vowed not to permit any development application
for a "safe injecting room" in its area.

The mayor of Fairfield, Councillor Chris Bowen, said he was intent on
making sure a recommendation by the Drug Summit to have medically
supervised injecting rooms, approved by local government, but based on
public consultation, not affect his municipality. "We won't be approving
any in Fairfield," Cr Bowen said.

"We have got [police] Operation Puccini cracking down on drug deals and the
last thing we want is more drug users in Cabramatta."

He was at odds yesterday with South Sydney's mayor, Cr Vic Smith, who said
he would welcome injecting rooms and suggested one be set up in Kings Cross.

Cr Bowen said he disagreed with the argument that allowing an injecting
room might save lives.

"What's safe about an injecting room where people are just injecting the
same heroin they buy off the street ... you have got no control over the
purity or quality."

But Cr Smith said an injecting room would stop needles being dumped in
toilets and parks.

The mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Paul Sinclair, and Cr Smith, criticised
Fairfield's approach.

"I think it's incumbent on any council to look at this issue responsibly,"
Cr Sinclair said.

"It would be irresponsible of any council to say 'no, we're not going to
allow it'. It has to be looked at in consultation with your own community."

An injecting room should be a health issue, Cr Sinclair, a pharmacist, said.

Cr Sinclair said heroin was "a problem everywhere you go and those who say
they haven't got a problem with it haven't walked out of their council
chambers in their area".

His consideration of the issue was based on the possibility of needlestick
injuries to young children caused by dumped syringes, Cr Sinclair said.

But Cr Bowen said arguments would not sway the council. "We have got a
problem in Fairfield and Cabramatta and the council is dead set against
injecting rooms for the area," he said.

In some editions of yesterday's Herald, a picture of the Police
Commissioner, Mr Peter Ryan, ran next to an article reporting on comments
by Mr John Ryan, a Liberal MLC who supports the establishment of injecting
rooms. The Police Commissioner did not express a view on injecting rooms to
the Drug Summit. The article also stated that Liberal Senator Marise Payne
supported a heroin trial. Senator Payne did not express a view on the trial.