COUNCILLOR BACKS SYRINGE BINS

SYRINGE bins on planes and trains as well as in toilets and parks met a
genuine community need, a Brisbane city councillor said yesterday.

Community policy chairman David Hinchliffe said Ansett should be
congratulated for getting "their head out of the sand" and facing a
community reality.

Cr Hinchliffe said 4.5 million needles were issued in Queensland every
year - 2.5 million of these in Brisbane.

"Needle use does not equate to drug abuse," he said. "But ... we can't bury
our heads in the sand and hope when we turn our back it will go away."

Queensland Rail installed bins on all six of its long-haul trains more than
two years ago, QR official Ian Corner said these trains carried about 300
passengers and QR felt a duty of care for staff and passengers.

Mr Collier said the bins also had been installed on the new Brisbane-Gold
Coast service.

Other councils, including Redcliffe, Maroochydore and the Gold Coast, also
have successfuily tested the disposal units.

Brisbane City Council has provided 30 of the bins - 12 of them at public
toilets - for the past five years.

Cr Hinchliffe said council was currently identifying more "hot spots" in
order to provide further disposal units.

Gold Coast City Council has just completed a successful 12-month trial
resulting in the permanent installation of bins in the most frequented
places - which, are likely to include parks at Miami and Burleigh Heads as
well as the Southport Bus Exchange.

Checked-by: Don Beck