HEROIN INJECTING ROOM TO BE EXTENDED BY ONE YEAR

Australia's first heroin-injecting room will remain open until October next
year after the NSW government today announced a one-year extension of the
trial.

The 18-month trial is to end in October this year but the NSW government
announced it would legislate to keep the Kings Cross clinic open for a
further 12 months.

The injecting room has so far cost NSW taxpayers $5.6 million in
operational costs, which includes $1.3 million in "indirect costs" of
insurance, evaluation and treatment. advertisement

Special Minister of State John Della Bosca said a further $2.5 million for
the extension of the operation would be taken from the Confiscated Proceeds
of Crime Account.

But he said it was "commonsense" to extend the trial until a scientific
committee charged with evaluating the trial had completed its report in
April next year.

He denied the move was being made to avoid a decision having to be made on
the trial's future in the months leading up to the March 2003 state election.

"It is my view that 200 overdoses have occurred in the facility, not one of
them has resulted in a death," Mr Della Bosca said.

"It is also true that more than 400 people have been referred to treatment
- - we are talking about those people who are at the bottom end of the
addiction cycle, people in the most desperate situations."

While the NSW Opposition voted against the trial, new leader John Brogden
spoke in favour of the move when it was debated in parliament in November 1999.

Mr Brogden was unavailable for comment today while many of his MPs could
either not be reached, refused to state a position or claimed they were
unaware of the announcement.

Opposition justice spokesman Chris Hartcher later released a statement
calling for an independent report on the trial's success to date to allow
MPs to assess the proposal.

"The Coalition cannot assess the government's bill to extend the trial
until we have full information on the trial's effectiveness," he said.

The trial, operating out of a nondescript room at 66 Darlinghurst Road, was
set up following the May 1999 Drug Summit.

According to government figures, more than 2,600 users have registered to
use the centre, making about 30,000 visits since it opened.

Of the 200 overdoses, more than 70 per cent - 157 - were heroin-related.

The UN criticised the centre for sending the wrong message with the
powerful International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) warning it would be
closely monitoring the operation.

The centre's licence operators, Board of UnitingCare Australia, which
agreed to the extension last night, said it was "proud" to continue its
association with the clinic.

"After nearly a year of operation we can point to the smooth operation of
the centre and show that it has had a positive impact on the Kings Cross
neighbourhood," UnitingCare NSW/ACT executive director Reverend Harry
Herbert said.

Despite earlier community opposition, Kings Cross Community Drug Action
Team chairman Ed Adamek said the area had become a much nicer place to live.

"You don't have images of people who have just used (heroin) going `on the
nod' on people's doorsteps or in shop entrances," Mr Adamek said.

"And you don't have nearly the number of syringes lying all over the place
that we used to."