The machine
was approved as part of the Health Centre opening in 2007 and in conjunction with
the NSW Needle and Syringe Program. Spokesperson Isabella Shaw from Sydney
Local Health District (SLHD) said: “The NSW Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) is
an important public health program which aims to reduce the spread of blood
borne viruses among people who inject drugs, their families and the community
as a whole.”
Professor Paul Haber, Medical Director, Drug Health Services, also
from SLHD said: “During working hours, the machine is closed and not
operational and those who want a sterile needle are directed to the health
centre around the back of the building. After hours, there’s been a problem
that when staff go home, people who need the needles can’t get them, so that’s
when the machine is turned on.” The machine will dispense syringes for free and
Professor Haber said the decision is in the public interest. “The main
rationale is a safety consideration, the money you would get is modest and the
machine can be a target for robbery,” he said. Professor Haber said that, based
on two recent community consultations, a clear majority of people support the
machine being installed.
Michael
Shreenan of The Factory Community Centre in Waterloo supports
the ADM: “The fact is, drug use is high and safe needle exchange doesn’t
increase the number of people injecting. I would support anything to do with
harm minimisation and providing clean needles to people who need them.” Mr
Shreenan would like to see more discussion within the community to educate
people about the benefits of the machine: “Needle exchange will always be
controversial and a lot of those views come from a lack of understanding and
education on the matter.”
Mary Lynne Pidcock, President of South Sydney
Business Chamber, said she supports harm minimisation but would also like to
see more consultation within the local community. “We do understand that it has
been approved but the issue is that the business community was very different
at that time.” “The concern I have is that there hasn’t been consultation with
the current business community, which is very different from when it was
approved in 2007,” she said. Others aren’t as welcoming of the idea and think
it will have a negative impact on the community, and in particular on families
in the area.
Mark
Spinks, Aboriginal Employment/ Mentor Coordinator for Babana, is concerned
about disposal of used syringes and the effect the ADM will have on local
families. “I’m against it, I think it’s a low idea. Those needles will end up
on Redfern Oval and in the grandstands. We’ve got families who use the park and
the oval now, and that will stop,” he said. Mr Spinks said he would support a
specific place where people can be supervised to use syringes. “Why don’t they
give them somewhere to go, somewhere controlled and out of sight, not in
public? What will happen is they’ll take them out of the machine and go up to
the oval. If you think they’re going to take the package then drive home and
use it, trust me, that won’t happen,” he said.
CEO of Wyanga Elders Group,
Millie Ingram, is concerned the machine will attract people to Redfern solely
for drug use and undo the recent work done to improve the area. “We can’t get
tradespeople or taxis to get to Redfern. No one wants to come here because of
this image. We Aboriginal people have fought for a long time to improve the
image of Redfern and now they want to take it back to where it was, I think
it’s disgusting,” she said. There is no set date for the installation of the
machine but Ms Shaw said it would be installed following further discussion
with the local community.
According
to Professor Haber a third meeting of stakeholders has been scheduled which
“will be more detailed about the machine, what we want to achieve and the
evidence that we can give to the community”.
When asked
how the greater community would be made aware of what’s happening, he said: “We
are presently not scheduling a meeting for the whole community. People can
approach their council, the Business Chamber and the other people participating
in the meeting. People who wish to gather information can do so by approaching
the Community Health Centre directly.”
The SSH
will monitor developments.
Source: South Sydney Herald March 2012 – www.southsydneyherald.com.au