Ross Smith wrote:
Professor Haber uses an interesting version of the phrase “community
consultation” (“Needle dispensary in public interest?” SSH March 2012). He
bases his claim of “a clear majority of people support the machine being
installed” on the outcome of two recent community consultations – without
supplying any details of these consultations. He refers to a third meeting of
stakeholders for the purpose of creating a marketing campaign for the needle
dispensing machine. He said that the public would not be able to attend that
meeting. He also has an unusual method of deciding “the public interest”. There
was no indication of any public involvement in the forming of the public
interest announced by Professor Haber in the article. The hypocrisy displayed
by Professor Haber when referring to “the community” became more visible when
he said that there was no intention to consult with the greater community of
the area. The sincerity of the local harm minimisation practitioners can be
judged by the Community Drug Action Taskforce’s decision to not take part in a
public forum on the dangers of using the illicit drug Ice. The rationale cited
was that their appearance/involvement could appear to indicate support for the
usage of Ice. That some members of the CDAT are responsible for the provision
of needles to inject the illicit drug Ice raises the issue of selective
viewpoints on
their part. The Community Drug Action Taskforce’s strong support of the
needle dispensing machine has brought them into open conflict with the
community of the area and various longstanding community-based organisations.
Ross Smith Waterloo
Geoff Turnbull wrote:
NSW Health continues to miss the point in Redfern Waterloo. It is not
just about blindly servicing their clients, it is also about working with the
Redfern Waterloo communities. We did not get the Community Health Centre we
were promised. When it arrived the Community had been dropped in both name and
in the services operated from it.
Community concerns about health issues keep coming up at meetings but
NSW Health has no one designated to deal with the community over those issues.
The result has been increased polarisation on issues like harm minimisation,
drug and alcohol issues and mental health.
In 2004 the Parliamentary Inquiry into Redfern Waterloo recommended NSW
Health and Council undertake a community education campaign on harm
minimisation. Instead of doing that NSW Health polarised the community further
by refusing to talk to locals about their needle bus concerns.
If NSW Health needed a DA for its Redfern dispensing machine, as they
did in Surry Hills, they would have to explain the issues, there would be a
community discussion and NSW Health would have to address the questions thrown
up. Both Council and NSW Health say the Surry Hills process was a good one. But
NSW Health already has approval as part of building the Redfern Health Centre
so they can just put it in if they want to.
NSW Health should not repeat the needle bus blunder. There needs to be
the community discussion it would have if a separate DA were required. Out of
that there might be a less polarised community and greater understanding by
both NSW Health and the community about this complex community health issue.
Geoff Turnbull Redfern
Source: The South Sydney Herald April 2012 – www.southsydneyherald.com.au