NEWS
Politicians at state and local level have strongly rejected the basis of a lead story in last week’s City News that street drug injecting in the Valley precinct had reached such an level that safe injecting rooms were needed.
And local traders have reacted in dismay to the thrust of the article, with one who has just spent around $70,000 on a fitout to his new business venture in McWhirters building labelling the article a “beatup that causes nothing but harm”.
In a joint statement, Grace Grace state MP for Brisbane Central), Cr David Hinchliffe (Central Ward) and ALP candidate for Central Paul Crowther, said: “The Valley community is desperately trying to get back on its feet – particularly in the Valley heart area around Brunswick Street.
“It doesn’t need this sort of facility and it doesn’t need this sort of negative debate.”
In the article run on page 1 and 3 of last Thursday’s City News, a spokeswoman for the Queensland Intravenous AIDS Association was quoted as saying: “Currently there is street-based injecting happening in the Valey” . She said her organisaton would support an injecting centre for the Valley.
But the two sitting politicians and current candidate said in a joint statement” “We are totally against this.” “
We do not see the need nor the desirability of having such a facility in the Valley. We understand how it functions in Kings Cross, but we do not want to see it in the Valley.
“There is a role for needle exchange facilities. That debate has occurred and there is general acceptance that needle exchanges have reduced the spread of infectious diseases among injecting drug users.
“However, it takes the issue to a whole new – and undesirable – level to create injecting rooms where those who are addicted can go to get injected.”
The Independent approached a number of local traders and typical of the response when told injecting rooms were being mooted for the Valley was one trader who exclaimed “Whereabouts?”
Asking not to be named, he added: “Anywhere but near [this building]!”
But Joseph Origliasso who has only recently opened Pronto Expresso Bar in the McWhirters building and has run businesses in the Valley for two decades said that in all that time, he had never once seen anyone injecting drugs in a public place.
"I found the article devoid of any credible information. “And I call on local traders and the Valley Chamber of Commerce to chastise this puiblication for its poor reporting.”
And while doubting a street illegal drug injecting problem even existed, he said that if safe injecting rooms were needed “they should be up at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where all the support services and health care is available. It’s only a few thousand metres away”.
